Random Access Channel (RACH) Optimization and Automatic Neighbor Relation Creation in 5G Networks

Abstract

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to random access channel (RACH) optimization and automatic neighbor relation (ANR) use cases and requirements in 5G networks. For example, the embodiments disclosed herein automatically configure RACH parameters and neighbor relations in a 5G network, which can result in maximum savings for mobile operators in resource utilization. The RACH optimization disclosed herein can automatically configure RACH parameters in a cell to achieve optimal RACH performance by reducing network access and handover times and minimizing failures. The automatic neighbor relation (ANR) management disclosed herein can automatically create and update neighbor relations, which can result in maximum savings for mobile operators in resource utilization.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 789,961, filed on Jan. 8, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] Various embodiments generally may relate to the field of wireless communications. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0004] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a random access channel (RACH) management and control function supported by one or more processors. The RACH management and control function may be configured to:

[0005] Enable or disable the RACH optimization function; and / or

[0006] Set or update the target of the RACH optimization function; and / or

[0007] Set or update the range and value of the RACH parameters of the NR cell; and / or

[0008] Collect performance metrics; and / or

[0009] Analyze the performance metrics; and / or

[0010] Determine actions for controlling the NR cell.

[0011] In these embodiments, the collected performance metrics may represent the distribution of the number of preambles sent by the UE to achieve synchronization and the distribution of the time required for the UE to achieve synchronization.

[0012] In these embodiments, when it is detected during the analysis of the performance metrics that the RACH performance does not meet the target, the RACH management and control function may determine actions for controlling the NR cell.

[0013] In these embodiments, the action may be one of the following operations:

[0014] Update the target of the RACH optimization function; or

[0015] Update the range of the RACH parameters of the NR cell; or

[0016] Disable the RACH optimization function and configure the RACH parameters of the NR cell with values that are considered to improve the RACH performance.

[0017] In these embodiments, the RACH parameters may include RACH configuration, RACH preamble partitioning, RACH backoff parameter values, and RACH transmission power control parameters.

[0018] In these embodiments, the number of preambles sent by the UE to achieve synchronization may correspond to the PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER in the UE (see Clause 5.1.1 in TS 38.321).

[0019] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include an automatic neighbor relation (ANR) optimization function supported by one or more processors. The ANR optimization function may be configured to:

[0020] Collect performance measurement items to monitor the statistics of UE measurement results of intra-RAT neighbor relations and inter-RAT neighbor relations of NR cells;

[0021] Analyze the performance measurement items; and

[0022] Determine actions for updating the neighbor relations of NR cells.

[0023] In these embodiments, the actions are used to create, modify, or delete intra-RAT neighbor relations and inter-RAT neighbor relations of NR cells.

[0024] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a method. The method includes:

[0025] Receiving one or more performance measurement items associated with a random access channel (RACH);

[0026] Determining that the performance measurement item does not meet one or more objectives; and

[0027] Taking one or more actions based on the determination.

[0028] In these embodiments, one or more performance measurement items may include multiple RACH preambles sent by the UE to achieve synchronization or the time required for the UE to achieve RACH synchronization. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more performance measurement items may include the distribution of the number of RACH preambles or the distribution of the time required for multiple UEs to achieve synchronization.

[0029] In these embodiments, the number of RACH preambles may be given by the PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER value received from the UE.

[0030] In these embodiments, one or more actions may include one or more of the following:

[0031] Updating one or more objectives;

[0032] Updating one or more ranges of RACH parameters of the cell; or

[0033] Configure specific values for one or more RACH parameters.

[0034] In these embodiments, one or more RACH parameters may include one or more of RACH configuration, RACH preamble partitioning, RACH backoff parameter values, or RACH transmission power control parameters.

[0035] In these embodiments, the updated range of one or more RACH parameters or the specific values of one or more RACH parameters may be transmitted to the UE.

[0036] In these embodiments, the method may be performed by a RACH management and control function.

[0037] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a method. The method includes:

[0038] Monitoring one or more performance metrics of a set of cells in a wireless cellular network;

[0039] Detecting performance degradation in a cell, the set of cells, or a subset of cells based on the one or more performance metrics; and

[0040] Modifying the neighbor cell relationships associated with a cell, the set of cells, or a subset of cells based on the detection.

[0041] In these embodiments, the method may further include analyzing one or more UE measurement results or one or more statistics associated with the UE measurement results based on the detection, wherein the modification is based on the analysis.

[0042] In these embodiments, the UE measurement results may include one or more UE measurement results from MeasResultListNR in clause 6.3.2 for intra-RAT neighbor cell relationships in TS 38.331 or one or more UE measurement results from the MeasResultListEUTRA list in clause 6.3.2 for inter-RAT neighbor cell relationships in TS 38.331.

[0043] In these embodiments, one or more performance metrics may include multiple failed or dropped RRC connections or multiple handover failures.

[0044] In these embodiments, the modification may include adding or deleting one or more neighbor cell relationships of a cell, the set of cells, or a subset of cells.

[0045] In these embodiments, the method may further include:

[0046] Further monitoring one or more performance metrics of a cell, the set of cells, or a subset of cells;

[0047] Determine that the network performance has not been improved based on this further monitoring; and

[0048] Restore to the previous neighbor cell relationship based on determining that the network performance has not been improved.

[0049] In these embodiments, the method may be performed by an automatic neighbor relation (ANR) optimization function.

[0050] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include an apparatus that includes means for performing one or more elements of the methods described in or related to any of the above embodiments or any other method or process described herein.

[0051] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that include instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of the methods described in or related to any of the above embodiments or any other method or process described herein.

[0052] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include an apparatus that includes logic components, modules, or circuits for performing one or more elements of the methods described in or related to any of the above embodiments or any other method or process described herein.

[0053] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a method, technique, or process or a part or component thereof as described in or related to any of the above embodiments.

[0054] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include an apparatus that includes: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media that include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process or a part thereof as described in or related to any of the above embodiments.

[0055] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a signal or a part or component thereof as described in or related to any of the above embodiments.

[0056] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a signal in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0057] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a method of communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0058] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0059] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0060] Unless otherwise explicitly stated, any one of the above embodiments may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, or may be acquired from practice of various embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] The present disclosure is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals denote the same or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the leftmost digit of a reference numeral identifies the drawing in which the reference numeral first appears. In the drawings:

[0062] Figure 1 A self-organizing network (SON) according to various embodiments is shown graphically;

[0063] Figure 2 An exemplary architecture of a network system according to various embodiments is shown;

[0064] Figure 3 An exemplary architecture of a system including a first CN according to various embodiments is shown;

[0065] Figure 4 An architecture of a system including a second CN according to various embodiments is shown;

[0066] Figure 5 An example of infrastructure equipment according to various embodiments is shown;

[0067] Figure 6 An example of a platform according to various embodiments is shown;

[0068] Figure 7 Exemplary components of a baseband circuit and a radio front-end module (RFEM) according to various embodiments are shown;

[0069] Figure 8 Various protocol functions that can be implemented in a wireless communication device according to various embodiments are shown;

[0070] Figure 9 Components of a core network according to various embodiments are shown;

[0071] Figure 10 A block diagram showing components of a system for supporting network function virtualization (NFV) according to some embodiments;

[0072] Figure 11 is a block diagram showing components capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable medium or a computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and performing any one or more of the methods discussed herein;

[0073] Figure 12 shows a first flowchart of exemplary operations for implementing RACH (Random Access Channel) management and control functions in a wireless network;

[0074] Figure 13 shows a second flowchart of exemplary operations for implementing RACH (Random Access Channel) management and control functions in a wireless network; and

[0075] Figure 14 shows a flowchart of exemplary operations for implementing automatic neighbor relation (ANR) optimization in a wireless network.

[0076] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Description

[0077] The following detailed description relates to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may be used in different drawings to identify the same or similar elements. In the following description, for purposes of illustration and not limitation, specific details are set forth, such as particular structures, architectures, interfaces, techniques, etc., in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the various embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art who have benefited from the present disclosure that the various aspects of the various embodiments may be practiced in other examples that depart from these specific details. In some instances, descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the various embodiments with unnecessary detail. For the purposes of this document, the phrase “A or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B).

[0078] A poorly configured random access channel (RACH) can increase the time it takes for a UE to access the network and can increase access failures, thereby affecting both call establishment and handover performance. However, manually configuring the RACH according to various radio access network (RAN) conditions is a huge and expensive task for operators. RACH optimization is to automatically configure the RACH parameters in a cell to achieve optimal RACH performance by reducing network access and handover times and minimizing failures.

[0079] Managing the neighbor relationships between base stations that support handovers is one of the most labor-intensive tasks in cellular networks. This task is even more complex as each new generation (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.) of cellular network is added to an operator's network. Since a radio network can have a size of hundreds of thousands of neighbor relationships for a single operator, manually maintaining neighbor relationships is a huge task. Automatic neighbor relationship (ANR) management is the automatic creation and update of neighbor relationships, which can result in significant savings for mobile operators in terms of resource utilization.

[0080] Overview

[0081] The embodiments disclosed herein relate to random access channel (RACH) optimization and automatic neighbor relationship (ANR) use cases and requirements for 5G networks. For example, the embodiments disclosed herein automatically configure the RACH parameters and neighbor relationships of a 5G network, which can result in significant savings for mobile operators in terms of resource utilization. The RACH optimization disclosed herein can automatically configure the RACH parameters in a cell to achieve optimal RACH performance by reducing network access and handover times and minimizing failures. The automatic neighbor relationship (ANR) management disclosed herein can automatically create and update neighbor relationships, which can result in significant savings for mobile operators in terms of resource utilization.

[0082] Exemplary Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) structure

[0083] Figure 1 A self-organizing network (SON) according to various embodiments is shown graphically. As Figure 1 shown, the SON 100 includes a 3GPP management system 102 that uses performance measurement (PM) job control services to create performance measurement jobs at gNB distributed units (gNB-DUs) #1 and #2 (collectively referred to herein as gNB-DUs) and gNB centralized units (gNB-CUs) #1 and #2 (collectively referred to herein as gNB-CUs) to collect measurement items. In some embodiments, the gNB-DUs and gNB-CUs report the collected measurements to a performance data repository 104. As Figure 1 additionally shown, a SON function 106 residing within the 3GPP management system 102 collects performance measurement items from the performance data repository 104. The SON function 106 can analyze the performance measurement items and / or can determine actions required to optimize the network. Additionally, as Figure 1 shown, the SON function 106 can utilize SON control services to perform actions for controlling the gNB-DUs and gNB-CUs.

[0084] In some cases, a poorly configured random access channel (RACH) can increase user equipment (UE) (such as, asFigure 1 The time taken for one or more of the illustrated UE#1 to UE#3 to access the network. Additionally, this poorly configured RACH can increase access failures that can affect call establishment performance. However, manually configuring the RACH according to various radio access network (RAN) conditions is a huge and expensive task for an operator. In some embodiments, as will be described in further detail below, RACH optimization is automatically configuring the RACH parameters in a cell to achieve optimal RACH performance by reducing network access time, which can minimize failures.

[0085] In Figure 1 In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, it is assumed that a 5G NR cell is operating, the RACH management and control function is operating, and the RACH optimization function is active. Moreover, the RACH optimization function is operating to optimize RACH performance by automatically adjusting RACH parameters (e.g., RACH configuration, RACH preamble partitioning, RACH backoff parameter values, and RACH transmission power control parameters), as will be described in further detail below.

[0086] In some embodiments, the RACH management and control function sets the goal of the RACH optimization function and collects the following performance measurements to monitor RACH performance:

[0087] - The distribution of the number of preambles sent by the UE to achieve synchronization, where the number of preambles sent corresponds to the PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER in the UE (see clause 5.1.1 in TS 38.321[x]); and

[0088] - The distribution of the time required for the UE to achieve synchronization.

[0089] Preferably, these performance measurements can be reported in the most timely manner to monitor RACH performance.

[0090] In Figure 1 In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the RACH management and control function analyzes these measurements and can perform one of the following actions if the RACH performance does not meet the goal:

[0091] 1. Update the goal of the RACH optimization function;

[0092] 2. Update the range of RACH parameters for the NR cell;

[0093] 3. Disable the RACH optimization function and configure the RACH parameters for the NR cell (e.g., RACH configuration, RACH preamble partitioning, RACH backoff parameter values, and RACH transmission power control parameters) with values that are considered to improve RACH performance.

[0094] By using these actions, the RACH management and control function can optimize the RACH performance in an NR cell.

[0095] Next, automatic neighbor relation (ANR) optimization will be described. The purpose of ANR is to optimize the neighbor relations configured at next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) nodes. In some embodiments, the provider of the NG-RAN and the NG-RAN service activation management service and the NG-RAN PM service are deployed and active, and the ANR optimization function is deployed and active. This is the consumer of the NG-RAN service activation management service and also subscribes to PM measurement items related to mobility and interference management. The measurement items may include the following performance indicators, such as statistics of failed / dropped RRC connections, handover failures, etc.

[0096] In Figure 1 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the ANR optimization function can monitor the performance of the cells managed by the provider of the NG-RAN service activation and PM management service (e.g., failed / dropped RRC connections, handover failures, etc.). If the ANR optimization function detects performance degradation in some cells, the ANR optimization function can monitor the statistics of UE measurement results that can be generated from MeasResultListNR for intra-RAT neighbor relations (see, for example, clause 6.3.2 in TS 38.331[x]) or MeasResultListEUTRA for inter-RAT neighbor relations (see clause 6.3.2 in TS 38.331[x]), and can determine actions for creating, modifying, or deleting neighbor relations in such cells and / or some adjacent cells and continue to monitor the PM measurement items. If the network performance does not recover, the ANR optimization function reverts the modifications made. In some embodiments, this use case ends when the NG-RAN cell goes out of service or when the ANR optimization function stops.

[0097] In some embodiments, the exemplary UE measurement results of MeasResultListNR may include:

[0098]

[0099] In some embodiments, the exemplary UE measurement results of MeasResultListEUTRA may include:

[0100]

[0101]

[0102] In some embodiments, the REQ-SON_CON-w RACH management and control function shall have the ability to set the objectives of the RACH optimization function.

[0103] In some embodiments, the REQ-SON_CON-x RACH management and control function shall have the ability to collect performance measurement items (such as the distribution of the number of preambles sent by UEs to achieve synchronization, the distribution of the time required for UEs to achieve synchronization).

[0104] In some embodiments, the REQ-SON_CON-y RACH management and control function shall have the ability to set and update the objectives of the RACH optimization function and the range and values of the RACH parameters of the NR unit.

[0105] In some embodiments, the REQ-SON_CON-z RACH management and control function shall have the ability to enable or disable the RACH optimization function.

[0106] In some embodiments, the REQ-ANRO-3 ANR optimization function may monitor the statistics of UE measurement results of intra-RAT neighbor relationships and inter-RAT neighbor relationships of NR cells.

[0107] In some embodiments, the REQ-ANRO-4 ANR optimization function may create, modify, or delete intra-RAT neighbor relationships and inter-RAT neighbor relationships of NR cells.

[0108] Exemplary system for implementing exemplary multi - TRP transmission

[0109] Figure 2 An exemplary architecture of a system of a network according to various embodiments is shown. The following description is provided for an exemplary system 200 that operates in accordance with the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) system standard and the Fifth Generation (5G) or NR system standard provided in conjunction with the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technical specifications. However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited in this regard, and the embodiments may be applied to other networks that benefit from the principles described herein, such as future 3GPP systems (e.g., Sixth Generation (6G) systems), IEEE 802.16 protocols (e.g., WMAN, WiMAX, etc.).

[0110] As Figure 2As shown, system 200 includes user equipment (UE) 201a and UE 201b (collectively referred to as "UE 201"). In this example, UE 201 is shown as a smart phone (e.g., a handheld touchscreen mobile computing device that can connect to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as a consumer electronic device, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a feature phone, a tablet computer, a wearable computing device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a pager, a wireless handheld device, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, an in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), an in-vehicle entertainment (ICE) device, an instrument cluster (IC), a head-up display (HUD) device, an on-board diagnostic (OBD) device, a dashtop mobile equipment (DME), a mobile data terminal (MDT), an electronic engine management system (EEMS), an electronic / engine electronic control unit (ECU), an electronic / engine electronic control module (ECM), an embedded system, a microcontroller, a control module, an engine management system (EMS), a networked or "smart" appliance, an MTC device, M2M, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.

