HANDOVER CONDITIONAL RELATED TO NES

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method performed by a User Equipment, UE, for Network Energy Saving, NES,-related Conditional Handover, CHO, in mobile communications. The method comprises obtaining NES information for a conditional handover process, wherein the NES information indicates a candidate target cell for the conditional handover process. The present disclosure also relates to a method performed by a network node for Network Energy Saving, NES,-related conditional handover in mobile communications. The method comprises providing NES information for a conditional handover process to a User Equipment, UE, wherein the NES information indicates a candidate target cell for the conditional handover process. There is also provided a UE and a network node.

Description

1 / 49 Handover Conditional Related to NES TECHNICAL FIELD

[001] The embodiments of this disclosure are directed to methods on a User Equipment, UE, and methods on a network node of a communications network. Additional embodiments are directed to a UE and a network node, respectively. BACKGROUND Energy consumption NW

[002] Energy consumption is a considerable challenge for fifth-generation (5G) systems today, where a major contributor to energy consumption is the radio unit of the radio access network (RAN) system. Network power consumption for New Radio (NR) is considered lower compared to Long Term Evolution (LTE) due to its lean design, i.e., without cell-specific reference signals (CRS) and the synchronization signal block (SSB) periodicity is, by default, 20 ms. However, NR in the current implementation may consume more energy compared to LTE, partly due to higher bandwidths, shorter transmission time intervals (TTIs), and a large number of antennas. This is still evident even at times when cells and beams are lightly loaded or not serving any traffic or users.To enable an energy-efficient network, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) initiated a study item (SI) on network energy savings in NR, which was completed with the result captured in TR 38.864 (TR 38.864, Study on network energy savings for NR (Release 18) version i00).

[003] Following the SI phase, a new work item (WI) on network energy savings for NR was approved. The WI aims to specify the following enhancements: Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 173 / 238 2 / 49 1. Specify SCell operation without SSB for interband AC for frequency band 1 (FR1) and colocated cells, if deemed feasible by the RAN4 study, where a UE measures SSB transmitted in the primary cell (PCell) or another secondary cell (SCell) for time / frequency synchronization of an SCell (including downlink automatic gain control (AGC)) and layer 1 / layer 3 (L1 / L3) measurements, including potential enhancement in SCell activation procedures, if necessary. 2. Specify the enhancement in the discontinuous transmission / discontinuous reception (DTX / DRX) cell mechanism, including the alignment of cell DTX / DRX and user equipment (UE) DRX in RRC_CONNECTED mode and inter-node information exchange in cell DTX / DRX. • Note: No change in SSB transmission due to cell DTX / DRX. • Note: The impact on IDLE / INACTIVE UEs due to the above improvement should be avoided. 3. Specify the following techniques in the space and power domains: Specify necessary enhancements to CSI (Channel State Information) and beam management-related procedures, including measurement and reporting, and signaling to enable efficient adaptation of spatial elements (e.g., antenna ports, active transceiver strings). To specify necessary enhancements in CSI-related procedures, including measurement and reporting, and to enable efficient adaptation of power offset values ​​between PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel) and CSI-RS. Note: The above objectives are only for specific EU channels / signals. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 174 / 238 3 / 49 Note: Legacy EU Channel State Information (CSI) / CSI Reference Signal (CSI-RS) capabilities are applied when considering the total number of reports and CSI requirements. 4. Specify mechanism(s) to prevent legacy UEs from camping in cells that adopt the Network Energy Saving (NES) Rel-18 techniques, if necessary. 5. Specify conditional handover procedure (CHO) enhancement(s) when the source / destination cell is in NES mode. 6. Specify inter-node beam activation and paging constraint enhancements in a limited area. 7. Specify the corresponding basic radio / radio frequency resource management (RRM / RF) requirements, if necessary, for the above attributes. Conditional Handover (CHO)

[004] When the radio link becomes degraded and the UE needs to send measurement reports, it is possible that these reports may never reach the network because the uplink is degraded, or even if these reports do reach the network, the network attempts to respond with a handover command that may never reach the UE. This can occur due to the downlink being degraded or the handover command being so large that multiple transmissions are required. In a non-terrestrial network (NTN), even if the UE knows how long a satellite can serve before the service link switch, for example, with the help of ephemeris data, channel conditions, such as certain terrains, can still generate limited accessibility, for example, the UE is in the shadow of a mountain. Figure 1 shows when these two cases can occur.

[005] To remedy these failure cases, conditional handover (CHO) was Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 175 / 238 4 / 49 introduced. The main motivation for the conditional handover procedure is to reduce the number of failure occurrences while a UE is in motion, for example, when a handover between cells fails or when a connection fails even before a handover (HO) is triggered.

[006] In conditional handover, instead of preparing a destination cell as in a regular (non-CHO) handover, one or more candidate destination cells are prepared in advance on the network. This enables the network to send the handover command to the UE at an earlier stage compared to a regular handover; that is, the handover command is sent when radio conditions for the UE and / or the cells are still good, rather than when radio conditions begin to degrade as in a regular handover. Upon receipt, the UE stores the handover command (and the RRC settings included in the message), rather than applying it immediately, and begins evaluating the CHO trigger condition(s) configured by the network. The UE only applies the stored handover command (and the associated RRC setting) when the CHO trigger condition(s) configured by the network are met for one of the configured candidate destination cells.Next, the UE performs the handover and connects to the destination node as in a regular handover.

[007] In conditional handover, instead of transmitting the measurement report, the UE applies the stored handover command message (and the associated Radio Resource Control, RRC, configuration) when the CHO trigger condition is met for one of the configured candidate destination cells. The network can also configure two CHO trigger conditions for the UE and associate both with the stored handover command; that is, the handover command is applied only if both CHO trigger conditions are met, for example, conditions Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 176 / 238 5 / 49 configured for different types of measurement quantities, such as cell coverage represented by received reference signal power (RSRP) and quality represented by received reference signal quality (RSRQ).

