Measurement for purposes between one or more cells

Abstract

A first apparatus may be configured to indicate, on a serving cell, applicability of a non-serving cell for inter-cell purposes to a second apparatus controlling operation of the serving cell. For example, a first device may receive layer 3L3 measurement configuration information from a second device, the L3 measurement configuration information including criteria for one or more first inter-cell purposes. When the first device detects that an L3 measurement of a first reference signal in a first non-serving cell satisfies a criterion based on an L3 measurement performed on one or more reference signals in one or more non-serving cells, the first device determines that the L3 measurement of the first reference signal in the first non-serving cell satisfies the criterion. The first device transmits a measurement report indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first device for purposes between one or more second cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to wireless communications. Background Art

[0002] Wireless communication systems are constantly evolving, including enhancements to existing features such as multiple-input multiple-output and beamforming enhancements as well as different inter-cell scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0003] The subject matter of the independent claims defines the scope.

[0004] According to one aspect, a first device is provided, the first device comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the first device to: receive layer 3 L3 measurement configuration information including a standard from a second device that controls the operation of a serving cell, the L3 measurement of a reference signal in a non-serving cell should satisfy the standard to indicate that the non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurement by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes; perform L3 measurement of one or more reference signals in one or more non-serving cells; and when the standard is satisfied for the L3 measurement of the first reference signal in the first non-serving cell, send a measurement report indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurement by the first device for one or more second inter-cell purposes.

[0005] In an embodiment, the L3 measurement configuration information further includes one or more first inter-cell purposes for which L1 measurements in non-serving cells may be used.

[0006] In an embodiment, the measurement report also includes one or more second inter-cell purposes for which the L1 measurement in the first non-serving cell may be used.

[0007] In an embodiment, one or more second inter-cell purposes are selected from one or more first inter-cell purposes.

[0008] In an embodiment, the one or more second inter-cell purposes are selected based on the capability of the first device to operate in accordance with the one or more second inter-cell purposes.

[0009] In an embodiment, the one or more first inter-cell purposes and the one or more second inter-cell purposes include at least one of inter-cell beam management, physical layer mobility, media access layer mobility, and multiple transmission reception points between cells.

[0010] In an embodiment, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, also cause the first device to: receive additional criteria in the measurement configuration information, and the L3 measurement of the reference signal in the non-service cell should meet the additional criteria to indicate that the non-service cell is no longer a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurement by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes; when the additional criteria are met for the L3 measurement of the first reference signal, send an additional measurement report indicating that the first non-service cell is no longer a suitable cell for performing L1 measurement by the first device for one or more second inter-cell purposes.

[0011] In an embodiment, the measurement report is used to report L3 measurements.

[0012] In an embodiment, the first non-serving cell is configured as a candidate cell for at least one inter-cell purpose.

[0013] In an embodiment, the L3 measurements are configurable by means of a radio resource control protocol, and / or the L3 measurements are averaged over a first time period and the L1 measurements are averaged over a second time period.

[0014] According to one aspect, a second device is provided, the second device comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the second device to: control the operation of a serving cell; send layer 3 L3 measurement configuration information comprising standards to a first device, and L3 measurements of reference signals in non-serving cells should meet the standards to indicate that the non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurements by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes; and receive a measurement report indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first device for one or more second inter-cell purposes.

[0015] In an embodiment, the L3 measurement configuration information further includes one or more first inter-cell purposes for which L1 measurements in non-serving cells may be used.

[0016] In an embodiment, the measurement report also includes one or more second inter-cell purposes for which the L1 measurement in the first non-serving cell may be used.

[0017] In an embodiment, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, also cause the second device to: send additional criteria in the measurement configuration information, which L3 measurements of reference signals in the non-service cell should meet to indicate that the non-service cell is no longer a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurements by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes; and receive an additional measurement report indicating that the first non-service cell is no longer a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first device for one or more second inter-cell purposes.

[0018] According to one aspect, a method is provided, the method comprising: in a first device, receiving layer 3 L3 measurement configuration information including a standard from a second device that controls the operation of a service cell, and the L3 measurement of a reference signal in a non-service cell should meet the standard to indicate that the non-service cell is a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurement by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes; performing L3 measurement of one or more reference signals in one or more non-service cells by the first device; when the standard is met for the L3 measurement of the first reference signal in the first non-service cell, sending a measurement report from the first device indicating that the first non-service cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurement by the first device for one or more second inter-cell purposes.

[0019] According to one aspect, a method is provided, the method comprising: controlling the operation of a serving cell by a second device; sending layer 3 L3 measurement configuration information including a standard from the second device to a first device, and the L3 measurement of a reference signal in a non-serving cell should meet the standard to indicate that the non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurement by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes; and receiving a measurement report by the second device indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurement by the first device for one or more second inter-cell purposes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Embodiments are described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0021] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary wireless communication system is illustrated;

[0022] Figure 3 and Figure 4 An exemplary information exchange is illustrated;

[0023] Figures 5 to 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example of functionality; and

[0024] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 is a schematic block diagram. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following embodiments are examples. Although the specification may refer to "an", "one" or "some" embodiments in several places, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference refers to the same embodiment (s), nor does it necessarily mean that the feature is only applicable to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments. In addition, the words "comprising" and "including" should be understood as not limiting the described embodiments to consist only of those features that have been mentioned, and such embodiments also include features / structures that are not specifically mentioned. In addition, although terms including ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", etc. can be used to describe various elements, structural elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from other elements. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first sub-inter-purpose may be referred to as a second sub-inter-purpose, and similarly, a second sub-inter-purpose may also be referred to as a first sub-inter-purpose.

