Transmission of start and stop session indications in dual connectivity for QOE / RVQOE measurements.

Description

/ 73 Transmission of start and stop session indications in dual connectivity for QOE / RVQOE measurements. FIELD OF TECHNIQUE

[001] This description refers to Quality of Experience (QoE) and, in particular, to methods and devices for QoE and / or Radio Access Network Visible QoE (RVQoE) measurement configurations in RAN. FUNDAMENTALS QoE Framework Overview Regular QoE

[002] Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements, also called application layer measurements, were specified for the 3GPP, Long Term Evolution (LTE), and UMTS Partnership Project, and are being specified for New Radio (NR) in 3GPP version 17. The goal of application layer measurements is to measure the end-user experience when using specific applications. Currently, QoE measurements are supported for streaming services and MTSI (Mobility Telephony Service for IMS) services. For NR, at least Virtual Reality (VR) will likely be added to the list of services for which QoE measurements are specified and supported.

[003] The LTE and UMTS solutions are similar in general principles as set out below. Quality of Experience (QMC) Measurement Collection allows for the configuration of application layer accuracy in the UE and the transmission of QoE measurement result files (which may also be called QoE reports) to the network via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. An application layer measurement configuration (also called QoE measurement configuration or QoE configuration) that the Radio Access Network (RAN) receives from the Operation and Maintenance (OAM) system, or the Network Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 13 / 103 / 73 Central (CN) data is encapsulated in a transparent container, which is forwarded to a UE in a downlink RRC message. An application layer measurement report (also called a QoE report) that the UE access stratum (UE AS) or the UE RRC layer receives from the UE's upper layer (application layer) is encapsulated in a transparent container and sent to the network in an uplink RRC message. The RAN then forwards the QoE report to a Measurement Collection Entity (MCE).

[004] In 3GPP version 17, a new study item for NR entitled “Study on QoE Management and Optimizations in NR for Diverse Services”, TS 38.890 v17.0.0, was approved and completed. The specification work for 3GPP version 17 is still ongoing. The objective of the study item is to study solutions for QoE measurements in NR. QoE management in NR will not only collect Quality of Experience parameters from streaming services but will also consider the typical performance requirements of diverse services (e.g., RA / RV and Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication, URLLC, of ​​which at least RV appears to be covered in 3GPP version 17). Based on service requirements, the NR study also included more adaptive QoE management schemes that allow network optimization to satisfy user experience across diverse services.

[005] The configuration data related to QoE accuracy (in standard specifications usually referred to as application layer accuracy) consists of a service type indication, an indication of an area in which the accuracy should be performed (denoted area scope), an IP address of the entity to which the collected measurement results (i.e., the QoE reports) should be sent (often called MCE, Measurement Collection Entity or Measurement Collection Entity, but the entity may also be referred to as a Collection Entity). Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 14 / 103 / 73 Tracking) and a set of instructions specifying what type of accuracy should be performed and details of how that accuracy should be performed. These instructions are intended for the application layer in UEs and are placed in a container that network entities handling it, for example, forwarding it to UEs as well as to Stratum Access UEs, typically cannot interpret and do not attempt to read. The service types specified in 3GPP version 16 are MTSI and streaming service (DASH). In 3GPP version 17, at least the VR service type will be added. The U-area scope is defined in terms of cells or network-related areas. In UMTS, the U-area scope is defined as a list of cells, a list of routing areas, or a list of tracking areas. In LTE, the U-area scope is defined as a list of cells or a list of tracking areas. In NR, the U-area scope will be defined as a list of cells or a list of monitoring areas.

[006] QoE, in particular, QoE configuration, comes in two types: management-based (m-based) QoE configuration and signaling-based (s-based) QoE configuration. In both cases, the QoE configuration originates from the OAM system or some other administrative entity, for example, that handles customer satisfaction. The entities are referred to here as the OAM system (where the OAM system may also contain other entities). With management-based (m-based) QoE, the OAM system is typically interested in general QoE statistics for a given area (which is configured as an area scope). Measurement-based QoE configuration is sent directly from the OAM system to the RAN nodes that control cells that are within the area scope. Each RAN node then selects UEs that are within the area scope (and meet any other relevant conditions, such as supporting the type of application / service in question) and sends the QoE configuration. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 15 / 103 / 73 based on measurement for these EUs

[007] With s-based QoE, the OAM system is interested in collecting QoE measurement results from a specific UE, for example, because a user of a UE has registered a complaint. The OAM system sends the s-based QoE configuration to the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) (in EPS / LTE) or Unified Data Manager (UDM) (in 5GS / NR), which forwards the QoE configuration to the UE's current primary network node (CN), for example, a Mobility Management Entity (MME) in EPS / LTE or an Access Mobility Management Function (AMF) in 5G / NR. The CN then forwards the s-based QoE configuration to the RAN node serving the UE in question, and the RAN forwards it to the UE.

[008] The service type indication and the container with the measurement instructions are forwarded to the UE. The UE does not know whether a received QoE configuration is based on m or s. In legacy systems, the QoE structure is integrated into the Trace functionality, and a Trace ID is associated with each QoE configuration. In NR, the QoE functionality can be logically separated from the Trace functionality, but can still partially reuse the Trace signaling mechanisms. In NR and LTE, a globally unique QoE reference (formed by MCC+MNC+QMC ID, where the QMC ID is a 24-bit sequence) will be associated with each QoE configuration. The QoE reference is included in the container with measurement instructions and sent to the RAN (i.e., gNB in ​​NR).For communication between gNB and UE, the QoE reference is replaced by a shorter identifier denoted as measConfigAppLayerld, which is locally unique within a UE (i.e., there is a one-to-one mapping between a measConfigAppLayerld and a QoE reference for each QoE configuration provided to a UE). The measConfigAppLayerld is stored in the UE Access Stratum and forwarded to an AT Command. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 16 / 103 / 73 (which is the type of instructions used in communication between the UE modem part and the UE application layer) together with the indication of the type of service and the container with the measurement instructions.

[009] Reports with the collected QoE measurement results (i.e., QoE reports) are sent from the UE application layer to the UE Access Stratum, which forwards them to the RAN, which forwards them to the MCE. These QoE measurement results are placed in a container, which is uninterpretable to the UE Access Stratum and the RAN. QoE reports can be configured to be periodic or sent only at the end of an application session. Additionally, the RAN can instruct the UE to pause QoE reporting, for example, if the cell / gNB is in an overload state.

[0010] The RAN is not aware when an application session with an associated QoE measurement session is in progress, and the UE Access Stratum is also not automatically aware of this. To mitigate this, session start / stop indications can be introduced, which will be sent from the UE application layer to the UE AS and from the UE AS to the RAN. A session end indication can be implied in the form of a QoE report sent when the application session and the associated QoE measurement session are completed.

[0011] The RAN can decide to release a QoE configuration on a UE at any time, as an implementation-based decision. Typically, the release can be done when the UE moves out of an area configured for QoE measurement, commonly called the area scope.

[0012] A feature supported by legacy solutions is the ability to maintain QoE measurement throughout the session, including during a transfer situation. It is also possible to allow UE to continue QoE measurement in an ongoing application session until the Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 17 / 103 / 73 application session ends, even if the UE, in the meantime, leaves the scope of the configured area. Visible QoE to RAN (RVQoE)

[0013] An extension of the QoE framework, which has been studied for version 17 of 3GPP and may be subsequently implemented in 3GPP, is the concept of RAN-visible QoE (RVQoE). Regular QoE reports are intended for the MCE, which is an entity external to the RAN, i.e., a part of the OAM system, and the RAN cannot read the QoE reports (at least not according to the specification, although gNB / eNB implementations are not prevented from doing so). In contrast, reported RVQoE metrics are intended for the RAN and are delivered to the RAN in a format understandable by the RAN. RVQoE metrics are derived from regular QoE metrics, collected and compiled into reports by the application layer of the UE and delivered to the RAN, so that the RAN can use them for various types of optimizations.For example, when the RAN receives RVQoE reports during an ongoing application session, the RAN can perform adaptive actions to impact the QoE of the application session in question while the application session is in progress, such as changing various parameters related to the scheduling of a UE and the data flows related to the application session. QoE measurements in legacy systems

[0014] QoE measurements have been specified for LTE and UMTS and are being specified for NR. The goal of application layer calculations is to measure the end-user experience when using certain applications. In existing systems, QoE calculations for streaming services and for MTSI (Mobile Telephony Service for IMS) services are supported.

[0015] The LTE and UMTS solutions are similar in general principles as set out below. Quality of Experience Measurement Collection allows configuration of the UE application layer and the Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 18 / 103 / 73 transmission of QoE measurement result files via RRC signaling. The application layer measurement configuration received from O&M or CN is encapsulated in a transparent container, which is forwarded to the UE in a downlink RRC message. The application layer portions received from the UE's upper layer are encapsulated in a transparent container and sent to the network in an uplink RRC message. The results container is forwarded to a Trace Collection Entity (TCE).

[0016] In 3GPP version 17, a study item for NR entitled Study on QoE Management and Optimization in NR for Various Services was carried out (as already mentioned in this document). The objective of the study item was to study solutions for QoE measurements in NR. QoE management in NR will not only collect streaming service experience parameters, but will also consider the typical performance requirements of various services (such as RA / RV and URLLC).

[0017] The calculations can be initiated towards the RAN in a management-based manner, i.e., from an O&M node in a generic way, for example, to a group of UEs, which can be selected by the RAN, or they can also be initiated in a signaling-based manner, i.e., initiated from the CN (upon request from the O&M system) to the RAN, for example, to a specific UE. The measurement configuration includes the measurement details, which are encapsulated in a transparent container for the RAN.

[0018] When initiated via the main network, the measurement is directed to a specific UE. For LTE, the S1AP TRACE START message is used, which carries, among other things, details about the measurement configuration that the application should collect (in the Application Layer Measurement Configuration Container Information Element, transparent to the RAN) and details to reach the collection entity. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 19 / 103 / 73 tracking where the data should be sent.

[0019] Notifications of application sessions started and stopped with associated QoE measurement settings are introduced, where these notifications are transmitted from the application layer to the UE and to the UE's Access Stratum (i.e., the radio layers in the UE) and then forwarded to the network. The notifications allow the network (at least the RAN) to be aware when QoE measurements in an application session are in progress. It is an implementation decision when the RAN stops the calculations. Typically, this happens when a UE moves outside the area configured for measurement (also known as the area scope). However, this strategy is questioned by the desire to obtain QoE data that represents complete application sessions.

