Handling Record Minimization Drive Test Configuration in Dual Connectivity Scenarios

Abstract

A method (1200) performed by a wireless device (110) includes: receiving (1202) from a network node (160) a minimized drive test (MDT) configuration for a master cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG). When the wireless device is in an idle state or an inactive state and operates according to a first radio access technology (RAT), the wireless device records (1204) MDT measurements for the MCG and the SCG based on the MDT configuration. After transitioning from the idle state or the inactive state to a connected state and after switching from a source cell associated with the first RAT to a target cell associated with a second RAT, the wireless device sends (1206) at least one MDT report to a target network node associated with the target cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, and more particularly, to systems and methods for handling minimized drive test (MDT) configurations in a dual-connectivity scenario. Background Art

[0002] Minimized drive test (MDT) was first studied in Rel-9 (TR 36.805) promoted by RAN2, with the aim of minimizing actual drive tests. MDT has been introduced in LTE since Rel-10. MDT has not been specified for New Radio (NR) in the standards involved by RAN2, RAN3, and SA5 groups.

[0003] Use cases in 3GPP TR 36.805 include: coverage optimization, mobility optimization, capacity optimization, parameterization of common channels, and quality of service (QoS) verification.

[0004] Why not normal radio resource management (RRM)? The normal radio resource management (RRM) mechanism only allows reporting of measurements when the user equipment (UE) has a radio resource control (RRC) connection with a specific cell and there is sufficient uplink (UL) coverage to transmit measurement reports. This will limit the collection of measurements from UEs that have not experienced radio link failure (RLF) and have sufficient UL coverage. In addition, location information is not accompanied in normal RRM measurements.

[0005] When MDT was introduced in Rel-10, it was decided to include MDT as part of the tracing function, which can provide very detailed recorded data at the cell level. Based on the method of activating / deactivating tracing and the tracing configuration, the tracing function can be divided into the following two aspects.

[0006] - Management activation / deactivation: Use the management interfaces of different network elements (NEs) to directly activate / deactivate tracing sessions in those NEs from the element manager (EM).

[0007] - Signaling-based activation / deactivation: Use the signaling interfaces between different NEs to activate / deactivate tracing sessions in these NEs so that the NEs can forward the activation / deactivation originating from the EM.

[0008] Figure 1 Summarizes the classification of MDT. As depicted, from the perspective of use cases, MDT can be classified into area-based MDT and signaling-based MDT:

[0009] - Region-based MDT: Collects MDT data from UEs in a specified region. The region is defined as a list of cells (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) or Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN)) or a list of tracking / routing / location areas. Region-based MDT is an enhancement of the administratively-based tracking function. Region-based MDT can be Logged MDT or Immediate MDT.

[0010] - Signaling-based MDT: Collects MDT data from a specific UE. The UE participating in the MDT data collection is specified by the International Mobile Equipment Identity (Software Version) (IMEI(SV))

[0011] or the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). Signaling-based MDT is an enhancement of signaling-based user and device tracking. Signaling-based MDT can be Logged MDT or Immediate MDT.

[0012] In Long Term Evolution (LTE), for region-based MDT, the MDT control and configuration parameters are sent directly by the network management to the eNodeB (eNB). Then, the eNB selects the UEs that meet the criteria (which includes the region scope and user consent) and initiates the MDT. For signaling-based MDT (i.e., UE-specific MDT), the MDT control and configuration parameters are sent by the network management to the Mobility Management Entity (MME), and then the MME forwards the parameters to the eNB associated with the specific UE.

[0013] In addition, as Figure 1 shown, there are also two other categories of MDT:

[0014] - Immediate MDT: Collects MDT data when the UE is active. The MDT request is the responsibility of the NE.

[0015] - Logged MDT: Collects MDT data when the UE is in the idle state. The MDT request is the responsibility of the UE.

[0016] Logged MDT measurements mark the location data by the UE in the following manner.

[0017] - Always includes the Evolved Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) of the serving cell at the time of measurement

[0018] or the Cell-Id.

[0019] - If available in the UE at the time of measurement, includes detailed location information (e.g., Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) location information). If the detailed location information is available, the report shall include latitude and longitude. Depending on availability, altitude may also be included additionally.

[0020] Uncertainty and confidence. The UE tags the available detailed location information for an upcoming measurement sample only once, and then the detailed location information is discarded, i.e., the validity of the detailed location information is implicitly assumed to be one recording interval.

[0021] For immediate MDT, the M1 measurement is tagged with location data by the UE in the following manner:

[0022] - Include detailed location information (e.g., GNSS location information) if available in the UE at the time of measurement. If detailed location information is available, the report shall include latitude and longitude. Depending on availability, altitude, uncertainty, and confidence may also be included additionally.

[0023] - The UE shall include the available detailed location information only once. If detailed location information is obtained by a GNSS positioning method, GNSS time information shall be included. For both event-based reporting and periodic reporting, if the report is sent within the valid time after obtaining the detailed location information, the detailed location information is included. The evaluation of the validity of the detailed location information is left to the UE implementation.

[0024] Regarding user consent for processing, for signaling-based MDT, the core network (CN) shall not initiate MDT for a specific user unless user consent is available.

[0025] For area-based MDT, the CN indicates to the radio access network (RAN) whether MDT is allowed to be configured for the user by the RAN considering, for example, user consent and roaming status, by providing "Allow administratively-based MDT" information including an indication of "Allow administratively-based MDT" and optionally a list of administratively-based MDT public land mobile networks (PLMNs). If the administratively-based MDT PLMN list is available and includes the target PLMN, the "Allow administratively-based MDT" information is propagated during PLMN inter-switching.

[0026] The same user consent information can be used for area-based MDT and signaling-based MDT, i.e., there is no need to distinguish user consent by MDT type. Collecting user consent shall be done via the customer care process. The availability of user consent information shall be considered part of the subscription data and, therefore, this shall be provided to the home subscriber server (HSS) database.

[0027] Figure 2 Multiple architecture options related to dual connectivity (DC) available in Release 15 are shown. Currently, Release 15 supports up to 7 architecture options, including stand-alone scenarios and non-stand-alone scenarios. This disclosure focuses on the architecture options that support DC and the potential support for MDT in those options, specifically:

[0028] · Option 3: EUTRA-NR DC (EN-DC);

[0029] · Option 4: NR-EUTRA DC (NE-DC);

[0030] · Option 7: Next Generation EUTRA-NR DC (NGEN-DC).

[0031] As part of the Multi-Radio Access Technology DC (MR-DC) configuration, each UE is configured with two separate scheduling cell groups, namely:

[0032] > Master Cell Group (MCG);

[0033] > Secondary Cell Group (SCG);

[0034] The MCG belongs to the Master Node (MN), and the SCG belongs to the Secondary Node or the Secondary Node (SN). Based on the MR-DC type, the MN and SN can be LTE cells or NR cells.

[0035] An important aspect to understand in MR-DC is the bearer termination option. Figure 3 The bearer types based on the termination point are shown. There are mainly two types of bearer termination in MR-DC, namely:

[0036] · MN-terminated bearer: In MR-DC, the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) is located in the radio bearer in the MN.

[0037] · SN-terminated bearer: In MR-DC, the PDCP is located in the radio bearer in the SN.

[0038] This is an important aspect because it also determines how the network will configure the MDT configuration for the UE in the MR-DC scenario.

[0039] When it comes to MDT support in the DC scenario, some basic considerations should be taken into account, such as specifically:

[0040] · Visibility of the DC configuration to the Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) and its impact on the MDT configuration;

[0041] · Configuration of the MDT configuration for the UE via the MN, SN, or both;

[0042] · Support for the trigger types in MDT for MR-DC.

[0043] The visibility of the DC configuration to OAM and its impact on the MDT configuration can be considered. DC is demand-based and configured by the RAN node according to the specific situation and UE support. OAM knows the support for DC in a specific RAN node, but OAM does not have visibility into the DC configuration on a single UE. Therefore, to support the MDT configuration with DC, OAM needs to provide the MDT configuration including the configuration for the secondary cell group (SCG) cells based on RAN support rather than single UE support.

[0044] The UE configuration MDT configuration can be provided via the MN, SN, or both.

[0045] The next important aspect is how to send the MDT configuration with DC consideration to the UE. Before evaluating the configuration options for MDT in the MR-DC scenario, it is important to evaluate the measurement quantities currently available in MDT for both logged MDT and immediate MDT, as shown in Table 2 below.

[0046] Logged MDT only involves UE-specific measurements, but immediate MDT involves measurements from both the UE and the RAN node. Specifically, measurements M4 - M7 are specific to the RAN node.

[0047] Therefore, specifically for immediate MDT in MR-DC, two RAN nodes that contribute to the calculation of MDT measurements need to be configured.

[0048] Now, if we consider the options available for configuring MDT on the UE in the MR-DC scenario, there are multiple options:

[0049] 1. The MDT configuration is always provided by the MN;

[0050] 2. The MDT configuration for the MN is provided by the MN, and the SN provides its corresponding configuration to the UE;

[0051] 3. A flexible method for MDT configuration in the DC scenario, where the SN can be configured to provide the MDT configuration based on network preferences.

[0052] The first option of always having the MN provide the complete MDT configuration including the DC aspect is the simplest method because it avoids the complexity of coordinating between the MN and the SN as to which node will configure the MDT configuration for the SN on the UE. In the case where the MN configures the reporting for the SN on the UE, there are some potential issues, including:

[0053] · The MN needs to provide the MDT configuration for the SN that may be on another radio access technology (RAT), i.e., the NE-DC or EN-DC scenario. In such cases where MN support is required, the triggering conditions and configuration parameters may be different.

[0054] · In the case of SN-terminated bearers, the signaling radio bearer (SRB) is directly terminated on the SN. Therefore, in this case, the measurements M4 - M7 need to be specifically measured at the SN because the PDCP for the SN is separated from the MN. If the SN needs to always report these measurements to the MN, it involves additional overhead in MN - SN signaling and coordination. Measuring a part of M4 - M7 in the MN may be applicable to the split bearer scenario. Thus, the PDCP is located in the MN, but then, separate implementations for split bearers and SN-terminated bearers are required.

[0055] The second and third options provide more flexibility in terms of MN and SN coordination and also cover the scenario of SN-terminated bearer measurements. In this case, the MN and SN can perform MDT measurements independently, but at the cost of being more complex in terms of MN - SN coordination configured for MDT and sharing SN MDT reports with the MN.

[0056] In the case where only the MN provides the configuration for both the MN and the SN, the MN needs to coordinate with the SN to collect the measurements M4 - M7 in the case of SN-terminated bearers, while it directly receives the measurements M1, M2, M3, M8, and M9 from the UE. This requires additional complexity because depending on whether it is a split bearer or an SN-terminated bearer, the MN needs to collect different measurements from the SN and then merge them into the measurements for the SN received from the UE.

[0057] Support for trigger types in MDT for MR-DC

[0058] Another aspect considered is the support for SN-related measurements during measurement recording. First, a brief overview of RRC state-based MDT types is given.

[0059] RRC state-based MDT types: logged MDT and immediate MDT

[0060] Generally, there are two types of MDT measurement recordings, namely logged MDT and immediate MDT.

