A service experience measurement and collection method and device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a service experience measurement collection (QMC) method, comprising the following steps: a node sends first information to one or more UEs; wherein the first information is generated by the node or received by the node from other nodes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to wireless communication technology, and in particular to a method and device for collecting service experience measurements. Background Art

[0002] To meet the increased demand for wireless data communication services since the deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved 5G or quasi-5G communication systems. Therefore, 5G or quasi-5G communication systems are also referred to as "beyond 4G networks" or "post-LTE systems."

[0003] Wireless communication is one of the most successful innovations in modern history. The number of wireless communication service subscribers recently surpassed 5 billion and continues to grow rapidly. Demand for wireless data services is rapidly increasing due to the growing popularity of smartphones and other mobile data devices (e.g., tablets, laptops, netbooks, e-book readers, and machine-type devices) among consumers and businesses. Improving radio interface efficiency and coverage is crucial to meeting this rapid growth and supporting new applications and deployments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a service experience measurement collection (QMC) method is provided, comprising the following steps: a node sends first information to one or more UEs; wherein the first information is generated by the node or received by the node from other nodes.

[0005] In one implementation, the first information is QMC configuration information.

[0006] In one implementation, the QMC configuration information is generated by the node based on second information received from other nodes or based on reasons of the node itself.

[0007] In one implementation, the second information includes a request for QMC or PDU session modification or deletion.

[0008] In one implementation, the QMC configuration information includes one or more QMC references, different QMC references identify different QMC tasks, and each QMC task includes one or more application references identifying a service type.

[0009] In one implementation, the QMC configuration information is one of the following types: activation QMC configuration information, deactivation QMC configuration information, or modification QMC configuration information.

[0010] In one implementation, the activated QMC configuration information includes configuration condition information, wherein the configuration condition information includes one or more of geographic location information, network slice information, mobile speed information, and / or wireless coverage environment information.

[0011] In one implementation, the node selects the one or more UEs based on the configuration condition information.

[0012] In one implementation, the activated QMC configuration information includes a reporting configuration, and the reporting configuration includes one of session end reporting, periodic reporting, or event-triggered reporting.

[0013] In one implementation, the triggering event for the event-triggered reporting includes one or more of a serving cell change, a wireless environment change, or a sudden deterioration in user service experience.

[0014] In one implementation, the embodiment of the present disclosure further includes: receiving a QMC report from at least one of the one or more UEs, wherein the QMC report includes one or more of serving cell information, network slice information, QoS information, or DRB information.

[0015] In one implementation, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the node also derives the required service experience QoE information based on the QMC report, or infers other QoE information based on the QoE information, or the node sends the QMC report or the QoE information or the other QoE information to one or more other nodes.

[0016] In one implementation, the deactivation of QMC configuration information or modification of QMC configuration information includes a QMC reference and / or application reference that needs to be deactivated, which is used to indicate the measurement of the QMC task that needs to be deactivated and / or a specific service in the QMC task.

[0017] In one implementation, the modifying of the QMC configuration further includes one or more of a reporting period, a cache indication, or a cache restriction condition.

[0018] In one implementation, the first information includes a range indication.

[0019] In one implementation, the first message further includes QMC reporting cache information.

[0020] In one implementation, the QMC reports the cache information indicating the status of the cache indication or whether a reporting period is configured.

[0021] In one implementation, the first information is received by the node from other nodes, and the range indication is information indicating a check result obtained by the other nodes in response to the switching-related information including configuration condition information sent by the node to check the configuration condition.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a service experience measurement collection (QMC) method is provided, comprising the following steps: receiving, by a UE, a first message from a node; and determining, by the UE, information related to QMC based on the received first message.

[0023] In one implementation, the first message includes QMC configuration information, the QMC configuration information includes one or more QMC references, wherein different QMC references identify different QMC tasks, and each QMC task includes one or more application references identifying a service type.

[0024] In one implementation, the QMC configuration information is one of the following types: activation QMC configuration information, deactivation QMC configuration information, or modification QMC configuration information.

[0025] In one implementation, in response to the QMC configuration information being the activation QMC configuration information, the UE determining the information related to QMC based on the received first message includes: the UE determining whether to perform QoE measurement based on the configuration condition information included in the QMC configuration information, performing QoE measurement if the determination result is yes and sending the QMC report obtained by the measurement to the node.

[0026] In one implementation, the QMC configuration information further includes a reporting configuration, and the UE performs QMC reporting based on the reporting configuration.

[0027] In one implementation, in response to the QMC configuration information being deactivation QMC configuration information, the information related to QMC determined by the UE based on the received first message includes: the UE determines to deactivate the corresponding QMC task and / or the measurement of a specific service in the QMC task based on the reference identifier included in the deactivation QMC configuration information, wherein the reference identifier includes a QMC reference and / or an application reference.

[0028] In one implementation, in response to the QMC configuration information being a modified QMC configuration information, the information related to QMC determined by the UE based on the received first message includes: depending on whether the modified QMC configuration information indicates deactivation of one or more of multiple QMC tasks or deactivation of one or more service measurements in the QMC task, or modification of the reporting timing of the QMC report, the UE deactivates the indicated QMC task or the measurement of a specific service in the QMC task, or controls the reporting time of the QMC report according to the content of the modified QMC configuration information.

[0029] In one implementation, the first message is information about PDU session modification or deletion, and the UE determines the information related to QMC based on the received first message, including: the UE determines whether to start or stop QoE measurement based on the information about PDU session modification or deletion.

[0030] In one implementation, the first message is a message including a range indication and / or reporting cache information, the reporting cache information includes one or more of a reporting period, a cache indication, or a cache restriction condition, and the UE determines the information related to QMC based on the received first message including: in response to receiving the range indication, the UE determines whether to perform QoE measurement based on the range indication, and starts measurement and generates a QMC report including auxiliary information if the determination result is yes; in response to receiving the reporting cache information, the UE performs one of the following based on the reporting cache information: caching the QMC report, and sending the QMC report to the node via an application layer measurement report message.

[0031] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a service experience measurement collection (QMC) method is provided, including: receiving, by a first node, a first request message from a second node; and sending, by the first node, a response message related to QMC to the second node.

[0032] In one implementation, the first request message is a handover request message, and the response message is a handover request confirmation message; or, the first request message is a handover requirement message, and the response message is a handover command message, wherein the handover request message or the handover requirement message includes application layer measurement configuration information, and the application layer measurement configuration information includes at least one of the following: QMC reference, application reference, QMC reporting cache information, and configuration condition information, the configuration condition information includes one or more of network slice information, mobile speed information, and wireless coverage environment information, the reporting cache information indicates the status of the cache indication or whether the reporting period is configured, and the handover request confirmation message or the handover command message includes a handover information container, and the handover information container includes range indication information indicating the inspection result of the configuration condition information.

[0033] In one implementation, the handover request confirmation message or the handover command message further includes a buffer indication or a reporting period.

[0034] In one implementation, an embodiment according to the present disclosure also includes: wherein the first request message is a UE context request message; wherein the response message is a UE context feedback message, wherein the UE context feedback message includes application layer measurement configuration information, and the application layer measurement configuration information includes at least one of QMC reference, application reference, QMC reporting cache information, and configuration condition information, and the configuration condition information includes one or more of network slice information, mobile speed information, and wireless coverage environment information.

[0035] In one implementation, the embodiment according to the present disclosure also includes: wherein the first request message is a message for requesting a QMC report or QoE information, and the response message is a message for feeding back the requested QMC report or QoE information; wherein the message for requesting a QMC report or QoE information and the message for feeding back the requested QMC report or QoE information include one or more of cell information, network slice information, QoS information, or DRB information. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a QMC device is provided, the device including a processor, a memory, and a transceiver unit, the transceiver unit being configured to receive and send wireless data, the memory being configured to store data, and the processor being configured to execute the QMC method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] The present disclosure provides an improved Quality of Experience Measurement Collection (QoE) method and device. The method or device according to the present disclosure can help operators collect user quality of experience (QoE) information on different network slices, in different mobile scenarios, and / or in different wireless environments, and apply this user quality of experience information to network maintenance and optimization more quickly and completely, thereby better ensuring and improving user experience, thereby increasing user loyalty and further increasing operator revenue. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 An exemplary system architecture of System Architecture Evolution (SAE) is shown;

[0038] Figure 2 shows an exemplary system architecture according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 3 shows a 5G architecture diagram according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of management-based QMC is shown;

[0041] Figure 5 An example of a QMC method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0042] Figure 6 An example of a QMC method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0043] Figure 7 An example of a QMC method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0044] Figure 8 An example of a QMC method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0045] Figure 9 An example of a QMC method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0046] Figure 10 An example of a QMC method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0047] Figure 11 An example of a QMC method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0048] Figure 12 An example of a QMC method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0049] Figure 13 An example of a QMC method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0050] Figure 14 An example of a QMC method according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0051] Figure 15 A simplified block diagram illustrating an example configuration of hardware components of a QMC device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] 5G refers to the fifth generation of mobile communications technology. Unlike the previous four generations, 5G is not a single wireless communication technology, but rather a convergence of existing wireless communication technologies. Currently, LTE peak rates can reach 100Mbps, while 5G will reach 10Gbps, a 100-fold increase over 4G. Existing 4G networks have limited processing power and are unable to support some services, such as high-definition video, high-quality voice, augmented reality, and virtual reality. 5G will introduce more advanced technologies and address the challenges of 4G networks by achieving higher spectrum efficiency, more spectrum resources, and denser cell density to meet the growing demand for mobile traffic. 5G will thus address the challenges faced by 4G networks and build a networked society with high transmission rates, high capacity, low latency, high reliability, and an excellent user experience.

