Method and storage medium for measurement object merging for nr unlicensed spectrum

Abstract

This disclosure describes techniques for NR-U MO consolidation in EN-DC and NR-DC implementations, with consideration of additional parameters including different Q-values and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configurations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless communication systems in general, including the configuration of measurement objects. Background Technology

[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 may include 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) (e.g., 4G) or New Radio (NR) (e.g., 5G); the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard, commonly referred to by the industry organization as WiMAX; and the IEEE 802.11 standard for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), commonly referred to by the industry organization as Wi-Fi. In the 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN) of an LTE system, a base station may include RAN nodes such as an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also commonly referred to as Evolved Node B, Enhanced Node B, eNodeB, or eNB) and / or a Radio Network Controller (RNC) in the E-UTRAN, which communicates with wireless communication equipment called User Equipment (UE). In the fifth generation (5G) wireless RAN, RAN nodes may include 5G nodes and NR nodes (also known as next-generation node B or g NodeB (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 GSM Evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), and / or E-UTRAN, which provides access to communication services through the core network. Each RAN operates according to a specific 3GPP RAT. For example, GERAN implements the GSM and / or EDGE RAT, UTRAN implements the Universal System for Mobile Communications (UMTS) RAT or other 3GPP RATs, E-UTRAN implements the LTE RAT, and NG-RAN implements the 5G RAT. In some deployments, E-UTRAN may also implement the 5G RAT.

[0004] 5G NR frequency bands can be divided into two distinct frequency ranges. Frequency range 1 (FR1) may include bands operating below 6 GHz, some of which are available for previous standards and can potentially be extended to cover new spectrum offerings from 410 MHz to 7125 MHz. Frequency range 2 (FR2) may include bands from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. The bands in the millimeter wave (mmWave) range of FR2 may have a smaller range than those in FR1 but potentially higher available bandwidth. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these frequency ranges, presented by way of example, may vary over time or in different regions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, a method is provided for merging measurement objects (MOs) performed by a user equipment (UE) in an NR system including a New Radio (NR) unlicensed (NR-U) carrier, the NR system being configured to provide E-UTRA-NR dual connectivity (EN-DC) between a licensed band LTE primary cell (PCell) and an NR-U primary / secondary cell (PSCell), the method comprising: determining whether the E-UTRA PCell and the NR PSCell are configured with the same NR carrier frequency layer having a free channel assessment (CCA) to be monitored by the UE in the in-synchronous band EN-DC, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-U PSCell with CCA and the E-UTRA PCell is the licensed band LTE PCell; and count the same NR carrier frequency layer once to the total number of effective carrier frequency layers by checking that the system frame number and slot boundaries are aligned and in response to the fact that the same NR carrier frequency layer has no difference in received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, measurement timing configuration based on synchronization signal block (SMTC) configuration, Q value and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration.

[0006] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, another method is provided, performed by a user equipment (UE), for merging measurement objects (MOs) in an NR system including a New Radio (NR) unlicensed (NR-U) carrier, the NR system being configured to provide NR dual connectivity (NR-DC) between licensed frequency bands NR and NR-U, the method comprising: determining whether an NR primary cell (PCell) and an NR primary secondary cell (PSCell) are configured with the same NR carrier frequency layer having a free channel assessment (CCA) to be monitored by the UE in a synchronous NR-DC, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-U PSCell with CCA; and counting the same NR carrier frequency layer once to the total number of effective carrier frequency layers by checking that the system frame number and slot boundaries are aligned and in response to no differences in the same NR carrier frequency layer in terms of Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurement resources, deriveSSB-IndexFromCell indication, Measurement Timing Configuration Based on Synchronization Block (SMTC) configuration, Q value, and RSSI Measurement Timing Configuration (RMTC) configuration.

[0007] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, a method is provided by an apparatus of a New Radio (NR) system configured to perform a Measurement Object (MO) for a User Equipment (UE), the NR system being configured to provide an NR unlicensed (NR-U) carrier for dual connectivity between an E-UTRA-NR dual connectivity (EN-DC) or a licensed frequency band LTE primary cell (PCell) and an NR-U primary / secondary cell (PSCell), the method comprising: establishing an NR PSCell, the NR PSCell being an NR-UPSCell with CCA; configuring an MO for the UE, wherein the MO is associated with an NR carrier frequency layer with CCA to be monitored by the UE in the EN-DC within the synchronization band; and determining that the MO is merged with another NR carrier frequency layer, the system frame number and slot boundaries of the other NR carrier frequency layer being aligned with the NR carrier frequency layer and the other NR carrier frequency layer being identical to the NR carrier frequency layer in terms of RSSI measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, SMTC configuration, Q value, and RMTC configuration.

[0008] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, another method is provided for configuring an MO for a UE by means of an NR system including an NR-U carrier, the NR system being configured to provide NR-DC or dual connectivity between NR and NR-U in a licensed frequency band, the method comprising: establishing an NR PSCell, the NR PSCell being an NR-U PSCell with CCA; configuring an MO for the UE, wherein the MO is associated with an NR carrier frequency layer with CCA to be monitored by the UE in a synchronous NR-DC; and determining that the MO is merged with another NR carrier frequency layer, the system frame number and slot boundaries of the other NR carrier frequency layer being aligned with the NR carrier frequency layer and the other NR carrier frequency layer being identical to the NR carrier frequency layer in terms of RSSI measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, SMTC configuration, Q value, and RMTC configuration.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is also provided, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the foregoing methods provided according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0010] To facilitate identification of any particular element or action being discussed, one or more of the most significant digits in the reference numerals refer to the drawing number in which the element was first introduced.

[0011] Figure 1 A system according to one implementation is shown.

[0012] Figure 2 A network according to one implementation scheme is shown.

[0013] Figure 3 The components according to one implementation are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0014] Figure 1 Exemplary architectures of system 100 for networks according to various implementations are shown. The following description is provided for example system 100 operating in combination with LTE system standards and 5G or NR system standards provided by 3GPP technical specifications. However, the exemplary implementations are not limited in this respect, and the implementations can be applied to other networks that benefit from the principles described herein, such as future 3GPP systems (e.g., sixth generation (6G)) systems, IEEE 802.16 protocols (e.g., WMAN, WiMAX, etc.), etc.