[0020] Figure 1 shows a signaling diagram extracted from 3GPP TS 28.405 v16.0.0; in this document, the figure is referred to as “Figure 4.2.1-1: QMC activation and reporting in LTE”. Figure 1 provides an overview (without showing all the details) of the signaling involved in the QoE measurement configuration, from the O&M system to the UE.

[0021] A feature supported by legacy solutions is also the ability to maintain QoE measurement for the entire application session, even during transfer situations, so that the reported QoE measurement data covers complete application sessions. RRC Signage

[0022] QoE measurements are configured in the UE via RRC signals. Configuration is done using the RRCReconfiguration message containing the IE appLayerMeasConfig. The UE starts collecting QoE accuracy at the beginning of sessions in the application layer, and when a report is ready, it is sent to the network in the MeasurementReportAppLayer RRC message. The same RRC messages are used for regular QoE and RAN-visible QoE. A signaling diagram of Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 20 / 103 / 73, configuration and reporting of QoE accuracy using RRC signaling is shown in Figure 2 AT Commands

[0023] AT Commands are used for communication between the AS (radio) layer and the application layer in UE. AT Commands are defined in 3GPP TS 27.007 v18.2.0. AT Commands are used in QoE to transfer configuration from the RRC layer to the application layer and to transfer reports from the application layer to the RRC layer.

[0024] In 3GPP Rel-12, the Dual Connectivity (DC) LTE feature was introduced to allow an UE to be connected in two cell groups, each controlled by an LTE access node, eNBs, designated Master eNB, MeNB, and Secondary eNB, SeNB. The UE still only has one RRC connection to the network. In 3GPP, the Dual Connectivity (DC) solution has since evolved and is now also specified for NR, as well as between LTE and NR. Multi-connectivity (MC) occurs when there are more than 2 nodes involved. With the introduction of 5G, the term MR-DC (Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity) see also 3GPP TS 37.340 v17.4.0, was defined as a generic term for all dual connectivity options that include at least one NR access node. Using the generalized MR-DC terminology, the UE is connected to a Master Cell Group (MCG), controlled by the Master Node (MN), and a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) controlled by a Secondary Node (SN).

[0025] Furthermore, in MR-DC, when dual connectivity is configured for the UE, within each of the two cell groups, MCG and SCG, carrier aggregation can also be used. In this case, within the Master Cell Group, MCG, controlled by the master node (MN), the UE can use a PCell and one or more SCell(s). And within the Secondary Cell Group, SCG, controlled by the secondary node (SN), the UE can use a Primary SCell (PSCell, also known as an SCG cell). Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 21 / 103 / 73 primary in NR) and one or more SCell(s). This combined case is illustrated in Figure 1. In NR, the primary cell of a Master or secondary Cell Group is sometimes also referred to as a Special Cell (SpCell). Therefore, the SpCell in the MCG is the PCell and the SpCell in the SCG is the PSCell. A schematic diagram of dual connectivity combined with carrier aggregation in MR-DC is shown in Figure 3.

[0026] Currently, there are certain challenges. 3GPP is discussing QoE in NR-DC scenarios in version 18. An agreement reached in RAN3 is: QoE reports can be transmitted to MN or SN and the reporting portion (MCG or SCG) can be changed during the application session.

[0027] As a consequence of the above agreement, QoE / RVQoE reports can be sent to either the MN or the SN, allowing the receiving node to change during the session. The agreement stipulates that reports are preferentially sent to the node carrying the session, i.e., the node that has the configured radio carrier through which the data is transmitted. This is not known in advance, therefore the receiving node for QoE / RVQoE reports may need to be changed after the session has started. However, UE not only sends QoE / RVQoE reports during an application layer session, but also a session start indication when an application layer session starts, and a session end indication when an application layer session ends.These indications are provided using the IE appLayerSessionStatus-r17 in the MeasurementReportAppLayer message (where IE sessionStatus-r17 is an ENUMERATE that can be set to either “started” or “stopped”). One use case for session start and stop indications is to provide sufficient information to the network so that it knows when it can disable QoE / RVQoE at the edges of the area, or simply to let the network know that no more QoE / RVQoE reports are expected for this session. The measurements of... Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 22 / 103 / 73 QoE / RVQoE should not stop mid-session at the application layer; therefore, the network needs to wait to undo QoE at the edges of the area until the session is complete.

[0028] Another example is if the node wants to prioritize (for example, based on network policies) traffic belonging to a particular application, application type, or service type. When prioritizing traffic in this way, it can be useful for the node to know when a session of that application has been started, is in progress, and has been interrupted, so that the node can take appropriate prioritization measures.

[0029] When QoE / RVQoE measurements are configured in dual connectivity, they are configured by either the MN (Master Node) or the SN (Secondary Node). The node that made the configuration also “owns” the QoE / RVQoE configuration and is assumed to be the “owner” node that will monitor the scope of the area configured for the frequency and ensure that the UE performs guidance in the correct area. The ownership of the QoE / RVQoE measurements does not need to be changed due to the change of connectivity leg for reporting; it can remain the same as before the change of reporting leg. Session start and stop indications are also used for alignment with Depth Drive Minimization (MDT), and in most cases the node that owns the QoE configuration also handles MDT alignment.

[0030] The agreement regarding the reporting leg for QoE does not consider session start and stop indications. Session start and stop indications do not necessarily need to be sent to the node that receives the QoE / RVQoE reports. Instead, it is the node that “owns” the QoE / RVQoE configuration that needs to receive the session start and stop indications, even if the reports are sent to the other node, to handle the affinity area and alignment with MDT. It is desirable to provide means to ensure that session start and stop indications are Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 23 / 103 / 73 sent to the relevant node in dual connectivity.

[0031] 3GPP TS 38.423 v17.4.0 discusses the NG-RAN Xn Application Protocol (XnAP). SUMMARY

[0032] It is an objective of the present invention to provide improved direction of QoE indications in dual connectivity systems.

[0033] Certain aspects of the description and its modalities may provide solutions to these or other challenges.

[0034] The modalities provide methods for UEs, methods for network nodes, UEs and network nodes.

[0035] Some modalities provide EU methods, which include: - To receive, from a network node (a MN or an SN), a configuration of QoE / RVQoE measurements in a group of cells, that is, either a Master Cell Group (MCG) related to an MN (Master Node) or a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) related to an SN (Secondary Node).

[0036] - In some embodiments, receiving an instruction from a network node (the MN or the SN) to transmit QoE / RVQoE reports to the other group of cells. This means that if the UE received the QoE configuration from the MCG, it is instructed to send the QoE / RVQoE reports to the SCG, and if the UE received the QoE configuration from the SCG, it is instructed to send the QoE / RVQoE reports to the MCG. In some variants, the UE may be instructed to send the QoE reports to a different node than the one that receives the RVQoE reports (for example, QoE reports are sent to the MN and RVQoE reports are sent to the SN).

[0037] - Be instructed on which node to transmit session start and stop instructions to.

[0038] In some forms, the EU may be instructed to Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 24 / 103 / 73 transmit session start and stop instructions to the node (MN or SN) that configured the UE with QoE / RVQoE measurements. Note that the MN or SN may change during a connection, for example, due to UE mobility, but in this discussion it is assumed that the node(s) assuming the role of MN or SN also inherit(s) the “ownership” of the configuration from their predecessor, meaning that the UE, from now on, sends the instruction to the new “owner” of the configuration (to the new MN, if the old MN was the owner, or to the new SN, if the old SN was the owner). The instruction may comprise an explicit instruction transmitted to the UE, or it may comprise an instruction related to the UE's actions in the relevant scenario.

[0039] In some embodiments, the UE may be instructed to transmit session start and stop indications only to the node (MN or SN) that receives the QoE / RVQoE reports. The instruction may comprise an explicit indication transmitted to the UE, or it may comprise an instruction relating to UE actions in the relevant scenario.

[0040] If the UE is configured to send QoE reports and RVQoE for different nodes, the node that receives the indication can forward it to the other node.

[0041] If the UE is configured to send QoE reports and RVQoE for different nodes, the instruction may include that the UE should send session start / stop indications to the node that receives the RVQoE reports.

[0042] If the UE is configured to send QoE reports and RVQoE for different nodes, the instruction may include that the UE should send session start / stop instructions to the node that receives the QoE reports.

[0043] In some modes, the UE may be instructed to transmit session start and stop indications to both nodes. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 25 / 103 / 73 (MN and SN). The instruction may comprise an explicit indication transmitted to the EU, or it may comprise an instruction relating to EU actions in the relevant scenario.

[0044] - Transmit QoE / RVQoE reports to the indicated node(s) and transmit session start and stop indications to the indicated node(s) (when reports and indications can be sent to different nodes or groups of nodes).

[0045] Modes can provide that session start and stop constraints are sent to the relevant node when a UE is configured with QoE precision and is operating in dual connectivity.

[0046] Some modes can provide one or more of the following technical advantages: The node (Master Node or Secondary Node in dual connectivity) that needs to receive session start and stop indications for QoE measurements can receive them even if QoE reports are sent to the other node. This can ensure that the network can correctly handle the QoE measurement area, i.e., that the UE performs QoE measurement in the defined area. It can also ensure that any alignment with MDT is done correctly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] For a better understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, and to demonstrate how it can be put into practice, we will now refer, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a signaling diagram taken from 3GPP TS 28.405 v16.0.0; Figure 2 is a signaling diagram for configuring and generating reports of QoE measurements using RRC signaling; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of dual connectivity combined with carrier aggregation in MR-DC; Figure 4 is a flowchart that illustrates a method according to... Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 26 / 103 / 73 with some modalities; Figure 5 is a flowchart that illustrates a method according to some modalities; Figure 6 shows an example of a communication system according to some modalities; Figure 7 shows a UE according to some modalities; Figure 8 shows a network node according to some modalities; Figure 9 is a block diagram of a host; Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some modalities can be virtualized; and Figure 11 shows a communication diagram of a host communicating via a network node with a UE over a partially wireless connection according to some modes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject to those skilled in the art.

[0049] Figure 4 demonstrates a method for configuring QoE and / or RVQoE measurement according to particular modalities. The method can be performed by a UE or wireless device (e.g., the UE 612 or UE 700 as described later with reference to Figures 6 and 7 respectively). The method begins at step 402 with the UE receiving, from a network node, a measurement configuration for a group of cells belonging to the network node. The method continues at step 404 with the UE determining at least one network node for which start indications of Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 27 / 103 / 73 session and / or session termination must be transmitted. The method further continues at step 406 with the UE initiating the transmission of at least one of a session start notification and a session termination notification to at least one given network node.

[0050] Figure 5 demonstrates a method for configuring QoE and / or RVQoE measurements according to particular modalities. Method 5 can be performed by a network node (e.g., network node 610 or network node 800 as described later with reference to Figures 6 and 8 respectively). The method begins at step 502 with the network node initiating the transmission to a UE of a measurement configuration belonging to the network node.