[0061] Logged MDT

[0062] The UE is configured to perform periodic MDT recordings during the RRC_IDLE state after receiving the MDT configuration from the network. The UE shall report downlink (DL) pilot strength measurements (Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) / Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ)) together with time information, detailed location information (if available), and Wide Area Network (WLAN), Bluetooth to the network using the UE information framework when it returns to the RRC_CONNECTED state. The DL pilot strength measurements for recording MDT are collected based on the existing measurements required for cell reselection purposes without forcing the UE to perform additional measurements. Table 1 summarizes the measurement records for recording MDT.

[0063] Table 1

[0064]

[0065] Immediate MDT

[0066] Measurements for immediate MDT purposes can be performed by the RAN and the UE. There are multiple measurements specified for RAN measurements and UE measurements (M1 - M9 defined in TS 37.320). For UE measurements, the MDT configuration is based on the existing RRC measurement procedures for configuration and reporting, and there are some extensions for location information.

[0067] Table 2 shows the measurement quantities for immediate MDT.

[0068] Table 2

[0069]

[0070] Currently, the UE only measures the MN cell when it is in the inactive state or idle state. Therefore, the SN configuration does not add any value during the recording of measurements.

[0071] Based on the above considerations, multiple DC scenarios of Release 15 are evaluated:

[0072] Option 3 (also known as EN-DC): This option involves supporting the configuration of MDT in both E-UTRA (primary cell) and NR (secondary cell) simultaneously, where the trigger comes from the EPC.

[0073] Option 4 (also known as NE-DC): This option involves supporting the configuration of MDT in both NR (primary cell) and E-UTRA (secondary cell) simultaneously, where the trigger comes from the 5GC. In terms of DC scenario support, this option is a more natural starting step as it is an evolution of the current standardization activities for MDT in the 5GC and NR, as a priority.

[0074] Option 7 (also known as NGEN-DC): This option is unique in the sense that it covers the 5G Core as well as E-UTRA, which complicates things in the sense that it cannot reuse the 5GC MDT triggers agreed upon for NR, as it would include beam-specific configurations and cannot use traditional LTE mechanisms as it is EPC-based.

[0075] There are certain problems. For example, currently, MDT configuration and reporting are only performed for a single radio access technology in the DC scenario. In Release 14 for LTE and Release 15 for NR-only and E-UTRA, DC support was added in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications, which allows the UE to actually have DL and UL transmissions with two or more cells simultaneously.

[0076] In the current specifications, there is no provision for separate Trace Collection Entities (TCEs) from the MCG and SCG in the logged MDT in both single radio access technology (RAT) scenarios and multi-RAT scenarios.

[0077] In Release 15, the network can flexibly configure, reconfigure, or deconfigure the SCG on the UE. The MDT behavior for both logged MDT reporting and immediate MDT reporting during an SCG configuration change is not defined.

[0078] The area where the UE should record measurements is configured as part of the area configuration. In the existing AreaConfiguration IE in LoggedMeasurementConfiguration, it can be indicated that the UE performs recording of measurements when it is resident in a cell, which is part of the areaConfiguration. This can be seen as a limitation in scenarios where the UE is resident in an adjacent cell and it can perform measurements on the cells listed in the areaConfiguration but cannot record them in the logged measurements. Especially in the case of non-standalone (NSA) deployments where the UE is not allowed to camp on those cells, the network cannot obtain logged MDT measurements from these cells as the UE will never camp there. SUMMARY

[0079] Certain aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure can provide solutions to these or other challenges.

[0080] According to certain embodiments, a method of a wireless device includes: receiving, from a network node, a minimized drive test (MDT) configuration for a master cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG). When the wireless device is in an idle state or an inactive state and operating according to a first radio access technology (RAT), the wireless device records MDT measurements for the MCG and the SCG based on the MDT configuration. After transitioning from the idle state or the inactive state to a connected state and after switching from a source cell associated with the first RAT to a target cell associated with a second RAT, the wireless device sends at least one MDT report to a target network node associated with the target cell.

[0081] According to certain embodiments, a method of a wireless device includes: when operating in a first cell, applying a first MDT configuration for performing and recording MDT measurements. The first MDT configuration includes at least one of a first master node (MN) MDT configuration and a first secondary node (SN) MDT configuration. The wireless device performs a cell reselection from the first cell to a second cell. After performing the cell reselection to the second cell, the wireless device receives a second MDT configuration and takes at least one action to replace at least a portion of the first MDT configuration with the second MDT configuration.

[0082] According to certain embodiments, a method of a network node operating as a target network node after a wireless device has switched from a source cell to a target cell associated with the target network node includes: receiving, from the wireless device, at least one MDT report. The at least one MDT report includes at least one MDT measurement, and the at least one MDT measurement is recorded and / or performed based on an MDT configuration for the MCG and the SCG. Before the handover of the wireless device, the MDT configuration is associated with the source cell.

[0083] According to certain embodiments, a wireless device includes a processing circuit configured to receive, from a network node, an MDT configuration for the MCG and the SCG. When the wireless device is in an idle state or an inactive state and operating according to a first RAT, the wireless device records MDT measurements for the MCG and the SCG based on the MDT configuration. After transitioning from the idle or inactive state to a connected state and after switching from a source cell associated with the first RAT to a target cell associated with a second RAT, the wireless device sends at least one MDT report to a target network node associated with the target cell.

[0084] According to certain embodiments, a wireless device includes processing circuitry configured to apply a first MDT configuration for performing and recording MDT measurements when operating in a first cell. The first MDT configuration includes at least one of a first MN MDT configuration and a first SN MDT configuration. The processing circuitry is configured to perform a cell reselection from the first cell to a second cell. After performing the cell reselection to the second cell, the processing circuitry is configured to receive a second MDT configuration and take at least one action to replace at least a portion of the first MDT configuration with the second MDT configuration.

[0085] According to certain embodiments, a network node operating as a target network node after a wireless device has switched from a source cell to a target cell associated with the target network node includes processing circuitry configured to receive at least one MDT report from the wireless device. The at least one MDT report includes at least one MDT measurement, and the at least one MDT measurement result is based on MDT configurations for MCG and SCG that are recorded and / or performed. Prior to the handover of the wireless device, the MDT configuration was associated with the source cell.

[0086] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, one technical advantage may be that certain embodiments provide a method, system, and technique for configuring a TCE index in logged MDT for SCG on multiple RATs. As another example, a technical advantage may be that certain embodiments provide a method, system, and technique for reporting to an administrative node the reason for deconfiguring / reconfiguring SCG on a UE. As yet another example, a technical advantage may be that a method, system, and technique are provided for a UE to handle MDT reports during a scenario with reconfiguration or deconfiguration of SCG.

[0087] Other advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Certain embodiments may have none, some, or all of the recited advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0088] To more fully understand the disclosed embodiments and their features and advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0089] Figure 1 summarizes the classification of MDT;

[0090] Figure 2 shows various architecture options related to dual connectivity (DC) available in Release 15;

[0091] Figure 3 shows bearer types based on termination points;

[0092] Figure 4Illustrates that a UE receives a first logged MDT configuration in a FirstLoggedConfiguration message from an MCG and a second logged MDT configuration in a SecondLoggedConfiguration message from an SCG according to some embodiments;

[0093] Figure 5 Illustrates an example wireless network according to some embodiments;

[0094] Figure 6 Illustrates an example network node according to some embodiments;

[0095] Figure 7 Illustrates an example wireless device according to some embodiments;

[0096] Figure 8 Illustrates an example user equipment according to some embodiments;

[0097] Figure 9 Illustrates a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized according to some embodiments;

[0098] Figure 10 Illustrates a telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network according to some embodiments;

[0099] Figure 11 Illustrates a generalized block diagram of a host computer communicating with a user equipment via a base station through a partial wireless connection according to some embodiments;

[0100] Figure 12 Illustrates a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment;

[0101] Figure 13 Illustrates another method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment;

[0102] Figure 14 Illustrates another method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment;

[0103] Figure 15 Illustrates another method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment;

[0104] Figure 16 Illustrates an example method of a wireless device according to some embodiments;

[0105] Figure 17 Illustrates an exemplary virtual computing device according to some embodiments;

[0106] Figure 18 Illustrates another example method of a wireless device according to some embodiments;

[0107] Figure 19 Shows another exemplary virtual computing device according to certain embodiments;

[0108] Figure 20 Shows another example method of a wireless device according to certain embodiments;

[0109] Figure 21 Shows another exemplary virtual computing device according to certain embodiments;

[0110] Figure 22 Shows another example method of a wireless device according to certain embodiments;

[0111] Figure 23 Shows another exemplary virtual computing device according to certain embodiments;

[0112] Figure 24 Shows an example method of a network node operating as a target network node after a wireless device has switched from a source cell to a target cell according to certain embodiments;

[0113] Figure 25 Shows another exemplary virtual computing device according to certain embodiments;

[0114] Figure 26 Shows another example method of a network node operating as a target network node after a wireless device has switched from a source cell to a target cell according to certain embodiments; and

[0115] Figure 27 Shows another exemplary virtual computing device according to certain embodiments. Detailed Description

[0116] Some embodiments of what is contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided only as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0117] Generally, all terms used herein will be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field, unless explicitly given a different meaning and / or implicitly given a different meaning in the context in which it is used. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, all references to elements, devices, components, methods, steps, etc. will be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, device, component, method, step, etc. The steps of any method disclosed herein are not necessarily to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless the steps are explicitly described as after or before another step and / or it is implicit that the steps must be after or before another step. Whenever appropriate, any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein can be applied to any other embodiment. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment can be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. From the following description, other objectives, features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be apparent.

[0118] In some embodiments, the more general term "network node" may be used, and it may correspond to any type of radio network node or any network node that communicates with a UE (directly or via another node) and / or another network node. Examples of network nodes are NodeB, MeNB, eNB, network nodes belonging to MCG or SCG, base station (BS), multi-standard radio (MSR) radio node (such as MSR BS), eNodeB, gNodeB, network controller, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), relay, donor node controlled relay, base transceiver station (BTS), access point (AP), transmission point, transmission node, remote radio unit (RRU), remote radio head (RRH), nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS), core network nodes (such as mobile switching center (MSC), MME, etc.), operation and maintenance (O&M), operation support system (OSS), self-optimizing network (SON), positioning node (such as evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), MDT, test equipment (physical node or software), etc.

[0119] In some embodiments, the non-restrictive terms "user equipment (UE)" or "wireless device" may be used, and it may refer to any type of wireless device that communicates with a network node and / or another UE in a cellular or mobile communication system. Examples of UEs are target device, device-to-device (D2D) UE, machine type UE or UE capable of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablet computer, mobile terminal, smart phone, laptop embedded device (LEE), laptop mounted device (LME), universal serial bus (USB) dongle, UE category M1, UE category M2, proximity service (ProSe) UE, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) UE, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) UE, etc.

[0120] Furthermore, terms such as base station / gNodeB and UE should be considered non - restrictive and do not particularly imply a certain hierarchical relationship between the two; generally, "gNodeB" can be considered as device 1, "UE" can be considered as device 2, and these two devices communicate with each other through a certain radio channel. Hereinafter, the transmitter or receiver can be a gNB or a UE.

