Effective area for early measurement

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a method for performing early measurements performed by a wireless device includes receiving an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements. The early measurement configuration includes a measurement carrier list. Each entry of the measurement carrier list includes a carrier frequency for which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The early measurement configuration also includes a valid area list separate from the measurement carrier list. Each entry of the valid area list includes a carrier frequency for which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The method also includes: reselecting to a new cell, and determining whether to perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell based on the valid area list.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more particularly to valid regions for performing early measurements in an inactive / idle mode. Background Art

[0002] Generally, unless clearly given and / or different meanings are implied from the context, all terms used in this article will be interpreted according to their common meaning in the relevant technical field. Unless otherwise clearly stated, all references to "one / an / element, equipment, component, device, step, etc." should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one example in element, equipment, component, device, step, etc. Unless a step must be clearly described as after or before another step and / or a step must be after or before another step implicitly, the steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed. Where appropriate, any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment may be applicable to any other embodiment, and vice versa. By the following description, other purposes, features and advantages of the attached embodiments will become apparent.

[0003] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) includes carrier aggregation (CA), which enables user equipment (UE) to send / receive information from multiple carrier frequencies through multiple cells (called secondary cells or SCells) to benefit from existing non-contiguous and contiguous carriers. In CA terminology, a PCell is a cell to which a UE establishes a radio resource control (RRC) connection or is handed over. In CA, cells are aggregated at the medium access control (MAC) level. The MAC obtains authorization for a certain cell and multiplexes data from different bearers into one transport block sent on that cell. The MAC controls the process. Figure 1 An example is shown in .

[0004] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of carrier aggregation. In the illustrated example, the MAC layer multiplexes multiple bearers from the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) and Radio Link Control (RLC) layers for Cell 1, Cell 2, and Cell 3.

[0005] An SCell may be added (or configured) for a UE using RRC signaling (e.g., RRCConnectionReconfiguration), which takes approximately 100 milliseconds. The cell configured for the UE becomes the serving cell for the UE. An SCell may also be associated with an SCell state. When configured / added via RRC, the SCell starts in a deactivated state. The eNB may activate or change states at least upon indicating a configuration in an RRCReconfiguration, as described below.

[0006] ************************************************************

[0007] 1> For each SCell other than the PSCell configured for the UE:

[0008] 2> If the received RRCConnectionReconfiguration message includes the sCellState of the SCell and indicates activated:

[0009] 3>Configure the lower layers to treat the SCell as active;

[0010] 2> Otherwise, if the received RRCConnectionReconfiguration message includes the sCellState of the SCell and indicates dormant:

[0011] 3>Configure the lower layers to treat the SCell as being in dormant state;

[0012] 2> Otherwise:

[0013] 3>Configure the lower layers to treat the SCell as being in a deactivated state;

[0014] ************************************************************

[0015] The intermediate states between the deactivated state and the activated state are used for enhanced uplink operation. The MAC control unit (MAC CE) can be used to change the SCell state between the three states as follows: Figure 2As shown. There are also timers in the MAC to move cells between deactivation / activation / dormancy. The timers are: (a) sCellHibernationTimer, which moves the SCell from the activated state to the dormant state; (b) sCellDeactivationTimer, which moves the SCell from the activated state to the deactivated state; and, (c) dormantSCellDeactivationTimer, which moves the SCell from the dormant state to the deactivated state. MAC level SCell activation takes about 20 to 30 milliseconds.

[0016] After the network understands the need to configure and / or activate CA, the question is which cells to initially configure and / or activate (if configured), and / or whether the cells / carriers are good enough in terms of radio quality / coverage, such as Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ). In order to understand the condition of the SCells or potential SCells in a given available carrier, the network may configure the UE to perform Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements.

[0017] Typically the network can be assisted by RRM measurements reported by the UE. In the case where this is a configured SCell, the network can configure the UE with a measurement ID associated with a reportConfig with event A1 (service becomes better than a threshold), or for carriers without a configured SCell, the network can configure the UE with a measurement ID associated with a reportConfig with event A4 (neighbor becomes better than a threshold). The measurement object is associated with the carrier that the network wants to report on. If the network knows the exact cells that it wants the UE to measure, a list of white cells can be configured in the measurement object so that the UE only needs to measure the cells listed in that carrier. Figure 3 An example is shown in .

[0018] Figure 3 is a flow chart showing carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity (DC) setup. The UE connects to the master node and the master node determines to establish CA / DC. To determine the appropriate SCell, the master node configures the UE to report measurements. Based on the reported measurements (which may take a lot of time), the master node determines which SCells to add.

[0019] With dual connectivity it is possible to add a so called SCG (Secondary Cell Group) configuration to the UE. The main benefit is that the UE can in principle add a cell from another eNodeB. Protocol-wise this requires different MAC entities, one for each cell group. The UE has two cell groups, one associated with the PCell (primary node) and another associated with the PScell ​​(of the secondary eNodeB), where each group may have their own associated SCell.

[0020] When adding SCells, when, for example, the UE is single connected, the RRCConnectionReconfiguration message may carry the cell index (so the MAC identifier is optimized, i.e., shorter), the cell identifier and carrier frequency, common parameters, and state information (activated or dormant).

[0021]

[0022]

[0023]

[0024]

[0025]

[0026] ************************************************************

[0027] The process of adding a SCell to an MCG (or modifying) in LTE is described as follows (as described in TS 36.331).

[0028] ************************************************************

[0029] If the RRCConnectionReconfiguration message does not include mobileControlInfo and the UE is capable of complying with the configuration included in the message, the UE shall:

[0030] …

[0031] 1> If the received RRCConnectionReconfiguration includes sCellToAddModList:

[0032] 2> Perform SCell addition or modification as specified in 5.3.10.3b;

[0033] …

[0034] For SCell addition or modification, the UE shall:

[0035] 1> For each sCellIndex value (SCell addition) included in sCellToAddModList or sCellToAddModListSCG and not part of the current UE configuration:

[0036] 2> Add the SCell corresponding to cellIdentification according to the radioResourceConfigCommonSCell (radio resource configuration announcement SCell) and radioResourceConfigDedicatedSCell (radio resource configuration dedicated SCell) included in sCellToAddModList or sCellToAddModListSCG;

[0037] 2> If sCellState is configured for SCell and indicates activated:

[0038] 3>Configure the lower layers to treat the SCell as active;

[0039] 2> Otherwise, if sCellState is configured for the SCell and indicates dormant:

[0040] 3>Configure the lower layers to treat the SCell as being in dormant state;

[0041] 2> Otherwise:

[0042] 3>Configure the lower layers to treat the SCell as being in a deactivated state;

[0043] 2>For each measId included in measIdList in VarMeasConfig:

[0044] 3> if SCells are not applicable for the associated measurement; and

[0045] 3> If the SCell of interest is included in the cellsTriggeredList defined in the VarMeasReportList for this measId:

[0046] 4> Remove the concerned SCell from cellsTriggeredList defined in VarMeasReportList for this measId;

[0047] 1> For each sCellIndex value (SCell modification) included in sCellToAddModList or sCellToAddModListSCG and part of the current UE configuration:

[0048] 2> Modify the SCell configuration according to the radioResourceConfigDedicatedSCell included in sCellToAddModList or sCellToAddModListSCG;

[0049] ************************************************************

[0050] Some implementations include early measurements on idle / inactive to connected state transition in LTE. It is possible to configure the UE to report early measurements when transitioning from idle / inactive to connected state. These measurements are measurements that the UE can perform in idle / inactive state and are performed according to the configuration provided by the source cell, with the goal of receiving these measurements immediately after the UE connects and quickly setting up CA and / or other forms of DC (e.g. EN-DC, MR-DC, etc.) without first providing a measurement configuration (measConfig) in RRC_CONNECTED (RRC connected state) and waiting for hundreds of milliseconds until the first sample is collected, monitored, and then the first report is triggered and sent to the network.

[0051] A first aspect of the existing solution, as standardized in EUTRA 36.331 (v15.7.0), is described in 5.6.20 Idle mode measurements. The UE may receive an idle / inactive mode measurement configuration in the system information (SIB5) in the MeasIdleConfigSIB-r15 field, which indicates up to 8 cells or cell ID ranges for which measurements are to be performed. In addition, the UE may be configured with a dedicated measurement configuration in the RRCConnectionRelease message with measIdleDedicated-r15 when transitioning from RRC_CONNECTED to RRC_IDLE, where measldleDedicated-r15 overrides the configuration broadcast in SIB5. The broadcast signaling and dedicated signaling are as follows:

[0052] RRCConnectionRelease message

[0053]

[0054]

[0055] MeasIdleConfig Information Element

[0056]

[0057]

[0058]

[0059] Some implementations include carrier information and a cell list. Provides the UE with a list of carriers and an optional list of cells on which the UE should perform measurements. The field s-NonIntraSearch in SystemInformationBlockType3 does not affect the UE measurement procedure in IDLE mode.