[0051] The terms “session start / stop indication” and “start / stop indication” are used interchangeably in this document.

[0052] The modalities are equally applicable to QoE and RVQoE measurements, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0053] In this document, the application layer in the EU is also referred to as the “EU application layer” or simply the “application layer”.

[0054] The terms “QoE configuration”, “QoE parameters”, “QoE information”, and “QoE information configuration” are used interchangeably in this document. The content is discussed in this document and may optionally include additional information related to QoE measurement. The network, UE AS, and UE application layer may store various parts of it.

[0055] The entity that performs QoE measurements and other actions related to QoE configuration, such as receiving QoE information from the UE AS and / or sending QoE information to the UE AS, can be an application. The application typically resides in the UE application layer and, therefore, it is also usually correct to say that the application layer Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, page 28 / 103 / 73 executes these actions. In this document, the executor of these various actions is sometimes referred to as the application layer and sometimes as the application layer.

[0056] The terms “application layer measurement configuration”, “application measurement configuration”, “RVQoE measurement configuration”, “RVQoE configuration”, “RVQoE measurement and reporting configuration”, and “QMC configuration” are used interchangeably.

[0057] Although the modalities are discussed with reference to the interaction between the UE AS and the UE application layer when handling / storing QoE information, they may also be applicable to RVQoE information.

[0058] All references to the application layer refer to the UE application layer.

[0059] The term “service” is often used as a shorthand notation for “service type”, therefore “service” and “service types” can be viewed as interchangeable unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0060] The modalities proposed in this document apply to both signaling-based and management-based QoE / RVQoE measurements (but may also optionally be restricted to apply to only one of them).

[0061] An instruction on whether the UE should send session start / stop limits) may provide an XML file containing a QoE measurement configuration to be performed and reported (e.g., indicating QoE metrics to be collected and reported). This XML file is referred to in this document with different terms, including at least “QMC configuration file” and “QoE configuration file”.

[0062] The functionality in a UE that 3GPP has termed Access Stratum (where there is a corresponding Access Stratum functionality in Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 29 / 103 / 73 network) is referred to in this document by various names, such as “Access Stratum”, “AS”, “EU Access Stratum”, “EU AS”, “Access Stratum layer”, “AS layer”, “EU Access Stratum layer”, “EU AS layer”.

[0063] The terms “LTE” and “LTE node” imply that a network node serving the UE is serving the UE using LTE radio access technology on the air interface (Uu).

[0064] The terms “NR” and “NR node” imply that a network node serving the UE is serving the UE using NR radio access technology on the air interface (Uu).

[0065] Parameters / IEs / fields used in ASN.1 code, as well as in the procedure text in the 3GPP RRC specification for 5G / NR, i.e., 3GPP TS 38.331 version 17.3.0, are frequently named with a suffix indicating the version number of the 3GPP standard in which the parameter / IE / field was introduced (e.g., the suffix “-r17” for a parameter / IE / field introduced in version 17 of the 3GPP standard). Parameters / IEs / fields that follow this naming convention are normally referenced both with and without the suffix, where the name including the suffix is ​​used in ASN.1 code (and therefore defines the formal name from the ASN.1 compiler's perspective), while the name without the suffix is ​​used in the current text, e.g., in field descriptions and procedural text. Relevant examples in the context of this disclosure include the parameters / IEs / fields AppLayerMeasConfig-r17 / AppLayerMeasConfig and MeasConfigAppLayer-r17 / MeasConfigAppLayer.In this disclosure, both name variants may occur for various parameters / IEs / fields.

[0066] Strictly speaking, session start / stop limits do not refer to the application session, but to the QoE measurement session associated with the application session. However, when the terms “session data” or “flow of Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 30 / 103 / 73 When the term "session data" is mentioned, it refers to the session data or data stream of the application with which the QoE measurement session is associated.

[0067] In the present description, the term “signaling” refers to an indication, that is, a parameter that indicates something. An indication referred to as a signal is usually, but not necessarily, an indication that can signal one of only two possible values, for example, implemented as a single-bit indicator.

[0068] A node that has configured UE with a configuration of In this document, QoE / RVQoE is referred to as the “owner” of the QoE / RVQoE configuration. Note that ownership can, in some situations, be transferred to another node, for example during mobility. For instance, if the MN is the owner of the QoE / RVQoE configuration, and the MN changes due to a PCell change (e.g., a handover), ownership is transferred to the new MN. Similarly, as another example, if the SN is the owner of the QoE / RVQoE configuration, and the SN changes (e.g., due to an SN / SCG change procedure), ownership may be transferred to the new SN. Detailed description of the procedures for handling session start and stop signals in dual connectivity.

[0069] Modalities comprise methods for controlling the transmission of session start and stop indications for QoE / RVQoE measurements. A UE is configured with QoE / RVQoE measurements by either a MN (Master Node) or a SN (Secondary Node) when the UE is operating in dual connectivity. The UE may be instructed to transmit QoE / RVQoE reports to a node different from the node that performed the configuration, or different from the node that sent the configuration to the UE, or different from the node to which the UE sends QoE and / or RVQoE reports. The modalities provide solutions to ensure that the relevant node(s) Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 31 / 103 / 73 receive the session start and end times in such scenarios.

[0070] In UE-based modes, the UE may be instructed to transmit session start and stop indications to a specific network node, a MN or an SN.

[0071] A method implemented by a UE for setting up QoE and / or RVQoE measurements according to some embodiments may comprise one or more of the following steps.

[0072] Modalities may comprise, by the UE, receiving, from a network node (a MN or an SN), a configuration of QoE / RVQoE measurements in a group of cells, which is either a Master Cell Group (MCG) related to an MN (Master Node) or a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) related to an SN (Secondary Node).

[0073] Modalities may involve the UE transmitting QoE / RVQoE reports to the other cell group. This means that if the UE receives the QoE configuration from the MCG, it may be instructed to send the QoE / RVQoE reports to the SCG, and if the UE receives the QoE configuration from the SCG, it may be instructed to send the QoE / RVQoE reports to the MCG. In some variants, the UE may be instructed to send the QoE reports to a different node than the node that receives the RVQoE reports (e.g., QoE reports are sent to the MN and RVQoE reports are sent to the SN).

[0074] Modalities may include, by the EU, determining at least one network node to which start-up and / or stop-session indications should be transmitted. The determination may include receiving instructions on which node to transmit the start-up and stop-session indications to.

[0075] In some modes, the UE may be instructed to transmit session start and stop indications to the node (MN or SN) that configured the UE with QoE / RVQoE measurements. Note that the MN or the Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 32 / 103 / 73 SNs can change during a connection, for example, due to UE mobility, but in this description it is assumed that the node(s) assuming the role of MN or SN also inherit the "ownership" of the configuration from their predecessor, meaning that the UE, from then on, sends the indication to the new "owner" of the configuration (to the new MN, if the old MN was the owner, or to the new SN, if the old SN was the owner). The instruction may comprise an explicit indication transmitted to the UE, or it may comprise an instruction related to UE actions in the relevant scenario.

[0076] In some embodiments, the UE may be instructed to transmit session start and stop indications only to the node (MN or SN) that receives the QoE / RVQoE reports. The instruction may comprise an explicit indication transmitted to the UE, or it may comprise an instruction relating to UE actions in the relevant scenario.

[0077] a. If the UE is configured to send QoE and RVQoE reports to different nodes, the node that receives the indication may have to forward it to the other node.

[0078] b. If the UE is configured to send QoE and RVQoE reports to different nodes, the instruction may understand that the UE should send session start / stop instructions to the node that receives the RVQoE reports.

[0079] c. If the UE is configured to send QoE and RVQoE reports to different nodes, the instruction may understand that the UE should send session start / stop instructions to the node that receives the QoE reports.

[0080] In some embodiments, the UE may be instructed to transmit session start and stop instructions to both nodes (MN and SN). The instruction may comprise an explicit instruction transmitted to the UE, or it may comprise an instruction related to Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 33 / 103 / 73 EU actions in the relevant scenario.

[0081] In some embodiments, the UE may be instructed to transmit the session start indication and the session stop indication to the same node. In one variation, this may be conditional upon the node in question carrying the complete session (or at least part of the session, or at least the last portion of the session when the session ends, or carrying the session at the beginning and at least the last portion of the session when the session ends).

[0082] In some embodiments, the UE may be instructed to transmit a session start indication to the node in the MN role, and if the last part of the session (up to the session stop) is delivered through the same node, and that node is acting as SN in the last part of the session, the UE may indicate that a session stop indication needs to be forwarded to the node acting as MN.

[0083] In some embodiments, the UE may be implicitly (for example, as a default instruction) or explicitly instructed to send a session start indication to the node that configured the QoE / RVQoE configuration in the UE and may subsequently, while the session is in progress, receive an instruction from the network to send a session stop indication to the other node.

[0084] a. A typical (but not the only possible) scenario for such a case is that the session is the first session associated with the QoE / RVQoE configuration in question and, while the session is in progress, the UE discovers that the data stream of the application session in question is transported on carriers handled by the other node (which, for example, can be discovered based on QFI(s) indicated in an RVQoE report).

[0085] b. In these modes, the instruction to send the session stop indication to the other node (i.e., the node that has not configured UE with the QoE / RVQoE configuration) may also understand that both Petition 870250090030, of 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 34 / 103 / 73 start and stop restrictions for any subsequent session belonging to the same QoE / RVQoE configuration must be sent to the same node (i.e., the node that did not configure UE with the QoE / RVQoE configuration).

[0086] c. In such embodiments, an instruction to send the session stop indication (and optionally session start and stop scheduling for subsequent sessions) to the other node (i.e., the node that did not configure UE with the QoE / RVQoE configuration) may further understand that a session stop indication (and optional session start and stop scheduling for subsequent sessions) must also be sent to the node that configured UE with the QoE / RVQoE configuration.

[0087] i.Optionally, this could include the UE, when sending a session stop indication (and optionally restricting session start and stop for subsequent sessions) to the node that has not configured the UE with the QoE / RVQoE configuration, indicating to the receiving node that it should forward the session stop (or session start) indication to its peer node, i.e., to the node that has configured the UE with the QoE / RVQoE configuration.