[0121] According to certain embodiments, systems, methods, and techniques are provided to enable RAN nodes to enhance MDT configuration for dual - connection scenarios, where dual - connection scenarios include, but are not limited to:

[0122] · EN - DC;

[0123] · NE - DC;

[0124] · NG - EN - DC;

[0125] · NR NR DC;

[0126] ● E - UTRA E - UTRA DC.

[0127] According to certain embodiments, methods, systems, and techniques are provided for configuring and reporting logged MDT or secondary cell group (SCG) in multiple UE mobility scenarios. Methods, systems, and techniques are also defined for defining UE behavior to handle changes in SCG configuration.

[0128] For example, according to certain embodiments, a method is provided for configuring MDT measurements for SGC together with the primary cell group in the case of a DC scenario. This includes (one or more) mechanisms for the OAM / trigger MDT node to indicate to the RAN configuration the requirement for MDT measurements from the SCG for MDT triggering.

[0129] According to certain embodiments, mechanisms are also provided for handling MDT triggering from the OAM / trigger MDT node and coordinating MDT configuration between the master node and the slave node in a RAN node CU - DU split architecture.

[0130] According to certain embodiments, mechanisms are also provided for UE to report MDT measurements for the primary cell group and SCG.

[0131] According to certain embodiments, an enhanced mechanism is provided for configuring multiple TCE indices for UE in a logged MDT scenario. In addition, methods, systems, and techniques are provided for reporting the reasons for cancellation / re - configuration of SCG.

[0132] According to some embodiments, methods, systems, and techniques are provided for handling MDT records of a UE when the SCG is reconfigured to one or more new cells or if the SCG is deconfigured.

[0133] According to some embodiments, methods, systems, and techniques are provided for the configuration of a region (such as a cell list or a frequency list, etc.), where even when the UE is not camped on any cell in the so-configured region, but as long as the UE has measurements from the so-configured region, the UE shall perform the recording of the measurements.

[0134] Some embodiments relate to the configuration and reporting of SCG cells in the recorded MDT. For example, according to some embodiments, if an idle or inactive UE configured with recorded MDT for MSG and SCG returns to an adjacent cell, it reports the combined recorded MDT report of the source cell to the target cell. Then, the target RAN node forwards the recorded MDT report to the TCE mapped from the TCE index, just as in the traditional MDT.

[0135] In another variant of the above embodiments, the source cell may provide two indices for the trace collection entity to the UE during the configuration of the recorded MDT, one for the MCG and one for the SCG. When an idle or inactive UE configured with recorded MDT for MCG and SCG returns to an adjacent cell, it separately reports the recorded MDT for MSG and SCG and the indices of their corresponding trace collection entities. Then, the target RAN node separately forwards the recorded MDT reports for MCG and SCG to the corresponding TCEs mapped from the TCE indices.

[0136] Some embodiments relate to the MDT reporting of deconfiguring and reconfiguring SCG cells on the UE. For example, according to some embodiments, when an SCG cell is reconfigured or deconfigured on the UE while there is an active immediate MDT session, the RAN node provides an indicator of the reason for reconfiguring or deconfiguring the SCG on the UE to the management node. The reasons may include, but are not limited to:

[0137] - Insufficient data required by the UE;

[0138] - The UE is outside the coverage of another SCG cell;

[0139] - Other UEs with higher priority for the SCG cell are camped on the cell.

[0140] According to some embodiments, when there is an associated MDT configuration activity on the UE, the RAN node may never deconfigure the SCG on the UE.

[0141] According to some embodiments, if the RAN node reconfigures / cancels the SCG on the UE, the UE automatically deletes the immediate MDT session.

[0142] According to some embodiments, if the UE is in an inactive or idle state when it is configured for logged MDT from the SCG and it finally camps on a cell that is not configured or does not support the specific SCG, the UE can process the SCG reports according to one or more of the following methods:

[0143] - Discard the MDT reports for the SCG cells, or

[0144] - Report the MDT reports for the SCG cells to the MN, and then the MN can forward them to the deconfigured SCG cells, or

[0145] - Report the MDT reports for the SCG cells to the MN, and then the MN can directly forward them to the TCE based on the local mapping of the TCE index provided by the UE.

[0146] According to some embodiments, all of the above embodiments cover all possible MDT configuration types and associated subtypes, including but not limited to:

[0147] - Administrative / area-based MDT;

[0148] - Signaling-based MDT.

[0149] According to some embodiments, all of the above embodiments cover all possible DC scenarios, including but not limited to:

[0150] · EN-DC;

[0151] · NE-DC;

[0152] · NG-EN-DC;

[0153] · NR NR DC;

[0154] · E-UTRA-E-UTRA DC.

[0155] According to some embodiments, all of the above embodiments also cover the MDT implementation in the carrier aggregation scenario, where the SCG (for DC) is replaced by a secondary cell that provides carrier aggregation.

[0156] Figure 4 It shows that the UE receives the first logged MDT configuration in the FirstLoggedConfiguration message from the MCG and the second logged MDT configuration in the SecondLoggedConfiguration message from the SCG according to some embodiments.

[0157] In one example, the UE receives the first MDT configuration as follows:

[0158] (First)LoggedMeasurementConfiguration message

[0159]

[0160] In another example, the UE receives the second MDT configuration as follows:

[0161] (Second)LoggedMeasurementConfigurationNR message

[0162]

[0163]

[0164] The AreaConfiguration indicates the area for which the UE is requested to perform measurement logging. If not configured, the measurement logging is not restricted to a particular cell or tracking area, but applies as long as the RPLMN is included in the plmn-IdentityList stored in the VarLogMeasReport. Example AreaConfiguration information elements are as follows:

[0165] AreaConfiguration information element

[0166]

[0167] As used herein, FFS means "For Future Study".

[0168] The area in which the UE should record measurements is configured as part of the area configuration. In the existing AreaConfiguration IE in the LoggedMeasurementConfiguration, it can be indicated that the UE performs logging of measurements when the UE is resident in a cell, which is part of the areaConfiguration. This can be seen as a limitation in scenarios where the UE is resident in an adjacent cell and it can perform measurements on the cells listed in the areaConfiguration but it cannot log the measurements. Especially in the case of NSA (Non-Standalone) deployments where the UE is not allowed to camp on those cells, the network cannot obtain logged MDT measurements from these cells because the UE will never camp there.

[0169] This limitation can be overcome by one of the two methods listed below.

[0170] 1) Change the definition of areaConfiguration

[0171] In this embodiment, whenever the UE performs measurements of the cells in areaConfiguration, the UE records the measurements of these cells.

[0172] 1> If the cell for which the UE performs measurements is part of the area indicated by AreaConfiguration, if configured in VarLogMeasConfig:

[0173] 2) Add a new field subAreaConfiguration

[0174] In this embodiment, whenever the UE performs measurements of the cells in subAreaConfiguration and these cells are neighboring cells, the UE records the measurements of these cells.

[0175] In different embodiments, the cells to be recorded can be provided in different formats.

[0176] a. In one embodiment, only the frequency layers for which the UE expects to record measurements are configured in subAreaConfiguration. Whenever the UE has measurements available for that frequency, the UE shall record the cells for which it performs measurements and the location. In some sub - embodiments, the UE reports only the PCI as the cell identifier, while in some other embodiments, both the PCI and the globally unique ID (which requires reading SIB1) are recorded.

[0177] b. In another embodiment, a set of PCIs for the frequency layer is configured. In this scenario, the UE shall record the measurements only when the configured cells for that frequency are measured. In some sub - embodiments, the UE reports only the PCI as the cell identifier, while in some other embodiments, both the PCI and the globally unique ID (which requires reading SIB1) are recorded.

[0178] c. In yet another embodiment, a set of globally unique IDs of the cells in the frequency layer is configured. In this scenario, the UE shall record the measurements only when the configured cells for that frequency are measured.

[0179] As part of the recording, the UE can record measurements associated only with those cells in the configuration list, their neighboring cells, the resident cells, the location, and any Bluetooth or WLAN applications that the UE can hear.

[0180] According to certain embodiments, both the MN and the SN can configure both areaConfiguration and subAreaConfiguration.

[0181] According to some embodiments, the MN or the SN may configure the areaConfiguration, and the other, i.e., the SN or the MN, may configure the subAreaConfiguration.

[0182] According to some embodiments, the MN may configure both the areaConfiguration and the subAreaConfiguration, and the SN may configure only the subAreaConfiguration.

[0183] According to some embodiments, a node may configure only one RAT-specific areaConfiguration and subAreaConfiguration, while in some other embodiments, a node may configure areaConfigurations and subAreaConfigurations belonging to different RATs.

[0184] Regarding the RAN node behavior related to the areaConfiguration and the subAreaConfiguration, according to some embodiments, when a RAN node belongs to the areaConfig or the sub-areaConfig or when one of the neighboring cells of the RAN node belongs to the areaConfig or the sub-areaConfig, the RAN node may perform the selection of the UE for recording MDT.

[0185] MDT Configuration after Cell Reselection

[0186] When the UE performs reselection and if the UE receives a new MDT configuration from the new cell, the UE replaces the previously configured MDT configuration with the new MDT configuration. If the UE is configured with two MDT configurations, one from the MN and the other from the SN, it is not clear whether the UE replaces the MDT configuration from the MN or the SN.

[0187] Table 3 and Table 4 describe certain scenarios and certain proposed solutions. Different rows represent different embodiments. Table 3 provides the RAT-internal related processing, and only LTE is given as an example, but it is also applicable to replace LTE with other RATs (e.g., NR). Table 4 provides the RAT-interrelated processing. It should be noted that when the initial MN is LTE, the table provides different scenarios. However, when the initial MN is NR, a similar table may be obtained by replacing LTE with NR and vice versa. Different embodiments in the table have different features. Some of them are listed below.

[0188] 1) In some embodiments, the node type (master node or secondary node) that has been configured to record MDT measurements can be replaced by a similar node type.

[0189] 2) In some other embodiments, at each new recorded MDT configuration from the MN or from the SN, after entering the idle / inactive state and returning to the connected state, all existing MDT configurations are replaced.

[0190] 3) In some embodiments, the RAT type (LTE or NR) will have the priority that the MDT configuration should be replaced, i.e., the recorded MDT configured by an LTE node can be replaced by another LTE node, and the recorded MDT configured by an NR node can be replaced by another NR node.

[0191] 4) In some embodiments, the above combinations are considered.

[0192] 5) …

[0193] Table 3

[0194]

[0195]

[0196]

[0197] Table 4

[0198]

[0199]

[0200]

[0201]

[0202]

[0203]

[0204]

[0205]

[0206]

[0207]

[0208] Figure 5shows a wireless network according to some embodiments. Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are described with respect to a wireless network (such as Figure 5 the example wireless network shown). For simplicity, Figure 5 the wireless network only depicts network 106, network nodes 160 and 160b, and WDs 110, 110b, and 110c. In reality, the wireless network may also include any additional elements suitable for supporting communication between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device (such as a landline phone, a service provider, or any other network node or terminal device). Among the components shown, network node 160 and wireless device (WD) 110 are shown in additional detail. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate the wireless devices' access to the wireless network and / or use of the services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0209] The wireless network may include any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, and / or radio network or other similar type of system and / or interface therewith. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be configured to operate according to a specific standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, a particular embodiment of the wireless network may implement communication standards such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards; Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards such as the IEEE 802.11 standard; and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0210] Network 106 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, Wide Area Network (WAN), Local Area Network (LAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), wired networks, wireless networks, Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), and other networks capable of enabling communication between devices.