[0015] like Figure 1As shown, system 100 includes UE 122 and UE 120. In this example, UE 122 and UE 120 are exemplified as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as consumer electronics devices, mobile phones, smartphones, feature phones, tablets, wearable computing devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, wireless handheld devices, desktop computers, laptops, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), in-vehicle entertainment (ICE) devices, instrument cluster (IC), head-up display (HUD) devices, onboard diagnostic (OBD) devices, dashboard mobile equipment (DME), mobile data terminal (MDT), electronic engine management system (EEMS), electronic / engine control unit (ECU), electronic / engine control module (ECM), embedded systems, microcontrollers, control modules, engine management system (EMS), connected or “smart” appliances, MTC devices, M2M, IoT devices, etc.

[0016] In some implementations, UE 122 and / or UE 120 may be IoT UEs, which may include a network access layer designed to utilize low-power IoT applications with short-lived UE connections. IoT UEs may utilize technologies such as M2M or MTC to exchange data with MTC servers or devices via PLMN, ProSe, or D2D communication, sensor networks, or IoT networks. M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated data exchange. An IoT network describes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure) with short-lived connections. IoT UEs may execute background applications (e.g., keeping track of activity messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity within the IoT network.

[0017] UE 122 and UE 120 can be configured to connect to an access node or radio access node (shown as (R)AN 108), for example, through communication coupling. In implementations, (R)AN 108 can be an NG RAN or SG RAN, E-UTRAN, or a legacy RAN such as UTRAN or GERAN. As used herein, the term "NG RAN," etc., can refer to (R)AN 108 operating in an NR or SG system, and the term "E-UTRAN," etc., can refer to (R)AN 108 operating in an LTE or 4G system. UE 122 and UE 120 utilize connections (or channels) (shown as connection 104 and connection 102, respectively), each connection (or channel) including a physical communication interface or layer (discussed in further detail below).

[0018] In this example, connections 104 and 102 are air interfaces that enable communication coupling and are compliant with cellular communication protocols such as GSM, CDMA, PTT, POC, UMTS, 3GPP LTE, SG, NR, and / or any other communication protocols discussed herein. In an implementation, UE 122 and UE 120 can directly exchange communication data via ProSe interface 110. ProSe interface 110 may alternatively be referred to as sidelink (SL) interface 110 and may include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to PSCCH, PSSCH, PSDCH, and PSBCH.

[0019] UE 120 is illustrated as being configured to access AP 112 (also known as a "WLAN node", "WLAN", "WLAN terminal", "WT", etc.) via connection 124. Connection 124 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, where AP 112 will include Wireless Fibre. Router. In this example, AP 112 may connect to the Internet but not to the core network of the wireless system (described in further detail below). In various implementations, UE 120, (R)AN 108, and AP 112 may be configured to utilize LWA operation and / or LWIP operation. LWA operation may involve UE 120 in RRC_CONNECTED being configured by RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 to utilize the radio resources of LTE and WLAN. LWIP operation may involve UE 120 using WLAN radio resources (e.g., connection 124) via IPsec protocol tunneling to authenticate and encrypt packets (e.g., IP packets) transmitted through connection 124. IPsec tunneling may include encapsulating the entire original IP packet and adding a new packet header to protect the original header of the IP packet.

[0020] (R)AN 108 may include one or more AN nodes, such as RAN node 114 and RAN node 116, that enable connection 104 and connection 102. As used herein, the terms “access node,” “access point,” etc., can describe equipment that provides radio baseband functionality for data and / or voice connections between the network and one or more users. These access nodes may be referred to as BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, NodeB, RSU, TRxP, or TRP, etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). As used herein, the terms “NG RAN node,” etc., can refer to a RAN node (e.g., gNB) operating in an NR or SG system, while the terms “E-UT RAN node,” etc., can refer to a RAN node (e.g., eNB) operating in an LTE or 4G system 100. According to various implementation schemes, RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 may be implemented as one or more of dedicated physical devices such as macro cell base stations and / or low-power (LP) base stations for providing smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity or higher bandwidth compared to macro cells.

[0021] In some implementations, all or part of RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 may be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network, which may be referred to as CRAN and / or Virtual Baseband Unit Pool (vBBUP). In these implementations, CRAN or vBBUP may implement RAN function partitioning, such as PDCP partitioning, where the RRC and PDCP layers are operated by CRAN / vBBUP, while other L2 protocol entities are operated by individual RAN nodes (e.g., RAN node 114 or RAN node 116); MAC / PHY partitioning, where the RRC, PDCP, RLC, and MAC layers are operated by CRAN / vBBUP, and the PHY layer is operated by individual RAN nodes (e.g., RAN node 114 or RAN node 116); or “lower PHY” partitioning, where the upper portion of the RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC, and PHY layers is operated by CRAN / vBBUP, while the lower portion of the PHY layer is operated by individual RAN nodes. This virtualization framework allows idle processor cores of RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 to execute other virtualized applications. In some specific implementations, each RAN node can represent a connection via each F1 interface ( Figure 1(Not shown) Individual gNB-DUs connected to the gNB-CU. In these specific implementations, the gNB-DU may include one or more remote radio head units or RFEMs, and the gNB-CU may be operated by a server (not shown) located in (R)AN 108 or by a server pool in a manner similar to CRAN / vBBUP. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of RAN nodes 114 or RAN nodes 116 may be next-generation eNBs (ng-eNBs), which are RAN nodes that provide E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol termination to UE 122 and UE 120 and are connected to the SGC via the ng interface (discussed below). In V2X scenarios, one or more of RAN nodes 114 or RAN nodes 116 may be RSUs or act as RSUs.

[0022] The term "roadside unit" or "RSU" can refer to any traffic infrastructure entity used for V2X communication. An RSU can be implemented in or by a suitable RAN node or a stationary (or relatively stationary) UE, wherein an RSU implemented in or by a UE can be referred to as a "UE-type RSU," an RSU implemented in or by an eNB can be referred to as an "eNB-type RSU," an RSU implemented in or by a gNB can be referred to as a "gNB-type RSU," and so on. In one example, an RSU is a computing device coupled to radio frequency circuitry located on the roadside that provides connectivity support to passing vehicle UEs (vUEs). An RSU may also include internal data storage circuitry for storing intersection map geometry, traffic statistics, media, and applications / software for sensing and controlling ongoing vehicle and pedestrian traffic. An RSU can operate on the 5.9 GHz Direct Near Range Communication (DSRC) band to provide extremely low-latency communication required for high-speed events, such as collision avoidance and traffic warnings. Alternatively or in addition to this, the RSU may operate on a cellular V2X band to provide the aforementioned low-latency communications and other cellular communication services. Alternatively or in addition to this, the RSU may operate as a Wi-Fi hotspot (2.4 GHz band) and / or provide connectivity to one or more cellular networks to provide uplink and downlink communications. Some or all of the computing device and the RSU's radio frequency circuitry may be packaged in a weather-resistant package suitable for outdoor installation and may include a network interface controller to provide wired connectivity (e.g., Ethernet) to traffic signal controllers and / or backhaul networks.

