Method and apparatus for searcher resource sharing for measurements without measurement gaps

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for searcher resource coordination between NR mobility-based measurements and LTE (E-UTRA) PRS-based measurements without measurement gaps in EN-DC mode or NE-DC mode. Other implementations for searcher resource coordination between NR PRS measurements and LTE (E-UTRA) PRS measurements without measurement gaps in EN-DC mode or NE-DC mode are also provided. Additional implementations provide searcher resource coordination between NR or LTE (E-UTRA) PRS measurements and NR mobility measurements without measurement gaps in EN-DC mode or NE-DC mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent application as a whole relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to cell measurements. Background Art

[0002] Wireless mobile communication technologies use various standards and protocols to transmit data between base stations and wireless mobile devices. Wireless communication system standards and protocols can include the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE); the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard, which is commonly referred to by industry organizations as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX); and the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless local area networks (WLAN), which is commonly referred to by industry organizations as Wi-Fi. In the 3GPP radio access network (RAN) of an LTE system, a base station can include RAN nodes such as evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also commonly denoted as evolved Node B, enhanced Node B, eNodeB or eNB) and / or radio network controller (RNC) in E-UTRAN, and this base station communicates with a wireless communication device known as a user equipment (UE). In a fifth-generation (5G) wireless RAN, the RAN nodes can include 5G nodes, New Radio (NR) nodes or gNodeB (gNB).

[0003] The RAN uses radio access technology (RAT) to communicate between RAN nodes and UEs. The RAN can include Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and / or E-UTRAN, and this RAN provides access to communication services through a core network. Each RAN in the RAN operates according to a specific 3GPP RAT. For example, GERAN implements GSM and / or EDGE RAT, UTRAN implements Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) RAT or other 3GPP RAT, and E-UTRAN implements LTE RAT. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0004] To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or action, one or more of the most significant digits in the reference numerals refer to the drawing number in which the element was first introduced.

[0005] Figure 1 A timing diagram according to one embodiment is shown.

[0006] Figure 2 A timing diagram according to one embodiment is shown.

[0007] Figure 3 A method according to one embodiment is shown.

[0008] Figure 4 shows a method according to one embodiment.

[0009] Figure 5 shows a method according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 6 shows an exemplary service-based architecture according to certain embodiments.

[0011] Figure 7 shows a UE according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 8 shows a network node according to one embodiment. Detailed Description

[0013] Rel-15 Searcher Resource Sharing

[0014] The UE uses an internal searcher of the baseband to perform cell measurements and synchronization, and the limit of the searcher in Rel-15 is assumed to be 2, that is, the UE has 2 parallel searchers for RRM (Radio Resource Management) measurements.

[0015] For measurements without a measurement gap (MG), in the Rel-15 NR specification (e.g., 3GPP TS 38.133), the following sharing table has been specified (Table 9.1.5.1.1-1, where CSSF is the carrier-specific scaling factor used to scale the measurement delay when the UE is configured to monitor multiple measurement objects). The measurement delay scaling determines how the UE shares the searcher resources among the measurements of different carriers; for example, in the following table, in the case of EN-DC with only FR1 CA, the UE will always reserve 1 searcher for PSCC measurement, but share the other 1 searcher among all SCCs.

[0016] Table 9.1.5.1.1-1: CSSF for EN-DC mode outside_gap,i Scaling factor

[0017]

[0018]

[0019] Figure 1 shows a timing diagram 100 of a UE configured to monitor multiple measurement objects according to certain embodiments. As discussed in the following exemplary embodiments, when the LTE PRS occasion of LTE PCC is temporally aligned with the corresponding SSB occasions of NR PSCC#1 within FR1, NRSCC#2 within FR1, and NR SCC#3 within FR1, the UE determines how to share the searcher for PRS decoding. As Figure 1As shown, the UE can use a table (such as the table shown above) to determine to use a first searcher for NR PSCC#1 within FR1 and share a second searcher between NR SCC#2 within FR1 and NR SCC#3 within FR1. However, the current solution only considers the case when SSBs on multiple CCs conflict in the time domain and the table is applied to the searcher sharing for those SSB-based measurements. The PRS-based positioning measurements are not considered in the current solution, and the PRS-based positioning measurements may make it unclear for the UE behavior whether the PRS occasion conflicts with the SSB in the time domain.

[0020] Therefore, some embodiments herein provide searcher resource coordination between NR mobility-based measurements without measurement gaps and LTE PRS measurements in EN-DC or NE-DC mode.

[0021] In one embodiment, if the PRS period is greater than x1 ms (e.g., x1 = 160), or the PRS period is equal to x1 ms (e.g., x1 = 160), but some PRS occasions are silent, the positioning-based measurements (PRS measurements) can be prioritized.

[0022] For EN-DC, the UE can reserve one searcher for the positioning-based measurements of LTE. Then, for the mobility measurements on the PSCC, the UE uses y1% (e.g., y1 = 50) of the resources of the second searcher (here, the resources can be (but are not limited to) occupied time). If all NR SCCs are within FR1, the other mobility measurements on the NR SCCs equally share the additional (100 - y1)% resources of the second searcher. However, if there is at least one NR FR2 SCC, the FR2 SCC with adjacent cell measurements uses z1% (e.g., z1 = 25) of the resources of the second searcher, and the other SCCs share the (100 - y1 - z1)% resources of the second searcher.

[0023] For NE-DC, the UE can reserve one searcher for the positioning-based measurements of LTE. Then, for the mobility measurements on the PCC, the UE uses y2% (e.g., y2 = 50) of the resources of the second searcher (here, the resources can be (but are not limited to) occupied time). If all NR SCCs are within FR1, the other mobility measurements on the NR SCCs equally share the additional (100 - y2)% resources of the second searcher. However, if there is at least one NR FR2 SCC, the FR2 SCC with adjacent cell measurements can use z2% (e.g., z2 = 25) of the resources of the second searcher, and the other SCCs share the (100 - y2 - z2)% resources of the second searcher.