[0060] Upon receiving the measurement configuration, the UE starts timer T331 using the value provided in measIdleDuration, which can be from 0 seconds to 300 seconds. The timer is stopped upon receiving RRCConnectionSetup, RRCConnectionResume, which indicates a transition to RRC_CONNECTED. The purpose is to limit the amount of time the UE performs early measurements.

[0061] The validity area includes a list of physical cell identifiers (PCIs) on which the UE should perform idle mode measurements, which is signaled on a per-carrier basis. The purpose is to limit the areas where CA or DC can be established later when the UE resumes / establishes a connection, so early measurements are somewhat useful for this purpose. If the validityArea is configured and the UE reselects to a serving cell whose PCI does not match any entry in the validityArea for the corresponding carrier frequency, timer T331 stops. The UE then stops performing IDLE measurements and releases the idle mode measurement configuration (i.e. VarMeasIdleConfig). This does not necessarily mean that the UE releases the configured and performed idle measurement results, i.e. these results may still be stored and may be requested by the network. In addition, after timer T331 expires or stops, the UE may continue to perform IDLE mode measurements according to the broadcast SIB5 configuration.

[0062] Since cell candidates for CA setup need to be within a minimum acceptable threshold, only measurements above a certain threshold should be stored. How the UE performs measurements in IDLE mode is up to the UE implementation as long as the RAN4 requirements for measurement reporting defined in 36.133 are met.

[0063] More detailed UE behavior is shown as captured in 36.331;

[0064] ************************************************************

[0065] 5.6.20 Idle mode measurements

[0066] 5.6.20.1 Overview

[0067] This procedure specifies measurements made in the RRC_IDLE state when the UE has idle mode measurement configuration and storage of available measurements by the UE in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_CONNECTED states.

[0068] 5.6.20.2 Startup

[0069] When T331 is running, the UE shall:

[0070] 1>Perform measurements according to the following:

[0071] 2> For each entry in measIdleCarrierListEUTRA in VarMeasIdleConfig:

[0072] 3> if the UE supports carrier aggregation between the serving carrier and the carrier frequency and bandwidth indicated by carrierFreq and allowedMeasBandwidth in the corresponding entry;

[0073] 4> Perform measurements in the carrier frequency and bandwidth indicated by carrierFreq and allowedMeasBandwidth in the corresponding entry;

[0074] NOTE: The s-NonIntraSearch field in SystemInformationBlockType3 does not affect the UE measurement procedure in IDLE mode. How the UE performs measurements in IDLE mode is up to the UE implementation as long as the measurement reporting requirements in TS 36.133

[16] are met. If the SIB2 Idle Measurement Indication is not configured, the UE does not need to perform idle measurements.

[0075] 4> If measCellList is included:

[0076] 5> treat the PCell and cell identified by each entry in measCellList as applicable for idle mode measurement reporting;

[0077] 4> Otherwise:

[0078] 5> PCell and up to maxCellMeasIdle identified strongest cells are considered suitable for idle mode measurement reporting, where the RSRP / RSRQ measurement results of the identified strongest cells are higher than the value provided in qualityThreshold (if any);

[0079] 4>Store the measurement results of the cells applicable to the idle mode measurement report in VarMeasIdleReport;

[0080] 3> Otherwise:

[0081] 4> Do not consider this carrier frequency as applicable for idle mode measurement reporting;

[0082] 1> If validityArea is configured in VarMeasIdleConfig and the UE reselects to a serving cell whose physical cell identifier does not match any entry in validityArea for the corresponding carrier frequency:

[0083] 2>Stop T331;

[0084] 5.6.20.3T331 Expiration or Termination

[0085] The UE shall:

[0086] 1> If T331 expires or stops:

[0087] 2>Release VarMeasIdleConfig;

[0088] NOTE: After T331 expires or stops, whether to continue IDLE mode measurements according to SIB5 configuration depends on UE implementation.

[0089] ************************************************************

[0090] Some implementations include an indication of early measurements available at resume / setup in LTE. For example, when the UE attempts to resume or establish a call from RRC_IDLE without context, if the previous steps were performed, i.e. if the UE is configured to store idle measurements, then after resume / setup (after security is activated) the network may request the UE whether the UE has available idle measurements.

[0091] If the UE is establishing a connection from RRC_IDLE without an AS context, the network is not aware that the UE has stored available measurements. Therefore, in order for the network to be aware and possibly request the UE to report early measurements, the UE may indicate the availability of stored idle measurements in RRCConnectionSetupComplete. Because not all cells support this functionality, the UE only includes this availability information if the cell broadcasts an idleModeMeasurements indication in SIB2. The flags and procedure text in RRCReconnectionSetupComplete are as follows:

[0092]

[0093] 5.3.3.4 UE receives RRCConnectionSetup

[0094] NOTE 1: Prior to this, low layer signaling was used to allocate C-RNTI. See TS 36.321 for details;

[0095] UE should

[0096] 1> If an RRCConnectionSetup is received in response to an RRCConnectionResumeRequest from a suspended RRC connection:

[0097] …

[0098] 1> Set the RRCConnectionSetupComplete message content as follows:

[0099] 2> If RRCConnectionSetup is received in response to RRCConnectionResumeRequest:

[0100] …

[0101] 2> If UE is connected to EPC:

[0102] 3>Except NB-IoT:

[0103] …

[0104] 4> If SIB2 contains idleModeMeasurements and the UE has available IDLE mode measurement information in VarMeasIdleReport:

[0105] 5>include idleMeasAvailabl

[0106] 4> Stop T331 (if it is running);

[0107] …

[0108] 3>For NB-IoT:

[0109] 4> If the UE supports serving cell idle mode measurement reporting and servingCellMeasInfo exists in SystemInformationBlockType2-NB:

[0110] 5> Set measResultServCell to include measurements of the serving cell;

[0111] NOTE 2: The UE includes the latest results of serving cell measurements for cell selection / reselection evaluation, said measurements being performed according to the performance requirements specified in TS 36.133.

[0112] 3> If the DCN-ID value is received from the upper layer (see TS23.401), include the DCN-ID;

[0113] ************************************************************

[0114] If the UE is establishing a connection from RRC_IDLE but has a stored AS context (i.e., resuming from a suspended state), the network can know that the UE may have stored available idle measurements after checking the context obtained from the source node from which the UE was suspended. However, because the UE only needs to perform measurements when the cell is above the configured RSRP / RSRQ threshold and performs cell selection / cell reselection within the configured valid area, it is still uncertain whether the UE has available measurements. Therefore, in order to enable the network to know and possibly request the UE to report early measurements, the UE can also indicate the availability of stored idle measurements in RRCConnectionResumeComplete. Because not all cells support this functionality, the UE only includes this availability information if the cell broadcasts an idleModeMeasurements indication in SIB2. The flags and process text in RRCReconnectionResumeComplete are as follows:

[0115]

[0116] 5.3.3.4A UE receives RRCRRCConnectionResume

[0117] The UE shall:

[0118] …

[0119] 1> Set the RRCConnectionResumeComplete message content as follows:

[0120] 2>Except NB-IoT:

[0121] …

[0122] 3> If SIB2 includes idleModeMeasurements and the UE has available IDLE mode measurement information in VarMeasIdleReport:

[0123] 4> include idleMeasAvailable

[0124] 3> Stop T331 (if it is running);

[0125] 2>For NB-IoT:

[0126] 3> If the UE supports serving cell idle mode measurement reporting and servingCellMeasInfo exists in SystemInformationBlockType2-NB:

[0127] 4> Set measResultServCell to include measurements of the serving cell;

[0128] NOTE: The UE includes the latest results of serving cell measurements for cell selection / reselection evaluation, which are performed according to the performance requirements specified in TS 36.133.

[0129] 1> Submit the RRCConnectionResumeComplete message to the lower layer for sending;

[0130] 1>The process ends.

[0131] ************************************************************

[0132] Some implementations include reporting early measurements at resume / setup in LTE. After the UE indicates to the target cell at resume or setup that idle measurements are available, the network can request the UE to report these available measurements by including the field idleModeMeasurementReq in the UEInformationRequest message sent to the UE. The UE then responds with a UEInformationResponse containing these measurements. Figure 4 An example is shown in .

[0133] The text of the procedure is reproduced below.