[0023] RAN node 114 and / or RAN node 116 may terminate the air interface protocol and may be the first point of contact for UE 122 and UE 120. In some implementations, RAN node 114 and / or RAN node 116 may perform various logical functions of (R)AN 108, including but not limited to Radio Network Controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management.

[0024] In the implementation, UE 122 and UE 120 may be configured to communicate with each other or with RAN node 114 and / or RAN node 116 on a multi-carrier communication channel using OFDM communication signals, according to various communication technologies such as, but not limited to, OFDMA communication technology (e.g., for downlink communication) or SC-FDMA communication technology (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communication), but the scope of the implementation is not limited in this respect. The OFDM signal may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0025] In some implementations, the downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmissions from RAN node 114 and / or RAN node 116 to UE 122 and UE 120, while uplink transmissions can utilize similar techniques. The grid can be a time-frequency grid, referred to as a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which represents the physical resources in the downlink within each time slot. This time-frequency plane representation is common practice for OFDM systems, making radio resource allocation intuitive. Each column and row of the resource grid corresponds to an OFDM symbol and an OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to a time slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in the resource grid is represented as a resource element. Each resource grid comprises multiple resource blocks that describe the mapping of certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource block comprises a set of resource elements; in the frequency domain, this can represent the minimum amount of resources currently available for allocation. Such resource blocks are used to transmit several different physical downlink channels.

[0026] According to various implementations, UE 122 and UE 120 and RAN node 114 and / or RAN node 116 transmit data (e.g., transmit and receive data) through licensed media (also referred to as “licensed spectrum” and / or “licensed band”) and unlicensed shared media (also referred to as “unlicensed spectrum” and / or “unlicensed band”). The licensed spectrum may include channels operating in the frequency range of approximately 400 MHz to approximately 3.8 GHz, while the unlicensed spectrum may include a 5 GHz band.

[0027] To operate in unlicensed spectrum, UE 122 and UE 120, along with RAN node 114 or RAN node 116, may use LAA, eLAA, and / or feLAA mechanisms. In these specific implementations, UE 122 and UE 120, along with RAN node 114 or RAN node 116, may perform one or more known media sensing and / or carrier sensing operations to determine whether one or more channels in the unlicensed spectrum are unavailable or otherwise occupied before transmission in the unlicensed spectrum. Media / carrier sensing operations may be performed according to a Listen-After-Speak (LBT) protocol.

[0028] LBT is a mechanism that equipment (e.g., UE 122 and UE 120, RAN node 114 or RAN node 116, etc.) uses to sense a medium (e.g., a channel or carrier frequency) and transmit when the medium is sensed to be idle (or when a specific channel in the medium is sensed to be unoccupied). The medium sensing operation may include Free Channel Assessment (CCA), which uses at least Energy Detection (ED) to determine the presence of other signals on the channel in order to determine whether the channel is occupied or cleared. This LBT mechanism allows cellular / LAA networks to coexist with existing systems in unlicensed spectrum and with other LAA networks. ED may include sensing RF energy in the intended transmission band over a period of time and comparing the sensed RF energy with a predefined or configured threshold.

[0029] Typically, existing systems in the 5GHz band are WLANs based on IEEE 802.11 technology. WLANs employ a contention-based channel access mechanism called CSMA / CA. Here, when a WLAN node (e.g., a mobile station (MS) such as UE 122, AP112, etc.) intends to transmit, the WLAN node can first perform CCA before transmitting. Additionally, in cases where more than one WLAN node senses the channel as idle and transmits simultaneously, a backoff mechanism is used to avoid collisions. This backoff mechanism can be a counter randomly introduced within the CWS, which increases exponentially upon collision and resets to a minimum value upon successful transmission. The LBT mechanism designed for LAA is somewhat similar to WLAN's CSMA / CA. In some specific implementations, the LBT process for DL ​​or UL transmission bursts (including PDSCH or PUSCH transmissions) can have a variable-length LAA contention window between the X and Y ECCA time slots, where X and Y are the minimum and maximum values ​​of the LAA's CWS. In one example, the minimum CWS for LAA transmission can be 9 microseconds (μs); however, the size of the CWS and MCOT (e.g., transmission burst) can be based on government regulatory requirements.

[0030] The LAA mechanism is built upon the CA technology of LTE-Advanced systems. In CA, each aggregated carrier is called a CC. A CC can have a bandwidth of 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, or 20 MHz, and a maximum of five CCs can be aggregated, thus the maximum aggregated bandwidth is 100 MHz. In FDD systems, the number of aggregated carriers can differ for DL ​​and UL, where the number of UL CCs is equal to or less than the number of DL component carriers. In some cases, individual CCs can have different bandwidths than the other CCs. In TDD systems, the number of CCs and the bandwidth of each CC are usually the same for DL ​​and UL.

[0031] The CA also includes individual serving cells to provide individual CCs. The coverage of serving cells can differ, for example, because CCs on different frequency bands will experience different path losses. The primary serving cell, or PCell, provides the PCC for both UL and DL and handles activities related to RRC and NAS. Other serving cells are called SCells, and each SCell provides individual SCCs for both UL and DL. SCCs can be added and removed as needed, and changing the PCC may require UE 122 to undergo handover. In LAA, eLAA, and feLAA, some or all of the SCells can operate in unlicensed spectrum (called "LAA SCells"), and LAA SCells are assisted by PCells operating in licensed spectrum. When a UE is configured to have more than one LAA SCell, the UE can receive UL grants on the configured LAA SCells, indicating different PUSCH start positions within the same subframe.

[0032] The PDSCH carries user data and higher-layer signaling to UE 122 and UE 120. Among other information, the PDCCH carries information about the transmission format and resource allocation related to the PDSCH channel. It can also inform UE 122 and UE 120 about the transmission format, resource allocation, and HARQ information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (allocating control and shared channel resource blocks to UE 120 within the cell) can be performed at either RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 based on channel quality information fed back from either UE 122 or UE 120. Downlink resource allocation information can be transmitted on the PDCCH used (e.g., allocated to) each of UE 122 and UE 120.