[0024] In some such embodiments, if the PRS period is less than x2 ms (e.g., x2 = 160), or the PRS period is equal to x2 ms (e.g., x2 = 160), but the PRS occasions are not silenced, positioning-based measurements (PRS measurements) are not prioritized. If all NR SCCs are within FR1, the PRS measurements can equally share the searcher resources with all FR1 SCCs. However, if there is at least one NR FR2 SCC, the PRS measurements can equally share the searcher resources with all FR1 SCCs that do not require neighbor cell measurements and all FR2 SCCs.

[0025] In another embodiment, for searcher resource coordination between NR mobility-based measurements without measurement gaps and LTE PRS measurements in EN-DC or NE-DC mode, if the PRS period is greater than x3 ms (e.g., x3 = 160), or the PRS period is equal to x3 ms (e.g., x3 = 160), but some PRS occasions are silenced, positioning-based measurements (PRS measurements) can be prioritized.

[0026] For EN-DC, the positioning-based measurement of LTE equally shares a searcher with the NR PSCC mobility measurement, i.e., for the mobility measurement on the PSCC, the UE uses y3% (e.g., y3 = 50) of the resources (here, the resources can be (but are not limited to) occupied time). If all NR SCCs are within FR1, the other mobility measurements on the NR SCCs equally share the resources of the second searcher. However, if there is at least one NR FR2 SCC, the FR2 SCC with neighbor cell measurements uses z3% (e.g., z3 = 50) of the resources of the second searcher, and the other SCCs share (100 - z3)% of the resources of the second searcher.

[0027] For NE-DC, the positioning-based measurement of LTE equally shares a searcher with the NR PCC mobility measurement, i.e., for the mobility measurement on the PCC, the UE uses y4% (e.g., y4 = 50) of the resources (here, the resources can be (but are not limited to) occupied time). If all NR SCCs are within FR1, the other mobility measurements on the NR SCCs equally share the resources of the second searcher. However, if there is at least one NR FR2 SCC, the FR2 SCC with neighbor cell measurements uses z4% (e.g., z4 = 50) of the resources of the second searcher, and the other SCCs share (100 - z4)% of the resources of the second searcher.

[0028] In some such embodiments, if the PRS periodicity is less than x4 ms (e.g., x4 = 160), or if the PRS periodicity is equal to x4 ms (e.g., x4 = 160) but the PRS occasion is not silenced, positioning-based measurements (PRS measurements) may not be prioritized. If all NR SCCs are within FR1, the PRS measurements may equally share the searcher resources with all FR1 SCCs. However, if there is at least one NR FR2 SCC, the PRS measurements may equally share the searcher resources with all FR1 SCCs that do not require neighbor cell measurements and all FR2 SCCs.

[0029] Rel-16 Searcher Resource Sharing

[0030] In Rel-16 EN-DC or NE-DC mode, the positioning server may configure two sets of PRSs or other RSs for positioning on both NR and LTE RATs. Therefore, on the UE side, it may be useful to re-design the search resource sharing mechanism to coordinate positioning measurements and mobility-based measurements (as Figure 2 shown).

[0031] Figure 2 FIG. 200 shows a timing diagram of a UE configured to monitor multiple measurement objects according to some embodiments. As discussed in the following example embodiments, when the LTE PRS occasion of the LTE PCC is temporally aligned with the corresponding SSB occasions of the NR PSCC, NRSCC#1, and NR SCC#2 within FR1 and with the NR PRS occasion of the NR SCC#3 within FR1, the UE determines how to share the retriever for PRS decoding. Searcher resource coordination may be performed between PRS measurements and mobility-based measurements or between LTE PRS measurements and NR PRS measurements. To implement specific UE behavior on the baseband, it may be useful to specify which one or which measurements may be prioritized and how much resource may be reserved for each measurement type.

[0032] One embodiment provides searcher resource coordination between NR PRS measurements and LTE PRS measurements without measurement gaps in EN-DC or NE-DC mode. The PRS measurements for the positioning reference cell may always be prioritized. For example, the UE may be configured to reserve 1 separate searcher for the reference cell. Alternatively, for example, the UE may be configured to reserve k% (e.g., k = 50) of the searcher resources for the PRS measurements of the positioning reference cell, and the other PRS measurements may use (100 - k)% of the searcher resources.

[0033] If the UE has both an LTE positioning reference cell and an NR positioning reference cell, the UE can set different priorities. For example, in one implementation, the UE can prioritize the LTE positioning reference cell with a larger resource sharing factor. In another implementation, the UE can prioritize the NR positioning reference cell with a larger resource sharing factor. In another implementation, the UE can equally share resources between the two positioning reference cells. Additionally, in another implementation, the UE can only select to use one of the two positioning reference cells.

[0034] The searcher resource sharing mechanism for LTE and NR PRS measurements excluding reference cells can be as shown in the following table, where T1 and T2 are the time domain thresholds for LTE PRS measurements and NR PRS measurements, respectively.

[0035]

[0036] Another implementation provides searcher resource coordination between NR or LTE PRS measurements and NR mobility measurements without measurement gaps in the EN-DC or NE-DC mode.

[0037] If the UE searcher cannot support parallel PRS-based measurements and mobility measurements, the PRS measurements for positioning can be prioritized (with a higher resource sharing percentage) over mobility measurements with some conditions. For example, if the PRS period is greater than s (e.g., s = 160 ms), or if the actual PRS period is greater than s after some PRS silences.