[0211] Network nodes 160 and WDs 110 include various components described in more detail below. These components work together to provide network node and / or wireless device functionality, such as providing a wireless connection in a wireless network. In different embodiments, the wireless network may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals via wired or wireless connections.

[0212] Figure 6Illustrates an example network node 160 according to certain embodiments. As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless device and / or with other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to the wireless device and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in the wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), and NR Node B (gNB)). Base stations can be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmit power levels), and can also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station can be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node can also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU) (sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH)). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna to form an antenna integrated radio. The parts of a distributed radio base station can also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) devices (such as MSR BSs), network controllers (such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs)), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), core network nodes (e.g., MSC, MME), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or MDTs. As another example, a network node can be a virtual network node as described in more detail below. However, more generally, a network node can represent any suitable device (or group of devices) that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to enable and / or provide access to a wireless network for a wireless device or to provide some service to a wireless device that is already accessing the wireless network).

[0213] In Figure 6 it, network node 160 includes processing circuitry 170, a device-readable medium 180, an interface 190, an auxiliary device 184, a power source 186, a power circuitry 187, and an antenna 162. Although in Figure 6The network node 160 shown in the example wireless network can represent a device including the shown combination of hardware components. However, other embodiments may include network nodes with different combinations of components. It should be understood that a network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Also, although the components of network node 160 are depicted as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality, a network node may include multiple different physical components that make up a single shown component (e.g., the device-readable medium 180 may include multiple individual hard disk drives as well as multiple RAM modules).

[0214] Similarly, network node 160 may include multiple physically separate components (e.g., Node B components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), each of which may have its own respective components. In some scenarios where network node 160 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among multiple network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such scenarios, in some instances, each unique Node B and RNC pair may be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, network node 160 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be replicated (e.g., separate device-readable media 180 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 162 may be shared by the RATs). Network node 160 may also include multiple sets of various shown components for different wireless technologies to be integrated into network node 160, such as, for example, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), New Radio (NR), WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chip sets within network node 160.

[0215] The processing circuitry 170 is configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being provided by the network node. These operations performed by the processing circuitry 170 may include processing the information obtained by the processing circuitry 170, such as by converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information; and as a result of such processing, making a determination.

[0216] The processing circuitry 170 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or a combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide the network node 160 functionality, alone or in combination with other network node 160 components such as the device readable medium 180. For example, the processing circuitry 170 may execute instructions stored in the device readable medium 180 or in a memory within the processing circuitry 170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 170 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0217] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 170 may include one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit 172 and a baseband processing circuit 174. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit 172 and the baseband processing circuit 174 may be on separate chips (or chip sets), boards, or units (such as a radio unit and a digital unit). In other alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 172 and the baseband processing circuit 174 may be on the same chip or chip set, board, or unit.

[0218] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by a processing circuitry 170 executing instructions stored on a device readable medium 180 or memory within the processing circuitry 170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry 170 without executing instructions stored on a separate or distinct device readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those embodiments, whether or not instructions stored on a device readable storage medium are executed, the processing circuitry 170 may be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited solely to the processing circuitry 170 or other components of the network node 160, but are enjoyed generally by the network node 160 and / or typically by an end user and a wireless network.

[0219] The device-readable medium 180 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to permanent storage devices, solid-state memory, remotely installed memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard drives), removable storage media (e.g., flash drives, compact discs (CDs) or digital video discs (DVDs)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile non-transitory device-readable memory device and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuitry 170. The device-readable medium 180 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuitry 170 and utilized by the network node 160. The device-readable medium 180 may be used to store any computations performed by the processing circuitry 170 and / or any data received via the interface 190. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 170 and the device-readable medium 180 may be considered integrated.

[0220] The interface 190 is used in the wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between the network node 160, the network 106, and / or the WD 110. As shown, the interface 190 includes, for example, (one or more) ports / (one or more) terminals 194 that send data to and receive data from the network 106 via a wired connection. The interface 190 also includes a radio front-end circuit 192, which may be coupled to the antenna 162 or in some embodiments is part of the antenna 762. The radio front-end circuit 192 includes a filter 198 and an amplifier 196. The radio front-end circuit 192 may be connected to the antenna 162 and the processing circuitry 170. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition the signals transmitted between the antenna 162 and the processing circuitry 170. The radio front-end circuit 192 may receive digital data to be transmitted to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 192 may use a combination of the filter 198 and / or the amplifier 196 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 162. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 162 may collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuit 192. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 170. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0221] In some alternative embodiments, network node 160 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 192. Instead, processing circuit 170 may include the radio front-end circuit and may be connected to antenna 162 without a separate radio front-end circuit 192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or part of RF transceiver circuit 172 may be considered part of interface 190. In other embodiments, interface 190 may include one or more ports or terminals 194, radio front-end circuit 192, and RF transceiver circuit 172 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and interface 190 may communicate with baseband processing circuit 174, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0222] Antenna 162 may include one or more antennas or an antenna array, which is configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 162 may be coupled to radio front-end circuit 192 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector, or panel antennas operable to transmit / receive radio signals, for example, between 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas may be used to transmit / receive radio signals in any direction, sector antennas may be used to transmit / receive radio signals from devices within a specific area, and panel antennas may be line-of-sight antennas used to transmit / receive radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some instances, using more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In certain embodiments, antenna 162 may be separate from network node 160 and may be connected to network node 160 via an interface or port.

[0223] Antenna 162, interface 190, and / or processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 162, interface 190, and / or processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform any sending operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be sent to a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network device.

[0224] The power supply circuit 187 may include or be coupled to a power management circuit and be configured to supply power to components of the network node 160 for performing the functions described herein. The power supply circuit 187 may receive power from a power source 186. The power source 186 and / or the power supply circuit 187 may be configured to supply power to various components of the network node 160 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). The power source 186 may be included within the power supply circuit 187 and / or the network node 160, or may be external to the power supply circuit 187 and / or the network node 160. For example, the network node 160 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface (such as a cable), whereby the external power source supplies power to the power supply circuit 187. As another example, the power source 186 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack, which is connected to or integrated in the power supply circuit 187. The battery may provide backup power in the event of a failure of the external power source. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0225] Alternative embodiments of the network node 160 may include additional components that, in addition to Figure 6 those shown, may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the functions of the network node, where the functions of the network node include any one of the functions described herein and / or any functions required to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 160 may include a user interface device that allows information to be input into the network node 160 and allows information to be output from the network node 160. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions on the network node 160.

[0226] As used herein, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with a network node and / or another WD. Unless otherwise stated, the term WD may be used interchangeably with user equipment (UE) herein. Wireless communication may involve the use of electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information through the air to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. In some embodiments, the WD may be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the WD may be designed to send information to the network according to a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event or in response to a request from the network. Examples of WDs include, but are not limited to, smart phones, mobile phones, cellular phones, IP voice (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, gaming consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptop computers, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premise equipment (CPEs), in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, etc. The WD may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, such as by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and in such cases may be referred to as a D2D communication device. As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, the WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another WD and / or network node. In this case, the WD may be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, the WD may be a UE that implements the 3GPP narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices (such as electricity meters), industrial machinery, or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, the WD may represent a vehicle or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating state or other functions associated with its operation. As described above, the WD may represent a wirelessly connected endpoint, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Additionally, as described above, the WD may be mobile, in which case the WD may also be referred to as a mobile device or mobile terminal.

[0227] Figure 7FIG. 0 shows an example wireless device 110 in accordance with some embodiments. As shown, wireless device 110 includes an antenna 111, an interface 114, a processing circuit 120, a device-readable medium 130, a user interface device 132, an auxiliary device 134, a power source 136, and a power circuit 137. WD 110 may include multiple sets of one or more of the illustrated components for different wireless technologies supported by WD 110, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chip sets within WD 110.

[0228] Antenna 111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and is connected to interface 114. In some alternative embodiments, antenna 111 may be separate from WD 110 and may be connected to WD 110 via an interface or port. Antenna 111, interface 114, and / or processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform any of the receive or transmit operations described herein as being performed by the WD. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from network nodes and / or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front-end circuitry and / or antenna 111 may be considered an interface.

[0229] As shown, interface 114 includes radio front-end circuitry 112 and antenna 111. Radio front-end circuitry 112 includes one or more filters 118 and amplifiers 116. Radio front-end circuitry 112 is connected to antenna 111 and processing circuit 120 and is configured to condition signals passed between antenna 111 and processing circuit 120. Radio front-end circuitry 112 may be coupled to antenna 111 or be part of antenna 311. In some embodiments, WD 110 may not include a separate radio front-end circuitry 112; instead, processing circuit 120 may include radio front-end circuitry and may be connected to antenna 111. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be considered part of interface 114. Radio front-end circuitry 112 may receive digital data to be transmitted via a wireless connection to other network nodes or WDs. Radio front-end circuitry 112 may use a combination of filters 118 and / or amplifiers 116 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna 111. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 111 may collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front-end circuitry 112. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 120. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0230] The processing circuitry 120 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or a combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide the WD 110 functionality, either alone or in combination with other WD 110 components such as the device-readable medium 130. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, the processing circuitry 120 may execute instructions stored in the device-readable medium 130 or in a memory within the processing circuitry 120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0231] As shown, the processing circuitry 120 includes one or more of an RF transceiver circuit 122, a baseband processing circuit 124, and an application processing circuit 126. In other embodiments, the processing circuitry may include different components and / or different combinations of components. In certain embodiments, the processing circuitry 120 of the WD 110 may include a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 122, the baseband processing circuit 124, and the application processing circuit 126 may be on separate chips or chip sets. In an alternative embodiment, part or all of the baseband processing circuit 124 and the application processing circuit 126 may be combined into one chip or chip set, and the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be on a separate chip or chip set. In other alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122 and the baseband processing circuit 124 may be on the same chip or chip set, and the application processing circuit 126 may be on a separate chip or chip set. In other alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122, the baseband processing circuit 124, and the application processing circuit 126 may be combined in a single chip or chip set. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be part of the interface 114. The RF transceiver circuit 122 may condition RF signals for the processing circuitry 120.

[0232] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as performed by the WD may be provided by processing circuitry 120 that executes instructions stored on a device-readable medium 130, which in some embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by processing circuitry 120 without executing instructions stored on a separate or distinct device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether or not instructions stored on a device-readable medium are executed, processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform the described functions. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited solely to processing circuitry 120 or other components of the WD 110, but are enjoyed by the WD 110 as a whole and / or generally by an end user and a wireless network.

[0233] Processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being performed by the WD. Such operations performed by processing circuitry 120 may include: processing information obtained by processing circuitry 120 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored by the WD 110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information; and, as a result of such processing, making a determination.