[0026] In the following, different exemplary embodiments will be described using a radio access architecture based on Advanced Long Term Evolution (Advanced LTE, LTE-A) or New Radio (NR, 5G) as an example of an access architecture to which the embodiments may be applied, however, the embodiments are not limited to such an architecture. By appropriately adjusting the parameters and procedures, the embodiments may also be applied to other types of communication networks with appropriate means. Some examples of other options for suitable systems are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE, same as E-UTRA), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or WiFi), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Personal Communications Service (PCS), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0027] Figure 1 An example of a simplified system architecture is depicted, showing only some elements and functional entities, which are all logical units, the implementation of which may differ from what is shown. Figure 1 The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It is clear to those skilled in the art that the system may generally include in addition to Figure 1 Other functions and structures than those shown.

[0028] However, the embodiments are not limited to the system 100 given as an example, but a person skilled in the art may apply the solution to other communication systems having the necessary characteristics.

[0029] Figure 1 The example of FIG. 1 shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0030] Figure 1 User equipment 101, 101 ' configured to be wirelessly connected to a node 102 on one or more communication channels is shown. Node 102 is also connected to a core network 105. In one example, node 102 may be an access node, such as an (e / g) NodeB that provides or serves a device in a cell. In one example, node 102 may be a non-3GPP access node. The physical link from the device to the (e / g) NodeB is called an uplink or reverse link, while the physical link from the (e / g) NodeB to the device is called a downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g) NodeB or its functions may be implemented by using any node, host, server or access point entity suitable for such a purpose.

[0031] The communication system usually includes more than one (e / g)NodeB, in which case the (e / g)NodeB may also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links may be used for signaling purposes. (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. NodeB may also be referred to as a base station, an access point, or any other type of interface device, including a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. From the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB, a connection is provided to an antenna unit, which establishes a bidirectional radio link to the device. The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. (e / g)NodeB is further connected to a core network 105 (CN or next generation core NGC). Depending on the system, the other party on the CN side may be a service gateway (S-GW, routing and forwarding user data packets), a packet data network gateway (P-GW, for providing a connection between a user equipment (UE) and an external packet data network), a mobility management entity (MME), or an access and mobility management function (AMF), etc.

[0032] User equipment (UE) (also referred to as UE, user equipment, user terminal, terminal device, etc.) shows a type of equipment to which resources on the air interface are allocated and assigned, and therefore any features of the user equipment described herein can be implemented with corresponding devices (such as relay nodes). An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) toward a base station.

[0033] User equipment generally refers to a device (e.g., a portable or non-portable computing device) including a wireless mobile communication device with or without a subscriber identity module (SIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile stations (mobile phones), smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handsets, devices using wireless modems (alarm or measurement devices, etc.), portable computers and / or touch screen computers, tablet computers, game consoles, laptops, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that the device can also be an almost exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips to a network. The device can also be a device with the ability to operate in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, in which an object can have the ability to transmit data over a network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction, such as for smart grids, and connected vehicles. User equipment can also use the cloud. In some applications, the device can include a user-portable device with a radio component (such as a watch, headphones, glasses, other wearable accessories or wearable devices), and the calculation is performed in the cloud. The device (or in some embodiments, a layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more of the user equipment functions. A user device may also be called a subscriber unit, a mobile station, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, or user equipment (UE), to name just a few names or devices.

[0034] The various techniques described in this article can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems of cooperating computing elements that control physical entities). CPS can implement and utilize a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in different locations in physical objects. Mobile cyber-physical systems, in which the physical systems in question have inherent mobility, are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0035] Furthermore, although the apparatus is depicted as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units may be implemented. Figure 1 Not all are shown).

[0036] 5G is able to use Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antennas, many more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites cooperating with smaller base stations and employing multiple radio technologies, depending on service requirements, use cases and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a variety of use cases and related applications (including video streaming, augmented reality, different ways of sharing data and various forms of machine type applications, such as (massive) machine type communications (mMTC), including vehicle safety, different sensors and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely, sub-6 GHz, cmWave and mmWave, and also be integrable with existing conventional radio access technologies such as LTE. The integration with LTE can be implemented, at least in the early stages, as a system in which macro coverage is provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access comes from small cells by aggregation to LTE. In other words, 5G plans to support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as sub-6 GHz-cmWave, sub-6 GHz-cmWave-mmWave). One of the concepts considered for use in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnets (network instances) can be created in the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput and mobility.