[0033] PDCCH uses CCEs to transmit control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the complex-valued symbols of the PDCCH can first be organized into quadruplets, which can then be arranged using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. One or more of these CCEs can be used to transmit each PDCCH, where each CCE can correspond to nine sets, called REGs, each with four physical resource elements. Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. Depending on the DCI size and channel conditions, one or more CCEs can be used to transmit the PDCCH. Four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation levels, L = 1, 2, 4, or 8) can exist.

[0034] Some implementations may use the concept of resource allocation for control channel information, which is an extension of the above concept. For example, some implementations may utilize EPDCCH, which uses PDSCH resources for control information transmission. One or more ECCEs may be used to transmit EPDCCH. Similarly, each ECCE may correspond to a set of nine, each consisting of four physical resource elements, called EREG. In some cases, an ECCE may have a different number of EREGs.

[0035] RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 may be configured to communicate with each other via interface 130. In embodiments where system 100 is an LTE system (e.g., when CN 106 is an EPC), interface 130 may be an X2 interface. The X2 interface may be defined between two or more RAN nodes connected to the EPC (e.g., two or more eNBs, etc.), and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC. In some specific implementations, the X2 interface may include an X2 user plane interface (X2-U) and an X2 control plane interface (X2-C). X2-U may provide flow control mechanisms for user packets transmitted via the X2 interface and may be used to transmit information about the delivery of user data between eNBs. For example, X2-U may provide specific sequence number information about user data transmitted from the MeNB to the SeNB; information about the successful in-order delivery of PDCP PDUs from the SeNB to the UE 122 for user data; information about PDCP PDUs not delivered to the UE 122; information about the current minimum expected buffer size at the SeNB for transmitting user data to the UE; and so on. The X2-C provides LTE intra-eNB access mobility functions, including context transmission from the source eNB to the destination eNB, user plane transmission control, load management functions, and inter-cell interference coordination functions.

[0036] In implementations where system 100 is an SG or NR system (e.g., when CN 106 is an SGC), interface 130 may be an Xn interface. The Xn interface is defined between two or more RAN nodes connected to the SGC (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.), between a RAN node 114 (e.g., a gNB) connected to the SGC and an eNB, and / or between two eNBs connected to the SGC (e.g., CN 106). In some specific implementations, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. Xn-U provides non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and supports / provides data forwarding and flow control functions. Xn-C provides management and error handling functions for managing the functionality of the Xn-C interface; mobility support for UE 122 in connected modes (e.g., CM-CONNECTED) includes functions for managing UE mobility in connected modes between one or more RAN nodes 114 or RAN nodes 116. Mobility support may include context transfer from the old (source) serving RAN node 114 to the new (destination) serving RAN node 116, and control of the user plane tunnel between the old (source) serving RAN node 114 and the new (destination) serving RAN node 116. The Xn-U protocol stack may include a transport network layer built on top of the Internet Protocol (IP) transport layer, and a GTP-U layer on top of the UDP and / or IP layers for carrying user plane PDUs. The Xn-C protocol stack may include an application layer signaling protocol (referred to as the Xn Application Protocol (Xn-AP)) and a transport network layer built on top of SCTP. SCTP may be on top of the IP layer and provides guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. In the transport IP layer, point-to-point transmission is used to deliver signaling PDUs. In other specific implementations, the Xn-U protocol stack and / or the Xn-C protocol stack may be the same as or similar to the user plane and / or control plane protocol stacks shown and described herein.

[0037] (R)AN 108 is illustrated as being communicatively coupled to the core network—in this embodiment, communicatively coupled to CN 106. CN 106 may include one or more network elements 132 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 122 and UE 120) connected to CN 106 via (R)AN 108. Components of CN 106 may be implemented in a single physical node or separate physical nodes, including components for reading and executing instructions from machine-readable or computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory machine-readable storage media). In some embodiments, NFV may be used to virtualize any or all of the aforementioned network node functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media (described in further detail below). A logical instantiation of CN 106 may be referred to as a network slice, and a logical instantiation of a portion of CN 106 may be referred to as a network subslice. NFV architectures and infrastructure may be used to virtualize one or more network functions onto physical resources comprising a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches (optionally performed by proprietary hardware). In other words, an NFV system can be used to perform a virtual or reconfigurable concrete implementation of one or more EPC components / functions.

[0038] Generally, application server 118 can be a component that provides IP bearer resources for use with the core network (e.g., UMTS PS domain, LTE PS data service, etc.). Application server 118 can also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., VoIP sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.) for UE 122 and UE 120 via EPC. Application server 118 can communicate with CN 106 via IP communication interface 136.

[0039] In this implementation, CN 106 may be an SGC, and (R)AN 116 may be connected to CN 106 via NG interface 134. In this implementation, NG interface 134 may be divided into two parts: an NG user plane (NG-U) interface 126, which carries service data between RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 and the UPF; and an S1 control plane (NG-C) interface 128, which is the signaling interface between RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 and the AMF.

[0040] In one implementation, CN 106 may be an SG CN, while in other implementations, CN 106 may be an EPC. When CN 106 is an EPC, (R)AN 116 may be connected to CN 106 via S1 interface 134. In one implementation, S1 interface 134 may be divided into two parts: an S1 user plane (S1-U) interface 126, which carries service data between RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 and the S-GW; and an S1-MME interface 128, which is the signaling interface between RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 and the MME.

[0041] Figure 2 An example of a multi-RAT dual connectivity (MR-DC) configuration is shown, which may involve multiple receive (Rx) / transmit (Tx) UEs configured to utilize radio resources provided by two different schedulers in two different nodes via a non-ideal backhaul connection. One scheduler provides Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) access, and the other scheduler provides NR access. One scheduler is located in the primary node (MN), and the other is located in the secondary node (SN). The MN and SN are connected via a network interface, and at least the MN is connected to the core network.

[0042] MR-DC may include, but is not limited to, E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), NG-RAN-E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (NGEN-DC), NR-E-UTRA Dual Connectivity (NE-DC), and NR-DC. In an EN-DC network or communication, the UE can connect to an evolved Node B (eNB) or ng-eNB acting as the MN and a Next Generation Node B (gNB) acting as the SN. The eNB or ng-eNB connects to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), and the gNB connects to the eNB. The gNB can be a node that provides New Radio (NR) user plane and control plane protocol terminals to the UE and acts as the SN in the EN-DC. In contrast, in an NE-DC network or communication, the UE can connect to a gNB acting as the MN and an eNB or ng-eNB acting as the SN. The gNB connects to the 5G Core (5GC), and the eNB or ng-eNB connects to the gNB via the Xn interface. In NR-DC, both the primary RAN node and the secondary RAN node are 5G gNBs.

