Managing condition reconfiguration after user equipment (UE) performs mobility procedures

Abstract

Embodiments include a method for a user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a radio access network (RAN) via at least a primary cell group (MCG). Such a method includes receiving a plurality of condition reconfigurations from the RAN. Each condition reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition. Such a method includes storing a plurality of conditional reconfigurations and performing a first mobility procedure towards a first target cell served by a second RAN node according to a first reconfiguration. The first mobility procedure and conditional reconfiguration are associated with a same one of an MCG and a secondary cell group (SCG) for the UE. Such a method includes selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations after performing the first mobility procedure. Other embodiments include supplemental methods for the second RAN node and the first RAN node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless networks, and more particularly to techniques for improving the handling of conditional reconfigurations stored by a user equipment (UE), particularly following performance of a mobility procedure of the UE to a target cell in a wireless network. Background Art

[0002] Long Term Evolution (LTE) is an umbrella term for radio access technologies developed within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and initially standardized in Release 8 (Rel-8) and Release 9 (Rel-9), also known as Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN). LTE targets various licensed frequency bands and is accompanied by improvements to non-radio aspects generally referred to as System Architecture Evolution (SAE), which includes an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network. LTE continues to evolve through subsequent releases.

[0003] LTE Rel-10 supports bandwidths greater than 20 MHz. To maintain compatibility with legacy UEs from earlier releases (e.g., LTE Release 8), wideband LTE Rel-10 carriers (e.g., >20 MHz) should be presented as multiple carriers ("component carriers" or CCs), each preferably having the same structure as an LTE Rel-8 carrier. A Rel-10 UE may receive multiple CCs based on carrier aggregation (CA). A CC may also be considered a "cell," such that a UE in a CA has one primary cell (PCell) and one or more secondary cells (SCells).

[0004] LTE Rel-12 introduces dual connectivity (DC), whereby the UE can be connected to two network nodes simultaneously, thereby improving connection robustness and / or capacity. In LTE DC, the two network nodes are referred to as the master eNB (MeNB) and the secondary eNB (SeNB), or more generally as the master node (MN) and the secondary node (SN). Specifically, the UE is configured with a master cell group (MCG) associated with the MN and a secondary cell group (SCG) associated with the SN. Each cell group includes a PCell and may include one or more SCells.

[0005] Currently, the fifth generation (5G) of cellular systems is being standardized within 3GPP. 5G is developed for maximum flexibility to support a variety of different use cases. These include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), machine type communication (MTC), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), sidelink device-to-device (D2D), and several other use cases. 5G / NR technology shares many similarities with 4G / LTE. For example, the PHY of both uses a similar arrangement to arrange the time domain physical resources into 1 millisecond subframes consisting of multiple slots of equal duration, where each slot includes multiple OFDM-based symbols.

[0006] Several DC (or more generally, multi-connectivity) scenarios are considered for NR. In addition to the MN and SN (called "gNB") adopting the NR interface to communicate with the UE, NR-DC similar to the above-mentioned LTE-DC is also included. In addition, NR supports various multi-RAT DC (MR-DC) scenarios, in which the UE can be configured to utilize resources from one node providing E-UTRA / LTE access and another node providing NR access. One node acts as a MN (e.g., providing MCG) and the other acts as a SN (e.g., providing SCG), when the MN and SN are connected via a network interface and at least the MN is connected to the core network (e.g., EPC or 5GC).

[0007] A common mobility procedure for a UE connected to an NR or LTE network (e.g., in the RRC-CONNECTED state, explained in more detail below) is a handover between cells (HO). The UE is handed over from a source or serving cell provided by a source node to a target cell provided by a target node. Typically, for LTE (or NR), the handover source node and target node are different eNBs (or gNBs), although intra-node handovers between different cells provided by a single eNB (or gNB) are possible. A successful handover ensures that the UE moves around in the coverage area of ​​different cells without causing too many interruptions in data transmission.

[0008] Even so, handovers and other mobility procedures may have various issues related to robustness. For example, a HO command is typically sent when the radio conditions for the UE are already very poor (such as at or near a cell border). Therefore, the HO command may need to be segmented (e.g., to allow redundancy to prevent errors) and / or retransmitted one or more times before it reaches the UE. In this case, the HO command may not reach the UE in a timely manner (or at all) before the degraded connection with the source node (e.g., the node hosting the UE's current serving node) is disconnected. Failure to handover to the target cell may cause the UE to declare a radio link failure (RLF) in the source cell. After the UE reestablishes connection in another target cell, the UE may provide an RLF report to the network, indicating the cause(s) of the RLF in the source cell.