[0037] The current architecture in LTE networks is fully distributed in the radio and fully centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require content to be close to the radio, which leads to local bursting and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analysis and knowledge generation to be performed at the data source. This approach requires the use of resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It also has the ability to store and process content near cellular subscribers to speed up response time. Edge computing covers a wide range of technologies such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing (also classified as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing), dew computing, mobile edge computing, cloudlet, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency critical), critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analysis, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0038] The communication system may also be capable of communicating with other networks, such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 106, or utilizing services provided by them. The communication network may also be capable of supporting the use of cloud services, for example, at least a portion of the core network operations may be provided as a cloud service (this is in the Figure 1 The communication system may also include a central control entity or the like that provides facilities for networks of different operators to collaborate, for example in spectrum sharing.

[0039] Edge cloud technology can be introduced into the radio access network (RAN) using network function virtualization (NVF) and software defined networking (SDN). The use of edge cloud technology can mean that access node operations will be performed at least partially in a server, host or node that is operatively coupled to a remote radio head or base station including the radio part. Node operations can also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes or hosts. The application of cloudRAN architecture enables RAN real-time functions to be performed on the RAN side (in the distributed unit DU 102) and non-real-time functions to be performed in a centralized manner (in the centralized unit CU 104).

[0040] It should also be understood that the division of labor between core network operations and base station operations may be different from LTE, or even non-existent. Some other technological advances that may be used are big data and all-IP, which may change the way networks are built and managed. 5G (or New Radio NR) networks are designed to support multiple hierarchical structures, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and the base station or nodeB (gNB). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0041] 5G can also make use of satellite communications to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example by providing backhaul. Possible use cases are providing service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or for passengers on board, or ensuring service availability for critical communications and future rail / maritime / aeronautical communications. Satellite communications can make use of geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite systems as well as low earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, in particular mega constellations (systems in which hundreds of (nano) satellites are deployed). Each satellite 103 in a mega constellation can cover several satellite-enabled network entities creating a terrestrial cell. A terrestrial cell can be created by a terrestrial relay node 102 or by a gNB located on the ground or in a satellite.

[0042] It is clear to a person skilled in the art that the depicted system is only an example of a part of a radio access system, and in practice, the system may include multiple (e / g)NodeBs, a user equipment may access multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g)NodeBs may be a home (e / g)NodeB. In addition, in a geographical area of ​​the radio communication system, a plurality of different kinds of radio cells and a plurality of radio cells may be provided. The radio cells may be macro cells (or umbrella cells), which are large cells with a diameter of typically tens of kilometers, or smaller cells such as micro, femto or pico cells. Figure 1 The (e / g)NodeB can provide any kind of these cells. A cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network including several kinds of cells. Typically, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more cells of one kind, and thus multiple (e / g)NodeBs are required to provide such a network structure.

[0043] In order to meet the needs of improving the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB is introduced. Usually, in addition to the home (e / g) NodeB (H(e / g) NodeB), the network that can use "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB also includes the home nodeB gateway or HNB-GW ( Figure 1 The HNB gateway (HNB-GW) usually installed in the operator's network can aggregate services from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0044] It is envisioned that in 5G, 6G and beyond, inter-cell beam management and multiple transmission reception points can be used to serve user equipment (or simply equipment or first device) to improve reliability, coverage and capacity performance through flexible deployment scenarios. It is also envisioned that there will be different types of equipment with different capabilities.

[0045] Figure 2 Pictured Figure 1 An enlarged view of the radio access system 200 is shown. Figure 2 In the example shown, the radio access network 200 provides (by means of one or more second devices 202a, 202b, 202c) Figure 2 The first device (depicted by three user equipments 201-1, 201-2, 201-3 in FIG) provides a wireless interface (wireless access).

[0046] One or more of the second devices 202a, 202b, 202c may be a device, such as a base station or a corresponding access node, configured to control the operation of one or more cells provided by the above-mentioned devices, and / or configured to control the operation of one or more cells provided by one or more other second devices (herein referred to as transmission reception points). The transmission reception point may be a base station or another access node, or an operating entity including one or more antennas in a base station, or an operating entity including one or more remote radio heads, or a remote antenna of a base station, or any other collection of geographically collocated antennas forming an operating entity, such as an antenna array with one or more antenna elements for a cell in the radio access network 200 or for a part of the cell. In other words, a cell may include one or more transmission points, and a cell in the radio access network includes a transmission reception point. One of the transmission reception points may be provided by the above-mentioned device configured to control the operation of one or more cells.

[0047] The first devices 201-1, 201-2, 201-3 may have different capabilities, whether configured, preset and / or dependent on other conditions, such as location. For example, depending on the current location, capabilities and other conditions of the first devices, the first devices 201-1, 201-2, 201-3 may be able to operate using beams 210, 220, 240, 250 with independent or common beam management. Figure 2 In the example shown, the first device 201-1 can operate in its current location using two inter-cell beams 210, 220 of two corresponding cells provided by the second device 202a, and the first device 201-3 can operate in its current location using two inter-cell beams (beam 240 in the cell provided by the second device 202b and beam 250 in the cell provided by the second device 202c), while the first device 201-2 can operate in its existing location using one beam 230.