[0134] ************************************************************

[0135] 5.6.5.3 Receipt of UEInformationRequest message

[0136] Upon receipt of the UEInformationRequest message and only after successful security activation, the UE shall:

[0137] …

[0138] 1> If idleModeMeasurementReq is included in UEInformationRequest and the UE has stored VarMeasIdleReport:

[0139] 2> Set measResultListIdle in the UEInformationResponse message to the value of idleMeasReport in VarMeasIdleReport;

[0140] 2> After the lower layer confirms the successful delivery of the UEInformationResponse message, the VarMeasIdleReport is discarded;

[0141] …

[0142] UEInformationResponse message

[0143]

[0144] 5.6.20 Idle mode measurements

[0145] 5.6.20.1 Overview

[0146] This procedure specifies measurements made in the RRC_IDLE state when the UE has idle mode measurement configuration and storage of available measurements by the UE in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_CONNECTED states.

[0147] 5.6.20.2 Startup

[0148] When T331 is running, the UE shall:

[0149] 1>Perform measurements according to the following:

[0150] 2> For each entry in measIdleCarrierListEUTRA in VarMeasIdleConfig:

[0151] 3> if the UE supports carrier aggregation between the serving carrier and the carrier frequency and bandwidth indicated by carrierFreq and allowedMeasBandwidth in the corresponding entry;

[0152] 4> Perform measurements in the carrier frequency and bandwidth indicated by carrierFreq and allowedMeasBandwidth in the corresponding entry;

[0153] Note: The field s-NonIntraSearch in SystemInformationBlockType3 does not affect the UE measurement process in IDLE mode. How the UE performs measurements in IDLE mode depends on the UE implementation as long as the measurement reporting requirements in TS36.133 are met. If the SIB2 idle measurement indication is not configured, the UE does not need to perform idle measurements.

[0154] 4> If measCellList is included:

[0155] 5> treat the PCell and cell identified by each entry in measCellList as applicable for idle mode measurement reporting;

[0156] 4> Otherwise:

[0157] 5> PCell and up to maxCellMeasIdle identified strongest cells are considered suitable for idle mode measurement reporting, where the RSRP / RSRQ measurement results of the identified strongest cells are higher than the value provided in qualityThreshold (if any);

[0158] 4>Store the measurement results of the cells applicable to the idle mode measurement report in VarMeasIdleReport;

[0159] 3> Otherwise:

[0160] 4> Do not consider this carrier frequency as applicable for idle mode measurement reporting;

[0161] 1> If validityArea is configured in VarMeasIdleConfig and the UE reselects to a serving cell whose physical cell identifier does not match any entry in validityArea for the corresponding carrier frequency:

[0162] 2>Stop T331;

[0163] 5.6.20.3T331 Expiration or Termination

[0164] The UE shall:

[0165] 1> If T331 expires or stops:

[0166] 2>Release VarMeasIdleConfig;

[0167] NOTE: After T331 expires or stops, whether to continue IDLE mode measurements according to SIB5 configuration depends on UE implementation.

[0168] ************************************************************

[0169] There are some challenges currently. For example, in LTE euCA, a UE may be configured with an idle mode measurement configuration including a valid area. The valid area configures a per-frequency cell list in the idle mode measurement configuration (MeasIdleConfig) and may be configured for one, several or all frequencies that are part of the idle mode measurement configuration.

[0170] In the case where a valid area is configured (i.e., a valid area is configured for any frequency in MeasIdleConfig), if the UE reselects to a carrier for which no valid area is configured or a cell on a carrier for which a valid area is configured but whose PCI is not included in the valid area, the UE shall consider itself to be outside the valid area. In this case, the UE stops timer T331, thereby releasing the idle measurement configuration.

[0171] One problem with existing valid area configurations in LTE is that every carrier that a UE should be allowed to camp on while still within the valid area needs to be part of an idle mode measurement configuration (MeasTdleConfig). Because the idle mode measurement configuration is a measurement of a carrier that should be added as an SCell in a CA configuration or (in Rel-16) as an SCG in an MR-DC configuration, the carrier is in many cases not suitable or possible to camp on. If a valid area related to the camping area is included in the idle mode measurement configuration, this will require including carriers (frequencies) that are not useful for idle / inactive mode measurements (or early measurements). This may cause additional problems due to the limitation on the number of carriers that can be included in the idle mode measurement configuration.

[0172] In LTE, a UE considers itself outside a validity area if it reselects to a carrier that does not include the validity area (i.e. the list of cells that are part of the validity area). However, in many cases, the desired configuration would be to continue to make idle / inactive mode measurements (or early measurements) when the UE is camped on a specific carrier, regardless of which cell it is camped on. This is for example the case where all cells on a certain carrier support CA or DC configuration, which may be a typical case. However, the network cannot configure a validity area that includes an entire carrier (frequency).

[0173] The text of the procedure is reproduced below.

[0174] ************************************************************

[0175] 36.331 (v15.7.0), subclause 5.6.20.2:

[0176] [……]

[0177] 1> If validityArea is configured in VarMeasIdleConfig and the UE reselects to a serving cell whose physical cell identifier does not match any entry in validityArea for the corresponding carrier frequency:

[0178] 2>Stop T331;

[0179] [……]

[0180] 36.331 (v15.7.0), subclause 6.3.5:

[0181] [……]

[0182] -MeasIdleConfig

[0183] The IE MeasIdleConfig is used to convey information to the UE about the measurements requested to be done in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE.

[0184] MeasIdleConfig Information Element

[0185]

[0186]

[0187]

[0188]

[0189] ************************************************************

[0190] In summary, one disadvantage of this approach is that the network can configure a valid area that only includes cells operating on the frequencies on which the UE is configured to perform early measurements. For example, if the UE is not configured to perform early measurements on frequency x, the network cannot configure a valid area for cells operating on frequency x.

[0191] Furthermore, LTE euCA signaling for the validity area only allows to restrict the cells / frequencies on which the UE is authorized to perform measurements. But it does not enable the possibility to make a certain serving frequency valid for early measurements regardless of the specific cell. For example, the network may have very good full coverage at low frequency x, and it may perform CA on many other frequencies as well as frequency x, so it may want to configure the UE to perform early measurements whenever the UE camps on a cell operating on that frequency. Current signaling does not allow this, as each validity area carrier must include a list of valid cells. Summary of the invention

[0192] Based on the above description, there are certain challenges for the effective area of ​​early measurement at present. Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof may provide solutions to these challenges or other challenges. For example, some embodiments include a method performed by a wireless device for controlling the manner in which a wireless device performs idle / inactive measurements when in a dormant state (RRC_IDLE, RRC_IDLE with suspension, or RRC_INACTIVE). For example, a specific embodiment includes receiving a configuration for idle / inactive measurements in an RRC release message upon transitioning to RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE. The configuration includes an effective area. A specific embodiment configures such an effective area, which includes cells operating on frequencies that the UE is not configured to measure during idle / inactive mode. A specific embodiment configures the effective area in such a manner that the UE performs measurements when it resides in any cell operating at a given frequency.

[0193] In some embodiments, if a cell list exists for a particular frequency in the validity area, the validity area includes only the cells in the cell list for that particular frequency. If a validity area is included for a particular frequency in the validity area, but a cell list does not exist, the validity area includes any cell operating on that frequency. If the UE has a validity area configured, it will continue to perform idle / inactive measurements while camping on any cell belonging to the validity area, and if the UE reselects to a cell that is not part of the validity area, the UE may stop performing idle / inactive measurements.

[0194] In general, certain embodiments enable configuration of a validity region, wherein if the UE camps on a cell within the validity region, the UE should perform idle / inactive measurements. The validity region includes a carrier frequency and an optional list of cells, wherein the carrier frequency may be different from the carrier frequency on which the UE is configured to perform early measurements, wherein the UE may be configured to consider any cell on a particular carrier frequency as part of the validity region.

[0195] According to some embodiments, a method for performing early measurements performed by a wireless device includes receiving an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements. The early measurement configuration includes a measurement carrier list. Each entry of the measurement carrier list includes a carrier frequency for which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The early measurement configuration also includes a valid area list separate from the measurement carrier list. Each entry of the valid area list includes a carrier frequency for which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The method also includes: reselecting to a new cell, and determining whether to perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell based on the valid area list.

[0196] One particular advantage is that the valid area list is separated from the measurement carrier list, which helps to increase configuration flexibility.

[0197] In a particular embodiment, determining that the wireless device can perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell includes determining that a carrier frequency of the new cell matches a carrier frequency in the valid area list. For example, when an entry in the valid area list includes a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using the carrier frequency.

[0198] In certain embodiments, determining that the wireless device can perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camped on the new cell further includes determining that a carrier frequency and a cell identifier of the new cell match a carrier frequency and an associated cell identifier in the valid area list.

[0199] In a specific embodiment, the carrier frequencies in the valid area list differ from the carrier frequencies in the measured carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

[0200] In a particular embodiment, the method further includes stopping a measurement timer upon determining that the wireless device cannot perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell.

[0201] According to some embodiments, the wireless device is capable of performing early measurements. The wireless device comprises a processing circuit operable to perform any of the wireless device methods described above.