[008] It is also possible that a fault is detected while the UE is monitoring the configured conditions. In the legacy approach, the UE would perform cell selection and continue with a recovery procedure. However, with conditional handover, when the same type of fault is detected, for example, a radio link fault or handover fault, the UE can prioritize a cell for which it has a stored handover command and, instead of performing recovery, the UE performs a conditional handover, which reduces downtime and signaling over the air interface. Rel-17 3GPP for CHO in NTN

[009] In Rel-17, CHO was improved in the context of non-terrestrial network (NTN) Wi-Fi. The following new conditions were introduced: • A measurement-based triggering condition called A4; “Neighbor becomes better than threshold”. • A time-based firing condition; based on a time window that indicates when the UE can fire and perform CHO on a candidate target cell. • A location-based triggering condition; based on a distance threshold from the UE to the source cell and to a candidate destination cell, i.e., the distance between the device and the server cell reference location, referenceLocation1, becomes greater than the absolute threshold1 and the distance between the device and the candidate destination cell reference location, referenceLocation2, becomes shorter than the absolute threshold1. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 177 / 238 6 / 49

[010] In addition, in Rel-17, the NR NTN device can be configured with a maximum of two trigger conditions per candidate target cell. Time-based and location-based trigger conditions are only supported in combination with a measurement-based trigger condition. It is not possible to configure time-based and location-based trigger conditions simultaneously.

[011] The location-based condition for CHO follows the D1 RRM event. The time-based event is defined by T1 and a duration. The event itself becomes fulfilled when the time measured in UE becomes greater than the configured threshold T1, but is less than T2, where T2 is T1+duration. Because the time-based event is configured along with the signal quality / strength event, CHO can be performed on a candidate target cell when the signal strength-related event is fulfilled during the time between T1 and T2. SUMMARY

[012] Currently there are certain challenges. For example, currently the only mechanism to take into account the NES cell or NES mode for a cell for mobility is to stipulate the existing CondEvent thresholds by the originating cell. Additionally, if the originating cell does not know the NES mode or NES type of the candidate destination cell, it is not possible to take into account the NES cell or NES mode for that cell for mobility or handover. In another example, it is not possible to prioritize candidate destination cells that have met the configured thresholds.

[013] Certain aspects of disclosure can provide solutions to these or other challenges. For example, particular modalities provide NES information and / or other mobility-related signaling in CHO configuration for the UE. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 178 / 238 7 / 49

[014] In another example, particular modalities provide various implementations for NES information and EU actions based on the type of NES information or how the NES information is provided.

[015] Certain modalities may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). For example, particular modalities enable EU mobility that takes into account the type or mode of NES of candidate source or destination cells.

[016] The present invention is defined in the independent claims, to which reference is now made.

[017] A method implemented by a User Equipment, UE, for Conditional Handover, CHO, related to Network Energy Saving, NES, in mobile communications is provided. The method comprises obtaining NES information for a conditional handover process. The NES information indicates a candidate destination cell for the conditional handover process.

[018] NES information may include at least one of: an offset in a Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, an offset in a Reference Signal Received Quality, RSRQ, a duration, and a location.

[019] In some embodiments, a conditional event for the conditional handover process can be configured, the conditional event having a threshold related to a NES mode of a source cell. In these embodiments, the method may additionally comprise the evaluation of the conditional event for the conditional handover process based on the threshold.

[020] In some embodiments, the method may additionally comprise receiving an indication that the UE may undergo handover from a source cell to the candidate destination cell of Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 179 / 238 8 / 49 according to the conditional handover process. The method may additionally comprise triggering the conditional handover process in response to the indication. The indication may thus be a condition for handover according to the conditional handover process.

[021] The indication can be received from the source cell.

[022] In particular, the indication may be received in a bit field in Downlink Control Information (DCI).

[023] NES information can be received from a source cell.

[024] In some modes, NES information can be received in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message associated with the candidate target cell.

[025] For example, NES information can be received in a CHO configuration for the conditional handover process.

[026] In particular, NES information can be included in IE CondTriggerConfig-r16.

[027] NES information can indicate that a cell is an NES cell, that is, a cell that may be in NES mode.

[028] A method performed by a network node for conditional handover related to Network Energy Saving, NES, in mobile communications is further provided. The method comprises providing NES information for a conditional handover process to a User Equipment, UE. The NES information indicates a candidate destination cell for the conditional handover process.

[029] NES information may include at least one of: a shift in a Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, a shift in a Reference Signal Received Quality, RSRQ, a Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 180 / 238 9 / 49 duration and a location.

[030] The method may comprise the setting of a conditional event for the conditional handover process, the conditional event having a threshold related to a NES mode of a source cell.

[031] The method may additionally comprise sending an indication to the UE, the indication indicating that the UE may undergo handover from a source cell to the candidate destination cell in accordance with the conditional handover process. The indication may thus be a condition for handover in accordance with the conditional handover process.

[032] In particular, the indication may be provided in a bit field in Downlink Control Information (DCI).

[033] In some embodiments, NES information may be transmitted to the UE in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message associated with the candidate target cell.

[034] NES information can be included in a CHO configuration for the conditional handover process.

[035] For example, NES information can be provided in IE CondTriggerConfig-r16.

[036] NES information can indicate that a cell is an NES cell.

[037] A User Equipment, UE, configured for conditional handover related to network energy saving, NES, in mobile communications is also provided. The UE comprises a set of processing circuits configured to perform any of the methods described above, as performed by a UE. The UE further comprises a set of power supply circuits configured to supply power to the set of processing circuits. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 181 / 238 10 / 49

[038] A network node configured for conditional handover related to network power saving, NES, in mobile communications is also provided. The network node comprises a set of processing circuits configured to perform any of the methods described above, as performed by a network node. The network node further comprises a set of power supply circuits configured to supply power to the set of processing circuits. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[039] Some embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject to those skilled in the art.

[040] Figure 1 illustrates examples of failure scenarios related to mobility; Figure 2 illustrates an example of a communication system according to some modalities; Figure 3 shows a UE according to some modalities; Figure 4 shows a network node according to some modalities; Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some modalities can be virtualized; Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a method in a UE according to a modality; and Figure 7 is a flowchart showing a method at a network node according to a modality. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[041] Note: Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the methods proposed in the present invention relate to both fixed cells Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 182 / 238 11 / 49 as for mobile devices, and service and power link switches.

[042] Note: Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the terms cell and beam are used interchangeably in this disclosure.

[043] Note: The terms “wireless terminal”, “User Equipment”, “UE”, “wireless device” and “device” are used interchangeably in this document.

[044] Note: The terms “CHO event” and “CHO trigger condition” are used interchangeably in this disclosure. Similarly, the terms “event” and “trigger condition” and “condition” in the context of CHO are used interchangeably in this disclosure. These terms are equivalent to the terms “CHO event” and “CHO trigger condition”. These terms may be used in the context of measurement reports.