[0234] The device-readable medium 130 may be operable to store a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by processing circuitry 120. The device-readable medium 130 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), a mass storage medium (e.g., a hard disk), a removable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc (CD) or a digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory computer-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by processing circuitry 120. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 120 and the device-readable medium 130 may be considered to be integrated.

[0235] The user interface device 132 can provide components that allow a human user to interact with the WD 110. Such interaction can take many forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device 132 can be operable to generate output to the user and allow the user to provide input to the WD 110. The type of interaction can vary depending on the type of user interface device 132 installed in the WD 110. For example, if the WD 110 is a smart phone, the interaction can be via a touch screen; if the WD 110 is a smart meter, the interaction can be through a screen that provides usage amounts (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an auditory alert (e.g., if smoke is detected). The user interface device 132 can include input interfaces, devices, and circuits, as well as output interfaces, devices, and circuits. The user interface device 132 is configured to allow information to be input into the WD 110 and is connected to the processing circuit 120 to allow the processing circuit 120 to process the input information. The user interface device 132 can include, for example, a microphone, a proximity or other sensor, keys / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuits. The user interface device 132 is also configured to allow output of information from the WD 110 and allow the processing circuit 120 to output information from the WD 110. The user interface device 132 can include, for example, a speaker, a display, a vibration circuit, a USB port, a headphone jack, or other output circuits. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits of the user interface device 132, the WD 110 can communicate with an end user and / or a wireless network and allow them to benefit from the functions described herein.

[0236] The auxiliary device 134 can be operable to provide more specific functions that may not typically be performed by the WD. This can include specialized sensors for making measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication (such as wired communication), etc. The inclusion and type of components of the auxiliary device 134 can vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0237] In some embodiments, power supply 136 may take the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power supplies may also be used, such as an external power supply (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a fuel cell. WD 110 may also include a power supply circuit 137 for delivering power from power supply 136 to the various parts of WD 110 that require power from power supply 136 to perform any of the functions described or indicated herein. In certain embodiments, power supply circuit 137 may include a power management circuit. Additionally or alternatively, power supply circuit 137 may be operable to receive power from an external power supply; in such a case, WD 110 may be connectable to an external power supply (such as an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. In certain embodiments, power supply circuit 137 may also be operable to deliver power from the external power supply to power supply 136. This may be used, for example, for charging power supply 136. Power supply circuit 137 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification of the power from power supply 136 to produce power suitable for the respective components of WD 110 being powered.

[0238] Figure 8 An embodiment of a UE in accordance with aspects described herein is shown. As used herein, a user equipment or UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user but may not or initially may not be associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter). UE 200 may be a UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including an NB-loT UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. As Figure 8 shown, UE 200 is an example of a WD that is configured to communicate in accordance with one or more communication standards promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as the GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards of 3GPP. As previously mentioned, the terms WD and UE may be used interchangeably. Thus, while Figure 8 it is a UE, the components discussed herein are equally applicable to a WD and vice versa.

[0239] In Figure 8Among them, the UE 200 includes a processing circuit 201, which is operatively coupled to an input / output interface 205, a radio frequency (RF) interface 209, a network connection interface 211, a memory 215 (including a random access memory (RAM) 217, a read-only memory (ROM) 219, a storage medium 221, etc.), a communication subsystem 231, a power supply 213, and / or any other components or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 includes an operating system 223, application programs 225, and data 227. In other embodiments, the storage medium 221 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may utilize Figure 8 all of the components shown or only a subset of these components. The degree of integration between components may vary depending on the UE. Further, some UEs may include multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0240] In Figure 8 Among them, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 201 may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored in the memory as a machine-readable computer program, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored programs, a general-purpose processor, such as a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). Data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0241] In the depicted embodiment, the input / output interface 205 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, an output device, or both an input and output device. The UE 200 may be configured to use the output device via the input / output interface 205. The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to and output from the UE 200. The output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, a transmitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. The UE 200 may be configured to use the input device via the input / output interface 205 to allow a user to capture information into the UE 200. The input device may include a touch display or a presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a roller, a smart card, etc. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor that senses input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an inclinometer, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another similar sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor.

[0242] In Figure 8 it, the RF interface 209 may be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as a transmitter, a receiver, and an antenna. The network connection interface 211 may be configured to provide a communication interface to the network 243a. The network 243a may encompass a wired and / or wireless network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243a may include a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 211 may be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface for communicating with one or more other devices over a communication network according to one or more communication protocols such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc. The network connection interface 211 may implement receiver and transmitter functions suitable for a communication network link (e.g., an optical link, an electrical link, etc.). The receiver and transmitter functions may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively, may be implemented separately.

[0243] The RAM 217 can be configured to be connected to the processing circuit 201 via the bus 202 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs such as an operating system, applications, and device drivers. The ROM 219 can be configured to provide computer instructions or data to the processing circuit 201. For example, the ROM 219 can be configured to store invariant low-level system code or data for basic system functions such as basic input and output (I / O), startup, or reception of keystrokes from a keyboard stored in non-volatile memory. The storage medium 221 can be configured to include memories such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, floppy disks, hard disks, removable disks, or flash drive units. In one example, the storage medium 221 can be configured to include an operating system 223, applications 225 such as a web browser application, widget or gadget engine, or another application, and data files 227. The storage medium 221 can store any one of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems used by the UE 200.

[0244] The storage medium 221 can be configured to include multiple physical drive units such as redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID), floppy disk drives, flash memory, USB flash drive units, external hard disk drives, thumb drives, pen drives, key drives, high definition digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drives, internal hard disk drives, Blu-ray disc drives, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drives, external mini dual in-line memory modules (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro DIMM SDRAM, smart card memories such as user identity module (or removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) module), other memories, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 can allow the UE 200 to access computer-executable instructions, applications, etc. stored on transient or non-transient memory media to offload or upload data. An article of manufacture such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system can be tangibly embodied in the storage medium 221, which can include a device-readable medium.

[0245] In Figure 8In [the context], the processing circuit 201 can be configured to communicate with the network 243b using the communication subsystem 231. The network 243a and the network 243b can be the same one or more networks or different one or more networks. The communication subsystem 231 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with the network 243b. For example, the communication subsystem 231 can be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (such as another WD, UE, or a base station of a radio access network (RAN)) according to one or more communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.2, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc.). Each transceiver can include a transmitter 233 and / or a receiver 235 that respectively implement the transmitter or receiver functions suitable for the RAN link (such as frequency allocation, etc.). Further, the transmitter 233 and the receiver 235 of each transceiver can share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively, can be implemented separately.

[0246] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 231 can include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication (such as Bluetooth, near-field communication), location-based communication (such as using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location), another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 231 can include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 243a can cover wired and / or wireless networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243b can be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power supply 213 can be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 200.

[0247] The features, benefits, and / or functions described herein can be implemented in one of the components of UE 200 or divided across multiple components of UE 200. Further, the features, benefits, and / or functions described herein can be implemented in any combination of hardware, software, or firmware. In one example, communication subsystem 231 can be configured to include any of the components described herein. Further, processing circuitry 201 can be configured to communicate with any one of such components via bus 202. In another example, any such component can be represented by program instructions stored in a memory that, when executed by processing circuitry 201, perform the corresponding functions described herein. In another example, the functionality of any such component can be divided between processing circuitry 201 and communication subsystem 231. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component can be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions can be implemented in hardware.

[0248] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram showing a virtualization environment 300 that can virtualize the functions implemented by some embodiments. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or equipment, which may include a virtualized hardware platform, storage devices, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or its components, and involves the implementation of at least a portion of the functionality as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers executed on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0249] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein can be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 300 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes 330. Further, in embodiments where the virtual node is not a radio access node or does not require a radio connection (e.g., a core network node), then the network node can be fully virtualized.

[0250] The functionality may be implemented by one or more applications 320 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.), which are operable to implement some of the features, functionality, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 320 run in a virtualization environment 300 that provides hardware 330 including processing circuitry 360 and memory 390. The memory 390 contains instructions 395 executable by the processing circuitry 360, where the applications 320 are operable to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and / or functionality disclosed herein.

[0251] The virtualization environment 300 includes general or special-purpose network hardware devices 330 that include a set of one or more processors or processing circuitry 360, which may be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuitry including digital or analog hardware components or dedicated processors. Each hardware device may include a memory 390-1, which may be non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 395 or software executed by the processing circuitry 360. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 370 (also referred to as network interface cards), which include physical network interfaces 380. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory persistent machine-readable storage medium 390-2 in which software 395 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuitry 360 are stored. The software 395 may include any type of software, which includes software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 350 (also referred to as hypervisors), software for executing virtual machines 340, and software for allowing the execution of functions, features, and / or benefits described in connection with some of the embodiments herein.

[0252] The virtual machines 340 include virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by corresponding virtualization layers 350 or hypervisors. Different embodiments of instances of the virtual appliances 320 may be implemented on one or more virtual machines 340, and these implementations may be done in different ways.

[0253] During operation, the processing circuitry 360 executes software 395 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 350, which may sometimes be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). The virtualization layer 350 may present a virtual operating platform to the virtual machines 340 that appears like network hardware.

[0254] As Figure 9As shown, the hardware 330 can be an independent network node with general or specific components. The hardware 330 can include an antenna 3225 and can implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 330 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., in a data center or customer premise equipment (CPE)), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via a management and orchestration (MANO) 3100, which particularly supervises the lifecycle management of the application 320.

[0255] The virtualization of hardware is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV) in some contexts. NFV can be used to consolidate many network device types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices, which can be located in data centers and customer premise equipment.

[0256] In the context of NFV, a virtual machine 340 can be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if these programs were executing on a physical non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 340 and the part of the hardware 330 that executes that virtual machine (i.e., the hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and / or the hardware shared by that virtual machine with other virtual machines 340) form a separate virtual network unit (VNE).

[0257] Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for handling specific network functions running in one or more virtual machines 340 over the hardware network infrastructure 330 and corresponds to Figure 9 the application 320 in

[0258] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 3200, each including one or more transmitters 3220 and one or more receivers 3210, can be coupled to one or more antennas 3225. The radio units 3200 can communicate directly with the hardware node 330 via one or more appropriate network interfaces and can be combined with virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station.

[0259] In some embodiments, certain signaling can be implemented using a control system 3230, which can alternatively be used for communication between the hardware node 330 and the radio units 3200.

[0260] Figure 10 A telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network is shown according to some embodiments.

[0261] Refer to Figure 10, according to an embodiment, a communication system includes a telecommunications network 410, such as a 3GPP-type cellular network, which includes an access network 411 (such as a radio access network) and a core network 414. The access network 411 includes a plurality of base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, such as NB, eNB, GNB, or other types of wireless access points, and each base station 412a, 412b, 412c defines a corresponding coverage area 413a, 413b, 413c. Each base station 412a, 412b, 412c can be connected to the core network 414 through a wired or wireless connection 415. A first UE 491 located in the coverage area 413c is configured to be wirelessly connected to or called by the corresponding base station 412c. A second UE 492 in the coverage area 413a can be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 412a. Although a plurality of UEs 491, 492 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to the case where a single UE is in the coverage area or a single UE is connected to the corresponding base station 412.