[0202] According to some embodiments, a method for configuring early measurements for a wireless device, performed by a network node, comprises: generating an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements. The early measurement configuration comprises a measurement carrier list. Each entry of the measurement carrier list comprises a carrier frequency for which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The early measurement configuration also comprises a valid area list separate from the measurement carrier list. Each entry of the valid area list comprises a carrier frequency for which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The method also comprises sending the early measurement configuration to the wireless device.

[0203] In a particular embodiment, the valid area list indicates that when a carrier frequency of a new cell matches a carrier frequency in the valid area list, the wireless device can perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell. For example, when an entry in the valid area list includes a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using the carrier frequency.

[0204] In a particular embodiment, the valid area list indicates that the wireless device may perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camped on the new cell when the carrier frequency and cell identifier of the new cell matches a carrier frequency and associated cell identifier in the valid area list.

[0205] In a specific embodiment, the carrier frequencies in the valid area list differ from the carrier frequencies in the measured carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

[0206] According to some embodiments, a network node is capable of configuring early measurements for a wireless device. The network node comprises processing circuitry operable to perform any of the network node methods described above.

[0207] Also disclosed is a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable program code, which when executed by a processing circuit is operable to perform any of the methods performed by the wireless device described above.

[0208] Another computer program product includes a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable program code operable when executed by a processing circuit to perform any of the methods performed by the network node described above.

[0209] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, in some embodiments, the network may configure the cells / frequencies on which the UE should perform early measurements separately from the frequencies on which the UE is configured to measure when in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE. In addition, it is also possible to whitelist certain frequencies, and the network may configure the UE to perform early measurements when camping on any cell operating on a frequency in the whitelist. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0210] For a more complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments and their features and advantages, reference is now made to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0211] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of carrier aggregation (CA);

[0212] Figure 2 is a state diagram showing cell transitions between an activated state, a deactivated state and a dormant state;

[0213] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity setup;

[0214] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example UE request / response;

[0215] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example wireless network;

[0216] Figure 6 illustrates an example user device according to certain embodiments;

[0217] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating an example method in a wireless device according to certain embodiments;

[0218] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example method in a network node according to certain embodiments;

[0219] Fig. 9 A schematic block diagram showing a wireless device and a network node in a wireless network according to some embodiments;

[0220] Fig.10 illustrates an example virtualized environment according to certain embodiments;

[0221] Fig.11 illustrates an example telecommunications network connected to a host computer through an intermediary network in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0222] Fig.12 shows a host computer communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments;

[0223] Fig.13 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented according to certain embodiments;

[0224] Fig.14 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to certain embodiments;

[0225] Fig.15 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to certain embodiments; and

[0226] Fig.16 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to certain embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0227] As described above, there are currently certain challenges with valid areas for early measurements. Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof may provide solutions to these or other challenges. For example, certain embodiments configure such a valid area that includes cells operating on frequencies that a user equipment (UE) is not configured to measure during idle / inactive mode. Certain embodiments configure the valid area in such a way that the UE performs measurements while camping on any cell operating on a given frequency.

[0228] Specific embodiments are more fully described 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 being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0229] The embodiments and examples herein are described with respect to methods, signaling and procedures for fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR). However, the embodiments and examples are equally applicable to Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) and other wireless networks. The terms idle / inactive measurements and early measurements are used interchangeably herein.

[0230] In Long Term Evolution (LTE) euCA, the UE may be configured to perform idle / inactive mode measurements to report after the UE returns to RRC_CONNECTED. The early measurement configuration may optionally include a validity region, which is signaled as the physical cell identifier (CPCI) of each carrier that the UE is configured to measure.

[0231] If the UE reselects to a cell whose frequency and PCI match the validity area, the UE continues to perform measurements. However, if the UE reselects to a cell on a carrier whose PCI is not included in the validity area, the UE stops early measurement and deletes the early measurement configuration.

[0232] NR may also include a validity area. The design of the validity area for LTE means that the validity area can only include cells on the frequencies on which the UE is configured to perform early measurements (because the same carrier list is used to indicate which carriers to measure and which carriers the cells in the validity area belong to).

[0233] If the network wants to configure a valid area with cells on frequencies that the UE may reselect to but are not relevant for early measurements (e.g., a low bandwidth carrier on a low frequency that is suitable for robustness but not useful for Carrier Aggregation (CA) / Dual Connectivity (DC), the network still has to configure early measurements on that carrier to have the cell belong to the valid area.

[0234] To avoid this limitation in NR, certain embodiments define a validity region separate from the list of idle / inactive measurement carriers. In addition, when the validity region is defined separately from the list of carriers to be measured, the validity region may include a set of carriers rather than a set of cells.

[0235] In certain embodiments, the validity region is defined as a list of carriers (which may be different from the carriers to be measured during RRC_IDLE / INACTIVE), where each carrier optionally has a PCI list. In addition, because it is possible to configure idle / inactive measurements only for specific frequencies (i.e., without indicating a cell list), certain embodiments may configure a validity region that includes frequencies without indicating a cell list.

[0236] In some embodiments, the list of cells in the valid area is optional to facilitate idle / inactive measurements while camping on any cell on that frequency.

[0237] An example ASN.1 and valid area process handling is shown below.

[0238]

[0239]

[0240] 1> If validityAreaList is configured in VarMeasIdleConfig:

[0241] 2> If the UE reselects to a serving cell on a frequency that does not match the carrierFreq of any entry in validityAreaList;

[0242] 3>Stop T331;

[0243] 2> Otherwise:

[0244] 3> If validityCellList is included for the corresponding frequency:

[0245] 4> If the physical cell identifier of the serving cell does not match any entry in validityCellList:

[0246] 5>Stop T331;

[0247] In some embodiments, when T331 stops, the UE is not forced to continue to perform early measurements, but the UE may continue to perform such measurements based on UE implementation (ie, as in LTE euCA).

[0248] Figure 5 An example wireless network according to certain embodiments is shown. The wireless network may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular and / or radio network or other similar type of system. 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, specific embodiments 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 IEEE 802.11 standards; and / or any other suitable communication standards such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0249] The network 106 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks to enable communication between devices.

[0250] The network node 160 and the WD 110 include various components described in more detail below. These components work together to provide network node and / or wireless device functions, such as providing wireless connections 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 (whether via a wired connection or via a wireless connection).

[0251] As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable, configured, arranged 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 a wireless device and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in the wireless network.

[0252] 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, NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), and NR NodeBs (gNBs). Base stations can be classified based on the total amount of coverage they provide (or in other words, the transmit power level of the base stations), and thus can also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations.

[0253] The base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling the relay. The network node may 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). These remote radio units may be integrated with the antenna as a radio with an integrated antenna, or may not be integrated with the antenna as a radio with an integrated antenna. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Some other examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (CMS) equipment (e.g., MSR BS), network controllers (e.g., 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., MSCs, MMEs), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLCs), and / or MDTs.

[0254] As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node, as described in more detail below. However, more generally, a network node may represent any suitable device (or device group) that is capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to enable and / or provide access of a wireless device to a wireless communication network, or to provide a certain service to a wireless device that has accessed a wireless network.

[0255] exist Figure 5 In FIG. 1 , the network node 160 includes a processing circuit 170, a device readable medium 180, an interface 190, an auxiliary device 184, a power supply 186, a power supply circuit 187, and an antenna 162. Figure 5 The network nodes 160 shown in the exemplary wireless network of FIG. 1 may represent devices that include the combination of hardware components shown, but other embodiments may include network nodes having different combinations of components.

[0256] It should be understood that the network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. In addition, although the components of the network node 160 are depicted as a single box within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in reality, the network node may include multiple different physical components that constitute a single illustrated component (e.g., the device readable medium 180 may include multiple separate hard drives and multiple RAM modules).

[0257] Similarly, the network node 160 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., Node B components and RNC components, BTS components and BSC components, etc.), which may have respective corresponding components. In certain scenarios where the network node 160 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more separate components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In this case, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered a single separate network node in some cases.

[0258] In some embodiments, the 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). The network node 160 may also include multiple sets of various components shown for different wireless technologies (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies) integrated into the network node 160. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within the network node 160.

[0259] The processing circuit 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 circuit 170 may include processing the information obtained by the processing circuit 170 by, for example, 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 making a determination based on the results of the processing.

[0260] The processor circuit 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 combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic that is operable to provide network node 160 functionality alone or in conjunction with other network node 160 components (e.g., device readable medium 180).

[0261] For example, processing circuit 170 may execute instructions stored in device-readable medium 180 or stored in a memory within processing circuit 170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, processing circuit 170 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0262] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 170 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units (e.g., a radio unit and a digital unit). In alternative embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit set.

