Beam tracking for latency reduction

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products for beam tracking to reduce latency. A method may include receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node. The method may also include sending a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include performing radio resource management measurements based on information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message. Additionally, the method may include preparing a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements. Additionally, the method may include sending the measurement report to the network node. The method may also include maintaining a spatial relationship with a cell or carrier identified in the measurement report as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology or other communication systems. For example, certain embodiments may relate to apparatus, systems and / or methods for beam tracking to reduce latency. Background Art

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro and / or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. The fifth generation (5G) wireless system refers to the next generation (NG) radio system and network architecture. 5G is primarily built on the new radio (NR), but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on the E-UTRAN radio. It is estimated that NR will provide bit rates of 10 to 20 Gbit / s or higher and will support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to provide ultra-wideband and ultra-robust, low latency connectivity and large-scale networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). As the Internet of Things and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications become more prevalent, the demand for networks that meet the requirements of low power consumption, low data rates and long battery life will continue to grow. It is important to note that in 5G, a node that can provide radio access functions to user equipment (i.e. similar to Node B in UTRAN or eNB in ​​LTE) is named gNB when built on NR radio and is named NG-eNB when built on E-UTRAN radio. Summary of the invention

[0003] An embodiment may be directed to a method. The method may include: receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node. The method may also include: sending a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include: performing radio resource management measurements based on information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include: preparing a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements. In addition, the method may include: sending the measurement report to the network node. In addition, the method may include: maintaining a spatial relationship with a cell or carrier identified in the measurement report as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

[0004] Another example embodiment may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include: a component for receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node. The apparatus may also include: a component for sending a radio resource control reconfiguration completion message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus may also include: a component for performing radio resource management measurements based on information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus may also include: a component for preparing a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements. In addition, the apparatus may include: a component for sending a measurement report to the network node. In addition, the apparatus may include: a component for maintaining a spatial relationship with a cell or carrier identified in the measurement report as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

[0005] Another example embodiment may be directed to an apparatus, which may include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node. The apparatus is also caused to send a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus may also be caused to perform radio resource management measurements based on information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus may also be caused to prepare a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements. In addition, the apparatus may be caused to send a measurement report to the network node. In addition, the apparatus may be caused to maintain a spatial relationship with a cell or carrier identified in the measurement report as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

[0006] According to some example embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may be encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, may perform a method. The method may include: receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node. The method may also include: sending a radio resource control reconfiguration completion message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include: performing radio resource management measurements based on information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include: preparing a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements. In addition, the method may include: sending the measurement report to the network node. In addition, the method may include: maintaining a spatial relationship with a cell or carrier identified in the measurement report as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

[0007] According to some example embodiments, a computer program product may perform a method. The method may include: receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node. The method may also include: sending a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include: performing radio resource management measurements based on information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include: preparing a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements. In addition, the method may include: sending the measurement report to the network node. In addition, the method may include: maintaining a spatial relationship with a cell or carrier identified in the measurement report as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

[0008] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include circuitry configured to receive a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node. The apparatus may also include circuitry configured to send a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus may also include circuitry configured to perform radio resource management measurements based on information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus may also include circuitry configured to prepare a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements. In addition, the apparatus may include circuitry configured to send a measurement report to the network node. In addition, the apparatus may include circuitry configured to maintain a spatial relationship with a cell or carrier identified in the measurement report as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

[0009] According to some example embodiments, a method may include: sending a radio resource control reconfiguration message to a user equipment. The method may also include: receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include: configuring the user equipment to perform radio resource management measurements. In addition, the method may include: receiving a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements obtained by the user equipment. In addition, the method may include: determining whether to configure carrier aggregation or dual connectivity for a cell or a carrier based on the measurement report.

[0010] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: a component for sending a radio resource control reconfiguration message to a user equipment. The apparatus may also include: a component for receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus may also include: a component for configuring the user equipment to perform radio resource management measurements. In addition, the apparatus may include: a component for receiving a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements obtained by the user equipment. In addition, the apparatus may include: a component for determining whether to configure carrier aggregation or dual connectivity for a cell or carrier based on the measurement report.

[0011] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: send a radio resource control reconfiguration message to a user equipment. The apparatus may also be caused to receive a radio resource control reconfiguration completion message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus may also be caused to configure the user equipment to perform radio resource management measurements. In addition, the apparatus may be caused to: receive a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements obtained by the user equipment. In addition, the apparatus may be caused to determine whether to configure carrier aggregation or dual connectivity for a cell or carrier based on the measurement report.

[0012] According to some example embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable medium may be encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, may perform a method. The method may include: sending a radio resource control reconfiguration message to a user equipment. The method may also include: receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration completion message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include: configuring the user equipment to perform radio resource management measurements. In addition, the method may include: receiving a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements obtained by the user equipment. In addition, the method may include: determining whether to configure carrier aggregation or dual connectivity for a cell or carrier based on the measurement report.

[0013] According to some example embodiments, a computer program product may perform a method. The method may include: sending a radio resource control reconfiguration message to a user equipment. The method may also include: receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include: configuring the user equipment to perform radio resource management measurements. In addition, the method may include: receiving a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements obtained by the user equipment. In addition, the method may include: determining whether to configure carrier aggregation or dual connectivity for a cell or carrier based on the measurement report.