[0053] The following discussion Figures 1 to 15 The various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are for illustration only and should not be interpreted in any way as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0054] Figure 1This is an exemplary system architecture 100 of System Architecture Evolution (SAE). User Equipment (UE) 101 is a terminal device used to receive data. Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) 102 is a radio access network, which includes a macro base station (eNodeB / NodeB) that provides the UE with an access wireless network interface. The Mobility Management Entity (MME) 103 is responsible for managing the UE's mobility context, session context and security information. The Serving Gateway (SGW) 104 mainly provides user plane functions, and the MME 103 and SGW 104 may be in the same physical entity. The Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) 105 is responsible for functions such as billing and lawful interception, and may also be in the same physical entity as the SGW 104. The Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) 106 provides Quality of Service (QoS) policies and charging criteria. The General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN) 108 is a network node device that provides routing for data transmission in the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). The Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 109 is the home subsystem of the UE and is responsible for protecting user information including the current location of the user equipment, the address of the serving node, user security information, and the packet data context of the user equipment.

[0055] Figure 2 2 is an exemplary system architecture 200 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments of the system architecture 200 can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0056] User equipment (UE) 201 is a terminal device used to receive data. The next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) 202 is a radio access network that includes base stations (gNBs or eNBs connected to the 5G core network 5GC; eNBs connected to 5GC are also called ng-gNBs) that provide UEs with access to wireless network interfaces. The access control and mobility management function (AMF) 203 is responsible for managing the UE's mobility context and security information. The user plane function (UPF) 204 mainly provides user plane functions. The session management function (SMF) 205 is responsible for session management. The data network (DN) 206 includes services such as operator services, Internet access, and third-party services.

[0057] With the development of wireless technology, the functional modules originally located on the same base station have been separated in the 5G architecture. Some functional modules are moving closer to users, while others are being pooled and virtualized for centralized deployment. In other words, the base station can be divided into two parts: the central control unit (CU) and the distributed unit (DU). The DU is closer to users, while the CU is farther away from the antenna, supporting multi-antenna connections and improving network performance. A CU can connect to multiple DUs, and the functions on the CU can be virtualized. The CU and DU are connected via the F1 interface, also known as the fronthaul interface or fronthaul connection. The functions of RRC (Radio Resource Control) and PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) are implemented on the CU, while the functions of RLC (Radio Link Control), MAC (Media Access Control), and the physical layer are implemented on the DU.

[0058] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a 5G architecture 300 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments of the 5G architecture 300 can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown in Figure 1, the 5G architecture includes a 5G access network and a 5G core network. UE communicates with the data network through the access network and the core network.

[0060] refer to Figure 3 The central control unit CU can be further divided into a control function entity (hereinafter referred to as a CU-CP entity or a CP entity) and a user plane function entity (hereinafter referred to as a CU-UP entity or an UP entity). The CP entity and the UP entity can be separate physical entities. The interface between the CP and the UP is called the E1 interface. There is only a control plane between the CP and the UP, while the data plane is established between the core network, the UP, and the DU. The CP is connected to the core network through the NG-C and to the DU through the F1-C. The UP is connected to the core network through the NG-U and to the DU through the F1-U.

[0061] In third-generation (3G) and fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems, the collection of Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements for streaming media services and multimedia telephony services has been standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The QoE Measurement Collection (QMC) can collect UE application layer measurement information, which can be for a specific service or a certain service type within a certain area or for a specific UE (User Equipment). The collected information can be transmitted to a data center (e.g., a Measurement Collector Entity (MCE)) and then used to analyze and / or calculate key performance indicators (KPIs) to optimize the network and improve the user service experience, ultimately increasing user loyalty and revenue.

[0062] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0063] The text and drawings are provided as examples only to aid understanding of the present disclosure. They should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Although certain embodiments and examples have been provided, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on what is disclosed herein that the embodiments and examples shown may be modified without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0064] The service experience measurement and collection (QMC) method or device provided in the present disclosure can help operators measure and collect the service experience of users on network slices, and evaluate whether the use of slice resources is reasonable and whether further optimization is needed based on the measurement results. The method or device of the present disclosure also helps to measure and collect the service experience of users under different mobile speeds and / or coverage conditions to assist in solving positioning and optimizing network problems. The method or device provided in the present disclosure also helps to ensure the integrity of QMC reports in the case of network congestion or imperfect network functions. The present disclosure also helps wireless access network equipment to configure, read and use service experience (QoE) information, and apply QoE information to wireless network optimization and functions more quickly, and to assist in resource scheduling, load balancing and other processes, so that users in the network can obtain the best user service experience with limited resources, thereby improving user loyalty and increasing operator revenue.

[0065] According to the initiation method, QMC can be divided into management-based QMC and signaling-based QMC. According to one implementation method, QMC can be initiated by a network element management node, and this type of QMC is called management-based QMC. In management-based QMC, the access network entity receives a QMC configuration message from the network element management node. According to another implementation method, QMC can be initiated by a core network entity, and this type of QMC is called signaling-based QMC. In signaling-based QMC, the access network entity receives a QMC configuration message from the core network entity. In some examples, the core network entity can be, for example, an access and mobility management function (AMF). However, it should be understood that this is merely an example. The core network entity that sends the QMC configuration message can also be other entities.

[0066] Since the network does not know whether the UE is capable of measuring and / or recording the requested data, the UE is required to report its measurement capability to the network when the session is established. UEs that have the measurement capability required by the network's management system can start measurement when certain conditions are met.

[0067] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of management-based QMC is described. Figure 4 As shown, the element management node (EM) 401 sends a QMC configuration message to the access network node 402. The access network node 402 can be an eNB in ​​a 4G system, a gNB or an eNB in ​​a 5G system, or a base station in other systems. The QMC configuration message includes QMC configuration information. The QMC configuration information can be an activation QMC configuration or a deactivation QMC configuration. The QMC configuration information mainly includes: QMC location selection conditions, reporting mechanism configuration, QMC reference (QMC Reference), the IP address of the QMC center node 404 (e.g., MCE), and other information.

[0068] The QMC location selection condition configures information about which UEs can be selected as UEs for QMC. The location selection condition can be configured as the range of a cell, the range of a tracking area, or the entire PLMN. UEs within the range identified by the location selection condition can be selected as UEs for QMC. Each QMC reference uniquely identifies a QMC task. In each QMC task, the base station can select one or more UEs for QMC.

[0069] After receiving the QMC configuration message, access network node 402 selects a UE for QMC. When selecting a UE, the access network node must adhere to certain conditions, such as whether the UE has the measurement capability for the corresponding service indicated in the QMC configuration information and / or whether the UE is located within the range identified by the location selection criteria in the QMC configuration information. If the UE does not have the measurement capability for the corresponding service or does not meet the location selection criteria, the UE cannot be selected as a UE for QMC. After selecting a UE, the access network node sends the QMC configuration information to the selected UE. At the start of each service session, the selected UE checks the QMC configuration criteria to determine whether to enable QoE measurement. If the UE decides to enable QoE measurement, it sends a measurement enablement indication to the EM via the access network. The UE also sends the measurement results to the network node when the reporting criteria configured in the reporting mechanism are met. The message used to transmit the QoE measurement results includes at least the QMC identifier, UE identifier, session identifier, and the MCE's IP address. Upon receiving this message, the access network node sends the QoE measurement results to the MCE.

[0070] The difference between signaling-based QMC is that the QMC configuration message is sent from the core network entity to the access network entity, and the QMC configuration information is allocated by the core network entity.

[0071] Various embodiments according to the present disclosure will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the QMC method 500 is as follows: Figure 5 Detailed descriptions of steps that are not related to the present disclosure or are well known in the art are omitted in the drawings and the description herein to avoid obscuring the solutions of the present disclosure.

[0073] The method 500 includes the following steps:

[0074] Step 501: A first node sends QMC configuration information or QMC request information to a second node.

[0075] The first node may be a network element management node, a core network node, a base station, a CU-UP, or a DU. The core network node may be an AMF, an SMF (Session Management Function), or an NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function). The second node may be a base station or a CU-CP. Those skilled in the art will understand that the above enumeration of the first node or the second node is merely exemplary and is not intended to be limiting, and the first node or the second node may also be other nodes or functional entities capable of implementing the corresponding functions.

[0076] The QMC configuration information may be activation QMC configuration information, deactivation QMC configuration information or modification QMC configuration information. The QMC configuration information may include one or more QMC tasks, each QMC task is identified by a QMC reference, each QMC task may include one or more service types that need to be measured, and the measurement configuration of each service type is identified by an application reference. Configuration condition information may also be included in the activation QMC configuration. Depending on the different scenarios in which QMC is performed, the configuration condition information may include one or more of geographic location information, network slicing information, mobile speed information and / or wireless coverage environment information. It should be understood that the configuration condition information is not limited to the above-mentioned types of information, but may also include other types of information, as long as the information helps to perform QMC adapted to different scenarios.

[0077] The QMC request information may be a request for measurement and collection of specific service experience information for a specific UE, a specific cell, or a specific network slice. The QMC request information may include one or more requested condition information, such as UE ID, Cell ID, network slice information, and service type.

[0078] Step 502: The second node receives and saves the QMC configuration information or generates the QMC configuration information itself.

[0079] In the case where the second node generates the QMC configuration information itself, the QMC configuration information may be generated by the second node according to the QMC request information described in step 501, or may be generated by the second node according to other reasons or messages, or triggered by its own reasons.

[0080] The QMC configuration information may be activation QMC configuration information, deactivation QMC configuration information or modification QMC configuration information. The second node checks configuration condition information, UE capability information and / or UE context information, and sends the QMC configuration information sent by the first node or generated by itself to the UE that meets the conditions.

[0081] In step 503, after the UE receives the QMC configuration information, the processing performed by the UE is divided into the following cases according to different types of QMC configuration information:

[0082] Case 1: If the received QMC configuration is activated, when the service type indicated in the activated QMC configuration initiates a session, the UE determines whether to perform QoE measurements based on the configuration conditions in the activated QMC configuration. The configuration conditions may include one or more conditions, and the UE will only begin QoE measurement if all conditions are met.