[0263] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by a processing circuit 170 that executes instructions stored on a device-readable medium 180 or a memory within the processing circuit 670. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by the processing circuit 170, for example, in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable medium. In any of these embodiments, the processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform the described functions, whether or not executing instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to the processing circuit 170 or to other components of the network node 160, but are enjoyed by the network node 160 as a whole and / or by end users and the wireless network as a whole.

[0264] 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 mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and / or computer executable memory device that stores information, data and / or instructions that can be used by processing circuit 170. 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 processing circuit 170 and used by network node 160. Device readable medium 180 may be used to store any calculations made by processing circuit 170 and / or any data received via interface 190. In some embodiments, processing circuit 170 and device readable medium 180 may be considered to be integrated.

[0265] Interface 190 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network node 160, network 106, and / or WD 110. As shown, interface 190 includes port / terminal 194 for sending data to network 106 and receiving data from network 106, for example, via a wired connection. Interface 190 also includes radio front-end circuit 192, which can be coupled to antenna 162, or in some embodiments is part of antenna 162.

[0266] The radio front end circuit 192 includes a filter 198 and an amplifier 196. The radio front end circuit 192 can be connected to the antenna 162 and the processing circuit 170. The radio front end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal communicated between the antenna 162 and the processing circuit 170. The radio front end circuit 192 can receive digital data, which will be sent out to other network nodes or WDs through a wireless connection. The radio front end circuit 192 can use a combination of filters 198 and / or amplifiers 196 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with suitable channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be sent through the antenna 162. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 162 can collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front end circuit 192. The digital data can be passed to the processing circuit 170. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0267] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 160 may not include a separate radio front end circuit 192, and instead, the processing circuit 170 may include the radio front end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 162 without a separate radio front end circuit 192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit 172 may be considered part of the interface 190. In other embodiments, the interface 190 may include one or more ports or terminals 194, the radio front end circuit 192, and the RF transceiver circuit 172 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface 190 may communicate with the baseband processing circuit 174 which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0268] Antenna 162 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send 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 sending and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector or panel antennas operable to send / receive radio signals between, for example, 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 relative to devices in a specific area, and panel antennas may be line-of-sight antennas for transmitting / receiving radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some cases, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may be separate from network node 160 and may be connected to network node 160 via an interface or port.

[0269] Antenna 162, interface 190 and / or processing circuit 170 can be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain obtaining operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal can 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 can be configured to perform any sending operation performed by a network node described herein. Any information, data and / or signal can be sent to a wireless device, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0270] Power circuit 187 may include or be coupled to power management circuitry and is configured to provide power to components of network node 160 for performing the functions described herein. Power circuit 187 may receive power from power source 186. Power source 186 and / or power circuit 187 may be configured to provide power to various components of network node 160 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). Power source 186 may be included in power circuit 187 and / or network node 160 or external to power circuit 187 and / or network node 160.

[0271] For example, the network node 160 can be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power outlet) through an input circuit or an interface such as a cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit 187. As another example, the power supply 186 can include a power source in the form of a battery or a battery pack that is connected to or integrated in the power circuit 187. If the external power source fails, the battery can provide backup power. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, can also be used.

[0272] Alternative embodiments of network node 160 may include beyond Figure 5 , which may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality required to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 160 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 160 and to allow information to be output from the network node 160. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for the network node 160.

[0273] As used herein, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with a network node and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise specified, the term WD is used interchangeably with user equipment (UE) herein. Wireless communication may include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information through the air.

[0274] In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a WD may be designed to send information to a network on a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the network.

[0275] Examples of WD include, but are not limited to, smart phones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, portable computers, portable embedded devices (LEEs), portable mounted equipment (LMEs), smart devices, wireless client equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, etc. WDs may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communication (vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X)), and the WDs in this case may be referred to as D2D communication devices.

[0276] As another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a 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 a 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 an example, a WD may be a UE that implements the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices (e.g., electric meters), industrial machines, or household or personal devices (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearable devices (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.).

[0277] In other scenarios, a WD may represent a vehicle or other device that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions associated with its operation. A WD as described above may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. In addition, a WD as described above may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

[0278] As shown, wireless device 110 includes antenna 111, interface 114, processing circuit 120, device-readable medium 130, user interface device 132, auxiliary device 134, power supply 136, and power supply circuit 137. WD 110 may include multiple groups of one or more of the components shown for different wireless technologies supported by WD 110 (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, to mention just a few). These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets as other components within WD 110.

[0279] Antenna 111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals, and is connected to interface 114. In some alternative embodiments, antenna 111 may be separated 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 receiving or transmitting operation described herein as being performed by WD. Any information, data and / or signal may be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front end circuitry and / or antenna 111 may be considered as an interface.

[0280] As shown, the interface 114 includes a radio front end circuit 112 and an antenna 111. The radio front end circuit 112 includes one or more filters 118 and an amplifier 116. The radio front end circuit 112 is connected to the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120, and is configured to condition the signals communicated between the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120. The radio front end circuit 112 may be coupled to the antenna 111 or may be part of the antenna 111. In some embodiments, the WD 110 may not include a separate radio front end circuit 112; instead, the processing circuit 120 may include the radio front end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be considered part of the interface 114.

[0281] The radio front end circuit 112 can receive digital data, which will be sent out to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front end circuit 112 can use a combination of filters 118 and / or amplifiers 116 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with suitable channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be sent through the antenna 111. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 111 can collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front end circuit 112. The digital data can be passed to the processing circuit 120. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0282] Processor circuit 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 combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic, which is operable to provide WD 110 functionality alone or in conjunction with other WD 110 components (e.g., device readable medium 130). Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, processing circuit 120 may execute instructions stored in device readable medium 130 or in a memory within processing circuit 120 to provide functionality disclosed herein.

[0283] As shown, the processing circuit 120 includes one or more of the RF transceiver circuit 122, the baseband processing circuit 124, and the application processing circuit 126. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may include different components and / or different combinations of components. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 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 a separate chip or chipset.

[0284] 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 chipset, and the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In another alternative embodiment, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122 and the baseband processing circuit 124 may be on the same chip or chipset, and the application processing circuit 126 may be on a separate chip or chipset. 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 the same chip or chipset. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be part of the interface 114. The RF transceiver circuit 122 may condition the RF signal for use with the processing circuit 120.

[0285] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by the WD may be provided by processing circuitry 120 executing instructions stored on device-readable medium 130, which in some embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 120, for example in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium.

[0286] In any of these embodiments, processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not executing instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to processing circuit 120 or to other components of WD 110, but are enjoyed by WD 110 as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks in general.

[0287] Processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain acquisition operations) described herein as being performed by WD. Such operations performed by processing circuit 120 may include processing information obtained by processing circuit 120 by, for example, converting the obtained information to other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information to information stored by WD 110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information and making a determination based on the results of the processing.

[0288] Device-readable medium 130 is operable to store computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by processing circuit 120. Device-readable medium 130 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by processing circuit 120. In some embodiments, processing circuit 120 and device-readable medium 130 are integrated.

[0289] The user interface device 132 may provide components that allow a human user to interact with the WD 110. Such interaction may have a variety of forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device 132 may be operable to generate output to the user and allow the user to provide input to the WD 110. The type of interaction may 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 may be performed via a touch screen; if the WD 110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be performed through a screen that provides usage (e.g., gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alarm (e.g., if smoke is detected).

[0290] The user interface device 132 may include an input interface, device and circuit, and an output interface, device and circuit. 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 may include, for example, a microphone, a proximity sensor or other sensors, a key / button, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port or other input circuits. The user interface device 132 is also configured to allow information to be output from the WD 110, and allows the processing circuit 120 to output information from the WD 110. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, a vibration circuit, a USB port, a headphone jack or other output circuits. By using one or more input and output interfaces, devices and circuits of the user interface device 132, the WD 110 may communicate with a terminal user and / or a wireless network, and allow them to benefit from the functions described herein.

[0291] Auxiliary device 134 is operable to provide more specific functions that may not normally be performed by a WD. This may include specialized sensors for measuring for various purposes, interfaces for other types of communications such as wired communications, etc. The inclusion and type of components of auxiliary device 134 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0292] In some embodiments, power source 136 may be in the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may also be used, such as an external power source (e.g., a power outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery cell. WD 110 may also include a power circuit 137 for delivering power from power source 136 to various parts of WD 110, and WD 110 requires power from power source 136 to perform any function described or indicated herein. In some embodiments, power circuit 137 may include a power management circuit.

[0293] The power circuit 137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source; in this case, the WD 110 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power outlet) via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. In some embodiments, the power circuit 137 may also be operable to deliver power from the external power source to the power source 136. For example, this may be used to charge the power source 136. The power circuit 137 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification of the power from the power source 136 to make the power suitable for the various components of the WD 110 to which it is powered.