[045] In some modes, NES information can be provided in the CHO command for the UE in IE CondTriggerConfig-r16 or CondReconfigToAddMod-r16, which means that information about a candidate destination cell is provided by the source cell. This means that the source cell obtained the information from the candidate destination cell, or decided the NES information, or the NES information is provided by an external network node that handles conditional handover coordination.

[046] In some modes, NES information may be provided in the condRRCReconfig-r16 field, which contains the RRCReconfiguration message of the candidate target cell. Thus, in some modes, the candidate target cell may place the NES information during the CHO preparation phase. This message may include both the dedicated UE part of the RRCReconfiguration as well as any system information provided in the message.

[047] In some modalities, for example, including the modalities Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 183 / 238 12 / 49 as described above, the EU may use NES information for one or more of the following: In some options, the UE can use NES information for threshold scaling of a configured condEvent (e.g., conditional event). For example, said NES information may be or include one or more of an offset in RSRP, an offset in RSRQ, T1, a duration, a location. In the same or other examples, the NES information may be defined or include other parameters and / or ways in which the NES information can perform threshold scaling. For example, if the NES information informs the UE that the cell is an NES cell (e.g., a cell that may be in NES mode), there may be a predefined scaling to be applied. In the same or another example, if in addition to informing that the target cell is an NES cell, the UE is informed that an NES cell is in NES mode at the time of evaluating the condition for CHO, another scaling may be applied.

[048] In some options, the UE can use NES information to rank the candidate target cells for which the configured event has been fulfilled. Based on the ranking, the UE decides which cell to enter. Note that this is for the case where more than one candidate target cell has fulfilled the configured condEvent(s).

[049] In some embodiments, a new conEvent can be defined that directly has a threshold related to the NES mode of a source cell or candidate destination cell(s). For example, the condEvent can be defined as a hard threshold that prevents the UE from considering an NES cell or an NES cell in NES mode if the source cell is not in NES mode. This would be advantageous if the network did not want to handover UEs to other NES cells / NES cells in NES mode. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 184 / 238 13 / 49 provided that the current server cell was capable of adequately servicing the UEs or vice versa. In some modes, a NES cell or an NES cell in NES mode may be prioritized in CHO. This may occur because it is the NES UEs that may be able to be adequately serviced by an NES cell that may be in NES mode. The preferred method may depend on network deployment and the number of NES-capable UEs on the network.

[050] In some embodiments, NES information may be provided from the destination cell during the handover procedure, instead of or in addition to system information. For example, the Random Access CHO procedure towards the destination may be extended to carry said NES information.

[051] In some embodiments, there may be a separation between what the gNB supports (can use during NES mode) and what the gNB is currently using. For example, the gNB may indicate that it supports Cell DTX / DRX, but currently not be in Cell DTX / DRX. In some embodiments, the UE may be provided with information from a server cell about a target cell in a partial manner, so that only the target cell's supporting NES attribute is provided through the server cell. Instead, to acquire the complete information, including the current NES technique currently being used, it may be derived from the target cell itself via system information or via information exchange between the target cell and the UE during the CHO procedure.

[052] In some embodiments, the NES mode for a destination cell may be provided from the source cell. Thus, in some embodiments, the UE would already have partial / complete information (see explanation above) about the NES mode of several destination cells. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 185 / 238 14 / 49

[053] In some embodiments, one or more NES techniques to be used by the target cell may be associated with a time schedule. For example, the target cell may announce in the system information that the gNB will switch off its radio at a certain time expressed by, for example, frame number (e.g., system frame number) or actual Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), or similar. The information may be short- and / or long-scale, for example, the information may cover one or more seconds from the current time and / or may provide information about the type of daily / weekly schedule.

[054] In some modes, the NES mode and associated information (e.g., support, time scheduling, etc.) mentioned above may be more granular than cell-level information. For example, information may instead be provided by the cell, such as by beam (e.g., by SSB).

[055] In some embodiments, if the UE buffer status report (BSR) is greater than a first threshold, the UE can perform handover from a first source cell to a second destination cell. This is particularly advantageous, for example, if, as a result of antenna adaptation or other NES techniques, the UE UL throughput has been reduced and thus, if there is, for example, a sudden influx of UL data, the UE can move to another cell so that its UL capacity increases. Alternatively, if the UE BSR is less than a second threshold, then the UE can perform handover from a first cell to a second cell. This is particularly advantageous, for example, if the UE buffer is empty or has less than a threshold number of data packets and thus a cell can operate in a more power-saving NES mode than the current cell supports or has configured, and thus the UE can move Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 186 / 238 15 / 49 for a destination cell that is configured with this NES mode, for example, with a smaller number of antennas. Some modes, including the modes described above, can be easily extended to the case where the UE BSR is replaced by other key performance indicators (KPIs) of traffic measurements, for example, expected data volume, latency, service level agreements, type of service / UE, etc. For example, if the UE is or has reduced capacity (RedCap), it must perform handover from a first cell to a second cell where RedCap UEs are serviced.

[056] In some embodiments, an UE may perform handover from a first cell to a second cell if one or more specific NES modes are turned off in that cell, for example, antennas are not reduced, power is not adapted, cell DTX / DRX is turned off, disabled or misconfigured, SSBs are transmitted by Scells, on-demand SSB / SIB1 is not configured or disabled, etc. In this way, in some embodiments, the UE may receive an implicit or explicit indication that a specific NES mode or technique is not applied or its impact is reduced and thus needs to perform handover. For example, if the number of ports or antenna elements is greater than a first threshold, the UE may perform handover to a second cell, possibly with fewer ports and antenna elements.

[057] In some embodiments, an indication is used as a condition for handover, for example, a bit field in a System Information Block, SIB, Downlink Control Information, DCI, or a Medium Access Control Element, MAC-CE, may indicate to the UE that it can or should perform HO from a first cell to a second cell, particularly if the information is from the source cell. Alternatively, or additionally, the indication may be received to Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 187 / 238 16 / 49 starting from the second cell or the destination cell, for example, a bit field in SIB, DCI, or MAC-CE indicating whether the second cell accepts HO from the UE or whether the UE can or must perform HO to the destination cell.

[058] In some modes, the condition for HO may be a specific pattern in the Reference Signal, RS, for example, an SSB, CSI-RS, specific tracking reference signal (TRS), etc.