[0014] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include a circuit system configured to send a radio resource control reconfiguration message to a user equipment. The apparatus may also include a circuit system configured to receive a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus may also include a circuit system configured to configure the user equipment to perform radio resource management measurements. In addition, the method may include a circuit system configured to receive a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements obtained by the user equipment. In addition, the apparatus may include a circuit system configured to determine whether to configure carrier aggregation or dual connectivity for a cell or carrier based on the measurement report. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] For a proper understanding of the example embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 The reference signal (RS) index configuration within ReportConfigNR in New Radio (NR) Radio Resource Control (RRC) is shown, as specified in 3GPP TS 38.331.

[0017] FIG. 2( a ) illustrates an implicit configuration in MeasConfig according to an example embodiment, where a Boolean variable controls reporting of any cell whose RS index is tracked regardless of carrier.

[0018] FIG. 2( b ) shows an implicit configuration in ReportConfigNR according to an example embodiment, where a Boolean variable to control the cell reported by the event is tracked regardless of the carrier.

[0019] FIG. 2( c ) shows an implicit configuration in MeasObjectNR according to an example embodiment, where a Boolean variable to control the frequency to which the reporting configuration is linked is tracked.

[0020] FIG. 3( a ) shows an explicit configuration in MeasConfig according to an example embodiment, which identifies which MeasObjects and ReportConfigs trigger tracking of a cell report index.

[0021] FIG3( b ) shows explicit configuration in ReportConfigNR according to an example embodiment, where carriers and cells are included in each ReportConfigNR.

[0022] Figure 3(c) shows the implicit configuration in MeasObjectNR, where the control reporting configuration is linked to a Boolean variable at which frequency is tracked.

[0023] Figure 4 A method using NR as a baseline according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 According to an example embodiment, Figure 4 Alt.1 in , which implicitly indicates which carriers to track.

[0025] Figure 6 According to an example embodiment, Figure 4 Alt.2 in , which explicitly indicates which carriers to track.

[0026] Figure 7 A user device's response to a network configuration to perform tracing is shown according to an example embodiment.

[0027] Figure 8 A user equipment side control loop according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0028] Fig. 9 A network side loop according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0029] Fig.10 A flow chart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0030] Fig.11 A flow chart of another method according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0031] FIG. 12( a ) shows an apparatus according to an example embodiment.

[0032] FIG. 12( b ) shows another apparatus according to an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] It will be readily appreciated that the components of certain example embodiments, including as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. The following is a detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for beam tracking to reduce latency.

[0034] The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "certain embodiments," "an example embodiment," "some embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrases "in certain embodiments," "an example embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments.

[0035] In addition, if desired, the different functions or steps discussed below may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel with each other. In addition, if desired, one or more of the described functions or steps may be optional or may be combined. Therefore, the following description should be considered as merely illustrating the principles and teachings of certain example embodiments, rather than limiting them.

[0036] The current architecture in LTE networks is completely distributed in the radio and completely centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require content to be close to the radio, giving rise to local breakthroughs and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analysis and knowledge generation to be performed at the data source. This approach requires the use of resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It also enables the storage and processing of content close to cellular subscribers to speed up response time. Edge computing covers a wide range of technologies such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing, and can also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, thin cloud (cloudlet), distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency critical) and critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analysis, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0037] New Radio (NR) has been under development within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). However, the User Equipment (UE) performance has been open for some time and has only recently been closed. The performance of the first UE products has been conservative, leaving room for future improvements. For example, such improvements may affect the 3GPP specifications, and some improvements may provide solutions limited to actual UE behavior without requiring any specific changes to the signaling or radio layer 1 (L1) specifications. Furthermore, such improvements may be captured only in the UE performance specifications.

[0038] One area of ​​improvement for the UE may be the expected minimum performance when the UE operates in frequency range 2 (FR2). However, the challenge here is that the UE and the network may need to use beamforming to achieve reasonable link quality to ensure adequate cell coverage and be able to serve cell edge users.

[0039] Network (transmit) beamforming may represent a network that needs to transmit synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) in several different directions, such as, for example, in the direction of a beam coverage area. Depending on the network implementation, in one implementation, the network may transmit only one SSB in one direction at a time. Each SSB may then be duplexed in the time domain, and all SSBs to one or more directions may be transmitted with a maximum time period of 5 ms.

[0040] UE (receive) beamforming can be similar to network beamforming. For example, in UE beamforming, the UE may receive downlink (DL) data only on the serving DL beam. However, the UE may also be expected to continuously search and measure neighboring cells and perform DL beam tracking within the serving cell beam. To achieve this, the UE may scan its receive (Rx) beam for a period of time, during which the UE may not necessarily be able to receive DL data from the serving cell / beam. However, this may cause some delays in the secondary cell (SCell) activation process, thereby causing a degradation in UE performance. For example, this may be particularly true in 3GPP Rel-15 for the initial SCell in FR2. This may be a common situation, for example, the NR primary cell (PCell) or primary secondary cell (PSCell) is in frequency range 1 (FR1), while the SCell may be in FR2. Therefore, for future releases, challenges may be more prevalent if the UE operates with multiple Rx beams in a multiple Tx / Rx point (TRP) environment.

[0041] The delay in SCell activation and deactivation may have certain requirements in which a UE may activate a deactivated SCell and deactivate an activated SCell in Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), in Standalone NR Carrier Aggregation, in NR E-UTRA DC (NE-DC), or in NR-DC. In addition, these requirements may apply to EN-DC, Standalone NR Carrier Aggregation (CA), NE-DC, and NR-DC.