[0038] If the UE searcher cannot support parallel PRS-based measurements and mobility measurements, the PRS measurements for positioning can equally share search resources with mobility measurements with some conditions. For example, if the actual PRS period is equal to or less than s in the case of possible PRS silences (e.g., s = 160 ms); and / or if no PRS silence is used, the actual PRS period is the configured PRS period.

[0039] If the NR PRS is present on the same symbol and the same carrier (or in - band carrier) as the target mobility RS (SSB or CSI - RS), and the PRS has a different parameter set from the mobility RS (the UE does not have the ability to have a hybrid parameter set) or the PRS has a different Rx beam from the mobility RS, and the PRS and the mobility RS are fully overlapping, the UE may determine different priorities or scaling factors. For example, in one implementation, the UE may always (with a higher resource sharing percentage) prioritize PRS measurements over mobility measurements. In another implementation, the UE may (with a higher resource sharing percentage) prioritize PRS measurements over mobility measurements with some conditions (e.g., if the PRS period is greater than s (e.g., s = 160 ms), or if the actual PRS period is greater than s after some PRS silences). In another implementation, the UE may use a scaling factor (to scale the measurement latency and also indicate how many opportunities the UE can use to achieve each measurement objective) to determine the timing usage of PRS measurements and mobility measurements.

[0040] If the NR PRS is present on the same symbol and the same carrier (or possible in - band carrier) as the target mobility RS (SSB or CSI - RS), and the PRS has a different parameter set from the mobility RS (the UE does not have the ability to have a hybrid parameter set) or the PRS has a different Rx beam from the mobility RS, and the PRS and the mobility RS are partially overlapping (e.g., the PRS has a shorter period than the mobility RS), the UE may: only perform PRS measurements that do not conflict with the mobility measurement timing; or perform PRS measurements at all PRS timings, but for PRS timings that conflict with the mobility measurement timing, resource sharing may be used to determine how much time resource can be used for PRS measurements.

[0041] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing method 300 for a UE to provide searcher resource coordination between NR - based mobility measurements and E - UTRA (LTE) PRS - based measurements without measurement gaps in E - UTRA - NR dual - connectivity (EN - DC) mode or NR - E - UTRA dual - connectivity (NE - DC) mode. In block 302, if the PRS period is greater than the first threshold, or if the PRS period is equal to the first threshold and one or more PRS timings are silenced, method 300 prioritizes PRS - based measurements over mobility - based measurements. In block 304, if the PRS period is less than the second threshold, or if the PRS period is equal to the second threshold and none of the one or more PRS timings are silenced, method 300 does not prioritize PRS - based measurements over mobility - based measurements.

[0042] Figure 4It is a flowchart of method 400 for a UE to provide searcher resource coordination between NR PRS measurements without measurement gaps and E-UTRA (LTE) PRS measurements in EN-DC mode or NE-DC mode. In block 402, method 400 prioritizes PRS measurements for positioning reference cells. In block 404, for non-positioning reference cells, method 400 shares searcher resources between NR PRS measurements and E-UTRA PRS measurements based on a first time-domain threshold T1 for E-UTRA PRS measurements and a second time-domain threshold T2 for NR PRS measurements.

[0043] Figure 5 It is a flowchart of method 500 for a UE to provide searcher resource coordination between NR PRS measurements or E-UTRA (LTE) PRS measurements without measurement gaps and NR mobility measurements in EN-DC mode or NE-DC mode. In block 502, if the UE searcher cannot support parallel PRS-based measurements and mobility measurements, method 500 determines whether to prioritize PRS measurements for positioning over mobility measurements or to equally share searcher resources between PRS measurements for positioning and mobility measurements. In block 504, if NR PRS exists on the same symbol and carrier as the target mobility reference signal (RS), and the PRS has a parameter set different from the parameter set of the mobility RS or the PRS has a receive (Rx) beam different from the Rx beam of the mobility RS, method 500 coordinates PRS measurements and mobility measurements based on whether the PRS and the mobility RS are fully overlapped or partially overlapped.

[0044] Exemplary System Architecture

[0045] In some embodiments, the 5G system architecture supports data connectivity and services, enabling deployment to use technologies such as network function virtualization and software-defined networking. The 5G system architecture can utilize service-based interactions between control plane network functions. Separating the user plane functions from the control plane functions allows for independent scalability, evolution, and flexible deployment (e.g., centralized location or distributed (remote) location). The modular function design allows for function reuse and enables flexible and efficient network slicing. Network functions and their network function services can interact directly or indirectly via a service communication proxy with another NF and its network function services. Another intermediate function can assist in routing control plane messages. This architecture minimizes the dependencies between the AN and CN. The architecture can include an aggregated core network with a common AN-CN interface integrating different access types (e.g., 3GPP access and non-3GPP access). The architecture can also support a unified authentication framework, stateless NFs with decoupled computing and storage resources, capability exposure, concurrent access to local and centralized services (to support low-latency services and access to local data networks, where user plane functions can be deployed near the AN) and / or roaming with both home routed traffic and local breakout traffic in the visited PLMN.

[0046] The 5G architecture can be defined as service-based, and the interactions between network functions can include service-based representations, where network functions within the control plane (e.g., AMF) enable other authorized network functions to access their services. The service-based representation can also include point-to-point reference points. The reference point representation can also be used to show the interactions between NF services in network functions described by point-to-point reference points (e.g., N11) between any two network functions (e.g., AMF and SMF).

[0047] Figure 6 A service-based architecture 600 in 5GS according to one embodiment is shown. As described in 3GPP TS 23.501, the service-based architecture 600 includes NFs such as NSSF 602, NEF 604, NRF 606, PCF 608, UDM 610, AUSF 612, AMF 614, and SMF 616 for communicating with UE 620, (R)AN 622, UPF 624, and DN 626. NFs and NF services can communicate directly (referred to as direct communication) or indirectly via SCP 618 (referred to as indirect communication). Figure 6 A corresponding service-based interface including Nutm, Naf, Nudm, Npcf, Nsmf, Nnrf, Namf, Nnef, Nnssf, and Nausf and reference points N1, N2, N3, N4, and N6 is also shown. Some example functions provided by the NFs shown in Figure 6 are described below.