[0088] In some embodiments, the UE may be instructed to transmit the session start indication only to the node acting in a certain role (e.g., the MN role) when the session starts. In one variation, the UE may be instructed that if the session starts via a node with a role that does not have the same role as the node that should receive the session start / stop indication, the UE adds a signal indicating which node is the final recipient of the session start indication (MN or SN). In another variation, the forwarding of the session start indication from the node with a certain role (MN or SN) is based on condition(s). An example of a condition might be that both the QoE report and the RVQoE report must be sent to the same node; for example, to the MN. Another example of a condition might be Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 35 / 103 / 73, requests that QoE reports be sent to a first node and the RVQoE report be sent to a second node, regardless of the functions performed by the first and second nodes. An additional example of a condition could be that QoE reports be sent to the node with the MN function (or alternatively to the node with the SN function) and RVQoE reports can be sent to any node. Another additional example of a condition could be that RVQoE reports can be sent to the node with the MN function (or to the node with the SN function).

[0089] In some embodiments, the UE may be instructed to transmit one (or both) login and / or session stop indications along with a signal indicating the node's role (MN or SN), or which node (e.g., the node that configured the UE with QoE / RVQoE) is the final destination of such indications.

[0090] In some embodiments, the instruction relating to the node to which the UE should transmit the session start and / or session stop indications is implicit. In one example, the UE may send the above indications to the same node from which the QoE configuration (or the RVQoE configuration, or both) is received. In another example, the indication / command / reconfiguration sent to the UE to switch the sending of QoE and / or RVQoE reports from one node (e.g., the MN) to another node (e.g., the SN) may implicitly indicate to the UE that the session stop indication should be sent to the new node.

[0091] In some embodiments, the UE may be instructed to transmit the session stop indication only to the node acting in a certain role (e.g., the MN role) during the session stop. In a variation, the UE may be instructed that if the session stop is performed via a node with a role that is not the same as the role of the node due to receive the session start / stop indication, the UE adds Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 36 / 103 / 73 a signal indicating which node is the final receiver of a session stop indication (MN or SN). In another variation, sending a session stop indication to the node with a given function (MN or SN) is based on one or more condition(s). The same conditions as described for the session start indication, or different conditions, may apply.

[0092] In some modes, the UE may be instructed to transmit either a session start indication or a session stop indication to help the RAN determine which node (MN or SN) is the one through which the session will be delivered (for the session start indication) or to inform which node (MN or SN) is the one through which the session delivery was terminated.

[0093] a. For this purpose, the UE may be instructed to send the start indication of a future session to the node(s) that will carry the application session data stream(s).

[0094] b. Alternatively, the UE may be instructed to send, along with the login indication for a future session, an indication of which nodes will carry the application session data stream(s). Optionally, this indication is included only if the other node (i.e., the node that does not receive login indication) is the node that will carry the application session data stream, or if both nodes carry data belonging to the application session.

[0095] c. As an additional alternative, the UE may be instructed to indicate, along with the indication of the start of a future session (i.e., in the same MeasurementReportAppLayer message), the QFI(s) and / or DRB ID(s) associated with (or to be associated with) the application session data stream(s).

[0096] Modalities may include, by the EU, transmitting QoE / RVQoE reports to the indicated node(s) and / or transmitting indications of Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 37 / 103 / 73, session start and stop for the indicated node(s).

[0097] In some modalities, the same methods described for session start indication and session stop indication may apply to other indications of the application layer. An example might be a “session in progress indication” which can be used to indicate whether a session has started and is still in progress, for example, after a leg change. Another example might be a “session start pending” (or equivalently, an “active QoE / RVQoE configuration” indication), to indicate that a UE has applied a QoE / RVQoE configuration, but no session has yet been started, or the previously started session has been terminated.

[0098] In some modes, the destination to which the UE should send the session start / stop indications can be indicated using the SRB(s) that the UE should use to send the MeasurementReportAppLayer message containing the session start / stop indication. For this purpose, the instruction may indicate, for example, one of: a.SRB4 b. SRB5 c. SRB4 and SRB5 d. SRB1 e. SRB3 f. SRB1 and SRB3 e.g. SRB1 and SRB5 h. SRB3 and SRB4 i. Tunneled to the SN via SRB4 (e.g., using the ULInformationTransferMRDC message) j. Tunneled to MSN via SRB5 (e.g., using the ULInformationTransferMRDC message) k. Tunneled to the SN via SRB1 (e.g., using the Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 38 / 103 / 73 message ULInformation TransferMRDC) l. Tunneled to MN via SRB3 (e.g., using the ULInformationTransferMRDC message) m. SRB4 and tunneled to the SN via SRB4 (e.g., using the ULInformationTransferMRDC message) n. SRB1 and tunneled to the SN via SRB1 (e.g., using the ULInformationTransferMRDC message) o. SRB5 and tunneled to MN via SRB5 (e.g., using the ULInformationTransferMRDC message) p. SRB3 and tunneled to MN via SRB3 (e.g., using the ULInformationTransferMRDC message)

[0099] A method implemented by a network node for QoE and / or RVQoE measurement configuration according to modalities may conform to that referred to in the context of EU methods. The network node may be operating in dual connectivity, and may be a Master Node (MN) that defines the configuration of a MCG (Master Cell Group) or a Secondary Node (SN) that defines the configuration of a SCG (Secondary Cell Group).

[00100] In some embodiments, one of the MN / SN can carry the application session, or both nodes can carry the application session towards the UE.

[00101] In some embodiments, where a split RAN architecture is used, in which RVQoE reports are forwarded from the CU or CU-CP to the DU that serves the UE (i.e., loads the data for the application session), the CU or CU-CP receiving the start / stop indication (directly from the UE or from another node that, in turn, received them from a UE) can also forward the session / start / stop indication to the DU that loads the application session data. The CU / CU-CP can act as MN or SN for the UE.

[00102] a. In a variant, the above applies to the case in Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, p. 39 / 103 / 73, states that RVQoE reports are forwarded from CU-CP to CU-UP, which serves the carriers that carry the application session data.

[00103] In some modes, if the gNB-CU-CP that receives the session start indication belongs (or, alternatively, does not belong) to the node that carries the application session data, it can use the reception of the session start indication as a trigger to send MDT configuration parameters to the gNB-DU(s) and / or gNB-CU-UP(s) server if MDT alignment is required / requested with QoE / RVQoE measurements.

[00104] In some modes, if the gNB-CU-CP that receives a session stop indication belongs (or, alternatively, does not belong) to the node carrying the session, it may use the reception of the session stop indication as a trigger to release the MDT configuration for the served gNB-DU(s) and / or gNB-CU-UP(s) if MDT alignment is required / requested with QoE / RVQoE measurements.

[00105] In some modes, if the gNB-CU-CP that receives the session start indication belongs to the MN (or alternatively, to the SN), it may use the reception of a session start indication as a trigger to send MDT configuration parameters to the gNBDU(s) and / or gNB-CU-UP(s) server if MDT alignment is required / requested with QoE / RVQoE measurements.

[00106] In some modes, if the gNB-CU-CP that receives a session stop indication belongs to the MN (or alternatively, to the SN), it may use the reception of a session stop indication as a trigger to release the MDT configuration for the gNB-DU(s) and / or gNBCU-UP(s) served if MDT alignment is required / requested with QoE / RVQoE measurements. EU resources

[00107] In order to carry out methods in accordance with some Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 40 / 103 / 73 modalities, the EU must indicate to the network that it is capable of sending start / stop indications according to the modalities, for example (non-limiting examples): a. That it is capable of sending the instructions to both nodes that serve the UE in NR-DC.

[00108] b. That it is capable of sending the instructions to only one of the two nodes, e.g., c. The UE should be able to send session start and stop indications to the node that configured it with QoE measurements.

[00109] d. The UE is able to send session start and stop indications to the node that receives the QoE reports.

[00110] e. The UE is able to send a start indication only to the node that configured it with the measurements and is able to send the stop indication only to the node that receives the reports at the time of session stop. Example of the Impact of a Technical Specification

[00111] An example of implementing a modality in 3GPP TS 38.331 v 17.3.0 (as cited above), in which the instruction for the UE is described in the field description, is shown below: AppLayerMeasConfig

[00112] The IE AppLayerMeasConfig indicates the application layer measurement configuration. Information Element AppLayerMeasConfig - - ASN1START - - TAG-APPLAYERMEASCONFIG-START AppLayerMeasConfig-r17 ::= SEQUENCE { measConfigAppLayerToAddModList-r17 SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxNrofAppLayerMeas-r17)) OF MeasConfigAppLayer-r17 OPTIONAL, -- Need N Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, p. 41 / 103 / 73 measConfigAppLayerToReleaseList-r17 SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxNrofAppLayerMeas-r17)) OF MeasConfigAppLayerId-r17 OPTIONAL, -- Need N rrc-SegAllowed-r17 ENUMERATED {enabled} OPTIONAL, -- Need R ...} MeasConfigAppLayer-r17 ::= SEQUENCE { measConfigAppLayerId-r17 MeasConfigAppLayerId-r17, measConfigAppLayerContainer-r17 OCTET STRING (SIZE (1..8000)) OPTIONAL, -- Need N serviceType-r17 ENUMERATED {streaming, mtsi, vr, spare5, spare4, spare3, spare2, spare1} OPTIONAL, -- Need M pauseReporting-r17 BOOLEAN OPTIONAL, -- Need M transmissionOfSessionStartStop-r17 BOOLEAN OPTIONAL, -- Need M ran-VisibleParameters-r17 SetupRelease {RAN-VisibleParameters-r17} OPTIONAL, -- Cond ServiceType ...} RAN-VisibleParameters-r17 ::= SEQUENCE { ran-VisiblePeriodicity-r17 ENUMERATED {ms120, ms240, ms480, ms640, ms1024} OPTIONAL, -- Need S numberOfBufferLevelEntries-r17 INTEGER (1..8) OPTIONAL, -- Need R reportPlayoutDelayForMediaStartup-r17 BOOLEAN OPTIONAL, -- Need M ...} -- TAG-APPLAYERMEASCONFIG-STOP -- ASN1STOP Descrição de campo AppLayerMeasConfig measConfigAppLayerContainer The field contains the application layer ratio setting, see Annex L (normative) in TS 26.247

[68] , clause 16.5 in TS 26.114

[69] and TS 26.118

[70] . Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 42 / 103 / 73 pauseReporting This field indicates whether the transmission of measReportAppLayerContainer is paused or not. A value of true indicates that the transmission of measReportAppLayerContainer is paused; a value of false indicates that the transmission of measReportAppLayerContainer is not paused. run-VisibleParameters This field indicates whether adjustments to the visible application layer of the RAN should be reported or not. rrc-SegAllowed This field indicates that RRC segmentation of MeasurementReportAppLayer is enabled. It can only be present if the UE supports RRC segmentation of the MeasurementReportAppLayer message in the UL. serviceType Indicates the type of application layer measurement. The value streaming indicates Quality of Experience Measurement Collection for streaming services (see TS 26.247

[68] ), the value mtsi indicates Quality of Experience Measurement Collection for MTSI (see TS 26.114

[69] ). The value vr indicates Quality of Experience Measurement Collection for VR service (see TS 26.118

[70] ). The network always configures the serviceType when application layer measurements are initially configured and in fullConfig transmissionOfSessionStartStop This field indicates whether the UE should periodically transmit when sessions in the application layer start and stop. The UE transmits a session start indication when this field is configured if a session has already been started in the application layer. When operating in dual connectivity, the UE transmits session start and stop indications to the cell group that configured the UE with application layer measurements, even if MeasurementReportAppLayer messages are transmitted to another cell group.