[0048] The device controlling the operation of the serving cell of the device may configure the downlink signal measurement process to the first device, including when to report the measurement results and / or measurement events. For the inter-cell scenario, in order to avoid unnecessary measurements, such as minimizing the power consumption of the device and avoiding possible negative impacts on scheduling availability, the first device may be configured, for example, using a radio resource control protocol, as described below.

[0049] In the example shown, for clarity of description, it is assumed that the first device has one service cell and the other cells are non-service cells of the first device. When there are more than one service cell, one of the service cells can be configured as the main service cell of the first device, or the first device can be configured to interpret the current service cell as the main service cell at that time, and the first device can be configured to interpret other service cells (for example, configured as auxiliary service cells of the first device) as non-service cells for the purposes disclosed herein. A non-service cell (or adjacent cell) refers to a cell whose physical cell identifier is different from the physical cell identifier of the service cell. A non-service cell can operate on the same or different frequency as a service cell. It is simple to implement the example as an implementation in which there are non-service cells and two or more service cells. In addition, in the following examples, measurements and reports related to service cells or other events / configurations are not discussed, but they can be performed.

[0050] refer to Figure 3 , the second device configures the first device by sending message 3-1. Message 3-1 includes measurement configuration information, which includes criteria that L3 measurements of reference signals in non-serving cells should meet to indicate that the non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurements by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes. The L1 measurement can be any physical layer measurement, such as L1 beam measurement. A non-limiting list of inter-cell purposes includes inter-cell beam management, physical layer mobility, media access layer mobility, and inter-cell multiple transmission reception point operation. The information in message 3-1 may or may not include indications of one or more first inter-cell purposes, such as Figures 5 to 8 The information may be given as a dedicated L3 event, such as an A4A event (which may be named differently), or by adding one or more new information fields to an L3 event used for another purpose, such as for L3 mobility. Using dedicated events helps maintain a network setup that is orthogonal to other events. In any case, the L3 event is used to indicate L1 measurements and / or L1 measurement related reporting capabilities.

[0051] After receiving message 3-1, the first device performs L3 measurements on one or more reference signals in one or more non-serving cells in box 3-2. The first device may also perform L3 measurements in the serving cell. For example, the first device may be configured to measure reference signal received power (RSRP) and / or reference signal received quality (RSRQ). A non-limiting list of one or more possible reference signals to be measured includes synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and channel sensing information reference signals (CSI-RS). The measurements may include intra-frequency, inter-frequency and / or inter-RAT (inter-radio access technology) measurements. In addition, for example in message 3-1, one or more of the non-serving cells may have been configured as candidate cells for at least one inter-cell purpose.

[0052] In the example shown, it is assumed that the L3 measurement of the first reference signal in the first non-service cell in box 3-3 meets the criterion. For example, the power level in the first non-service cell that the first device can use for one or more inter-cell purposes exceeds a threshold determined based on the information received in message 3-1, and therefore the criterion is met. In another example, the criterion is met when the first non-service cell is detected. In another example, the criterion is met when the first non-service cell is detected and one or more additional conditions (e.g., the cell is above a certain power level and / or the signal quality is above a threshold) are met. In another example, the criterion is met when the first non-service cell is detected and its power level is higher than a threshold compared to another cell. It should be understood that if the first device cannot be used for one or more inter-cell purposes, it can be considered that the criterion is not met.

[0053] Since the criterion is satisfied, the first device sends a measurement report (message 3-4) indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first device for one or more second inter-cell purposes. Since the first device is capable of operating in accordance with one or more second inter-cell purposes (otherwise the criterion would not be considered satisfied), it can be said that the second inter-cell purpose can be selected based on the ability of the first device to operate in accordance with one or more second inter-cell purposes. The measurement report (message 3-4) may or may not include an indication of one or more second inter-cell purposes, such as Figures 5 to 8 Described in more detail. The measurement report may include a dedicated event report indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first device for one or more second inter-cell purposes, or one or more information fields in the L3 event report for another purpose may be used to convey corresponding information. In other words, the L3 measurement report for reporting L3 measurements is used for L1 measurement related reporting.

[0054] In one implementation, message 3-4 may include additional information regarding the operational capabilities of the first device, such as specific capabilities compared to a current configuration used in the first device.

[0055] When the second device receives the measurement report 3-4, the second device realizes that the first device is able (eg, because the first device is in the vicinity of the first cell) to use the first cell for one or more second inter-cell purposes and / or perform corresponding L1 measurements when needed.

[0056] Figure 4 Another example of information exchange is shown in FIG. Figure 4 In the example of , the second device configures the first device by sending message 4-1. In this example, message 4-1 includes measurement configuration information, which includes a standard and an additional standard. It should be understood that in implementations using additional standards, the additional standards can be sent in a separate message at any time. The standard can be similar to the standard described above with respect to message 3-1, that is, the L3 measurement of the reference signal in the non-serving cell should satisfy the standard to indicate that the non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements (e.g., L1 beam measurements or any physical layer measurements) by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes. The standard can be referred to as an entry condition. The additional standard is an additional standard, and the L3 measurement of the reference signal in the non-serving cell should satisfy the additional standard to indicate that the non-serving cell is no longer a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes. The additional standard can be referred to as a leaving condition. Message 4-1 may or may not include an indication of one or more first inter-cell purposes, such as will be combined with Figures 5 to 8 This information may be given as a dedicated event, such as an A4A event, or by adding one or more new information fields to an L3 event that is used for another purpose, as described above with respect to Figure 3 described.