[059] FIGURE 2 shows an example of a QQ100 communication system according to some modes.

[060] In the example, the QQ100 communication system includes a QQ102 telecommunications network which includes a QQ104 access network, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a QQ106 core network, which includes one or more QQ108 core network nodes. The QQ104 access network includes one or more access network nodes, such as QQ110a and QQ110b network nodes (one or more of which may generally be referred to as QQ110 network nodes) or any other access nodes of the 3GPP (3GPP) or similar non-3GPP access points. QQ110 network nodes facilitate the direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as connecting QQ112a, QQ112b, QQ112c, and QQ112d UEs (one or more of which may generally be referred to as QQ112 UEs) to the QQ106 core network via one or more wireless connections.

[061] Examples of wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves and / or other types of signals suitable for carrying information without the use of wires, cables or other conductive materials. Furthermore, in different embodiments, the QQ100 communication system may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 188 / 238 17 / 49 participate in data and / or signal communication, whether via wired or wireless connections. The QQ100 communication system may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network and / or other similar system.

[062] QQ112 UEs can be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with QQ112 network nodes and other communication devices. Similarly, QQ110 network nodes are arranged, capable, configured and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with QQ112 UEs and / or with other network nodes or equipment on the QQ102 telecommunications network to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access and / or to perform other functions, such as administration on the QQ102 telecommunications network.

[063] In the example depicted, the QQ106 core network connects the QQ110 network nodes to one or more hosts, such as the QQ116 host. These connections can be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The QQ106 core network includes more core network nodes (e.g., QQ108 core network node) that are structured with hardware and software components. The attributes of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, so that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the QQ108 core network node.Examples of core network nodes include functions from one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), and Authentication Server Function. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 189 / 238 18 / 49 (AUSF), Signature Identifier Decoy Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF) and / or User Plane Function (UPF).

[064] The QQ116 host may be owned or controlled by a service provider other than an operator or provider of the QQ104 access network and / or the QQ102 telecommunications network and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The QQ116 host may host a variety of applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieval and compilation of data under various environmental conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions to control or otherwise interact with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other function performed by a server.

[065] As a whole, the QQ100 communication system in Figure QQ1 enables connectivity between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In this sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G); wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the 802.11 (Wi-Fi) standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 190 / 238 19 / 49 (NFC), ZigBee, LiFi and / or any low-power geographically distributed network (LPWAN) standards, such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[066] In some instances, the QQ102 telecommunications network is a cellular network that implements standardized 3GPP attributes. Consequently, the QQ102 telecommunications network can support network slicing to provide different logical networks for different devices that are connected to the QQ102 telecommunications network. For example, the QQ102 telecommunications network can provide Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs and / or Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / Massive IoT services to additional UEs.

[067] In some examples, QQ112 UEs are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a UE may be designed to transmit information to a QQ104 access network at a predetermined rate when triggered by an internal or external event or in response to requests from the QQ104 access network. Additionally, a UE may be configured to operate in single or multi-RAT or multi-pattern mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e., being configured for dual connectivity via multiple radio (MR-DC), such as New Radio E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[068] In the example, the QQ114 hub communicates with the QQ104 access network to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and network nodes (e.g., network node QQ110b). In some examples, the QQ114 hub may be a controller, router, content and analytics source, or any of the other communication devices. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 191 / 238 20 / 49 described in the present invention in relation to UEs. For example, the QQ114 hub can be a broadband router that enables access to the QQ106 core network for UEs. As another example, the QQ114 hub can be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators on the UEs. Commands or instructions can be received from the UEs, QQ110 network nodes, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions on the QQ114 hub. As another example, the QQ114 hub can be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, can perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the QQ114 hub can be a content source.For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the QQ114 hub can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or sensor-related data via a network node, which the QQ114 hub then provides to the UE directly, after performing local processing and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, the QQ114 hub acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for UEs, particularly if one or more of the UEs are low-power IoT devices.

[069] The QQ114 hub can have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the QQ110b network node. The QQ114 hub can also allow a different communication and / or scaling scheme between the QQ114 hub and the UEs (e.g., QQ112c and / or QQ112d UEs) and between the QQ114 hub and the QQ106 core network. In other examples, the QQ114 hub is connected to the QQ106 core network and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Furthermore, the QQ114 hub can be configured to connect to an M2M service provider via the QQ104 access network and / or to another UE via a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs can establish a wireless connection with the QQ110 network nodes while still being connected via the QQ114 hub through a wired connection. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 192 / 238 21 / 49 wired or wireless. In some embodiments, the QQ114 hub may be a dedicated hub – that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs to / from the QQ110b network node. In other embodiments, the QQ114 hub may be a non-dedicated hub – that is, a device that is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and the QQ110b network node, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication initiation and / or endpoint for certain data channels.

[070] FIGURE 3 shows a QQ200 UE according to some embodiments. As used in the present invention, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smartphone, mobile phone, cellular phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless cameras, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop computer, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), smart device, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), vehicle mounted or embedded / integrated wireless device, etc.Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine-like communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[071] A UE can support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing a 3GPP standard for side-link communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 193 / 238 22 / 49 examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale or operation by a human user, but which may not be, or may not initially be, associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale or operation by an end user, but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[072] The QQ200 UE includes a set of QQ202 processing circuits that are operationally coupled via a QQ204 bus to an input / output interface QQ206, a power supply QQ208, a memory QQ210, a communication interface QQ212 and / or any other component or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may use all or a subset of the components shown in Figure QQ2. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another. Additionally, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[073] The QQ202 processing circuitry is configured to process instructions and data and can be configured to implement any operational sequential state machine to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in QQ210 memory. The QQ202 processing circuitry can be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); logic Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 194 / 238 23 / 49 programmable in conjunction with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the QQ202 processing circuitry may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[074] In the example, the QQ206 input / output interface can be configured to provide an interface or interfaces for an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, a transmitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device can allow a user to capture information on the UE QQ200. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a command ball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, and the like.The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to detect user input. A sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide both an input and an output device.