[0042] For a deactivated SCell, these requirements may apply to a UE configured with one DL SCell in EN-DC, standalone NR CA, NE-DC, or NR-DC, and when one SCell is activated. The delay within which the UE should be able to activate the deactivated SCell may depend on specified conditions. For example, upon receiving an SCell command in slot n, the UE may be able to transmit a valid Channel State Index (CSI) report and apply actions associated with the activation command, which is used to activate the SCell no later than in slot n+[T HARQ +T activation_time +T CSI_Reporting ], where T HARQ It is the timing between DL data transmission and acknowledgment.

[0043] T activation_time It can represent the cell activation delay. If the SCell is known and belongs to FR1, T activation_time It can be [T SMTC_SCell +5ms], if the SCell measurement period is equal to or less than [160ms], or [T SMTC_MAX +T SMTC_SCell +5ms], if the SCell measurement period is greater than [160ms].

[0044] If SCell is unknown and belongs to FR1, then T activation_time It can be [2*T SMTC_MAX +2*T SMTC_SCell +5ms], provided that the SCell can be successfully detected on the first attempt. If the activated SCell belongs to FR2 and if there is at least one active serving cell on the FR2 band, provided that the SSB in the (multiple) serving cells and the SSB in the SCell meet certain predefined conditions, then T activation_time The longest possible length is [T SMTC_SCell +5ms].

[0045] In addition, if the SCell being activated belongs to FR2 and there is at least one active serving cell in the FR2 band, if the UE is not provided with any SSB-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) for the target SCell, T activation_time It may be 3ms. In addition, if the activated SCell belongs to FR2, and if there is no active serving cell in the FR2 band under the premise that the PCell or PSCell is FR1, different scenarios may be induced for when the target SCell is known and when the target SCell is unknown.

[0046] In the scenario where the target SCell is known to the UE, if the UE receives both the SCell activation command and the transmission configuration indication (TCI) state activation command, then T activation_time The longest possible length is [T MAC-CE,SCell +T FineTiming +2ms]. In addition, if the UE receives a TCI state activation command after the SCell activation command, T activation_time It can be [max{T MAC-CE,SCell ,T uncertainty}+T MAC-CE_TCI +T FineTiming +2ms]. In addition, in the scenario where the target SCell is unknown to the UE, [T MAC-CE,SCell +24*T SMTC_SCell +T L1-RSRP,measure +T L1-RSRP,report +T uncertainty +T MAC-CE,TCI +T FineTiming +[T CSI-RS_resource_configuration ]+2ms], where T SMTC_MAX In FR1, in case of intra-band SCell activation, the SMTC period between the active serving cell and the activated SCell is longer. This is provided that the cell-specific reference signals from the active serving cell and the activated or released SCell are available in the same time slot. In case of inter-band SCell activation, T SMTC_MAX It can be the SMTC period of the activated SCell.

[0047] In T SMTC_MAX In the case of FR2, T SMTC_MAX It can be a longer SMTC period between the active serving cell and the activated SCell, provided that 3GPP Rel-15 supports FR2 intra-band CA. SMTC_MAX Can be limited to a minimum value of 10ms.

[0048] In T SMTC_SCell In the SCell, the SMTC period is activated and the minimum value can be 10ms.MAC-CE_TCI It can be the time when TCI is activated for physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) and physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), T MAC-CE,SCell It can be the MAC-CE decoding time for SCell activation. In addition, T FineTiming It can be the time period from when the UE completes decoding of the last MAC CE message to the timing of the first complete available SSB corresponding to the TCI state. For unknown cases, the requirement can be defined only on the premise that MAC CE for PDCCH TCI, MAC CE for PDSCH TCI and MAC CE for CSI-RS CQI reporting are after L1 reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement reporting.

[0049] In addition, for the known case, T uncertainty It can be the time period between receiving the SCell Activation MAC-CE and the TCI Activation MAC-CE. For unknown cases, the uncertainty can be the time between the first L1-RSRP report and when the UE receives the TCI Activation MAC-CE. In addition, T L1-RSRP,measure It can be the L1-RSRP measurement delay assuming M=1, and T L1-RSRP,report It can be L1-RSRP report delay. In addition, [T CSI-RS_resource_configuration ] may be the time of CSI-RS resource configuration for CQI reporting, and T CSI_reporting There may be a delay including uncertainty in obtaining the first available downlink CSI reference resource, UE processing time for CSI reporting and uncertainty in obtaining the first available CSI reporting resource.

[0050] The SCell in FR1 is known if multiple conditions have been met. One condition may include the case during a period equal to max(measCycleSCell, DRX cycle) for FR1 before receiving the SCell activation command. Specifically, during this period, the UE may have sent a valid measurement report for the SCell being activated, and the measured SSBs may remain detectable based on the cell identification condition. In addition, based on the cell identification condition, the SSBs measured during the period equal to max(measCycleSCell, DRX cycle) also remain detectable during the SCell activation delay. Otherwise, the SCell in FR1 is unknown.

[0051] For the first SCell activation in the FR2 band, the SCell is known if several conditions have been met. One condition may include that the UE may have sent a valid L3-RSRP measurement report with an index during a period equal to [4s] for UE supporting power class 1 and equal to [3s] for UE supporting power class 2 / 3 / 4 before the UE receives the MAC-CE command for TCI activation, and the SCell activation command can be assumed to be received after the L3-RSRP report and no later than the time when the UE receives the MAC-CE command for TCI activation. Another condition may include that during the period from L3-RSRP report to valid CQI report, the reported SSB with an index remains detectable according to the cell identification condition, and the TCI state can be selected based on one of the reported SSB indices. Otherwise, the first SCell in the FR2 band is unknown.

