UE power saving based on stability

Abstract

Provided are measures for enabling / implementing UE power saving based on stability, specifically, network-assisted power saving at a terminal entity based on local stability monitoring and autonomous power saving mode switching. Such measures exemplarily include the terminal entity operating in a normal power mode, including performing normal radio environment-related measurements (such as conventional radio resource management measurements and / or cell search measurements) and monitoring stability conditions by means of local processes and / or equipment, switching from the normal power mode to the power saving mode if the locally monitored stability conditions are met, and operating in the power saving mode, including performing relaxed radio environment-related measurements (such as relaxed radio resource management measurements and / or cell search measurements).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to UE power saving based on stationarity. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to measures / mechanisms (including methods, apparatuses (ie, devices and / or functions) and computer program products) for enabling / implementing UE power saving based on stationarity. Background Art

[0002] Basically, the present disclosure relates to power saving such as UE in a mobile communication system, or in other words, the reduction of energy / power consumption of a terminal entity. As an example, the present disclosure is applicable to a 3GPP standardized communication system, such as a 5G / NR or 4G / LTE / eLTE / LTE-A system.

[0003] For battery-powered mobile devices or end entities, power conservation is a critical issue. And for other end entities powered by external power sources, power conservation is also an issue from an ecological or environmental perspective. Therefore, power conservation techniques, including those disclosed herein, are generally useful and applicable to all types of devices or entities.

[0004] For example, in 5G / NR standardization, various methods are studied for achieving more energy-efficient / low-power UEs when operating in any RRC state (connected, idle or inactive). In this regard, there is a research project "Study on UE power saving in NR", one of the goals of which concerns the reduction of UE power consumption in RRM measurements in synchronous and asynchronous network deployments.

[0005] Although new synchronization signals for initial access and mobility are designed in 5G / NR to provide more flexibility and better trade-offs between system performance and UE power consumption for measurements, RRM measurements still consume unnecessary UE power. It is well known that UE energy / power consumption is a function of (among other things) the number of cells searched and measured that are subject to RRM measurements. Therefore, one direction of this research project is to achieve UE power consumption reduction on RRM radio measurements and avoid unnecessary measurements.

[0006] It should be noted that RRM measurements represent an example of measurements related to the radio environment of the terminal entity, which consumes energy / power of the terminal entity. Other examples of such energy / power consumption measurements related to the radio environment of the terminal entity include cell search measurements, etc.

[0007] Therefore, there is a desire for efficient UE power saving in the context of measurements related to the radio environment, in particular for avoiding unnecessary measurements and / or mitigating necessary measurements. Summary of the invention

[0008] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to solving at least part of the above-mentioned problems and / or difficulties and disadvantages.

[0009] Various aspects of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are set out in the accompanying claims.

[0010] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: operating in a normal power mode, including performing normal radio environment-related measurements and monitoring a stationary condition by means of local processes and / or equipment, switching from the normal power mode to a power saving mode if the locally monitored stationary condition is met, and operating in the power saving mode, including performing relaxed radio environment-related measurements.

[0011] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: obtaining capability information for monitoring stationary conditions and non-stationary conditions from a terminal entity; setting configuration information, the configuration information being used to configure non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring and / or radio environment-related measurement relaxation, controlling switching between a normal power mode and a power saving mode at the terminal entity through non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring, and relaxing radio environment-related measurements compared to radio environment-related measurements performed in a normal power mode at the terminal entity through radio environment-related measurement relaxation; and notifying the terminal entity of the configuration information.

[0012] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a device is provided, which includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured with the at least one processor so that the device performs at least the following operations: operating in normal power mode, including performing normal radio environment-related measurements and monitoring stability conditions with the aid of local processes and / or equipment; switching from normal power mode to power saving mode if the locally monitored stability conditions are met; and operating in power saving mode, including performing relaxed radio environment-related measurements.

[0013] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a device is provided, which includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured with the at least one processor so that the device performs at least the following operations: obtaining capability information for monitoring stationary conditions and non-stationary conditions from a terminal entity; setting configuration information, the configuration information being used to configure non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring and / or radio environment-related measurement relaxation, controlling switching between a normal power mode and a power saving mode at the terminal entity through non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring, and through radio environment-related measurement relaxation, the radio environment-related measurements performed in the power saving mode are relaxed compared to the radio environment-related measurements performed in the normal power mode at the terminal entity; and notifying the terminal entity of the configuration information.

[0014] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a device is provided, comprising: equipment for operating in normal power mode, including performing normal radio environment-related measurements and monitoring stability conditions by means of local processes and / or equipment; equipment for switching from normal power mode to power saving mode if the locally monitored stability conditions are met; and equipment for operating in power saving mode, including performing relaxed radio environment-related measurements.

[0015] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a device is provided, including equipment for acquiring capability information for monitoring stationary conditions and non-stationary conditions from a terminal entity, equipment for setting configuration information, the configuration information being used to configure non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring and / or radio environment related measurement relaxation, controlling switching between a normal power mode and a power saving mode at a terminal entity through non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring, relaxing radio environment related measurements compared to radio environment related measurements performed in a normal power mode at the terminal entity, and equipment for notifying the terminal entity of the configuration information.

[0016] According to various developments / modifications, one or more of the following may be applied to any of the aforementioned method-related and / or apparatus-related example aspects of the present disclosure:

[0017] Operation in the power saving mode may also include monitoring non-stationary conditions with the aid of local processes and / or equipment,

[0018] The method or device function may also include: if the non-stationary condition of the local monitoring is met, switching from the power saving mode to the normal power mode,

[0019] The stationarity condition may be satisfied when one of the following is monitored within a predetermined time period: there is no movement of the terminal entity, there is no movement of the terminal entity, and the radio environment and / or operation state of the terminal entity does not change,

[0020] Predetermined time periods for monitoring stationary conditions can be set through web-assisted configuration.

[0021] The predetermined time period for monitoring the stationary condition may be set according to the location of the terminal entity and / or the radio resource control state of the terminal entity and / or the daytime related operation mode of the terminal entity,

[0022] The non-stationarity condition may be satisfied when one of the presence of movement of the terminal entity and a change in the radio environment and / or operating state of the terminal entity is monitored,

[0023] The stationary conditions and / or non-stationary conditions to be monitored can be set via web-assisted configuration.

[0024] The movement of the terminal entity may be monitored by means of a sensor disposed at the terminal entity (such as at least one of a motion sensor, a positioning sensor, a gyroscope sensor, and an accelerometer sensor).

[0025] The radio environment and / or operating state of the terminal entity may be monitored for invariance / change by means of a measurement process performed at the terminal entity, such as measuring one or more of the received power and / or received quality and / or signal-to-noise ratio and / or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio of a camped cell / serving cell, one or more neighboring cells, one or more candidate cells, and a reference signal.

[0026] The relaxed radio environment related measurements may be reduced in range and / or rate compared to normal radio environment related measurements,

[0027] The radio environment related measurements in the power saving mode may be relaxed relative to the radio environment related measurements in the normal power mode by at least one of reducing the number of cells to be searched and / or measured, reducing the measurement frequency, increasing the measurement period, reducing the measurement duration, and reducing the measurement accuracy,

[0028] The radio environment related measurements may include radio resource management measurements and / or cell search measurements.