[0009] Some "conditional mobility" procedures have been introduced to address various difficulties with handover and other mobility procedures. The main principle is to separate the transmission and execution of mobility (e.g. handover) commands. This allows the mobility commands to be sent to the UE earlier, when the radio conditions are still good, thereby increasing the likelihood that the message will be successfully transmitted. The execution of the mobility command is completed at a later point in time based on the associated execution conditions.

[0010] More specifically, Conditional Handover (CHO) and SN initiated Intra-SN Conditional PSCell Change (CPC) procedures based on these principles are specified in 3GPP Rel-16. It is expected that 3GPP Rel-17 will include support for other conditional mobility procedures such as Conditional PSCell Addition (CPA), Inter-SN CPC (SN or MN initiated) and MN initiated Intra-SN CPC.

[0011] Conditional mobility procedures (such as CHO, CPC, CPA, etc.) are facilitated by a conditional reconfiguration framework, where the network provides one or more reconfigurations to the UE, each with associated (multiple) execution conditions. Each reconfiguration may be provided in an RRCReconfiguration message (in NR) or an RRCConnectionReconfiguration message (in LTE). When the UE later detects (multiple) execution conditions associated with one of the earlier received reconfigurations, the UE performs the associated reconfiguration to perform the relevant mobility procedure (e.g., HO, PSCell change, PSCell addition, etc.).

[0012] In general, a UE receives a conditional reconfiguration from a first RAN node (e.g., eNB, gNB, etc.) serving a first cell to which the UE is connected. The conditional reconfiguration is associated with a corresponding candidate target cell that may be served by the first RAN node or by another RAN node. From a mobility perspective, the first RAN node providing the conditional reconfiguration is considered to be a source RAN node (the first cell is the source cell), and the RAN nodes serving the corresponding candidate target cells are considered to be candidate target RAN nodes. Summary of the invention

[0013] In some cases, however, the UE may perform a mobility procedure (e.g., HO) to move from the first cell to the second cell before performing any conditional reconfiguration provided by the first RAN node. However, it is currently unclear whether the UE should release (e.g., discard) the conditional reconfigurations or continue to evaluate them while operating in the second cell.

[0014] In some cases, the first RAN node may provide each conditional reconfiguration in a format that is relative to or differential to the configuration of the source cell (e.g., the first cell) in which the UE is operating. These are often referred to as "delta configurations" and include only the parameters of the source cell that need to be modified for the corresponding target cell. However, the second cell may be configured with different parameters from the first cell, so it is unclear how the UE should handle the delta configuration relative to the first cell after moving to the second cell.

[0015] It is an object of embodiments of the present disclosure to improve conditional mobility operations of UEs in a RAN, such as by facilitating solutions to the exemplary problems, issues and / or difficulties summarized above and described in more detail below.

[0016] Some embodiments of the present disclosure include methods (eg, processes) for a UE configured to communicate with a RAN via at least one MCG.

[0017] The exemplary methods include receiving a plurality of conditional reconfigurations from a RAN. Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition. The exemplary methods include storing the plurality of conditional reconfigurations. The exemplary methods include performing a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by a second RAN node based on a first reconfiguration. The first mobility procedure and the plurality of stored conditional reconfigurations are associated with the same one of an MCG and an SCG for the UE. The exemplary methods include selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations after performing the mobility procedure.

[0018] In some embodiments, selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is based on one or more of the following: an indication received from the RAN regarding the first mobility procedure, The contents of the stored conditional reconfiguration, the contents of one or more other conditional reconfigurations in the stored conditional reconfiguration, the type of mobility procedure associated with the stored conditional reconfiguration, The identifier of the first target cell, The contents of the first reconfiguration, and • The type of first mobility procedure performed.

[0019] Other embodiments include methods (eg, processes) for a first RAN node configured to provide an MCG for a UE.The exemplary methods are generally complementary to the exemplary methods for a UE outlined above. These exemplary methods include sending to the UE: a plurality of conditional reconfigurations, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; and • An indication of whether the UE should maintain or release one or more of the plurality of conditional reconfigurations following performance of a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by a second RAN node. The first mobility procedure and the plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with the same one of the MCG and the secondary cell group (SCG) for the UE.The exemplary method further comprises subsequently performing and / or facilitating a first mobility procedure for the UE towards a first target cell served by the second RAN node in accordance with the first reconfiguration.