[0052] If the UE has been provided with higher layer smtc2 signalling prior to the activation command, T SMTC_Scell Follow smtc1 or smtc2 according to the physical cell ID of the activated target cell. SMTC_MAX smtc1 or smtc2 may be followed depending on the physical cell IDs of the activated target cell and the active serving cell. In addition to the CSI reporting defined above, once the SCell is activated, the UE may also apply other actions related to the activation command for the SCell at the first opportunity for the corresponding action.

[0053] For EN-DC mode, an outage on the PSCell or on any activated SCell in the SCG may not occur in time slot n+1+[T HARQ ] and may not occur in time slot n+1+[T HARQ +3ms+T SMTC_MAX +T SMTC_duration In addition, for NR standalone mode, an outage on the PCell in the master cell group (MCG) or on any activated SCell may not occur in time slot n+1+[T HARQ ] and may not occur in time slot n+1+[T HARQ +3ms+T SMTC_MAX +T SMTC_duration ] afterwards. In addition, starting from the time slot of the timing for SCell activation / deactivation until the UE has completed SCell activation, the UE may report out of range if it has available uplink resources to report CQI for the SCell.

[0054] For SCell deactivation delay requirements for activated SCells, this requirement may apply to UEs configured with one DL SCell in EN-DC or in standalone NR carrier aggregation or in NE-DC or in NR-DC. Upon receipt of the SCell Deactivation Command or expiration of SCellDeactivationTimer in slot n, the UE may deactivate the SCell no later than slot n+[T HARQ In addition, for EN-DC mode, the interruption on any activated SCell on the PSCell or in the secondary cell group (SCG) may not occur in the time slot n+1+[T HARQ ] and may not occur in time slot n+1+[T HARQ In addition, for NR standalone mode, the interruption on the PCell or on any activated SCell in the MCG (master cell group) may not occur in time slot n+1+[T HARQ ], or may not occur in time slot n+1+[T HARQ +3ms] later.

[0055] As can be seen above, the SCell activation delay may depend on whether the SCell is classified as known or unknown for the first SCell in the FR2 band, and for other SCells. In the case of unknown SCells, the delay may be directly linked to the SSB period. In addition, for FR2, the delay may be additionally increased due to UE Rx beamforming. For example, the delay in this case may be the product of the SSB period and the UE Rx beam scanning requirement.

[0056] In some deployments, ensuring that the SCell is activated may be challenging. Furthermore, the UE may receive the SCell activation command within the time limits defined above, and it is known to the network when exactly the SCell is determined. Therefore, the final activation delay and UE mobility may be unpredictable (for example, the UE may be moving, rotating, and changing in the surrounding environment). Therefore, according to certain example embodiments, the predictability related to, for example, SCell activation latency in the network can be enhanced to ensure a more robust and more efficient CA including SCells in FR2. This may be particularly important because not having robust predictability may affect the use of deactivated SCells by keeping the SCells in an activated state, which may have a negative impact on the power consumption of the UE.

[0057] According to certain example embodiments, the network may request SSB based measurement reports from the UE, with or without a beam (=RS) index indication. The index may be used by the eNB / gNB to identify which SSB has been measured and reported. Thus, the index may provide an indication of the measurement results from a given DL beam. In an example embodiment, if the network has requested the UE to report SSB based inter-frequency measurements with a beam index, this may indicate to the UE that the reported cell may be used for CA or DC. In one example, alternatively or additionally, it may also indicate that the UE may maintain time and frequency tracking of the reported cell for a period of time after the cell has been reported (i.e., the measurement event entry condition is valid long enough to trigger a measurement report).

[0058] In another example embodiment, the network may indicate specific (intra-frequency, inter-frequency, or inter-radio access technology (inter-RAT)) carriers on which such behavior is to be applied by the UE (e.g., the UE maintains time and frequency tracking of the reported cell for a period of time after the cell has been reported). For example, it may not be assumed that the UE applies turn-off cell time and frequency tracking after each indexed measurement report on each carrier. However, this may only be required on specifically indicated carriers (to reduce UE time / frequency tracking work and avoid doing this on carriers where CA / DC is not possible or desired).

[0059] According to an example embodiment, the UE report may also trigger a report about a reduction in UE capabilities while tracking is ongoing. For example, the UE measurement period may be affected, other baseband capabilities may be affected, or the UE may require measurement gaps to measure additional frequencies even though it indicated that it did not do so previously. According to another example embodiment, the behavior (e.g., the UE maintains time and frequency tracking of the reported cell for a period of time after the cell has been reported) may be linked to a certain measurement event, such as, for example, any A4 configuration (e.g., corresponding to when a neighbor becomes better than an absolute threshold) or a measurement ID (i.e., a specific A3 event on a certain carrier, which may correspond to an offset when a neighbor becomes better than a PCell / PSCell), or a combination of these (e.g., any A4 configuration or a specific A3 event on a certain carrier). This may result in the assumption that the UE keeps the UE Rx spatial relationship synchronized with the reported gNB Tx beam (i.e., tracks the reported Tx beam). This may also be achieved by the UE entering a shorter DRX or measurement period for a period of time after the report (including the beam index report). In certain example embodiments, the method is not limited to SSB-based measurements with beam index reporting, but may also be applied to CSI-RS-based reporting.

[0060] Figure 11 shows the reference signal (RS) index configuration within ReportConfigNR in NR Radio Resource Control (RRC), as specified in TS 38.331. For example, ReportConfigNR can specify the criteria for triggering NR measurement report events. (Multiple) measurement report events can be based on cell measurement results, which can be derived based on SS / PBCH blocks or CSI-RS. In addition, these events can be labeled AN, with N equal to 1, 2, etc. Figure 1 As shown, a Boolean variable can control whether beam measurements are included. In addition, the number of reports indicates the number of reports for beam measurement reports, and the number of indices indicates the maximum number of indices that the UE is required to report. However, the maximum number of indices that the UE is required to report does not suggest that the UE will always report that many indices, but may limit how many the UE can report.