[0048] The NSSF 602 supports functions such as: selecting a set of network slice instances serving the UE; determining the allowed NSSAI and, if required, determining the mapping to the subscribed S-NSSAI; determining the configured NSSAI and, if required, determining the mapping to the subscribed S-NSSAI; and / or determining the set of AMFs to be used to serve the UE or, based on the configuration, determining a list of candidate AMFs by querying the NRF.

[0049] The NEF 604 supports the exposure of capabilities and events. NF capabilities and events can be securely exposed by the NEF 604 (e.g., for third parties, application functions, and / or edge computing). The NEF 604 can use the standardized interface (Nudr) to the UDR to store / retrieve information as structured data. The NEF 604 can also securely provide information from external applications to the 3GPP network and can provide application functions to securely provide information to the 3GPP network (e.g., expected UE behavior, 5GLAN group information, and service-specific information), where the NEF 604 can authenticate and authorize and help restrict application functions. The NEF 604 can provide the transformation of internal-external information by transforming between the information exchanged with the AF and the information exchanged with internal network functions. For example, the NEF 604 transforms between an AF service identifier and internal 5G core information (such as DNN and S-NSSAI). The NEF 604 can handle the masking of network and user-sensitive information for external AFs according to network policies. The NEF 604 can receive information from other network functions (based on the exposure capabilities of other network functions) and store the received information as structured data using the standardized interface to the UDR. The stored information can be accessed by the NEF 604 and re-exposed to other network functions and application functions and used for other purposes such as analysis. For the external exposure of services related to a specific UE, the NEF 604 can reside in the HPLMN. According to the operator agreement, the NEF 604 in the HPLMN can have an interface with the NFs in the VPLMN. When the UE is able to switch between the EPC and the 5GC, the SCEF+NEF can be used for service exposure.

[0050] The NRF 606 supports the service discovery function by receiving NF discovery requests from NF instances or the SCP and providing information on the discovered NF instances to NF instances or the SCP. The NRF 606 may also support P-CSCF discovery (a special case of SMF discovering the AF), maintain NF profiles of available NF instances and the services they support, and / or notify subscribed NF service consumers or the SCP of newly registered / updated / deregistered NF instances along with their NF services. In the context of network slicing, multiple NRFs may be deployed at different levels based on the network implementation, such as at the PLMN level (the NRF is configured with information for the entire PLMN), the shared slice level (the NRF is configured with information belonging to a set of network slices), and / or the slice-specific level (the NRF is configured with information belonging to an S-NSSAI). In the context of roaming, multiple NRFs may be deployed in different networks, where the NRF in the visited PLMN (referred to as the vNRF) is configured with information for the visited PLMN, and where the NRF in the home PLMN (referred to as the hNRF) is configured with information for the home PLMN, and the vNRF refers to the hNRF via the N27 interface.

[0051] The PCF 608 supports a unified policy framework to control network behavior. The PCF 608 provides policy rules for control plane functions to enforce them. The PCF 608 accesses subscription information related to policy decisions in the unified data repository (UDR). The PCF 608 may access the UDR located in the same PLMN as the PCF.

[0052] The UDM 610 supports generating 3GPP AKA authentication credentials, user identification processing (e.g., storage and management of the SUPI for each subscriber in the 5G system), unhiding of the privacy-protected subscription identifier (SUCI), access authorization based on subscription data (e.g., roaming restrictions), service NF registration management for the UE (e.g., storing the serving AMF for the UE, storing the serving SMF for the PDU session of the UE), service / session continuity (e.g., by maintaining the SMF / DNN allocation for ongoing sessions), MT-SMS delivery, lawful interception functionality (especially in the case of outbound roaming where the UDM is the only contact point for LI), subscription management, SMS management, 5GLAN group management processing, and / or external parameter configuration (parameters for expected UE behavior or network configuration). To provide such functionality, the UDM 610 uses subscription data (including authentication data) that may be stored in the UDR. In this case, the UDM implements the application logic and may not require an internal user data store, and several different UDMs may serve the same user in different transactions. The UDM 610 may be located in the HPLMN of the subscribers it serves and may access information from the UDR located in the same PLMN.

[0053] The AF 628 interacts with the core network to provide services such as supporting the following: the impact of applications on traffic routing; accessing the NEF 604; interacting with the policy framework for policy control; and / or the interaction between IMS and 5GC. Based on the operator's deployment, application functions that are considered trusted by the operator may be allowed to directly interact with relevant network functions. Application functions that the operator does not allow to directly access network functions can interact with relevant network functions via the NEF 604 using the external exposure framework.

[0054] The AUSF 612 supports authentication for 3GPP access and untrusted non-3GPP access. The AUSF 612 can also provide support for network slice-specific verification and authorization.

[0055] The AMF 614 supports the termination of the RAN CP interface (N2), the termination of the NAS (N1) for NAS encryption and integrity protection, registration management, connection management, reachability management, mobility management, lawful interception (for AMF events and the interface to the LI system), transmitting SM messages between the UE and the SMF, transparent proxy for routing SM messages, access authentication, access authorization, transmitting SMS messages between the UE and the SMSF, SEAF, location service management for regulatory services, transmitting location service messages between the UE and the LMF and between the RAN and the LMF, EPS bearer ID allocation for EPS interworking, UE mobility event notification, control plane CIoT 5GS optimization, user plane CIoT 5GS optimization, configuring external parameters (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters) and / or network slice-specific verification and authorization. Some or all of the AMF functions may be supported in a single instance of the AMF 614. Regardless of the number of network functions, in some embodiments, there is only one instance of the NAS interface terminating at one of the network functions that implement at least NAS security and mobility management for each access network between the UE and the CN. The AMF 614 may also include policy-related functions.