[0262] The telecommunications network 410 itself is connected to a host computer 430, which can be implemented in the hardware and / or software of an independent server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server farm. The host computer 430 can be under the ownership or control of a service provider or can be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. The connections 421 and 422 between the telecommunications network 410 and the host computer 430 can extend directly from the core network 414 to the host computer 430 or can be via an optional intermediate network 420. The intermediate network 420 can be one of a public, private, or host network or a combination of more than one of a public, private, or host network; if any, the intermediate network 420 can be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, the intermediate network 420 can include two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0263] Figure 10The communication system as a whole enables connectivity between the connected UEs 491, 492 and the host computer 430. This connectivity can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 450. The host computer 430 and the connected UEs 491, 492 are configured to use the access network 411, the core network 414, any intermediate network 420, and possibly further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries to transfer data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 450. The OTT connection 450 can be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 450 passes are not aware of the routing of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 412 may not or need not be notified of the past routing of the incoming downlink communication of data originating from the host computer 430 that is to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 491. Similarly, the base station 412 need not know the future routing of the outgoing uplink communication originating from the UE 491 towards the host computer 430.

[0264] Figure 11 A host computer communicating with a user equipment via a base station over a partial wireless connection is shown according to some embodiments.

[0265] Reference will now be made to Figure 11 An example implementation according to embodiments of the UE, base station, and host computer discussed in the foregoing paragraphs will be described. In the communication system 500, the host computer 510 includes hardware 515, which includes a communication interface 516 configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with different communication devices of the communication system 500. The host computer 510 further includes a processing circuit 518, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, the processing circuit 518 may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The host computer 510 further includes software 511, which is stored in the host computer 510 or accessible by the host computer 510 and executable by the processing circuit 518. The software 511 includes a host application 512. The host application 512 may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 530 connected via an OTT connection 550 terminated at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. When providing services to a remote user, the host application 512 may provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 550.

[0266] The communication system 500 also includes a base station 520, which provides in a telecommunications system and includes hardware 525 enabling the base station 520 to communicate with the host computer 510 and the UE 530. The hardware 525 may include a communication interface 526 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection for interfaces with different communication devices of the communication system 500, and a radio interface 527 for establishing and maintaining a wireless connection 570 with at least the UE 530 located in a coverage area (not shown in Figure 11 served by the base station 520). The communication interface 526 may be configured to facilitate a connection 560 with the host computer 510. The connection 560 may be direct, or it may pass through the core network of the telecommunications system (not shown in Figure 11 s) and / or through one or more intermediate networks external to the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 525 of the base station 520 further includes a processing circuit 528, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The base station 520 also includes software 521 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0267] The communication system 500 also includes the aforementioned UE 530. Its hardware 535 may include a radio interface 537 configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 570 with the base station of the coverage area where the serving UE 530 is currently located. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 further includes a processing circuit 538, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The UE 530 also includes software 531 stored in or accessible by the UE 530 and executable by the processing circuit 538. The software 531 includes a client application 532. The client application 532 may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via the UE 530 with the support of the host computer 510. In the host computer 510, the executed host application 512 may communicate with the executed client application 532 via an OTT connection 550 terminated at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. When providing a service to the user, the client application 532 may receive request data from the host application 512 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 550 may transmit both the request data and the user data. The client application 532 may interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0268] It should be noted that Figure 11 the host computer 510, the base station 520, and the UE 530 shown in Figure 10One of the host computer 430, base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, and one of the UEs 491, 492 are similar or identical. That is, the internal workings of these entities can be as Figure 11 shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Figure 10 the network topology of.

[0269] In Figure 11 , the OTT connection 550 has been abstractly depicted to illustrate the communication between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 via the base station 520, without explicitly referencing any intermediate devices and the exact routing of the messages via these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing, and the network infrastructure can be configured to hide the routing from the UE 530 or from the service provider operating the host computer 510 or from both. While the OTT connection 550 is active, the network infrastructure can further make decisions to dynamically change the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network).

[0270] The wireless connection 570 between the UE 530 and the base station 520 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more improvements in various embodiments use the wireless connection 570 to form the last leg of the OTT connection 550 to improve the performance of the OTT services provided to the UE 530. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments can improve data rate, latency, and / or power consumption, thereby providing benefits such as reduced user wait time, relaxed restrictions on file size, better responsiveness, and / or extended battery life.

[0271] The measurement process can be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors that improve one or more embodiments. There can also be optional network functions for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or the network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 can be implemented in the software 511 and hardware 515 of the host computer 510 or in the software 531 and hardware 535 of the UE 530 or in both. In an embodiment, sensors (not shown) can be deployed in or associated with the communication devices through which the OTT connection 550 passes; the sensors can participate in the measurement process by providing values of the monitored quantities exemplified above or by providing values of other physical quantities from which the software 511, 531 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 550 can include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc.; the reconfiguration need not affect the base station 520, and the reconfiguration can be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 520. Such processes and functions can be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurement can involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the host computer 510's measurement of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurement can be implemented because the software 511 and 531 cause messages (especially empty or "dummy" messages) to be sent using the OTT connection 550 while it monitors propagation time, error, etc.

[0272] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which can be the host computer, the base station, and the UE described with reference to Figure 10 and Figure 11 For the sake of simplicity of the present disclosure, only the Figure 12 reference numerals are included in this section. In step 610, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 611 (which can be optional) of step 610, the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In step 620, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In step 630 (which can be optional), according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the base station sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host computer to the UE. In step 640 (which can also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0273] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which can be the host computer, the base station, and the UE described with reference to Figure 10 and Figure 11The described host computer, base station, and UE. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only the Figure 13 reference numerals are included in this section. In step 710 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In step 720, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, this transmission may be relayed via the base station. In step 730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0274] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be the host computer, base station, and UE described with reference to Figure 10 and Figure 11 The described host computer, base station, and UE. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only the Figure 14 reference numerals are included in this section. In step 810 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 820, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 821 of step 820 (which may be optional), the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 811 of step 810 (which may be optional), the UE executes a client application that provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. When providing user data, the executed client application may also consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner of providing user data, in sub-step 830 (which may be optional), the UE initiates a transmission of the user data to the host computer. In step 840 of the method, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the host computer receives the user data sent from the UE.

[0275] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be the host computer, base station, and UE described with reference to Figure 10 and Figure 11 The described host computer, base station, and UE. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only the Figure 15 reference numerals are included in this section. In step 910 (which may be optional), according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the base station receives user data from the UE. In step 920 (which may be optional), the base station initiates a transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0276] Figure 16 Method 1000 of wireless device 110 according to some embodiments is depicted. At step 1002, wireless device 110 receives MDT configurations for MCG and SCG from network node 160. At step 1004, when wireless device 110 is in an idle state or an inactive state, wireless device 110 records MDT measurements for MCG and SCG based on the MDT configurations. At step 1006, after switching from a source cell to a target cell, wireless device 110 sends at least one MDT report to a target network node associated with the target cell.

[0277] In a particular embodiment, network node 160 includes a source network node associated with the source cell.

[0278] In a particular embodiment, sending at least one MDT report includes: sending a single report including MDT measurements for MCG and SCG. In a further particular embodiment, receiving MDT configurations for MCG and SCG includes: receiving an index identifying a first trace collection entity for MCG and SCG.

[0279] In a particular embodiment, sending at least one MDT report includes: sending a first report including MDT measurements for MCG, and sending a second report including MDT measurements for SCG. In a further particular embodiment, receiving MDT configurations for MCG and SCG includes: receiving a first index identifying a first TCE for MCG, and receiving a second index identifying a second TCE for SCG.

[0280] In a particular embodiment, the method further includes: receiving a change to the MDT configuration for SCG. In a further particular embodiment, when wireless device 110 is performing MDT measurements for SCG, receiving a change to the MDT configuration for SCG, and the method further includes: deleting the MDT measurements for SCG, wherein at least one MDT report does not include the MDT measurements for SCG. In a further particular embodiment, when receiving the MDT configuration, wireless device 110 is in an inactive state or an idle state, and wherein the target cell does not support SCG, the method further includes at least one of the following:

[0281] · Discarding the MDT measurements for SCG;

[0282] · Sending the MDT measurements for SCG to a master network node for forwarding to a secondary node associated with SCG;

[0283] · Sending the MDT measurements for SCG to a master network node for forwarding to a TCE associated with SCG.

[0284] In certain embodiments, the MDT configuration includes MDT reconfiguration.

[0285] In certain embodiments, the MDT configuration includes at least one of a management-based MDT configuration and a signaling-based MDT configuration.

[0286] In certain embodiments, the wireless device 110 operates in a DC with a primary network node and a secondary network node, where the primary network node is associated with a primary cell, the secondary network node is associated with a secondary cell, and where the DC is one of: EN-DC, NE-DC, NG-EN-DC, NR NR DC, and E-UTRA–E-UTRA DC.

[0287] In certain embodiments, the wireless device 110 operates in carrier aggregation, and where the SCG provides carrier aggregation.

[0288] In certain embodiments, receiving the MDT configuration includes: a region configuration indicating the region in which the wireless device 110 will record the performed MDT measurements. In a further particular embodiment, when the wireless device 110 records MDT measurements for the MCG and the SCG, the wireless device 110 camps on a cell within the region configuration. In a further particular embodiment, the SCG is not within the region configuration but is in an adjacent cell of the region indicated in the region configuration. In a further particular embodiment, the region configuration includes a plurality of sub-regions for which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements. In a further particular embodiment, each sub-region includes a frequency layer for which the wireless device 110 will record the performed MDT measurements. In a further particular embodiment, each sub-region includes a set of PCI for which the wireless device 110 will record the performed MDT measurements. In a further particular embodiment, each sub-region includes a set of globally unique cell IDs in the frequency layer for which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements.

[0289] In certain embodiments, the source cell and the target cell operate using the same radio access technology, and where the method further includes: after a handover from the source cell to the target cell, receiving a new MDT configuration from the target cell.

[0290] Figure 17 A schematic block diagram of a virtual apparatus 1100 in a wireless network (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless network shown) is shown. The apparatus may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless device 110 or the network node 160 shown). The apparatus 1100 is operable to perform the example methods described with reference to Figure 16 and any other processes or methods that may be disclosed herein. It should also be understood that Figure 16The method need not be performed only by the apparatus 1100. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0291] The virtual apparatus 1100 may include processing circuitry (which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers) and other digital hardware (which may include (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc.). The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. In multiple embodiments, the program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunication and / or data communication protocols and instructions for executing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the receiving module 1110, the recording module 1120, the transmitting module 1130, and any other suitable units of the apparatus 1100 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0292] According to certain embodiments, the receiving module 1110 may perform certain receiving functions of the apparatus 1100. For example, the receiving module 1110 may receive MDT configurations for a primary cell group and a secondary cell group from a network node.

[0293] According to certain embodiments, the recording module 1120 may perform certain recording functions of the apparatus 1100. For example, when the wireless device is in an idle state or an inactive state, the recording module 1120 may record MDT measurements for the primary cell group and the secondary cell group based on the MDT configuration.