[0020] Other embodiments include methods (eg, processes) for a first RAN node configured to provide an MCG for a UE.The exemplary methods are generally complementary to the exemplary methods for a UE of a first RAN node outlined above.

[0021] These exemplary methods include sending an indication to the UE or to a first RAN node whether the UE should maintain or release one or more of a plurality of conditional reconfigurations after execution of a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by a second RAN node, the first RAN node being configured to provide a primary cell group (MCG) for the UE. Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition. In addition, the first mobility procedure and the plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with the same one of an MCG and a secondary cell group (SCG) for the UE. The exemplary method includes performing and / or facilitating, according to the first reconfiguration, a first mobility procedure of the UE to a first target cell served by a second RAN node.

[0022] The following summary of embodiments applies to the methods for the UE, the first RAN node and the second RAN node summarized above.

[0023] In some embodiments, the first mobility procedure to the first target cell is a handover or a conditional handover (CHO).Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a conditional handover (CHO), wherein the candidate target cell is a primary cell (PCell) of the MCG.

[0024] In other embodiments, the first mobility procedure towards the first target cell is one of: unconditional primary SCG cell (PSCell) change, unconditional PSCell addition, SCG addition, SCG modification, and SCG release. And, each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: Conditional Primary SCG Cell (PSCell) Addition (CPA), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; and • Conditional PSCell Change (CPC), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

[0025] In other embodiments, the first mobility procedure to the first target cell is CPA or CPC, and each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: CPA, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; or CPC, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

[0026] In some embodiments, each conditional reconfiguration includes an identifier of one or more of: other conditional reconfigurations that should be maintained by the UE after execution of the associated mobility procedure, and • Other candidate target cells whose associated conditional reconfiguration should be maintained by the UE after execution of the associated mobility procedure.

[0027] In some embodiments, each conditional reconfiguration comprises at least one field associated with a version or release of the functionality.The version or release also indicates whether the UE should maintain or release the conditional reconfiguration after execution of the mobility procedure.

[0028] In some embodiments, each conditional reconfiguration includes a first indication of whether the state of the associated candidate target cell is activated or deactivated after the execution of the associated mobility procedure. In addition, each first indication also indicates whether the UE should maintain or release the associated conditional reconfiguration after the execution of the associated mobility procedure.

[0029] In some embodiments, the indication of whether the UE should maintain or release one or more of the multiple conditional reconfigurations comprises a single indication that applies to multiple (ie, all) conditional reconfigurations.

[0030] Other embodiments include UEs (e.g., wireless devices, IoT devices, etc., or components thereof) and RAN nodes (e.g., base stations, eNBs, gNBs, ng-eNBs, en-gNBs, etc., or components thereof) configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the exemplary methods described herein. Other embodiments include non-transitory computer-readable media storing program instructions that, when executed by processing circuits, configure such UEs or RAN nodes to perform operations corresponding to any of the exemplary methods described herein.

[0031] These and other embodiments disclosed herein may provide various technical advantages and / or benefits. For example, an embodiment may inform a UE of what stored conditional reconfigurations it should maintain after a cell group change or other mobility process in the network (e.g., to facilitate subsequent mobility processes with low latency or delay). In this way, at any given moment both the UE and the network are aware of the conditional reconfiguration that the UE is evaluating, which prevents configuration mismatches between the UE and the network. This also prevents unnecessary reconfiguration failures caused by the network assuming that the UE is operating with a configuration different from the actual configuration. At a high level, the embodiments may improve the mobility robustness of both the UE and the network.

[0032] These and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent through a consideration of the drawings briefly described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 A high-level view of an exemplary LTE network architecture is shown.

[0034] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary LTE control plane (CP) protocol stack.

[0035] Figure 3 A high-level view of an exemplary 5G / NR network architecture is shown.

[0036] Figure 4 A high-level view of dual connectivity (DC) combined with carrier aggregation (CA) is shown.

[0037] Figure 5 and Figure 6 A high-level view of an exemplary network architecture supporting Multi-RAT DC (MR-DC) using EPC and 5GC, respectively, is shown.