[0083] If the UE receives a QMC configuration activation and meets the measurement conditions specified in the configuration condition information, it performs QoE measurements. After the measurements are complete, the UE proceeds to step 504. In step 504, the UE generates a QMC report. If the reporting conditions are met, the UE transmits the QMC report to the second node.

[0084] Case 2: If a deactivation QMC configuration is received, the UE determines which measurements to deactivate based on a reference identifier in the deactivation QMC configuration, where the reference identifier includes a QMC reference and / or an application reference. Deactivation can be implemented in two ways, for example: in one implementation, the UE stops QoE measurement for the identified service based on the reference identifier in the received deactivation QMC configuration; in a second implementation, the UE continues the current measurement for the identified service but does not initiate a new QoE measurement for the identified service.

[0085] It should be understood that the above are merely two exemplary ways of implementing deactivation, and the implementation of deactivation is not limited to the above two ways, but may include any implementation that can be conceived by those skilled in the art based on the present disclosure.

[0086] Case 3: If the received configuration is a QMC modification configuration, the UE performs operations adapted to the modification configuration according to different situations of the QMC modification configuration.

[0087] As an example, in one implementation, the QMC configuration modification may be to deactivate one or more measurement tasks among multiple measurement tasks. In this case, the UE may deactivate the corresponding measurement tasks based on the received QMC configuration modification. The implementation of deactivation has been described above and will not be repeated here.

[0088] In another implementation, for example, the QMC modification configuration may be to modify the QMC

[0089] The timing of reporting the QMC report. Modifying the reporting timing of the QMC report may be due to, for example, wireless side reasons, requiring the suspension or caching of the QMC report. Modifying the reporting timing of the QMC report does not affect the UE's QoE measurement. In this case, the UE can control the reporting time of the QMC report based on the received QMC modification configuration.

[0090] Upon receiving the QMC report delivered by the UE, the second node may use the QMC report in step 505 to perform various optimizations, scheduling, etc. In one implementation, in step 505, the second node forwards the QMC report to an entity or node specified in the QMC activation configuration (e.g., according to an address included in the QMC activation configuration).

[0091] In another implementation, upon receiving the QMC report transmitted by the UE, in step 505, the second node may also process the QMC report and send it to a specific entity or node. In one example, the entity or node may be a data center such as an MCE or a TCE (Trace Collection Entity). In another example, the entity or node may also be a core network node or a base station. In addition, the core network node may be an AMF or an SMF or an NSSF or a PCF or an NWDAF, etc. It should be understood that the examples of entities or nodes in the present disclosure are merely illustrative and are not intended to be limiting.

[0092] By utilizing the QMC method 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the UE and / or the nodes on the network side can collect and measure user service experience information on different network slices, at different mobile speeds or under different coverage conditions, thereby helping to better optimize the network.

[0093] In addition, the QMC method 500 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, by modifying the QMC configuration, also helps to ensure the integrity of the QMC report in the case of network congestion or imperfect functions.

[0094] On the other hand, according to the QMC method 500 of an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, the base station itself can initiate or generate QMC configuration information, and directly use the QMC configuration information transmitted by the UE, thereby also making the QoE-based wireless network optimization faster, and thus more conducive to improving the user service experience.

[0095] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the QMC method 600 is as follows: Figure 6 Detailed descriptions of steps that are not related to the present disclosure or are well known in the art are omitted in the drawings and the description herein to avoid obscuring the solutions of the present disclosure.

[0096] Depending on the entity that initiates the QMC activation, the QMC method 600 may start from steps 601a and 601b, respectively, which will be described in detail below.

[0097] If the activation of QMC configuration is triggered by OAM (Operation and Maintenance), OAM sends the activation QMC configuration information to the EM, and in step 601a, the EM sends the activation QMC configuration information to the base station via an activation measurement task message. The activation QMC configuration information may include one or more parameter sets, wherein each parameter set may include the following information:

[0098] - QMC reference (QMC reference), each QMC reference is used to identify a QMC measurement task, and a QMC measurement task may correspond to one or more configuration condition information and service types.

[0099] -Application reference, used to identify the measurement configuration corresponding to a certain service type in a QMC measurement task. Each application reference identifier corresponds to a QMC configuration container for a service type. The QMC configuration container is the QoE measurement dimension for a certain service, such as latency, throughput, cache, and device information. Different measurement dimensions are used for different services.

[0100] -Configuration condition information is used to limit the specific conditions for QMC. Only UEs that simultaneously meet all the configuration conditions specified in the configuration condition information can activate the QMC configuration. The configuration condition information may include, for example, one or more of location selection information, network slicing information, mobile speed information, and / or wireless coverage environment. The check of the configuration conditions may be completed by the base station or by the UE. In one implementation, the configuration condition information may be placed in an RRC message. In another implementation, the configuration condition information may be placed in a QMC configuration container. As an example, the configuration condition information may include one or more of the following information:

[0101] Network Slice Information: Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) is used to indicate the network slice for which measurements are to be performed. This type of configuration condition information can be checked by the base station or the UE.

[0102] Speed ​​information: This parameter limits the UE to certain speed ranges, such as high-speed or low-speed UEs requiring QoE measurements. Speed ​​information parameters may include speed assessment time, cell change threshold, and assessment hysteresis. This type of configuration condition information can be checked by the UE.

[0103] Wireless network coverage environment information: This parameter limits the UE to enabling QoE measurements only in certain wireless environments, such as weak coverage or high interference scenarios. The wireless coverage environment information parameters may include one or more reference signal received level (RSRP) / reference signal received quality (RSRQ) thresholds, evaluation time, and evaluation hysteresis. This type of configuration condition information can be checked by the UE.

[0104] - Reporting configuration: It is the time and / or triggering event for the UE to report the QMC report. As a non-limiting example, it can be session end reporting, periodic reporting or event-triggered reporting.

[0105] In the case of event-triggered reporting, the event may be, for example, a serving cell change, a change in the wireless environment, or a sudden deterioration in user service experience. In this way, for example, the network side can perform QMC more targetedly for faster optimization.

[0106] If the activation of QMC configuration is triggered by the core network, then in step 601b, the core network sends the activation QMC configuration information to the base station. Depending on the different registration status of the UE, different measurement objects and different PDU session status, this process can be divided into the following scenarios:

[0107] Scenario 1: The trigger for activating the QMC configuration is before UE registration:

[0108] In scenario 1, the core network will send the QMC activation configuration information to the base station through the initial context request message when the UE registers.

[0109] Scenario 2: Activation of QMC configuration is triggered after UE registration:

[0110] If the trigger for activating the QMC configuration is after the PDU session is established, the core network will send the activation QMC configuration information to the base station via a trace start message;

[0111] If the activation of the QMC configuration is triggered when the PDU session is established, and the establishment of the PDU session happens to use the network slice indicated by the configuration condition information in the activation QMC configuration information, the core network will send the activation QMC configuration information to the base station through the PDU session resource establishment request message;

[0112] If the activation of the QMC configuration is triggered when the PDU session is modified, and the UE uses the network slice corresponding to the S-NSSAI in the configuration condition information in the activation of the QMC configuration when modifying the S-NSSAI of the existing PDU session, the core network will send the activation QMC configuration information to the base station through the PDU session resource modification request message;

[0113] The content included in the above QMC activation configuration information is consistent with that in step 601a, and is not repeated here for the sake of clarity. In addition, the specific content included in the QMC activation configuration information may be different depending on the purpose of triggering QMC.

[0114] After the base station receives the activation QMC configuration information from the EM or the core network, it performs checks based on one or more of the received activation QMC configuration information, the QoE measurement capability of the UE served by the base station, the location condition information indicated by the configuration condition information in the activation QMC configuration information, and / or the network slice information to select a UE that meets the conditions. Among them, the UE's QoE measurement capability check can be completed by the base station. The check of location condition information and network slice information can be completed by the base station or by the UE. In the case where the base station completes the check of the conditions indicated by the configuration condition information, if the QMC configuration is a measurement of the service experience of a specific network slice, the base station will query the network slice information in the UE PDU session context to determine whether there is a UE that is using the network slice indicated in the QMC configuration and has QoE measurement capability.

[0115] In step 603, the base station sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message includes activation QMC configuration information, including information for establishing an application layer configuration measurement configuration, i.e., activation QMC configuration information. The content included in the activation QMC configuration is consistent with that in step 601a and is not further described here for clarity.

[0116] In step 604, after the UE receives the activation QMC configuration, when a session is started in the UE with a service corresponding to the service type indicated in the activation QMC configuration, the UE will check the configuration condition information in the activation QMC configuration information. The configuration condition information may be one or more configuration conditions. As a non-limiting example, the configuration condition may be information such as location condition information, network slice information, mobile speed information and / or wireless coverage environment information. If the configuration condition is checked by the UE and the corresponding configuration condition information is included in the activation QMC configuration, the UE needs to check whether the configuration condition is met based on the current location information, network slice information, cell change speed and / or current wireless environment information. According to the range indication of the inspection result of the configuration condition information sent by the base station and / or the result of the UE's own inspection, it is determined whether all the configuration conditions for QoE measurement are met at this time. If met, QoE measurement is enabled; if not met, QoE measurement is not enabled.

[0117] If the UE turns on QoE measurement as a result of the judgment, then after turning on QoE measurement, the UE generates a QMC report according to the received activation QMC configuration in step 605. The UE sends the generated QMC report to the base station via an application layer measurement report message.

[0118] Depending on the entity initiating the QMC, the base station will perform one of the following steps 606a-606b after receiving the QMC report reported by the UE.