[00113] In some embodiments where a network-based solution is used, the proposed sending of start / stop intervals between network nodes can be done via XnAP signaling, either as an explicit IE or as a container. For this purpose, existing XnAP messages can be enhanced or new XnAP messages can be defined. For the split RAN architecture case described above, the indication can be sent via F1AP signaling from the CU / CU-CP that receives the indication from the UE or another node, to the DU that serves the UE.

[00114] Figure 6 shows an example of a 600 communication system according to some modalities.

[00115] In the example, communication system 600 includes a telecommunications network 602 which includes an access network 604, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 606, which includes one or more core network nodes 608. The access network 604 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 610a and 610b (one or more of which may generally be referred to as network nodes 610), or any other similar access point of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) or points of Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 43 / 103 / 73 non-3GPP access. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, a network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are provided and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it should be understood that network nodes include disaggregated implementations or parts thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the 602 telecommunications network includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the 602 telecommunications network that supports an ORAN specification (for example, a specification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or in conjunction with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in the 602 telecommunications network, including one or more 610 network nodes and / or 608 core network nodes.

[00116] Examples of an ORAN network node include an open radio unit (O-RU), an open Distributed Unit (O-DU), an open central unit (O-CU), including an O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), a hosting software or intelligent RAN controller software plug-ins (near real-time or non-real-time), such as a near-real-time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real-time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designates support for an ORAN specification). The network node may support a specification, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an A1, F1, W1, E1, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Furthermore, an ORAN access can be a logical node on a physical node.Furthermore, an ORAN network node can be deployed in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment can... Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, page 44 / 103 / 73, includes an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework through an O-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The 610 network nodes facilitate the direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), for example by connecting UEs 612a, 612b, 612c and 612d (one or more of which may generally be referred to as UEs 612) to the 606 core network via one or more wireless connections.

[00117] Examples of wireless communications via 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 transmitting information without the use of wires, cables, or other conductive materials. Furthermore, in different embodiments, the 600 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 participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections. The 600 communication system may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[00118] UEs 612 can be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable for wireless communication with network nodes 610 and other communication devices. Similarly, network nodes 610 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UEs 612 and / or with other network nodes or equipment on the telecommunications network 602 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration on the telecommunications network 602.

[00119] In the illustrated example, the 606 core network connects the nodes of the 610 network to one or more hosts, such as host 616. These connections can be Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 45 / 103 / 73 direct or indirect through one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The 606 core network includes more than one core network node (e.g., core network node 608) that are structured with hardware and software components. The characteristics of these components may be substantially similar to those described in relation to UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, so their descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the 608 network node core.Example core network nodes include functions from one or more of the following: Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Mobility and Access Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Signature Identifier Unveiling Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or User Plane Function (UPF).

[00120] Host 616 may be owned or controlled by a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 604 and / or the telecommunications network 602, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. Host 616 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include providing live pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services, for example, retrieving and compiling data on various environmental conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytical functionality, social media, functions to control or otherwise interact with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other similar function performed by a server.

[00121] In general, the 600 communication system in Figure 6 Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 46 / 103 / 73 allows 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 System for Mobile Telecommunications (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 standards of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low-power wide area network (LPWAN) standards, such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[00122] In some instances, the 602 telecommunications network is a cellular network that implements standardized 3GPP features. Consequently, the 602 telecommunications network can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the 602 telecommunications network. For example, the 602 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 other UEs.

[00123] In some examples, UEs 612 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 604 at a predetermined time, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 604. Additionally, a UE may be configured to operate in single- or single-mode. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 47 / 103 / 73 multi-RAT or multi-standard. For example, an UE can operate with any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[00124] In the example illustrated in Figure 6, hub 614 communicates with access network 604 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 612c and / or 612d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 610b). In some examples, hub 614 may be a controller, router, content and analytics source, or any of the other communication devices described in this document relating to UEs. For example, hub 614 may be a broadband router that allows access to the core network 606 for the UEs. As another example, hub 614 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions can be received from UEs, nodes in the 610 network, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions on the 614 hub. As another example, the 614 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 614 hub can be a content source. For instance, for a UE that is a Virtual Reality headset, monitor, speaker, or other media delivery device, the 614 hub can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or sensory-related data through a network node, which the 614 hub then provides to the UE directly after performing local processing and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, the 614 hub acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, particularly if one or more of the UEs are low-power IoT devices.

[00125] Hub 614 can have a constant / persistent connection or Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, page 48 / 103 / 73 intermittent for network node 610b. Hub 614 may also allow a different communication scheme and / or schedule between hub 614 and UEs (e.g., UE 612c and / or 612d), and between hub 614 and the 606 core network. In other examples, hub 614 is connected to the 606 core network and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Additionally, hub 614 may be configured to connect an M2M service provider via the 604 access network and / or to another UE via a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the 610 network nodes while still connected through hub 614 via a wired or wireless connection. In some configurations, the 614 hub may be a dedicated hub – that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from UEs to / from the 610b network node.In other configurations, the 614 hub may be a non-dedicated hub – that is, a device that is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and the 610b network node, but which is also capable of operating as a communication start and / or stop point for specific data channels.

[00126] Figure 7 shows a UE 700 according to some embodiments. As used in this document, the term 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, cell phone, mobile phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless camera, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback device, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), smart device, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehicle mounted or wireless embedded / integrated vehicle device, etc. Other examples include Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 49 / 103 / 73 any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine-type communication (MTC) UE and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[00127] A UE can support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other 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 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 a user or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart energy meter).

[00128] The UE 700 includes a set of processing circuits 702 that are operationally coupled via a bus 704 to an input / output interface 706, a power supply 708, a memory 710, a communication interface 712, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 7. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another. Furthermore, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[00129] The 702 processing circuitry is configured to process instructions and data and can be configured to implement Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 50 / 103 / 73 any operational sequential state machine to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in memory 710. The processing circuitry 702 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together 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 processing circuitry 702 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).The 702 processing circuitry can be operated to provide, either individually or in conjunction with other UE 700 components, such as the 710 memory, the functionality of the UE 700. For example, the 702 processing circuitry can be configured to make the UE 702 perform the methods as described with reference to Figure 4.

[00130] In the example, the 706 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 700. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive monitor, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional keyboard, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 51 / 103 / 73 and similar. 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.

[00131] In some embodiments, the 708 power supply is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), photovoltaic device, or energy cell, may be used. The 708 power supply may also include power circuits to supply power from the 708 power supply itself, or an external power source, to various parts of the UE 700 via input circuits or an interface such as an electrical power cable. The power supply may be, for example, for charging the 708 power supply. The power circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification to obtain power from the 708 power supply to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 700 so that power is provided.

[00132] The 710 memory can be configured to include memories such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, pen drives, and so on. For example, the 710 memory includes one or more 714 applications, such as a system Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 52 / 103 / 73 operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget mechanism or other application, and the corresponding data 716. Memory 710 may store, for use by UE 700, any one of a variety of operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[00133] The 710 memory can be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk 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 in-line mini-dual memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smart card memory, such as a tamper-resistant 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 can, for example, be an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC commonly known as a 'SIM card'. Memory 710 can allow UE 700 to access instructions, application programs, and the like, stored in transient or non-transient memory media, to download data, or to upload data. A manufacturing item, such as a communication system component, can be tangibly incorporated as or in memory 710, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[00134] The 702 processing circuitry can be configured to communicate with an access network or another network using a 712 communication interface. A 712 communication interface may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 53 / 103 / 73 communicatively coupled to an antenna 722. A communication interface 712 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 718 and / or a receiver 720 suitable for test network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). In addition, the transmitter 718 and the receiver 720 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 722) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[00135] In some embodiments, the communication functions of a 712 communication interface may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine a location, other similar 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 Multiplexing (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 forth.

[00136] Regardless of the sensor type, a UE can provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its 712 communication interface, via a wireless connection to a network node. The data Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 54 / 103 / 73 data captured by the sensors of a UE can be communicated via a wireless connection to a network node through another UE. The output can be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if reporting the detected temperature), random (e.g., to balance the reporting load of multiple sensors), in response to a trigger event (e.g., when humidity 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).

[00137] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch, related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless inputs from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the wireless input, the states of the actuator, motor, or switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or controls a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[00138] A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application areas, these areas comprising, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, extended industrial application, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an IoT device are devices that are composed of or incorporated into: 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, Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 55 / 103 / 73 a surveillance system, a climate monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smartwatch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), a wearable device 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 (UA'VP), 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 circuits and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device, in addition to other components as described in relation to UE 700 shown in Figure 7.

[00139] 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, bus, truck, ship, or airplane, or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[00140] In practice, any number of UEs can be used for a single use case. For example, a first UE can be integrated into a drone and provide drone speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE, which is a remote control that operates the drone. When the user moves away from the remote control, the first UE Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 56 / 103 / 73, can adjust the drone's throttle (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and / or second UE may also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE may understand the sensor and the actuator and handle data communication for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[00141] Figure 8 shows an 800 network node according to some embodiments. As used in this document, the term 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., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)), ORAN nodes or components of an O-RAN node (e.g., O-RU, O-DU, O-CU).

[00142] Base stations can be categorized as base by the amount of coverage they provide (or, put another way, their transmission power level) and therefore, depending on the amount of coverage provided, can be called 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 that controls a relay. A network node can also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as centralized digital units, Distributed Units (e.g., in an O-RAN access node), and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes called Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station can also be called nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 57 / 103 / 73

[00143] Other examples of network nodes include 5G access multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) nodes, multi-standard radio equipment (MSR) such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), operation and maintenance (O&M) nodes, operations support system (OSS) nodes, self-organized network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization Drive Tests (MDTs).

[00144] The 800 network node includes a set of 802 processing circuits, 804 memory, 806 communication interface, and 808 power source, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. The 800 network node may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have its own components. In certain scenarios where the 800 network node comprises several separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In this scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may, in some cases, be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the 800 network node may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs).In these modes, some components can be duplicated (for example, separate 804 memory for different RATs) and some components can be reused (for example, the same 810 antenna can be shared by different RATs). The 800 network node can also include multiple sets of the various components illustrated for different wireless technologies. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 58 / 103 / 73 integrated into the 800 network node, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within the 800 network node.