[0111] In some embodiments, any one of UEs 201 may be an Internet of Things (IoT) UE, which may include a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications that utilize short-term UE connections. The IoT UE may utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine type communication (MTC) to exchange data with an MTC server or device via a public land mobile network (PLMN), proximity services (ProSe), or device-to-device (D2D) communication, a sensor network, or an IoT network. The M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated data exchange. The IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices with short-lived connections (within the Internet infrastructure). The IoT UE may execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate the connection to the IoT network.

[0112] The UE 201 may be configured to connect (e.g., communicatively couple) to a Radio Access Network (RAN) 210. In some embodiments, the RAN 210 may be a Next Generation (NG) RAN or 5G RAN, an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), or a legacy RAN such as a UTRAN or a GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN). As used herein, terms such as “NGRAN” may refer to the RAN 210 operating in an NR or 5G system 200, while terms such as “E-UTRAN” may refer to the RAN 210 operating in an LTE or 4G system 200. The UE 201 utilizes connections (or channels) 203 and 204 respectively, each connection including a physical communication interface or layer (discussed further in detail below).

[0113] In this example, connections 203 and 204 are shown as air interfaces to enable communicative coupling and may be consistent with the following cellular communication protocols, such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network protocol, Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, Push-to-Talk over Cellular (POC) protocol, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocol, 3GPP LTE protocol, 5G protocol, NR protocol, and / or any of the other communication protocols discussed herein. In some embodiments, the UE 201 may directly exchange communication data via a Proximity Services (ProSe) interface 205. The ProSe interface 205 may alternatively be referred to as a Sidelink (SL) interface 205 and may include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Downlink Channel (PSDCH), and a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

[0114] The UE 201b is shown as being configured to access an Access Point (AP) 206 (also referred to as “WLAN Node 206”, “WLAN 206”, “WLAN Terminal 206”, “WT206”, etc.) via a connection 207. The connection 207 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, where the AP 206 will include Wi-Fi Router. In this example, AP 206 is shown as connected to the Internet without being connected to the core network of the wireless system (described in further detail below). In various embodiments, UE 201b, RAN 210, and AP 206 may be configured to utilize LWA operations and / or LWIP operations. LWA operations may involve the RAN nodes 211a-b configuring the UE 201b in the RRC_CONNECTED state to utilize the radio resources of LTE and WLAN. LWIP operations may involve the UE 201b using the WLAN radio resources (e.g., connection 207) via an IPsec protocol tunnel to authenticate and encrypt the packets (e.g., IP packets) sent through the connection 207. IPsec tunneling may include encapsulating the entire original IP packet and adding a new packet header, thereby protecting the original header of the IP packet.

[0115] RAN 210 includes one or more AN nodes or RAN nodes 211a and 211b (collectively referred to as "RAN nodes 211") that enable connections 203 and 204. As used herein, terms such as "access node", "access point", etc. may describe equipment that provides radio baseband functionality for data and / or voice connections between a network and one or more users. These access nodes may be referred to as BS, gNB, RAN nodes, eNB, NodeB, RSU, TRxP, or TRP, etc., and may include terrestrial stations (e.g., land access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographical area (e.g., a cell). As used herein, the term "NG RAN node" etc. may refer to the RAN node 211 (e.g., gNB) operating in the NR or 5G system 200, while the term "E-UTRAN node" etc. may refer to the RAN node 211 (e.g., eNB) operating in the LTE or 4G system 200. According to various embodiments, the RAN nodes 211 may be implemented as one or more of dedicated physical devices such as macrocell base stations and / or low-power (LP) base stations, the LP base stations being femtocell base stations, picocell base stations, or other similar cells that provide a smaller coverage area, a smaller user capacity, or a higher bandwidth compared to macrocells.

[0116] In some embodiments, all or part of the RAN node 211 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer, as part of a virtual network that may be referred to as a Cloud RAN (CRAN) and / or a virtual baseband unit pool (vBBUP). In these embodiments, the CRAN or vBBUP may implement RAN function splitting, such as PDCP splitting, where the RRC and PDCP layers are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP, and the other L2 protocol entities are operated by the respective RAN nodes 211; MAC / PHY splitting, where the RRC, PDCP, RLC, and MAC layers are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP, and the PHY layer is operated by the respective RAN nodes 211; or "lower PHY" splitting, where the RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC layers, and the upper part of the PHY layer are operated by the CRAN / vBBUP, and the lower part of the PHY layer is operated by the respective RAN nodes 211. This virtualization framework allows the idle processor cores of the RAN node 211 to execute other virtualized applications. In some embodiments, a separate RAN node 211 may represent a separate gNB-DU connected to the gNB-CU via a separate F1 interface ( Figure 2 not shown). In these specific implementations, the gNB-DU may include one or more remote radio heads or RFEMs (see, for example, Figure 5 ), and the gNB-CU may be operated by a server (not shown) located in the RAN 210 or by a pool of servers in a manner similar to the CRAN / vBBUP. In addition or alternatively, one or more of the RAN nodes 211 may be a next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), which is a RAN node that provides E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol terminations to the UE 201 and is connected to the 5GC via an NG interface (discussed below) (e.g., Figure 4 's CN 420).

[0117] In a V2X scenario, one or more of the RAN nodes 211 can be or act as an RSU. The term "road side unit" or "RSU" can refer to any traffic infrastructure entity for V2X communication. The RSU can be implemented in a suitable RAN node or a stationary (or relatively stationary) UE or implemented by a suitable RAN node or a stationary (or relatively stationary) UE, where the RSU implemented in or by a UE can be referred to as a "UE-type RSU", the RSU implemented in or by an eNB can be referred to as an "eNB-type RSU", the RSU implemented in or by a gNB can be referred to as a "gNB-type RSU", and so on. In one example, the RSU is a computing device coupled to a radio frequency circuit located on the road side, and the computing device provides connectivity support to passing vehicle UEs 201 (vUE201). The RSU can also include an internal data storage circuit for storing intersection map geometries, traffic statistics, media, and applications / software for sensing and controlling ongoing vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The RSU can operate on the 5.9 GHz direct short range communication (DSRC) frequency band to provide extremely low latency communication required for high-speed events, such as collision avoidance, traffic warnings, etc. In addition or alternatively, the RSU can operate on a cellular V2X frequency band to provide the aforementioned low latency communication and other cellular communication services. In addition or alternatively, the RSU can operate as a Wi-Fi hotspot (2.4 GHz frequency band) and / or provide connectivity to one or more cellular networks to provide uplink and downlink communication. Some or all of the radio frequency circuits in the computing device and the RSU can be encapsulated in a weather-resistant enclosure suitable for outdoor installation and can include a network interface controller to provide a wired connection (e.g., Ethernet) to a traffic signal controller and / or a backhaul network.

[0118] Any one of the nodes in the RAN node 211 can terminate the air interface protocol and can be the first contact point for the UE 201. In some embodiments, any one of the nodes in the RAN node 211 can perform various logical functions of the RAN 210, including but not limited to the functions of a radio network controller (RNC), such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management.

[0119] In an embodiment, the UE 201 may be configured to communicate with each other or with any of the RAN nodes in the RAN node 211 over a multi-carrier communication channel using OFDM communication signals according to various communication technologies, such as but not limited to OFDMA communication technology (e.g., for downlink communication) or SC-FDMA communication technology (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communication), but the scope of the embodiment is not limited in this regard. The OFDM signal may include a plurality of orthogonal sub-carriers.

[0120] In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid may be used for downlink transmission from any one of the RAN nodes 211 to the UE 201, and uplink transmission may utilize similar techniques. The grid may be a time-frequency grid, referred to as a resource grid or a time-frequency resource grid, which is the physical resource in the downlink in each time slot. For OFDM systems, such time-frequency plane representations are common practice, which makes wireless resource allocation intuitive. Each column and each row of the resource grid correspond to an OFDM symbol and an OFDM sub-carrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to one time slot in the radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in the resource grid is represented as a resource element. Each resource grid includes a plurality of resource blocks, which describe the mapping of certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource block includes a set of resource elements; in the frequency domain, this may represent the smallest amount of resources that can be currently allocated. Such resource blocks are used to transmit several different physical downlink channels.

[0121] According to various embodiments, the UE 201 and the RAN node 211 transmit data (e.g., transmit data and receive data) through a licensed medium (also referred to as "licensed spectrum" and / or "licensed band") and an unlicensed shared medium (also referred to as "unlicensed spectrum" and / or "unlicensed band"). The licensed spectrum may include channels operating in a frequency range of approximately 400 MHz to approximately 3.8 GHz, while the unlicensed spectrum may include the 5 GHz band.

[0122] To operate in the unlicensed spectrum, the UE 201 and the RAN node 211 may use LAA, eLAA, and / or feLAA mechanisms to operate. In these specific implementations, the UE 201 and the RAN node 211 may perform one or more known medium sensing operations and / or carrier sensing operations to determine whether one or more channels in the unlicensed spectrum are unavailable or otherwise occupied before transmitting in the unlicensed spectrum. The medium / carrier sensing operations may be performed according to the listen-before-talk (LBT) protocol.

[0123] LBT is a mechanism by which devices (e.g., UE 201, RAN node 211, etc.) sense the medium (e.g., a channel or carrier frequency) and perform transmission when the medium is sensed as idle (or when a specific channel in the medium is sensed as unoccupied). The medium sensing operation may include CCA, which uses at least ED to determine whether there are other signals on the channel in order to determine whether the channel is occupied or idle. This LBT mechanism allows the cellular / LAA network to coexist with existing systems in the unlicensed spectrum and with other LAA networks. ED may include sensing RF energy on the expected transmission band for a period of time and comparing the sensed RF energy with a predefined or configured threshold.

[0124] Typically, existing systems in the 5 GHz band are WLANs based on IEEE 802.11 technology. WLANs employ a contention-based channel access mechanism called CSMA / CA. Here, when a WLAN node (e.g., a mobile station (MS) such as UE 201, AP 206, etc.) intends to transmit, the WLAN node may first perform CCA before transmission. Additionally, in the case where more than one WLAN node senses the channel as idle and transmits simultaneously, a backoff mechanism is used to avoid collisions. This backoff mechanism may be a counter randomly introduced within the CWS, which exponentially increases in the event of a collision and is reset to the minimum value upon successful transmission. The LBT mechanism designed for LAA is somewhat similar to CSMA / CA of WLAN. In some embodiments, the LBT process for DL or UL transmission bursts (including PDSCH or PUSCH transmissions respectively) may have an LAA contention window of variable length between X and Y ECCA slots, where X and Y are the minimum and maximum values of the CWS of LAA. In one example, the minimum CWS for LAA transmission may be 9 microseconds (μs); however, the size of the CWS and the MCOT (e.g., transmission burst) may be based on government regulatory requirements.

[0125] The LAA mechanism is built on the CA technology of the LTE-Advanced system. In CA, each aggregated carrier is called a CC. A CC may have a bandwidth of 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, or 20 MHz, and up to five CCs can be aggregated, so the maximum aggregated bandwidth is 100 MHz. In an FDD system, for DL and UL, the number of aggregated carriers may be different, where the number of UL CCs is equal to or lower than the number of DL component carriers. In some cases, individual CCs may have different bandwidths from other CCs. In a TDD system, the number of CCs and the bandwidth of each CC are typically the same for DL and UL.

[0126] CA also includes respective serving cells to provide respective CCs. The coverage of the serving cells may vary, e.g., because the CCs on different frequency bands will experience different path losses. The primary serving cell or PCell provides the PCC for both UL and DL, and handles activities related to RRC and NAS. Other serving cells are called SCell, and each SCell provides a separate SCC for both UL and DL. SCCs can be added and removed as needed, while changing the PCC may require the UE 201 to undergo a handover. In LAA, eLAA, and feLAA, some or all of the SCell may operate in the unlicensed spectrum (referred to as "LAA SCell"), and the LAA SCell is assisted by the PCell operating in the licensed spectrum. When the UE is configured with more than one LAA SCell, the UE may receive UL grants on the configured LAA SCell, indicating different PUSCH start positions within the same subframe.

[0127] The PDSCH carries user data and higher layer signaling to the UE 201. Among other information, the PDCCH carries information about the transport format and resource allocation related to the PDSCH channel. It can also notify the UE 201 about the transport format, resource allocation, and HARQ information related to the uplink shared channel. Generally, downlink scheduling (allocating control and shared channel resource blocks to the UEs 201b within the cell) can be performed at any of the RAN nodes 211 based on the channel quality information fed back from any of the UEs 201. Downlink resource allocation information can be sent on the PDCCH for each UE (e.g., allocated to) within the UE 201.

[0128] The PDCCH uses CCEs to convey control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the PDCCH complex-valued symbols can first be organized into quadruples, and then can be permuted using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. One or more of these CCEs can be used to transmit each PDCCH, where each CCE can correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elements each, called REGs. Four quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. Depending on the size of the DCI and the channel conditions, one or more CCEs can be used to transmit the PDCCH. There can be four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation levels, L = 1, 2, 4, or 8).

[0129] Some embodiments may use the concept of resource allocation for controlling channel information, which is an extension of the above concept. For example, some embodiments may utilize the EPDCCH that uses PDSCH resources for control information transmission. One or more ECCEs may be used to transmit the EPDCCH. Similar to the above, each ECCE may correspond to nine sets each including four physical resource elements, referred to as EREGs. In some cases, an ECCE may have other numbers of EREGs.

[0130] RAN nodes 211 may be configured to communicate with each other via interface 212. In some embodiments where system 200 is an LTE system (e.g., when CN 220 is an EPC 320 as in Figure 3 ), interface 212 may be the X2 interface 212. The X2 interface may be defined between two or more RAN nodes 211 (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.) connected to the EPC 220, and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC 220. In some embodiments, the X2 interface may include an X2 user plane interface (X2-U) and an X2 control plane interface (X2-C). The X2-U provides a flow control mechanism for user packets transmitted through the X2 interface and may be used to convey information about the delivery of user data between eNBs. For example, the X2-U provides specific sequence number information about user data transmitted from the MeNB to the SeNB; information about the successful in-sequence delivery of PDCP PDUs from the SeNB to the UE 201 for user data; information about PDCP PDUs not delivered to the UE 201; information about the current minimum desired buffer size at the SeNB for transmitting user data to the UE; and so on. The X2-C provides access mobility functions within LTE, including context transfer from the source eNB to the target eNB, user plane transmission control, etc.; load management functions; and inter-cell interference coordination functions.

[0131] In cases where system 200 is a 5G or NR system (e.g., when CN 220 is as in Figure 4In some embodiments of the 5GC 420, the interface 212 may be an Xn interface 212. The Xn interface is defined between two or more RAN nodes 211 (e.g., two or more next-generation node Bs (gNBs), etc.) connected to the 5GC 220, between a RAN node 211 (e.g., gNB) connected to the 5GC 220 and an evolved node B (eNB), and / or between two eNBs connected to the 5GC 220. In some embodiments, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. The Xn-U provides non-guaranteed delivery of user plane protocol data units (PDUs) and supports / provides data forwarding and traffic control functions. The Xn-C provides management and error handling functions for managing the functions of the Xn-C interface; the mobility support for the UE 201 in the connected mode (e.g., CM-CONNECTED) includes functions for managing the mobility of the UE in the connected mode between one or more RAN nodes 211. This mobility support may include context transfer from an old (source) serving RAN node 211 to a new (target) serving RAN node 211; and control of the user plane tunnel between the old (source) serving RAN node 211 and the new (target) serving RAN node 211. The protocol stack of the Xn-U may include a transport network layer built on the Internet Protocol (IP) transport layer and a user plane GPRS tunneling protocol (GTP-U) layer on top of the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and / or IP layer to carry user plane PDUs. The Xn-C protocol stack may include an application layer signaling protocol (referred to as the Xn application protocol (Xn-AP)) and a transport network layer built on the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP). The SCTP may be on top of the IP layer and provides guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. In the transport IP layer, point-to-point transmission is used to deliver signaling PDUs. In other specific implementations, the Xn-U protocol stack and / or the Xn-C protocol stack may be the same as or similar to the user plane and / or control plane protocol stacks shown and described herein.