[0119] If the address included in the activated QMC configuration is the address information of the data center, then after receiving the QMC report, the base station proceeds to step 606a, in which the base station forwards the QMC report to the data center. As a non-limiting example, the data center may be a TCE or an MCE.

[0120] If the QMC report is specific to a specific network slice, after collecting a certain number of QMC reports, the data center can statistically analyze or model the overall user experience on that network slice. Based on these results, the network side can assess whether the network slice's capacity is sufficient, whether resource allocation and parameter configuration are reasonable, and further analyze the causes, providing expansion or optimization recommendations. After optimization, the network side can collect QoE information again for comparison before and after optimization.

[0121] If the QMC report is for users in specific mobility scenarios, such as high-speed mobility, the data center can collect statistics or analyze the user experience in high-speed mobility scenarios based on models. Based on this analysis, combined with information such as network configuration, the network can assess whether the network configuration in high-speed mobility scenarios is appropriate and whether further optimization is needed. After optimization, the network can collect QoE information again for comparison before and after optimization.

[0122] If the QMC report is for users in specific coverage scenarios, such as weak coverage or high interference, the data center can generate statistics or analyze the user experience based on models under different coverage conditions. The network can assess the impact of the wireless environment on the user experience and further optimize the network configuration to improve the user experience. After optimization, the network can collect QoE information again for comparison before and after optimization.

[0123] In one implementation, the data center may analyze the QMC report according to the method described in the exemplary implementation above and perform network optimization based on the analysis results. In another implementation, the data center may also send the relevant data obtained after analyzing the QMC report to other nodes to assist other nodes in optimizing. In one implementation, the other node may be, for example, a base station or a core network node, and the core network node may be, for example, an AMF, SMF, NSSF, NWDAF, or PCF.

[0124] If the address included in the activated QMC configuration is the address of a core network node, then after receiving the QMC report, the base station forwards the QMC report to the core network node in step 606b. The core network node may be, for example, an AMF, SMF, NSSF, NWDAF, or PCF.

[0125] The core network that receives the QMC report may perform statistics and analysis on the QMC report as described in step 606a.

[0126] In particular, if the QMC report is a QoE measurement for a specific UE, the core network node (e.g., PCF) can evaluate and decide whether to adjust the UE's QoS parameters based on the results of statistics and analysis of the QMC report to improve the user service experience of the UE.

[0127] In particular, if the QMC report is for a specific network slice, the core network node (for example, NSSF) can evaluate whether the network slice selection strategy needs to be modified based on the results of statistics and analysis of the QMC report so that the user service experience on all network slices can meet the requirements.

[0128] Through the QMC method 600 disclosed in the present invention, various nodes on the network side can activate the QMC configuration, thereby measuring and collecting user service experience information on different network slices, at different mobile speeds or under different coverage conditions, thereby more accurately optimizing network slices, optimizing user service experience in high-speed mobile scenarios and weak coverage and high-interference areas, thereby improving user loyalty and increasing operator revenue.

[0129] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the QMC method 700 is as follows: Figure 7 Detailed descriptions of steps that are not related to the present disclosure or are well known in the art are omitted in the drawings and the description herein to avoid obscuring the solutions of the present disclosure.

[0130] Depending on the entity initiating the QMC activation and / or the corresponding situation, the QMC method 700 may start from steps 701a, 701b, and 701c, respectively, which will be described in detail below.

[0131] Case 1: In a split architecture, the CU-UP or DU in the base station can initiate activation or request QMC configuration from the CU-CP for optimization purposes such as flow control or scheduling.

[0132] In this case, in step 701a, the CU-UP or DU sends activation or request QMC configuration information to the CU-CP. The activation or request QMC configuration information may be sent via a new message. As non-limiting examples, the new message may be an application layer measurement configuration message or an application layer measurement configuration request message. The QMC configuration may be, for example, a QMC configuration for a specific data radio bearer (DRB) of a specific UE.

[0133] If the QMC configuration is activated via an application-layer measurement configuration message in step 701a, the message includes a specific QoE measurement configuration container. For example, the QoE measurement configuration container contains QoE measurement dimensions for a particular service, such as latency, throughput, cache, and device information. The measurement dimensions vary depending on the service targeted by the QoE measurement. The QoE measurement configuration container also includes QMC report reporting configuration. Reporting can be, for example, periodic reporting, session end reporting, or event-triggered reporting.

[0134] If the QMC configuration request is transmitted via an application layer measurement configuration request message in step 701a, that is, the CU-UP or DU sends a QMC configuration activation request to the CU-CP, the application layer measurement configuration request message does not include a specific QoE measurement configuration container. The QoE measurement configuration container is generated by the CU-CP after receiving the request.

[0135] The application layer measurement configuration message or the application layer measurement configuration request message may also include one or more parameter sets, each of which may include one or more of the following information:

[0136] -QMC reference, each QMC reference is used to identify a QMC task, and a QMC task can correspond to one or more configuration condition information and business types.

[0137] -UE ID, used to indicate the UE for which QoE measurement is required.

[0138] -QoS identifier, used to indicate the QoS type to be measured, which can be 5QI (5G Quality

[0139] Identity, 5G quality indicator) or QCI (QoS Class Identity, QoS category identification).

[0140] -DRB ID, used to indicate the corresponding DRB information of the UE that needs to be measured.

[0141] -Service type, used to indicate the type of service to be measured, such as voice service, video service, or game.

[0142] Case 2: In a wireless access network, a base station may initiate activation or request QMC configuration from a neighboring base station for optimization purposes such as load balancing.

[0143] In this case, in step 701b, the second base station sends activation QMC configuration information or a QMC configuration request to the first base station. In one implementation, the activation QMC configuration information or the QMC configuration request may be sent by a new message. As a non-limiting example, the new message may be, for example, an application layer measurement configuration message or an application layer measurement configuration request message. In another implementation, the activation QMC configuration information or the QMC configuration request may also be sent by an existing message, such as a resource status request message. The activation QMC configuration information or the QMC configuration request may include information about a request for QoE measurement of a specific QoS service or a specific network slice within a cell.

[0144] If the QMC activation configuration information is sent via an application layer measurement configuration message, the application layer measurement configuration message may include a specific QoE measurement configuration container. This QoE measurement configuration container contains QoE metric dimensions for a particular service, such as latency, throughput, cache, and device information. Different services require different metric standards. The QoE measurement configuration container may also include reporting configurations. This reporting configuration may indicate periodic reporting, session end reporting, or event-triggered reporting.

[0145] If the QMC configuration request is sent via an application layer measurement configuration request message, the application layer measurement configuration request message does not include a specific QoE measurement configuration container. The QoE measurement configuration container is generated by the first base station according to the situation after receiving the request.

[0146] The application layer measurement configuration message or the application layer measurement configuration request message may also include one or more parameter sets. Each parameter set may include one or more of the following information:

[0147] -QMC reference, each QMC reference is used to identify a QMC task, and a QMC task can correspond to one or more configuration condition information and business types.

[0148] -Cell ID, used to indicate the cell where QoE measurement is required.

[0149] -S-NSSAI, used to indicate the network slice in the cell where QoE measurement is required.

[0150] -QoS identifier, used to indicate the QoS type for which QoE measurement is required, which can be 5QI or QCI.

[0151] Case 3: The base station can initiate the activation of QMC configuration for optimization purposes such as scheduling.

[0152] In this case, in step 701c, the first base station generates activation QMC configuration information by itself, where the QMC configuration may be QoE measurement for a specific UE and / or a specific network slice and / or a specific service. The QMC configuration information may be the same as in step 701a and / or step 701b.

[0153] In step 702, the first base station selects a UE that meets the conditions based on the received QMC configuration information or the configuration condition information in the QMC configuration information generated by itself, the QoE measurement capability of the UE and / or the network slice information being used by the UE PDU session. Among them, the QoE measurement capability check of the UE must be completed by the base station. The check of configuration conditions (for example, S-NSSAI and / or Cell ID and / or QoS identifier) ​​can be completed by the base station or by the UE. If the configuration conditions are checked by the base station, the configuration condition information does not need to be sent to the UE. The base station needs to check whether the UE meets all the configuration conditions. If so, the activation QMC configuration information will be sent to the UE; if not, it will not be sent to the UE.

[0154] In step 703, the first base station or CU-CP sends a message to the UE that meets the conditions to convey the QMC activation configuration information. The message can be, for example, an RRC reconfiguration message, which includes the application layer measurement configuration, i.e., the QMC activation configuration information. The message may include the content described in steps 701a-701c.

[0155] In step 704, after the UE receives the QMC activation configuration information, if the configuration conditions are checked by the UE, the UE will check the configuration conditions when starting a session and decide whether to enable QoE measurement based on the check result. If the check result shows that the UE meets the configuration conditions, the UE enables QoE measurement; if the check result shows that the UE does not meet the configuration conditions, the UE does not enable QoE measurement.

[0156] If the UE enables QoE measurement, then after enabling the measurement, in step 705, the UE generates a QMC report based on the reporting configuration. The UE sends the QMC report to the first base station or the CU-CP. The QMC report may include the QoE report and / or other auxiliary information. The QoE report is a measurement result generated based on the QoE metric dimension in the QoE measurement configuration container. The auxiliary information may be information such as Cell ID, QoS identifier, and / or DRB ID, which is used to assist the network side in analyzing positioning issues.

[0157] After receiving the QMC report, the CU-CP or the first base station will perform one of steps 706a to 706c depending on the entity that initially initiates the QMC activation and the corresponding situation described above.

[0158] For example, if the QMC activation is generated by step 701a, that is, the QMC activation is initially triggered by the CU-UP or DU, the CU-CP sends the QMC report or QoE information to the CU-UP / DU in step 706a.

[0159] In one implementation, the QMC report can be forwarded directly to the CU-UP / DU. Alternatively, the QMC report can be processed and then sent to the CU-UP / DU. The QoE information sent to the CU-UP / DU can be generated from the processed QMC report or inferred by other methods.