[0029] Conventional radio resource management measurements may be performed in normal power mode, and relaxed radio resource management measurements may be performed in power save mode,

[0030] Conventional cell search measurements may be performed in normal power mode, and relaxed cell search measurements may be performed in power save mode,

[0031] Relaxed radio environment related measurements can be set up via network assisted configuration,

[0032] The relaxed radio environment related measurements may be set according to the location of the terminal entity and / or the radio resource control state of the terminal entity and / or the daytime related operation mode of the terminal entity,

[0033] The timing of radio environment related measurements in power save mode may be selected to align with discontinuous reception and / or paging cycles,

[0034] Under certain conditions, the periodicity of radio environment related measurements in power save mode can be set to infinity.

[0035] The method or device function may also include: maintaining a radio context of the terminal entity and / or a radio context history for a predetermined location when operating in a normal power mode, and referring to the maintained radio context or radio context history to perform non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring and / or radio environment related measurement relaxation,

[0036] The method or apparatus function (at / of the terminal entity) may also include notifying a network entity of capability information for monitoring stationary conditions and non-stationary conditions, obtaining configuration information from the network entity for configuring non-stationary conditions / stationary condition monitoring and / or relaxed radio environment related measurements, and configuring one or more of stationary conditions, non-stationary conditions, and relaxed radio environment related measurements as a network-assisted configuration based on the configuration information,

[0037] The configuration information may include an indication that the relaxation of the radio environment related measurements may affect one or more of intra-frequency cells, inter-frequency cells, inter-radio access technology cells, dedicated cells,

[0038] The network-assisted configuration may include, or the configuration information may be further used to configure enabling or disabling switching to the power saving mode according to parameters such as the radio resource control state of the terminal entity.

[0039] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product including a (computer executable) computer program code is provided. When the program code is executed (or run) on a computer or the program is run on a computer (for example, a computer of an apparatus according to any one of the exemplary aspects related to an apparatus of the present disclosure), the computer program code is configured to cause the computer to perform a method according to any one of the exemplary aspects related to a method of the present disclosure.

[0040] The computer program product may include or may be implemented as a (tangible / non-transitory) computer-readable (storage) medium or the like on which computer-executable computer program code is stored, and / or the program may be directly loaded into the internal memory of a computer or its processor.

[0041] Further developments and / or modifications of the aforementioned exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are set out below.

[0042] By illustrating the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to enable / implement UE power saving based on stability in a mobile communication system. More specifically, based on local stability determination and autonomous power mode switching at the UE (i.e., terminal entity), measures / mechanisms are provided for (network-assisted) UE power saving. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] In the following, the present disclosure will be described in more detail by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0044] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating an example of a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0045] Figure 2 shows a flowchart illustrating another example of a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0046] Figure 3 shows a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0047] Figure 4 shows a state diagram illustrating an example of states and state transitions according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0048] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a structure of an apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, and

[0049] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a functional structure of an apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The present disclosure is described herein with reference to specific non-limiting examples and what are currently considered to be conceivable embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is by no means limited to these examples and embodiments and can be more broadly applied.

[0051] It should be noted that the following description of the present disclosure and its embodiments mainly refers to specifications used as non-limiting examples of certain exemplary network configurations and system deployments. That is, the present disclosure and its embodiments are mainly described in conjunction with 3GPP standards, in particular 5G / NR standardization and 4G / LTE / eLTE / LTE-A standardization used as non-limiting example references. Therefore, the description of the exemplary embodiments specifically given herein refers to terms directly related thereto. Such terms are used only in the context of the non-limiting examples and embodiments presented, and naturally do not limit the present disclosure in any way. On the contrary, as long as it is consistent with what is described herein and / or the exemplary embodiments are applicable to any other system configuration or deployment, it can be used in the same way.

[0052] Below, various exemplary embodiments and implementations of the present disclosure and aspects thereof are described using several variants and / or alternatives. It should generally be noted that, depending on certain needs and constraints, all described variants and / or alternatives may be provided individually or in any conceivable combination (including combinations of individual features of various variants and / or alternatives). In this specification, the words "including" and "comprising" should be understood as not limiting the described exemplary embodiments and implementations to include only those features that have been mentioned, and such exemplary embodiments and implementations may also include features, structures, units, modules, etc. that are not specifically mentioned.

[0053] In the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that the lines / arrows interconnecting the various boxes or entities are generally intended to illustrate the operational coupling between them, which may be a physical and / or logical coupling, which on the one hand is implementation-independent (e.g. wired or wireless), and on the other hand may also include any number of intermediate functional boxes or entities not shown.

[0054] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, generally, measures / mechanisms (including methods, apparatuses (i.e., devices and / or functions) and computer program products) for enabling / implementing UE power saving based on stability are provided. More specifically, measures / mechanisms are provided for (network-assisted) UE power saving based on local stability determination and autonomous power mode switching at the UE (i.e., terminal entity).

[0055] Herein, the term "radio measurements" generally relates to any type of measurements related to the radio environment of a terminal entity and may equally be denoted as "radio environment related measurements". Such radio or radio environment related measurements may include RRM measurements and / or cell search measurements.

[0056] Herein, the term "terminal entity" shall generally refer to any kind of terminal or user equipment in a mobile communication system, including mobile and fixed / non-mobile devices. As an example, the terminal entity may be a user equipment, as illustrated below for illustrative purposes. The term "network entity" shall generally refer to any type of network device or equipment in a mobile communication system that can communicate with the terminal entity. As an example, the network entity may be any type of base station, NodeB or network control device or equipment.

[0057] Figure 1 A flow chart illustrating an example of a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 The method may be operated at or by a terminal entity (eg, a mobile device) in a communication system, which terminal entity will hereinafter be exemplarily referred to as a UE.

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, the method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes an operation (S110) of operating in a normal power mode, including performing normal radio measurements (S110a) and monitoring a stationary condition by means of a local process and / or device (S110b), and an operation (S130) of operating in a power saving mode, including performing relaxed radio measurements (S130a). If the stationary condition monitored locally is satisfied ("Yes" in S120) when operating in the normal power mode, the method includes switching from the normal power mode to the power saving mode, and continuing to operate in the normal power mode in other cases.

[0059] Figure 2 A flow chart illustrating an example of another method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 The method may be operated at or by a terminal entity (eg, a mobile device) in a communication system, which will hereinafter be exemplarily referred to as a UE.

[0060] like Figure 2As shown, the method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes an operation (S210) of operating in normal power mode, including performing normal radio measurements (S210a) and monitoring stationary conditions (S210b) with the help of local processes and / or equipment, and an operation (S230) of operating in power saving mode, including performing relaxed radio measurements (S230a) and monitoring non-stationary conditions (S230b) with the help of local processes and / or equipment. If the locally monitored stationary conditions are (monitored / determined to be) satisfied when operating in normal power mode ("Yes" in S220), the method includes an operation of switching from normal power mode to power saving mode, and continuing to operate in normal power mode in other cases. If the locally monitored non-stationary conditions are (monitored / determined to be) satisfied when operating in power saving mode ("Yes" in S240), the method includes an operation of switching from power saving mode to normal power mode, otherwise continuing to operate in power saving mode. As described below in combination with Figure 4 As explained, switching to normal power mode includes switching / transitioning to the same state as before (e.g. evaluation / measurement state) or another state (e.g. evaluation / measurement state), which may depend on, for example, a measured unit, a trigger for leaving power saving mode, etc.

[0061] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The sequence of steps / operations shown may also be reversed or interchanged. That is, the method may begin with operation in a power saving mode, switch to a normal power mode when a locally monitored non-stationary condition is met, and optionally return to a power saving mode when a locally monitored stationary condition is met.