[0294] Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are directed to wireless networks (e.g. Figure 5 For simplicity, Figure 5The wireless network of FIG. 1 depicts only network 106, network nodes 160 and 160b, and WD 110, 110b, and 110c. In practice, 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 (e.g., a landline phone, a service provider, or any other network node or terminal device). In the illustrated components, network node 160 and wireless device (WD) 110 are depicted with additional details. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate wireless devices to access and / or use services provided by or through the wireless network.

[0295] Figure 6 An example user device is shown in accordance with certain embodiments. 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. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user but may not or may not initially be associated with a specific 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 any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a NB-IoT UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. As Figure 6 As shown, UE 200 is an example of a WD configured for communication according to one or more communication standards promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. As previously mentioned, the terms WD and UE may be used interchangeably. Therefore, although Figure 6 It is UE, but the components discussed in this article are also applicable to WD and vice versa.

[0296] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment, UE 200 includes a processing circuit 201, which is operably 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, and a storage medium 221, 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, an application 225, and data 227. In other embodiments, the storage medium 221 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may use Figure 6All components shown in the UE may be used, or only a subset of the components may be used. The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another. In addition, some UEs may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0297] exist Figure 6 , processing circuit 201 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. Processing circuit 201 may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored as a machine-readable computer program in a memory, such as: one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., implemented in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored programs, general-purpose processors (e.g., microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs)) together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, processing circuit 201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). Data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0298] 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. The UE 200 may be configured to use an output device through the input / output interface 205 .

[0299] Output devices may use the same type of interface port as input devices. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to and output from UE 700. An 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.

[0300] UE 200 can be configured to use input devices through input / output interface 205 to allow a user to capture information into UE 200. Input devices can include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, web cameras, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, directional pads, trackpads, scroll wheels, smart cards, etc. The presence-sensitive display can include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from the user. The sensor can be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another type of sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device can be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor.

[0301] exist Figure 6In the embodiment of the present invention, the RF interface 209 can be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as transmitters, receivers, and antennas. The network connection interface 211 can be configured to provide a communication interface to the network 243a. The network 243a can include 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 can include a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 211 can be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface, and the receiver and transmitter interface are used to communicate with one or more other devices through a communication network according to one or more communication protocols (such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc.). The network connection interface 211 can implement receiver and transmitter functions suitable for communication network links (such as optical, electrical, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functions can share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively can be implemented separately.

[0302] RAM 217 may be configured to interface with processing circuit 201 via bus 202 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during execution of software programs such as an operating system, application programs, and device drivers. ROM 219 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuit 201. For example, ROM 219 may be configured to store unchanging low-level system code or data for basic system functions, such as basic input and output (I / O) stored in non-volatile memory, booting, or the receipt of keystrokes from a keyboard.

[0303] The storage medium 221 may be configured to include a memory, such as a RAM, a ROM, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a removable tape, or a flash drive. In one example, the storage medium 221 may be configured to include an operating system 223, an application 225 (e.g., a web browser application), a widget or gadget engine or another application, and a data file 227. The storage medium 221 may store any one of a variety of operating systems or a combination of operating systems for use by the UE 200.

[0304] The storage medium 221 may be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy drive, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical drive, a built-in hard drive, a Blu-ray optical drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory such as a subscriber identification module or a removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) module, other memories or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 may allow the UE 200 to access computer executable instructions, applications, etc. stored on a temporary or non-temporary storage medium to unload data or upload data. For example, an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied in the storage medium 221, which may include a device-readable medium.

[0305] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment of the present invention, 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 one or more identical networks or one or more different 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 another device (e.g., another WD, UE) or one or more remote transceivers of a base station of a radio access network (RAN) capable of wireless communication according to one or more communication protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.2, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc.). Each transceiver can include a transmitter 233 and / or a receiver 235 to respectively implement a transmitter or receiver function (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.) suitable for a RAN link. In addition, the transmitter 233 and the receiver 235 of each transceiver can share circuit components, software or firmware, or can be implemented separately instead.

[0306] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 231 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication (e.g., use of a global positioning system (GPS) for determining location), another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 243b may include 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 243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power supply 213 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 200.

[0307] The features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of UE 200, or divided between multiple components of UE 200. In addition, the features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include any component described herein. In addition, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with any such component via bus 202. In another example, any such component may be represented by a program instruction stored in a memory, and when executed by the processing circuit 201, the program instruction performs the corresponding function described herein. In another example, the function of any such component may be divided between the processing circuit 201 and the communication subsystem 231. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0308] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating an example method in a wireless device according to certain embodiments. In certain embodiments, Figure 7 One or more steps may be performed by Figure 5 The wireless device 110 is described as performing.

[0309] The method may begin at step 712, where a wireless device (eg, wireless device 110) receives an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements. The early measurement configuration includes a measurement carrier list and a valid area list.

[0310] Each entry of the measurement carrier list includes a carrier frequency for which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The valid area list is separate from the measurement carrier list.

[0311] Each entry of the valid area list includes a carrier frequency for which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency.

[0312] Therefore, as described in more detail above, the valid area list is decoupled from the measured carrier list, which helps to improve configuration flexibility. In a specific embodiment, the carrier frequencies in the valid area list differ from the carrier frequencies in the measured carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

[0313] The wireless device reselects to the new cell at step 714. The wireless device then needs to determine what kind of early measurements, if any, the wireless device should perform.

[0314] At step 716, the wireless device determines whether to perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell based on the valid area list. For example, in certain embodiments, the wireless device may determine that the carrier frequency of the new cell matches a carrier frequency in the valid area list. As an example, when an entry in the valid area list includes a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using the carrier frequency.

[0315] In certain embodiments, the wireless device may further determine that the carrier frequency and cell identifier of the new cell match the carrier frequency and associated cell identifier in the valid area list.

[0316] Based on the valid area list, the wireless device either proceeds to step 718, where the wireless device performs idle / inactive mode measurements, or proceeds to step 720, where the wireless device stops the measurement timer and does not perform idle / inactive mode measurements.

[0317] Can Figure 7 Method 700 is modified, added or omitted in addition, Figure 7 One or more steps in the method may be performed in parallel or in any suitable order.

[0318] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example method in a network node according to certain embodiments. In certain embodiments, Figure 8 One or more steps may be performed by Figure 5 The network node 160 described performs.

[0319] The method may begin at step 812, where a network node (e.g., network node 160) generates an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements. The early measurement configuration includes a measurement carrier list and a valid area list, as described above with respect to Figure 7 described.

[0320] At step 814, the network node sends the early measurement configuration to the wireless device. The wireless device may use the method described above with respect to Figure 7 The earlier measurement configuration described.

[0321] Can Figure 8 The method 800 is modified, added or omitted in addition, Figure 8 One or more steps in the method may be performed in parallel or in any suitable order.

[0322] Fig. 9 A wireless network (eg Figure 5 The apparatus includes a wireless device and a network node (e.g. Figure 5 1 and 1700 are wireless devices 110 and network nodes 160, respectively. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The example methods described herein may also be performed, and any other processes or methods disclosed herein may be performed. It should also be understood that Figure 7 and Figure 8 The method is not necessarily performed only by the device 1600 and / or 1700. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0323] Virtual devices 1600 and 1700 may include processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and other digital hardware, which may include a digital signal processor (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory, which may include one or several types of memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory, a cache memory, a flash memory device, an optical storage device, etc. In several 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 techniques described herein.

[0324] In some implementations, the processing circuit may be used to cause the receiving module 1602, the determining module 1604, the sending module 1606, and any other suitable unit of the device 1600 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Similarly, the above processing circuit may be used to cause the generating module 1702, the sending module 1704, and any other suitable unit of the device 1700 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0325] like Fig. 9As shown, the device 1600 includes a receiving module 1602, wherein the receiving module 1602 is configured to receive an early measurement configuration according to any one of the embodiments and examples described herein. The determining module 1604 is configured to determine whether to perform idle / inactive mode measurement according to any one of the embodiments and examples described herein. The sending module 1606 is configured to send a measurement result according to any one of the embodiments and examples described herein.

[0326] like Fig. 9 As shown, the device 1700 includes a generating module 1702, wherein the generating module 1702 is configured to generate an early measurement configuration according to any one of the embodiments and examples described herein. The sending module 1704 is configured to send the early measurement configuration to the wireless device according to any one of the embodiments and examples described herein.

[0327] Fig.10 300 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment 300 in which the functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device that may include virtualized hardware platforms, storage devices, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization may 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 a component thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functions are implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., by one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines or containers executed on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0328] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may 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 hardware nodes 330. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not radio access nodes or do not require radio connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), the network nodes may then be fully virtualized.