[0056] In addition to the above functions, the AMF 614 may further include the following functions to support non-3GPP access networks: support for the N2 interface with N3IWF / TNGF, on which some information (e.g., 3GPP cell identifier) and procedures (e.g., handover-related) defined on 3GPP access may not be applicable, and non-3GPP access-specific information not applicable to 3GPP access may be applied; support for NAS signaling with the UE via N3IWF / TNGF, where some procedures supported by NAS signaling over 3GPP access may not be applicable to untrusted non-3GPP (e.g., paging) access; support for the authentication of the UE connected via N3IWF / TNGF; management of the mobility, authentication, and separate security context states of the UE connected via non-3GPP access or simultaneously via 3GPP access or non-3GPP access; support for a coordinated RM management context valid on 3GPP access and non-3GPP access; and / or support for a dedicated CM management context for the UE to connect via non-3GPP access. It may not be necessary to support all of the above functions in the instance of a network slice.

[0057] The SMF 616 supports session management (e.g., session establishment, modification, and release, including tunnel maintenance between the UPF and the AN nodes), UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization) (where the UE IP address can be received from the UPF or from an external data network), DHCPv4 (server and client) and DHCPv6 (server and client) functions, functions for responding to Address Resolution Protocol requirements and / or IPv6 Neighbor Solicitation requests based on Ethernet PDU local cache information (e.g., the SMF responds to ARP and / or IPv6 Neighbor Solicitation requests by providing the MAC address corresponding to the IP address sent in the request), selection and control of user plane functions (including controlling the UPF to proxy ARP or IPv6 Neighbor Discovery or forwarding all ARP / IPv6 Neighbor Solicitation traffic to the SMF for the Ethernet PDU session), traffic steering configuration at the UPF to route traffic to the appropriate destination, 5G VN group management (e.g., maintaining the topology of the PSA UPFs involved, establishing and distributing N19 tunnels between PSA UPFs, configuring traffic forwarding at the UPF to apply local handover, and / or N6-based forwarding or N19-based forwarding), terminating the interface towards the Policy Control Function, lawful interception (for SM events and the interface to the LI system), charging for data collection and supporting the charging interface, controlling and coordinating the charging data collection at the UPF, terminating the SM part of NAS messages, downlink data notification, originator of AN-specific SM information sent to the AN via the AMF over N2, determination of the SSC mode of the session, control plane CIoT 5GS optimization, header compression, acting as an I-SMF in a deployable / removable / repositionable I-SMF deployment, configuring external parameters (expected UE behavior parameters or network configuration parameters), P-CSCF discovery for IMS services, roaming functions (e.g., handling local enforcement to apply QoS SLA (VPLMN), charging data collection and charging interface (VPLMN), and / or lawful interception (in the VPLMN for SM events and the interface to the LI system), interacting with the external DN to transmit signaling for PDU session authentication / authorization by the external DN and / or instructing the UPF and the NG-RAN to perform redundant transmission on the N3 / N9 interface. Some or all of the SMF functions can be supported in a single instance of the SMF. However, in some embodiments, not all functions need to be supported in an instance of a network slice. In addition to these functions, the SMF 616 may also include policy-related functions.

[0058] SCP 618 includes one or more of the following functions: indirect communication; delegated discovery; message forwarding and routing to a destination NF / NF service; communication security (e.g., authorization for an NF service consumer to access an NF service manufacturer API), load balancing, monitoring, overload control, etc.; and / or optionally interact with the UDR to resolve the UDM group ID / UDR group ID / AUSF group ID / PCF group ID / CHF group ID / HSS group ID based on the UE identity (e.g., SUPI or IMPI / IMPU). Some or all of the SCP functions can be supported in a single instance of the SCP. In certain embodiments, SCP 618 can be deployed in a distributed manner and / or more than one SCP can be present in the communication path between NF services. The SCP can be deployed at the PLMN level, shared slice level, and slice-specific level. Operator deployment can be left to ensure that the SCP can communicate with the relevant NRF.

[0059] UE 620 may include a device with radio communication capabilities. For example, UE 620 may include a smart phone (e.g., a handheld touchscreen mobile computing device that can connect to one or more cellular networks). UE 620 may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as a personal data assistant (PDA), pager, laptop computer, desktop computer, wireless handheld device, or any computing device that includes a wireless communication interface. The UE is also referred to as a client, mobile phone, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, mobile unit, mobile station, mobile user, subscriber, user, remote station, access agent, user agent, receiver, radio equipment, reconfigurable radio equipment, or reconfigurable mobile device. UE 620 may include an IoT UE, which may include a network access layer for low-power IoT applications designed to utilize short-term UE connections. The IoT UE may exchange data with an MTC server or device via a PLMN, other UEs using ProSe or D2D communication, a sensor network, or an IoT network using technologies (e.g., M2M, MTC, or mMTC technologies). The M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated data exchange. The IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure). The IoT UE may execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate the connection to the IoT network.