[0057] After receiving message 4-1, the first device performs L3 measurements on one or more reference signals in one or more non-serving cells in block 4-2, as described above in conjunction with Figure 3 described.

[0058] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, Figure 3 Similar to the example of , assume that the criterion is satisfied for the L3 measurement of the first reference signal in the first non-serving cell in block 4-3. Figure 3 A non-limiting list of examples is given that may meet the criteria.

[0059] Since the criteria are met, the first device sends a measurement report (message 4-4) indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first device for one or more second inter-cell purposes. The measurement report (message 4-4) may or may not include an indication of one or more second inter-cell purposes, such as Figures 5 to 8 Described in more detail. The measurement report may contain a dedicated event report, or one or more information fields in the L3 event report used for another purpose may be used to convey corresponding information. In other words, the measurement report (message 4-4) may correspond to the above-mentioned measurement report (message 3-4).

[0060] When the second device receives the measurement report 4 - 4 , the second device realizes that the first device is able to use the first cell for one or more second inter-cell purposes and / or perform corresponding L1 measurements when needed.

[0061] The first device continues to perform measurements according to the received measurement configuration (block 4-2), and Figure 4 In the example shown, in blocks 4-5, additional criteria are met. For example, the first device may have changed location and / or the power level of the first reference signal is below an additional threshold, and / or the first reference signal is no longer detectable, resulting in the first cell no longer being usable by the first device for one or more inter-cell purposes.

[0062] Since the additional criteria are met, the first device sends an additional measurement report (message 4-6) indicating that the first non-serving cell is no longer a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first device for one or more second inter-cell purposes. The additional measurement report (message 4-6) may or may not include an indication of the one or more second inter-cell purposes. The additional measurement report may contain a dedicated event report, such as an A4A event report, or one or more information fields in the L3 event report for another purpose may be used to convey the corresponding information.

[0063] When the second device receives the further measurement reports 4-6, the second device realises that the first device can no longer use the first cell for one or more second inter-cell purposes.

[0064] To explain in more detail Figure 4 In the information exchange in the inter-cell multi-transmission reception mTRP (whether collocated mTRP reception or non-arranged mTRP reception), a non-limiting use case example related to inter-cell multi-transmission reception mTRP (whether collocated mTRP reception or non-arranged mTRP reception) is discussed below. Message 4-1 can be a measurement configuration message including "Event A4A" with entry and exit conditions. The second device can also send the inter-cell mTRP configuration to the first device in a separate message, but this is not necessary in this case. Figure 4Not shown. After receiving message 4-1, the first device may monitor and measure synchronization signal block SSB transmissions from one or more non-serving cells. (In addition or as an alternative, the first device may also monitor and measure channel state information reference signal transmissions from one or more non-serving cells. The first device may also measure transmissions from the serving cell.) When the SSB transmission from the first cell meets the entry condition, event A4A or entry event A4A may be triggered (box 4-3), and message 4-4 is sent, wherein the first cell is a non-serving cell, and the first device may use the first cell for mTRP reception. Message 4-4 may be an L3 measurement report, which includes the measurement event A4A, including the physical cell identifier of the first cell, and possible one or more identifiers of the corresponding beam in the first cell that meet the criteria with the "entry" indication, such as an SSB index. It should be understood that cells that cannot be used for mTRP reception may be reported using one or more other events for different purposes. When the second device receives message 4-4, the second device or wireless network knows that the first device has detected the first cell and is able to use the first cell for mTRP reception, including, for example, performing L1 measurements on the first cell. The first device can then continue to monitor and measure synchronization signal block SSB transmissions in the first cell, and when the SSB transmission from the first cell that was previously reported as satisfying the entry condition satisfies the exit condition, event A4A or exit event A4A can be triggered (box 4-5) and message 4-6 is sent. Message 4-6 can be an L3 measurement report that includes event A4A with a physical cell identifier of the first cell and may include an SSB index of a corresponding beam in the first cell with a "leave" indication. When the second device receives message 4-6, the second device or wireless network knows that the first device is no longer able to use the first cell for mTRP reception. The same principle can be used for any inter-cell purpose and even in implementations without specific entry and exit conditions.

[0065] It can be seen that the disclosed measurement configuration for reporting cells suitable for one or more inter-cell purposes enables the wireless network or the second device to, for example, request inter-cell related L1 measurements from the cell, and in the case where the wireless network or the second device chooses to use the reported non-serving cell, the first device can actually use the cell for one or more inter-cell purposes. This ensures that the first device is not in vain configured to measure and report cells that they cannot use for the intended purpose.