[0294] According to certain embodiments, the transmitting module 1130 may perform certain transmitting functions of the apparatus 1100. For example, after a handover from a source cell to a target cell, the transmitting module 1130 may send at least one MDT report to a target network node associated with the target cell.

[0295] The term "unit" may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronic devices, electrical equipment, and / or electronic equipment, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, outputs, and / or display functions, such as those described herein.

[0296] Figure 18Illustrates method 1200 of wireless device 110 according to certain embodiments. At step 1202, wireless device 110 receives MDT configuration for MCG and SCG from network node 160. At step 1204, when wireless device 110 is in an idle state or an inactive state and operating according to a first RAT, wireless device 110 records MDT measurements for MCG and SCG based on the MDT configuration. At step 1206, after transitioning from the idle state or the inactive state to a connected state and after switching from a source cell associated with the first RAT to a target cell associated with a second RAT, wireless device 110 sends at least one MDT report to a target network node associated with the target cell.

[0297] In a particular embodiment, when sending at least one MDT report, wireless device 110 sends a single report including MDT measurements for MCG and MDT measurements for SCG.

[0298] In a particular embodiment, when receiving MDT configuration for MCG and SCG, wireless device 110 receives at least one index identifying a first TCE for MCG and SCG.

[0299] In a particular embodiment, when sending at least one MDT report, wireless device 110 sends a first report including MDT measurements for MCG and a second report including MDT measurements for SCG.

[0300] In a particular embodiment, receiving MDT configuration for MCG and SCG includes: receiving a first index identifying a first TCE for MCG and a second index identifying a second TCE for SCG.

[0301] In a particular embodiment, when wireless device 110 is performing MDT measurements for SCG associated with a first RAT, wireless device 110 receives a change to the MDT configuration for SCG. In response to receiving the change to the MDT configuration for SCG, wireless device 110 deletes the MDT measurements for SCG, and at least one MDT report sent to the target network node does not include the MDT measurements for SCG.

[0302] In a particular embodiment, when receiving a change to the MDT configuration, wireless device 110 is in an inactive state or an idle state, and the target cell does not support SCG. Wireless device 110 may then perform at least one of the following: discard the MDT measurements for SCG; send the MDT measurements for SCG to the master network node for forwarding to the secondary node associated with SCG; and send the MDT measurements for SCG to the master network node for forwarding to the TCE associated with SCG.

[0303] In a particular embodiment, the wireless device operates in dual connectivity with a master network node and a secondary network node, where the master network node is associated with a master cell, the secondary network node is associated with a secondary cell, and where the dual connectivity is one of the following: evolved universal terrestrial radio access - new radio dual connectivity EN-DC; new radio - evolved universal terrestrial radio access dual connectivity NE-DC; next generation evolved universal terrestrial radio access - new radio dual connectivity NG-EN-DC; new radio - new radio dual connectivity NR NR DC; and evolved universal terrestrial radio access - evolved universal terrestrial radio access dual connectivity, E-UTRA–E-UTRA DC.

[0304] In a particular embodiment, the MDT configuration includes a region configuration indicating the region in which the wireless device 110 will record the performed MDT measurements. In a further particular embodiment, when the wireless device 110 records MDT measurements for the MCG and MDT measurements for the SCG, the wireless device 110 camps on a cell within the region configuration. In a further particular embodiment, the SCG is not within the region configuration, but is an adjacent cell of the region indicated in the region configuration.

[0305] In a particular embodiment, the region configuration includes a plurality of sub-regions for which the wireless device 110 will record the performed MDT measurements, and where each sub-region includes at least one of the following: a frequency layer for which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements; a set of physical cell identifiers PCI for which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements; or a set of globally unique cell identifiers in a frequency layer for which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements.

[0306] In a particular embodiment, the first RAT and the second RAT are the same RAT, and after the wireless device 110 hands over from a source cell to a target cell, the wireless device 110 receives a new MDT configuration from the target cell. The new MDT configuration includes at least one of a new MDT configuration for the new master cell and a new MDT configuration for the new secondary cell.

[0307] Figure 19 A schematic block diagram of a virtual device 1300 in a wireless network (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless network shown) is shown. The device may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless device 110 or network node 160 shown). The device 1300 is operable to perform the example methods described with reference to Figure 18 and any other processes or methods that may be disclosed herein. It should also be understood that Figure 18 the method need not be performed only by the device 1300. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0308] The virtual device 1300 may include a processing circuit (which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers) and other digital hardware (which may include (DSP), dedicated digital logic), etc. The processing circuit may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memories, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. In multiple embodiments, the program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunication and / or data communication protocols and instructions for executing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuit may be used to cause the receiving module 1110, the recording module 1120, the transmitting module 1130, and any other suitable unit of the device 1100 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0309] According to certain embodiments, the receiving module 1110 may perform certain receiving functions of the device 1100. For example, the receiving module 1110 may receive MDT configurations for MCG and SCG from the network node 160.

[0310] According to certain embodiments, the recording module 1120 may perform certain recording functions of the device 1100. For example, when the wireless device is in an idle state or an inactive state, the recording module 1120 may record MDT measurements for MCG and SCG based on the MDT configuration.

[0311] According to certain embodiments, the transmitting module 1130 may perform certain transmitting functions of the device 1100. For example, after transitioning from an idle or inactive state to a connected state and after switching from a source cell associated with a first RAT to a target cell associated with a second RAT, the transmitting module 1130 may send at least one MDT report to a target network node associated with the target cell.

[0312] The term "unit" may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronic devices, electrical equipment, and / or electronic equipment, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, outputs, and / or display functions, such as those described herein.

[0313] Figure 20Depicts method 1400 of wireless device 110 according to certain embodiments. At step 1402, when operating in a first cell, the wireless device applies a first MDT configuration for performing and recording MDT measurements, the first MDT configuration including at least one of a master node (MN) MDT configuration and a secondary node (SN) MDT configuration. At step 1404, the wireless device performs a cell reselection from the first cell to a second cell. At step 1406, after performing the cell reselection to the second cell, the wireless device receives a second MDT configuration. At step 1408, the wireless device takes an MDT configuration replacement action to replace at least a portion of the first MDT configuration with the second MDT configuration.

[0314] In a particular embodiment, one of scenarios 1-12 from Table 3 above may be true. Specifically, the first MDT configuration may include an initial MN MDT configuration and an initial SN MDT configuration, as summarized in Table 3. The second MDT configuration may include a new MN MDT configuration and a new SN MDT configuration, as summarized in Table 3.

[0315] In a particular embodiment, one of scenarios 1-52 from Table 4 above may be true. Specifically, the first MDT configuration may include an initial MN MDT configuration and an initial SN MDT configuration, as summarized in Table 4. The second MDT configuration may include a new MN MDT configuration and a new SN MDT configuration, as summarized in Table 4.

[0316] Figure 21 Illustrates a schematic block diagram of a virtual device 1500 in a wireless network (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless network shown). The device may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless device 110 or network node 160 shown). Device 1500 is operable to perform the example methods described with reference to Figure 20 and possibly any other processes or methods disclosed herein. It should also be understood that Figure 20 the method need not be performed solely by device 1500. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0317] The virtual device 1500 may include processing circuitry (which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers) and other digital hardware (which may include (DSP), dedicated digital logic), etc. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. In multiple embodiments, the program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunication and / or data communication protocols and instructions for executing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the application module 1510, execution module 1520, reception module 1530, take-action module 1540, and any other suitable units of the device 1500 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0318] According to certain embodiments, the application module 1510 may perform certain application functions of the device 1500. For example, when operating in a first cell, the application module 1510 may apply a first MDT configuration for performing and recording MDT measurements, the first MDT configuration including at least one of a master node (MN) MDT configuration and a secondary node (SN) MDT configuration.

[0319] According to certain embodiments, the execution module 1520 may perform certain execution functions of the device 1500. For example, the execution module 1520 may perform a cell reselection from a first cell to a second cell.

[0320] According to certain embodiments, the reception module 1530 may perform certain reception functions of the device 1500. For example, after performing a cell reselection to a second cell, the reception module 1530 may receive a second MDT configuration.

[0321] According to certain embodiments, the take-action module 1540 may perform certain take-action functions of the device 1500. For example, the take-action module 1540 may take an MDT configuration replacement action to replace at least a part of the first MDT configuration with the second MDT configuration.

[0322] The term "unit" may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronic devices, electrical equipment, and / or electronic equipment, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, outputs, and / or display functions, such as those described herein.

[0323] Figure 22Illustrates method 1600 of wireless device 110 according to certain embodiments. At step 1602, when operating in a first cell, wireless device 110 applies a first MDT configuration for performing and recording MDT measurements. The first MDT configuration includes at least one of a first MN MDT configuration and a first SN MDT configuration. At step 1604, wireless device 110 performs a cell reselection from the first cell to a second cell. At step 1606, after performing the cell reselection to the second cell, wireless device 110 receives a second MDT configuration. At step 1608, wireless device 110 takes at least one action to replace at least a portion of the first MDT configuration with the second MDT configuration.

[0324] In a particular embodiment, the second MDT configuration includes a second MN MDT configuration and a second SN MDT configuration. In a further particular embodiment, when taking at least one action, wireless device 110 replaces the first MN MDT configuration received in the first MDT configuration with the second MN MDT configuration received in the second MDT configuration. Alternatively, wireless device 110 replaces the first SN MDT configuration received in the first MDT configuration with the second SN MDT configuration received in the second MDT configuration.

[0325] In a particular embodiment, when taking at least one action, wireless device 110 replaces the RAT-specific MDT configuration received in the first MDT configuration with the same RAT-specific MDT configuration received in the second MDT configuration.

[0326] Figure 23 Shows a schematic block diagram of a virtual device 1700 in a wireless network (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless network shown). The device may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless device 110 or network node 160 shown). Device 1700 is operable to perform the example methods described with reference to Figure 22 and possibly any other processes or methods disclosed herein. It should also be understood that Figure 22 the methods need not be performed solely by device 1700. At least some operations of the methods may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0327] The virtual device 1700 may include processing circuitry (which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers) and other digital hardware (which may include a (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc.). The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. In multiple embodiments, the program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunication and / or data communication protocols and instructions for executing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the application module 1710, execution module 1720, receiving module 1730, take-action module 1740, and any other suitable units of the device 1700 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0328] According to certain embodiments, the application module 1710 may perform certain application functions of the device 1700. For example, when operating in a first cell, the application module 1710 may apply a first MDT configuration for performing and recording MDT measurements. The first MDT configuration includes at least one of a first MN MDT configuration and a first SN MDT configuration.

[0329] According to certain embodiments, the execution module 1720 may perform certain execution functions of the device 1700. For example, the execution module 1720 may perform a cell reselection from a first cell to a second cell.

[0330] According to certain embodiments, the receiving module 1730 may perform certain receiving functions of the device 1700. For example, after performing a cell reselection to a second cell, the receiving module 1730 may receive a second MDT configuration.

[0331] According to certain embodiments, the take-action module 1740 may perform certain take-action functions of the device 1700. For example, the take-action module 1740 may take at least one action to replace at least a portion of the first MDT configuration with the second MDT configuration.

[0332] The term "unit" may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronic devices, electrical equipment, and / or electronic equipment, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, outputs, and / or display functions, such as those described herein.