[0062] It should be noted that monitoring non-stationary conditions / stationary conditions includes (appropriately) setting the non-stationary conditions / stationary conditions monitored in this way, and performing normal / relaxed radio measurements includes (appropriately) setting one or more parameters / values ​​for the measurements. Stationary conditions and / or non-stationary conditions and / or relaxed radio measurements (i.e., relaxed radio measurement requirements) can be statically or flexibly preconfigured and can be set by network-assisted configuration (as shown in the example below).

[0063] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, conventional RRM measurements may be performed in normal power mode (e.g., S110a or S210a), and relaxed RRM measurements may be performed in power saving mode (e.g., S130a or S230a), and / or conventional cell search measurements may be performed in normal power mode (e.g., S110a or S210a), and relaxed cell search measurements may be performed in power saving mode (e.g., S210a or S230a). In this regard, it should be noted that although cell search requires running RRM measurements, it may be viewed as a separate process compared to RRM measurements (i.e., considering that in RRM measurements, for example, RSRP / RSRQ of already detected cells is measured, while in cell search, for example, RSRP / RSRQ of previously undetected cells is measured).

[0064] pass Figure 1 and Figure 2 Any of the methods can achieve UE power saving based on local stationarity determination at the UE and autonomous power mode switching.

[0065] Figure 3 A sequence diagram illustrating an example of a process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The process can be operated between a terminal entity in a communication system / a terminal entity of a communication system (e.g., a mobile device) (the terminal entity is exemplarily referred to as a UE hereinafter) and a network entity in the communication system / a network entity of the communication system (e.g., a gNB in ​​a 5G / NR system or an eNB in ​​a 4G / LTE system, which will be exemplarily referred to as a NW hereinafter).

[0066] like Figure 3As shown, the process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes an operation (S310), in which the UE notifies the NW of capability information for monitoring stationary conditions and non-stationary conditions, and the NW obtains the capability information so notified; an operation (S320), in which the NW sets configuration information; and an operation (S330), in which the NW notifies the UE of the configuration information so set, and the UE obtains the configuration information so notified. In this regard, the configuration information represents information for configuring non-stationary conditions / stationary conditions monitoring and / or radio measurement relaxation at the UE, that is, for configuring non-stationary conditions / stationary conditions monitoring, by which the non-stationary conditions / stationary conditions monitoring is used to control the switching between the normal power mode and the power saving mode at the terminal entity, and / or for configuring radio measurement relaxation, by which the radio measurement relaxation is performed in the power saving mode at the UE compared to the radio measurement performed in the normal power mode at the UE. Relaxation. In addition, the process includes an operation (S340), in which the UE configures one or more of a stationary condition, a non-stationary condition, and a relaxed radio measurement as a network-assisted configuration based on the obtained configuration information. Therefore, the UE can set a stationary condition and / or a non-stationary condition and / or a relaxed radio measurement (i.e., a relaxed radio measurement requirement) based on the obtained configuration information. Then, the process includes an operation (S350), in which the UE adopts (multiple) parameters and / or (multiple) conditions configured by the network-assisted configuration in operation S340, and performs the following steps: Figure 1 and Figure 2 Processing of any of the methods shown.

[0067] For example, the network configuration (i.e., configuration information) may include an indication that the relaxation of radio measurements may affect one or more of intra-frequency cells, inter-frequency cells, inter-RAT cells, dedicated cells, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the network configuration (i.e., configuration information) may include / enable a configuration to allow or prohibit switching to a power saving mode based on parameters such as the RRC state of the UE. Thus, the UE may be set / configured to enable consideration of the impact of the network configuration on its operation (so as to adjust its control / function accordingly) and / or to allow or prohibit the UE from entering a power saving mode.

[0068] like Figure 3As shown by the dotted line in , the process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may also include an operation (S360), in which the UE maintains (or saves / maintains) the UE's radio context and / or the radio context history of a predetermined location when operating in the normal power mode, and the UE refers to the maintained (or saved / maintained) radio context or radio context history for non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring and / or radio measurement relaxation. For example, the UE performs radio measurements in a relaxed manner based on the last radio context or the radio context of a known location, for example, based on the number of cells and cell IDs to be measured. Therefore, the information of the UE's radio context or radio context history may be provided in the following manner: Figure 1 and Figure 2 Any one of the methods shown can be reused / used during the process.

[0069] As an example, the UE may build up knowledge of radio conditions observed over time. As an example, a UE at one location (e.g., home location) may see a given number of cells and cell IDs that does not change from day to day, while at other locations (e.g., operating locations) the UE may see a different number of cells and cell IDs in a static manner. Such information may be stored as context-dependent information and used when switching between operating (power) modes.

[0070] It should be noted that in Figure 1 and Figure 2 The utilization of information of the UE's radio context or radio context history in the process of any of the methods shown is inherently independent of network-assisted configuration and can therefore be applied even without network-assisted configuration.

[0071] pass Figure 3 The method can achieve network-assisted UE power saving based on local stationarity determination and autonomous power mode switching at the UE.

[0072] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-stationary condition / stationary condition generally refers to a condition or trigger for switching a power mode at a UE (i.e., leaving / entering a power saving mode), wherein stationarity relates to constancy or stability (of any kind) in terms of UE mobility and / or a radio environment of the UE (wherein a UE (radio) context may be regarded as a representation of the radio environment) and / or an operating state (e.g., a physical condition) of the UE (e.g., relating to the presence of any one of a power source, ambient light, a physical indicator (e.g., a physical switch). Stationary conditions are essentially valid for indicating situations where fewer radio measurements or lower radio measurement requirements in terms of range and / or rate are sufficient (e.g., operating conditions in any RRC state), while non-stationary conditions are essentially valid for indicating situations where more radio measurements or higher radio measurement requirements in terms of range and / or rate are required for proper operation of the UE (in cooperation with a network or communication system) (e.g., operating conditions in any RRC state).

[0073] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, various conditions / triggers or parameters may be used / served as stationary conditions and / or non-stationary conditions, and various parameters may be used / served as relaxed radio measurements (ie, relaxed radio measurement requirements).

[0074] For example, the stationarity condition may be based on the motion of the UE (at least one condition about the motion) and / or the radio environment (environment) or the radio context (context) (at least one condition about the radio environment) and / or the operating state of the UE. The stationarity condition may be met when the UE is monitored to be motionless (at least, if the UE can infer that the UE's radio environment or radio context and / or operating state do not change) or the UE's motionless and the UE's radio context or radio context and / or operating state do not change within a predetermined time period. As an example, the predetermined time period (T) for monitoring the stationarity condition may be set by network-assisted configuration, and may be set according to the UE's location and / or the UE's RRC state and / or the UE's operating mode related to daytime (e.g., night mode).

[0075] For example, the non-stationary condition may be based on (at least one condition of) the motion of the UE and / or (at least one condition of) the radio environment or radio context and / or the operating state of the UE. The non-stationary condition may be met when (at one instance or a predetermined time period) monitoring the presence of motion of the UE or changes in the radio environment or radio context and / or the operating state of the UE.

[0076] In this context, the absence of motion means that the UE is (substantially) stationary or stationary with respect to its (geographic) location and / or serving / camped cell, while the presence of motion essentially means the opposite. For example, in the case where the UE speed is 0 km / h or slightly above (i.e. below a predefined threshold), the absence of motion may be determined. The motion of the UE is monitored locally by local / internal processes and / or devices such as sensors provided at the UE. Such sensors may be at least one of a motion sensor, a positioning sensor (such as a sensor of a global navigation satellite system such as GPS, Glonass, Galileo, etc.), a gyroscope sensor, and an accelerometer sensor.