[0132] RAN 210 is shown as communicatively coupled to a core network - in this embodiment, communicatively coupled to core network (CN) 220. CN 220 may include a plurality of network elements 222, which are configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 201) connected to CN 220 via RAN 210. Components of CN 220 may be implemented in one physical node or separate physical nodes, including components for reading and executing instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium). In some embodiments, network function virtualization (NFV) may be used to virtualize any or all of the above network node functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media (described in further detail below). A logical instance of CN 220 may be referred to as a network slice, and a logical instance of a portion of CN 220 may be referred to as a network sub-slice. The NFV architecture and infrastructure may be used to virtualize one or more network functions onto physical resources that include a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches (alternatively performed by proprietary hardware). In other words, the NFV system may be used to perform a virtual or reconfigurable implementation of one or more EPC components / functions.

[0133] Generally, application server 230 may be an element that provides applications that use IP bearer resources with the core network (e.g., Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Packet Service (PS) domain, LTE PS data services, etc.). Application server 230 may also be configured to support one or more communication services for UE 201 via CN 220 (e.g., VoIP sessions, Push-to-Talk (PTT) sessions, group communication sessions, social network services, etc.).

[0134] In some embodiments, CN 220 may be a 5GC (referred to as "5GC 220", etc.), and RAN 210 may be connected to CN 220 via NG interface 213. In some embodiments, NG interface 213 may be divided into two parts: the NG user plane (NG-U) interface 214, which carries traffic data between RAN node 211 and the UPF; and the S1 control plane (NG-C) interface 215, which is a signaling interface between RAN node 211 and the AMF. Refer to Figure 4 Embodiments in which CN 220 is 5GC 220 are discussed in more detail.

[0135] In some embodiments, CN 220 can be a 5G CN (referred to as "5GC 220", etc.), while in other embodiments, CN 220 can be an EPC. In the case where CN 220 is an EPC (referred to as "EPC 220", etc.), RAN 210 can be connected to CN 220 via the S1 interface 213. In some embodiments, the S1 interface 213 can be divided into two parts: the S1 user plane (S1-U) interface 214, which carries traffic data between the RAN node 211 and the S-GW; and the S1-MME interface 215, which is a signaling interface between the RAN node 211 and the MME. Figure 3 An exemplary architecture in which CN 220 is EPC 220 is shown.

[0136] Exemplary architecture

[0137] Figure 3 An exemplary architecture of a system 300 including a first CN 320 according to various embodiments is shown. In this example, the system 300 can implement the LTE standard, where CN 320 is an EPC 320 corresponding to Figure 2 CN 220. Additionally, UE 301 can be the same as or similar to Figure 2 UE 201, and E-UTRAN 310 can be a RAN that is the same as or similar to Figure 2 RAN 210, and it can include the RAN node 211 discussed previously. CN 320 can include a Mobility Management Entity (MEE) 321, a Serving Gateway (S-GW) 322, a PDN Gateway (P-GW) 323, a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 324, and a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) 325.

[0138] The MME 321 may be functionally similar to the control plane of a traditional SGSN and may implement mobility management (MM) functions to keep track of the current location of the UE 301. The MME 321 may perform various MM procedures to manage aspects of mobility in access, such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. MM (also referred to as "EPS MM" or "EMM" in the E-UTRAN system) may refer to all applicable procedures, methods, data storage, etc. for maintaining knowledge of the current location of the UE 301, providing user identity confidentiality to the user / subscriber, and / or performing other similar services. Each UE 301 and MME 321 may include an MM or EMM sublayer, and when the attachment process is successfully completed, an MM context may be established in the UE 301 and MME 321. The MM context may be a data structure or database object storing MM-related information of the UE 301. The MME 321 may be coupled to the HSS 324 via the S6a reference point, to the SGSN 325 via the S3 reference point, and to the S-GW 322 via the S11 reference point.

[0139] The SGSN 325 may be a node that serves the UE 301 by tracking the location of the individual UE 301 and performing security functions. In addition, the SGSN 325 may perform inter-EPC node signaling for mobility between 2G / 3G and E-UTRAN 3GPP access networks; PDN and S-GW selection as specified by the MME 321; handling of the UE 301 time zone function as specified by the MME 321; and MME selection for handover to the E-UTRAN 3GPP access network. The S3 reference point between the MME 321 and the SGSN 325 may enable the exchange of user and bearer information for 3GPP indirect access network mobility in the idle state and / or active state.

[0140] The HSS 324 may include a database for network users, which includes subscription-related information for supporting network entity handling of communication sessions. The EPC 320 may include one or several HSS 324s, depending on the number of mobile subscribers, the capacity of the equipment, the organization of the network, etc. For example, the HSS 324 may provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / addressing solutions, location dependence, etc. The S6a reference point between the HSS 324 and the MME 321 may enable the transfer of subscription and authentication data for authenticating / authorizing user access to the EPC 320 between the HSS 324 and the MME 321.

[0141] The S-GW 322 can terminate the S1 (S1-U) interface for the user plane towards the RAN 310 and route data packets between the RAN 310 and the EPC 320. Additionally, the S-GW 322 can be a local mobility anchor point for inter-RAN node handover and also provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities can include lawful interception, charging, and enforcement of certain policies. The S11 reference point between the S-GW 322 and the MME 321 provides a control plane between the MME 321 and the S-GW 322. The S-GW 322 can be coupled to the P-GW 323 via the S5 reference point.

[0142] The P-GW 323 can terminate the SGi interface towards the PDN 330. The P-GW 323 can route data packets between the EPC 320 and an external network (such as a network including an application server 230 (alternatively referred to as an “AF”)) via an IP interface 225 (see, for example Figure 2 ). In some embodiments, the P-GW 323 can be communicatively coupled to an application server ( Figure 2 ) via an IP communication interface 225 (see, for example Figure 2 the application server 230 of Figure 3 or

[0143] the PDN 330 in Figure 3 ). The S5 reference point between the P-GW 323 and the S-GW 322 provides user plane tunneling and tunnel management between the P-GW 323 and the S-GW 322. Due to the mobility of the UE 301 and whether the S-GW 322 needs to connect to a non-collocated P-GW 323 for the required PDN connectivity, the S5 reference point can also be used for S-GW 322 relocation. The P-GW 323 can also include a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection (such as a PCEF (not shown)). Additionally, the SGi reference point between the P-GW 323 and the packet data network (PDN) 330 can be an operator-external public, private PDN, or an intra-operator packet data network, for example, for providing IMS services. The P-GW 323 can be coupled to the PCRF 326 via the Gx reference point.The PCRF 326 is the policy and charging control element of the EPC 320. In a non-roaming scenario, there may be a single PCRF 326 in the home public land mobile network (HPLMN) associated with the Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session of the UE 301. In a roaming scenario with local traffic breakout, there may be two PCRFs associated with the IP-CAN session of the UE 301: the home PCRF (H-PCRF) in the HPLMN and the visited PCRF (V-PCRF) in the visited public land mobile network (VPLMN). The PCRF 326 may be communicatively coupled to the application server 330 via the P-GW 323. The application server 330 may signal the PCRF 326 to indicate a new service flow and select appropriate QoS and charging parameters. The PCRF 326 may configure the rules for a PCEF (not shown) with appropriate TFT and QCI, and start QoS and charging as specified by the application server 330. The Gx reference point between the PCRF 326 and the P-GW 323 may allow the transfer of QoS policies and charging rules from the PCRF 326 to the PCEF in the P-GW 323. The Rx reference point may reside between the PDN 330 (or "AF 330") and the PCRF 326.

[0144] Figure 4 The architecture of a system 400 including a second CN 420 according to various embodiments is shown. The system 400 is shown to include a UE 401, which may be the same as or similar to the previously discussed UE 201 and UE 301; a (R)AN 410, which may be the same as or similar to the previously discussed RAN 210 and RAN 310, and which may include the previously discussed RAN node 211; and a data network (DN) 403, which may be, for example, a carrier service, Internet access, or a 3rd party service; and a 5GC 420. The 5GC 420 may include an authentication server function (AUSF) 422; an access and mobility management function (AMF) 421; a session management function (SMF) 424; a network exposure function (NEF) 423; a PCF 426; a network repository function (NRF) 425; a UDM 427; an application function (AF) 428; a user plane function (UPF) 402; and a network slice selection function (NSSF) 429.

[0145] The UPF 402 can act as an anchor point for mobility within and between RATs, an external PDU session point interconnected with the DN 403, and a branching point for supporting multi-homed PDU sessions. The UPF 402 can also perform packet routing and forwarding, perform packet inspection, execute the user plane part of policy rules, legally intercept packets (UP collection), execute traffic usage reporting, perform QoS processing on the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement), execute uplink traffic verification (e.g., SDF to QoS flow mapping), perform transport-level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, and execute downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering. The UPF 402 can include an uplink classifier for supporting routing traffic flows to the data network. The DN 403 can represent various network operator services, Internet access, or third-party services. The DN 403 can include or be similar to the application server 230 discussed previously. The UPF 402 interacts with the SMF 424 via the N4 reference point between the SMF 424 and the UPF 402.

[0146] The AUSF 422 stores the data for the authentication of the UE 401 and processes the functions related to authentication. The AUSF 422 can facilitate a common authentication framework for various access types. The AUSF 422 communicates with the AMF 421 via the N12 reference point between the AMF 421 and the AUSF 422; and communicates with the UDM 427 via the N13 reference point between the UDM 427 and the AUSF 422. Additionally, the AUSF 422 can present an interface based on the Nausf service.

[0147] The AMF 421 can be responsible for registration management (e.g., responsible for registering the UE 401, etc.), connection management, reachability management, mobility management, and legal interception of AMF-related events, and access authentication and authorization. The AMF 421 can be the termination point of the N11 reference point between the AMF 421 and the SMF424. The AMF 421 provides transmission for the session management (SM) messages between the UE 401 and the SMF 424, and acts as a transparent pro15 for routing SM messages. The AMF 421 can also be for the UE 401 and the SMS function (SMSF)( Figure 4Provide transmission of Short Message Service (SMS) messages between (not shown). The AMF 421 can act as a Security Anchor Function (SEAF), which can include interactions with the AUSF 422 and the UE 401, and receive an intermediate key established due to the UE 401 authentication process. In the case of using Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM)-based authentication, the AMF 421 can retrieve security material from the AUSF 422. The AMF 421 can also include a Security Content Management (SCM) function, which receives a key from the SEA for deriving access network-specific keys. In addition, the AMF 421 can be a termination point of the RAN CP interface, which can include or be the N2 reference point between the (R)AN 410 and the AMF 421; and the AMF 421 can be a termination point of NAS (N1) signaling and perform NAS encryption and integrity protection.

[0148] The AMF 421 can also support NAS signaling with the UE 401 through the N3 IWF interface. The N3IWF can be used to provide access to untrusted entities. The N3IWF can be a termination point of the N2 interface between the (R)AN 410 and the AMF 421 in the control plane, and can be a termination point of the N3 reference point between the (R)AN 410 and the UPF 402 in the user plane. Therefore, the AMF 421 processes N2 signaling from the SMF 424 and the AMF 421 for Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions and QoS, encapsulates / de-encapsulates packets for IPSec and N3 tunneling, marks N3 user plane packets on the uplink, and performs QoS corresponding to the N3 packet marking, taking into account the QoS requirements associated with such markings received through N2. The N3IWF can also relay uplink and downlink control plane NAS signaling between the UE 401 and the AMF 421 via the N1 reference point between the UE 401 and the AMF 421, and relay uplink and downlink user plane packets between the UE 401 and the UPF 402. The N3IWF also provides a mechanism for establishing an IPsec tunnel with the UE 401. The AMF 421 can present an interface based on the Namf service and can be a termination point of the N14 reference point between two AMF 421s and the N17 reference point between the AMF 421 and the 5G-EIR ( Figure 4 not shown in).

[0149] UE 401 may need to register with the AMF 421 to receive network services. Registration Management (RM) is used to register the UE 401 with the network (e.g., the AMF 421) or deregister the UE, and to establish a UE context in the network (e.g., the AMF 421). The UE 401 may operate in the RM-REGISTERED state or the RM-DEREGISTERED state. In the RM-DEREGISTERED state, the UE 401 is not registered with the network, and the UE context in the AMF 421 does not hold the valid location or routing information of the UE 401, so the AMF 421 cannot reach the UE 401. In the RM-REGISTERED state, the UE 401 is registered with the network, and the UE context in the AMF 421 can hold the valid location or routing information of the UE 401, so the AMF 421 can reach the UE 401. In the RM-REGISTERED state, the UE 401 may perform a mobility registration update procedure, perform a periodic registration update procedure triggered by the expiration of a periodic update timer (e.g., to notify the network that the UE 401 is still active), and perform a registration update procedure to update UE capability information or renegotiate protocol parameters with the network, etc.

[0150] The AMF 421 stores one or more RM contexts for the UE 401, where each RM context is associated with a specific access to the network. The RM context can be a data structure, a database object, etc., which indicates or stores, in particular, the registration status and the periodic update timer for each access type. The AMF 421 may also store a 5GC Mobility Management (MM) context that can be the same as or similar to the previously discussed (E)MM context. In various embodiments, the AMF 421 stores the CE mode B restriction parameters of the UE 401 in the associated MM context or RM context. The AMF 421 may also derive values from the UE usage setting parameters that have been stored in the UE context (and / or MM / RM context) when needed.

[0151] The Connection Management (CM) establishes and releases a signaling connection between the UE 401 and the AMF 421 via the N1 interface. The signaling connection is used to enable NAS signaling exchange between the UE 401 and the CN 420 and includes a signaling connection between the UE and the AN (e.g., a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection for non-3GPP access or a UE-N3IWF connection) and the N2 connection of the UE 401 between the AN (e.g., the RAN 410) and the AMF 421. The UE 401 can operate in one of two CM states (CM-IDLE mode or CM-CONNECTED mode). When the UE 401 operates in the CM-IDLE state / mode, the UE 401 may not have a non-access stratum (NAS) signaling connection established with the AMF 421 via the N1 interface, and there may be a (R)AN 410 signaling connection (e.g., N2 and / or N3 connection) for the UE 401. When the UE 401 operates in the CM-CONNECTED state / mode, the UE 401 may have a NAS signaling connection established with the AMF 421 via the N1 interface, and there may be a (R)AN 410 signaling connection (e.g., N2 and / or N3 connection) for the UE 401. Establishing an N2 connection between the (R)AN 410 and the AMF 421 may cause the UE 401 to transition from the CM-IDLE mode to the CM-CONNECTED mode, and when the N2 signaling between the (R)AN 410 and the AMF 421 is released, the UE 401 may transition from the CM-CONNECTED mode to the CM-IDLE mode.

[0152] The SMF 424 is responsible for session management (SM) (e.g., session establishment, modification, and release, including the maintenance of tunnels between the UPF and the AN node); UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization); selection and control of the user plane (UP) function; configuring the traffic steering of the UPF to route traffic to the correct destination; terminating the interface towards the policy control function; the control part of policy enforcement and QoS; lawful interception (for SM events and the interface with the LI system); terminating the SM part of NAS messages; downlink data notification; initiating AN-specific SM information sent to the AN via the N2 through the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); and determining the session and service continuity (SSC) mode of the session. SM may refer to the management of protocol data unit (PDU) sessions, and a PDU session or "session" may refer to a PDU connectivity service that provides or enables PDU exchange between the UE 401 and a data network (DN) 403 identified by a data network name (DNN). A PDU session can be established upon request by the UE 401 using NAS SM signaling exchanged between the UE 401 and the SMF 424 via the N1 reference point, modified upon request by the UE 401 and the 5GC 420, and released upon request by the UE 401 and the 5GC 420. When requested from an application server, the 5GC 420 may trigger a specific application in the UE 401. In response to receiving the trigger message, the UE 401 may deliver the trigger message (or relevant parts / information of the trigger message) to one or more identified applications in the UE 401. The identified applications in the UE 401 may establish a PDU session to a specific DNN. The SMF 424 may check whether the UE 401 request complies with the user subscription information associated with the UE 401. In this regard, the SMF 424 may retrieve and / or request to receive an update notification on the subscription data at the SMF 424 level from the UDM 427.