[0066] Figures 5 to 8 Different possibilities that messages 3-1, 4-1, 3-4 and 4-4 may contain are described. In the example shown, for clarity and completeness of the description, it is assumed that the criteria are met and reported during L3 measurements. It should be understood that even if Figures 5 to 8Not shown in FIG. 1 , after the measurement report is sent, measurement and reporting still continue according to the measurement configuration, at least until a new measurement configuration is received to replace the existing measurement configuration.

[0067] refer to Figure 5 In the example shown, the first device receives measurement configuration information from the second device in block 501, the measurement configuration information including criteria for one or more inter-cell purposes. Figure 5 In the example of , the measurement configuration information does not include any specific indication of one or more inter-cell purposes. For example, the measurement configuration information may include an additional indication of the inter-cell purpose with standard A4A events but no inter-cell purpose. This means that the one or more first inter-cell purposes indirectly indicated in the measurement configuration information cover all or any inter-cell purposes, or one or more pre-agreed or pre-configured inter-cell purposes.

[0068] The first device performs (block 502 ) L3 measurements as configured, and if for one or more inter-cell purposes the criteria are met (block 503 : yes), the first device sends a measurement report in block 504 indicating the one or more inter-cell purposes.

[0069] refer to Figure 6 In the example shown, the first device receives measurement configuration information from the second device in block 601, the measurement configuration information including criteria for one or more first inter-cell purposes. Figure 6 In the example, the measurement configuration information also includes one or more first inter-cell purposes.

[0070] The first device performs (block 602) L3 measurements as configured until the criteria are met (block 603: yes). Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 6 , it is assumed that the criterion is satisfied when the first device is able to use the first cell for one or more inter-cell purposes included in the measurement configuration information. Then, in block 604, the first device sends a measurement report to the second device. However, in the example shown, the measurement report does not contain any specific indication of the inter-cell specific purposes because they are the purposes indicated by the measurement configuration information (i.e., one or more first inter-cell specific purposes). Therefore, the second device knows what the second inter-cell purpose is.

[0071] refer to Figure 7 In the example shown, the first device receives measurement configuration information from the second device in block 701, the measurement configuration information including criteria for one or more first inter-cell purposes. Figure 7 In the example, the measurement configuration information also includes one or more first inter-cell purposes.

[0072] The first device performs (block 702) L3 measurements as configured until the criteria are met (block 703: yes). Figure 7 In the example of , it is assumed that the criterion is satisfied when the first device is able to use the first cell for at least one of the one or more first inter-cell purposes included in the measurement configuration information. Then, in block 704, the first device sends a measurement report with an indication of the one or more second inter-cell purposes to the second device. By adding the indication of the one or more second inter-cell purposes in the report, it is ensured that the second device knows the inter-cell purposes that the first device can actually support, especially when the (multiple) second inter-cell purposes are a (strict) subset of the first inter-cell purposes.

[0073] In another implementation, based on Figure 7 , when the first device is able to use the first cell for any of the one or more first inter-cell purposes, the criterion may be satisfied (block 703: yes), regardless of whether the one or more first inter-cell purposes are included in the measurement configuration information. By adding an indication of the one or more second inter-cell purposes in the report sent in block 704, it is ensured that the second device knows the inter-cell purpose that the first device can actually support, even if it is unrelated to the one or more first inter-cell purposes.

[0074] Figure 8 Another example is shown, where the first device is configured with two different A4A events (or corresponding events). It is a simple task to implement this example for multiple different A4A events. Figure 8 In the illustrated example, the first device receives measurement configuration information from the second device in block 801, the measurement configuration information including two sets of criteria and first inter-cell purposes. For example, there may be a first criterion for mTRP and a second criterion for L1 mobility.

[0075] The first device performs (block 802) L3 measurements as configured until one of the first criterion and / or the second criterion for the corresponding inter-cell purpose is met (block 803: yes). Then, in block 804, the first device sends a measurement report to the second device, the measurement report having an indication of the corresponding inter-cell purpose as the second inter-cell purpose.

[0076] Meanwhile, the first device continues to perform (block 805) L3 measurements as configured until other criteria for corresponding other inter-cell purposes are met (block 803: yes). Then, in block 807, the first device sends a measurement report to the second device, the measurement report having other indications corresponding to other inter-cell purposes.

[0077] As can be seen from the above examples, the second inter-cell purpose can be selected by the first device from one or more first inter-cell purposes. For example, the first device can be configured to indicate the applicability of the non-serving cell specifically for one inter-cell purpose, or specifically for two or more inter-cell purposes, or for any specifically indicated inter-cell purpose, or for any inter-cell purpose when there is no specific indication. However, even if configured with one or more specific inter-cell purposes, the first device can also be configured to indicate the applicability of the non-serving cell for any inter-cell purpose.

[0078] It should be understood that the above-mentioned different examples are described using the principles and terminology of 5G technology, but the examples are not limited to 5G.

[0079] Above through Figures 2 to 8 The frames, related functions and information exchanges described do not have an absolute time order, and some of them can be performed simultaneously or in an order different from the given order. Other functions can also be performed between them or inside them, and other information can be sent. Some frames in these frames or a part of a frame or one or more pieces of information can also be omitted or replaced by a part of a corresponding frame or a frame or one or more pieces of information. In addition, the different implementations described for a frame can be freely combined with any different implementations of another frame.