[075] In some embodiments, the QQ208 power source is structured Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 195 / 238 24 / 49 as a battery or battery bank. Other types of power sources may also be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), photovoltaic devices, or power cells. The QQ208 power source may additionally include a power circuit assembly to distribute power from the QQ208 power source itself and / or an external power source to the various parts of the QQ200 UE via an input circuit assembly or an interface, such as an electrical power cable. Power distribution may, for example, be used to charge the QQ208 power source. The power circuit assembly may perform any shaping, conversion, or other modification to the power from the QQ208 power source to make the power suitable for the respective components of the QQ200 UE to which the power is supplied.

[076] The QQ210 memory may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), read-only programmable memory (PROM), read-only erasable programmable memory (EPROM), read-only electrically erasable programmable memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the QQ210 memory includes one or more QQ214 application programs, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other application, and the corresponding QQ216 data. The QQ210 memory may store, for use by the UE QQ200, any one of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[077] The QQ210 memory can be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as a redundant disk array. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 196 / 238 25 / 49 standalone (RAID) storage devices, flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external dual-in-line mini-DIMM memory module, synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smart card memory, such as a tamper-evident module in the form of a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC), including one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may, for example, be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC commonly known as a SIM card.QQ210 memory can allow UE QQ200 to access instructions, application programs, and the like, stored on transient or non-transient memory media, to download or upload data. A manufactured item, such as one that utilizes a communication system, can be tangibly represented as or in QQ210 memory, which can be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[078] The QQ202 processing circuitry can be configured to communicate with an access network or another network using the QQ212 communication interface. The QQ212 communication interface may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to a QQ222 antenna. The QQ212 communication interface may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers from another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 197 / 238 26 / 49 A QQ218 and / or a QQ220 receiver suitable for providing network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so on). Furthermore, the QQ218 transmitter and the QQ220 receiver can be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., QQ222 antenna) and can share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively, be implemented separately.

[079] In the embodiment illustrated, the communication functions of the QQ212 communication interface may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, field proximity communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, other related communication functions, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in accordance with one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11. Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so on.

[080] Regardless of the sensor type, an UE can provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its QQ212 communication interface, via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated wirelessly to a network node via another UE. The output can be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if reporting the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to balance the reporting load of several sensors), in Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 198 / 238 27 / 49 response to a trigger event (e.g., when moisture is detected, an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request) or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[081] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a mechanism, or a switch connected to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the states of the actuator, mechanism, or switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a mechanism that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or a robotic arm that performs a medical procedure according to the received input.

[082] A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, extended industrial application and healthcare.Non-limiting examples of such an IoT device are a device that is or is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice-controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / humidity sensor, an electric lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system such as a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smartwatch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 199 / 238 28 / 49 Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal or item tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any type of medical device, such as a heart rate monitor or a remotely controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device comprises a set of circuits and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device, in addition to other components as described in relation to the QQ200 UE shown in Figure QQ2.

[083] As yet another specific example, in an IoT scenario, a UE can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE can, in this case, be an M2M device, which in a 3GPP context can be referred to as an MTC device. As a particular example, the UE can implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE can represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship, and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[084] In practice, any number of UEs can be used together in relation to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated into a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE which is a remote controller that operates the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE can adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and / or second UE can also include more than one of the Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 200 / 238 29 / 49 functionalities described above. For example, a UE can understand the sensor and the actuator and handle data communication for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[085] FIGURE 4 shows a QQ300 network node according to some embodiments. As used in the present invention, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment, in a telecommunications network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., base radio stations, B nodes, evolved B nodes (eNBs) and NR B nodes (gNBs)).

[086] Base stations can be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmission power level) and, therefore, depending on the amount of coverage provided, can be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station can be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node can also include one or more parts (or all parts) of a distributed base radio station, such as centralized digital units and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated into an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Parts of a distributed base radio station can also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[087] Other examples of network nodes include 5G multi-transmission point (multi-TRP) access nodes, multi-standard radio equipment (MSR) such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as network controllers Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 201 / 238 30 / 49 radio (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multicellular / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organization Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Server Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)) and / or Drive Test Minimization (MDTs).

[088] The QQ300 network node includes a set of QQ302 processing circuits, a QQ304 memory, a QQ306 communication interface, and a QQ308 power supply. The QQ300 network node can be comprised of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a B-Node component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have its own respective components. In certain scenarios where the QQ300 network node comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple B-Nodes. In this scenario, each unique B-Node and RNC pair may, in some cases, be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the QQ300 network node can be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs).In such configurations, some components can be duplicated (e.g., separate QQ304 memory for different RATs) and some components can be reused (e.g., the same QQ310 antenna can be shared by different RATs). The QQ300 network node can also include multiple sets of the various components illustrated for different wireless technologies integrated into the QQ300 network node, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Identification. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 202 / 238 31 / 49 by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies can be integrated into the same chip or into a different chip or set of chips and other components within the QQ300 network node.

[089] The QQ302 processing circuitry may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or operable coded logic to provide, alone or in conjunction with other QQ300 network node components, such as QQ304 memory, to provide QQ300 network node functionality.

[090] In some embodiments, the QQ302 processing circuitry includes a system-on-a-chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the QQ302 processing circuitry includes one or more QQ312 radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitries and QQ314 baseband processing circuitries. In some embodiments, the QQ312 radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry and the QQ314 baseband processing circuitry may be on separate chips (or chip assemblies), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, all or part of the QQ312 RF transceiver circuitry and the QQ314 baseband processing circuitry may be on the same chip or chip assemblies, boards, or units.

[091] QQ304 memory may comprise any form of computer-readable volatile or non-volatile memory, including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, mounted memory Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 203 / 238 32 / 49 remotely, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., a hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., a flash drive, a Compact Disc (CD), or a Digital Video Disc (DVD)), and / or any other device-readable and / or computer-executable volatile or non-transient memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the QQ302 processing circuitry. The QQ304 memory can store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of the following logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the QQ302 processing circuitry and used by the QQ300 network node.The QQ304 memory can be used to store any calculations performed by the QQ302 processing circuitry and / or any data received via the QQ306 communication interface. In some embodiments, the QQ302 processing circuitry and the QQ304 memory are integrated.