[0160] If the CU-CP sends a QMC report, the QMC report can be delivered by a new message, such as an application layer measurement report message; if the CU-CP sends QoE information, the QoE information can be delivered by a new message, such as an application layer information indication message.

[0161] The processed QMC report may include relevant information obtained by converting the QoE dimension into a mean opinion score (MoS) through a model or screening out some important QoE dimensions.

[0162] After receiving the QMC report or QoE information, the CU-UP / DU can calculate or directly obtain the service experience information of a specific DRB or a specific service type at the application layer for a specific UE. This information can be applied to the CU-UP's flow control strategy or the DU's scheduling strategy, enabling the CU-UP or DU's functions to more accurately allocate or schedule resources based on a granularity smaller than QoS, thereby optimizing the user's service experience.

[0163] If the QMC activation is generated by step 701b, that is, the QMC activation is initially triggered by the second base station, the first base station sends the QMC report or QoE information to the second base station in step 706b.

[0164] In one implementation, the QMC report may be directly forwarded to the second base station. Alternatively, the QMC report may be processed and then sent to the second base station. The QoE information may be generated from the processed QMC report or inferred by other methods.

[0165] If the first base station sends a QMC report, the QMC report may be sent via a Resource Status Update message. Alternatively, the QMC report may be delivered via a new message, such as an Application Layer Measurement Report message. If the first base station sends QoE information, the QoE information may be sent via a Resource Status Update message. Alternatively, the QoE information may be delivered via a new message, such as an Application Layer Information Indication message.

[0166] After receiving the QMC report or QoE information, the second base station can calculate or directly obtain the service experience information of the specific network slice or specific QoS type of the neighboring cell at the application layer. This information and its own QoE measurement results can be used for QoE-aware load balancing or service diversion between base stations. The function takes into account the user service experience on the basis of the original base station load judgment. Implementing load balancing or service diversion under the premise of ensuring service experience can not only meet the user service experience and make rational use of resources, but also reduce unnecessary switching caused by load balancing or service diversion, thereby reducing the risk of switching failure and degradation of user service experience during switching.

[0167] If QMC activation is initiated in step 701c, i.e., the base station initiates QMC activation for scheduling or other optimization purposes, the base station can optimize the base station configuration based on the received QMC report or the QoE information reflected in the QMC report. Therefore, the base station can quickly obtain the required QMC report or QoE information, and can more quickly adjust the base station configuration using the QoE information.

[0168] Through the QMC method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, multiple nodes on the network side can initiate and activate QMC configuration, thereby enabling faster configuration and collection of QoE information based on actual needs or circumstances, thereby more quickly applying the collected information to functions such as wireless network scheduling, resource allocation, and load balancing. The QMC method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can more quickly optimize wireless networks, ensure and improve user service experience, thereby increasing user loyalty and increasing operator revenue.

[0169] Figure 8 An example of a QMC method 800 for deactivating or modifying QMC according to the present disclosure is shown. Detailed descriptions of steps not related to the present disclosure are omitted here.

[0170] like Figure 8 As shown, the QMC method may start from one of 801a-801d depending on the entity or the situation that initiates the deactivation of the QMC configuration or the modification of the QMC configuration.

[0171] If the deactivation of QMC configuration or the modification of QMC configuration is initiated by OAM, OAM sends the deactivation of QMC configuration or the modification of QMC configuration to EM. Then in step 801a, EM sends the deactivation of QMC configuration information or the modification of QMC configuration information to the base station via a deactivation measurement task message or a modification measurement task message.

[0172] Since there may be multiple QMC tasks in the QMC configuration message, the multiple tasks are respectively identified by QMC references, and a QMC task may have multiple services that need to be measured, and the measured services are identified by application references. If only one or more QMC tasks or one or more measurement services in a QMC task need to be deactivated, the message carries the QMC reference and / or application reference that needs to be deactivated to indicate the QMC measurement tasks that need to be deactivated and / or the measurement of specific services in the QMC measurement tasks to be deactivated by the base station and / or UE.

[0173] If the deactivation or modification of the QMC configuration is initiated by the core network, then in step 801b, the core network sends deactivation or modification of the QMC configuration information to the base station. The specific messages used to transmit the deactivation or modification of the QMC configuration are divided into the following situations:

[0174] -If the PDU session remains unchanged, the core network sends a deactivation tracking message or a tracking modification message to the base station; the deactivation tracking message or the tracking modification message may carry the deactivation QMC configuration or the modification QMC configuration, respectively;

[0175] -If the PDU session is modified, the core network sends a PDU session resource modification request to the base station,

[0176] It can carry deactivation of QMC configuration or modification of QMC configuration;

[0177] -If the PDU session is released, the core network sends a PDU session resource release command to the base station,

[0178] It can carry the deactivation of QMC configuration or the modification of QMC configuration.

[0179] The deactivated QMC configuration or modified QMC configuration carries the QMC reference and / or application reference that needs to be deactivated to indicate the QMC task that the base station and / or UE needs to deactivate and / or the measurement of the specific service in the QMC task. Since multiple QMC tasks may be configured simultaneously in the activated QMC configuration, each QMC task is identified by a QMC reference. If the core network only needs to deactivate one or more QMC tasks, the QMC reference corresponding to the specific QMC task that needs to be deactivated needs to be carried in the deactivated QMC configuration. Since a QMC task may also include measurements for multiple services, each service is identified by an application reference. If the core network only needs to deactivate the measurement of one or more services, the QMC reference corresponding to the QMC task that needs to be deactivated and the application reference of the corresponding service need to be carried in the deactivation configuration.

[0180] In one case, if, for example, in step 801c, the base station receives a message from the core network, the message may be a PDU session resource release command or a PDU session resource modification request message, and the message indicates that the PDU session is deleted or the corresponding S-NSSAI has changed and the QMC configuration conditions need to be rechecked, then the base station may also decide to initiate deactivation of the QMC configuration or modify the QMC configuration according to the actual situation. There are two ways to check the QMC configuration conditions, for example, one is base station check and the other is UE check. If the base station checks the QMC configuration conditions, for example, if the base station finds that the S-NSSAI used by the UE service that has been configured with QMC has changed, then the base station may initiate deactivation of the QMC configuration or modify the QMC configuration. The message sent by the base station to the UE to transmit the deactivation QMC configuration information or modify the QMC configuration information carries the QMC reference and / or application reference that needs to be deactivated to indicate the QMC task that the UE needs to deactivate and / or the measurement of the specific service in the QMC task.

[0181] In another case, if the base station decides to deactivate or modify the QMC configuration for its own reasons, then in step 801d, the base station generates a message conveying the deactivation or modification information of the QMC configuration and sends it to the UE. The message carries the QMC reference and / or application reference to be deactivated, thereby indicating to the UE the QMC task and / or the measurement of the specific service within the QMC task that needs to be deactivated.

[0182] Next, after one of the above steps 801a-801d, the base station will execute one of steps 802a-802b according to the corresponding situation.

[0183] If the deactivation of QMC configuration or the modification of QMC configuration is sent to the base station by the EM or the core network, or is generated by the base station for its own reasons, then in step 802a, the base station sends deactivation of QMC configuration or modification of QMC configuration information to the UE, and the information is transmitted by the RRC reconfiguration message. The RRC reconfiguration message includes application layer measurement configuration release information, that is, deactivation of QMC configuration or modification of QMC configuration information. Based on the QMC reference and / or application reference in the received message, the UE knows to stop the corresponding QMC task or only stop the measurement of specific services in the QMC task. The advantage of such a configuration is that it helps operators to control QMC more flexibly according to customer subscription conditions.

[0184] If the core network sends a PDU session modification or deletion message to the base station, triggering the deactivation or modification of the QMC configuration, and the condition change is detected by the UE, then in step 802b, the base station notifies the UE of the modified S-NSSAI of the PDU session or the deleted PDU session ID via an RRC reconfiguration message. When the UE prepares to start the next QoE measurement, it checks the S-NSSAI in the PDU session. If the S-NSSAI has changed, the UE will not start QoE measurement. If the PDU session has been deleted, the UE will not start QoE measurement.

[0185] The QMC method according to the present disclosure supports deactivating the QMC configuration of the corresponding network slice when the network slice serving the UE PDU session changes. At the same time, the QMC method of the present disclosure allows operators to more flexibly deactivate the QMC configuration or the measurement configuration of one or more service types in the QMC configuration.

[0186] Figure 9 An example of a QMC method 900 according to the present disclosure is shown. Detailed descriptions of steps not related to the present invention are omitted here.

[0187] like Figure 9 As shown, the QMC method 900 includes the following steps:

[0188] Step 901: The base station triggers QMC configuration modification.

[0189] The reasons that trigger the modification may be:

[0190] - If the base station load is high, QMC reporting can be suspended or the QMC reporting cycle can be increased;

[0191] -When the base station load is reduced, the initial QMC reporting configuration can be restarted.

[0192] -During the handover process, if the target base station does not support the radio bearer used for QMC reporting, QMC reporting can be suspended;

[0193] -During the handover process, if the source base station does not support the radio bearer for QMC reporting, but the target base station supports the radio bearer for QMC reporting, the initial QMC reporting configuration can be restarted.

[0194] In step 902, the base station sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, which includes modifications to the application layer measurement configuration, i.e., modifications to the QMC configuration information, which can be used to modify the QMC reporting conditions. The modified QMC configuration information includes the QMC reference and / or application reference corresponding to the QMC task to be modified, and may also include one or more of the following information:

[0195] - Reporting period. The reporting period does not affect the generation of reports on the UE side, but only affects the time when the UE reports QMC reports. If the reporting period is configured in the modified QMC configuration information, the UE will cache QMC reports until the time conditions corresponding to the reporting period are met or a new reporting instruction is received.