[0038] Figure 7is a block diagram showing a high-level comparison of the CP architecture of two DC alternatives, EN-DC and 5GC, with EPC and MR-DC respectively.

[0039] Figure 8 Signaling for an exemplary conditional handover (CHO) procedure is shown.

[0040] Fig. 9 Signaling for an exemplary SN initiated, intra-SN conditional PSCell Change Procedure (CPC) is shown.

[0041] FIG. 10A to FIG. 10C An exemplary ASN.1 data structure for a ConditionalReconfiguration information element (IE) and the various fields included therein are shown.

[0042] Figures 11 to 13 ASN.1 data structures for various IEs or messages according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0043] Fig.14 is a flowchart of another exemplary method (eg, process) for a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] Fig.15 is a flow chart of an exemplary method (eg, process) for a first RAN node according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] Fig.16 is a flow chart of an exemplary method (eg, process) for a second RAN node according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] Fig.17 A communication system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0047] Fig.18 A UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0048] Fig.19 A network node according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0049] Fig. 20 A host computing system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0050] Fig.21 is a block diagram of a virtualization environment in which functionality implemented by some embodiments of the present disclosure may be virtualized.

[0051] Fig. 22 Communications between a host computing system, a network node, and a UE via multiple connections, at least one of which is wireless, are shown in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] Some embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed inventive content should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; on the contrary, these embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the inventive content to those skilled in the art.

[0053] In general, all terms used herein will be interpreted according to their common meaning in the relevant technical field, unless clearly given different meanings and / or hinted from the context of its use. Unless otherwise clearly stated, all references to element, device, assembly, device, step, etc. will be publicly interpreted as at least one instance involving element, device, assembly, device, step, etc. The operation of any method and / or process disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless the operation is clearly described as following another operation or before another operation and / or wherein the operation must follow or precede another operation. When appropriate, any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein may be applied to any other disclosed embodiment. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment described herein may be applicable to any other disclosed embodiment.

[0054] In addition, the following terms are used in the following description: Radio Access Node: As used herein, a "radio access node" (or equivalently A "radio network node", "radio access network node" or "RAN node") may be any node in a radio access network (RAN) that operates to transmit and / or receive signals wirelessly. Some examples of radio access nodes include, but are not limited to, base stations (e.g., gNBs in 3GPP 5G / NR networks or enhanced or eNBs in 3GPP LTE networks), base station distributed components (e.g., CUs and DUs), high power or macro base stations, low power base stations (e.g., micro, pico, femto or home base stations, etc.), integrated access backhaul (IAB) nodes, transmission points (TPs), transmission reception points (TRPs), remote radio units (RRUs or RRHs), and relay nodes. Core network node: As used herein, a "core network node" is any type of node in the core network. Some examples of core network nodes include, for example, mobility management entity (MME), serving gateway (SGW), PDN gateway (P-GW), policy and charging rules function (PCRF), access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), user plane function (UPF), charging function (CHF), policy control function (PCF), authentication server function (AUSF), location management function (LMF), etc. Wireless device: As used herein, a "wireless device" (or "WD" for short) is any type of device that is capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with a network node and / or other wireless devices. Wireless communication may include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information through the air. Unless otherwise specified, the term "wireless device" is used interchangeably herein with the term "user equipment" (or "UE" for short), where both terms have different meanings from the term "network node". • Radio node: As used herein, a "radio node" may be a "radio access node" (or equivalent terms) or a "wireless device". Network node: As used herein, a "network node" is any node that is part of a radio access network (e.g., a radio access node or equivalent term) or a core network (e.g., a core network node as described above) of a cellular communication network. Functionally, a network node is a device that is capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless device and / or with other network nodes or devices in a cellular communication network to enable and / or provide wireless access to a wireless device, and / or to perform other functions (e.g., management) in a cellular communication network. Node: As used herein, the term "node" (without a prefix) may be any type of node in or in connection with a wireless network (including a RAN and / or a core network), including a radio access node (or equivalent terms), a core network node, or a wireless device. However, the term "node" may be limited to a specific type (e.g., a radio access node) based on its specific characteristics in any given context.

[0055] The above definitions are not meant to be exclusive. In other words, the same or similar terms may be used elsewhere in this disclosure to explain and / or describe various terms in the above terms. However, to the extent that other explanations and / or descriptions conflict with the above definitions, the above definitions shall prevail.