[092] The QQ306 communication interface is used for wired or wireless signaling and / or data communication between a network node, access network, and / or UE. As illustrated, the QQ306 communication interface comprises QQ316 port(s) / terminal(s) for sending and receiving data, for example, to and from a network via a wired connection. The QQ306 communication interface also includes a set of QQ318 radio front-end circuits that can be coupled to, or in certain embodiments, be a part of the QQ310 antenna. The QQ318 radio front-end circuit set comprises QQ320 filters and QQ322 amplifiers. The QQ318 radio front-end circuit set can be connected to a QQ310 antenna and processing circuit set. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 204 / 238 33 / 49 The QQ302 radio front-end circuitry can be configured to condition the signals communicated between the QQ310 antenna and the QQ302 processing circuitry. The QQ318 radio front-end circuitry can receive digital data that must be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The QQ318 radio front-end circuitry can convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of QQ320 filters and / or QQ322 amplifiers. The radio signal can then be transmitted via the QQ310 antenna. Similarly, when receiving data, the QQ310 antenna can collect radio signals that are then converted into digital data by the QQ318 radio front-end circuitry. The digital data can be passed to the QQ302 processing circuitry.In other modalities, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[093] In certain alternative embodiments, the QQ300 network node does not include separate QQ318 radio front-end circuit sets; instead, the QQ302 processing circuit set includes radio front-end circuit sets and is connected to the QQ310 antenna. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the QQ312 RF transceiver circuit sets are part of the QQ306 communication interface. In still other embodiments, the QQ306 communication interface includes one or more QQ316 ports or terminals, the QQ318 radio front-end circuit set, and the QQ312 RF transceiver circuit set as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the QQ306 communication interface communicates with the QQ314 baseband processing circuit set, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[094] The QQ310 antenna may include one or more antennas, or arrangements of Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 205 / 238 34 / 49 antennas, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The QQ310 antenna can be coupled to the QQ318 radio front-end circuit assembly and can be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the QQ310 antenna is separate from the QQ300 network node and can be connected to the QQ300 network node via an interface or port.

[095] The QQ310 antenna, the QQ306 communication interface and / or the QQ302 processing circuitry can be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain acquisition operations described in the present invention as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals can be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the QQ310 antenna, the QQ306 communication interface and / or the QQ302 processing circuitry can be configured to perform any transmitting operations described in the present invention as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals can be transmitted to a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[096] The QQ308 power source provides power to the various components of the QQ300 network node in a manner suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level required for each respective component). The QQ308 power source may additionally comprise, or be coupled with, a set of power management circuits to supply power to the components of the QQ300 network node to perform the functionality described in the present invention. For example, the QQ300 network node may be connected to an external power source (e.g., the electrical grid, an electrical outlet) via a set of Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 206 / 238 35 / 49 of input or interface circuits, such as an electrical cable, through which the external power source supplies power to the power circuit assembly of the QQ308 power source. As a further example, the QQ308 power source may comprise a power source in the form of a battery or battery bank that is connected to, or integrated into, the power circuit assembly. The battery may provide backup power in case the external power source fails.

[097] Embodiments of the QQ300 network node may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure QQ3 to provide certain aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functionalities described in the present invention and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described in the present invention. For example, the QQ300 network node may include user interface equipment to allow information to be entered into the QQ300 network node and to allow information to be output from the QQ300 network node. This may allow a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the QQ300 network node. FIGURE 5 is a block diagram illustrating a QQ500 virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized.In the present context, virtualization means creating virtual versions of appliances or devices, which may include virtualization hardware platforms, storage devices, and network resources. As used in the present invention, virtualization can be applied to any device described in the present invention, or components thereof, and refers to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described in the present invention may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual components. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 207 / 238 36 / 49 virtual machines (VMs) deployed in one or more QQ500 virtual environments hosted by one or more hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device operating as a network node, UE, core network node, or host. Additionally, in modes where the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node can be fully virtualized.

[098] The QQ502 applications (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the Q400 virtualization environment to implement some of the attributes, functions and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed in the present invention.

[099] The QQ504 hardware includes a set of processing circuits, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuits, and / or other hardware devices as described in the present invention, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. The software may be executed by the processing circuits to instantiate one or more QQ506 virtualization layers (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide QQ508a and QQ508b VMs (one or more of which may generally be referred to as QQ508 VMs), and / or perform any of the functions, attributes, and / or benefits described in relation to some embodiments described in the present invention. The QQ506 virtualization layer may present a virtual operating platform that appears as network hardware for the QQ508 VMs.

[100] QQ508 VMs comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual network or interface, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding QQ506 virtualization layer. Different Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 208 / 238 37 / 49 instance modes of a QQ502 virtual appliance can be implemented in one or more QQ508 VMs, and the implementations can be done in different ways. Hardware virtualization is, in some contexts, referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many types of network equipment into high-volume, industry-standard server hardware, physical switches and physical storage, which may be located in data centers, and equipment within the customer's premises.

[101] In the context of NFV, the QQ508 VM can be a software implementation of a physical machine that executes programs as if they were being executed on a non-virtualized physical machine. Each of the QQ508 VMs and that part of the QQ504 hardware that runs that VM, whether hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with other VMs, form separate virtual network elements. Also in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run on one or more QQ508 VMs on top of the QQ504 hardware and corresponds to the QQ502 application.

[102] QQ504 hardware can be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. QQ504 hardware can implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, QQ504 hardware can be part of a larger hardware cluster (for example, such as in a data center or CPE), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via QQ510 management and orchestration, which, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of QQ502 applications. In some embodiments, QQ504 hardware is coupled to one or more radio units, each of which includes one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that can be coupled to one or more antennas. Units of Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 209 / 238 38 / 49 radio units can communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and can be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided using a QQ512 control system which can alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[103] Although the computing devices described in the present invention (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that such computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software necessary to perform tasks, attributes, functions, and methods disclosed in the present invention.Determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described in the present invention can be performed by a set of processing circuits, which can process information, for example, by converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained or converted information with the information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained or converted information and, as a result of said processing, making a determination. Furthermore, although the components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned among separate components. For example, an interface... Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 210 / 238 39 / 49 communication can be configured to include any of the components described in the present invention and / or the functionality of the components can be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any of these components can be implemented in software or firmware and the computationally intensive functions can be implemented in hardware.

[104] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described in the present invention may be provided by a set of processing circuits that execute instructions stored in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a product of a computer program in the form of a non-transient, computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, all or part of the functionality may be provided by the set of processing circuits without executing instructions stored in a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In either of these particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored in a non-transient, computer-readable storage medium or not, the set of processing circuits may be configured to perform the described functionality.The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or by end users and a wireless network in general.