[00145] The 802 processing circuitry may comprise a combination of one or more microprocessors, controllers, microcontrollers, central processing units, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of operable hardware, software, and / or coded logic to provide, either individually or in conjunction with other components of the 800 network node, such as the 804 memory, 800 network node functionality. For example, the 802 processing circuitry may be configured to make the network node perform the method as described with reference to Figure 5.

[00146] In some embodiments, the 802 processing circuitry includes a system-on-a-chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the 802 processing circuitry includes one or more radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuits 812 and baseband processing circuitry 814. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit 812 and the baseband processing circuitry 814 may be on separate chips (or chip assemblies), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 812 and the baseband processing circuitry 814 may be on the same chip or chip assemblies, boards, or units.

[00147] 804 memory may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, 804 memory. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 59 / 103 / 73 limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, 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 volatile or non-volatile, non-transient, device-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the 802 processing circuitry.Memory 804 can store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 802 and used by the network node 800. Memory 804 can be used to store any calculations performed by the processing circuitry 802 and / or any data received through a communication interface 806. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 802 and memory 804 are integrated.

[00148] The 806 communication interface is used in wired or wireless signaling and / or data communication between a network node, access network, and / or UE. As illustrated, an 806 communication interface comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 816 for sending and receiving data, for example, to and from a network via a wired connection. The 806 communication interface also includes a set of radio front-end circuits 818 that can be coupled, or in certain modes, as part of the antenna 810. The set of radio front-end circuits 818 comprises filters 820 and amplifiers 822. The set of radio front-end circuits 818 can be connected to an antenna 810 and a set of processing circuits 802. The set of radio front-end circuits can be Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, pp. 60 / 103 / 73, configured for signal conditions communicated between antenna 810 and processing circuitry 802. Radio frontend circuitry 818 can receive digital data that must be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. Radio frontend circuitry 818 can convert the digital data into a radio signal with the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 820 and / or amplifiers 822. The radio signal can then be transmitted through antenna 810. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 810 can collect radio signals that are then converted into digital data by radio frontend circuitry 818. The digital data can be passed to processing circuitry 802.In other modalities, a communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[00149] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 800 does not include a separate set of radio front-end circuits 818; instead, the processing circuit assembly 802 includes a set of radio front-end circuits and is connected to the antenna 810. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuits 812 are part of a communication interface 806. In still other embodiments, a communication interface 806 includes one or more ports or terminals 816, the set of radio front-end circuits 818, and the RF transceiver circuit 812, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and a communication interface 806 communicates with the baseband set of processing circuits 814, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[00150] The 810 antenna may include one or more antennas, or sets of antennas, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The 810 antenna may be coupled to a set of 818 radio front-end circuits and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 61 / 103 / 73 wireless. In certain embodiments, the antenna 810 is separate from the network node 800 and connectable to the network node 800 through an interface or port.

[00151] Antenna 810, communication interface 806, and / or processing circuitry 802 can be configured to perform any reception operations and / or certain acquisition operations described in this document 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, antenna 810, communication interface 806, and / or processing circuitry 802 can be configured to perform any transmission operations described in this document 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.

[00152] The 808 power source provides power to various components of the 800 network node in a format suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current level required for each component). The 808 power source may further comprise or be coupled to a power management circuit to provide power to the components of the 800 network node to perform the functionality described in this document. For example, the 800 network node may be connected to an external power source (e.g., the mains power, an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as a power cable, wherein the external power source supplies power to the power circuit of the 808 power source. As a further example, the 808 power source may comprise a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack that is connected to, or integrated into, a power circuit.The battery can provide backup power in case the external power source fails.

[00153] Network node 800 configurations may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 8 to provide certain Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 62 / 103 / 73 aspects of the network node functionalities, including any of the functionalities described in this document and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described in this document. For example, network node 800 may include user interface equipment to allow information to be entered into network node 800 and to allow information to be output from network node 800. This may allow a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node 800.

[00154] Figure 9 is a block diagram of a 900 host, which may be an embodiment of the 616 host of Figure 6, according to various aspects described in this document. As used in this document, the 900 host may consist of various combinations of hardware and / or software, including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-deployed server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or processing resources in a server farm. The 900 host may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[00155] The host 900 includes a set of processing circuits 902 that are operationally coupled via a bus 904 to an input / output interface 906, a network interface 908, a power supply 910, and a memory 912. Other components may be included in other embodiments. The characteristics of these components may be substantially similar to those described in relation to the devices in the preceding figures, such as Figures 7 and 8, so that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 900.

[00156] Memory 912 may include one or more computer programs which include one or more host application programs 914 and data 916, which may include user data, for example, data generated by a UE for host 900 or data generated by host 900 for a UE. As Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, page 63 / 103 / 73 host 900 modalities may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. Host 914 application programs may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for various different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., mobile devices, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems).Host 914 application programs can also provide user authentication and licensing checks and can periodically report content integrity, routes, and availability to a central node, such as a device on or at the edge of a core network. Consequently, host 900 can select and / or indicate a different host for over-the-top services for a UE. Host 914 application programs can support various protocols such as HTTP Live Streaming Protocol (HLS), Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[00157] Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some modalities can be virtualized. In the current context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of appliances or devices, which may include the virtualization of hardware platforms, storage devices, and network resources. As used in this document, the term virtualization can be applied to any device described in this document, or components thereof, and refers to an implementation in which at least part of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described in this document may be Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, pp. 64 / 103 / 73 implemented as virtual components running on one or more virtual machines (VMs) deployed in one or more 1000 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. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node can be fully virtualized. In some embodiments, the 1000 virtualization environment includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework through an O-2 interface.

[00158] 1002 applications (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual devices, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) run in the Q400 virtualization environment to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the specifications disclosed in this document.

[00159] 1004 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 this document, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by a set of processing circuits to instantiate one or more 1006 virtualization layers (also called hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide 1008a and 1008b VMs (one or more of which may generally be referred to as 1008 VMs), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described in relation to some embodiments described in this document. The 1006 virtualization layer may present a network hardware-like virtual operating platform for the 1008 VMs.

[00160] VMs 1008 comprise virtual processing, memory Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 65 / 103 / 73 virtual, virtual network or interface and virtual storage, and can be implemented by a corresponding virtualization layer 1006. Different types of instances of a virtual device 1002 can be implemented in one or more VMs 1008, and the implementations can be done in different ways. Hardware virtualization is, in some contexts, called network functions virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many types of network equipment into industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which may be located in data centers and equipment on customer premises.

[00161] In the context of NFV, a VM 1008 can be a software implementation of a physical machine that executes programs as if they were running on a non-virtualized physical machine. Each of the VMs 1008, that is, the part of the hardware 1004 that runs this VM, whether hardware dedicated to that VM or hardware shared by that VM with other VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Also in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that are executed on one or more VMs 1008 on the hardware 1004 and corresponds to the application 1002.

[00162] 1004 hardware can be implemented on a standalone network node with generic or specific components. 1004 hardware can implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, 1004 hardware can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., as in a data center or CPE), where many hardware devices work together and are managed through 1010 management and orchestration, which, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of 1002 applications. In some embodiments, 1004 hardware is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that can be coupled to one or more antennas. The units Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, pp. 66 / 103 / 73. Radio units can communicate directly with other hardware through 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 1012 control system that can alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[00163] Figure 11 shows a communication diagram of a host 1102 communicating via a network node 1104 with a UE 1106 through a partially wireless connection according to some modalities. Examples of implementations, according to various modalities, of the UE (such as a UE 612a of Figure 6 and / or UE 700 of Figure 7), network node (such as network node 610a of Figure 6 and / or network node 800 of Figure 8), and host (such as host 616 of Figure 6 and / or host 900 of Figure 9) discussed in the previous paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 11.

[00164] Like the 900 host, the 1102 host modes include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The 1102 host also includes software, which is stored or accessible by the 1102 host and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that can be operated to provide a service to a remote user, such as the UE 1106 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) 1150 connection that extends between the UE 1106 and the 1102 host. When providing the service to a remote user, a host application can provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT 1150 connection.

[00165] Network node 1104 includes hardware that enables communication with host 1102 and UE 1106. Connection 1160 can be direct or pass through a core network (such as core network 606 in Figure 6) and / or a Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 67 / 103 / 73 or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network could be a backbone network or the Internet.

[00166] The UE 1106 includes hardware and software, which is stored or accessible by the UE 1106 and executable by the UE's processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific "app," that can be operated to provide a service to a human or non-human user via the UE 1106 with the support of the 1102 host. On the 1102 host, a running host application can communicate with the running client application via the 1150 OTT connection terminating on the UE 1106 and the 1102 host. When providing the service to the user, the UE client application can receive request data from the host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The 1150 OTT connection can transfer both request data and user data. The UE client application can interact with the user to generate user data that it provides to a host application via the 1150 OTT connection.

[00167] The OTT 1150 connection can be extended via a 1160 connection between host 1102 and network node 1104 and via a wireless 1170 connection between network node 1104 and UE 1106 to provide the connection between host 1102 and UE 1106. The 1160 connection and the wireless 1170 connection, over which the OTT 1150 connection can be provided, have been abstractly designed to illustrate communication between host 1102 and UE 1106 via network node 1104, without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages through those devices.

[00168] As an example of data transmission via OTT connection 1150, in step 1108, host 1102 provides user data, which may Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, pp. 68 / 103 / 73, to be performed by the execution of a host application. In some embodiments, user data is associated with a specific human user interacting with UE 1106. In other embodiments, user data is associated with a UE 1106 that shares data with host 1102 without explicit human interaction. In step 1110, host 1102 initiates a transmission carrying user data to UE 1106. Host 1102 may initiate responsive transmission to a request transmitted by UE 1106. The request may be caused by human interaction with UE 1106 or by the operation of the client application running on UE 1106. The transmission may pass through network node 1104, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this report.Thus, in step 1112, network node 1104 transmits to UE 1106 the user data that was carried out in the transmission initiated by host 1102, according to the principles of the modalities described throughout this report. In step 1114, UE 1106 receives the user data transported in the transmission, which may be carried out by a client application running on UE 1106 associated with a host application running on host 1102.