[0196] - Buffer indication, used to instruct the UE to buffer the QMC report or to instruct the UE to stop buffering and continue reporting the QMC report.

[0197] - Cache limit conditions are used to indicate the time or capacity limit for UE to cache QMC reports. These can be time parameters, number of files, or occupied capacity. If the cache limit is reached, the UE will no longer cache reports or delete the oldest report.

[0198] In step 903, after generating a QMC report, the UE checks the reporting configuration. If there is no buffering indication or reporting period configuration, the UE sends an application layer measurement report to the base station in step 904. The report may include previously buffered QMC report information. If there is a buffering indication, the UE buffers the QMC report and temporarily does not send it to the base station. If there is a reporting period configuration, the UE buffers the QMC report until the reporting period time expires. After the reporting period expires, the UE sends the QMC report to the base station.

[0199] The QMC method disclosed in this disclosure can ensure the integrity of QMC reports when wireless networks are congested or feature-impaired, ensuring that all measurement reports are fully transmitted to the data center or relevant nodes. Furthermore, it can collect more complete QoE information for more accurate network optimization without impacting the service experience of other network users.

[0200] Figure 10 An example of a QMC method 1000 according to the present disclosure is shown. Detailed descriptions of steps not related to the present disclosure are omitted here.

[0201] like Figure 10 As shown, the QMC method 1000 may include the steps of:

[0202] In step 1001, the source base station sends a handover request message to the destination base station. If the UE being handed over has an ongoing QMC task, the handover request message will include application layer measurement configuration information. The application layer measurement configuration information may include one or more of all the information that can be included in the aforementioned activated QMC configuration information, for example, a QMC reference, an application reference, and / or configuration condition information. The configuration condition information may include information such as S-NSSAI, mobile speed conditions, and wireless coverage environment conditions. The details may be as described in step 601a, for example.

[0203] The application layer measurement configuration information may also include QMC reporting cache information, such as the status of the cache indication or whether the reporting period is configured. The target base station decides whether to modify the cache indication or the reporting period configuration based on the base station load and / or whether the radio bearer for QMC reporting is supported. Modifying the reporting period configuration may be deleting the reporting period or modifying the time of the reporting period. Specifically, for example, it may include but is not limited to the following two situations: In the first case, the cache indication of the UE in the source base station is not cached or the reporting period is not configured, and the target base station load is high or does not support the radio bearer for QMC reporting, then the target base station may decide to set the cache indication to cache or configure a longer reporting period; in the second case, the cache indication of the UE in the source base station is cached or the reporting period is configured, and the target base station load is not high or supports the radio bearer for QMC reporting, then the target base station may decide to set the cache indication to not cache or delete the reporting period configuration.

[0204] In step 1002, the destination base station feeds back a switching request confirmation message to the source base station, and the message may include a switching information container that ultimately needs to be sent to the UE. If the configuration condition information is checked by the base station, the switching information container may include range indication information indicating the inspection result of the configuration condition information. The configuration condition information includes location information, network slice information, etc. If the destination base station to which the UE switches does not meet the configuration condition information, the range indication will be displayed as "out of range", thereby notifying the UE that it does not need to continue QoE measurement or start a new QoE measurement after switching to the destination base station; if the destination base station to which the UE switches meets the configuration condition information, the range indication will be displayed as "within range", thereby notifying the UE that it needs to continue QoE measurement or start a new QoE measurement after switching to the destination base station.

[0205] If the target base station wants to reconfigure the QMC reporting buffer information and send it to the UE during the handover execution process, the handover request confirmation message may include a buffer indication or a reporting period.

[0206] According to the QMC method disclosed in the present invention, when the service cell changes as the UE moves, it can more completely collect and measure user service experience information on different network slices, at different mobile speeds or under different coverage conditions. It can more accurately optimize network slices, optimize user service experience in high-speed mobile scenarios and weak coverage and high-interference areas, and ultimately improve user loyalty and increase operator revenue.

[0207] Figure 11 An example of a QMC method 1100 according to the present disclosure is shown. Detailed descriptions of steps not related to the present disclosure are omitted here.

[0208] like Figure 11 As shown, the QMC method 1100 includes the following steps:

[0209] In step 1101, the source base station sends a handover requirement message to the core network. In step 1102, the core network sends a handover request message to the target base station. If the UE being handed over has an ongoing QMC task, the above messages may include application layer measurement configuration information. The application layer measurement configuration information may include one or more of all the information that may be included in the QMC configuration information in the aforementioned embodiment, for example, it may include: QMC reference, application reference, and configuration condition information. The configuration condition information includes information such as S-NSSAI, mobile speed conditions, and wireless coverage environment conditions. For details, please refer to the relevant description in step 601a.

[0210] The application layer measurement configuration information may also include QMC reporting cache information, such as the status of the cache indication or whether a reporting period is configured. The target base station decides whether to modify the cache indication or the configured reporting period based on the base station load and / or whether the radio bearer for QMC reporting is supported. Modifying the reporting period may be deleting the reporting period or modifying the time of the reporting period. Specifically, the following two situations may be included: In the first situation, the UE's cache indication at the source base station is not cached or the reporting period is not configured, and the target base station has a high load or does not support the radio bearer for QMC reporting, then the target base station may decide to set the cache indication to cache or configure a longer reporting period; in the second situation, the UE's cache indication at the source base station is cached or the reporting period is configured, and the target base station has a low load or supports the radio bearer for QMC reporting, then the target base station may decide to set the cache indication to not cache or delete the reporting period configuration.

[0211] In step 1103, the target base station sends a handover request confirmation to the core network. In step 1104, the core network sends a handover command message to the source base station. If the configuration condition information is checked by the network side, the handover request confirmation and handover command messages may include a range indication indicating the check result of the configuration condition information to inform the UE whether to continue QoE measurement and reporting after the handover.

[0212] If the target base station wants to reconfigure the QMC reporting buffer information and send it to the UE during the handover execution process, the handover request confirmation and handover command messages may include the QMC reporting buffer information, such as a buffer indication or a reporting period.

[0213] According to the QMC method 1100 disclosed in the present invention, when the service cell changes as the UE moves, it can more completely collect and measure user service experience information on different network slices, at different mobile speeds or under different coverage conditions, and can more accurately optimize network slices, optimize user service experience in high-speed mobile scenarios and weak coverage and high-interference areas, ultimately improving user loyalty and increasing operator revenue.

[0214] Figure 12 An example of a QMC method 1200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed descriptions of steps not related to the present disclosure are omitted here.

[0215] like Figure 12 As shown, the QMC method 1200 may include the following steps:

[0216] Step 1201: A first base station sends a UE context acquisition request message to a second base station, wherein the message carries an identifier of the UE in the wireless network.

[0217] In step 1202, if the context information of the UE is stored in the second base station, the second base station sends a UE context feedback message to the first base station. If the UE has an ongoing QMC task, the message may include application layer measurement configuration information. The application layer measurement configuration information may include one or more of all the information that may be included in the QMC configuration information in the aforementioned embodiment, for example, it may include: QMC reference, application reference, and configuration condition information. The configuration condition information may include information such as S-NSSAI, mobile speed conditions, and wireless coverage environment conditions. For specific details, please refer to the relevant description in, for example, step 601a.

[0218] The application layer measurement configuration information may also include QMC reporting cache information, such as whether there is a cache indication or whether a reporting period is configured. The first base station decides whether to modify the cache indication or reporting period based on the base station load and / or whether the radio bearer used for QMC reporting is supported. Modifying the reporting period may be deleting the reporting period or modifying the reporting period. If the cache indication or the configured reporting period needs to be modified, the first base station may send the modified QMC configuration information to the UE after receiving the Get UE Context Feedback message.

[0219] According to the QMC method disclosed in the present invention, when the UE wireless link fails, it is possible to more completely collect and measure user service experience information on different network slices, at different mobile speeds or under different coverage conditions, thereby more accurately optimizing network slices, optimizing user service experience in high-speed mobile scenarios and areas with weak coverage and high interference, and ultimately improving user loyalty and increasing operator revenue.

[0220] Figure 13 An example of a QMC method 1300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed descriptions of steps not related to the present disclosure are omitted here.

[0221] like Figure 13 As shown, the QMC method 1300 may include the following steps:

[0222] Step 1301: The UE generates a QMC report and sends the QMC report to the first node when appropriate.

[0223] The QMC report may also include some auxiliary information, such as network slice information, service cell information and / or DRB information. For the generated QMC report, the UE checks whether there is a cache indication or a reporting period configuration. If there is a cache indication or the time corresponding to the reporting period has not yet been reached, the UE will cache the QMC report; if there is no cache indication or the time corresponding to the reporting period has been reached, the UE will send the QMC report to the first node through an application layer measurement report message. The first node may be a base station or a CU-CP.

[0224] Step 1302: The first node receives a QMC report from the UE, reads and analyzes the QMC report, and obtains the required QoE information. The QoE information can be a MOS value calculated based on a model or an important QoE dimension selected based on the optimization purpose.

[0225] Alternatively, if there is no QMC report, the first node may also infer the required QoE information based on other information, which may be key performance parameters statistically analyzed for user QoS types, such as throughput, packet loss, and latency.

[0226] Step 1303: The first node sends a QMC report or QoE information to the second node.

[0227] The second node may be a base station, a CU-UP / DU, a core network node, a network management node, an MCE, or a TCE. The core network node may be an AMF, an SMF, an NSSF, an NWDAF, or a PCF. The first node may transmit the QMC report or QoE information to the second node, for example, in the following cases:

[0228] Case 1: the address information of the node for collecting QoE pre-configured in the previous QMC configuration or QMC request is the address information of the second node;

[0229] Case 2: The second node requests QoE information, and the first node feeds back QoE information.

[0230] Case 3: The first node actively transmits QoE information.