[105] FIGURE 6 is a flowchart that illustrates an example method in a User Equipment, UE, according to certain modalities. The method is for Conditional Handover, CHO, related to NES, in mobile communications. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 211 / 238 40 / 49 In particular configurations, one or more steps of FIGURE 6 may be performed by the UE 200 described in relation to FIGURE 3.

[106] The method may comprise, in step 600, the UE (e.g., UE 200) obtaining, for example, receiving, NES information for a conditional handover process. The NES information indicates a candidate destination cell for the conditional handover process.

[107] NES information may include at least one of: an offset in a Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, an offset in a Reference Signal Received Quality, RSRQ, a duration and a location.

[108] As shown in step 610, in some modes, optionally, a conditional event for the conditional handover process can be configured, the conditional event having a threshold related to a source cell's NES mode.

[109] In step 620, the method may additionally include the evaluation of the conditional event for the conditional handover process based on the threshold.

[110] Additionally, in some embodiments, in step 630, the method may optionally include further receiving an indication that the UE may undergo handover from a source cell to the candidate destination cell in accordance with the conditional handover process.

[111] In step 640, the method may additionally comprise triggering the conditional handover process in response to the indication. The indication may thus be a condition for handover according to the conditional handover process.

[112] The indication can be received from the source cell. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 212 / 238 41 / 49

[113] Advantageously, the indication can be received in a bit field in Downlink Control Information (DCI).

[114] NES information can be received from a source cell.

[115] For example, in some modes, NES information may be received in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message associated with the candidate target cell. For example, NES information may be received in a CHO configuration for the conditional handover process. In particular, NES information may be included in IE CondTriggerConfig-r16.

[116] NES information can indicate that a cell is an NES cell, that is, a cell that may be in NES mode.

[117] Modifications, additions or omissions may be made to the method in FIGURE 6. Additionally, one or more steps in the method in FIGURE 6 may be performed in parallel or in any suitable order.

[118] FIGURE 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example method on a network node, according to certain embodiments. The method may be for conditional handover related to Network Energy Saving, NES, in mobile communications. In particular embodiments, one or more steps of FIGURE 7 may be performed by the network node 300 described with respect to FIGURE 4. The network node may be a network node of a source cell.

[119] The method may comprise, in step 700, the network node (e.g., network node 300) providing, for example, sending, NES information to a conditional handover process for a User Equipment, UE. The NES information indicates a candidate destination cell for the conditional handover process.

[120] NES information may include at least one of the following: one Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 213 / 238 42 / 49 offset in a Received Reference Signal Power, RSRP, an offset in a Received Reference Signal Quality, RSRQ, a duration and a location.

[121] In step 710, the method may optionally comprise the setting of a conditional event for the conditional handover process, the conditional event having a threshold related to a source cell's NES mode.

[122] In step 720, the method may additionally comprise, optionally, the sending of an indication to the UE, the indication indicating that the UE may undergo handover from a source cell to the candidate destination cell in accordance with the conditional handover process. The indication may thus be a condition for handover in accordance with the conditional handover process.

[123] Advantageously, the indication can be provided in a bit field in Downlink Control Information (DCI).

[124] In some embodiments, NES information can be transmitted to the UE in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message associated with the candidate destination cell. For example, NES information can be included in a CHO configuration for the conditional handover process. In particular, NES information can be provided in IE CondTriggerConfig-r16.

[125] NES information can indicate that a cell is an NES cell.

[126] Modifications, additions or omissions may be made to the method in FIGURE 7. Additionally, one or more steps in the method in FIGURE 7 may be performed in parallel or in any suitable order.

[127] Advantageously, modalities can enable EU mobility Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 214 / 238 43 / 49 which takes into account the type or mode of NES of candidate source or destination cells.

[128] Some modalities can be described by the following clauses: MODALITIES Group A Modalities

[129] 1. A method implemented by a wireless device for conditional handover related to network energy saving (NES) in mobile communications, the method comprising: Obtain NES information for a conditional handover process, where the NES information indicates a candidate destination cell for the conditional handover process.

[130] 2. The method of the previous modality, additionally comprising: Perform escalation of a configured conditional event threshold that triggers the conditional handover process based on at least the NES information.

[131] 3. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which the NES information comprises at least one of: a shift in received reference signal power (RSRP), a shift in received reference signal quality (RSRQ), a duration, a location.

[132] 4. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which: NES information indicates that the candidate target cell is an NES cell; and Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 215 / 238 44 / 49 The method further comprises performing scaling of a threshold for a configured conditional event based on at least predefined scaling information.

[133] 5. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which: The NES information indicates that the candidate target cell is in NES mode at the time of evaluating a conditional event that triggers the conditional handover process; and the method further comprises performing conditional event threshold scaling based on at least predefined scaling information.

[134] 6. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which: A conditional event is used to trigger the conditional handover process; The conditional event is associated with a threshold related to a NES mode of a source cell or the candidate destination cell; The threshold indicates that the candidate destination cell that is a NES cell is excluded from the conditional handover process if the source cell is not a NES cell.

[135] 7. The method of any of the previous embodiments, in which if the wireless device is an NES wireless device, the candidate target cell that is determined to be an NES cell will be prioritized over other candidate target cells that are not NES cells.

[136] 8. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which the NES information is provided by the candidate destination cell during the conditional handover process.

[137] 9. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which NES information is provided from a server cell. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 216 / 238 45 / 49

[138] 10. The method of any of the previous embodiments, in which the NES information comprises an indication of whether the candidate target cell is an NES cell and / or an indication that a specific NES mode is applied in the candidate target cell.

[139] 11. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which the NES information comprises an indication of whether each of a set of candidate target cells is an NES cell.

[140] 12. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which the conditional handover process for the wireless device is triggered in response to the determination that a buffer status report (BSR) associated with the wireless device is greater than a first threshold value.

[141] 13. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which the conditional handover process for the wireless device is triggered in response to the determination that a buffer status report (BSR) associated with the wireless device is less than a second threshold value.

[142] 14. The method of any of the previous modes, in which the conditional handover process to the wireless device is triggered if one or more NES modes are switched off in a source cell.

[143] 15. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which: The conditional handover process for the wireless device is triggered in response to an indication that the wireless device should undergo handover from a source cell to the candidate destination cell; and the indication is provided in a bit field in a System Information Block (SIB), Downlink Control Information (DCI), or Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE).