[0043] Figure 2 An exemplary network 200 configured as an EN-DC network in some embodiments is shown. Network 200 may include multiple ANs, such as AN 202 and AN 204. AN 202 and AN 204 may be connected to... Figure 1The RAN node 114 or RAN node 116 shown are the same or substantially similar. AN 202 can provide UE 208's primary serving cell (PCell) PCell 206 or associated therewith, which UE 218 can use to perform the initial connection establishment procedure or initiate a connection reconstruction procedure. AN 204 can provide one or more secondary cells (SCells) or associated therewith.

[0044] In some implementations, AN 202 may further provide one or more secondary cells (SCells) of UE 208 (e.g., SCell 210 and SCell 212) or associated therewith. PCell 206 and SCell 210 / SCell 212 may be part of primary cell group (MCG) MCG 214.

[0045] In some implementations, one or more SCells may include a primary and secondary cell (PSCell) PSCell 216 and one or more SCells, such as SCell 218 and SCell 220. PSCell 216 and SCell 218 / SCell 220 may be part of a secondary cell group (SCG) SCG 222.

[0046] It should be noted that “AN of PCell”, “AN in PCell”, and “PCell” are used interchangeably throughout this publication and with respect to terms such as PSCell and SCell.

[0047] In EN-DC network 200, AN 202 can be an eNB, and AN 204 can be a gNB. Correspondingly, PCell 206, SCell 210, and SCell 212 can be LTE cells, and PSCell 216, SCell 218, and SCell 220 can be NR cells. Conversely, when Figure 2 In the example network 200 configured as an NE-DC network in some implementations, AN202 can be a gNB and AN204 can be an eNB. Accordingly, PCell 206, SCell 210 and SCell 212 can be NR cells and PSCell 216, SCell 218 and SCell 220 can be LTE cells.

[0048] In networks where UE 208 operates in EN-DC or NE-DC mode, with configuration from PCell206, UE 208 may need to detect or measure one or more neighboring non-serving cells or other measurements. Various aspects of measurement and measurement configuration are described in 3GPP TS38.331. For example, the network can configure an RRC_CONNECTED UE to perform measurements. The network can configure the UE to report measurements based on the measurement configuration or to perform conditional reconfiguration assessments based on conditional reconfiguration. Measurement configuration is provided via dedicated signaling, specifically using RRCReconfiguration or RRCResume. PCell206 configures relevant measurement information for UE 208, such as the corresponding SSB-based Measurement Timing Configuration (SMTC) window and measurement gaps set based on the timing of the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) transmission of the target cell being measured.

[0049] As described in Yiu’s publication US2019 / 0230550A1 (assigned to Apple, Inc.), a measurement object (MO) may include a list of cells (and their operating frequencies) to which the UE will perform measurements. For example, the UE may perform measurements based on a synchronization signal block (SSB) or based on channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) of neighboring cells configured by the network. In one example, multiple MOs may be configured for the same carrier frequency.

[0050] Publication number CN110475281 by Cui et al., claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 670,639 (both assigned to Apple, Inc.), describes MO merging in conventional dual-connectivity systems. Furthermore, in conventional EN-DC or NR-DC, 3GPP TS 38.133 specifies the MO merging rules for NR-licensed carriers. Considering NR-DC as an example, when the NR PCell and NR PSCell are configured to be monitored by the UE on the same NR carrier frequency layer in NR-DC, if the SFN and time slot boundaries are aligned, that layer is counted only once in the total number of valid carrier frequency layers, unless the configured NR carrier frequency layers to be monitored have: different RSSI measurement resources; different derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indications; or different SMTC configurations.

[0051] However, for unlicensed NR spectrum, the MO merging rules and mechanisms for certain MOs on NR-U carriers are unclear regarding current UE-specific implementations and network expectations. For example, consider the following five scenarios in network deployment: Scenario 1: Carrier aggregation between licensed NR (PCell) and NR-U (SCell), where the NR-U SCell can have both DL and UL, or only DL. Scenario 2: Dual connectivity between licensed LTE (PCell) and NR-U (PSCell). Scenario 3: Standalone NR-U. Scenario 4: Standalone NR cell in an unlicensed band and UL in a licensed band. Scenario 5: Dual connectivity between licensed NR and NR-U. In the second or fifth scenario (traditional EN-DC or traditional NR-DC), MN and SN can be configured to perform two measurements using the same NR unlicensed carrier frequency layer (carrier with CCA) to be measured by the UE for Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and / or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) and / or Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SINR) and / or Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and / or Channel Occupancy (CO).

[0052] In contrast to the MO merging rules specified in 3GPP TS 38.133 for NR licensed carriers, the MO merging for NR unlicensed carriers includes new parameters in the configuration. Therefore, this disclosure defines a new technique for NR-U MO merging, taking into account those new parameters.

[0053] According to the first implementation scheme, NR-U MO merging is configured for RSRP / RSRQ / SINR / RSSI / CO measurements in EN-DC or the second scenario described above, in which dual connectivity is between the licensed frequency band LTE (PCell) and NR-U (PSCell). When the E-UTRA PCell and NR PSCell are configured to be monitored by the UE in EN-DC with the same NR carrier frequency layer having CCA, if the SFN and time slot boundaries are aligned, that layer should only be counted once in the total number of valid carrier frequency layers, unless the configured NR carrier frequency layer with CCA to be monitored (i.e., the NR-U carrier frequency layer) has: different RSSI measurement resources; different derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indications; different SMTC configurations; different Q values ​​(explained in the following paragraph); or different RSSI measurement timing configurations (RMTC) configurations.

[0054] The Q value is used to indicate the quasi-cooperative positioning (QCL) relationship between SSB positions on the frequency indicated by ssbFrequency. In some implementations, the Q value can be represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter of the NR carrier frequency layer with CCA, or by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter of the NR carrier frequency layer with CCA. The signaling for these parameters is described in 3GPP TS 38.331. Similarly, RMTC configuration can be represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR carrier frequency layer with CCA. The signaling for this parameter is also described in 3GPP TS 38.331.

[0055] An NR PSCell can be a licensed PSCell (without CCA) or an NR-U PSCell (with CCA). In other words, there are two variations. First, the UE operates on an in-band LTE PCell and an NR-licensed PSCell (without CCA), and both the LTE PCell and the NR-licensed PSCell are configured to use the same NR-U carrier (with CCA) for measurements. Second, the UE operates on an in-band LTE PCell and an NR-U PSCell (with CCA), and both the LTE PCell and the NR-U PSCell are configured to use the same NR-U carrier (with CCA) for measurements.