[0231] Step 1304: The second node receives the QMC report or QoE information.

[0232] The second node may perform further analysis and processing based on the received QMC report or QoE information to optimize the network and improve the user service experience.

[0233] According to the QMC method disclosed in this disclosure, a base station can read, process, or infer QoE information and send it to any possible node. This enables faster and more accurate optimization. Furthermore, after obtaining QoE, many functional entities can adjust resources, enabling more rational resource utilization and more conveniently providing a better user experience.

[0234] The QMC method disclosed herein can collect user experience information across different network slices, at different mobile speeds, or in different coverage scenarios, enabling better network optimization. Furthermore, the QMC method disclosed herein can ensure the integrity of QMC reports even in situations of network congestion or imperfect functionality, while also enabling faster QoE-based wireless network optimization and improving user experience.

[0235] Figure 14 An example of a QMC method 1400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed descriptions of steps not related to the present disclosure are omitted here.

[0236] like Figure 14 As shown, the QMC method 1400 may include the following steps:

[0237] Depending on how the first base station or the CU-CP obtains the QoE information, the QMC method 1400 may start at step 1401a or 1401b.

[0238] Step 1401a: The UE sends a QMC report to the first base station or the CU-CP. The QMC report is delivered by an application layer measurement report message. The message may also include the following information:

[0239] - QMC reference to indicate which QMC task(s) the QoE measurement result is for.

[0240] - Application reference, to indicate which specific service(s) the QoE measurement result is for.

[0241] -QoE report container: The application layer outputs specific measurement values ​​based on the QoE metrics in the QMC configuration container, such as latency, buffering, throughput, or user device information.

[0242] -S-NSSAI, to indicate the network slice information used for QoE measurement.

[0243] -Cell ID, which indicates the cell information where the QoE measurement is performed.

[0244] -DRB ID, which indicates the DRB information used for QoE measurement.

[0245] Among them, information such as S-NSSAI, Cell ID, and DRB ID is optional and is used in specific optimization scenarios. This information can be included in the QoE report container or outside the QoE report container.

[0246] After the first base station receives the QMC report, it can directly forward the report to other nodes or entities according to the QMC configuration information, or it can read the report for further analysis and processing and generate QoE information. The analysis and processing process is different according to the optimization purpose. As a non-limiting example, if the optimization purpose is to know the overall experience satisfaction of the service, the first base station can convert the various dimension measurements of QoE in multiple QMC reports into MOS through a model; if the optimization purpose is to collect an important dimension information of QoE for artificial intelligence calculation, switching conditions or scheduling conditions, etc., the first base station can filter out one or more dimension information, such as the cache level and number of freezes of video services, the interaction delay of VR services, etc.

[0247] In step 1401b, the first base station or the CU-CP may also infer QoE information based on other information, such as key performance parameters such as throughput, packet loss, and latency, which are statistically analyzed for user QoS types.

[0248] Depending on the entity requesting the QoE information, the QMC method 1400 may include steps 1402a or 1402b.

[0249] Step 1402a: The CU-UP or DU sends a QoE information request message to the CU-CP.

[0250] The request information may include one or more parameter sets, and each parameter set may include one or more of the following information:

[0251] -UE ID, used to indicate the UE for which QoE information needs to be collected;

[0252] -QoS identifier, used to indicate the QoS type for which QoE information needs to be collected, which can be 5QI (5G Quality Identity) or QCI (QoS Class Identity);

[0253] -DRB ID, used to indicate the DRB information corresponding to the UE for which QoE information needs to be collected;

[0254] -Service type, used to indicate the service type for which QoE information needs to be collected, such as voice service, video service, or game.

[0255] In one implementation, the QoE information request information may be delivered by a new message, such as an application layer information request message. The CU-CP may decide whether to feed back the QoE information to the CU-UP or DU based on the situation.

[0256] Step 1402b: The second base station sends a QoE information request message to the first base station. The request message may include one or more parameter sets, and each parameter set may include one or more of the following information:

[0257] -Cell ID, used to indicate the cell for which QoE information needs to be collected;

[0258] -S-NSSAI, used to indicate the network slice for which QoE information needs to be collected;

[0259] -QoS identifier, used to indicate the QoS type for which QoE information needs to be collected, which can be 5QI or QCI;

[0260] -Service type, used to indicate the type of service to be measured, such as voice service, video service, or game.

[0261] In one implementation, the QoE information request information may be sent by an E-UTRA-NR cell resource coordination request message or a resource status request message. In another implementation, the QoE information request information may be delivered by a new message, such as an application layer information request message. The first base station may decide whether to feed back the QoE information to the second base station based on the circumstances.

[0262] Corresponding to step 1402a or 1402b, the QMC method 1400 may proceed to step 1403a or 1403b.

[0263] If the QMC or QoE information measurement is initiated or requested by the CU-UP or DU, then in step 1403a, the CU-CP sends a message to the CU-UP and / or DU conveying the QMC report or QoE information. In one implementation, the message can be delivered as a new message, such as an Application Layer Measurement Report message or an Application Layer Information Indication message. To account for the timeliness of applications, the application layer related information can also include information such as a timestamp.

[0264] After receiving the QMC report or QoE information, the CU-UP or DU can calculate or directly obtain the service experience information for a specific DRB or a specific service type for a specific UE. This information can be used in the CU-UP's flow control strategy or the DU's scheduling strategy, enabling various functions on the CU-UP or DU to more accurately allocate or schedule resources at a granularity smaller than QoS, thereby optimizing the user's service experience.

[0265] If the QMC measurement or QoE information is initiated or requested by the second base station, or the QMC report contains cell information about the second base station, then in step 1403b, the first base station will send a message to the second base station to convey the QMC report or QoE information. In one implementation, the message can be an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access-New Air Interface (E-UTRA-NR) cell resource coordination feedback message or a resource status update message. In another implementation, the message is a new message, such as an application layer measurement report message or an application layer information indication message. Taking into account the timeliness of the application, the application layer related information can carry information such as a time stamp.

[0266] After receiving the QMC report or QoE information, the second base station can calculate or directly obtain the service experience information of the neighboring cell or the specific network slice of the current cell or the specific QoS type. This information can be used for QoE-aware load balancing or service diversion between base stations. The function takes into account the user service experience on the basis of the original judgment of the base station load, so that load balancing or service diversion can be implemented under the premise of ensuring the service experience. Therefore, it can not only meet the user service experience and make rational use of resources, but also reduce unnecessary switching due to load balancing or service diversion, thereby reducing the risk of switching failure and degradation of user service experience during the switching process. If in multi-connection mode, the primary cell and the secondary cell also use this process to obtain the QoE information of each other's cells to assist in resource coordination.

[0267] In addition, if the data center address is carried in the initial QMC configuration or the data center requests QoE information, the QMC method 1400 may proceed to step 1403c, where the first base station sends a QMC report or QoE information to the data center.

[0268] If the QMC report or QoE information is specific to a specific network slice, after collecting a certain number of QMC reports or QoE information, the data center can statistically analyze or use a model to determine the overall user experience on the network slice. Based on these results, the network side can assess whether the network slice's capacity is sufficient, resource allocation, and parameter configuration are reasonable. Based on these results, the network side can further analyze the causes and provide recommendations for capacity expansion or optimization. After optimization, QoE information is collected again for comparison before and after optimization.

[0269] If the QMC report or QoE information is for users in certain special mobility scenarios, such as high-speed mobility, the data center can collect statistics or analyze the user experience in high-speed mobility scenarios based on models. Based on the analysis results and combined with other information such as network configuration, the data center can assess whether the network configuration in high-speed mobility scenarios is reasonable and whether further optimization is needed. After optimization, QoE information is collected again to compare the before and after optimization results.

[0270] If the QMC report or QoE information is for users in specific coverage scenarios, such as weak coverage or high interference, the data center can collect statistics or analyze the user experience under different coverage environments based on models, assess the impact of the wireless environment on the user experience, and further optimize the network configuration to improve the user experience. After optimization, QoE information is collected again and compared before and after optimization.

[0271] The data center can analyze the QMC report or QoE information as described above, perform network optimization based on the analysis results, and transmit the analyzed data to other nodes to assist other nodes in optimization. The other nodes may be, for example, base stations or core network nodes, and the core network nodes may be, for example, AMF, SMF, NSSF, NWDAF, or PCF.

[0272] In addition, if the initial QMC configuration carries core network node information or the core network node requests QoE information, QMC method 1400 may proceed to step 1403d, where the first base station sends a QMC report or QoE information to the core network node. The message used to forward the QMC report or QoE information may use an existing message or a new message, such as a tracking report message, an application layer measurement report message, or an application layer information indication message.

[0273] The core network may perform statistics and analysis on the QMC report or QoE information as described in step 1402c.

[0274] In particular, if the QMC report or QoE information is measured for a specific UE, the core network node (such as PCF) can evaluate and decide whether to adjust the UE's QoS parameters based on the analysis results to improve the user service experience.

[0275] In particular, if the QMC report or QoE information is for a specific network slice, the core network node (such as NSSF) can evaluate whether to modify the network slice selection policy based on the analysis results so that the user service experience on all network slices can meet the requirements.

[0276] The QMC method disclosed herein enables wireless networks to more quickly obtain QoE information and utilize this information for functions such as wireless network scheduling, resource allocation, and load balancing, thereby optimizing wireless networks more quickly and ensuring and improving user experience. The QMC method disclosed herein also collects user experience information across different network slices, at different mobile speeds, or under different coverage conditions, enabling more accurate optimization of network slices, high-speed mobile scenarios, and user experience in areas with weak coverage and high interference, ultimately improving user loyalty and increasing operator revenue.