[0061] According to certain example embodiments, there may be at least two options for indication of UE behavior. The first option may include an implicit indication, which is a case where the UE is requested to report the index on any carrier. The second option may include an explicit indication, which is a case where only the carrier has been explicitly indicated to maintain the spatial relationship after the report. For example, with respect to the spatial relationship, the UE can keep tracking of the UE Rx and Tx beams in these known ways when the UE moves. Here, the index report can be independent of the new indication, except that the UE can be instructed to maintain the spatial relationship only when the index report is configured for the carrier. In certain example embodiments, these indications can also be linked to a given MeasId, MeasObject, or ReportConfig. For example, event A4 linked to a carrier or linked to any carrier, or any report configuration linked to a MeasObject, or any combination of indicated MeasObjects and ReportConfigs. According to an example embodiment, MeasId may correspond to a measurement identifier used to link a report configuration (e.g., ReportConfigNR) and a MeasObject together. In addition, the IE MeasIdToAddModList may include a list of measurement identities to be added or modified, with, for each entry, a MeasId, an associated MeasObjectId, and an associated reportConfigId. Additionally, MeasObject may correspond to the configuration of the measurement object to be measured, and ReportConfigs may describe the rules (rules) for when the UE should send measurement reports to the network.

[0062] In certain example embodiments, tracking may be implemented in an implicit or explicit manner from a configuration perspective. For example, the network may explicitly indicate which carriers are to be measured and tracked. Alternatively, the UE may implicitly determine the carriers to be measured and tracked from other information. For example, according to an example embodiment, FIG. 2(a) shows an implicit measurement configuration in MeasConfig according to an example embodiment, wherein an explicit Boolean variable (trackCellsForBeamReporting) controls tracking of any cell indexed by the reporting RS regardless of the carrier. In addition, according to an example embodiment, FIG. 2(b) shows an implicit configuration in ReportConfigNR, wherein a Boolean variable for controlling the cell reported by the event is tracked regardless of the carrier. In addition, according to an example embodiment, FIG. 2(c) shows an implicit configuration in MeasObjectNR, wherein a Boolean variable for controlling the reporting configuration to be linked to the frequency is tracked.

[0063] According to an example embodiment, FIG. 3(a) shows an explicit configuration in MeasConfig, which identifies which MeasObjects and ReportConfigs trigger tracking of a cell report index. In addition, according to an example embodiment, FIG. 3(b) shows an explicit configuration in ReportConfigNR, where a carrier and a cell are included within each ReportConfigNR. In addition, according to an example embodiment, FIG. 3(c) shows an explicit configuration in MeasObjectNR, where a Boolean variable controlling the frequency to which the report configuration is linked is tracked.

[0064] According to an example embodiment, Figure 4 The method using NR as the baseline is shown. Figure 4 As shown in , at 115, gNB 110 may send an RRC reconfiguration message to UE 105. In an example embodiment, the message may include or identify the carrier to be measured using the index. Alternatively, in another example embodiment, at 120, gNB 110 may send an RRC configuration to UE 105, wherein the message may include or identify the carrier / event for which the spatial relationship is to be maintained after reporting. At 125, UE 105 may send an RRC reconfiguration complete message to gNB 110. Further, as Figure 4As shown, at 130, UE 105 may perform radio resource management (RRM) measurements. In addition, at 135, a measurement report may be triggered at UE 105 for UE 105 to generate a measurement report. At 140, UE 105 may send a measurement report to gNB 110, and the measurement report may include information of the cell. In addition, at 145, UE 105 may maintain the spatial relationship of the cells included in the report and indicated in the RRC configuration (Alt. 1 or Alt. 2).

[0065] According to an example embodiment, Figure 5 Shows Figure 4 Alt.1 in , which implicitly indicates which carriers to track. Figure 5 As shown, at 215, the gNB 210 may send an RRC reconfiguration message, which may include or identify the carriers to be measured with the beam index and request to maintain tracking of such cells. At 220, the UE 205 may send an RRC reconfiguration complete message, which may optionally include information about the impact on the UE capabilities. At 225, the UE 205 may perform RRM measurements. In addition, at 230, a measurement report may be triggered at the UE 205. At 235, the UE 205 may send a measurement report to the gNB 210. In an example embodiment, the measurement report may include measurement results for spatial relations of cells / carriers. In addition, at 240, the UE 205 may maintain spatial relations for cells included in the measurement report and cells indicated in the RRC configuration for implicit spatial relation tracking.

[0066] According to an example embodiment, Figure 6 Shows Figure 4 Alt.2 in the display indicates which carriers to track. Figure 6As shown, at 315, the gNB 310 may send an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE 305. In an example embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration message may include explicit information about the carriers / events for which the spatial relationship is to be maintained after the report. At 320, the UE 305 may send an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the gNB 310. In an example embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration complete message may optionally include information about the impact on the UE capabilities. In addition, at 325, the UE 305 may perform RRM measurements. In addition, at 330, a measurement report may be triggered at the UE 305. At 335, the UE 305 may send a measurement report to the gNB 310. In an example embodiment, the measurement report may include measurement results for the spatial relationship of the cells / carriers. In addition, at 340, the UE 305 may maintain the spatial relationship of one or more cells included in the report and the cells indicated in the RRC configuration for explicit spatial relationship tracking.