[0077] Herein, the non-change of the radio environment means that the UE is (substantially) constant, uniform or stable in terms of its (general or observed or applicable) radio conditions or radio signal / channel conditions, while the change of the radio environment basically means the opposite. That is, the change means that there is at least some change (i.e., up to a predefined degree) in the radio environment of the UE. For example, the non-change of the radio environment can be determined in the case where the UE (radio) context does not change, wherein the UE (radio) context includes measuring the received power and / or received quality and / or signal-to-noise ratio and / or signal-to-interference-to-noise ratio of the resident / serving cell (e.g., identified by PCell / serving cell ID), neighboring cells, candidate cells, and one or more of the reference signals (RSRP, RSRQ, SNR, SINR). The (non / change) of the radio environment is monitored locally by local / internal processes and / or devices (e.g., measurement processes performed at the UE, such as measuring one or more of the aforementioned parameters / values). The radio environment can be determined to be non-changing if the camping / serving cell (e.g., identified by a Pcell / serving cell ID) does not change, the neighboring cells do not change (at least to some extent / quantity), the candidate cells do not change (at least to some extent / quantity), and the received power and / or received quality and / or signal-to-noise ratio and / or signal-to-interference and noise ratio of reference signals (RSRP, RSRQ, SNR, SINR) do not change (at least to some extent / number or quantity).

[0078] Herein, no change in operating state means that the UE is (substantially) constant, uniform or stable in its (common or observed or applicable) operating state (such as its physical condition), and a change in operating state means essentially the opposite. That is, a change means that there is at least some change (i.e., up to a predefined degree) in the operating state of the UE. For example, the operating state or physical condition of the UE may change when another power source is applied or used, the ambient light changes, a physical switch is operated, etc.

[0079] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the UE can also obtain knowledge of its stationarity / non-stationarity, for example as follows. On the one hand, the UE can know through configuration that it should not move. This will, for example, apply to terminal entities that are physically installed to fixed equipment (e.g., sensors installed in power plants, modems installed in docking stations). On the other hand, the UE can detect some non-stationarity / stationarity related parameters from external sources, which can be exemplarily expressed as "non-stationarity risks". An example in this regard is a power supply change. This can be seen when the UE loses its power cord (indicating that the UE is not cable-restricted), and in the case where the docking station starts from a loss of power, the conditions may have changed significantly.

[0080] Herein, relaxing radio measurements or measurement requirements in power saving mode means setting and applying fewer radio measurements or lower radio measurement requirements in terms of range and / or rate. Therefore, this relaxation refers to the (downward) scaling of radio measurements or measurement requirements. That is, compared with normal / conventional radio measurements, the relaxed radio measurements are (set to) reduced in terms of range and / or rate. For example, by reducing the number of cells to be searched and / or measured, reducing the measurement frequency, increasing the measurement cycle, reducing the measurement duration and reducing the measurement accuracy, the radio measurements in power saving mode are relaxed relative to the radio measurements in normal power mode. As described above, the relaxed radio measurements (parameters) can be set by network-assisted configuration. In addition, as described below, the relaxed radio measurements (parameters) can be set according to the location of the UE and / or the RRC state of the UE and / or the daytime-related operating mode (e.g., night mode) of the UE.

[0081] The radio measurement can be, for example, any of RSRP, RSRQ, SNR and SINR for mobility purposes (i.e., cell quality measurement for cell reselection, handover decision). In 4G / LTE, the radio measurement is based on the cell-specific reference signal (CRS). In 5G / NR, in the absence of CRS, the radio measurement is based on different physical signals.

[0082] For example, the radio measurements may be operated in the following manner. On the one hand, a UE in RRC idle or RRC inactive state measures the cell only at each paging opportunity of the serving cell, therefore according to the paging cycle. This is at least every Tmeasure,NR_Intra seconds of the intra-frequency cell identified and measured according to the measurement rules. On the other hand, UEs in RRC connected state perform measurements according to their C-DRX configuration. SSB-based measurements are configured together with at least one measurement timing configuration (SMTC) for C-DRX. The UE measures multiple beams (at least one) of the cell and the measurement results (power values) are averaged to derive the cell quality. In doing so, the UE considers a subset of the detected beams. Filtering occurs at two different levels: beam quality is derived at the physical layer and then cell quality is derived from multiple beams at the RRC level. An SS / PBCH block (SSB) burst consists of multiple SSBs that are associated with different SSB indices and potentially with different transmission beams. In addition, CSI-RS signals may also be configured for beam management and measurements. The SSB-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) with a certain duration and periodicity is used to limit the UE's measurement of certain resources to reduce UE power consumption. During the SMTC period and on the configured SSB and / or CSI-RS, the UE will perform radio measurements.

[0083] Therefore, configuration information, such as network configuration information, for configuring the UE to operate in the power saving mode may include the SMTC period or a multiple thereof and / or SSB and / or CSI-RS for relaxed radio measurements.

[0084] Generally, it should be noted that reference is made herein to radio measurements. As mentioned above, these references may for example be replaced by RRM measurements or be understood as references to RLM measurements, but may equally be RLM measurements or RLM / RRM measurements.

[0085] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, power saving of a terminal entity may be achieved even without affecting user operability or user experience. For example, for a UE running eMBB traffic, it may be expected that multiple background "always on" messages for multiple applications will be exchanged in the background without user intervention / triggering, even when the UE is operating in a power saving mode. However, these messages are not delay sensitive, so that switching the UE from a normal power mode to a power saving mode as described herein may achieve power saving without compromising application behavior and user perceived latency (i.e., the relaxed radio measurements or measurement requirements in the power saving mode do not adversely affect these messages or their associated effects / purposes or applications). Therefore, the teachings of the present disclosure may, for example, positively impact the adoption of mobile phones that support it, as the associated power saving will effectively improve user satisfaction.

[0086] Figure 4 A state diagram illustrating an example of states and state transitions according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 The state diagram reflects operations at or by a terminal entity (eg, a mobile device) in / of a communication system, which terminal entity will hereinafter be exemplarily referred to as a UE.

[0087] exist Figure 4 In the "normal evaluation state", a radio measurement related state in a normal power mode is referred to, in which a conventional UE behavior regarding normal / conventional radio measurements is implemented, a "discovery state" is referred to as a radio measurement related state in a normal power mode, in which additional / enhanced radio measurements are temporarily performed to obtain the latest UE (radio) context, including, for example, cell search, and a "relaxed evaluation state" is referred to as a radio measurement related state in a power saving mode, in which an optimized UE behavior regarding relaxed radio measurements for UE power saving is implemented. Such optimized UE behavior in the "relaxed evaluation state" may be based on a valid / latest UE (radio) context.

[0088] State transition (1) is caused / initiated by triggers such as the absence of UE motion and unchanged radio environment, as well as potential UE location and / or UE operation mode (e.g., in the absence of UE motion and unchanged radio environment). In or together with state transition (1), a valid / up-to-date UE (radio) context is kept or saved / maintained, including, for example, the serving / camped cell and N candidate cells or N strongest neighboring cells. State transition (2) is caused / initiated by triggers such as the presence of UE motion, and state transition (3) is caused / initiated by triggers such as changes in the radio environment (e.g., changes in radio (signal / channel) conditions). State transitions (4) and (5) are caused / initiated by triggers such as one or more of timers, thresholds, events, etc.