[0056] Note that the description given herein focuses on 3GPP cellular communication systems, and therefore, 3GPP terminology or terminology similar to 3GPP terminology is often used. However, the concepts disclosed herein are not limited to 3GPP systems, and may be applied to any system that may benefit from the concepts, principles and / or embodiments described herein.

[0057] Figure 1An overall exemplary architecture of a network including LTE and SAE is shown in FIG. 1. E-UTRAN 100 includes one or more evolved nodes (eNBs), such as eNB 105, eNB 110, and eNB 115, and one or more user equipments (UEs), such as UE 120. E-UTRAN 100 is responsible for all radio-related functions in the network, including radio bearer control, radio admission control, radio mobility control, scheduling, and dynamic allocation of resources to UEs in uplink and downlink, as well as security of communications with UEs. These functions reside in eNBs, such as eNB 105, eNB 110, and eNB 115. Each eNB may serve a geographic coverage area including one or more cells, including cell 106, cell 111, and cell 115, served by eNB 105, eNB 110, and eNB 115, respectively.

[0058] The eNBs in E-UTRAN communicate with each other via the X2 interface, such as Figure 1 The eNB is also responsible for the interface between the E-UTRAN and the EPC 130, specifically, the S1 interface to the Mobility Management Entity (MME) and the Serving Gateway (SGW). Figure 1 134 and MME / S-GW 138. In general, the MME / S-GW handles the overall control of the UE and the data flow between the UE and the rest of the EPC. More specifically, the MME handles the signaling (e.g., control plane) protocols between the UE and the EPC, which are referred to as non-access stratum (NAS) protocols. The S-GW handles all Internet Protocol (IP) data packets (e.g., data or user plane) between the UE and the EPC and serves as a local mobility anchor for data bearers when the UE moves between eNBs (such as eNB 105, eNB 110, and eNB 115).

[0059] EPC 130 may also include a home subscriber server (HSS) 131 that manages user and subscriber related information. HSS 131 may also provide support functions in mobility management, call and session establishment, user authentication, and access authorization. The functions of HSS 131 may be related to the functions of traditional home location register (HLR) and authentication center (AuC) functions or operations. HSS 131 may also communicate with MME 134 and MME 138 via corresponding S6a interfaces.

[0060] In some embodiments, HSS 131 can communicate with Figure 1The HSS 131 may communicate with a user data repository (UDR) labeled EPC-UDR 135 in the HSS 131. The EPC-UDR 135 may store user credentials after they have been encrypted by the AuC algorithms. These algorithms are not standardized (i.e., vendor specific), making the encrypted credentials stored in the EPC-UDR 135 inaccessible to any other vendor than the vendor of the HSS 131.

[0061] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary control plane (CP) protocol stack between a UE, an eNB, and an MME is shown. The exemplary protocol stack includes a physical layer (PHY), a media access control layer (MAC), a radio link control layer (RLC), a packet data convergence protocol layer (PDCP), and a radio resource control (RRC) layer between the UE and the eNB. The PHY layer is concerned with how and what characteristics are used to transmit data through transport channels on the LTE radio interface. The MAC layer provides data transmission services on logical channels, maps logical channels to PHY transport channels, and reallocates PHY resources to support these services. The RLC layer provides error detection and / or error correction, concatenation, segmentation and reassembly, and reordering of data transmitted to or from upper layers. The PDCP layer provides encryption / decryption and integrity protection for the CP and user plane (UP) and other UP functions, such as header compression. The exemplary protocol stack also includes non-access stratum (NAS) signaling between the UE and the MME.

[0062] The RRC layer controls the communication between the UE and the eNB at the radio interface, as well as the mobility of the UE between cells in the E-UTRAN. After the UE is powered on, the UE will be in the RRC_IDLE state until an RRC connection is established with the network, at which time the UE will transition to the RRC_CONNECTED state (e.g., where data transfer can occur). After releasing the connection with the network, the UE returns to RRC_IDLE. In the RRC_IDLE state, the UE does not belong to any cell, no RRC context is established for the UE (e.g., in E-UTRAN), and the UE is not UL synchronized with the network. Even so, a UE in the RRC_IDLE state is known in the EPC and has an assigned IP address.

[0063] In addition, in the RRC_IDLE state, the UE's radio is active on a discontinuous reception (DRX) schedule configured by upper layers. During the DRX active period (also called "DRX on period"), the RRC_IDLE UE receives system information (SI) broadcast by the serving cell, performs measurements of neighboring cells to support cell reselection, and monitors the paging channel from the EPC for paging via the eNB serving the cell in which the UE is camping.