[0067] According to certain example embodiments, for a UE in connected mode, carrier configuration may be utilized by the network to perform measurements using a dedicated configuration message. In another example embodiment, the network may indicate to the UE which of the configured carriers will also include an index in the measurement report.

[0068] In an example embodiment, the UE may perform (intra-frequency / inter-frequency / inter-RAT) measurements on the configured carriers. According to an example embodiment, this may be performed continuously while configured by the network. If an event is triggered during the measurement evaluation (based on new UE measurements), the UE may act according to the configuration (e.g., start a TimeToTrigger (TTT) timer, etc.). However, if the TTT expires and a report is sent to the network, the UE may check whether an index report is requested. If this is the case, the UE may continue to maintain a spatial relationship with the reported Tx beam or downlink reference signal.

[0069] According to an example embodiment, Figure 7 A UE's response to a network configuration to perform tracking is shown. For example, in an example embodiment, the UE may track spatial relationships within a defined time period. The time limit may be defined in some examples in the specification, it may be network controlled, it may depend on whether the UE is in active transmission, or it may depend on a triggered event. In other examples, the UE may respond to the network configuration by indicating some capabilities affected to perform tracking. This may be in the form of an indicated capability change, such as, for example, a FeatureSet change for the current band combination, or some specific other indication, including a reduced data rate, reduced monitoring capability, etc.

[0070] According to an example embodiment, Figure 8 The UE side control loop is shown. Figure 8 As shown, at 400, a UE RRM measurement control loop may be initiated. At 405, the UE may perform measurements on the next carrier. At 410, the UE may determine whether a cell is detected and measured. If so, at 415, the UE may evaluate the measurement event. At 520, the UE determines whether the network has requested to perform time / frequency tracking of the cell / carrier / event. If so, at 425, the UE may send a measurement report (if the conditions for sending the measurement report are met), and the UE may start time / frequency tracking of the measured cell. At 430, the UE determines whether to measure another carrier. If not, at 435, the UE RRM measurement control loop may end.

[0071] like Figure 8 As shown in , if it is determined at 410 that the cell is not detected and / or measured, the loop may proceed to 430, where the UE determines whether to measure another carrier. In addition, at 420, if it is determined that the network has not requested to perform time / frequency tracking on the cell / carrier / event (e.g., the UE sends a measurement report but is not requested to maintain time / frequency tracking), the loop may proceed to 430, where the UE determines whether to measure another carrier.

[0072] Fig. 9 FIG. 2 illustrates a network side loop according to an example embodiment. Fig. 9 As shown, at 500, a network RRM control loop may be initiated. At 505, the network may select a UE to perform measurement configuration for a carrier or cell. At 510, the network may determine whether the UE is capable of performing time / frequency tracking of the measured cell. If so, at 515, the network may configure the UE to perform time / frequency tracking of the measured cell / carrier / event, etc. At 520, the network may determine whether a measurement report of a time / frequency tracked cell / event / carrier from the UE has been received. If so, at 525, the network may decide whether to configure CA / DC for the tracked cell. At 530, the network may determine whether another UE may be selected to handle the measurement configuration. If not, at 535, the network RRM control loop may end.

[0073] like Fig. 9 As shown, if it is determined at 510 that the UE is not capable of time / frequency tracking of the measured cell, the loop may proceed to 530, where the network determines whether another UE can process the measurement configuration. In addition, if it is determined at 520 that no measurement report has been received, the loop may proceed to 530, where the network determines whether another UE can process the measurement configuration.

[0074] According to an example embodiment, Fig.10An example flow chart of a method is shown. In some examples, Fig.10 The flowchart may be executed on a mobile station and / or UE, for example, similar to the apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 12( a). According to an example embodiment, Fig.10 The method may include initially receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node at 600. The method may also include, at 605, sending a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include, at 610, performing radio resource management measurements based on information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message. Furthermore, the method may include, at 615, preparing a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements. Furthermore, the method may include, at 620, sending the measurement report to the network node. The method may also include, at 625, maintaining a spatial relationship with a cell or carrier identified in the measurement report as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

[0075] According to an example embodiment, Fig.11 111 may be performed by a network entity or a network node in a 3GPP system, such as LTE or 5G-NR. For example, in an example embodiment, Fig.11 The method can be performed by a base station, an eNB or a gNB, for example, similar to the device 20 shown in Figure 12(b).

[0076] According to an example embodiment, Figure 5 The method may include initially sending a radio resource control reconfiguration message to a user equipment at 700. The method may also include, at 705, receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The method may also include, at 710, configuring the user equipment to perform radio resource management measurements. In addition, the method may include, at 715, receiving a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements obtained by the user equipment. In addition, the method may include, at 720, determining whether to configure carrier aggregation or dual connectivity for a cell or carrier based on the measurement report.

[0077] According to an example embodiment, the information in the radio resource control reconfiguration message may identify the carrier to be measured and include an index identifying which synchronization signal block has been measured and reported, and may include a request to maintain tracking of the cell or carrier. In another example embodiment, the information in the radio resource control reconfiguration message may include explicit information about the carrier or event for which the spatial relationship is to be maintained after the radio resource management measurement has been reported. According to another example embodiment, the radio resource control reconfiguration complete message may include information identifying the impact on the capabilities of the user equipment.

[0078] In another example embodiment, the measurement report may include measurement results for spatial relations of cells or carriers. According to an example embodiment, maintaining may include maintaining spatial relations with cells or carriers indicated in a radio resource control reconfiguration message for implicit spatial relation tracking. According to another example embodiment, maintaining may include maintaining spatial relations with cells or carriers indicated in a radio resource control reconfiguration message for tracking spatial relations.