[0153] The SMF 424 may include the following roaming functions: handling local enforcement to apply the QoS SLA (VPLMN); charging data collection and charging interface (VPLMN); lawful interception (for SM events and the interface with the LI system, in the VPLMN); and supporting interaction with an external DN to transmit signaling for PDU session authorization / authentication via the external DN. In a roaming scenario, the N16 reference point between two SMF 424s may be included in the system 400, which may be between the SMF 424 in the visited network and another SMF 424 in the home network. Additionally, the SMF 424 may present an Nsmf service-based interface.

[0154] The NEF 423 provides means for securely exposing services and capabilities provided by 3GPP network functions for third parties, internal exposure / re-exposure, application functions (e.g., AF 428), edge computing or fog computing systems, etc. In such embodiments, the NEF 423 may authenticate, authorize, and / or restrict the AF. The NEF 423 may also transform information exchanged with the AF 428 and information exchanged with internal network functions. For example, the NEF 423 may transform between AF service identifiers and internal 5GC information. The NEF 423 may also receive information from other network functions (NFs) based on the exposure capabilities of the other NFs. This information may be stored at the NEF 423 as structured data, or stored at a data storage NF using a standardized interface. The stored information may then be re-exposed by the NEF 423 to other NFs and AFs, and / or used for other purposes such as analysis. Additionally, the NEF 423 may present an interface based on the Nnef service.

[0155] The NRF 425 supports a service discovery function, receives network function (NF) discovery requests from NF instances, and provides information on the discovered NF instances to the NF instances. The NRF 425 also maintains information on available NF instances and the services supported by these instances. As used herein, terms such as "instantiation" may refer to the creation of an instance, and "instance" may refer to a specific occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during the execution of program code. Additionally, the NRF 425 may present an interface based on the Nnrf service.

[0156] The PCF 426 provides means for control plane functions to enforce their policy rules, and may also support a unified policy framework for managing network behavior. The PCF 426 may also implement a front end (FE) to access subscription information related to policy decisions in the UDR of the UDM 427. The PCF 426 communicates with the AMF 421 via the N15 reference point between the PCF 426 and the AMF 421, which may include the PCF 426 in a visited network and the AMF 421 in the case of a roaming scenario. The PCF 426 communicates with the AF 428 via the N5 reference point between the PCF 426 and the AF 428; and communicates with the SMF 424 via the N7 reference point between the PCF 426 and the SMF 424. The system 400 and / or the CN 420 may also include an N24 reference point between the PCF 426 (in the home network) and the PCF 426 in the visited network. Additionally, the PCF 426 may present an interface based on the Npcf service.

[0157] The UDM 427 processes subscription-related information to support the handling of communication sessions by network entities and stores the subscription data of the UE 401. For example, subscription data can be transferred between the UDM 427 and the AMF 421 via the N8 reference point between the UDM 427 and the AMF. The UDM 427 can include two parts: an Application Front End (FE) and a UDR ( Figure 4 the FE and UDR are not shown in). The UDR stores the subscription data and policy data of the UDM 427 and the PCF 426, and / or the structured data for exposure and application data of the NEF 423 (including PFDs for application detection, application request information of multiple UEs 401). The Nudr service-based interface can be presented by the UDR 221 to allow the UDM 427, the PCF 426, and the NEF 423 to access a specific set of stored data, as well as read, update (e.g., add, modify), delete, and subscribe to notifications of relevant data changes in the UDR. The UDM can include a UDM-FE, which is responsible for handling credentials, location management, subscription management, etc. In different transactions, several different front ends can serve the same user. The UDM-FE accesses the subscription information stored in the UDR and performs authentication credential processing, user identification processing, access authorization, registration / mobility management, and subscription management. The UDR interacts with the SMF 424 via the N10 reference point between the UDM 427 and the SMF 424. The UDM 427 can also support SMS management, where the SMS-FE implements similar application logic as previously discussed. Additionally, the UDM 427 can present a Nudm service-based interface.

[0158] The AF 428 provides the impact of the application on traffic routing, provides access to the NCE, and interacts with the policy framework for policy control. The NCE is a mechanism that allows the 5GC 420 and the AF 428 to provide information to each other via the NEF 423, which can be used for edge computing implementations. In such implementations, network operators and third-party services can be hosted near the access point of the attached UE 401 to achieve efficient service delivery with reduced end-to-end latency and load on the transport network. For edge computing implementations, the 5GC can select a UPF 402 near the UE 401 and perform traffic steering from the UPF 402 to the DN 403 via the N6 interface. This can be based on UE subscription data, UE location, and the information provided by the AF 428. In this way, the AF 428 affects UPF (re)selection and traffic routing. Based on the operator's deployment, when the AF 428 is considered a trusted entity, the network operator allows the AF 428 to directly interact with relevant NFs. Additionally, the AF 428 can present a Naf service-based interface.

[0159] The NSSF 429 selects a set of network slice instances to serve the UE 401. If needed, the NSSF 429 also determines the allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) and the mapping to the subscribed single NSSAI (S-NSSAI). The NSSF 429 also determines, based on appropriate configuration and possibly by querying the NRF 425, a set of access and mobility management functions (AMF) to serve the UE 401, or a list of candidate AMFs 421. The selection of a set of network slice instances for the UE 401 can be triggered by the AMF 421, where the UE 401 registers by interacting with the NSSF 429, which can cause the AMF 421 to change. The NSSF 429 interacts with the AMF 421 via the N22 reference point between the AMF 421 and the NSSF 429; and communicates with another NSSF 429 in the visited network via the N31 reference point ( Figure 4 not shown in the figure). Additionally, the NSSF 429 can expose an interface based on the Nnssf service.

[0160] As previously discussed, the CN 420 can include a Short Message Service Function (SMSF), which can be responsible for short message service (SMS) subscription checking and verification, and relay SM messages to / from the UE 401 to / from other entities, such as SMS-GMSC / IWMSC / SMS routers. The SMS also interacts with the AMF 421 and the UDM 427 for the notification procedures available to the UE 401 for SMS transmission (e.g., setting the UE unreachable flag and notifying the UDM 427 when the UE 401 is available for SMS).

[0161] The CN 420 can also include Figure 4 other elements not shown in the figure, such as a data storage system / architecture, a 5G Equipment Identity Register (EIR), a Secure Edge Protection Pro 15 (SEPP), etc. The data storage system can include a Structured Data Storage Function (SDSF), an Unstructured Data Storage Network Function (UDSF), etc. Any network function (NF) stores unstructured data into the UDSF (e.g., UE context) or retrieves it from the UDSF via the N18 reference point between any NF and the UDSF ( Figure 4 not shown in the figure). A single NF can share the UDSF for storing its corresponding unstructured data, or each NF can have its own UDSF located at or near the single NF. Additionally, the UDSF can expose an interface based on the Nudsf service ( Figure 4(not shown in the figure). The 5G-EIR can be an NF that checks the status of the PEI to determine whether to blacklist a specific piece of equipment / entity from the network; and the SEPP can be a non-transparent pro15 that performs topology hiding, message filtering, and policing on the control plane interface between public land mobile networks (PLMNs).

[0162] In addition, there can be more reference points and / or service-based interfaces between NF services in the NF; however, for clarity, Figure 4 these interfaces and reference points are omitted. In one example, the CN 420 can include an Nx interface, which is an inter-CN interface between the MME (e.g., MME 321) and the AMF 421 to enable interworking between the CN 420 and the CN 320. Other exemplary interfaces / reference points can include the N5g-EIR service-based interface presented by the 5G-EIR, the N27 reference point between the NF repository function (NRF) in the visited network and the NRF in the home network; and the N31 reference point between the network slice selection function (NSSF) in the visited network and the NSSF in the home network.

[0163] Exemplary infrastructure equipment

[0164] Figure 5 An example of infrastructure equipment 500 according to various embodiments is shown. The infrastructure equipment 500 (or "system 500") can be implemented as a base station, a radio headend, a RAN node (such as the RAN nodes 211 and / or the AP 206 shown and described previously), an application server 230, and / or any other element / device discussed herein. In other examples, the system 500 can be implemented in or by a UE.

[0165] The system 500 includes: an application circuit 505, a baseband circuit 510, one or more radio frequency front-end modules (RFEMs) 515, a memory circuit 520, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 525, a power triple circuit 530, a network controller circuit 535, a network interface connector 540, a satellite positioning circuit 545, and a user interface 550. In some embodiments, the device 500 can include additional elements, such as, for example, a memory / storage device, a display, a camera, a sensor, or an input / output (I / O) interface. In other embodiments, the following components can be included in more than one device. For example, the circuits can be separately included in more than one device for cloud radio access network (CRAN), vBBU, or other similar implementations.

[0166] The application circuit 505 includes the following circuits such as but not limited to: one or more processors (processor cores), cache memory, and one or more of the following: low-dropout regulator (LDO), interrupt controller, serial interfaces such as SPI, 2 I2C or general-purpose programmable serial interface module, real-time clock (RTC), timer-counter including interval timer and watchdog timer, general-purpose input / output (I / O or IO), memory card controller such as Secure Digital (SD) multimedia card (MMC) or similar products, Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) interface, and Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) test access port. The processor (or core) of the application circuit 505 may be coupled to or may include memory / storage elements and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory or storage device to enable various application programs or operating systems to run on the system 500. In some embodiments, the memory / storage elements may be on-chip memory circuits, which may include any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid-state memory, and / or any other type of memory device technology, such as those discussed herein.

[0167] The processor of the application circuit 505 may include, for example, one or more processor cores (CPUs), one or more application processors, one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), one or more reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, one or more Acorn RISC machines (ARM) processors, one or more complex instruction set computing (CISC) processors, one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more FPGAs, one or more PLDs, one or more ASICs, one or more microprocessors or controllers, or any suitable combination thereof. In some embodiments, the application circuit 505 may include or may be a dedicated processor / controller for operating according to the various embodiments herein. As an example, the processor of the application circuit 505 may include one or more Intel or processors; Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processors, accelerated processing units (APUs), or processors; ARM-based processors licensed by ARM Holdings, Ltd., such as the ARM Cortex-A series processors provided by Cavium (TM), Inc., and MIPS-based designs from MIPS Technologies, Inc., such as MIPS Warrior P-class processors; and so on. In some embodiments, system 500 may not utilize application circuitry 505 and, instead, may include a dedicated processor / controller to process IP data received from, for example, an EPC or 5GC.

[0168] In some embodiments, application circuitry 505 may include one or more hardware accelerators, which may be microprocessors, programmable processing devices, and so on. The one or more hardware accelerators may include, for example, computer vision (CV) and / or deep learning (DL) accelerators. For example, the programmable processing device may be one or more field programmable devices (FPDs), such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and so on; programmable logic devices (PLDs), such as complex PLDs (CPLDs), high-capacity PLDs (HCPLDs), and so on; ASICs, such as structured ASICs, and so on; programmable system-on-chips (PSoCs); and so on. In such embodiments, the circuitry of application circuitry 505 may include logic blocks or logic architectures, as well as other interconnected resources that may be programmed to perform various functions such as the processes, methods, functions, and so on of the various embodiments discussed herein. In such embodiments, the circuitry of application circuitry 505 may include memory units (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), flash memories, static memories (e.g., static random access memories (SRAMs), antifuse, and so on)) for storing logic blocks, logic architectures, data, and so on in look-up tables (LUTs), and so on.

[0169] Baseband circuitry 510 may be implemented as, for example, a soldered-in substrate that includes one or more integrated circuits, a single-packaged integrated circuit soldered to a main circuit board, or a multi-chip module that includes two or more integrated circuits. The various hardware electronic components of baseband circuitry 510 will be discussed below with reference to Figure 7 discuss the various hardware electronic components of baseband circuitry 510.

[0170] User interface circuitry 550 may include one or more user interfaces designed to enable a user to interact with system 500 or a peripheral component interface designed to enable peripheral components to interact with system 500. The user interface may include, but is not limited to, one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), one or more indicators (e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs)), a physical keyboard or keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a touch screen, a speaker or other audio emitting device, a microphone, a printer, a scanner, headphones, a display screen or display device, and so on. The peripheral component interface may include, but is not limited to, a non-volatile memory port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an audio jack, a power interface, and so on.

[0171] The radio front end module (RFEM) 515 may include a millimeter wave (mmWave) RFEM and one or more sub-millimeter wave radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). In some embodiments, the one or more sub-millimeter wave RFICs may be physically separated from the mmWave RFEM. The RFIC may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays (see, e.g., below). Figure 7 The antenna array 711 is a connector and the RFEM can be connected to multiple antennas. In an alternative implementation, both millimeter wave and sub-millimeter wave radio functions can be implemented in the same physical RFEM 515 that combines both millimeter wave antennas and sub-millimeter waves.

[0172] The memory circuit 520 may include one or more of the following: a volatile memory including a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM); and a non-volatile memory (NVM) including a high-speed electrically erasable memory (commonly referred to as a "flash memory"), a phase change random access memory (PRAM), a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), etc., and may be combined with and The memory circuit 520 may be implemented as one or more of: a solder-in package integrated circuit, a socket memory module, and a plug-in memory card.

[0173] The PMIC 525 may include a voltage regulator, a surge protector, a power alarm detection circuit, and one or more backup power sources such as batteries or capacitors. The power alarm detection circuit may detect one or more of a brownout (undervoltage) and a surge (overvoltage) condition. The power tee circuit 530 provides power extracted from the network cable to provide both power and data connections for the infrastructure equipment 500 using a single cable.

[0174] The network controller circuit 535 provides a connection to the network using a standard network interface protocol such as Ethernet, Ethernet based on a GRE tunnel, Ethernet based on multi-protocol label switching (MPLS), or some other suitable protocol. A physical connection can be used to provide a network connection to / from the infrastructure equipment 500 via a network interface connector 540, which can be an electrical connection (commonly referred to as a "copper interconnect"), an optical connection, or a wireless connection. The network controller circuit 535 may include one or more dedicated processors and / or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some embodiments, the network controller circuit 535 may include multiple controllers for providing connections to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0175] The positioning circuit 545 includes circuitry for receiving and decoding signals transmitted / broadcast by the positioning network of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Examples of navigation satellite constellations (or GNSS) include the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the United States, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) of Russia, the Galileo system of the European Union, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System of China, regional navigation systems, or GNSS augmentation systems (e.g., for navigation using the Indian Constellation (NAVIC), the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) of Japan, the Doppler Orbitography and Radio-positioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS) of France, etc.). The positioning circuit 545 includes various hardware elements (e.g., including hardware devices for facilitating OTA communication such as switches, filters, amplifiers, antenna elements, etc.) to communicate with components of the positioning network such as nodes of the navigation satellite constellation. In some embodiments, the positioning circuit 545 may include a Microtechnology for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (Micro-PNT) IC that uses a primary timing clock to perform position tracking / estimation without GNSS assistance. The positioning circuit 545 may also be part of or interact with the baseband circuit 510 and / or the RFEM 515 to communicate with nodes and components of the positioning network. The positioning circuit 545 may also provide position data and / or time data to the application circuit 505, which may use this data to synchronize operations with various infrastructure (e.g., RAN node 211, etc.).

[0176] Figure 5 The components shown communicate with each other using an interface circuit, which may include any number of bus and / or interconnect (IX) technologies such as Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), Extended ISA (EISA), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Peripheral Component Interconnect Extended (PCIx), PCI Express (PCIe), or any number of other technologies. The bus / IX may be a proprietary bus, e.g., used in a System-on-Chip (SoC)-based system. Other bus / IX systems may be included, such as I 2 C interface, SPI interface, point-to-point interface, and power bus, etc.