[0064] The UE must perform a random access (RA) procedure to move from RRC_IDLE to the RRC_CONNECTED state. In the RRC_CONNECTED state, the cell serving the UE is known, and an RRC context is established for the UE in the serving eNB, allowing the UE and the eNB to communicate. For example, the cell radio network temporary identity (C-RNTI), the UE identity used for signaling between the UE and the network, is configured for the UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0065] As briefly mentioned above, LTE Rel-12 introduced dual connectivity (DC), whereby a UE can be configured with a primary cell group (MCG) provided by a primary node (MN) and a secondary cell group (SCG) provided by a secondary node (SN). Each CG is a serving cell group, which includes a MAC entity, a set of logical channels with associated RLC entities, a primary cell (PCell) and optionally one or more secondary cells (SCells). The term "special cell" ("SpCell" for short) refers to an MCG PCell or a primary SCG cell (PSCell), depending on whether the MAC entity of the UE is associated with an MCG or an SCG, respectively. In non-DC operation (e.g., CA), SpCell refers to PCell. SpCell is always activated and supports physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmissions and contention-based random access by the UE.

[0066] The MN provides system information (SI) to the UE and terminates the control plane connection, and is therefore the control node for the UE, including handovers to and from the SN. The SN provides additional radio resources (e.g., bearers) for certain bearers with resources from both the MCG and the SCG. Reconfiguration, addition, and removal of SCells can be performed through RRC. When a new SCell is added, dedicated RRC signaling is used to send the SI of all required SCells to the UE, so that the UE does not need to obtain the SI directly from the SCell broadcast. The MCG and / or SCG may include multiple cells operating in CA.

[0067] Both MN and SN can terminate the user plane (UP) towards the UE, which includes three different types of bearers. The MCG bearer is terminated in the MN, and the S1-U connection for the corresponding (multiple) bearers with the S-GW is terminated in the MN. The SN does not participate in the transmission of UP data for the MCG bearer. Similarly, the SCG bearer is terminated in the SN, and the SN can connect directly to the S-GW via S1-U. The MN does not participate in the transmission of UP data for the SCG bearer. The split bearer (and its corresponding S1-U connection to the S-GW) is also MN terminated together with the PDCP data transmitted between the MN and the SN via X2-U.

[0068] Figure 3 A high-level view of a 5G network architecture is shown, including a next generation RAN (NG-RAN) 399 and a 5G core (5GC) 398. The NG-RAN 399 may include a set of gNodeBs (gNBs) connected to the 3GC via one or more NG interfaces, such as gNB 300, gNB 350 connected via interfaces 302, 352, respectively. In addition, the gNBs may be connected to each other via one or more Xn interfaces, such as an Xn interface 340 between gNB 300 and gNB 350. With respect to the NR interface to the UE, each of the gNBs may support frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), or a combination thereof.

[0069] NG-RAN 399 is layered into a radio network layer (RNL) and a transport network layer (TNL). The NG-RAN architecture (i.e., NG-RAN logical nodes and the interfaces between them) is defined as part of the RNL. For each NG-RAN interface (NG, Xn, F1), the relevant TNL protocols and functions are specified. TNL provides services for user plane transmission and signaling transmission.

[0070] Figure 3 The NG RAN logical nodes shown include a central (or centralized) unit (CU or gNB-CU) and one or more distributed (or decentralized) units (DU or gNB-DU). For example, gNB 300 includes gNB-CU 310 and gNB-DUs 320 and 330. A CU (e.g., gNB-CU 310) is a logical node that hosts higher layer protocols and performs various gNB functions (such as controlling the operation of the DU). Each DU is a logical node that hosts lower layer protocols and may include various subsets of gNB functions based on functional division. Therefore, each of the CU and DU may include various circuits required to perform its respective functions, including processing circuits, transceiver circuits (e.g., for communication), and power supply circuits.

[0071] gNB-CU through the corresponding F1 logical interface (such as Figure 3 The F1 interface is connected to the gNB-DU by interfaces 322 and 332 shown in FIG. 3 . The gNB-CU and the connected gNB-DU are only visible to other gNBs and 5GC as gNBs. In other words, the F1 interface is not visible outside the gNB-CU. Figure 3 In the gNB split CU-DU architecture shown, DC can be achieved by allowing the UE to connect to multiple DUs served by the same CU or by allowing the UE to connect to multiple DUs served by different CUs.