[0089] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as described above, a measure / mechanism is provided for the UE to autonomously switch to a power saving mode based on conditions detected locally at the UE (e.g., when the network allows this). Such conditions may rely on detecting movement and / or changes in the radio environment through indirect equipment such as measurement or through direct equipment of sensors implemented in the UE.

[0090] In this regard, the UE may indicate to the network its ability to observe UE motion (and lack of ability to observe UE motion), and in response thereto, the network may configure the UE to autonomously switch to a new power saving mode, including parameters and / or conditions. The UE determines the lack of UE motion and the stationarity of the radio environment (i.e., lack of radio signal / channel changes) based on internal UE measurements and sensors, and depending at least on these conditions, the UE triggers a transition between a normal power mode (see "Normal Evaluation State" and "Discovery State") and a power saving mode (see "Relaxed Evaluation State"). In the power saving mode, the UE performs radio measurements in a relaxed manner based on the last UE radio context, for example, based on the number of cells to be measured and the cell ID. In addition to the number of cells to be measured, the UE may also adjust the measurement frequency and accuracy to save power. When the UE is in the power saving mode (see "Relaxed Evaluation State"), it is committed to monitoring triggers indicating UE motion and variability of the radio environment (i.e., radio signal / channel changes). If any of these are triggered, the UE must leave power save mode (see "Relaxed Evaluation State") and return to normal power mode (see "Normal Evaluation State" and "Discovery State").

[0091] Hereinafter, various use case examples of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described in view of their functions and benefits.

[0092] In this regard, it is assumed that the UE is aware of the radio environment. If the UE radio context is constant / unchanged and one or more local sensors and / or measurements in the UE detect a lack of motion, the UE may switch to a power save mode in order to save power without risking degradation of its mobility performance.

[0093] In one use case example, the UE has measured the UE radio context based on the PCell / serving cell ID and x neighbor cell IDs and their RSRP / RSRQ values. When no motion is detected ("no motion") at least in a network-defined time period T based on one or more UE sensors, the UE can infer that the UE radio context is likely not to change in the next time period, and can therefore trigger a switch to a power saving mode or "relaxed evaluation state", thereby reducing the radio measurement range and rate to a lower or even minimum level. In turn, this reduces UE power consumption. It should be noted that the UE is committed to monitoring triggers for motion changes and signal changes, and leaves the relaxed state if any of the triggers is activated.

[0094] As described above, the UEs may store radio context histories for predetermined "known" locations (e.g., home, office, or any repeatedly visited location) based on their respective UE radio contexts. Thus, the UEs may keep, maintain, or save radio contexts including, for example, PCell / serving cell IDs, neighbor cell IDs, and their respective RSRP / RSRQ levels for such "known" locations. If the UE is / is in one of the known locations, it may use the radio context history to more quickly determine the satisfaction of the stationarity condition and / or enter a power saving state with even more reduced radio measurement requirements (i.e., even more relaxed radio measurements). That is, given the radio context for the corresponding location, the UE may specify and set appropriately relaxed radio measurement requirements.

[0095] In one use case example, the UE detects that it is located at, for example, home (radio context = "home radio") or office (radio context = "office radio"). This can be determined by a combination of the serving cell ID and the strongest cell ID and their RSRP / RSRQ values, which match a known pattern that is kept, maintained or saved as "home" or "office". Since a known location is detected, identification may occur faster and the UE may be able to perform even more relaxed measurements in a power saving mode or "relaxed evaluation state". The UE may follow the above procedure when no motion is detected ("no motion") for at least a (e.g., network-defined) time period T.

[0096] In addition, based on the ambient light sensor / camera in the UE monitoring darkness and / or time context, the UE can detect operation modes related to daytime, such as "night mode". In the case where the UE detects "night mode" and "home radio" and "no motion", the UE can further reduce the range and / or rate of radio measurements, for example according to network definition and / or configuration.

[0097] The time period T ("no motion") may be set differently based on, for example, the RRC state of the UE (eg, configured by the network). For example, T may be configured / set to be larger when the UE is in an RRC connected state than in an RRC idle or inactive state.

[0098] The UE may be set / configured to allow or prohibit entering the power saving mode based on, for example, the RRC state of the UE (e.g., configured by the network). For example, when the UE is in an RRC connected state, the network may indicate prohibiting switching to the power saving mode, and when the UE is in an RRC inactive or idle state, the network may indicate allowing switching to the power saving mode.

[0099] Furthermore, the timing of radio measurements in power save mode may be selected to align with discontinuous reception and / or paging cycles, and / or the periodicity of radio measurements in power save mode may be set to infinity under certain conditions.

[0100] In one use case example, a power saving mode or "relaxed evaluation state" may be associated with an additional measurement timing configuration (SMTC) whose periodicity and / or duration values ​​are relaxed to save power. The UE may be allowed to select the precise timing of the radio measurements to coincide (align) with the DRX and / or paging cycle. This assumes that the network aligns, for example, the UE's paging cycle to a multiple of SSB transmissions, and / or if this is not feasible, operates with a higher frequency of SSB transmissions to achieve more alignment opportunities.

[0101] In one use case example, the SMTC measurement period can be infinite as long as the UE meets certain conditions (e.g., "night mode" & "home radio" & "no motion"), which causes the UE to not change the serving cell for a long time. Once this extreme mode is activated (SMTC periodicity = infinity), the network (e.g., gNB) inherently commits to not use power saving strategies for the serving cell. In case of cell failure, such a failure condition can be resolved by the normal UE reselection process, which will cause similar delays as in paging operations (network-initiated data transfer).

[0102] As described above, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to any system configuration or deployment as long as it complies with what is described herein. For example, aspects related to UE operation for radio measurements including RRC connected and RRC idle / RRC inactive states are applicable to 5G / NR systems and all current or future systems supporting these RRC states. For example, if the RRC inactive state is not supported, such as currently in 4G / LTE / eLTE / LTE-A systems, these aspects will be considered to be related to UE operation for radio measurements including RRC connected and RRC idle states, without considering / omitting any reference to the RRC inactive state.

[0103] By way of example, as is apparent from the above, embodiments of the present disclosure can enable / implement UE power saving based on stability in a mobile communication system. More specifically, measures / mechanisms are provided for (network-assisted) UE power saving based on local stability determination and autonomous power mode switching at the UE (i.e., terminal entity).

[0104] In this regard, a (network-assisted) process is proposed that enables the UE to autonomously relax radio measurements or radio measurement requirements based on stationarity detection at the UE to reduce its energy / power consumption. Thereby, it is possible to effectively relax radio measurements or radio measurement requirements to facilitate power saving without affecting mobile performance beyond an acceptable level. As described above, it is possible to achieve power saving without affecting user operability or user experience.

[0105] Some of the achievable advantages also include, for example, reliable detection of a stable (in terms of mobility) UE can be achieved using low-power UE internal sensors compared to power-consuming network-based mobility estimation, and reduced UE power consumption in power saving mode can be achieved compared to current measurement frameworks. The end user is not affected because he / she does not use the UE (during the period of switching to power saving mode), and the UE will autonomously return to normal power mode when needed, thanks to the commitment triggered by monitoring motion and radio signal changes.