[00169] In some instances, UE 1106 runs a client application that provides user data to host 1102. The user data may be provided in reaction to or response to data received from host 1102. Consequently, in step 1116, UE 1106 may provide user data, which may be accomplished by running the client application. When providing user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via an input / output interface of UE 1106. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, UE 1106 initiates, in step 1118, the transmission of user data to host 1102 via network node 1104. In step 1120, in accordance with the teachings of the modalities described throughout Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, pp. 69 / 103 / 73 of this disclosure, network node 1104 receives user data from UE 1106 and initiates the transmission of the received user data to host 1102. In step 1122, host 1102 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by UE 1106.

[00170] One or more of the various modalities improve the performance of OTT services provided to UE 1106 using the OTT 1150 connection, in which the wireless 1170 connection forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these modalities can improve the handling of QoE / RVQoE indications of session start and stop, and thus provide benefits such as improved QoE / RVQoE reporting and increased efficiency.

[00171] In one example scenario, factory status information can be collected and analyzed by the 1102 host. As another example, the 1102 host can process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from a UE for use in map creation. As another example, the 1102 host can collect and analyze real-time data to assist in vehicle congestion control (e.g., traffic light control). As another example, the 1102 host can store surveillance videos sent by a UE. As another example, the 1102 host can store or control access to media content, such as video, audio, VR, or AR, which can be streamed, multicast, or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the 1102 host can be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-critical electrical loads to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams, etc.)., based on data collected from remote devices) or any other function for collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or transmitting data.

[00172] In some examples, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency, and other Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 70 / 103 / 73 factors in which one or more modes improve. There may also be an optional network functionality to reconfigure the OTT 1150 connection between host 1102 and UE 1106, in response to variations in measurement results. The measurement procedure for the network functionality to reconfigure the OTT connection can be implemented in software and hardware of host 1102 and / or UE 1106. In some modes, sensors (not shown) may be deployed on or in association with other devices through which the OTT 1150 connection passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or by providing values ​​of other physical quantities so that the software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguring the OTT 1150 connection may include message format, relay settings, preferred routing, etc.The reconfiguration does not need to directly alter the operation of the network node 1104. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, the definition may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the accuracy of the transfer rate, propagation times, latency, and the like, by the host 1102. Guidance may be developed in which the software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or 'dummy' messages, using the OTT connection 1150 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[00173] Although the computing devices described in this document (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other devices may comprise different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software necessary to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed in this document. The determination, calculation, obtaining, or similar operations described Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, pp. 71 / 103 / 73 in this document can be performed by a set of processing circuits that can process information, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained or converted information with 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 represented as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise several different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned among separate components.For example, a communication interface can be configured to include any of the components described in this document, and / or the functionality of the components can be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of these components can be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functions can be implemented in hardware.

[00174] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described in this document may be provided by a set of processing circuits that execute instructions stored in memory which, in certain embodiments, may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transient, computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by a set of processing circuits without executing instructions stored in a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a connected manner. In either of these particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored in Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, pp. 72 / 103 / 73 a non-transient storage medium, whether computer-readable or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry or other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and the wireless network in general. The following numbered statements provide additional information about the invention:

[00175] 1. A method implemented by a user-equipped device (UE) for configuring Quality of Experience (QoE) and / or Radio Access Network Visible (RVQoE) measurement, wherein the method comprises: To receive, from a network node, a measurement configuration for a group of cells belonging to the network node; To determine at least one network node to which session start and / or session stop notifications should be transmitted; and to initiate the transmission of at least one session start notification and one session stop notification to at least one given network node.

[00176] 2. The method of statement 1, where the UE determines the transmission of at least one of the session start indication and session stop indication to the network node from which the UE received the measurement configuration, or to an additional network node, or both to the network node from which the UE received the measurement configuration and to the additional network node.

[00177] 3. The method of statement 2, in which the network node from which the The UE received the measurement configuration, which consists of a master node, MN, from a Master Cell Group MCG, and a secondary node, SN, from a Secondary Cell Group, SCG, and the additional network node is the other one among MN and SCG. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 73 / 103 / 73 SN.

[00178] 4. The method of statement 3 whereby, if the MN and / or SN changes between the time the session start indication is sent and the time the session stop indication is sent, the UE determines the transmission of the session stop indication to the network node or nodes identified as the MN and / or SN at the time the session stop indication should be sent.

[00179] 5. The method of any of the preceding statements, where the EU determines at least one network node to which login and / or logout signals must be transmitted: based on an explicit indication of session start / stop notification received by the UE; or based on instructions for a specific connection scenario stored in the UE.

[00180] 6. The method of statement 5, where the UE determines at least one network node to which start-up and / or stop-up indications should be transmitted based on the explicit start-up / stop-up notification indication received by the UE, the explicit start-up / stop-up notification indication being received by the UE after the UE has received the measurement configuration.

[00181] 7. The method of any of the preceding statements, wherein the method additionally comprises: Determine at least one network node to which measurement reports should be transmitted; and initiate the transmission of a measurement report to at least one specified network node.

[00182] 8. The method of statement 7, in which: The at least one network node to which measurement reports must be transmitted is / are the same as the at least one network node to which Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 74 / 103 / 73 session start and / or session stop indications must be transmitted; or at least one network node to which measurement reports must be transmitted is / are different from at least one network node to which session start and / or session stop indications must be transmitted.

[00183] 9. The method of either of statements 7 and 8, where the The EU specifies at least one network node to which measurement reports must be transmitted: based on an explicit indication from measurement reports received by the UE; or based on instructions for a specific connection scenario stored in the UE.

[00184] 10. The method of any of the preceding statements, wherein the measurement setup comprises instructions for QoE measurements and / or wherein the measurement setup comprises instructions for RVQoE measurements.

[00185] 11. The method of statement 10, wherein the measurement configuration comprises instructions for QoE measurements and instructions for RVQoE measurements, and wherein the UE is instructed to send the QoE measurement reports to a different network node than the RVQoE measurement reports.

[00186] 12. The method of statement 11, in which the UE is instructed to which network nodes to send the QoE measurement reports and the RVQoE measurement reports by an explicit indication.

[00187] 13. The method of either of statements 11 and 12, whereby the UE is additionally instructed to one or more of: the one or more network nodes to which QoE measurement reports must be sent; and the one or more network nodes to which RVQoE measurement reports must be Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 75 / 103 / 73 sent, is / are the network node(s) to which session start and / or session stop instructions should be transmitted.

[00188] 14. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the EU initiates the transmission of at least one of the session start notification and the session stop notification including a signal.

[00189] 15. The declaration method 14, in which the signaling indicates a specific network node that is the intended recipient of the notification in which the signaling is included.

[00190] 16. The declaration method 14, in which the signaling indicates whether a network node that is the intended recipient of the notification in which the signaling is included is an MN or an SN.

[00191] 17. The method of any of the previous declarations which additionally comprises, by the EU, initiating the transmission of an additional notification.

[00192] 18. The method of declaration 17, in which at least one additional notification comprises: A notification that the session is in progress; and a notification that login is pending.

[00193] 19. The method of any of the preceding statements, which additionally comprises: to provide user data; and to forward the user data to a host via transmission to the network node.

[00194] 20. A method implemented by a network node for configuring Quality of Experience (QoE) and / or Radio Access Network Visible QoE (RVQoE) measurement, wherein the method comprises: Initiate transmission to a User Equipment, UE, of Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 76 / 103 / 73 a measurement configuration belonging to the network node;

[00195] 21. The method of declaration 20, which additionally comprises receiving at least one of an EU session start notification and a session stop notification.

[00196] 22. The declaration method 21, in which the notification comprises a signaling.

[00197] 23. The declaration method 22, in which the signaling indicates that the network node is not the intended recipient of the notification, and the method additionally comprises initiating the transmission of the notification to the intended recipient.

[00198] 24. The method of any of the statements 20 to 23 which additionally comprises initiating the transmission of an explicit start / stop notification indication to the EU.

[00199] 25. The method of any of statements 20 to 24, which additionally comprises receiving a measurement report from the EU.

[00200] 26. The method of any of statements 20 to 25, wherein the measurement setup comprises instructions for QoE measurements and / or wherein the measurement setup comprises instructions for RVQoE measurements.

[00201] 27. The method of any of the declarations 20 to 26, which additionally comprises receiving from the EU at least one of: A notification that the session is in progress; and a notification that login is pending.

[00202] 28. The method of any of the statements 20 to 27, where the network node is a Master Node, MN, of a Master Cell Group, MCG, or where the network node is a Secondary Node, SN, of a Secondary Cell Group, SCG.

[00203] 29. The method of any of the statements 20 to 28, where the network node is a Central Unit, CU, in a RAN architecture. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 77 / 103 / 73 divided.

[00204] 30. The declaration method 29, which additionally comprises forwarding, by the UC, any RVQoE reports received and / or login notifications and / or session termination notifications to a Distributed Unit, DU, serving the UE.

[00205] 31. The method of any of statements 20 to 30, which additionally comprises: To obtain user data; and to forward the user data to a host or a UE.

[00206] 32. A user-equipped device for configuring Quality of Experience (QoE) and / or Radio Access Network Visible (RVQoE) measurement, comprising: a set of processing circuits configured to enable the user equipment to perform any of the steps in any of statements 1 through 19; and a set of power supply circuits configured to provide power to the set of processing circuits.

[00207] 33. A network node for Quality of Experience (QoE) and / or Radio Access Network Visible QoE (RVQoE) measurement configuration, wherein the network node comprises: a set of processing circuits configured to make the network node perform any of the steps in any of statements 20 to 31; A set of power supply circuits configured to provide power to the processing circuitry.

[00208] 34. A user device (UD) for configuring Quality of Experience, QoE, and / or Radio Access Network Visible QoE, RVQoE measurement, wherein the UD comprises: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, page 78 / 103 / 73 radio front-end circuit set connected to the antenna and the processing circuit set, and configured for conditional signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuit set; the set of processing circuits being configured to perform any of the steps in any of the statements 1 through 19; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow information to be entered into the UE for processing by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to generate UE output information that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to provide power to the UE.

[00209] 35. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, where the host comprises: a set of processing circuits configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data to a network node on a cellular network for transmission to a user device (UE), the network node having a communication interface and set of processing circuits, the set of processing circuits of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of statements 20 to 31 to transmit user data from the host to the UE.

[00210] 36. The host of statement 35, where: The host's processing circuitry is configured to run a host application that provides user data; Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, pp. 79 / 103 / 73 and The UE comprises a set of processing circuits configured to run a client application associated with the host application to receive the transmission of user data from the host.

[00211] 37. A method implemented on a host configured to operate in a communication system that additionally includes a network node and a user device (UE), wherein the method comprises: provide user data to the UE; and initiate a transmission carrying the user data to the UE through a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the network node performs any of the operations of any of statements 20 to 31 to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

[00212] 38. The method of statement 37, which additionally comprises, in the network node, transmitting the user data provided by the host to the UE.