[0079] FIG12( a) shows an apparatus 10 according to an example embodiment. In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a node or element in a communication network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, a mobile equipment (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device, or other device. As described herein, a UE may alternatively be referred to as, for example, a mobile station, a mobile device, a mobile unit, a mobile device, a user equipment, a subscriber station, a wireless terminal, a tablet computer, a smart phone, an IoT device, a sensor, or a NB-IoT device, etc. As an example, the apparatus 10 may be implemented in, for example, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, etc.

[0080] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some cases, the apparatus 10 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the apparatus 10 may include components or features not shown in FIG. 12( a).

[0081] As shown in the example of Figure 12(a), the device 10 may include or be coupled to a processor 12, which is used to process information and execute instructions or operations. The processor 12 can be any type of general or special processor. In fact, the processor 12 may include, for example, one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although a single processor 12 is shown in Figure 12(a), multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in certain example embodiments, the device 10 may include two or more processors that may form a multi-processor system that can support multi-processing (for example, in this case, the processor 12 may represent a multi-processor). According to certain example embodiments, the multi-processor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (for example, to form a computer cluster).

[0082] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 10, including Figures 1 to 8 and Fig.10 The process shown in .

[0083] The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories, and may be any type of memory suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory (such as a magnetic disk or optical disk), hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 12, enables the device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0084] In one embodiment, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the device 10 to perform Figures 1 to 8 and Fig.10 Any of the methods shown in .

[0085] In some embodiments, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting from the device 10 via an uplink. The device 10 may also include a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 18 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 15. The radio interface may correspond to a plurality of radio access technologies, including GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by a downlink or uplink, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0086] For example, the transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by (multiple) antennas 15, and demodulate information received via (multiple) antennas 15 for further processing by other elements of the device 10. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 is capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the device 10 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In some embodiments, the device 10 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0087] In one embodiment, the memory 14 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 12. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for the device 10. The components of the device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, the device 10 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology (such as NR).

[0088] According to certain example embodiments, processor 12 and memory 14 may be included in or may form part of a processing circuit system or a control circuit system. In addition, in some cases, transceiver 18 may be included in or may form part of a transceiver circuit system.

[0089] As described above, according to such certain example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be, for example, a UE. According to certain embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform functions associated with the example embodiments described herein. For example, in one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node. The apparatus 10 may also be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to send a radio resource control reconfiguration completion message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus 10 may also be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform radio resource management measurements according to information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message. In addition, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to prepare a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements. In addition, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to send a measurement report to the network node. The apparatus 10 may also be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to maintain a spatial relationship with a cell or carrier identified in the measurement report as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

[0090] FIG12( b) shows an apparatus 20 according to an example embodiment. In an example embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be a RAT, a node, a host, or a server in a communication network or serving such a network. For example, the apparatus 20 may be a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), and / or a WLAN access point associated with a radio access network (RAN) such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the apparatus 20 may include components or features not shown in FIG12( b).

[0091] As shown in the example of Figure 12 (b), the device 20 may include a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general or special processor. For example, the processor 22 may include, for example, one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although a single processor 22 is shown in Figure 12 (b), multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the device 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multi-processor system that may support multi-processing (for example, in this case, the processor 22 may represent a multi-processor). In some embodiments, the multi-processor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (for example, forming a computer cluster).

[0092] According to certain example embodiments, processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 20, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20, including Figures 1 to 7 , Fig. 9 and Fig.11 The process shown.

[0093] The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 22 for storing information and instructions that may be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories, and any type of memory suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may be a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a static memory (such as a magnetic disk or optical disk), a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 22, enables the device 20 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0094] In one embodiment, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 22 and / or the device 20 to perform Figures 1 to 7 , Fig. 9 and Fig.11 The method shown in .

[0095] In certain example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for transmitting and receiving signals and / or data to and from the apparatus 20. The apparatus 20 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 28 may include, for example, a plurality of radio interfaces that may be coupled to the antenna(s) 25. The radio interfaces may correspond to a plurality of radio access technologies, including one or more of: GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interfaces may include components (such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) modules, etc.) to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and receive symbols (e.g., via an uplink).

[0096] Thus, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 25, and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 20. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in certain embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices).

[0097] In one embodiment, memory 24 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 22. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for device 20. The components of device 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0098] According to some embodiments, processor 22 and memory 24 may be included in or may form part of a processing circuit system or a control circuit system. In addition, in some embodiments, transceiver 28 may be included in or may form part of a transceiver circuit system.

[0099] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a hardware circuitry implementation only (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor(s) with software (including a digital signal processor(s)) that work together to enable a device (e.g., devices 10 and 20) to perform various functions, and / or hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) or portions thereof that operate using software but that may not be present when the software is not required for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also encompass an implementation of a hardware circuit or processor only (or multiple processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry may also encompass, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0100] As described above, in some embodiments, the device 20 may be a radio resource manager, RAT, node, host, or server in a communication network or serving such a network. For example, the device 20 may be a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), and / or a WLAN access point associated with a radio access network (RAN) such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR. According to some embodiments, the device 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described.

[0101] For example, in one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to send a radio resource control reconfiguration message to the user equipment. The apparatus 20 may also be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to receive a radio resource control reconfiguration completion message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message. The apparatus 20 may also be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to configure the user equipment to perform radio resource management measurements. In addition, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to receive a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements obtained by the user equipment. In addition, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to determine whether to configure carrier aggregation or dual connectivity for a cell or carrier based on the measurement report.