[0056] According to the second implementation scheme, NR-U MO merging is configured for RSRP / RSRQ / SINR / RSSI / CO measurements in NR-DC or the fifth scenario described above, in which dual connectivity is between the licensed NR and NR-U frequency bands. When NRPCell and NR PSCell (as described above, the NR PSCell can be a licensed PSCell (without CCA) or an NR-U PSCell (with CCA)) are configured to be monitored by the UE in synchronous NR-DC on the same NR carrier frequency layer with CCA, if the SFN and time slot boundaries are aligned, that layer will only be counted once in the total number of valid carrier frequency layers, unless the configured NR carrier frequency layer with CCA to be monitored (i.e., the NR-U carrier frequency layer) has: different RSSI measurement resources; different derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indications; different SMTC configurations; different Q values; or different RMTC configurations.

[0057] In this implementation, the Q value can also be represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter (signaling description in TS 38.331) of the NR carrier frequency layer with CCA, or the Q value can be represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter (signaling description in TS 38.331) of the NR carrier frequency layer with CCA. The RMTC configuration can be represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter (signaling description in TS 38.331) of the NR carrier frequency layer with CCA.

[0058] In some implementations, network components (e.g., gNB) and the UE use the same criteria described above to determine whether MOs can be merged. After merging, the UE sends a single measurement report to the network for what should be two MOs. From the network side, the gNB expects the merged MO measurement results to be reported in a single MO report. To determine that MOs have been merged, the PSCell sends an MO configuration packet (e.g., Q value and RMTC configuration) to the PCell (coordination between the PSCell and PCell via the Xn interface or via a proprietary interface), and the PCell then has the Q configuration and other criterion information for the MOs in the PSCell. In another implementation, the UE indicates two MO IDs in a single measurement report with the same measurement results, and the network then understands that the measurement is a merged MO measurement report.

[0059] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating a component 300, according to some exemplary embodiments, capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) and capable of executing any or more of the methods discussed herein. Specifically, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of hardware resource 302 is shown, which includes one or more processors 306 (or processor cores), one or more memory / storage devices 314, and one or more communication resources 324, each of which is communicatively coupled via bus 316. In an implementation utilizing node virtualization (e.g., NFV), a hypervisor 322 can be executed to provide an execution environment for one or more network slices / subslices utilizing hardware resource 302.

[0060] Processor 306 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP) (such as a baseband processor), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) may include, for example, processor 308 and processor 310.

[0061] The memory / storage device 314 may include main memory, disk storage, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory / storage device 314 may include, but is not limited to, any type of volatile or non-volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state storage devices, etc.

[0062] Communication resource 324 may include interconnect or network interface components or other suitable devices for communicating with one or more peripheral devices 304 or one or more databases 320 via network 318. For example, communication resource 324 may include wired communication components (e.g., for coupling via Universal Serial Bus (USB), cellular communication components, NFC components, etc. Components (e.g.) (low power consumption) Components and other communication components.

[0063] Instruction 312 may include software, programs, applications, applets, or other executable code for causing at least one processor in processor 306 to perform any or more of the methods discussed herein. Instruction 312 may reside wholly or partially within processor 306 (e.g., within the processor's cache memory), memory / storage device 314, or any suitable combination thereof. Furthermore, any portion of instruction 312 may be transferred from peripheral device 304 or database 320 to hardware resource 302 from any combination of these. Therefore, the memory of processor 306, memory / storage device 314, peripheral device 304, and database 320 are examples of computer-readable and machine-readable media.

[0064] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, and / or methods described in the Embodiments section below. For example, the baseband circuitry described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples below. As another example, circuitry associated with the UE, base station, network element, etc., described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples shown in the Examples section below.

[0065] Example Section

[0066] The following examples relate to other implementation schemes.

[0067] Example 1 is a method performed by a user equipment (UE) for merging measurement objects (MOs) in an NR system including a New Radio (NR) unlicensed (NR-U) carrier, the NR system being configured to provide E-UTRA-NR dual connectivity (EN-DC) between a licensed band LTE primary cell (PCell) and an NR-U primary / secondary cell (PSCell), the method comprising: determining whether the E-UTRA PCell and NR PSCell are configured with the same NR carrier frequency layer having a free channel assessment (CCA) to be monitored by the UE in the in-sync band EN-DC; and counting the same NR carrier frequency layer once into the total number of effective carrier frequency layers by checking that the system frame number and time slot boundaries are aligned and in response to no differences in RSSI measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, SMTC configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration of the same NR carrier frequency layer.

[0068] Example 2 is the method according to Example 1, wherein the NR PSCell is a PSCell without a CCA license.

[0069] Example 3 is the method according to Example 1, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-UPSCell with CCA.

[0070] Example 4 is the method according to Example 1, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

[0071] Example 5 is the method according to Example 1, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

[0072] Example 6 is the method according to Example 1, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR unlicensed carrier frequency layer.

[0073] Example 7 is a method performed by a user equipment (UE) for merging measurement objects (MOs) in an NR system including a New Radio (NR) unlicensed (NR-U) carrier, the NR system being configured to provide NR dual connectivity (NR-DC) between licensed frequency bands NR and NR-U, the method comprising: determining whether an NR primary cell (PCell) and an NR primary secondary cell (PSCell) are configured with the same NR carrier frequency layer having a free channel assessment (CCA) to be monitored by the UE in synchronous NR-DC; and counting the same NR carrier frequency layer once into the total number of effective carrier frequency layers by checking that the system frame number and time slot boundaries are aligned and in response to no differences in RSSI measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, SMTC configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration of the same NR carrier frequency layer.

[0074] Example 8 is the method according to Example 7, wherein the NR PSCell is a PSCell without a CCA license.

[0075] Example 9 is the method according to Example 7, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-UPSCell with CCA.

[0076] Example 10 is the method according to Example 7, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

[0077] Example 11 is the method according to Example 7, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

[0078] Example 12 is the method according to Example 7, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR carrier frequency layer.

[0079] Example 13 is a method performed by an apparatus of a New Radio (NR) system for configuring a Measurement Object (MO) for a User Equipment (UE), the NR system being configured to provide an NR unlicensed (NR-U) carrier for dual connectivity between an E-UTRA-NR dual connectivity (EN-DC) or licensed band LTE primary cell (PCell) and an NR-U primary / secondary cell (PSCell), the method comprising: configuring the MO for the UE, wherein the MO is associated with an NR carrier frequency layer having a free channel assessment (CCA) to be monitored by the UE in the EN-DC within the synchronous band; and determining that the MO is merged with another NR carrier frequency layer, the system frame number and time slot boundaries of which are aligned with the NR carrier frequency layer and the other NR carrier frequency layer is identical in terms of RSSI measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, SMTC configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration.