[0060] The UE 620 can be configured to be connected or communicatively coupled to the (R)AN 622 via a radio interface 630, which can be a physical communication interface or layer configured to operate with cellular communication protocols such as GSM protocol, CDMA network protocol, Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, Cellular PTT (POC) protocol, UMTS protocol, 3GPP LTE protocol, 5G protocol, NR protocol, etc. For example, the UE 620 and the (R)AN 622 can use the Uu interface (e.g., the LTE-Uu interface) to exchange control plane data via a protocol stack including a PHY layer, a MAC layer, an RLC layer, a PDCP layer, and an RRC layer. DL transmissions can be from the (R)AN 622 to the UE 620, and UL transmissions can be from the UE 620 to the (R)AN 622. The UE 620 can also communicate directly with another UE (not shown) using a sidelink for D2D, P2P, and / or ProSe communications. For example, the ProSe interface can include one or more logical channels, which include but are not limited to a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and a Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

[0061] (R)AN 622 can include one or more access nodes, which can be referred to as base stations (BSs), Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), next-generation Node Bs (gNBs), RAN nodes, controllers, transmission reception points (TRPs), etc., and can include terrestrial stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographical area (e.g., a cell). (R)AN 622 can include one or more RAN nodes for providing macro cells, pico cells, femto cells, or other types of cells. A macro cell can cover a relatively large geographical area (e.g., with a radius of several kilometers) and can allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions. A pico cell can cover a relatively small geographical area and can allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions. A femto cell can cover a relatively small geographical area (e.g., a home) and can allow restricted access by UEs associated with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), UEs of users in a home, etc.).

[0062] Although not shown, multiple RAN nodes (such as (R)AN 622) may be used, where an Xn interface is defined between two or more nodes. In some specific implementations, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. The Xn-U may provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and support / provide data forwarding and traffic control functions. The Xn-C may provide management and error handling functions for managing the functions of the Xn-C interface; mobility support for the UE 620 in the connected mode (e.g., CM-CONNECTED) includes functions for managing the UE mobility of the connected mode between one or more (R)AN nodes. This mobility support may include context transfer from an old (source) serving (R)AN node to a new (target) serving (R)AN node; and control of the user plane tunnel between the old (source) serving (R)AN node and the new (target) serving (R)AN node.

[0063] The UPF 624 may act as an anchor point for mobility within and between RATs, an external PDU session point interconnected with the DN 626, and a branching point for supporting multi-homed PDU sessions. The UPF 624 may also perform packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, execute the user plane part of policy rules, lawful intercept packets (UP collection); traffic usage reporting, perform QoS processing on the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement), perform uplink traffic verification (e.g., SDF to QoS flow mapping), transport level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, and downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering. The UPF 624 may include an uplink classifier for supporting routing traffic flows to the data network. The DN 626 may represent various network operator services, Internet access, or third-party services. The DN 626 may include, for example, an application server.

[0064] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a configurable exemplary UE 700 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including by executing instructions corresponding to any of the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein on a computer-readable medium. The UE 700 includes one or more processors 702, a transceiver 704, a memory 706, a user interface 708, and a control interface 710.

[0065] The one or more processors 702 may include, for example, an application processor, an audio digital signal processor, a central processing unit, and / or one or more baseband processors. Each of the one or more processors 702 may include internal memory and / or may include an interface for communicating with external memory, including memory 706. The internal or external memory may store software code, programs, and / or instructions for execution by the one or more processors 702 to configure and / or facilitate the UE 700 to perform various operations, including the operations described herein. For example, the execution of the instructions may configure the UE 700 to communicate using one or more wired or wireless communication protocols, including one or more wireless communication protocols standardized by 3GPP, such as those commonly referred to as 5G / NR, LTE, LTE-A, UMTS, HSPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, etc., or any other current or future protocol that may be used in conjunction with the one or more transceivers 704, user interface 708, and / or control interface 710. As another example, the one or more processors 702 may execute program code stored in memory 706 or other memory corresponding to the MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP (e.g., for NR and / or LTE). As yet another example, the processor 702 may execute program code stored in memory 706 or other memory that, together with the one or more transceivers 704, implements corresponding PHY layer protocols, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), and single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA).

[0066] Memory 706 may include memory areas for the one or more processors 702 to store variables used in the protocols, configurations, controls, and other functions of the UE 700, including operations corresponding to or including any of the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein. In addition, memory 706 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), or a combination thereof. In addition, memory 706 may interact with memory slots through which one or more formats of removable memory cards (e.g., SD cards, memory sticks, compact flash, etc.) may be inserted and removed.

[0067] The one or more transceivers 704 may include radio frequency transmitter and / or receiver circuitry that facilitates communication of the UE 700 with other equipment supporting similar wireless communication standards and / or protocols. For example, the one or more transceivers 704 may include switches, mixer circuitry, amplifier circuitry, filter circuitry, and synthesizer circuitry. Such RF circuitry may include a receive signal path having circuitry that downconverts an RF signal received from a front-end module (FEM) and provides a baseband signal to a baseband processor of one or more processors 702. The RF circuitry may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry for upconverting a baseband signal provided by the baseband processor and providing an RF output signal for transmission to the FEM. The FEM may include a receive signal path that may include circuitry configured to operate on an RF signal received from one or more antennas, amplify the received signal, and provide an amplified version of the received signal to the RF circuitry for further processing. The FEM may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry configured to amplify a transmit signal provided by the RF circuitry for transmission by one or more antennas. In various embodiments, amplification through the transmit or receive signal paths may be accomplished only in the RF circuitry, only in the FEM, or in both the RF circuitry and the FEM circuitry. In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry may include a TX / RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operations.

[0068] In some exemplary embodiments, the one or more transceivers 704 include transmitters and receivers that enable the device 1200 to communicate with various 5G / NR networks according to various protocols and / or methods proposed for standardization by 3GPP and / or other standards bodies. For example, such functionality may operate in cooperation with one or more processors 702 to implement a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA techniques, such as described herein with reference to other figures.