[0072] As briefly described above, 5G / NR technology shares many similarities with 4G / LTE. For example, both PHYs utilize a similar arrangement of time-domain physical resources, arranged as 1 millisecond subframes comprising multiple slots of equal duration, where each slot comprises multiple OFDM-based symbols. As another example, the NRRRC layer includes RRC_IDLE and RRC_CONNECTED states (like LTE), but adds another state called RRC_INACTIVE.

[0073] In addition to providing coverage via "cells", as in LTE, NR networks also provide coverage via "beams". Typically, a downlink (DL) "beam" is a coverage area of ​​RS transmitted by the network that can be measured or monitored by a UE. For example, these RSs may include any of the following, alone or in combination: SS / PBCH blocks (SSBs), CSI-RS, three-level reference signals (or any other synchronization signals), positioning RS (PRS), DMRS, phase tracking reference signals (PTRS), etc. Typically, SSBs are available to all UEs regardless of the RRC state, while other RSs (e.g., CSI-RS, DM-RS, PTRS) are associated with specific UEs that have a network connection (i.e., in the RRC_CONNECTED state).

[0074] DC is also an important feature of 5G / NR networks. 3GPP TR38.804 (v14.0.0) describes various exemplary DC scenarios or configurations, where MN and SN can apply NR RAT, LTE RAT, or both, and can be connected to EPC or 5GC. The following terms are used to describe these exemplary DC scenarios or configurations: DC: LTE DC (i.e., both MN and SN adopt LTE, as described above); EN-DC: LTE-NRDC, where MN (eNB) adopts LTE and SN (gNB) adopts NR, and both are connected to EPC. NGEN-DC: LTE-NR dual connectivity, where the UE is connected to one ng-eNB acting as MN and one gNB acting as SN. The ng-eNB is connected to 5GC, and the gNB is connected to the ng-eNB via the Xn interface. NE-DC: LTE-NR dual connectivity, where the UE is connected to one gNB acting as MN and one ng-eNB acting as SN. The gNB is connected to the 5GC, and the ng-eNB is connected to the gNB via the Xn interface. NR-DC (or NR-NR DC): Both MN and SN adopt NR and are connected to 5GC via NG. MR-DC (Multi-RAT DC): A generalization of E-UTRA Dual Connectivity (DC) is described in 3GPP TS36.300 (v16.3.0), where multiple Rx / Tx UEs can be configured to utilize resources provided by two different nodes connected via a non-ideal backhaul, one providing E-UTRA access and the other providing NR access. One node acts as a MN and the other as a SN, where one node uses LTE and the other uses NR. The MN and SN are connected via a network interface, at least the MN is connected to the core network. EN-DC, NE-DC and NGEN-DC are different example cases of MR-DC.

[0075] Figure 4 A high-level schematic diagram of a UE (430) arranged in a DC with CA is shown. In this schematic diagram, each MN (410) and SN (420) can be an eNB or a gNB. The MN provides an MCG (411) of the UE consisting of a PCell and three SCells arranged in CA, while the SN provides an SCG (421) of the UE consisting of a PSCell and three SCells arranged in CA.

[0076] Figure 5 A high-level schematic diagram of an exemplary network architecture supporting EN-DC is shown, including E-UTRAN (599) and EPC (598). E-UTRAN may include en-gNBs (e.g., 510a, b) and eNBs (e.g., 520a, b) interconnected with each other via corresponding X2 (or X2-U) interfaces. The eNB may be similar to Figure 1 The eNB shown in the figure, while the ng-eNB can be similar to Figure 3 The gNBs shown in , except that they connect to the 5GC via the S1-U interface instead of the X2 interface. The eNBs also connect to the EPC via the S1 interface, similar to Figure 1 More specifically, en-gNB (e.g., 510a, b) and eNB 520 (e.g., 520a, b) are connected to MME (e.g., 530a, b) and S-GW (e.g., 540a, b) in EPC.

[0077] Each en-gNB and eNB may serve a geographic coverage area including one or more cells (e.g., 511a-b, 521a-b). Depending on the cell in which it is located, the UE may communicate with the en-gNB or eNB serving the cell via the NR or LTE radio interface, respectively. In addition, the UE may be in EN-DC connection with a first cell served by the eNB and a second cell served by the en-gNB, such as in Figure 5As illustrated by a UE (505) in EN-DC with cells (510a, 520a).