[00213] 39. The method of either of statements 37 and 38, wherein user data is provided on the host by means of a host application that interacts with a client application running on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[00214] 40. A communication system configured to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, wherein the communication system comprises: a host comprising: A set of processing circuits configured to provide user data to a user device (UD), the user data being associated with the over-the-top service; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data to a cellular network node for transmission to the UD, the network node having a communication interface and a set of processing circuits, the processing circuits of the network node. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 80 / 103 / 73 configured to perform any of the operations of any of statements 20 to 31 to transmit user data from the host to the UE.

[00215] 41. The communication system of statement 40, which additionally comprises: the network node; and / or the EU.

[00216] 42. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, wherein the host comprises: a set of processing circuits configured to initiate the reception of user data; and a network interface configured to receive user data from a network node on a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and a set of processing circuits, the network node's set of processing circuits configured to perform any of the operations in any of statements 20 to 31 to receive user data from a user equipment (UE) to the host.

[00217] 43. The host of statement 42, where: The host processing circuitry is configured to run a host application that receives user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application running on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[00218] 44. The host of either of statements 42 and 43, where the initial receipt of user data comprises requesting user data.

[00219] 45. A method implemented by a host configured for Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, pp. 81 / 103 / 73 operate in a communication system that additionally includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), wherein the method comprises: On the host, initiate receiving user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission that the network node received from the UE, where the network node performs any of the steps in any of statements 20 to 31 to receive the user data from the UE to the host.

[00220] 46. The method of statement 45, which additionally comprises, at the network node, transmitting the user data received to the host.

[00221] 47. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, wherein the host comprises: a set of processing circuits configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and a set of processing circuits, the communication interface and processing circuits of the UE being configured to perform any of the operations of any of statements 1 to 19 to receive user data from the host.

[00222] 48. The host of statement 47, wherein the cellular network additionally includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit user data to the host UE.

[00223] 49. The host of either of statements 47 and 48, where: The host's processing circuitry is configured to run a host application, thus providing user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 82 / 103 / 73 client application running in the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[00224] 50. A method implemented by a host operating in a communication system that additionally includes a network node and a user device (UE), wherein the method comprises: provide user data to the UE; and initiate a transmission carrying the user data to the UE through a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the UE performs any of the operations in any of statements 1 to 19 to receive the user data from the host.

[00225] 51. The method of statement 50, which additionally comprises: On the host, run a host application associated with a client application running on the UE to retrieve user data from the host application.

[00226] 52. The method of statement 51, which additionally comprises: On the host, transmit input data to the client application running on the UE, with the input data being provided by the host application, where user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.

[00227] 53. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, where the host comprises: A set of processing circuits configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data to a cellular network for transmission to a device. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 83 / 103 / 73 of user (UE), wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and a set of processing circuits, the communication interface and set of processing circuits of the UE being configured to perform any of the steps of any of statements 1 to 19 to transmit user data to the host.

[00228] 54. The host of statement 53, wherein the cellular network additionally includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit user data from the UE to the host.

[00229] 55. The host of either of statements 53 and 54, where: The host's processing circuitry is configured to run a host application, thus providing user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application running on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[00230] 56. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that additionally includes a network node and a user device (UE), wherein the method comprises: on the host, receive user data transmitted to the host by the network node by the UE, wherein the UE performs any of the steps in any of statements 1 to 19 to transmit the user data to the host.

[00231] 57. The method in statement 56, which further comprises: On the host, run a host application associated with a client application running on the UE to retrieve user data from the UE.

[00232] 58. The method of either of statements 56 and 57, which additionally comprises: On the host, transmit input data to the client application. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, page 84 / 103 / 73 in execution in the EU, the input data being provided by the execution of the host application, where the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application. Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, pages 85 / 103

Claims

1 / 7 CLAIMS 1. Method implemented by a user equipment, UE, (700) for setting up Quality of Experience, QoE and / or Radio Access Network Visible QoE, RVQoE measurement, characterized in that the method comprises: receiving, from a network node (800), a measurement configuration for a group of cells belonging to the network node (800); determining at least one network node to which session start and / or session stop indications should be transmitted; and initiating the transmission of at least one session start indication and one session stop indication to at least one given network node.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the UE (700) determines the transmission of at least one of the session start indication and the session stop indication to the network node from which the UE (700) received the measurement configuration, or to an additional network node, or both to the network node (800) from which the UE (700) received the measurement configuration and the additional network node.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the network node (800) from which the UE (700) received the measurement configuration is one of a master node, MN, of a Master Cell Group MCG, and a secondary node, SN, of a Secondary Cell Group, SCG, and the additional network node is the other between MN and SN.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that, if the MN and / or SN changes between the time the session start indication is sent and the time the session stop indication is sent, the UE (700) determines the transmission of the session stop indication to the network node or nodes identified as the MN and / or SN at the time the session stop indication should be sent. Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, p. 86 / 103 2 / 7 5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the UE (700) determines at least one network node to which session start and / or session stop indications should be transmitted: based on an explicit session start / stop indication received by the UE (700); or based on instructions for a given connection scenario stored in the UE (700).

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the UE (700) determines at least one network node to which session start and / or session stop indications should be transmitted based on the explicit session start / stop indication received by the UE (700), the explicit session start / stop indication being received by the UE (700) after the UE (700) has received the measurement configuration.

7. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method further comprises: determining at least one network node to which measurement reports are to be transmitted; and initiating the transmission of a measurement report to at least one specific network node.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that: the at least one network node to which measurement reports must be transmitted is / are the same as the at least one network node to which session start and / or session stop indications must be transmitted; or the at least one network node to which measurement reports must be transmitted is / are different from the at least one network node to which session start and / or session stop indications must be transmitted.

9. Method according to any one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the UE (700) determines at least one network node to which measurement reports should be transmitted: based on an explicit indication of measurement reports received by the UE (700); or based on instructions for a given connection scenario stored in the UE (700).

10. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the measurement setup comprises instructions for QoE measurements and / or in that the measurement setup comprises instructions for RVQoE measurements.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the measurement setup comprises instructions for QoE measurements and instructions for RVQoE measurements, and wherein the UE (700) is instructed to send the QoE measurement reports to a different network node than the RVQoE measurement reports.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the UE (700) is instructed the network nodes to which to send the QoE measurement reports and the RVQoE measurement reports by an explicit indication.

13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the UE (700) is additionally instructed among: the one or more network nodes to which QoE measurement reports must be sent; and the one or more network nodes to which RVQoE measurement reports must be sent, is / are the network node(s) to which session start and / or session stop indications must be transmitted. Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, p. 88 / 103 4 / 7 14. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the UE (700) initiates the transmission of at least one of the session start indication and the session stop indication including a signal.

15. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that the signaling indicates a specific network node that is the intended recipient of the indication in which the signaling is included, and / or in that the signaling indicates whether a network node that is the intended recipient of the indication in which the signaling is included is a network node (MN) or a network node (SN).

16. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises, by the EU (700), initiating the transmission of an additional notification.

17. Method according to claim 16, characterized in that at least one additional notification comprises: an indication of an ongoing session; and an indication of a pending session start.

18. Method performed by a network node (800) for Quality of Experience, QoE, and / or Radio Access Network Visible QoE, RVQoE measurement configuration, characterized in that the method comprises: initiating transmission to a User Equipment, UE, (700) of a measurement configuration belonging to the network node, wherein the measurement configuration comprises instructions for QoE measurements and / or wherein the measurement configuration comprises instructions for RVQoE measurements.

19. Method according to claim 18, characterized in that it further comprises receiving at least one of a session start indication and one session stop indication from the EU (700). Petition 870250090030, dated 02 / 10 / 2025, p. 89 / 103 5 / 7 20. Method according to claim 19, characterized in that the indication comprises a signaling device.

21. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that the signaling indicates that the network node (800) is not the intended recipient of the indication, and the method further comprises initiating the transmission of the indication to the intended recipient.

22. Method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that it further comprises initiating transmission with an explicit start / stop transmission indication to the UE (700).

23. Method according to any one of claims 18 to 22, characterized in that it further comprises receiving a measurement report from the EU (700).

24. Method according to any one of claims 18 to 23, characterized in that it further comprises receiving from the EU (700) at least one of: an indication of an ongoing session; and an indication of a pending session start.

25. Method according to any one of claims 18 to 24, characterized in that the network node (800) is a Master Node, MN, of a Master Cell Group, MCG, or in that the network node (800) is a Secondary Node, SN, of a Secondary Cell Group, SCG.

26. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 25, characterized in that the network node (800) is a Central Unit, CU, in a split RAN architecture.

27. Method according to claim 26, characterized in that it comprises forwarding, by the CU, any RVQoE report and / or session start indications and / or session stop indications received to a Distributed Unit, DU, serving the UE (700). Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, pp. 90 / 103 6 / 7 28. User Equipment, UE, (700) for Quality of Experience, QoE, and / or Radio Access Network Visible QoE, RVQoE measurement configuration, characterized in that it comprises: a processing circuitry set (702) configured to make the UE (700): receive, from a network node (800), a measurement configuration for a group of cells belonging to the network node (800); determine at least one network node to which session start and / or session stop indications should be transmitted; and initiate the transmission of at least one of a session start indication and a session stop indication to at least one given network node; and a power supply circuitry set (708) configured to provide power to the processing circuitry set (702).

29. User equipment (UE) (700) according to claim 28, characterized in that the processing circuitry (702) is additionally configured to enable the UE (700) to perform the steps as defined in any one of claims 2 to 17.

30. Network node (800) for Quality of Experience, QoE, and / or Radio Access Network Visible QoE, RVQoE measurement configuration, characterized in that the network node (800) comprises: a set of processing circuits (802) configured to cause the network node (800) to initiate transmission to a User Equipment, UE, (700) of a measurement configuration belonging to the network node; and a set of power supply circuits (808) configured to provide power to the set of processing circuits (802), wherein the measurement configuration comprises instructions for QoE measurements and / or wherein the measurement configuration comprises instructions for RVQoE measurements.

31. Network node (800) according to claim 30, characterized in that the processing circuitry (802) is additionally configured to enable the network node (800) to perform the steps as defined in any one of claims 19 to 27.

32. Communication system, characterized in that it comprises at least one of: the UE (700) as defined in claim 28 or 29, and the network node (800) as defined in claim 30 or 31.

33. Computer program, characterized in that it comprises instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause that processor to perform a method as defined in any one of claims 1 to 27.

34. Computer program product, characterized in that it comprises non-transient, computer-readable media containing a computer program as defined in claim 33. Petition 870250090030, dated 10 / 02 / 2025, pp. 92 / 103

Images