[0069] The user interface 708 may take various forms according to a particular embodiment or may not be present in the UE 700. In some embodiments, the user interface 708 includes a microphone, a speaker, a slide button, a push button, a display, a touch screen display, a mechanical or virtual keypad, a mechanical or virtual keyboard, and / or any other user interface features commonly present on a mobile phone. In other embodiments, the UE 700 may include a tablet computing device with a larger touch screen display. In such embodiments, one or more of the mechanical features of the user interface 708 may be replaced by equivalent or functionally equivalent virtual user interface features (e.g., virtual keypad, virtual buttons, etc.) implemented using the touch screen display, as is familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art. In other embodiments, the UE 700 may be a digital computing device, such as a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a workstation, etc., that includes a mechanical keyboard that may be integrated, disassembled, or removable according to a particular exemplary embodiment. Such digital computing devices may also include a touch screen display. Many exemplary embodiments of the UE 700 with a touch screen display are capable of receiving user input, such as input related to the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein or known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0070] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the UE 700 includes an orientation sensor that may be used in various ways by the features and functions of the UE 700. For example, the UE 700 may use the output of the orientation sensor to determine when the user has changed the physical orientation of the touch screen display of the UE 700. The indication signal from the orientation sensor may be used in any application executed on the UE 700 such that the application may automatically change the orientation of the screen display (e.g., from portrait to landscape) when the indication signal indicates a change of approximately 90 degrees in the physical orientation of the device. In this way, the application is able to maintain the screen display in a user-readable manner regardless of the physical orientation of the device. Additionally, the output of the orientation sensor may be used in conjunction with various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0071] The control interface 710 may take various forms according to a particular embodiment. For example, the control interface 710 may include an RS-232 interface, an RS-485 interface, a USB interface, an HDMI interface, a Bluetooth interface, an IEEE (“FireWire”) interface, an I 2 C interface, a PCMCIA interface, etc. In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the control interface 1260 may include an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet interface, such as described above. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control interface 710 may include an analog interface circuit that includes, for example, one or more digital-to-analog (D / A) converters and / or analog-to-digital (A / D) converters.

[0072] Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the above list of features, interfaces, and radio communication standards is merely exemplary and not limiting to the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the UE 700 may include more functions than Figure 7 shown, including, for example, video and / or still image cameras, microphones, media players, and / or recorders, etc. In addition, the one or more transceivers 704 may include circuitry for communicating using additional radio communication standards including Bluetooth, GPS, and / or others. Further, the one or more processors 702 may execute software code stored in the memory 706 to control such additional functions. For example, the directional speed and / or position estimates output from a GPS receiver may be used by any application executed on the UE 700, including the various exemplary methods and / or computer-readable media according to the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0073] Figure 8 is a block diagram of an exemplary configurable network node 800 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including by executing instructions corresponding to any of the exemplary methods and / or processes described herein on a computer-readable medium.

[0074] The network node 800 includes one or more processors 802, a radio network interface 804, a memory 806, a core network interface 808, and other interfaces 810. The network node 800 may include, for example, a base station, eNB, gNB, access node, or components thereof.

[0075] The one or more processors 802 can include any type of processor or processing circuitry and can be configured to execute one of the methods or processes disclosed herein. The memory 806 can store software code, programs, and / or instructions that are executed by the one or more processors 802 to configure the network node 800 to perform various operations, including the operations described herein. For example, the execution of such stored instructions can configure the network node 800 to communicate with one or more other devices using protocols according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including one or more of the methods and / or processes discussed above. Additionally, the execution of such stored instructions can also configure and / or facilitate the network node 800 to communicate with one or more other devices using other protocols or protocol layers, such as one or more of the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or NR, or any other higher layer protocol used in conjunction with the radio network interface 804 and the core network interface 808. By way of example and not limitation, the core network interface 808 includes the S1 interface, and the radio network interface 804 can include the Uu interface, as standardized by 3GPP. The memory 806 can also store variables used in the protocols, configurations, controls, and other functions of the network node 800. Thus, the memory 806 can include non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, hard disk, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), network-based (e.g., "cloud") storage devices, or a combination thereof.

[0076] The radio network interface 804 can include a transmitter, a receiver, signal processors, ASICs, antennas, beamforming units, and other circuitry that enables the network node 800 to communicate with other equipment, such as, in some embodiments, a plurality of compatible user equipment (UE). In some embodiments, the network node 800 can include various protocols or protocol layers, such as the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or 5G / NR. According to additional embodiments of the present disclosure, the radio network interface 804 can include a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA technologies. In some embodiments, the functions of such a PHY layer can be provided collaboratively by the radio network interface 804 and the one or more processors 802.

[0077] The core network interface 808 may include a transmitter, a receiver, and other circuitry that enables the network node 800 to communicate with other equipment in a core network (in some embodiments, such as a circuit-switched (CS) and / or packet-switched core (PS) network). In some embodiments, the core network interface 808 may include an S1 interface standardized by 3GPP. In some embodiments, the core network interface 808 may include one or more interfaces to one or more SGWs, MMEs, SGSNs, GGSNs, and other physical devices, and the one or more interfaces include functions known to those of ordinary skill in the art present in GERAN, UTRAN, E-UTRAN, and CDMA2000 core networks. In some embodiments, these one or more interfaces may be multiplexed together on a single physical interface. In some embodiments, the lower layers of the core network interface 808 may include one or more of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), Internet protocol over Ethernet (IP), SDH over fiber optic, T1 / E1 / PDH over copper wire, microwave radio, or other wired or wireless transmission technologies known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0078] The other interface 810 may include a transmitter, a receiver, and other circuitry that enables the network node 800 to communicate with external networks, computers, databases, etc. for operating, managing, and maintaining the network node 800 or other network devices operably connected thereto.

[0079] Embodiment

[0080] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components illustrated in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, and / or methods as set forth in the following examples. For example, a baseband circuit or other processor or processing circuitry as described herein may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the following examples. As another example, circuitry associated with a UE, a base station, a network element, etc. as described above in connection with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of the examples set forth in the following examples.