[0329] These functions 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 features, functions, and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 320 run in a virtualized environment 300, which provides hardware 330 including processing circuitry 360 and memory 390. The memory 390 contains instructions 395 executable by the processing circuitry 360, whereby the applications 320 are operable to provide one or more features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0330] The virtualized environment 300 includes a general or special network hardware device 330, which includes a set of one or more processors or processing circuits 360, which can be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuit including digital or analog hardware components or special processors. Each hardware device may include a memory 390-1, which can be a non-permanent memory for temporarily storing instructions 395 or software executed by the processing circuit 360. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 370, also known as network interface cards, which include physical network interfaces 380. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory, permanent machine-readable storage medium 390-2 in which software 395 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuit 360 are stored. The software 395 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 350 (also known as hypervisors), software for executing virtual machines 340, and software that allows them to perform the functions, features and / or benefits described in connection with some embodiments described herein.

[0331] The virtual machines 340 include virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 350 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of instances of the virtual devices 320 may be implemented on one or more of the virtual machines 340, and the implementation may be done in different ways.

[0332] During operation, processing circuit 360 executes software 395 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 350 , which may sometimes be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Virtualization layer 350 may present a virtual operating platform that appears to the networked hardware of virtual machine 340 .

[0333] like Fig.10 As shown, hardware 330 can be an independent network node with common or specific components. Hardware 330 can include antenna 3225 and some functions can be implemented through virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 330 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., in a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed by management and coordination (MANO) 3100, which oversees life cycle management of application 320, etc.

[0334] In some contexts, virtualization of hardware is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to unify many types of network equipment into industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0335] In the context of NFV, a virtual machine 340 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 340 and the portion of hardware 330 that executes the virtual machine (whether it is hardware dedicated to the virtual machine and / or hardware shared by the virtual machine and other virtual machines in virtual machines 340) form a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0336] Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for processing the operations of one or more virtual machines 340 running on top of the hardware network infrastructure 330 and corresponding to the Fig.10 Specific network functions of application 320 in.

[0337] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 3200, each including one or more transmitters 3220 and one or more receivers 3210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 3225. The radio units 3200 may communicate directly with the hardware nodes 330 through one or more suitable network interfaces, and may be used in conjunction with virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or base station.

[0338] In some embodiments, some signaling may be implemented using a control system 3230 , which may alternatively be used for communications between the hardware node 330 and the radio unit 3200 .

[0339] refer to Fig.11 According to an embodiment, a communication system includes: a telecommunication network 410 (e.g., a cellular network of the 3GPP type), which includes an access network 411 (e.g., a radio access network) and a core network 414. The access network 411 includes a plurality of base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs, or other types of wireless access points, each of which defines a corresponding coverage area 413a, 413b, 413c. Each base station 412a, 412b, 412c may be connected to the core network 414 via a wired or wireless connection 415. A first UE 491 located in the coverage area 413c is configured to be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 412c or to be paged by the corresponding base station 412c. A second UE 492 in the coverage area 413a may be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 412a. Although multiple UEs 491, 492 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where a unique UE is located in the coverage area or a unique UE is connected to the corresponding base station 412.

[0340] The telecommunications network 410 itself is connected to a host computer 430, which may be embodied in the hardware and / or software of a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server farm. The host computer 430 may be owned or under the control of a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. The connections 421, 422 between the telecommunications network 410 and the host computer 430 may extend directly from the core network 414 to the host computer 430, or may be made through an optional intermediate network 420. The intermediate network 420 may be one, or a combination of more than one, of a public, private, or managed network; the intermediate network 420 (if any) may be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, the intermediate network 420 may include two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0341] Fig.11 The communication system in the embodiment as a whole implements connectivity between the connected UEs 491, 492 and the host computer 430. The connection can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 450. The host computer 430 and the connected UEs 491, 492 are configured to transmit data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 450 using the access network 411, the core network 414, any intermediate networks 420, and possible other infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 450 can be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 450 passes do not know the routing of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 412 may not be informed or need not be informed of the past routing of incoming downlink communications, which have data originating from the host computer 430 and to be forwarded (e.g., switched) to the connected UE 491. Similarly, the base station 412 does not need to know the future routing of the outgoing uplink communications originating from the UE 491 and toward the host computer 430.

[0342] Fig.12 A host computer is shown communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. Fig.12Describe the example implementation of the UE, base station and host computer according to the embodiment discussed in the above paragraphs. In the communication system 500, the host computer 510 includes hardware 515, the hardware 515 includes a communication interface 516, and the communication interface 1016 is configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with the interface of different communication devices of the communication system 500. The host computer 510 also includes a processing circuit 518, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. Specifically, the processing circuit 518 may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination thereof (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The host computer 510 also includes software 511, which is stored in the host computer 510 or can be accessed by the host computer 510 and can be executed by the processing circuit 518. The software 511 includes a host application 512. The host application 512 is operable to provide services to remote users, such as UE 530 connected via an OTT connection 550, which is terminated at UE530 and the host computer 510. When providing services to remote users, the host application 512 may provide user data sent using the OTT connection 550 .

[0343] The communication system 500 also includes a base station 520 arranged in the telecommunication system, and the base station 520 includes hardware 525 that enables it 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 with the interface of different communication devices of the communication system 500; and a radio interface 527 for establishing and maintaining at least a connection with a network located in the coverage area served by the base station 520 (in Fig.12 The communication interface 526 may be configured to facilitate a connection 560 with the host computer 510. The connection 560 may be a direct connection, or alternatively, the connection may be through a core network of the telecommunications system (in the Fig.12 The base station 520 may be configured to communicate with the base station 520 via a plurality of intermediate networks (not shown) 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 also includes processing circuitry 528, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The base station 520 also has software 521 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0344] The communication system 500 also includes the UE 530 already mentioned. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 may include a radio interface 537, which is configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 570 with a base station serving the coverage area where the UE 530 is currently located. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 also includes a processing circuit 538, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination thereof (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The UE 530 also includes software 531, which is stored in the UE 530 or accessible by the UE 530 and can be executed by the processing circuit 538. The software 531 includes a client application 532. The client application 532 is operable to provide services to human or non-human users through the UE 530 with the support of the host computer 510. In the host computer 510, the executing host application 512 can communicate with the executing client application 532 through the OTT connection 550, and the OTT connection 550 is terminated at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. When providing services to users, the client application 532 can receive request data from the host application 512 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 550 can transmit both the request data and the user data. The client application 532 can interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0345] Notice, Fig.12 The host computer 510, base station 520 and UE 530 shown in FIG. Fig.11 The host computer 430, one of the base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, and one of the UEs 491, 492 are similar or identical. That is, the internal workings of these entities may be as follows: Fig.12 As shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Fig.11 network topology.

[0346] exist Fig.12 In the figure, an OTT connection 550 has been abstractly drawn to illustrate the communication between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 through the base station 520, but no explicit mention is made of any intermediate devices and the exact routing messages through these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the route, which can be configured to be hidden from the UE 530 or hidden from the service provider operating the host computer 510, or hidden from both. When the OTT connection 550 is active, the network infrastructure can further make decisions to dynamically change the route (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or network reconfiguration).

[0347] The wireless connection 570 between the UE 530 and the base station 520 is consistent with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improves the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 530 using the OTT connection 550, in which the wireless connection 570 forms the final part. More specifically, the teachings of these embodiments can improve signaling overhead and reduce latency, which can provide users with faster Internet access.

[0348] Measurement processes may be provided for monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors that are the subject of improvement in one or more embodiments. There may also be an optional network function 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 network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 may 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) may be deployed in or associated with the communication devices through which the OTT connection 550 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement process by providing the values ​​of the monitoring quantities exemplified above or providing the values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software 511, 531 can calculate or estimate the monitoring quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 550 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not need to affect the base station 520, and the reconfiguration may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 520. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates host computer 510 measurements of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be accomplished by software 511 and 531 sending messages (particularly empty or "dummy" messages) using OTT connection 550 while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0349] Fig.13 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes: a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be a reference Fig.11 and Fig.12 In order to simplify the present disclosure, only the host computers, base stations and UEs described herein are included in this section. Fig.13 's reference.

[0350] In step 610, the host computer provides user data. In a sub-step 611 of step 610 (which may be optional), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In a second step 620, the host computer initiates a transmission to the UE, the transmission carrying the user data. In a third step 630 (which may be optional), in accordance with 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 may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0351] Fig.14 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes: a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be a reference Fig.11 and Fig.12 In order to simplify the present disclosure, only the host computers, base stations and UEs described herein are included in this section. Fig.14 's reference.

[0352] In step 710 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In a second step 720, the host computer initiates a transmission to the UE, the transmission carrying the user data. According to the teachings of the embodiments described in the full text of this disclosure, the transmission can be transmitted through a base station. In step 730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0353] Fig.15 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes: a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be a reference Fig.11 and Fig.12 In order to simplify the present disclosure, only the host computers, base stations and UEs described herein are included in this section. Fig.15 's reference.