[0080] Example 14 is the method described in Example 13, in which the merged MO measurement results are received as a single MO report associated with two or more NR carrier frequency layers.

[0081] Example 15 is the method according to Example 13, further comprising creating an NR PSCell, wherein the NR PSCell is a PSCell without a CCA license.

[0082] Example 16 is the method according to Example 13, further comprising establishing an NR PSCell, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-U PSCell with CCA.

[0083] Example 17 is the method according to Example 13, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

[0084] Example 18 is the method according to Example 13, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

[0085] Example 19 is the method according to Example 13, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR unlicensed carrier frequency layer.

[0086] Example 20 is a method performed by an apparatus of an NR system including a New Radio (NR) unlicensed (NR-U) carrier for a User Equipment (UE) to configure a Measurement Object (MO), the NR system being configured to provide NR Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) or dual connectivity between licensed NR and NR-U bands, the method comprising: configuring the MO for the UE, wherein the MO is associated with an NR carrier frequency layer having a Free Channel Assessment (CCA) to be monitored by the UE in a synchronous NR-DC; and determining that the MO is merged with another NR carrier frequency layer, the system frame number and slot boundaries of which are aligned with the NR carrier frequency layer and the other NR carrier frequency layer is identical in terms of RSSI measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, SMTC configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration.

[0087] Example 21 is the method described in Example 20, in which the merged MO measurement results are received as a single MO report associated with two or more NR carrier frequency layers.

[0088] Example 22 is the method according to Example 20, further comprising creating an NR PSCell, wherein the NR PSCell is a PSCell without a CCA license.

[0089] Example 23 is the method according to Example 20, further comprising establishing an NR PSCell, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-U PSCell with CCA.

[0090] Example 24 is the method according to Example 20, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

[0091] Example 25 is the method according to Example 20, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

[0092] Example 26 is the method according to Example 20, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR unlicensed carrier frequency layer.

[0093] Example 27 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for a user equipment (UE) configured to merge measurement objects (MOs) in an NR system including a New Radio (NR) unlicensed (NR-U) carrier, the NR system being configured to provide E-UTRA-NR dual connectivity (EN-DC) between a licensed band LTE primary cell (PCell) and an NR-U primary / secondary cell (PSCell). The computer-readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: determine whether the E-UTRA PCell and NR PSCell are configured with the same NR carrier frequency layer having a free channel assessment (CCA) to be monitored by the UE in the in-sync band EN-DC; and count the same NR carrier frequency layer once to the total number of effective carrier frequency layers by checking that the system frame number and time slot boundaries are aligned and in response to no differences in RSSI measurement resources, deriveSSB-IndexFromCell indication, SMTC configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration of the same NR carrier frequency layer.

[0094] Example 28 is a computer-readable storage medium according to Example 27, wherein the NR PSCell is a PSCell without a CCA license.

[0095] Example 29 is a computer-readable storage medium according to Example 27, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-U PSCell with CCA.

[0096] Example 30 is a computer-readable storage medium according to Example 27, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

[0097] Example 31 is a computer-readable storage medium according to Example 27, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

[0098] Example 32 is a computer-readable storage medium according to Example 27, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR unlicensed carrier frequency layer.

[0099] Example 33 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for a user equipment (UE) configured to merge measurement objects (MOs) in an NR system including a New Radio Interface (NR) unlicensed (NR-U) carrier, the NR system being configured to provide NR Dual Connectivity (NR-DC) between licensed frequency bands NR and NR-U. The method, wherein the computer-readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: determine whether the NR primary cell (PCell) and NR primary secondary cell (PSCell) are configured with the same NR carrier frequency layer having a free channel assessment (CCA) to be monitored by the UE in synchronous NR-DC; and count the same NR carrier frequency layer once to the total number of effective carrier frequency layers by checking that the system frame number and time slot boundaries are aligned and in response to no differences in RSSI measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, SMTC configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration of the same NR carrier frequency layer.

[0100] Example 34 is a computer-readable storage medium according to Example 33, wherein the NR PSCell is a PSCell without a CCA license.

[0101] Example 35 is a computer-readable storage medium according to Example 33, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-U PSCell with CCA.

[0102] Example 36 is a computer-readable storage medium according to Example 33, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

[0103] Example 37 is a computer-readable storage medium according to Example 33, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

[0104] Example 38 is a computer-readable storage medium according to Example 33, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR carrier frequency layer.

[0105] Example 39 may include an apparatus comprising one or more elements for performing one or more of the methods or processes described in or associated with any of the above examples or any other methods or processes described herein.

[0106] Example 40 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media including 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 method or any other method or process described herein, as described in any of the above embodiments or related to them.

[0107] Example 41 may include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of the methods described or associated with any of the above embodiments or any other methods or processes described herein.

[0108] Example 42 may include any of the methods, techniques, or processes described or associated with any of the above examples, or any part or component thereof.

[0109] Example 43 may include an apparatus comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media, the one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique, or process or part thereof as described in or related to any of the above embodiments.

[0110] Example 44 may include any signal or part or component thereof that is described or associated with any of the above examples.

[0111] Example 45 may include datagrams, packets, frames, segments, protocol data units (PDUs) or messages or parts or components thereof described or associated with any of the above examples, or other content described in this disclosure.

[0112] Example 46 may include any of the data-encoded signals or parts thereof described or associated with any of the above examples, or other content described in this disclosure.

[0113] Example 47 may include signals or portions thereof encoded as datagrams, packets, frames, segments, PDUs or messages in any of the above examples or in connection with them, or other content described in this disclosure.

[0114] Example 48 may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors will cause the one or more processors to perform any of the methods, techniques, or processes or portions thereof described in or associated with any of the above examples.

[0115] Example 49 may include a computer program comprising instructions, wherein execution of the program by a processing element will cause the processing element to perform any of the methods, techniques, or processes or portions thereof described in or associated with any of the above embodiments.

[0116] Example 50 may include signals in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0117] Example 51 may include methods for communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0118] Example 52 may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0119] Example 53 may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0120] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the above embodiments may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. In view of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations may be obtained from the practice of various embodiments.

[0121] Implementations and specific embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may include various operations 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, including specific logical components for performing the operations, or may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0122] It should be recognized that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific implementations. These implementations may be combined into a single system, partially integrated into other systems, divided into multiple systems, or otherwise partitioned or combined. Furthermore, it is conceivable to use parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of one implementation in another implementation. For clarity, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., are described only in 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 parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of another implementation.