[0277] Figure 15 A simplified block diagram illustrating an example configuration of hardware components of a QMC device 1500 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, which may implement the QMC method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0278] The QMC device may be implemented in any device that can perform the relevant steps of the QMC method according to the present disclosure. As a non-limiting example, the QMC device may be implemented in a network node such as a base station, user equipment, core network, data center, EM, or any similar device.

[0279] like Figure 15 As shown, the QMC device 1500 includes a transceiver unit 1501 , a processor 1502 , and a memory 1503 .

[0280] The transceiver unit 1501 is configured to receive and / or send signals.

[0281] The processor 1502 is operatively connected to the transceiver unit 1501 and the memory 1503. The processor 1502 may be implemented as one or more processors, configured to operate according to the QMC method described in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0282] Memory 1503 is configured to store data. Memory 1503 may include non-transitory memory for storing operations and / or code instructions executable by processor 1502. Memory 1503 may include processor-readable non-transitory instructions that, when executed, cause processor 1502 to implement the steps of the QMC method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Memory 1503 may also include random access memory or buffer(s) to store intermediate processing data from various functions performed by processor 1502.

[0283] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the description of the QMC method and apparatus is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. Other embodiments will readily occur to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0284] For the sake of clarity, not all conventional features of implementations of the QMC method and apparatus are shown and described. Of course, it should be understood that in the development of any such actual implementation of the QMC method and apparatus, many implementation-specific decisions may need to be made in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with application, system, network, and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from implementation to implementation and from developer to developer.

[0285] The modules, processing operations and / or data structures described in accordance with the present disclosure may be implemented using various types of operating systems, computing platforms, network devices, computer programs and / or general-purpose machines. In addition, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that less general-purpose devices, such as hard-wired devices, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc., may also be used. Where a method comprising a series of operations and sub-operations is implemented by a processor, computer or machine, and those operations and sub-operations can be stored as a series of non-transitory code instructions readable by a processor, computer or machine, they may be stored on a tangible and / or non-transitory medium.

[0286] The modules of the QMC methods and devices described herein may include software, firmware, hardware, or any combination(s) of software, firmware, or hardware suitable for the purposes described herein.

[0287] In the QMC methods described herein, various operations and sub-operations may be performed in various orders, and some of the operations and sub-operations may be optional.

[0288] Although the foregoing disclosure of the present application has been made by way of non-limiting illustrative embodiments, these embodiments may be modified at will within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and essence of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first node in a communication system, comprising: Sending a first radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message to a user equipment (UE), where the first RRC reconfiguration message includes an application layer measurement configuration, where the application layer measurement configuration includes one or more single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI); receiving an application layer measurement report message from the UE, the application layer measurement report message including measurement related information, the measurement related information including a session identifier corresponding to the measurement related information, The application layer measurement configuration is configured by the first node, and the measurement related information is used by the first node for network optimization, and the first node is a base station.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The measurement related information is collected based on the QoE metric measurement in the Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement configuration container.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The application layer measurement configuration includes: reporting period, information related to cache level, and information on delay related to QoE measurement.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The first node is a centralized unit CU of a base station, and the method further includes: the CU transmitting QoE information based on the measurement-related information to a distributed unit DU of the base station.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The communicated QoE information includes at least one QoE metric.

6. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein: The transferred QoE information is used by the DU for network optimization.

7. A method performed by a first node in a communication system, comprising: receiving an initial context establishment request message from a third node, wherein the initial context establishment request message includes QoE measurement collection QMC configuration information; Sending a second RRC reconfiguration message to the UE based on the QMC configuration information, where the second RRC reconfiguration message includes an application layer measurement configuration; receiving an application layer measurement report message from the UE, the application layer measurement report message including a measurement report, The QMC configuration information includes one or more single network slice selection auxiliary information S-NSSAI, and the first node is a base station.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The measurement report includes slice information.

9. The method according to any one of claims 7-8, further comprising: The measurement report and the corresponding QMC reference are sent to a second node, where the second node is a measurement collection entity MCE.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The measurement report is used by the second node for evaluation.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, further comprising: When the first node is overloaded, a third RRC reconfiguration message including an application layer measurement configuration is sent to the UE, where the application layer measurement configuration is used for the UE to suspend sending or continue sending the measurement report.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The application layer measurement configuration includes an application reference.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the application layer measurement configuration further comprises indication information for instructing the UE to suspend or continue sending application layer measurement reports.

14. A method performed by a first node in a communication system, comprising: receiving, from a third node, information related to QMC deactivation, the information related to QMC deactivation indicating a QMC configuration to be deactivated; Sending a fourth RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, where the fourth RRC reconfiguration message includes information related to application layer measurement configuration release, The information related to QMC deactivation includes a QMC reference list, wherein the QMC reference list includes at least one QMC reference. The method further comprises: Sending a handover request message to the fourth node, where the handover request message includes application layer measurement configuration information, wherein the application layer measurement configuration information includes S-NSSAI; A handover request acknowledgement message is received from the fourth node.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein The information related to the release of the application layer measurement configuration includes information related to the application layer measurement configuration identifier.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein The application layer measurement configuration identifier related information includes an application reference.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The information related to the release of the application layer measurement configuration is used by the UE to stop the corresponding QMC measurement.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein The application layer measurement configuration information includes information indicating reporting suspension.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, further comprising: Sending a UE context request message to the fifth node; A get UE context response message is received from the fifth node, where the get UE context response message includes application layer measurement configuration information.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein The application layer measurement configuration information includes S-NSSAI.

21. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a communication system, comprising: receiving a first RRC reconfiguration message from the first node, the first RRC reconfiguration message including an application layer measurement configuration, the application layer measurement configuration including one or more single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI; Sending an application layer measurement report message to the first node, where the application layer measurement report message includes measurement related information, and the measurement related information includes a session identifier corresponding to the measurement related information, The application layer measurement configuration is configured by the first node, and the measurement related information is used by the first node for network optimization, and the first node is a base station.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein The measurement related information is collected based on the QoE metric measurements in the QoE measurement configuration container.

23. The method according to claim 21 or 22, wherein The application layer measurement configuration includes: reporting period, information related to cache level, and information on delay related to QoE measurement.

24. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a communication system, comprising: receiving a second RRC reconfiguration message from the first node, the second RRC reconfiguration message being based on QMC configuration information and including an application layer measurement configuration, wherein the QMC configuration information is included in an initial context setup request message received by the first node from the third node, sending an application layer measurement report message to the first node, the application layer measurement report message including a measurement report, The QMC configuration information includes one or more single network slice selection auxiliary information S-NSSAI, and the first node is a base station.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein The application layer measurement report message includes slice information.

26. The method according to any one of claims 24-25, further comprising: When the first node is overloaded, receiving a third RRC reconfiguration message including an application layer measurement configuration from the first node, where the application layer measurement configuration is used for the UE to suspend or continue sending measurement reports; Based on the application layer measurement configuration, suspend sending or continue sending the measurement report.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein The application layer measurement configuration includes an application reference.

28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the application layer measurement configuration further comprises indication information for instructing the UE to suspend or continue sending application layer measurement reports.

29. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a communication system, comprising: receiving a fourth RRC reconfiguration message from the first node, the fourth RRC reconfiguration message including information related to application layer measurement configuration release, wherein the fourth RRC reconfiguration message is sent by the first node in response to receiving information related to QMC deactivation; releasing the relevant application layer measurement configuration based on the information related to the release of the application layer measurement configuration, The information related to QMC deactivation includes a QMC reference list, wherein the QMC reference list includes at least one QMC reference. The method further comprises: receiving a switching information container from the first node, The handover information container is provided by a handover request confirmation message sent by the fourth node, the handover request confirmation message is related to a handover request message sent by the first node to the fourth node, and the handover request message includes application layer measurement configuration information. The application layer measurement configuration information includes S-NSSAI.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein The information related to the release of the application layer measurement configuration includes information related to the application layer measurement configuration identifier.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein The application layer measurement configuration identifier related information includes an application reference.

32. A method performed by a third node in a communication system, comprising: Sending an initial context establishment request message to the first node, wherein the initial context establishment request message includes QoE measurement collection QMC configuration information, The QMC configuration information is used by the first node to send a second RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, where the second RRC reconfiguration message includes an application layer measurement configuration. The QMC configuration information includes one or more single network slice selection auxiliary information S-NSSAI, and the first node is a base station.

33. A method performed by a distributed unit (DU) of a base station in a communication system, comprising: receiving QoE information from a centralized unit CU of a base station; performing network optimization based on the QoE information, The QoE information is based on measurement related information, the measurement related information is included in an application layer measurement report message received by the CU from the UE, and the measurement related information includes a session identifier corresponding to the measurement related information, The measurement-related information is used by the CU for network optimization and is related to an application layer measurement configuration configured by the UE, wherein the application layer measurement configuration includes one or more single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein The QoE information includes at least one QoE metric.

35. A method performed by a second node in a communication system, comprising: receiving a measurement report and a corresponding QMC reference from the first node; Performing an evaluation based on the measurement report and the corresponding QMC reference, The measurement report is included in an application layer measurement report message received by the first node from the UE, The application layer measurement report message is related to QMC configuration information sent by the first node to the UE, where the QMC configuration information includes one or more single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI, The first node is a base station.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein The second node is an MCE.

37. A first node in a communication system, comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit and / or receive signals; A controller is configured to control the first node to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-20.

38. A second node in a communication system, comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit and / or receive signals; A controller is configured to control the second node to execute the method according to any one of claims 35-36.

39. A third node in a communication system, comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit and / or receive signals; A controller is configured to control the third node to execute the method according to claim 32.

40. A user equipment (UE) in a communication system, comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit and / or receive signals; A controller is configured to control the UE to perform the method according to any one of claims 21-31.

41. A distributed unit DU of a base station, comprising: a transceiver configured to transmit and / or receive signals; A controller is configured to control the DU to execute the method according to any one of claims 33-34.

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