[0102] Certain example embodiments described herein provide several technical improvements, enhancements and / or advantages. In certain example embodiments, it may be possible to achieve low latency for SCell setup in NR because the UE can track the cells it measures and it can activate them faster. In other example implementations, it may be possible to achieve robust and efficient CA, including SCells in FR2. In addition, in certain example embodiments, it may be easier for the network to configure CA. This is not limited to CA, but can also be similarly applied to dual or multiple connection forms (e.g., EN-DC, NE-DC, etc.). According to another example embodiment, latency can be reduced and UE power consumption can be improved (reduced). It is also possible to achieve robust and efficient DC, including PSCells in FR2.

[0103] The computer program product may include one or more computer executable components that are configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is run. The one or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or part thereof. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of the example embodiments may be performed as (multiple) routines, which may be implemented as (multiple) added or updated software routines. (Multiple) software routines may be downloaded to a device.

[0104] For example, software or computer program code or part thereof may be in source code form, object code form or some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium or computer readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such carriers may include recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals and software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed among multiple computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-concurrent medium.

[0105] In other example embodiments, the function may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device (e.g., device 10 or device 20), such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the function may be implemented as a signal, an intangible means that may be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0106] According to example embodiments, an apparatus (such as a node, a device or a corresponding component) may be configured as a circuit system, a computer or a microprocessor, such as a single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, including at least a memory and an operation processor, wherein the memory is used to provide storage capacity for arithmetic operations and the operation processor is used to perform arithmetic operations.

[0107] Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the invention as described above may be practiced using steps in a different order and / or using hardware elements in a configuration different from that disclosed. Therefore, although the present invention has been described based on these example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments. Although the above embodiments refer to 5G NR and LTE technologies, the above embodiments may also be applicable to any other current or future 3GPP technologies, such as LTE Advanced and / or fourth generation (4G) technologies.

[0108] Partial Glossary

[0109] DL Downlink

[0110] DRX Discontinuous Reception

[0111] eNB Enhanced Node B

[0112] FR1 Frequency Range 1

[0113] FR2 Frequency Range 2

[0114] gNB 5G or NR base station

[0115] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0116] NR New Radio

[0117] PCell Primary Cell

[0118] PSCell primary and secondary cells

[0119] SCell Secondary Cell

[0120] RX

[0121] SSB Synchronous Signal Block

[0122] TTT Trigger Time

[0123] TX Transmission

[0124] UE User Equipment

Claims

1. A method of communication, comprising: receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node; sending a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message; performing radio resource management measurements according to information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message, wherein the information in the radio resource control reconfiguration message identifies a carrier to be measured and includes an index identifying which synchronization signal block has been measured and reported, and includes a request to maintain tracking of the cell or the carrier, the information in the radio resource control reconfiguration message also including: explicit information about carriers or events for which a spatial relationship is to be maintained after the radio resource management measurements have been reported; preparing a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements; sending the measurement report to the network node; and The spatial relationship to the reporting cell or carrier identified in the measurement report is maintained as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radio resource control reconfiguration complete message comprises: Information identifying the impact on the capabilities of the user equipment. 3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement report includes a measurement result of the spatial relationship for the cell or the carrier. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the maintaining comprises maintaining a spatial relationship with the cell or the carrier for implicit spatial relationship tracking, the cell or the carrier being indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the maintaining comprises maintaining a spatial relationship with the cell or the carrier for tracking a spatial relationship, the cell or the carrier being indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

6. A communication device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: sending a radio resource control reconfiguration message to a user equipment, wherein the information in the radio resource control reconfiguration message identifies the carrier to be measured and includes an index identifying which synchronization signal block has been measured and reported, and includes a request to maintain tracking of the cell or the carrier, the information in the radio resource control reconfiguration message also including: explicit information about carriers or events for which the user equipment is to maintain a spatial relationship after the radio resource management measurement has been reported; receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message; configuring the user equipment to perform radio resource management measurements; receiving a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements obtained by the user equipment; and Based on the measurement report, it is determined whether to configure carrier aggregation or dual connectivity for the cell or carrier.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the radio resource control reconfiguration complete message comprises: Information identifying the impact on the capabilities of the user equipment.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the measurement report comprises a measurement result of a spatial relationship of the cell or the carrier.

9. An apparatus for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving a radio resource control reconfiguration message from a network node; sending a radio resource control reconfiguration complete message in response to the radio resource control reconfiguration message; performing radio resource management measurements according to information contained in the radio resource control reconfiguration message, wherein the information in the radio resource control reconfiguration message identifies a carrier to be measured and includes an index identifying which synchronization signal block has been measured and reported, and includes a request to maintain tracking of the cell or the carrier, the information in the radio resource control reconfiguration message also including: explicit information about carriers or events for which a spatial relationship is to be maintained after the radio resource management measurements have been reported; preparing a measurement report based on the radio resource management measurements; sending the measurement report to the network node; and The spatial relationship to the reporting cell or carrier identified in the measurement report is maintained as indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the radio resource control reconfiguration complete message comprises: Information identifying the impact on the capabilities of the user equipment.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the measurement report comprises a measurement result of the spatial relationship for the cell or the carrier.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the maintaining comprises maintaining a spatial relationship with the cell or the carrier for implicit spatial relationship tracking, the cell or the carrier being indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the maintaining comprises maintaining a spatial relationship with the cell or the carrier for tracking a spatial relationship, the cell or the carrier being indicated in the radio resource control reconfiguration message.

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