[0354] In step 810 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in a second step 820, the UE provides user data. In a sub-step 821 of step 820 (which may be optional), the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In a sub-step 811 of step 810 (which may be optional), the UE executes a client application, which 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, the UE initiates the transmission of user data to the host computer in a third sub-step 830 (which may be optional). In step 840 of the method, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the host computer receives user data sent from the UE.

[0355] Fig.16 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes: a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be a reference Fig.11 and Fig.12 In order to simplify the present disclosure, only the host computers, base stations and UEs described herein are included in this section. Fig.16 's reference.

[0356] In step 910 (which may be optional), the base station receives user data from the UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure. In step 920 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In a third step 930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0357] The term unit may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid-state and / or discrete devices, and computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, output and / or display functions, etc. (such as those described herein).

[0358] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems and devices disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. The components of the systems and devices may be integrated or separated. In addition, the operations of the systems and devices may be performed by more components, fewer components, or other components. In addition, any suitable logic including software, hardware, and / or other logic may be used to perform the operations of the systems and devices. As used herein, "each" refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.

[0359] Modifications, additions or omissions may be made to the methods disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the invention. The methods may include more, fewer or other steps. In addition, the steps may be performed in any suitable order.

[0360] The foregoing description sets forth many specific details. However, it should be appreciated that embodiments may be implemented without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description. With the included description, one of ordinary skill in the art will be able to implement appropriate functionality without undue experimentation.

[0361] References in the specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it should be considered that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments (whether or not explicitly described).

[0362] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments, changes and arrangements of the embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description of the embodiments does not limit the present disclosure. Other changes, substitutions and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims.

[0363] At least some of the following abbreviations may be used in the present disclosure. If there is an inconsistency between abbreviations, how it is used above shall take precedence. If listed multiple times below, the first listing shall take precedence over any subsequent listings.

[0364] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0365] 5G Fifth Generation

[0366] ABS Almost Blank Subframe

[0367] ACK / NACK positive acknowledgment / negative acknowledgment

[0368] ARQ Automatic Repeat Request

[0369] CA Carrier Aggregation

[0370] CC Carrier Component

[0371] CDMA Code Division Multiple Access

[0372] CG configuration authorization

[0373] CIR Channel Impulse Response

[0374] CP Cyclic Prefix

[0375] C-RNTI Cell RNTI

[0376] DL Downlink

[0377] DM Demodulation

[0378] E-SMLC Evolved Service Mobile Location Center

[0379] eNB E-UTRAN Node B

[0380] E-SMLC Evolved Service Mobile Location Center

[0381] E-UTRA Evolved UTRA

[0382] E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN

[0383] Base stations in gNB NR

[0384] GSM Global System for Mobile Communications

[0385] HO Handover

[0386] LOS Line of Sight

[0387] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0388] MAC Media Access Control

[0389] MDT Minimization of Drive Test

[0390] MME Mobility Management Entity

[0391] MSC Mobile Switching Center

[0392] NR New Radio

[0393] OSS Operation Support System

[0394] O&M Operation and Maintenance

[0395] Pcell Primary cell

[0396] RAN Radio Access Network

[0397] RAT Radio Access Technology

[0398] RNC Radio Network Controller

[0399] RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0400] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0401] RRM Radio Resource Management

[0402] RS reference signal

[0403] RSRP Reference Symbol Received Power, or

[0404] Reference signal received power

[0405] RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality, or

[0406] Reference symbol reception quality

[0407] SCH Synchronization Channel

[0408] Scell

[0409] SDU Service Data Unit

[0410] SFN System Frame Number

[0411] SI System Information

[0412] SIB System Information Block

[0413] SON Self-Optimizing Network

[0414] SUL Supplementary Uplink

[0415] SS Sync Signal

[0416] TO Transmission Timing

[0417] TOA Time of Arrival

[0418] TTI Transmission Time Interval

[0419] UE User Equipment

[0420] UL Uplink

[0421] UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0422] UTRA Universal Terrestrial Radio Access

[0423] UTRAN Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network

[0424] WCDMA Wide CDMA

[0425] WLAN Wide Area Network.

Claims

1. A method for performing early measurements performed by a wireless device, the method comprising: An early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements is received (712), the early measurement configuration comprising: a measurement carrier list, each entry of the measurement carrier list comprising a carrier frequency for which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; a valid area list, separate from the measurement carrier list, each entry of the valid area list comprising a carrier frequency for which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; Reselect (714) to the new cell; determining (716) based on the valid area list whether the wireless device is capable of performing idle / inactive mode measurements while camped on the new cell; and Upon determining that the wireless device is capable of performing idle / inactive mode measurements while camped on the new cell, idle / inactive mode measurements are performed (718).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Determining that the wireless device is capable of performing idle / inactive mode measurements while camped on the new cell includes determining that a carrier frequency of the new cell matches a carrier frequency in the valid area list.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: When an entry in the valid area list comprises a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using that carrier frequency.

4. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein: Determining that the wireless device is capable of performing idle / inactive mode measurements while camped on the new cell further includes determining that a carrier frequency and a cell identifier of the new cell match a carrier frequency and an associated cell identifier in the valid area list.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The carrier frequencies in the valid area list differ from the carrier frequencies in the measured carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: In the event that it is determined that the wireless device cannot perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell, a measurement timer is stopped (720) and idle / inactive mode measurements are stopped.

7. A wireless device (110) capable of performing early measurements, the wireless device comprising a processing circuit (120), the processing circuit being operable to: Receiving an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements, the early measurement configuration comprising: a measurement carrier list, each entry of the measurement carrier list comprising a carrier frequency for which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; a valid area list, separate from the measurement carrier list, each entry of the valid area list comprising a carrier frequency for which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; Reselect to a new community; determining, based on the valid area list, whether the wireless device is capable of performing idle / inactive mode measurements while camped on the new cell; as well as In case it is determined that the wireless device is capable of performing idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell, idle / inactive mode measurements are performed.

8. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein: The processing circuitry may be operable to determine that the wireless device is capable of performing idle / inactive mode measurements while camped on the new cell by determining that a carrier frequency of the new cell matches a carrier frequency in the valid area list.

9. The wireless device according to claim 8, wherein: When an entry in the valid area list comprises a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using that carrier frequency.

10. The wireless device according to any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein: The processing circuitry can be operable to determine that the wireless device is capable of performing idle / inactive mode measurements while camped on the new cell by further determining that a carrier frequency and cell identifier of the new cell matches a carrier frequency and associated cell identifier in the valid area list.

11. The wireless device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein: The carrier frequencies in the valid area list differ from the carrier frequencies in the measured carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

12. The wireless device of any one of claims 7 to 9, the processing circuit being further operable to, upon determining that the wireless device cannot perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell, stop a measurement timer and stop idle / inactive mode measurements.

13. A method performed by a network node for configuring early measurements for a wireless device, the method comprising: An early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements is generated (812), the early measurement configuration comprising: a measurement carrier list, each entry of the measurement carrier list comprising a carrier frequency for which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; a valid area list, separate from the measurement carrier list, each entry of the valid area list comprising a carrier frequency for which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; The early measurement configuration is sent (814) to the wireless device.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The valid area list indicates that when a carrier frequency of a new cell matches a carrier frequency in the valid area list, the wireless device can perform idle / inactive mode measurements when camping on the new cell.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: When an entry in the valid area list comprises a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using the carrier frequency.

16. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 15, wherein: The valid area list indicates that when a carrier frequency and a cell identifier of the new cell match a carrier frequency and an associated cell identifier in the valid area list, the wireless device is able to perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein: The carrier frequencies in the valid area list differ from the carrier frequencies in the measured carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

18. A network node (160) capable of configuring early measurements for a wireless device, the network node comprising a processing circuit (170), the processing circuit being operable to: generating an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements, the early measurement configuration comprising: a measurement carrier list, each entry of the measurement carrier list comprising a carrier frequency for which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; a valid area list, separate from the measurement carrier list, each entry of the valid area list comprising a carrier frequency for which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; and The early measurement configuration is sent to the wireless device.

19. The network node according to claim 18, wherein: The valid area list indicates that when a carrier frequency of a new cell matches a carrier frequency in the valid area list, the wireless device can perform idle / inactive mode measurements when camping on the new cell.

20. The network node according to claim 19, wherein: When an entry in the valid area list comprises a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using the carrier frequency.

21. The network node according to any one of claims 19 to 20, wherein: The valid area list indicates that when a carrier frequency and a cell identifier of the new cell match a carrier frequency and an associated cell identifier in the valid area list, the wireless device is able to perform idle / inactive mode measurements while camping on the new cell.

22. The network node according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein: The carrier frequencies in the valid area list differ from the carrier frequencies in the measured carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

Images