[144] 16. The method of the previous modalities, in which: Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 217 / 238 46 / 49 the NES information additionally indicates information about a set of candidate target cells for the conditional handover process; The method additionally includes: Classify the set of candidate target cells for which a conditional event to trigger the conditional handover has been fulfilled based at least on NES information; and select a specific candidate target cell based on the classification.

[145] 18. A method performed by a wireless device, the method comprising: any of the steps, attributes, or functions of the wireless device described above, either alone or in combination with other steps, attributes, or functions described above.

[146] 19. The method of the previous modalities, additionally comprising one or more additional steps, attributes or functions of the wireless device described above.

[147] 20. The method of any of the previous modalities, additionally comprising: To provide user data; and to forward the user data to a host computer via transmission to the network node or base station. Group B Modalities

[148] 21. A method performed by a network node for conditional handover related to network energy saving (NES) in mobile communications, the method comprising: to provide NES information in a conditional handover process for Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 218 / 238 47 / 49 a wireless device, where the NES information indicates a candidate target cell for the conditional handover process.

[149] 22. The method of the previous embodiment, in which information about the candidate destination cell is provided by a source cell from which the wireless device must undergo handover to the candidate destination cell.

[150] 23. The method of any of the previous modalities, in which information about the candidate destination cell is provided by an external network node that transfers the conditional handover process from a source cell to the candidate destination cell to the wireless device.

[151] 24. The method of any of the previous embodiments, in which NES information is provided to the wireless device in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message associated with the candidate target cell.

[152] 25. The mode 24 method, in which the RRC configuration message comprises dedicated wireless device information and system information.

[153] 26. A method performed by a base station, the method comprising: any of the network node steps, attributes, or functions described above with respect to the base station, either alone or in combination with other steps, attributes, or functions described above.

[154] 27. The method of the previous modalities, additionally comprising one or more additional base station steps, attributes or functions described above.

[155] 28. The method of any of the previous modalities, additionally comprising: Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 219 / 238 48 / 49 provide user data; and forward the user data to a host via transmission to the wireless device. Group C Modalities

[156] 29. A user device for conditional handover related to network energy savings (NES) in mobile communications, comprising: A set of processing circuits configured to perform any of the steps in any of the modes of Group A; and a set of power supply circuits configured to supply power to the set of processing circuits.

[157] 30. A network node for conditional handover related to network energy savings (NES) in mobile communications, the network node comprising: a set of processing circuits configured to perform any of the steps in any of the modes of Group B; A set of power supply circuits configured to provide power to the processing circuitry.

[158] 31. A user equipment (UE) for conditional handover related to network energy savings (NES) in mobile communications, the UE comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; A set of radio front-end circuits connected to the antenna and the processing circuitry, and configured to condition the signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry. the set of processing circuits being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the modes of Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pages 220 / 238 49 / 49 Group A; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to provide power to the UE. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 221 / 238

Claims

1 / 5 CLAIMS 1. Method implemented by a User Equipment, UE, for Conditional Handover, CHO, related to Network Energy Saving, NES, in mobile communications, the method characterized in that it comprises: obtaining NES information for a conditional handover process, wherein the NES information indicates a candidate destination cell for the conditional handover process.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the NES information includes at least one of: a shift in a Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, a shift in a Reference Signal Received Quality, RSRQ, a duration, and a location.

3. A method, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a conditional event for the conditional handover process is set up, the conditional event having a threshold related to a NES mode of a source cell.

4. Method, according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises evaluating the conditional event for the conditional handover process based on the threshold.

5. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it further comprises receiving an indication that the UE may undergo handover from a source cell to the candidate destination cell in accordance with the conditional handover process; and triggering the conditional handover process in response to the indication. Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, pp. 234 / 238 2 / 5 6. Method, according to claim 5, characterized in that the indication is a condition for handover according to the conditional handover process.

7. Method, according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the indication is received from the source cell.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the indication is included in a bit field in Downlink Control Information (DCI).

9. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that NES information is received from a source cell.

10. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that NES information is received in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message associated with the candidate target cell.

11. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that NES information is received in a CHO configuration for the conditional handover process.

12. Method, according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the NES information is included in IE CondTriggerConfig-r16.

13. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the NES information indicates that a cell is an NES cell.

14. Method performed by a network node for conditional handover related to Network Energy Saving, NES, in mobile communications, the method characterized in that it comprises: Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, page 235 / 238 3 / 5 providing NES information for a conditional handover process to a User Equipment, UE, wherein the NES information indicates a candidate destination cell for the conditional handover process.

15. Method, according to claim 14, characterized in that the NES information includes at least one of: a shift in a Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, a shift in a Reference Signal Received Quality, RSRQ, a duration, and a location.

16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that it comprises setting up a conditional event for the conditional handover process, the conditional event having a threshold related to a NES mode of a source cell.

17. A method, according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that it further comprises sending an indication to the UE, indicating that the UE may undergo handover from a source cell to the candidate destination cell in accordance with the conditional handover process.

18. Method, according to claim 17, characterized in that the indication is a condition for handover according to the conditional handover process.

19. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that the network node is a network node of the originating cell.

20. Method according to claim 19, characterized in that the indication is provided in a bit field in Downlink Control Information (DCI).

21. Method, according to any one of claims 14 to 20, characterized in that the NES information is transmitted to the EU Petition 870250068026, dated 04 / 08 / 2025, page 236 / 238 4 / 5 in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration message associated with the candidate target cell.

22. A method, according to any one of claims 14 to 21, characterized in that NES information is included in a CHO configuration for the conditional handover process.

23. Method, according to any one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that the NES information is provided in IE CondTriggerConfig-r16.

24. A method, according to any one of claims 14 to 23, characterized in that the NES information indicates that a cell is an NES cell.

25. User Equipment, UE, configured for conditional handover related to network energy saving, NES, in mobile communications, the UE characterized in that it comprises: a processing circuitry set configured to perform the method defined in any one of claims 1 to 13; and a power supply circuitry set configured to supply power to the processing circuitry set.

26. Network node configured for conditional handover related to network power saving, NES, in mobile communications, the network node characterized in that it comprises: a set of processing circuits configured to perform the method defined in any one of claims 14 to 24; and a set of power supply circuits configured to supply power to the set of processing circuits.

27. Product, process, system, kit, means or use, characterized in that it comprises one or more elements described in the descriptive report, in the claims, in the drawings, in the sequence listing, or in the summary of this application, when applicable.

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