[0106] By leveraging one or more sensors already available at the UE (i.e., currently available UE sensors present in typical smartphones / tablets / devices used for other purposes), motion / mobility detection may be achieved that is sufficiently accurate (to avoid negative impact on mobility performance) while consuming low power (to avoid outweighing the benefits) for triggering radio measurement relaxation. Furthermore, motion / mobility detection may be achieved without requiring additional hardware / device at the UE. For example, at least one of a motion sensor, a positioning sensor, a gyroscope sensor, and an accelerometer sensor may be used as an accurate and low-power source of motion indication for modem operation.

[0107] Furthermore, it is exploited that a typical smartphone / tablet / device is stationary during periods when the user is sleeping, and additionally during long periods of the day when the user places the phone on his / her desk or at home. That is, those stationary periods that can be detected locally at the UE are used to operate in a power save mode with relaxed radio measurements.

[0108] The methods, processes and functions described above may be implemented by corresponding functional elements, entities, modules, units, processors, etc., as described below.

[0109] Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described above mainly with reference to methods, processes and functions, the corresponding exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure also cover respective devices, entities, modules, units, network nodes and / or systems, including their software and / or hardware.

[0110] Refer to the following Figure 5 and Figure 6Describe various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, while for brevity referring to Figures 1 to 4 Detailed description of each corresponding configuration / setting, scheme, method and function, principle and operation.

[0111] exist Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the embodiment, the blocks are basically configured to perform the corresponding methods, processes and / or functions as described above. The entire blocks are basically configured to perform the methods, processes and / or functions as described above, respectively. Figure 5 and Figure 6 It should be noted that each block is intended to illustrate a corresponding functional block for implementing a corresponding function, process or program. These functional blocks are implementation-independent, that is, they can be implemented by means of any type of hardware or software or a combination thereof.

[0112] In addition, Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the embodiment, only those functional blocks are shown, which are related to any one of the above methods, processes and / or functions. A person skilled in the art will recognize that there are any other conventional functional blocks required to operate the corresponding structural arrangement, such as power supply, central processing unit, corresponding memory, etc. Among them, one or more memories are provided for storing programs or program instructions for controlling or making the various functional entities or any combination thereof operate as described in this article in conjunction with the exemplary embodiments.

[0113] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a structure of an apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.Herein, an apparatus may represent a device or a function, ie, a structured device that implements a specific network element, entity or function or the function itself.

[0114] like Figure 5 As shown, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the device 500 may include at least one processor 510 and at least one memory 520 (and may also include at least one interface 530), and the at least one processor 510 and the at least one memory 520 may be operably connected or coupled, respectively, via, for example, a bus 540.

[0115] The processor 510 and / or the interface 530 of the device 500 may also include a modem or the like, so as to communicate via a (hardwired or wireless) link, respectively. The interface 530 of the device 500 may include a suitable transmitter, receiver or transceiver connected or coupled to one or more antennas, antenna units (e.g., antenna arrays) or communication facilities or equipment, for communicating (hardwired or wirelessly) with linked, coupled or connected devices, respectively. The interface 530 of the device 500 is typically configured to communicate with at least one other device, equipment, node or entity (specifically, an interface thereof).

[0116] The memory 520 of the device 500 may represent a (non-transitory / tangible) storage medium and store corresponding software, programs, program products, macros or applets, etc. or a portion thereof, which may be assumed to include program instructions or computer program codes, which, when executed by a corresponding processor, enable a corresponding electronic device or device to operate according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the memory 520 of the device 500 may (including a database to) store any data, information, etc. used in the operation of the device. As described above, for example, the memory 520 may represent or implement a buffer for buffering UL data.

[0117] Generally speaking, the corresponding apparatus (and / or its components) may represent equipment for performing the corresponding operations and / or demonstrating the corresponding functions, and / or the corresponding equipment (and / or its components) may have functions for performing the corresponding operations and / or demonstrating the corresponding functionality.

[0118] In view of the foregoing, the apparatus 500 thus illustrated is suitable for use in practicing one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure as described herein.

[0119] When it is stated in the subsequent description that a processor (or some other equipment) is configured to perform certain functions, this will be interpreted as being equivalent to a description stating that (i.e., at least one) processor or corresponding circuit device, potentially in cooperation with computer program code stored in a memory of the corresponding device or otherwise available (it should be understood that the memory may also be an external memory or provided / implemented by a cloud service, etc.), is configured to cause the device to perform at least the functions so mentioned.

[0120] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus 500 shown in this way may represent or implement / embody (a part of) a terminal entity (e.g., a mobile device) such as a UE as described above in a communication system / communication system. Therefore, the apparatus 500 may be configured to perform a process and / or exhibit a function and / or implement a mechanism, such as Figures 1 to 4 Any one of which is described for the UE.

[0121] Thus, the apparatus 500 or the apparatus 500 or at least one of its processors 510 (possibly together with computer program code stored in at least one of its memories 520) can be configured in its most basic form to operate in a normal power mode, including performing normal radio environment related measurements and monitoring stability conditions with the aid of local processes and / or equipment, and if the locally monitored stability conditions are met, switch from the normal power mode to a power saving mode, and operate in the power saving mode, including performing relaxed radio environment related measurements.

[0122] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus 500 shown in this manner may represent or implement / embody (a portion of) a network entity in / in a communication system, such as a NW or a gNB as described above. Therefore, the apparatus 500 may be configured to perform a process and / or exhibit a function and / or implement a mechanism, such as Figures 1 to 4 Any of those described for NW.

[0123] Thus, the apparatus 500 or the apparatus 500 or at least one of its processors 510 (possibly together with computer program code stored in at least one of its memories 520) can be configured in its most basic form to obtain capability information for monitoring stationary conditions and non-stationary conditions from a terminal entity, set configuration information for configuring non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring and / or radio environment related measurement relaxation, control switching between a normal power mode and a power saving mode at the terminal entity through non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring, relax the radio environment related measurements performed in the power saving mode compared to the radio environment related measurements performed in the normal power mode at the terminal entity through the radio environment related measurement relaxation, and notify the terminal entity of the configuration information.

[0124] As described above, the apparatus according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be structured by including corresponding units or equipment for performing corresponding operations, processes and / or functions. For example, such units or equipment may be implemented / realized based on the apparatus structure, such as Figure 5 As shown, that is, implemented / realized by one or more processors 510, one or more memories 520, one or more interfaces 530, or any combination thereof.

[0125] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating another example of the functional structure of the device according to an embodiment of the exemplary present disclosure is shown.

[0126] It should be noted that Figure 6 The various devices shown in the drawings are essentially independent of each other, but can be operated to interact, that is, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure cover any one of these devices individually or any combination of these devices (including one or more of any one of these devices).

[0127] like Figure 6As shown, the device 610 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may represent or implement / embody (a part of) a terminal entity (e.g., a mobile device) in / in a communication system. Specifically, the device 600 may be (a part of) the UE described above, for example. Such a device can operate in either normal power mode and power saving mode, and may (at least) include: a unit or equipment for performing radio environment related measurements (represented as radio measurement unit / equipment 611), which is configured to perform normal radio environment related measurements in normal power mode and to perform relaxed radio environment related measurements in power saving mode; a unit or equipment for monitoring non-stationary conditions / stationary conditions by means of local processes and / or equipment (represented as non-stationary conditions / stationary conditions monitoring unit / equipment 612), which is configured to monitor stationary conditions in normal power mode and to monitor non-stationary conditions in power saving mode; and a unit or equipment for switching between normal power mode and power saving mode (represented as power mode switching unit / equipment 613), which is configured to perform, cause or initiate switching from normal power mode to power saving mode if the locally monitored stationary conditions are met when operating in normal power mode, and to switch from power saving mode to normal power mode if the locally monitored non-stationary conditions are met when operating in power saving mode.