[0080] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 An apparatus comprising a communication controller 910, 1010 (such as at least one processor or processing circuit system) and at least one memory 920, 1020 (including computer program code (software, algorithm) ALG 921, 1021) is illustrated, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code (software, algorithm) are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the corresponding apparatus to perform any one of the above-mentioned embodiments, examples and implementations. Fig. 9 A second apparatus, such as a base station or access node, is illustrated, which is configured to at least configure the first apparatus (device) to report one or more non-serving cells suitable for L1 measurements for one or more inter-cell purposes. Fig.10 A first device, such as a user device or a terminal device in a vehicle, or a vehicle, a drone, a wearable device, a robot, or any other entity served by a wireless access network, is illustrated, the first device being used to report a Fig. 9 The device configures one or more possible non-serving cells suitable for L1 measurement for inter-cell purposes. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The device in the embodiment may be an electronic device, other examples of which are described above by Figure 1 List.

[0081] refer to Fig. 9 and Fig.10, the memory 920, 1020 may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The memory may include configuration storage CONF.9211021, such as, for example, a configuration database for measurement configuration. The memory 920, 1020 may also store other data.

[0082] refer to Fig. 9 The device includes a communication interface 930, which includes hardware and / or software for implementing a communication connection according to one or more wireless and / or wired communication protocols. The communication interface 930 can provide the device with a radio communication capability with different devices, such as Fig.10 device and radio communication capabilities towards the transmission reception point, and communication capabilities towards the core network.

[0083] Digital signal processing regarding transmission and reception of signals may be performed in the communication controller 910. The communication interface may include standard well-known components such as amplifiers, filters, frequency converters, modulator (demodulator) and encoder / decoder circuitry and multiple antennas.

[0084] The communication controller 910 includes a measurement configuration circuit system 911 (A4A configurator), which is configured to configure the first device to report one or more non-serving cells suitable for L1 measurement for one or more inter-cell purposes according to any of the above embodiments / examples / implementations. The measurement configuration circuit system 911 can also be configured to configure L1 measurements. The communication controller 910 can control the measurement configuration circuit system 911.

[0085] In one embodiment, Fig. 9 At least some of the functions of the device can be shared between two physically separate devices to form an operating entity. Therefore, the device can be regarded as depicting an operating entity including one or more physically separate devices for performing at least some of the processes described with respect to the second device.

[0086] refer to Fig.10 The device 1000 may also include a communication interface 1030, which includes hardware and / or software for implementing a communication connection according to one or more wireless communication protocols. For example, the communication interface 1030 may provide the device 1000 with Fig. 9The communication interface may include standard well-known analog components such as amplifiers, filters, frequency converters and circuit systems, conversion circuit systems that convert signals between analog domains and digital domains, and one or more antennas. Digital signal processing for transmission and reception of signals may be performed in the communication controller 1010.

[0087] The communication controller 1010 includes a measurement reporting circuit system 1011 (A4A trigger) configured to report one or more non-serving cells suitable for L1 measurement according to any of the above embodiments / examples / implementations. The communication controller 1010 may control the measurement reporting circuit system 1011.

[0088] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" refers to all of the following: (a) pure hardware circuit implementations, such as implementations in analog and / or digital circuitry alone, and (b) combinations of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as, as applicable: (i) a combination of (multiple) processors, or (ii) portions of (multiple) processors / software, including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable the device to perform various functions, and (c) circuits that require software or firmware to operate (even if the software or firmware is not actually present), such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors. This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term in this application. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" would also cover an implementation of only a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to the particular element, the term "circuitry" would also cover a baseband integrated circuit or application processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or another network device.

[0089] In one embodiment, in combination Figures 2 to 8At least some of the processes described may be performed by a device including corresponding components for performing at least some of the above processes. The device may include separate components for separate stages of the process, or the components may perform several stages or the entire process. Some example components for performing the above processes may include at least one of the following: a detector, a processor (including dual-core and multi-core processors), a digital signal processor, a controller, a receiver, a transmitter, an encoder, a decoder, a memory, a RAM, a ROM, software, firmware, a display, a user interface, a display circuit system, a user interface circuit system, a user interface software, display software, a circuit, an antenna, an antenna circuit system, and a circuit system. In one embodiment, at least one processor, a memory, and a computer program code form a processing component, or include one or more computer program code portions for performing one or more operations according to any one of the embodiments / examples / implementations described herein.

[0090] According to another embodiment, an apparatus for executing an embodiment / example includes a circuit system including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. When activated, the circuit system causes the apparatus to execute according to Figures 2 to 8 At least some of the functions or operations thereof of any embodiment / example / implementation of the embodiments / examples / implementations.