[0081] Example 1 may include an apparatus that includes means for performing one or more elements of the methods described herein.

[0082] Example 2 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that include instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of the methods or processes described herein.

[0083] Example 3 may include an apparatus that includes logic components, modules, or circuits for performing one or more elements of the methods or processes described herein.

[0084] Example 4 may include a method, technique, or process, or a part or component thereof, as described in or related to any one of Examples 1 to 3.

[0085] Example 5 may include an apparatus that includes one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media that include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process as described in or related to any implementation herein.

[0086] Unless otherwise explicitly stated, any one of the above examples may be combined with any other example (or combination of examples). The foregoing description of one or more specific implementations provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the implementations to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings, or may be acquired from practice of various implementations.

[0087] Implementations and specific implementations of the systems and methods described herein may include various operations that may be embodied in machine-executable instructions to be executed by a computer system. The computer system may include one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers (or other electronic devices). The computer system may include hardware components that include specific logic components for performing the operations, or may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0088] It should be recognized that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific implementations. These implementations may be combined into a single system, partially incorporated into other systems, divided into multiple systems, or otherwise partitioned or combined. Additionally, it is contemplated that the parameters / attributes / aspects, etc. of one implementation may be used in another implementation. For clarity, these parameters / attributes / aspects, etc. are described in only one or more implementations, and it should be recognized that unless specifically stated herein, these parameters / attributes / aspects, etc. may be combined with or substituted for the parameters / attributes, etc. of another implementation.

[0089] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for purposes of clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing both the processes and apparatuses described herein. Accordingly, the implementations of the invention are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and the specification is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment (UE) to provide searcher resource coordination between measurements based on New Radio (NR) mobility without measurement gaps and measurements based on Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) positioning reference signals (PRS) in an E-UTRA-NR dual connectivity (EN-DC) mode or an NR-E-UTRA dual connectivity (NE-DC) mode, the method comprising: If the PRS periodicity is greater than a first threshold, or if the PRS periodicity is equal to the first threshold and one or more PRS occasions are silent, then prioritize the PRS-based measurement over the mobility-based measurement; And If the PRS periodicity is less than a second threshold, or if the PRS periodicity is equal to the second threshold and none of the one or more PRS occasions are silent, then do not prioritize the PRS-based measurement over the mobility-based measurement.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein prioritizing the PRS-based measurement over the mobility-based measurement includes, for the EN-DC mode: Reserving a first searcher resource for the PRS-based measurement; and Using a first percentage of a second searcher resource for the mobility-based measurement on a primary-secondary component carrier (PSCC).

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: If one or more NR secondary component carriers (SCCs) are within a first frequency range (FR1) and none of the NR SCCs are within a second frequency range (FR2), then equally sharing a first remaining percentage of the second searcher resource among other mobility-based measurements on the NR SCCs; and If at least one NR FR2 SCC is within the FR2, then using a second percentage of the second searcher resource for the FR2 SCC with adjacent cell measurements and sharing a second remaining percentage of the second searcher resource among other SCCs within FR1 and FR2.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein prioritizing the PRS-based measurement over the mobility-based measurement includes, for the NE-DC mode: Reserving a first searcher resource for the PRS-based measurement; and Using a first percentage of a second searcher resource for the mobility-based measurement on a primary component carrier (PCC).

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: If one or more NR secondary component carriers (SCCs) are within a first frequency range (FR1) and none of the NR SCCs are within a second frequency range (FR2), then equally sharing a first remaining percentage of the second searcher resource among other mobility-based measurements on the NR SCCs; and If at least one NR FR2 SCC is within the FR2, then using a second percentage of the second searcher resource for the FR2 SCC with adjacent cell measurements and sharing a second remaining percentage of the second searcher resource among other SCCs within FR1 and FR2.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the second searcher resource includes occupied time.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein making the PRS-based measurement take precedence over the mobility-based measurement includes, for the EN-DC mode: equally sharing a first searcher resource between the PRS-based measurement and the NR primary-secondary component carrier PSCC mobility measurement.

8. The method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: if one or more NR secondary component carriers SCCs are within a first frequency range FR1 and none of the NR SCCs are within a second frequency range FR2, then equally sharing a second searcher resource between other mobility-based measurements on the NR SCCs; and if at least one NR FR2 SCC is within the FR2, then using a certain percentage of the second searcher resource for the FR2 SCC with adjacent cell measurements and sharing the remaining percentage of the second searcher resource between other SCCs within FR1 and FR2.

9. The method according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein making the PRS-based measurement take precedence over the mobility-based measurement includes, for the NE-DC mode: equally sharing the first searcher resource between the PRS-based measurement and the NR primary component carrier PCC mobility measurement.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: if one or more NR secondary component carriers SCCs are within a first frequency range FR1 and none of the NR SCCs are within a second frequency range FR2, then equally sharing the second searcher resource between other mobility-based measurements on the NR SCCs; and if at least one NR FR2 SCC is within the FR2, then using a certain percentage of the second searcher resource for the FR2 SCC with adjacent cell measurements and sharing the remaining percentage of the second searcher resource between other SCCs within FR1 and FR2.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 8, wherein the first searcher resource includes occupied time.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein not making the PRS-based measurement take precedence over the mobility-based measurement includes: if one or more NR secondary component carriers SCCs are within a first frequency range FR1 and none of the NR SCCs are within a second frequency range FR2, then equally sharing the searcher resource between the PRS-based measurement and the one or more NR SCCs within FR1; and if at least one NR FR2 SCC is within the FR2, then equally sharing the searcher resource between the PRS-based measurement, the one or more NR SCCs within FR1, and the at least one NR FR2 SCC that does not require adjacent cell measurements.

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