[0128] As can be clearly seen from the above, for example, the device 610 optionally also includes: one or more units or equipment (represented as network-assisted configuration unit / equipment 614), which are used to notify the network entity of capability information for monitoring stationary conditions and non-stationary conditions, obtain configuration information for configuring non-stationary conditions / stationary condition monitoring and / or relaxation of radio environment-related measurements from the network entity, and configure one or more of stationary conditions, non-stationary conditions and relaxed radio environment-related measurements as network-assisted configuration based on the configuration information, and a unit or equipment (represented as radio environment / history retention / reference unit / equipment 615) for maintaining the radio context and / or radio context history of the terminal entity at a predetermined location when operating in normal power mode, and performing non-stationary condition monitoring and / or relaxation of radio environment-related measurements with reference to the maintained radio context or radio context history.

[0129] like Figure 6As shown, the device 620 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may represent or implement / embody (a part of) a network entity in / a communication system. Specifically, the device 600 may be (a part of) the NW or gNB as described above, for example. Such a device may (at least) include: a unit or equipment for acquiring capability information for monitoring stationary conditions and non-stationary conditions from a terminal entity (represented as capability information acquisition unit / equipment 621); a unit or equipment for setting configuration information (represented as configuration information setting unit / equipment 622), for configuring non-stationary conditions / stationary conditions monitoring and / or radio environment related measurement relaxation, through which the non-stationary conditions / stationary conditions monitoring controls the switching between the normal power mode and the power saving mode at the terminal entity, through which the radio environment related measurement relaxation is performed, compared with the radio environment related measurement performed in the normal power mode at the terminal entity, the radio environment related measurement performed in the power saving mode is relaxed; and a unit or equipment for notifying the terminal entity of the configuration information (represented as configuration information notification unit / equipment 623).

[0130] For further details on the operability / functionality of each device (or its unit / equipment) according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, refer to the respective Figures 1 to 4 Any of the above descriptions.

[0131] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, any one of (at least one) processor, (at least one) memory and (at least one) interface and any one of the units / equipment shown may be implemented as a separate module, chip, chipset, circuit, etc., or one or more of them may be respectively implemented as a common module, chip, chipset, circuit, etc.

[0132] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a system may include any conceivable combination of any depicted or described apparatus and other network elements or functional entities configured to cooperate as described above.

[0133] Generally, it should be noted that if only the functions of the corresponding parts are suitable for execution, the corresponding functional blocks or elements according to the above aspects can be implemented in hardware and / or software respectively in any known manner. The mentioned method steps can be implemented in a single functional block or by a single device, or one or more method steps can be implemented in a single functional block or by a single device.

[0134] Generally, any method step is suitable for being implemented as software or by hardware without changing the idea of ​​the present disclosure. Such software can be independent of the software code and can be specified using any known or future developed programming language (e.g., Java, C++, C, and assembler) as long as the functions defined by the method step are retained. Such hardware can be independent of the hardware type and can be implemented using any known or future developed hardware technology or any hybrid technology of these technologies, such as MOS (metal oxide semiconductor), CMOS (complementary MOS), BiMOS (bipolar MOS), BiCMOS (bipolar CMOS), ECL (emitter coupled logic), TTL (transistor-transistor logic), etc., using, for example, ASIC (application specific IC (integrated circuit)) components, FPGA (field programmable gate array) components, CPLD (complex programmable logic device) components, or DSP (digital signal processor) components. The device / apparatus may be represented by a semiconductor chip, a chipset or a (hardware) module comprising such a chip or chipset; however, this does not exclude the possibility that the functionality of the device / apparatus or module is not implemented in hardware but is implemented as software in a (software) module, such as a computer program or computer program product comprising executable software code portions for execution / running on a processor. A device may be considered as a device / apparatus or a component of more than one device / apparatus, for example, whether they cooperate with each other in functionality or are functionally independent of each other but in the same device housing.

[0135] The means and / or units / equipment or parts thereof may be implemented as separate devices, but this does not exclude that they may be implemented in a distributed manner throughout the system, as long as the functionality of the device is maintained. This and similar principles should be considered to be known to the skilled person.

[0136] Software in the sense of this specification comprises software code comprising code means or portions or a computer program or computer program product for performing corresponding functions, as well as software (or a computer program or a computer program product) embodied on a tangible medium, such as a computer-readable (storage) medium having stored thereon corresponding data structures or code means / portions, the software potentially being embodied in a signal or a chip during its processing.

[0137] The present disclosure also covers any conceivable combination of the above method steps and operations, and any conceivable combination of the above nodes, devices, modules or elements, as long as the concepts of the above methods and structural arrangements are applicable.

[0138] In view of the above, measures are provided for enabling / implementing UE power saving based on stability, specifically, network-assisted power saving at a terminal entity based on local stability monitoring and autonomous power saving mode switching. Such measures exemplarily include the terminal entity operating in a normal power mode, including performing normal radio environment-related measurements (such as conventional radio resource management measurements and / or cell search measurements) and monitoring stability conditions by means of local processes and / or equipment, switching from the normal power mode to the power saving mode if the locally monitored stability conditions are met, and operating in the power saving mode, including performing relaxed radio environment-related measurements (such as relaxed radio resource management measurements and / or cell search measurements).

[0139] Even though the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the examples according to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Instead, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be modified in many ways without departing from the scope of the inventive concept described herein.

[0140] List of abbreviations and acronyms

[0141] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0142] 4G Fourth Generation

[0143] 5G Fifth Generation

[0144] C-DRX Connected Mode Discontinuous Reception

[0145] CRS Cell-specific reference signal

[0146] CSI-RS Channel State Information Reference Signal

[0147] DRX Discontinuous Reception

[0148] eLTE Enhanced LTE

[0149] eMBB Enhanced Mobile Broadband

[0150] eNB Evolved Node B

[0151] gNB Next Generation Node B

[0152] GPS Global Navigation Satellite System

[0153] ID Identifier

[0154] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0155] LTE-A Long Term Evolution Advanced

[0156] NR New Radio

[0157] NW Network

[0158] PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel

[0159] PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0160] RAT Radio Access Technology

[0161] RLM Radio Link Monitoring

[0162] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0163] RRM Radio Resource Management

[0164] RSRP Reference Signal Received Power

[0165] RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality

[0166] SINR Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio

[0167] SMTC RRM measurement timing configuration based on SS / PBCH blocks

[0168] SNR Signal to Noise Ratio

[0169] SS Sync Signal

[0170] SSB SS / PBCH block

[0171] UE User Equipment

Claims

1. A method capable of operating at a terminal entity, include: operating in normal power mode, including performing normal radio environment related measurements and monitoring stationary conditions locally by means of local processes and / or equipment, If the locally monitored stationarity condition is met, switching from the normal power mode to the power saving mode, and operating in said power saving mode, including performing relaxed radio environment related measurements; saving radio context history for predetermined locations, Wherein, if the terminal entity detects that the terminal entity is located at one of the predetermined locations, monitoring the stationary condition and / or performing the relaxed radio environment related measurements are performed based on the radio context history.