[0177] Figure 6 An example of a platform 600 (or “device 600”) is shown according to various embodiments. In some embodiments, the computer platform 600 may be suitable for use as a UE 201, UE 301, application server 230, and / or any other element / device discussed herein. The platform 600 may include any combination of the components shown in the example. The components of the platform 600 may be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs), parts of ICs, discrete electronic devices, or other modules, logic, hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof adapted within the computer platform 600, or as components otherwise incorporated within the chassis of a larger system.Figure 6 The block diagram is intended to show a high-level view of the components of computer platform 600. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the shown components may occur in other specific implementations.

[0178] Application circuit 605 includes circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more processors (or processor cores), cache memory, and one or more of an LDO, an interrupt controller, a serial interface (such as SPI), an 2 I2C or general-purpose programmable serial interface module, an RTC, timers (including interval timers and watchdog timers), general-purpose I / O, a memory card controller (such as an SD MMC or similar controller), a USB interface, a MIPI interface, and a JTAG test access port. The processor (or core) of application circuit 605 may be coupled to or may include a memory / storage element and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory or storage device to enable various applications or operating systems to run on system 600. In some embodiments, the memory / storage element may be an on-chip memory circuit that may include any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid-state memory, and / or any other type of memory device technology, such as those discussed herein.

[0179] The processor of application circuit 605 may include, for example, one or more processor cores, one or more application processors, one or more GPUs, one or more RISC processors, one or more ARM processors, one or more CISC processors, one or more DSPs, one or more FPGAs, one or more PLDs, one or more ASICs, one or more microprocessors or controllers, a multi-threaded processor, an ultra-low voltage processor, an embedded processor, some other known processing elements, or any suitable combination thereof. In some embodiments, the application circuit 605 may include or may be a dedicated processor / controller for operating in accordance with the various embodiments herein.

[0180] As an example, the processor of application circuit 605 may include a processor based on Architecture Core TM such as Quark TM 、Atom TM 、i3, i5, i7, or MCU-class processors, or may be available from Santa Clara, California Another such processor of the company. The processor of the application circuit 605 can also be one or more of the following: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processor or accelerated processing unit (APU); from Inc.'s A5 - A9 processors, from Technologies, Inc.'s Snapdragon TM processor, Texas Instruments, Open Multimedia Applications Platform (OMAP) TM processor; MIPS - based designs from MIPS Technologies, Inc., such as MIPS Warrior M - class, Warrior I - class, and Warrior P - class processors; ARM - based designs licensed from ARM Holdings, Ltd., such as ARM Cortex - A, Cortex - R, and Cortex - M series processors; etc. In some embodiments, the application circuit 605 can be part of a system - on - a - chip (SoC), where the application circuit 605 and other components are formed as a single integrated circuit or a single package, such as the Edison from the company ( Corporation)'s Edison TM or Galileo TM SoC board.

[0181] In addition or alternatively, the application circuit 605 can include circuits, such as but not limited to one or more field - programmable devices (FPDs), such as FPGAs, etc.; programmable logic devices (PLDs), such as complex PLDs (CPLDs), high - capacity PLDs (HCPLDs), etc.; ASICs, such as structured ASICs, etc.; programmable SoCs (PSoCs); etc. In such embodiments, the circuits of the application program circuit 605 can include logic blocks or logic architectures, and other interconnected resources that can be programmed to perform various functions such as the processes, methods, functions, etc. of the various embodiments discussed herein. In such embodiments, the circuits of the application circuit 605 can include memory units (e.g., erasable programmable read - only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read - only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, static memory (e.g., static random - access memory (SRAM), antifuse, etc.)) for storing logic blocks, logic architectures, data, etc. in look - up tables (LUTs), etc.

[0182] The baseband circuit 610 may be implemented as, for example, a soldered-in substrate that includes one or more integrated circuits, a single-packaged integrated circuit soldered to the main circuit board, or a multi-chip module that includes two or more integrated circuits. The various hardware electronic components of the baseband circuit 610 are discussed below with reference to Figure 7 and

[0183] The RFEM 615 may include a millimeter-wave (mmWave) RFEM and one or more sub-millimeter-wave radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). In some embodiments, the one or more sub-millimeter-wave RFICs may be physically separated from the millimeter-wave RFEM. The RFIC may include connections to one or more antennas or antenna arrays (see, for example, the antenna array 711 below Figure 7 ), and the RFEM may be connected to multiple antennas. In an alternative implementation, the radio functions of both millimeter-wave and sub-millimeter-wave may be implemented in the same physical RFEM 615 that combines both millimeter-wave antennas and sub-millimeter-wave.

[0184] The memory circuit 620 may include any number and type of memory devices for providing a given amount of system memory. For example, the memory circuit 620 may include one or more of the following: volatile memory, which includes random access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), and / or synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM); and non-volatile memory (NVM), which includes high-speed electrically erasable memory (commonly referred to as flash memory), phase change random access memory (PRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), etc. The memory circuit 620 may be developed according to a Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) low-power double data rate (LPDDR)-based design (such as LPDDR2, LPDDR3, LPDDR4, etc.). The memory circuit 620 may be implemented as one or more of the following: a soldered-in packaged integrated circuit, a single-die package (SDP), a dual-die package (DDP), or a quad-die package (Q17P), a socketed memory module, a dual in-line memory module (DIMM) including a micro DIMM or a mini DIMM, and / or soldered to the motherboard via a ball grid array (BGA). In a low-power implementation, the memory circuit 620 may be on-chip memory or registers associated with the application circuit 605. To provide persistent storage of information (such as data, applications, operating systems, etc.), the memory circuit 620 may include one or more mass storage devices, which may particularly include solid-state disk drives (SSDDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), micro HDDs, resistive change memories, phase change memories, holographic memories, or chemical memories, etc. For example, the computer platform 600 may incorporate those obtained from and Three-dimensional (3D) cross-point (XPOINT) memory.

[0185] The removable memory circuit 623 may include devices, circuits, enclosures / cases, ports, or sockets, etc. for coupling a portable data storage device to the platform 600. These portable data storage devices can be used for mass storage and may include, for example, flash memory cards (e.g., Secure Digital (SD) cards, micro SD cards, xD Picture cards, etc.) and USB flash drives, optical discs, external HDDs, etc.

[0186] The platform 600 may also include interface circuitry (not shown) for connecting external devices to the platform 600. External devices connected to the platform 600 via this interface circuitry include sensor circuitry 621 and electromechanical components (EMC) 622, as well as removable memory devices coupled to the removable memory circuit 623.

[0187] The sensor circuitry 621 includes devices, modules, or subsystems aimed at detecting events or changes in its environment and sending information (sensor data) about the detected events to some other device, module, subsystem, etc. Examples of such sensors include, in particular: Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) including accelerometers, gyroscopes, and / or magnetometers; Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) or Nanoelectromechanical Systems (NEMS) including three-axis accelerometers, three-axis gyroscopes, and / or magnetometers; level sensors; flow sensors; temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors); pressure sensors; barometric pressure sensors; gravimeters; altimeters; image capture devices (e.g., cameras or lensless apertures); Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors; proximity sensors (e.g., infrared radiation detectors, etc.), depth sensors, ambient light sensors, ultrasonic transceivers; microphones or other similar audio capture devices; etc.

[0188] The EMC 622 includes devices, modules, or subsystems aimed at enabling the platform 600 to change its state, position, and / or orientation or move or control mechanisms or (sub)systems. Additionally, the EMC 622 may be configured to generate messages / signaling and send messages / signaling to other components of the platform 600 to indicate the current state of the EMC 622. Examples of the EMC 622 include one or more power switches, relays (including Electromechanical Relays (EMRs) and / or Solid-State Relays (SSRs)), actuators (e.g., valve actuators, etc.), audible sound generators, visual warning devices, motors (e.g., DC motors, stepper motors, etc.), wheels, thrusters, propellers, claws, clamps, hooks, and / or other similar electromechanical components. In some embodiments, the platform 600 is configured to operate one or more EMC 622 based on one or more captured events and / or instructions or control signals received from service providers and / or various clients.

[0189] In some embodiments, the interface circuit couples the platform 600 to the positioning circuit 645. The positioning circuit 645 includes circuitry for receiving and decoding signals transmitted / broadcast by the positioning network of the GNSS. Examples of navigation satellite constellations (or GNSS) can include GPS of the United States, GLONASS of Russia, Galileo system of the European Union, Beidou Navigation Satellite System of China, regional navigation systems, or GNSS augmentation systems (e.g., NAVIC, QZSS of Japan, DORIS of France, etc.). The positioning circuit 645 includes various hardware elements (e.g., including hardware devices for facilitating OTA communication such as switches, filters, amplifiers, antenna elements, etc.) to communicate with components of the positioning network such as nodes of the navigation satellite constellation. In some embodiments, the positioning circuit 645 can include a micro PNT IC that uses a primary timing clock to perform position tracking / estimation without GNSS assistance. The positioning circuit 645 can also be part of or interact with the baseband circuit 610 and / or the RFEM 615 to communicate with nodes and components of the positioning network. The positioning circuit 645 can also provide location data and / or time data to the application circuit 605, which can use this data to synchronize operations with various infrastructures (e.g., radio base stations) for turn-by-turn navigation applications, etc.

[0190] In some embodiments, the interface circuit couples the platform 600 to the near field communication (NFC) circuit 640. The NFC circuit 640 is configured to provide contactless short-range communication based on radio frequency identification (RFID) standards, where magnetic field sensing is used to enable communication between the NFC circuit 640 and NFC-enabled devices external to the platform 600 (e.g., "NFC contact points"). The NFC circuit 640 includes an NFC controller coupled to an antenna element and a processor coupled to the NFC controller. The NFC controller can be a chip / IC that provides NFC functionality to the NFC circuit 640 by executing NFC controller firmware and an NFC stack. The NFC stack can be executed by the processor to control the NFC controller, and the NFC controller firmware can be executed by the NFC controller to control the antenna element to transmit short-range RF signals. The RF signals can power a passive NFC tag (e.g., a microchip embedded in a sticker or wristband) to transfer stored data to the NFC circuit 640, or initiate data transfer between the NFC circuit 640 and another active NFC device (e.g., a smart phone or an NFC-enabled POS terminal) near the platform 600.

[0191] The drive circuit 646 may include software and hardware elements that operate to control specific devices embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled with the platform 600. The drive circuit 646 may include individual drivers to allow other components of the platform 600 to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may be present within or connected to the platform 600. For example, the drive circuit 646 may include: a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device, a touchscreen driver for controlling and allowing access to the touchscreen interface of the platform 600, a sensor driver for obtaining sensor readings from the sensor circuit 621 and controlling and allowing access to the sensor circuit 621, an EMC driver for obtaining the actuator position of the EMC 622 and / or controlling and allowing access to the EMC 622, a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device, and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0192] A power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 625 (also referred to as “power management circuit 625”) may manage the power provided to the various components of the platform 600. Specifically, with respect to the baseband circuit 610, the PMIC 625 may control power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion. The PMIC 625 is typically included when the platform 600 is capable of being powered by a battery 630, such as when the device is included in the UE 201, UE 301.

[0193] In some embodiments, the PMIC 625 may control or otherwise be part of various power-saving mechanisms of the platform 600. For example, if the platform 600 is in the RRC_Connected state, in which the platform remains connected to the RAN node because it expects to receive traffic soon, then after a period of inactivity, the platform may enter a state known as discontinuous reception mode (DRX). During this state, the platform 600 may power down for short intervals, thus saving power. If there is no data traffic activity for an extended period, the platform 600 may transition to the RRC_Idle state, in which the device is disconnected from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback, handover, etc. The platform 600 enters a very low power state and performs paging, in which the device wakes up periodically again to listen for the network and then powers down again. The platform 600 may not receive data while in this state; to receive data, the platform must transition back to the RRC_Connected state. Additional power-saving modes may allow the device to be unavailable to the network for longer than the paging interval (ranging from a few seconds to several hours). During this period, the device is completely unable to connect to the network and may be powered down completely. Any data sent during this period will incur a significant delay, and it is assumed that the delay is acceptable.

[0194] The battery 630 may power the platform 600, but in some examples, the platform 600 may be installed in a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to the power grid. The battery 630 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, etc. In some embodiments, such as in V2X applications, the battery 630 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

[0195] In some embodiments, the battery 630 may be a "smart battery" that includes or is coupled to a battery management system (BMS) or a battery monitoring integrated circuit. The BMS may be included in the platform 600 to track the state of charge (SoCh) of the battery 630. The BMS may be used to monitor other parameters of the battery 630, such as the state of health (SoH) and state of function (SoF) of the battery 630 to provide fault prediction. The BMS communicates information about the battery 630 to the application circuit 605 or other components of the platform 600. The BMS may also include an analog-to-digital (ADC) converter that allows the application circuit 605 to directly monitor the voltage of the battery 630 or the current from the battery 630. Battery parameters may be used to determine actions that the platform 600 may perform, such as transmission frequency, network operation, sensing frequency, etc.

[0196] A power block or other power source coupled to the power grid can be coupled to the BMS to charge the battery 630. In some examples, the power block XS30 can be replaced with a wireless power receiver to wirelessly obtain power, for example, through a loop antenna in the computer platform 600. In these examples, the wireless battery charging circuit can be included in the BMS. The specific charging circuit selected can depend on the size of the battery 630 and thus on the required current. Charging can be performed using the aviation fuel standards published by the Aviation Fuel Alliance, the Qi wireless charging standards published by the Wireless Power Consortium, or the Rezence charging standards published by the Wireless Power Consortium.

[0197] The user interface circuit 650 includes various input / output (I / O) devices present within or connected to the platform 600 and includes one or more user interfaces designed to enable interaction with the user of the platform 600 and / or a peripheral component interface designed to enable interaction with the peripheral components of the platform 600. The user interface circuit 650 includes an input device circuit and an output device circuit. The input device circuit includes any physical or virtual device for accepting input, particularly including one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), a physical keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a microphone, a scanner, a headset, etc. The output device circuit includes any physical or virtual device for displaying information or otherwise communicating information (such as sensor readings, actuator positions, or other similar information). The output device circuit can include any number and / or combination of audio or visual displays, particularly including one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary state indicators (e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs)) and multi-character visual outputs, or more complex outputs (such as a display device or a touchscreen (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), an LED display, a quantum dot display, a projector, etc.)), where the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc. is generated or produced by the operation of the platform 600. The output device circuit can also include a speaker or other audio emitting device, a printer, etc. In some embodiments, the sensor circuit 621 can be used as an input device circuit (e.g., an image capture device, a motion capture device, etc.) and one or more EMCs can be used as an output device circuit (e.g., an actuator for providing haptic feedback, etc.). In another example, an NFC circuit can be included to read an electronic tag and / or connect to another NFC-enabled device, and the NFC circuit includes an NFC controller and a processing device coupled to an antenna element. The peripheral component interface can include, but is not limited to, a non-volatile memory port, a USB port, an audio jack, a power interface, etc.

[0198] Although not shown, the components of platform 600 communicate with each other using suitable bus or interconnect (IX) technology, which may include any number of technologies, including ISA, EISA, PCI, PCIx, PCIe, Time-Triggered Protocol (TTP) systems, FlexRay systems, or any number of other technologies. The bus / IX can be a proprietary bus / IX, for example, used in an SoC-based system. Other bus / IX systems may be included, such as I 2 C interfaces, SPI interfaces, point-to-point interfaces, and power buses, etc.

[0199] Exemplary baseband circuit and radio front - end module

[0200] Figure 7 Exemplary components of baseband circuit 710 and radio front-end module (RFEM) 1215 according to various embodiments are shown. Baseband circuit 710 corresponds to the baseband circuit 510 of Figure 5 and Figure 6 's baseband circuit 610. RFEM 1215 corresponds to RFEM 515 of Figure 5 and Figure 6 's RFEM 615. As shown, RFEM 1215 may include radio frequency (RF) circuit 706, front-end module (FEM) circuit 708, and antenna array 711 coupled together at least as shown.