[0333] Figure 24Depicts method 1800 of network node 160 operating as a target network node after a wireless device has switched from a source cell to a target cell associated with a target network node according to certain embodiments. At step 1802, after the handover of the wireless device, the network node receives at least one MDT report from the wireless device. The at least one MDT report includes at least one MDT measurement, and the at least one MDT measurement is recorded and / or performed based on MDT configurations for the primary cell group and the secondary cell group associated with the source cell prior to the handover.

[0334] In certain embodiments, receiving at least one MDT report includes: receiving a single report including MDT measurements for the primary cell group and the secondary cell group.

[0335] In certain embodiments, receiving at least one MDT report includes: receiving a first report including MDT measurements for the primary cell group, and receiving a second report including MDT measurements for the secondary cell group.

[0336] In certain embodiments, the MDT configuration includes an MDT reconfiguration.

[0337] In certain embodiments, the MDT configuration includes at least one of an administratively-based MDT configuration and a signaling-based MDT configuration.

[0338] In certain embodiments, the wireless device operates in dual connectivity, and wherein the dual connectivity is one of: EN-DC, NE-DC, NG-EN-DC, NR NR DC, and E-UTRA—E-UTRA DC.

[0339] In certain embodiments, the wireless device operates in carrier aggregation, and wherein the secondary cell group provides carrier aggregation.

[0340] In certain embodiments, the MDT configuration includes a region configuration indicating the region in which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements.

[0341] In certain embodiments, when the wireless device records MDT measurements for the primary cell group and the secondary cell group, the wireless device camps on a cell within the region configuration.

[0342] In certain embodiments, the secondary cell group is not within the region configuration, but is an adjacent cell of the region indicated in the region configuration.

[0343] In a particular embodiment, the area configuration includes a plurality of sub-areas for which the wireless device will record the MDT measurements performed. In a further particular embodiment, each sub-area includes a frequency layer for which the wireless device will record the MDT measurements performed. In a further particular embodiment, each sub-area includes a set of PCI for which the wireless device will record the MDT measurements performed. In a further particular embodiment, each sub-area includes a set of globally unique cell IDs in the frequency layer for which the wireless device will record the MDT measurements performed.

[0344] In a particular embodiment, the source cell and the target cell operate using the same radio access technology.

[0345] In a particular embodiment, the source cell and the target cell operate using different radio access technologies.

[0346] Figure 25 A schematic block diagram of a virtual device 1900 in a wireless network (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless network shown) is shown. The device may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless device 110 or network node 160 shown). The device 1900 is operable to perform the example methods described with reference to Figure 24 and any other processes or methods that may be disclosed herein. It should also be understood that Figure 24 the method need not be performed only by the device 1900. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0347] The virtual device 1900 may include processing circuitry (which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers) and other digital hardware (which may include (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc.). The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. In multiple embodiments, the program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunication and / or data communication protocols and instructions for performing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the receiving module 1910 and any suitable unit of the device 1900 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0348] According to some embodiments, the receiving module 1910 may perform certain receiving functions of the apparatus 1900. For example, after a wireless device has handed over from a source cell to a target cell associated with a target network node, the receiving module 1910 may receive at least one MDT report from the wireless device. The at least one MDT report includes at least one MDT measurement, and the at least one MDT measurement is recorded and / or performed based on MDT configurations for a master cell group and a secondary cell group associated with the source cell before the handover.

[0349] The term "unit" may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronic devices, electrical equipment, and / or electronic equipment, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, outputs, and / or display functions, such as those described herein.

[0350] Figure 26 A method 2000 of a network node 160 operating as a target network node after a wireless device 110 has handed over from a source cell to a target cell associated with a target network node is depicted according to some embodiments. At step 2002, after the handover of the wireless device 110, the network node 160 receives at least one MDT report from the wireless device 110. The at least one MDT report includes at least one MDT measurement recorded and / or performed based on MDT configurations for the MCG and the SCG. Before the handover of the wireless device, the MDT configuration was associated with the source cell.

[0351] In a particular embodiment, when receiving the at least one MDT report, the network node 160 receives a single report including MDT measurements for the MCG and MDT measurements for the SCG.

[0352] In a particular embodiment, when receiving the at least one MDT report, the network node 160 receives a first report including MDT measurements for the MCG and a second report including MDT measurements for the SCG.

[0353] In a particular embodiment, the wireless device 110 operates in one of the following: EN-DC, NE-DC, NG-EN-DC, NR NR DC, and E-UTRA—E-UTRA DC.

[0354] In a particular embodiment, the MDT configuration includes a region configuration indicating the region in which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements.

[0355] In a particular embodiment, when the wireless device records MDT measurements for the MCG and MDT measurements for the SCG, the wireless device camps on a cell within the region configuration.

[0356] In a particular embodiment, the SCG is not within the area configuration, but in an adjacent cell of the area indicated in the area configuration.

[0357] In a particular embodiment, the area configuration includes a plurality of sub-areas for which the wireless device will record the MDT measurements performed, and wherein each sub-area includes:

[0358] The frequency layer for which the wireless device will record the MDT measurements performed;

[0359] A set of physical cell identifiers (PCI) for which the wireless device will record the MDT measurements performed; or

[0360] A set of globally unique cell identifiers in the frequency layer for which the wireless device will record the MDT measurements performed.

[0361] In a particular embodiment, the first RAT and the second RAT are the same RAT.

[0362] In a particular embodiment, the first RAT and the second RAT are different RATs, and the network node 160 sends a new MDT configuration to the wireless device 110. The new MDT configuration includes at least one of a new MDT configuration for the new primary cell and a new MDT configuration for the new secondary cell.

[0363] Figure 27 A schematic block diagram of a virtual device 2100 in a wireless network (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless network shown) is shown. The device may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless device 110 or the network node 160 shown). The device 2100 is operable to perform the exemplary methods described with reference to Figure 26 and any other processes or methods that may be disclosed herein. It should also be understood that Figure 26 the method need not be performed only by the device 2100. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0364] The virtual device 2100 may include a processing circuit (which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers) and other digital hardware (which may include a (DSP), dedicated digital logic), etc. The processing circuit may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memories, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. In multiple embodiments, the program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunication and / or data communication protocols and instructions for executing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuit may be used to cause the receiving module 2110 and any suitable unit of the device 2100 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0365] According to certain embodiments, the receiving module 2110 may perform certain receiving functions of the device 2100. For example, after a handover of a wireless device, the receiving module 2110 may receive at least one MDT report from the wireless device 110. The at least one MDT report includes at least one MDT measurement recorded and / or performed based on the MDT configuration for the MCG and SCG. Before the handover of the wireless device, the MDT configuration is associated with the source cell.

[0366] The term "unit" may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronic devices, electrical equipment, and / or electronic equipment, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, outputs, and / or display functions, such as those described herein.

[0367] Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems and devices described herein. The components of the systems and devices may be integrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the systems and devices may be performed by more, fewer, or other components. Additionally, the operations of the systems and devices may be performed using any suitable logic including software, hardware, and / or other logic. As used in this document, "each" refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.

[0368] Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the methods described herein. The methods may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, the steps may be performed in any suitable order.

[0369] Although the present disclosure has been described in accordance with certain embodiments, changes and permutations of the embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description of the embodiments does not limit the present disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and variations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method (1200) performed by a wireless device (110), the wireless device operating under a dual connectivity DC with a master network node and a secondary network node, the master network node being associated with a master cell, the secondary network node being associated with a secondary cell, the method comprises: receiving (1202) from a network node (160) a minimized drive test MDT configuration for a master cell group MCG and a secondary cell group SCG; when the wireless device is in an idle state or an inactive state and operating according to a first radio access technology RAT, recording (1204) MDT measurements for the MCG and the SCG based on the MDT configuration; and after transitioning from the idle state or the inactive state to a connected state and after switching from a source cell associated with the first RAT to a target cell associated with a second RAT, sending (1206) at least one MDT report to a target network node associated with the target cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, sending the at least one MDT report comprises: sending a single report including MDT measurements for the MCG and MDT measurements for the SCG.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein, receiving the MDT configuration for the MCG and the SCG comprises: receiving at least one index identifying a first trace collection entity TCE for the MCG and the SCG.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, sending the at least one MDT report comprises: sending a first report including MDT measurements for the MCG; and sending a second report including MDT measurements for the SCG.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 4, wherein, receiving the MDT configuration for the MCG and the SCG comprises: receiving a first index identifying a first TCE for the MCG and a second index identifying a second TCE for the SCG.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprises: receiving a change to the MDT configuration for the SCG, wherein the change to the MDT configuration for the SCG is received when the wireless device is performing MDT measurements for the SCG associated with the first RAT; and in response to receiving the change to the MDT configuration for the SCG, deleting the MDT measurements for the SCG, wherein the at least one MDT report sent to the target network node does not include MDT measurements for the SCG.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, when the change to the MDT configuration is received, the wireless device is in the inactive state or the idle state, and wherein the target cell does not support the SCG, the method further comprises at least one of the following: discarding the MDT measurements for the SCG; sending the MDT measurements for the SCG to the master network node for forwarding to a secondary node associated with the SCG; and Send the MDT measurements for the SCG to the master network node for forwarding to the TCE associated with the SCG.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the DC is one of the following: Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access - New Radio Dual Connectivity EN-DC; New Radio - Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Dual Connectivity NE-DC; Next Generation Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access - New Radio Dual Connectivity NG-EN-DC; New Radio - New Radio Dual Connectivity NR NRDC; and Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access - Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Dual Connectivity E-UTRA–E-UTRADC.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the MDT configuration includes a region configuration that indicates the region in which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, when the wireless device records MDT measurements for the MCG and MDT measurements for the SCG, the wireless device camps on a cell within the region configuration.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, the SCG is not within the region configuration but in an adjacent cell of the region indicated in the region configuration.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein, the region configuration includes a plurality of sub-regions for which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements, and wherein each sub-region includes: a frequency layer for which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements; a set of Physical Cell Identifiers PCI for which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements; or a set of globally unique cell identifiers in a frequency layer for which the wireless device will record the performed MDT measurements.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the first RAT and the second RAT are the same RAT, and wherein the method further includes: after switching from the source cell to the target cell, receiving a new MDT configuration from the target cell, the new MDT configuration including at least one of a new MDT configuration for a new primary cell and a new MDT configuration for a new secondary cell.

14. A wireless device (110) configured to operate in a dual connectivity DC with a master network node and a secondary network node, the master network node being associated with a primary cell and the secondary network node being associated with a secondary cell, the wireless device comprises: a processing circuit (120) configured to: receive a Minimization of Drive Tests MDT configuration for a Master Cell Group MCG and a Secondary Cell Group SCG from a network node (160); when the wireless device is in an idle state or an inactive state and operates according to a first Radio Access Technology RAT, record MDT measurements for the MCG and the SCG based on the MDT configuration; and After transitioning from the idle state or the inactive state to the connected state and after switching from a source cell associated with the first RAT to a target cell associated with the second RAT, send at least one MDT report to a target network node associated with the target cell.

15. The wireless device according to claim 14, wherein, the processing circuitry is configured to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 2 to 13.

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