[0091] The techniques and methods described herein can be implemented in various ways. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or a combination thereof. For hardware implementation, the (multiple) devices of the embodiment can be implemented in one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof. For firmware or software, implementation can be implemented by a module (e.g., a process, a function, etc.) of at least one chipset that performs the functions described herein. The software code can be stored in a memory unit and executed by a processor. The memory unit can be implemented within a processor or outside a processor. In the latter case, it can be coupled to the processor via various means known in the art. In addition, the components of the device described herein can be rearranged and / or supplemented by other components to facilitate the implementation of various aspects described therein, etc., and they are not limited to the precise configurations listed in a given figure, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0092] The described embodiments / examples / implementations may also be implemented in the form of a computer process defined by a computer program or part thereof. Figures 2 to 8 Embodiments of the described methods may be performed by executing at least a portion of a computer program including corresponding instructions. The computer program may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and may be stored in some carrier, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, the computer program may be stored on a computer program distribution medium readable by a computer or processor. The computer program medium may be, for example, but not limited to, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution package. For example, the computer program medium may be a non-transient medium. The coding of the software for executing the illustrated and described embodiments is well within the scope of ordinary technicians in the art. In one embodiment, the computer readable medium includes the above-mentioned computer program.

[0093] It will be clear to those skilled in the art that, as technology advances, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The embodiments are not limited to the above exemplary embodiments, but can be varied within the scope of the claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly, and they are intended to illustrate rather than limit the exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus to: receiving, from a second device controlling operation of a serving cell, layer 3 L3 measurement configuration information including criteria that L3 measurements of reference signals in a non-serving cell should satisfy to indicate that the non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurements by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes; performing L3 measurements of one or more reference signals in one or more non-serving cells; When the criterion is met for L3 measurement of a first reference signal in a first non-serving cell, a measurement report is sent indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first apparatus for one or more second inter-cell purposes.

2. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the L3 measurement configuration information further comprises: The L1 measurement in the non-serving cell may be used for the one or more first inter-cell purposes.

3. The first device according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the measurement report further comprises: The L1 measurement in the first non-serving cell may be used for the one or more second inter-cell purposes.

4. The first device according to claims 2 and 3, wherein the one or more second inter-cell purposes are selected from the one or more first inter-cell purposes.

5. The first device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the one or more second inter-cell purposes are selected based on the ability of the first device to operate according to the one or more second inter-cell purposes.

6. The first device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more first inter-cell purposes and the second inter-cell purposes include at least one of the following: inter-cell beam management, physical layer mobility, media access layer mobility, and multiple transmission receiving points between cells.

7. The first apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the first apparatus to: receiving in the measurement configuration information further criteria that L3 measurements of reference signals in a non-serving cell should satisfy to indicate that the non-serving cell is no longer a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurements by the first apparatus for the one or more first inter-cell purposes; When the further criterion is met for the L3 measurement of the first reference signal, a further measurement report is sent, the further measurement report indicating that the first non-serving cell is no longer a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first apparatus for the one or more second inter-cell purposes.

8. The first apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the measurement report is for reporting L3 measurements.

9. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the first non-serving cell is configured as a candidate cell for the at least one inter-cell purpose.

10. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the L3 measurements are configurable by means of a radio resource control protocol, and / or the L3 measurements are averaged over a first time period and the L1 measurements are averaged over a second time period.

11. A second device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus to: Controlling the operation of the serving cell; sending, to the first device, layer 3 L3 measurement configuration information including criteria that L3 measurements of reference signals in a non-serving cell should satisfy to indicate that the non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurements by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes; A measurement report is received, the measurement report indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first apparatus for one or more second inter-cell purposes.

12. The second device according to claim 11, wherein the L3 measurement configuration information further comprises: The L1 measurement in the non-serving cell may be used for the one or more first inter-cell purposes.

13. The second device according to any one of claims 11 or 12, wherein the measurement report further comprises: The L1 measurement in the first non-serving cell may be used for the one or more second inter-cell purposes.

14. The second apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, further cause the second apparatus to: sending, in the measurement configuration information, further criteria that L3 measurements of reference signals in a non-serving cell should satisfy to indicate that the non-serving cell is no longer a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurements by the first apparatus for the one or more first inter-cell purposes; A further measurement report is received, the further measurement report indicating that the first non-serving cell is no longer a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first apparatus for the one or more second inter-cell purposes.

15. A method comprising: In a first device, receiving, from a second device controlling operation of a serving cell, layer 3 L3 measurement configuration information including criteria that L3 measurements of reference signals in a non-serving cell should satisfy to indicate that the non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurements by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes; performing, by the first device, L3 measurements of one or more reference signals in one or more non-serving cells; When the criterion is met for L3 measurement of a first reference signal in a first non-serving cell, a measurement report is sent from the first apparatus, the measurement report indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first apparatus for one or more second inter-cell purposes.

16. A method comprising: controlling the operation of the serving cell by the second device; sending, from the second device to the first device, layer 3 L3 measurement configuration information including criteria that L3 measurements of reference signals in a non-serving cell should satisfy to indicate that the non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing layer 1 L1 measurements by the first device for one or more first inter-cell purposes; as well as A measurement report is received by the second apparatus, the measurement report indicating that the first non-serving cell is a suitable cell for performing L1 measurements by the first apparatus for one or more second inter-cell purposes.

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