[0201] Baseband circuit 710 includes circuits and / or control logic components configured to perform various radio / network protocols and radio control functions enabling communication with one or more radio networks via RF circuit 706. Radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, the modulation / demodulation circuit of baseband circuit 710 may include fast Fourier transform (FFT), precoding, or constellation mapping / demapping functions. In some embodiments, the encoding / decoding circuit of baseband circuit 710 may include convolutional, tail-biting convolutional, turbo, Viterbi, or low-density parity-check (LDPC) encoder / decoder functions. Embodiments of modulation / demodulation and encoder / decoder functions are not limited to these examples and may include other suitable functions in other embodiments. Baseband circuit 710 is configured to process baseband signals received from the receive signal path of RF circuit 706 and generate baseband signals for the transmit signal path of RF circuit 706. Baseband circuit 710 is configured to connect to application circuits 505 / 605 (see Figure 5 and Figure 6 ) to generate and process baseband signals and control the operation of RF circuit 706. Baseband circuit 710 processes various radio control functions.

[0202] The aforementioned circuits and / or control logic components of the baseband circuit 710 may include one or more single-core or multi-core processors. For example, the one or more processors may include a 3G baseband processor 704A, a 4G / LTE baseband processor 704B, a 5G / NR baseband processor 704C, or some other baseband processors 704D for other existing generations, generations under development or generations to be developed in the future (e.g., the sixth generation (6G), etc.). In other embodiments, some or all of the functions of the baseband processors 704A-704D may be included in a module stored in the memory 704G and executed via a central processing unit (CPU) 704E. In other embodiments, some or all of the functions of the baseband processors 704A-D may be provided as a hardware accelerator (e.g., FPGA, ASIC, etc.) loaded with an appropriate bitstream or logic block stored in a corresponding memory unit. In various embodiments, the memory 704G stores program code of a real-time OS (RTOS), which, when executed by the CPU 704E (or other baseband processor), enables the CPU 704E (or other baseband processor) to manage resources of the baseband circuit 710, schedule tasks, etc. Examples of RTOS may include: Operating System Embedded (OSE) provided TM , by Mentor Nucleus RTOS provided TM , by Mentor Versatile Real-Time Executive (VRTX) provided by Express Provided by ThreadX TM ,Depend on FreeRTOS and REX OS provided by OpenKernel (OK) OKL4 provided, or any other suitable RTOS, such as those discussed herein. In addition, the baseband circuit 710 includes one or more audio digital signal processors (DSPs) 704F. The audio DSP 704F includes elements for compression / decompression and echo cancellation, and may include other suitable processing elements in other embodiments.

[0203] In some embodiments, each of processors 704A-704E includes a corresponding memory interface to send data to / receive data from memory 704G. Baseband circuit 710 may also include one or more interfaces for communicatively coupling to other circuits / devices, such as an interface for sending data to / receiving data from a memory external to baseband circuit 710; an interface for sending data to / receiving data from a memory external to the baseband circuit; Figures 10 to XThe application circuit interface of the application circuit 505 / 605 for transmitting data to / receiving data from the application circuit; for transmitting data to Figure 7 the RF circuit 706 of receiving data from the RF circuit; for transmitting data to / receiving data from one or more wireless hardware components (e.g., near field communication (NFC) components, low-power components,

[0204] components, etc.); and a power management interface for transmitting power or control signals to the PMIC 625 / receiving power or control signals from the PMIC.

[0205] Although Figure 7Although not shown, in some embodiments, baseband circuit 710 includes respective processing devices for operating one or more wireless communication protocols (e.g., a “multi-protocol baseband processor” or “protocol processing circuitry”) and respective processing devices for implementing PHY layer functions. In these embodiments, the PHY layer functions include the aforementioned radio control functions. In these embodiments, the protocol processing circuitry operates or implements various protocol layers / entities of one or more wireless communication protocols. In a first example, when baseband circuit 710 and / or RF circuit 706 is part of a millimeter wave communication circuit or some other suitable cellular communication circuit, the protocol processing circuitry may operate LTE protocol entities and / or 5G / NR protocol entities. In the first example, the protocol processing circuitry will operate MAC, RLC, PDCP, SDAP, RRC, and NAS functions. In a second example, when baseband circuit 710 and / or RF circuit 706 is part of a Wi-Fi communication system, the protocol processing circuitry may operate one or more IEEE-based protocols. In the second example, the protocol processing circuitry will operate Wi-Fi MAC and logical link control (LLC) functions. The protocol processing circuitry may include one or more memory structures (e.g., 704G) for storing program code and data for operating protocol functions, and one or more processing cores for executing the program code and performing various operations using the data. Baseband circuit 710 may also support radio communication for more than one wireless protocol.

[0206] The various hardware elements of baseband circuit 710 discussed herein may be implemented as, for example, a soldered-in substrate that includes one or more integrated circuits (ICs), a single-packaged integrated circuit soldered to a main circuit board, or a multi-chip module that includes two or more ICs. In one example, the components of baseband circuit 710 may be suitably combined in a single chip or single chipset, or disposed on the same circuit board. In another example, some or all of the components of baseband circuit 710 and RF circuit 706 may be implemented together, such as, for example, a system-on-chip (SoC) or a system-in-package (SiP). In another example, some or all of the components of baseband circuit 710 may be implemented as a separate SoC communicatively coupled to RF circuit 706 (or multiple instances of RF circuit 706). In yet another example, some or all of the components of baseband circuit 710 and application circuit 505 / 605 may be implemented together as separate SoCs mounted to the same circuit board (e.g., a “multi-chip package”).

[0207] In some embodiments, baseband circuit 710 provides communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, baseband circuit 710 supports communication with E-UTRAN or other WMAN, WLAN, WPAN. Embodiments in which baseband circuit 710 is configured to support radio communication of more than one wireless protocol may be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuits.

[0208] RF circuit 706 enables communication with a wireless network using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, RF circuit 706 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate communication with the wireless network. RF circuit 706 may include a receive signal path that may include circuitry for down-converting an RF signal received from FEM circuit 708 and providing a baseband signal to baseband circuit 710. RF circuit 706 may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry for up-converting a baseband signal provided by baseband circuit 710 and providing an RF output signal for transmission to FEM circuit 708.

[0209] In some embodiments, the receive signal path of RF circuit 706 may include mixer circuit 706A, amplifier circuit 706B, and filter circuit 706C. In some embodiments, the transmit signal path of RF circuit 706 may include filter circuit 706C and mixer circuit 706A. RF circuit 706 may also include synthesizer circuit 706D that is used to synthesize the frequencies used by mixer circuit 706A of the receive signal path and the transmit signal path. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 706A of the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert an RF signal received from FEM circuit 708 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuit 706D. Amplifier circuit 706B may be configured to amplify the down-converted signal, and filter circuit 706C may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or a band-pass filter (BPF) that is configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signal to generate an output baseband signal. The output baseband signal may be provided to baseband circuit 710 for further processing. In some embodiments, although not required, the output baseband signal may be a zero-frequency baseband signal. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 706A of the receive signal path may include a passive mixer, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard.

[0210] In some embodiments, mixer circuit 706A of the transmit signal path may be configured to up-convert an input baseband signal based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuit 706D to generate an RF output signal for FEM circuit 708. The baseband signal may be provided by baseband circuit 710 and may be filtered by filter circuit 706C.

[0211] In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 706A of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 706A of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature downconversion and quadrature upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 706A of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 706A of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 706A of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 706A of the transmit signal path may be arranged for direct downconversion and direct upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 706A of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 706A of the transmit signal path may be configured for superheterodyne operation.

[0212] In some embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard. In some alternative embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be digital baseband signals. In these alternative embodiments, the RF circuit 706 may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit, and the baseband circuit 710 may include a digital baseband interface for communicating with the RF circuit 706.

[0213] In some dual-mode embodiments, a separate radio IC circuit may be provided to process signals of each spectrum, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard.

[0214] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 706D may be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional-N / N+1 synthesizer, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard since other types of frequency synthesizers may also be suitable. For example, the synthesizer circuit 706D may be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer including a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

[0215] The synthesizer circuit 706D may be configured to synthesize an output frequency based on a frequency input and a frequency divider control input for use by the mixer circuit 706A of the RF circuit 706. In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 706D may be a fractional-N / N+1 synthesizer.

[0216] In some embodiments, the frequency input may be provided by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), although this is not required. The frequency divider control input may be provided by the baseband circuit 710 or the application circuit 505 / 605 according to the desired output frequency. In some embodiments, the frequency divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a look-up table based on the channel indicated by the application circuit 505 / 605.

[0217] The synthesizer circuit 706D of the RF circuit 706 may include a frequency divider, a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer, and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the frequency divider may be a dual-mode frequency divider (DMD), and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide an input signal by N or N+1 (e.g., based on a carry) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example embodiments, the DLL may include a cascaded, tunable, delay element, a phase detector, a charge pump, and a set of D-type flip-flops. In these embodiments, the delay element may be configured to divide the VCO period into Nd equal phase bins, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO period.

[0218] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 706D may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and may be used with an in-phase / quadrature (IQ) generator and a frequency divider circuit to generate multiple signals having multiple different phases relative to each other at that carrier frequency. In some embodiments, the output frequency may be the local oscillator frequency (fLO). In some embodiments, the RF circuit 706 may include an IQ / polarity converter.

[0219] The FEM circuit 708 may include a receive signal path that may include circuitry configured to operate on an RF signal received from the antenna array 711, amplify the received signal, and provide an amplified version of the received signal to the RF circuit 706 for further processing. The FEM circuit 708 may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry configured to amplify a signal provided by the RF circuit 706 for transmission for transmission by one or more antenna elements in the antenna array 711. In various embodiments, amplification through the transmit or receive signal path may be accomplished only in the RF circuit 706, only in the FEM circuit 708, or in both the RF circuit 706 and the FEM circuit 708.

[0220] In some embodiments, the FEM circuit 708 may include a TX / RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operations. The FEM circuit 708 may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuit 708 may include an LNA to amplify the received RF signal and provide the amplified received RF signal as an output (e.g., to the RF circuit 706). The transmit signal path of the FEM circuit 708 may include a power amplifier (PA) for amplifying an input RF signal (e.g., provided by the RF circuit 706), and one or more filters for generating an RF signal for subsequent transmission by one or more antenna elements of the antenna array 711.

[0221] The antenna array 711 includes one or more antenna elements, each antenna element being configured to convert an electrical signal into a radio wave to travel through the air and to convert the received radio wave into an electrical signal. For example, a digital baseband signal provided by the baseband circuit 710 is converted into an analog RF signal (e.g., a modulated waveform), which will be amplified and transmitted via the antenna elements of the antenna array 711 including one or more antenna elements (not shown). The antenna elements may be omnidirectional, directional, or a combination thereof. The antenna elements may form various arrangements as known and / or discussed herein. The antenna array 711 may include a microstrip antenna or a printed antenna fabricated on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards. The antenna array 711 may be formed as patches of metal foil of various shapes (e.g., patch antennas), and may be coupled to the RF circuit 706 and / or the FEM circuit 708 using metal transmission lines and the like.

[0222] Exemplary protocol functions that can be implemented in a wireless communication device

[0223] The processors of the application circuit 505 / 605 and the baseband circuit 710 may be used to execute elements of one or more instances of a protocol stack. For example, the processor of the baseband circuit 710 may be used, alone or in combination, to execute layer 3, layer 2, or layer 1 functions, while the processor of the application circuit 505 / 605 may utilize the data received from these layers (e.g., packet data) and further execute layer 4 functions (e.g., the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) layer and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) layer). As mentioned herein, layer 3 may include a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, which will be described in further detail below. As mentioned herein, layer 2 may include a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, which will be described in further detail below. As mentioned herein, layer 1 may include the Physical (PHY) layer of the UE / RAN node, which will be described in further detail below.

[0224] Figure 8illustrates various protocol functions that may be implemented in a wireless communication device according to various embodiments. Specifically, Figure 8 includes an arrangement 800 showing the interconnection between various protocol layers / entities. The following description is provided for various protocol layers / entities operating in conjunction with 5G / NR system standards and LTE system standards, Figure 8 but Figure 8 some or all aspects of which may also be applicable to other wireless communication network systems.

[0225] In addition to other higher layer functions not shown, the protocol layers of arrangement 800 may include one or more of PHY 810, MAC 820, RLC 830, PDCP 840, SDAP 847, RRC 855, and NAS layer 857. These protocol layers may include one or more service access points that provide communication between two or more protocol layers (e.g., Figure 8 items 859, 856, 850, 849, 845, 835, 825, and 815 in

[0226] PHY 810 may transmit and receive physical layer signals 805, which may be received from or transmitted to one or more other communication devices. The physical layer signals 805 may include one or more physical channels, such as those discussed herein. PHY 810 may also perform link adaptation or adaptive modulation and coding (AMC), power control, cell search (e.g., for initial synchronization and handover purposes), and other measurement items used by higher layers (e.g., RRC 855). PHY 810 may further perform error detection on transport channels, forward error correction (FEC) encoding / decoding of transport channels, modulation / demodulation of physical channels, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to physical channels, and MIMO antenna processing. In some embodiments, instances of PHY 810 may process requests from instances of MAC 820 and provide indications thereto via one or more PHY-SAP 815. According to some embodiments, the requests and indications transmitted via PHY-SAP 815 may include one or more transport channels.

[0227] An instance of MAC 820 processes requests from an instance of RLC 830 via one or more MAC-SAPs 825 and provides indications thereto. These requests and indications transmitted via the MAC-SAP 825 may include one or more logical channels. MAC 820 may perform mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplex MAC SDUs from one or more logical channels onto a TB to be delivered to PHY 810 via the transport channel, demultiplex MAC SDUs from a TB delivered from PHY 810 via the transport channel onto one or more logical channels, multiplex MAC SDUs onto a TB, schedule information reporting, perform error correction via HARQ, and perform logical channel prioritization.

[0228] An instance of RLC 830 processes requests from an instance of PDCP 840 via one or more radio link control service access points (RLC-SAPs) 835 and provides indications thereto. These requests and indications transmitted via the RLC-SAP 835 may include one or more logical channels. RLC 830 may operate in multiple operation modes, including: transparent mode (TM), unacknowledged mode (UM), and acknowledged mode (AM). RLC 830 may perform transmission of upper layer protocol data units (PDUs), error correction via automatic repeat request (ARQ) for AM data transmission, and concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs for UM and AM data transmission. RLC 830 may also perform resegmentation of RLC data PDUs for AM data transmission, reordering of RLC data PDUs for UM and AM data transmission, detection of duplicate data for UM and AM data transmission, discarding of RLC SDUs for UM and AM data transmission, detection of protocol errors for AM data transmission, and perform RLC re-establishment.

[0229] An instance of PDCP 840 processes requests from an instance of RRC 855 and / or an instance of SDAP 847 via one or more packet data convergence protocol service access points (PDCP-SAPs) 845 and provides indications thereto. These requests and indications transmitted via the PDCP-SAP 845 may include one or more radio bearers. PDCP 840 may perform header compression and decompression of IP data, maintain a PDCP sequence number (SN), perform sequential delivery of upper layer PDUs upon re-establishment of the lower layer, eliminate duplicates at the lower layer when re-establishing a lower layer SDU for a radio bearer mapped to RLC AM, encrypt and decrypt control plane data, perform integrity protection and integrity verification on control plane data, control timer-based data discarding, and perform security operations (e.g., encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification, etc.).

[0230] Instances of SDAP 847 process requests from one or more higher layer protocol entities via one or more SDAP-SAPs 849 and provide indications thereto. These requests and indications transmitted via SDAP-SAP 849 may include one or more QoS flows. SDAP 847 may map QoS flows to DRBs and vice versa, and may also mark QFIs in DL packets and UL packets. A single SDAP entity 847 may be configured for a separate PDU session. In the UL direction, NG-RAN 210 may control the mapping of QoS flows to DRBs in two different ways (reflection mapping or explicit mapping). For reflection mapping, the SDAP 847 of UE 201 may monitor the QFI of DL packets of each DRB and may apply the same mapping for packets flowing in the UL direction. For a DRB, the SDAP 847 of UE 201 may map UL packets belonging to a QoS flow that corresponds to the QoS flow ID and PDU session observed in the DL packets of that DRB. To implement reflection mapping, NG-RAN 410 may mark DL packets with the QoS flow ID via the Uu interface. Explicit mapping may involve RRC 855 configuring SDAP 847 with explicit mapping rules for QoS flows to DRBs, which may be stored and followed by SDAP 847. In some embodiments, SDAP 847 may be used only in NR implementations and may not be used in LTE implementations.