2. The method according to claim 1, in, Operating in the power saving mode further comprises monitoring non-stationary conditions by means of local processes and / or devices, and The method further includes switching from the power save mode to the normal power mode if a locally monitored non-stationarity condition is satisfied.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the stationary condition is satisfied when one of the following items is monitored within a predetermined time period: the absence of movement of the terminal entity, and There is no movement of the terminal entity and the radio environment and / or operating state of the terminal entity does not change.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined time period for monitoring the stationary condition is set through network-assisted configuration.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined time period for monitoring the stationary condition is set according to the location of the terminal entity and / or the radio resource control state of the terminal entity and / or the daytime-related operation mode of the terminal entity.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the non-stationary condition is satisfied when one of the following items is monitored: the presence of motion of the terminal entity, and Changes in the radio environment and / or operating state of the terminal entity.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the stationary condition and the non-stationary condition being monitored are set through network-assisted configuration.

8. The method according to claim 3, in, The movement of the terminal entity is monitored by means of a sensor provided at the terminal entity, the sensor comprising at least one of a motion sensor, a positioning sensor, a gyroscope sensor and an accelerometer sensor, and / or The invariance / change of the radio environment and / or operating state of the terminal entity is monitored by means of a measurement process performed at the terminal entity, wherein the measurement process includes one or more of the following: measuring the received power and / or received quality and / or signal-to-noise ratio and / or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio of a camped cell / serving cell, one or more neighboring cells, one or more candidate cells, and a reference signal.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relaxed radio environment related measurements are reduced in range and / or rate compared to the normal radio environment related measurements.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radio environment-related measurements in the power saving mode are relaxed relative to the radio environment-related measurements in the normal power mode by at least one of reducing the number of cells to be searched and / or measured, reducing the measurement frequency, increasing the measurement period, reducing the measurement duration, and reducing the measurement accuracy.

11. The method according to claim 1, in, The radio environment related measurements include radio resource management measurements and / or cell search measurements.

12. The method according to claim 11, in, Conventional radio resource management measurements are performed in the normal power mode and relaxed radio resource management measurements are performed in the power save mode, and / or Conventional cell search measurements are performed in the normal power mode, and relaxed cell search measurements are performed in the power save mode.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the relaxed radio environment related measurements are set according to the location of the terminal entity and / or the radio resource control state of the terminal entity and / or the daytime related operation mode of the terminal entity.

14. The method according to claim 9, in, The timing of the radio environment related measurements in the power save mode is selected to be aligned with a discontinuous reception and / or paging cycle, and / or Under certain conditions, the period of the radio environment related measurements in the power saving mode is set to infinity.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: include: maintaining a radio context of the terminal entity when operating in the normal power mode, and The maintained radio context is referenced for non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring and / or radio environment related measurement relaxation.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising: include: notifying a network entity of capability information for monitoring the stationary condition and the non-stationary condition, acquiring configuration information from the network entity, the configuration information being used to configure non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring and / or radio environment related measurement relaxation, and Based on the configuration information, one or more of the stationary condition, the non-stationary condition, and the relaxed radio environment related measurements are configured as a network-assisted configuration.

17. The method according to claim 16, in, The configuration information includes an indication that the relaxation of the radio environment related measurements can affect one or more of an intra-frequency cell, an inter-frequency cell, an inter-radio access technology cell, a dedicated cell, and / or The network-assisted configuration includes configuring permission or prohibition of switching to the power saving mode according to a parameter, wherein the parameter includes a radio resource control state of the terminal entity.

18. A device of a terminal entity, include: at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform the following operations: operating in normal power mode, including performing normal radio environment related measurements and monitoring stationary conditions locally by means of local processes and / or equipment, If the locally monitored stationarity condition is met, switching from the normal power mode to the power saving mode, and operating in said power saving mode, including performing relaxed radio environment related measurements; as well as saving radio context history for predetermined locations, Wherein, if the terminal entity detects that the terminal entity is located at one of the predetermined locations, monitoring the stationary condition and / or performing the relaxed radio environment related measurements are performed based on the radio context history.

19. The device according to claim 18, in, Operating in the power saving mode further comprises monitoring non-stationary conditions by means of local processes and / or devices, and The apparatus is further caused to perform the following operations: if a locally monitored non-stationarity condition is satisfied, switching from the power saving mode to the normal power mode.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the stationary condition is satisfied when one of the following items is monitored within a predetermined time period: the absence of movement of the terminal entity, and There is no movement of the terminal entity and the radio environment and / or operating state of the terminal entity does not change.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the predetermined time period for monitoring the stationary condition is set through network-assisted configuration.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the predetermined time period for monitoring the stationary condition is set according to the location of the terminal entity and / or the radio resource control state of the terminal entity and / or the daytime-related operation mode of the terminal entity.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the non-stationarity condition is satisfied when one of the following items is monitored: the presence of motion of the terminal entity, and Changes in the radio environment and / or operating state of the terminal entity.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the stationary condition and the non-stationary condition monitored are set through network-assisted configuration.

25. The device according to claim 20, in, The movement of the terminal entity is monitored by means of a sensor provided at the terminal entity, the sensor comprising at least one of a motion sensor, a positioning sensor, a gyroscope sensor and an accelerometer sensor, and / or The invariance / change of the radio environment and / or operating state of the terminal entity is monitored by means of a measurement process performed at the terminal entity, wherein the measurement process includes one or more of the following: measuring the received power and / or received quality and / or signal-to-noise ratio and / or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio of a camped cell / serving cell, one or more neighboring cells, one or more candidate cells, and a reference signal.

26. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the relaxed radio environment related measurements are reduced in range and / or rate compared to the normal radio environment related measurements.

27. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the radio environment-related measurements in the power saving mode are relaxed relative to the radio environment-related measurements in the normal power mode by at least one of reducing the number of cells to be searched and / or measured, reducing the measurement frequency, increasing the measurement period, reducing the measurement duration, and reducing the measurement accuracy.

28. The device according to claim 18, in, The radio environment related measurements include radio resource management measurements and / or cell search measurements.

29. The device according to claim 28, in, Conventional radio resource management measurements are performed in the normal power mode and relaxed radio resource management measurements are performed in the power save mode, and / or Conventional cell search measurements are performed in the normal power mode, and relaxed cell search measurements are performed in the power save mode.

30. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the relaxed radio environment related measurements are set according to the location of the terminal entity and / or the radio resource control state of the terminal entity and / or the daytime related operation mode of the terminal entity.

31. The device according to claim 26, in, The timing of the radio environment related measurements in the power save mode is selected to be aligned with a discontinuous reception and / or paging cycle, and / or Under certain conditions, the period of the radio environment related measurements in the power saving mode is set to infinity.

32. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform: maintaining a radio context of the terminal entity when operating in the normal power mode, and The maintained radio context is referenced for non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring and / or radio environment related measurement relaxation.

33. The apparatus according to any one of claims 18 to 32, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform: notifying a network entity of capability information for monitoring the stationary condition and the non-stationary condition, acquiring configuration information from the network entity, the configuration information being used to configure non-stationary condition / stationary condition monitoring and / or radio environment related measurement relaxation, and Based on the configuration information, one or more of the stationary condition, the non-stationary condition, and the relaxed radio environment related measurements are configured as a network-assisted configuration.

34. The device according to claim 33, in, The configuration information includes an indication that the relaxation of the radio environment related measurements can affect one or more of an intra-frequency cell, an inter-frequency cell, an inter-radio access technology cell, a dedicated cell, and / or The network-assisted configuration includes: configuring permission or prohibition of switching to the power saving mode according to a parameter, wherein the parameter includes a radio resource control state of the terminal entity.

35. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program code, wherein when the computer program code is executed on a computer, the computer program code is configured to cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

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