[0123] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0124] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that many alternative ways exist to implement both the processes and apparatus described herein. Therefore, embodiments of the invention should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and this specification is not limited to the details given herein, but can be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for merging measurement objects (MOs) in an NR system including unlicensed NR-U carriers, the NR system being configured to provide Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRA-NR) dual connectivity (EN-DC) between a licensed LTE primary cell (PCell) and an NR-U primary / secondary cell (PSCell), the method comprising: Determine whether the E-UTRA PCell and NR PSCell are configured to be monitored by the UE in the synchronous band EN-DC at the same NR carrier frequency layer with an idle channel assessment CCA, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-U PSCell with CCA and the E-UTRA PCell is the licensed band LTE PCell; and The same NR carrier frequency layer is counted once to the total number of effective carrier frequency layers by checking that the system frame number and time slot boundaries are aligned and that there are no differences in the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, synchronization block-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration of the same NR carrier frequency layer. The Q value is used to indicate the quasi-co-location QCL relationship between the synchronization block (SSB) positions at the frequency indicated by ssbFrequency.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR unlicensed carrier frequency layer.

5. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) for merging measurement objects (MOs) in an NR system including unlicensed NR-U carriers of the New Radio (NR) interface, the NR system being configured to provide NR dual connectivity NR-DC between licensed frequency bands NR and NR-U, the method comprising: Determine whether the NR primary cell PCell and NR primary secondary cell PSCell are configured with the same NR carrier frequency layer with idle channel evaluation CCA to be monitored by the UE in synchronous NR-DC, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-UPSCell with CCA; as well as The same NR carrier frequency layer is counted once to the total number of effective carrier frequency layers by checking that the system frame number and time slot boundaries are aligned and that there are no differences in the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, synchronization block-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration of the same NR carrier frequency layer. The Q value is used to indicate the quasi-co-location QCL relationship between the synchronization block (SSB) positions at the frequency indicated by ssbFrequency.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR carrier frequency layer.

9. A method performed by means of a New Radio (NR) system for a User Equipment (UE) measurement object MO configuration, the NR system being configured to provide an unlicensed NR-U carrier for dual connectivity between an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRA-NR) dual connectivity EN-DC or licensed band LTE primary cell PCell and an NR-U primary / secondary cell PSCell, the method comprising: Establish an NR PSCell, which is an NR-U PSCell with idle channel assessment (CCA); Configure an MO for the UE, wherein the MO is associated with an NR carrier frequency layer with CCA to be monitored by the UE in the EN-DC within the synchronization band; and It is determined that the MO is merged with another NR carrier frequency layer, the system frame number and time slot boundary of the other NR carrier frequency layer are aligned with the NR carrier frequency layer, and the other NR carrier frequency layer and the NR carrier frequency layer are identical in terms of Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, Synchronization Block-based Measurement Timing Configuration (SMTC) configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration, wherein the Q value is used to indicate the quasi-co-location QCL relationship between the SSB positions of the Synchronization Block at the frequency indicated by ssbFrequency.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the merged MO measurement results are received as a single MO report associated with two or more NR carrier frequency layers.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR unlicensed carrier frequency layer.

14. A method performed by means of an NR system including an unlicensed NR-U carrier for a user equipment (UE) in a measurement object MO configuration, the NR system being configured to provide NR dual connectivity NR-DC or dual connectivity between licensed frequency bands NR and NR-U, the method comprising: Establish an NR PSCell, which is an NR-U PSCell with idle channel assessment (CCA); Configure an MO for the UE, wherein the MO is associated with an NR carrier frequency layer with CCA to be monitored by the UE in synchronous NR-DC; and It is determined that the MO is merged with another NR carrier frequency layer, the system frame number and time slot boundary of the other NR carrier frequency layer are aligned with the NR carrier frequency layer, and the other NR carrier frequency layer and the NR carrier frequency layer are identical in terms of Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, Synchronization Block-based Measurement Timing Configuration (SMTC) configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration, wherein the Q value is used to indicate the quasi-co-location QCL relationship between the SSB positions of the Synchronization Block at the frequency indicated by ssbFrequency.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the merged MO measurement results are received as a single MO report associated with two or more NR carrier frequency layers.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR unlicensed carrier frequency layer.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for a user equipment (UE) configured to combine measurement objects (MOs) in an NR system including unlicensed NR-U carriers of a New Radio Interface (NR), the NR system being configured to provide Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRA-NR) dual connectivity (EN-DC) between a licensed LTE primary cell (PCell) and an NR-U primary / secondary cell (PSCell), the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: Determine whether the E-UTRA PCell and NR PSCell are configured to be monitored by the UE in the synchronous band EN-DC at the same NR carrier frequency layer with an idle channel assessment CCA, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-U PSCell with CCA and the E-UTRA PCell is the licensed band LTE PCell; and The same NR carrier frequency layer is counted once to the total number of effective carrier frequency layers by checking that the system frame number and time slot boundaries are aligned and that there are no differences in the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, synchronization block-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration of the same NR carrier frequency layer. The Q value is used to indicate the quasi-co-location QCL relationship between the synchronization block (SSB) positions at the frequency indicated by ssbFrequency.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR unlicensed carrier frequency layer.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for a user equipment (UE) configured to combine measurement objects (MOs) in an NR system including unlicensed NR-U carriers of the New Radio (NR) interface, the NR system being configured to provide NR dual connectivity NR-DC between licensed frequency bands NR and NR-U, the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: Determine whether the NR primary cell PCell and NR primary / secondary cell PSCell are configured with the same NR carrier frequency layer with idle channel assessment CCA to be monitored by the UE in synchronous NR-DC, wherein the NR PSCell is an NR-UPSCell with CCA; and The same NR carrier frequency layer is counted once to the total number of effective carrier frequency layers by checking that the system frame number and time slot boundaries are aligned and that there are no differences in the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement resources, derivedSSB-IndexFromCell indication, synchronization block-based measurement timing configuration (SMTC) configuration, Q value, and RSSI measurement timing configuration (RMTC) configuration of the same NR carrier frequency layer. The Q value is used to indicate the quasi-co-location QCL relationship between the synchronization block (SSB) positions at the frequency indicated by ssbFrequency.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-Relation-r16 parameter.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the Q value is represented by the SSB-PositionQCL-CellsToAddModList-r16 parameter.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the RMTC configuration is represented by the RMTC-Config-r16 parameter of the NR carrier frequency layer.

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