[0231] RRC 855 configures aspects of one or more protocol layers via one or more management service access points (M-SAPs), and the one or more protocol layers may include one or more instances of PHY 810, MAC 820, RLC 830, PDCP 840, and SDAP 847. In some embodiments, instances of RRC 855 may process requests from one or more NAS entities 857 via one or more RRC-SAPs 856 and provide indications thereto. The main services and functions of RRC 855 may include broadcasting of system information (e.g., included in MIB or SIB related to NAS), broadcasting of system information related to the access stratum (AS), paging, establishment, maintenance, and release of RRC connections between UE 201 and RAN 210 (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release), establishment, configuration, maintenance, and release of point-to-point radio bearers, security functions including key management, mobility between RATs, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting. These MIBs and SIBs may include one or more IEs, each of which may include separate data fields or data structures.

[0232] The NAS 857 forms the top layer of the control plane between the UE 201 and the AMF 421. The NAS 857 supports the mobility and session management procedures of the UE 201 to establish and maintain an IP connection between the UE 201 and the P-GW in the LTE system.

[0233] According to various embodiments, one or more protocol entities of the arrangement 800 may be implemented in the UE 201, the RAN node 211, the AMF 421 in the NR implementation or the MME 321 in the LTE implementation, the UPF 402 in the NR implementation or the S-GW 322 and the P-GW 323 in the LTE implementation, etc., for the control plane or user plane communication protocol stack between the foregoing devices. In such embodiments, one or more protocol entities that can be implemented in one or more of the UE 201, the gNB 211, the AMF 421, etc. are capable of communicating with the corresponding peer protocol entities that can be implemented in another device or on another device (performing such communication using the services of the corresponding lower layer protocol entities). In some embodiments, the gNB-CU of the gNB 211 may host the RRC 855, the SDAP 847, and the PDCP 840 that control the operation of one or more gNB-DUs of the gNB, and each gNB-DU of the gNB 211 may host the RLC 830, the MAC 820, and the PHY 1310 of the gNB 211.

[0234] In a first example, the control plane protocol stack may include, in order from the top layer to the bottom layer, the NAS 1357, the RRC1355, the PDCP 840, the RLC 830, the MAC 1320, and the PHY 1310. In this example, the upper layer 860 may be built on top of the NAS 1357, which includes the IP layer 861, the SCTP 862, and the application layer signaling protocol (AP) 863.

[0235] In the NR implementation, the AP 863 may be the NG application protocol layer (NGAP or NG-AP) 863 for the NG interface 213 defined between the NG-RAN node 211 and the AMF 421, or the AP 863 may be the Xn application protocol layer (XnAP or Xn-AP) 863 for the Xn interface 212 defined between two or more RAN nodes 211.

[0236] The NG-AP 863 supports the functions of the NG interface 213 and may include an elementary procedure (EP). The NG-AP EP may be an interaction unit between the NG-RAN node 211 and the AMF 421. The NG-AP 863 services may include two groups: UE-associated services (e.g., services related to the UE 201) and non-UE-associated services (e.g., services related to the entire NG interface instance between the NG-RAN node 211 and the AMF 421). These services may include functions, including but not limited to: a paging function for sending a paging request to the NG-RAN node 211 involved in a specific paging area; a UE context management function for allowing the AMF 421 to establish, modify, and / or release the UE context in the AMF 421 and the NG-RAN node 211; a mobility function for the UE 201 in the ECM-CONNECTED mode, for supporting mobility within the system HO in the NG-RAN, and for supporting mobility between systems HO from / to the EPS system; a NAS signaling transmission function for transmitting or rerouting NAS messages between the UE 201 and the AMF 421; a NAS node selection function for determining the association between the AMF 421 and the UE 201; an NG interface management function for setting the NG interface and monitoring errors through the NG interface; a warning message sending function for providing a means to transmit a warning message via the NG interface or cancel the broadcast of an ongoing warning message; a configuration transmission function for requesting and transmitting RAN configuration information (e.g., SON information, performance measurement (PM) data, etc.) between two RAN nodes 211 via the CN 220; and / or other similar functions.

[0237] The XnAP 863 supports the functions of the Xn interface 212 and may include XnAP basic mobility procedures and XnAP global procedures. The XnAP basic mobility procedures may include procedures for handling UE mobility within the NG RAN 211 (or E-UTRAN 310), such as handover preparation and cancellation procedures, SN status transmission procedures, UE context retrieval and UE context release procedures, RAN paging procedures, procedures related to dual connectivity, etc. The XnAP global procedures may include procedures that are not related to a specific UE 201, such as Xn interface setup and reset procedures, NG-RAN update procedures, cell activation procedures, etc.

[0238] In a LTE specific implementation, the AP 863 may be the S1 application protocol layer (S1-AP) 863 for the S1 interface 213 defined between the E-UTRAN node 211 and the MME, or the AP 863 may be the X2 application protocol layer (X2AP or X2-AP) 863 for the X2 interface 212 defined between two or more E-UTRAN nodes 211.

[0239] The S1 Application Protocol Layer (S1-AP) 863 supports the functions of the S1 interface, and similar to the previously discussed NG-AP, the S1-AP may include S1-AP EPs. The S1-AP EP can be an interaction unit between the E-UTRAN node 211 and the MME 321 within the LTE CN 220. The S1-AP 863 services can be divided into two groups: UE-associated services and non-UE-associated services. The functions performed by these services include, but are not limited to: E-UTRAN Radio Access Bearer (E-RAB) management, UE capability indication, mobility, NAS signaling transmission, RAN Information Management (RIM), and configuration transmission.

[0240] The X2AP 863 supports the functions of the X2 interface 212 and may include X2AP basic mobility procedures and X2AP global procedures. The X2AP basic mobility procedures may include procedures for handling UE mobility within the E-UTRAN 220, such as handover preparation and cancellation procedures, SN status transfer procedures, UE context retrieval and UE context release procedures, RAN paging procedures, procedures related to dual connectivity, etc. The X2AP global procedures may include procedures that are not related to a specific UE 201, such as X2 interface setup and reset procedures, load indication procedures, error indication procedures, cell activation procedures, etc.

[0241] The SCTP layer (alternatively referred to as the SCTP / IP layer) 862 provides guaranteed delivery of application layer messages (e.g., NGAP or XnAP messages in an NR implementation, or S1-AP or X2AP messages in an LTE implementation). The SCTP 862 can ensure reliable delivery of signaling messages between the RAN node 211 and the AMF 421 / MME 321 partly based on the IP protocol supported by the IP 861. The Internet Protocol layer (IP) 861 can be used to perform packet addressing and routing functions. In some embodiments, the IP layer 861 can use point-to-point transmission to deliver and transfer PDUs. In this regard, the RAN node 211 may include communication links (e.g., wired or wireless) with the L2 and L1 layers of the MME / AMF to exchange information.

[0242] In a second example, the user plane protocol stack may include, in order from the highest layer to the lowest layer, SDAP 847, PDCP 840, RLC 830, MAC 1320, and PHY 1310. The user plane protocol stack may be used for communication between the UE 201, RAN node 211, and UPF 402 in an NR implementation, or between the S-GW 322 and P-GW 323 in an LTE implementation. In this example, the upper layer 851 may be built on top of SDAP 847 and may include the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and IP Security layer (UDP / IP) 852, the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol layer for the user plane (GTP-U) 853, and the user plane PDU layer (UP PDU) 863.

[0243] The transport network layer 854 (also referred to as the "transport layer") may be built on top of IP transport, and GTP-U 853 may be used on top of the UDP / IP layer 852 (including the UDP layer and the IP layer) to carry user plane PDUs (UP-PDUs). The IP layer (also referred to as the "internet layer") may be used to perform packet addressing and routing functions. The IP layer may assign IP addresses to user data packets in any one of, for example, IPv4, IPv6, or PPP formats.

[0244] GTP-U 853 is used to carry user data within the GPRS core network and between the radio access network and the core network. For example, the user data being transmitted may be packets in any one of IPv4, IPv6, or PPP formats. UDP / IP 852 provides a checksum for data integrity, port numbers for addressing different functions at the source and destination, and encryption and authentication for selected data flows. The RAN node 211 and S-GW 322 may exchange user plane data via a protocol stack including the L1 layer (e.g., PHY 810), L2 layer (e.g., MAC 820, RLC 830, PDCP 840, and / or SDAP 847), UDP / IP layer 852, and GTP-U 853 using the S1-U interface. The S-GW 322 and P-GW 323 may exchange user plane data via a protocol stack including the L1 layer, L2 layer, UDP / IP layer 852, and GTP-U 853 using the S5 / S8a interface. As previously discussed, the NAS protocol supports the mobility and session management procedures of the UE 201 to establish and maintain an IP connection between the UE 201 and the P-GW 323.

[0245] In addition, although Figure 8Although not shown, the application layer may exist above the AP 863 and / or the transport network layer 854. The application layer may be a layer in which users of the UE 201, the RAN node 211, or other network elements interact with software applications executed, for example, by the application circuit 505 or the application circuit 605, respectively. The application layer may also provide one or more interfaces for the software application to interact with a communication system (such as the baseband circuit 710) of the UE 201 or the RAN node 211. In some embodiments, the IP layer and / or the application layer provide the same or similar functions as layers 5 to 7 or portions thereof of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (e.g., OSI layer 7 - application layer, OSI layer 6 - presentation layer, and OSI layer 5 - session layer).

[0246] Figure 9 Components of a core network according to various embodiments are shown. The components of the CN 320 may be implemented in one physical node or separate physical nodes and include components for reading and executing instructions from a machine-readable medium or a computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium). In some embodiments, the components of the CN 420 can be implemented in the same or similar manner as discussed herein with respect to the components of the CN 320. In some embodiments, NFV is used to virtualize any one or all of the above network node functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media (described in further detail below). A logical instance of the CN 320 may be referred to as a network slice 901, and the various logical instances of the CN 320 provide specific network functions and network characteristics. A logical instance of a part of the CN 320 may be referred to as a network sub-slice 902 (e.g., the network sub-slice 902 is shown as including the P-GW 323 and the PCRF 326).

[0247] As used herein, terms such as "instantiation" may refer to the creation of an instance, and an "instance" may refer to a specific occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during the execution of program code. A network instance may refer to information identifying a domain, which may be used for traffic detection and routing in the case of different IP domains or overlapping IP addresses. A network slice instance may refer to a set of network function (NF) instances and the resources (e.g., computing, storage, and networking resources) required to deploy a network slice.

[0248] Regarding 5G systems (see, for example, Figure 4) A network slice always includes a Radio Access Network (RAN) part and a Core Network (CN) part. Support for network slicing relies on the principle that traffic for different slices is handled by different Protocol Data Unit (PDU) sessions. The network can implement different network slices by scheduling and also by providing different L1 / L2 configurations. If the NAS has provided an RRC message, the UE 401 provides assistance information for network slice selection in an appropriate Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. Although the network can support a large number of slices, the UE does not need to support more than eight slices simultaneously.

[0249] A network slice can include a CN 420 control plane and user plane network functions (NFs), a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) 410 in the serving PLMN, and an N3IWF function in the serving PLMN. Each network slice can have a different S-NSSAI and / or can have a different SST. The NSSAI includes one or more S-NSSAIs, and each network slice is uniquely identified by an S-NSSAI. Network slices can differ in terms of supported features and network function optimizations, and / or multiple network slice instances can deliver the same service / function but differ for different groups of UEs 401 (e.g., enterprise users). For example, each network slice can deliver different promised services and / or can be dedicated to a specific customer or enterprise. In this example, each network slice can have a different S-NSSAI with the same SST but with different slice differentiators. Additionally, a single UE can be served simultaneously by one or more network slice instances via a 5G AN and be associated with eight different S-NSSAIs. Furthermore, an AMF 421 instance serving a single UE 401 can belong to each network slice instance serving that UE.

[0250] Network slicing in NG-RAN 410 involves RAN slice awareness. RAN slice awareness includes differentiated handling of traffic for different network slices that have been preconfigured. Slice awareness in NG-RAN 410 is introduced at the PDU session level by indicating the S-NSSAI corresponding to the PDU session in all signaling including PDU session resource information. How NG-RAN 410 supports slice enabling based on NG-RAN functions (e.g., a set of network functions for each slice) depends on the specific implementation. NG-RAN 410 uses the assistance information provided by UE 401 or 5GC 420 to select the RAN part of the network slice, and this assistance information explicitly identifies one or more of the preconfigured network slices in the PLMN. NG-RAN 410 also supports resource management and policy enforcement between slices according to the SLA. A single NG-RAN node supports multiple slices, and NG-RAN 410 can also apply appropriate RRM policies for the SLA in place to each supported slice. NG-RAN 410 can also support QoS differentiation within a slice.

[0251] If available, NG-RAN 410 can also use UE assistance information for selecting AMF 421 during initial attachment. NG-RAN 410 uses the assistance information to route the initial NAS to AMF 421. If NG-RAN 410 is unable to use the assistance information to select AMF 421, or UE 401 does not provide any such information, then NG-RAN 410 sends the NAS signaling to the default AMF 421, which can be in the pool of AMF 421. For subsequent accesses, UE 401 provides the temp ID assigned to UE401 by 5GC 420 so that NG-RAN 410 can route the NAS message to the appropriate AMF 421, as long as the temp ID is valid. NG-RAN 410 knows and can reach the AMF 421 associated with the temp ID. Otherwise, the method for initial attachment is applied.

[0252] NG-RAN 410 supports resource isolation between slices. NG-RAN410 resource isolation can be achieved through RRM policies and protection mechanisms, and the RRM policies and protection mechanisms should avoid a shortage of shared resources in the case where the service level agreement of one slice is interrupted by another slice. In some embodiments, it is possible to fully allocate the NG-RAN 410 resources to a certain slice. How NG-RAN 410 supports resource isolation depends on the specific implementation.

[0253] Some slices may be only partially available in the network. Awareness of the slices supported in its neighboring cells in the NG-RAN 410 can be beneficial for inter-frequency mobility in the connected mode. Within the registration area of the UE, the slice availability may not change. The NG-RAN 410 and 5GC 420 are responsible for handling service requests for slices that may or may not be available in a given area. Granting or denying access to a slice may depend on factors such as support for the slice, availability of resources, and support of the requested service by the NG-RAN 410.

[0254] The UE 401 can be associated with multiple network slices simultaneously. In the case where the UE 401 is associated with multiple slices simultaneously, only one signaling connection is maintained, and for intra-frequency cell reselection, the UE 401 attempts to preoccupy the best cell. For inter-frequency cell reselection, dedicated priorities can be used to control the frequency preoccupied by the UE 401. The 5GC 420 will verify that the UE 401 has the right to access the network slice. Before receiving the initial context setup request message, based on the awareness of the specific slice that the UE 401 is requesting access to, the NG-RAN 410 may be allowed to apply some temporary / local policies. During the initial context setup, the slice for which resources are being requested is notified to the NG-RAN 410.

[0255] Network Function Virtualization (NFV) architectures and infrastructures can be used to virtualize one or more NFs (alternatively performed by proprietary hardware) onto physical resources that include a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches. In other words, NFV systems can be used to perform virtual or reconfigurable implementations of one or more EPC components / functions.

[0256] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the components of a system 1000 for supporting Network Function Virtualization (NFV) according to some embodiments. The system 1000 is shown to include a Virtualization Infrastructure Manager (VIM) 1002, a Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI) 1004, a Virtualized Network Function Manager (VNFM) 1006, a VNF 1008, an Element Manager (EM) 1010, a Network Function Virtualization Orchestrator (NFVO) 1012, and a Network Manager (NM) 1014.

[0257] The VIM 1002 manages the resources of the NFVI 1004. The NFVI 1004 may include physical or virtual resources and applications (including hypervisors) for executing the system 1000. The VIM 1002 may utilize the NFVI 1004 to manage the life cycle of virtual resources (e.g., creation, maintenance, and demolition of virtual machines (VMs) associated with one or more physical resources), track VM instances, track the performance, faults, and security of VM instances and associated physical resources, and expose VM instances and associated physical resources to other management systems.

[0258] The VNFM 1006 may manage the VNF 1008. The VNF 1008 may be used to execute evolved packet core (EPC) components / functions. The VNFM 1006 may manage the life cycle of the VNF 1008 and track the performance, faults, and security of the virtual aspects of the VNF 1008. The EM 1010 may track the performance, faults, and security of the functional aspects of the VNF 1008. The tracking data from the VNFM 1006 and the EM 1010 may include, for example, PM data used by the VIM 1002 or the NFVI 1004. Both the VNFM 1006 and the EM 1010 may scale up / down the number of VNFs of the system 1000.

[0259] The NFVO 1012 may coordinate, authorize, release, and engage the resources of the NFVI 1004 to provide the requested services (e.g., to execute EPC functions, components, or slices). The NM 1014 provides an end-user functional package responsible for network management, which may include network elements with VNFs, non-virtualized network functions, or both (the management of VNFs may occur via the EM 1010).

[0260] Figure 11 is a block diagram showing components that can read instructions from a machine-readable medium or a computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and execute any one or more of the methods discussed herein. Specifically, Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram of hardware resources 1100, including one or more processors (or processor cores) 1110, one or more memory / storage devices 1120, and one or more communication resources 1130, each of which may be communicatively coupled via a bus 1640. For embodiments in which node virtualization (e.g., NFV) is utilized, a hypervisor 1102 may be executed to provide an execution environment for one or more network slices / sub-slices to utilize the hardware resources 1100.

[0261] The processor 1110 may include, for example, processor 1112 and processor 1114. The processor 1110 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a DSP such as a baseband processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor (including those discussed herein), or any suitable combination thereof.

[0262] The memory / storage device 1120 may include a main memory, a disk storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory / storage device 1120 may include, but is not limited to, any type of volatile or non-volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid state storage devices, etc.

[0263] The communication resource 1130 may include an interconnect or network interface component or other suitable device to communicate with one or more peripheral devices 1104 or one or more databases 1106 via the network 1108. For example, the communication resource 1130 may include a wired communication component (e.g., for coupling via USB), a cellular communication component, an NFC component, (or low power) component, components, and other communication components.

[0264] The instructions 1150 may include software, programs, applications, applets, apps, or other executable code for causing at least any one of the processors 1110 to execute any one or more of the method sets discussed herein. The instructions 1150 may reside, in whole or in part, in at least one of the processor 1110 (e.g., within the cache memory of the processor), the memory / storage device 1120, or any suitable combination thereof. Additionally, any part of the instructions 1150 may be transferred from any combination of the peripheral devices 1104 or the database 1106 to the hardware resource 1100. Accordingly, the memory of the processor 1110, the memory / storage device 1120, the peripheral devices 1104, and the database 1106 are examples of computer-readable and machine-readable media.

[0265] Exemplary operating methods

[0266] Figure 12A flowchart showing exemplary operations for implementing RACH (Random Access Channel) management and control functions in a wireless network is presented. This disclosure is not limited to this operation description. Instead, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art that other operation control flows are also within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The following discussion describes an exemplary operation control flow 1200 for implementing the RACH management and control functions as described above. The flowchart 1200 may be executed by one or more of the processors or processor circuits described herein (including those processors or processor circuits included in the baseband circuit 510, baseband circuit 610, and / or Figure 11 the processors 1114 shown in

[0267] At operation 1202, the operation control flow 1200 initiates, sets, or updates one or more user equipments (UEs) on which the RACH optimization function is to be implemented.

[0268] At operation 1204, the operation control flow 1200 sets or updates the range and / or values of RACH parameters for a radio cell serving one or more UEs.

[0269] At operation 1206, the operation control flow 1200 collects performance measurement items of one or more UEs.

[0270] At operation 1208, the operation control flow 1200 compares the performance measurement items with the range and / or values of the RACH parameters; and

[0271] At operation 1210, the operation control flow 1200 takes one or more actions to control multiple radio cells in response to the comparison. The one or more actions may include: updating one or more UEs implementing the RACH optimization function; updating the range or values of the RACH parameters; or disabling the RACH optimization function and reconfiguring the RACH parameters of a radio cell from among the multiple radio cells using the performance measurement items that are considered to improve RACH performance.

[0272] Figure 13 A second flowchart showing exemplary operations for implementing RACH (Random Access Channel) management and control functions in a wireless network is presented. This disclosure is not limited to this operation description. Instead, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art that other operation control flows are also within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The following discussion describes an exemplary operation control flow 1300 for implementing the RACH management and control functions as described above. The flowchart 1200 may be executed by one or more of the processors or processor circuits described herein (including those processors or processor circuits included in the baseband circuit 510, baseband circuit 610, and / or Figure 11Those included in the processor 1114 as shown are executed by the processor or processor circuitry).

[0273] At operation 1302, the operation control flow 1300 receives one or more performance measurement items associated with a random access channel (RACH).

[0274] At operation 1304, the operation control flow 1300 determines that the performance measurement item does not meet one or more goals.

[0275] At operation 1306, the operation control flow 1300 takes one or more actions based on the determination. The one or more actions may include: updating one or more UEs implementing the RACH optimization function; updating the range or value of RACH parameters; or disabling the RACH optimization function and reconfiguring the RACH parameters of the radio cell from among multiple radio cells using the performance measurement item that is considered to improve RACH performance.

[0276] Figure 14 A flowchart of exemplary operations for implementing automatic neighbor relation (ANR) optimization in a wireless network according to some embodiments is shown. The present disclosure is not limited to this operation description. Instead, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art that other operation control flows are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The following discussion describes an exemplary operation control flow 1400 for implementing ANR optimization as described above. Flowchart 1200 may be executed by one or more of the processors or processor circuitry described herein (including those included in the baseband circuitry 510, baseband circuitry 610, and / or Figure 11 Those included in the processor 1114 as shown are executed by the processor or processor circuitry).

[0277] At operation 1402, the operation control flow 1400 monitors one or more performance metrics of multiple cells in a wireless cellular network.

[0278] At operation 1404, the operation control flow 1400 detects performance degradation from one or more of the multiple cells based on one or more performance metrics.

[0279] At operation 1406, the operation control flow 1400 modifies the neighbor relations associated with one or more cells based on the detection.

[0280] Abbreviations

[0281] For the purposes of the present disclosure, the following abbreviations may apply to the examples and embodiments discussed herein, but are not meant to be limiting.

[0282]

[0283]

[0284]

[0285]

[0286]

[0287]

[0288]

[0289]

[0290]

[0291]

[0292]

[0293]

[0294]

[0295]

[0296] Exemplary terms

[0297] For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply to the embodiments and implementations discussed herein, but are not intended to be limiting.

[0298] As used herein, the term "circuitry" refers to, is part of, or includes the following: hardware components such as electronic circuitry, logic circuitry, processors (shared, dedicated, or group) and / or memories (shared, dedicated, or group) configured to provide the function, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable devices (FPDs) (e.g., field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex PLDs (CPLDs), high capacity PLDs (HCPLDs), structured ASICs, or programmable SoCs), digital signal processors (DSPs), etc. that are configured to provide the function. In some implementations, the circuitry may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the function. The term "circuitry" may also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements and program code for performing the functions of the program code (or a combination of circuitry used in an electrical or electronic system). In these implementations, the combination of the hardware element and the program code may be referred to as a particular type of circuitry.

[0299] As used herein, the term "processor circuitry" refers to, is part of, or includes circuitry capable of sequentially and automatically performing a series of arithmetic or logical operations or recording, storing, and / or transmitting digital data. The term "processor circuitry" may refer to one or more application processors, one or more baseband processors, a physical central processing unit (CPU), a single-core processor, a dual-core processor, a triple-core processor, a quad-core processor, and / or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating on computer-executable instructions, such as program code, software modules, and / or functional procedures. The terms "application circuitry" and / or "baseband circuitry" may be considered synonymous with "processor circuitry" and may be referred to as "processor circuitry".

[0300] As used herein, the term "interface circuitry" refers to, is part of, or includes circuitry that enables the exchange of information between two or more components or devices. The term "interface circuitry" may refer to one or more hardware interfaces, such as a bus, an I / O interface, a peripheral component interface, a network interface card, etc.

[0301] As used herein, the term "user equipment" or "UE" refers to a device of a remote user that has radio communication capabilities and can describe network resources in a communication network. Additionally, the terms "user equipment" or "UE" may be considered synonymous and may be referred to as a client, a mobile phone, a mobile device, a mobile terminal, a user terminal, a mobile unit, a mobile station, a mobile user, a subscriber, a user, a remote station, an access agent, a user agent, a receiver, a radio device, a reconfigurable radio device, a reconfigurable mobile device, etc. Additionally, the term "user equipment" or "UE" may include any type of wireless / wired device or any computing device that includes a wireless communication interface.

[0302] As used herein, the term "network element" refers to physical or virtualized equipment and / or infrastructure for providing wired or wireless communication network services. The term "network element" may be considered synonymous with and / or referred to as a networked computer, networked hardware, network equipment, network node, router, switch, hub, bridge, radio network controller, RAN device, RAN node, gateway, server, virtualized VNF, NFVI, etc.

[0303] As used herein, the term "computer system" refers to any type of interconnected electronic device, computer device, or components thereof. Additionally, the terms "computer system" and / or "system" may refer to various components of a computer that are communicatively coupled to each other. Furthermore, the terms "computer system" and / or "system" may refer to multiple computer devices and / or multiple computing systems that are communicatively coupled to each other and are configured to share computing and / or networking resources.

[0304] As used herein, the terms "appliance", "computer appliance", etc. refer to a computer device or computer system having program code (e.g., software or firmware) specifically designed to provide a particular computing resource. A "virtual appliance" is a virtual machine image to be implemented by a hypervisor-equipped device that virtualizes or emulates a computer appliance or is otherwise dedicated to providing a particular computing resource.

[0305] As used herein, the term "resource" refers to a physical or virtual device, a physical or virtual component within a computing environment, and / or a physical or virtual component within a particular device, such as a computer device, a mechanical device, memory space, processor / CPU time and / or processor / CPU utilization, processor and accelerator load, hardware time or utilization, power, input / output operations, ports or network sockets, channel / link allocation, throughput, memory utilization, storage, network, database and applications, workload units, etc. "Hardware resources" may refer to computing, storage, and / or network resources provided by physical hardware components. "Virtualized resources" may refer to computing, storage, and / or network resources provided by a virtualization infrastructure to applications, devices, systems, etc. The term "network resource" or "communication resource" may refer to a resource accessible by a computer device / system via a communication network. The term "system resource" may refer to any kind of shared entity that provides a service and may include computing resources and / or network resources. System resources may be regarded as a set of coherent functions, network data objects, or services accessible via a server, where such system resources reside on a single host or multiple hosts and are clearly identifiable.

[0306] As used herein, the term "channel" refers to any tangible or intangible transmission medium for transmitting data or a data stream. The term "channel" may be synonymous with and / or equivalent to "communication channel", "data communication channel", "transmission channel", "data transmission channel", "access channel", "data access channel", "link", "data link", "carrier", "radio frequency carrier", and / or any other similar term denoting a path or medium through which data is transmitted. Additionally, as used herein, the term "link" refers to a connection for transmitting and receiving information between two devices via a RAT.

[0307] As used herein, the terms "instantiate", "instantiation", etc. refer to the creation of an instance. An "instance" also refers to a specific occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during the execution of program code.

[0308] This document uses the terms "coupled", "communicatively coupled" and their derivatives. The term "coupled" may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other, may mean that two or more elements are in indirect contact with each other but still cooperate or interact with each other, and / or may mean that one or more other elements are coupled or connected between the elements said to be coupled to each other. The term "directly coupled" may mean that two or more elements are in direct contact with each other. The term "communicatively coupled" may mean that two or more elements can contact each other by means of communication, including through wires or other interconnections, through wireless communication channels or links, etc.

[0309] The term "information element" refers to a structural element that contains one or more fields. The term "field" refers to the respective content of an information element, or a data element that contains content.

[0310] The term "SMTC" refers to an SSB-based measurement timing configuration configured by SSB-MeasurementTimingConfiguration.

[0311] The term "SSB" refers to an SS / PBCH block.

[0312] The term "primary cell" refers to an MCG cell operating on a primary frequency, where the UE either performs an initial connection establishment procedure or initiates a connection reestablishment procedure.

[0313] The term "primary SCG cell" refers to an SCG cell in which the UE performs random access when reconfiguration is performed using a synchronization process for DC operation.

[0314] The term "secondary cell" refers to a cell that provides additional radio resources on top of the special cells of a UE configured with CA.

[0315] The term "secondary cell group" refers to a subset of serving cells that includes a PSCell for a UE configured with DC and zero or more secondary cells.

[0316] The term "serving cell" refers to the primary cell for a UE in RRC_CONNECTED that is not configured with CA / DC, where there is only one serving cell that includes the primary cell.

[0317] The term "serving cell" refers to a set of cells that includes the special cells and all secondary cells for a UE configured with CA / and in RRC_CONNECTED.

[0318] The term "special cell" refers to the PCell of the MCG or the PSCell of the SCG for DC operation; otherwise, the term "special cell" refers to the Pcell.

Claims

1. A method for implementing RACH (Random Access Channel) management and control functions in a wireless network, the method comprising: Starting, by one or more processors, one or more user equipments (UEs) to implement RACH optimization functions; Setting, by the one or more processors, ranges or values of RACH parameters for a plurality of radio cells serving the one or more UEs; Collecting, by the one or more processors, performance measurement items of the one or more UEs; Comparing, by the one or more processors, the performance measurement items with the ranges or the values of the RACH parameters; And Taking, by the one or more processors, one or more actions to control the plurality of radio cells in response to the comparison, Wherein the one or more actions include disabling the RACH optimization function and reconfiguring the RACH parameters of a radio cell from the plurality of radio cells by using performance measurement items considered to improve RACH performance.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the performance measurement items include: The number of preambles sent by the one or more UEs to achieve synchronization; Or The distribution of the time required for the one or more UEs to achieve synchronization.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collecting includes: Receiving, from the one or more UEs, a plurality of counter values.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of counter values include: A plurality of PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER values.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining includes: Determining the one or more actions when it is detected that the performance measurement items do not meet target performance measurement items.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more actions further include: Updating the one or more UEs implementing the RACH optimization function; Or Updating the ranges or the values of the RACH parameters.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the RACH parameters include: RACH configuration; RACH preamble partitioning; RACH backoff parameter values; Or RACH transmission power control parameters.

8. A method for implementing RACH (Random Access Channel) management and control functions in a wireless network, the method comprising: Receiving, by one or more processors, one or more performance measurement items associated with a random access channel (RACH); Determining, by one or more processors, that the performance measurement items do not meet one or more targets; And Taking, by one or more processors, one or more actions based on the determination, Wherein the one or more actions include disabling the RACH optimization function and reconfiguring the RACH parameters of a radio cell from a plurality of radio cells by using performance measurement items considered to improve RACH performance.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the performance measurement items include: The number of preambles sent by the one or more UEs to achieve synchronization; Or The distribution of the time required for the one or more UEs to achieve synchronization.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the collection comprises: Receiving a plurality of counter values from the one or more UEs.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of counter values comprises: A plurality of PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER values.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the determination comprises: Determining the one or more actions when it is detected that the performance measurement item does not meet the target performance measurement item.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the one or more actions further comprise: Updating the one or more UEs implementing the RACH optimization function; Or Updating the range or value of the RACH parameter.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the RACH parameter comprises: RACH configuration; RACH preamble partitioning; RACH backoff parameter value; Or RACH transmission power control parameter.

Images