[0078] In addition to providing coverage via "cells", as in LTE, NR networks also provide coverage via "beams". Typically, a DL "beam" is a coverage area of ​​a network-transmitted RS that can be measured or monitored by a UE. At NR, for example, RS may include any of the following, alone or in combination: SS / PBCH blocks (SSBs), CSI-RS, three-level reference signals (or any other synchronization signal), positioning RS (PRS), DMRS, phase tracking reference signals (PTRS), etc. Typically, SSBs are available to all UEs regardless of the RRC state, while other RS ​​(e.g., CSI-RS, DM-RS, PTRS) are associated with specific UEs that have a network connection (i.e., in the RRC_CONNECTED state).

[0079] Figure 6 A high-level view of an exemplary network architecture supporting a 5GC-based MR-DC configuration is shown. More specifically, Figure 6 NG-RAN (699) and 5GC (698) are shown. NG-RAN may include gNBs (e.g., 610a, b) and ng-eNBs (e.g., 620a, b) interconnected to each other via respective Xn interfaces. The gNBs and ng-eNBs are also connected to the 5GC via NG interfaces, more specifically to access and mobility management functions (AMFs, e.g., 630a, b) via respective NG-C interfaces, and to user plane functions (UPFs, e.g., 640a, b) via respective NG-U interfaces. In addition, the AMF may communicate with one or more session management functions (SMFs, e.g., 650a, b) and network open functions (NFs, e.g., 660a, b).

[0080] Each of the gNBs can be similar to Figure 5 The gNB shown in FIG. 1 and each of the ng-eNBs may be similar to Figure 1 , except that they are connected to the EPC via an NG interface instead of an S1 interface. Each of the gNBs and ng-eNBs can serve a geographic coverage area including one or more cells (e.g., 611a-b, 621a-b). The gNBs and ng-eNBs can also use various directional beams to provide coverage in the corresponding cells. Depending on the cell in which it is located, the UE can communicate with the gNB or ng-eNB serving the cell via the NR or LTE radio interface, respectively. In addition, the UE can perform MR-DC with a first cell served by the ng-eNB and a second cell served by the gNB, as shown in Figure 6As illustrated by a UE (605) in an MR-DC having cells (610a, 620a).

[0081] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an EN-DC with EPC (e.g., Figure 5 ) and MR-DC with 5GC (e.g., Figure 5 ) High-level comparison of the control plane (CP) architectures. The specific RATs used by the MN and SN in the two architectures are shown in brackets and discussed in more detail above. In either case, the UE has a single RRC state based on the MN RRC (LTE or NR) and a single CP connection towards the CN, which is via the Uu interface to the MN and the S1-C or NG-C interface to the CN, as appropriate. RRC PDUs generated by the SN can be transmitted to the MN via the X2-C or Xn-C interface (as appropriate) and from the MN to the UE via the Uu interface. The MN always sends the initial SN RRC configuration via the MCG SRB (SRB1), but subsequent reconfigurations can be transmitted via the MN or the SN. When transmitting RRC PDUs from the SN, the MN does not modify the UE configuration provided by the SN.

[0082] like Figure 7 As shown, each of the MN and SN has an RRC entity for creating RRC information elements (IE) and messages for configuring the UE. Since the SN is responsible for its own resources, it provides the UE with the SCG configuration in the RRC message and the radio bearer configuration in the IE for all bearers terminated in the SN. The MN in turn creates the MCG configuration and the radio bearer configuration for all bearers terminated in the MN. The cell group configuration includes the configuration of L1 (physical layer), MAC, and RLC. The radio bearer configuration includes the configuration of PDCP (and SDAP in the case of 5GC).

[0083] As briefly mentioned above, Conditional Handover (CHO) was introduced in 3GPP Rel-16 to improve the robustness of UE mobility. The key idea in CHO is the separation of transmission and execution of the handover command. This allows the handover command to be sent to the UE earlier when the radio conditions are still good, thereby increasing the probability that the message is successfully transmitted. Based on the associated execution conditions, the execution of the handover command is completed later at an appropriate time.

[0084] The execution condition is typically based on a threshold. For example, the signal strength of the candidate target cell becomes XdB better than the serving cell (a so-called "A3 event"). The previous measurement report event may use a threshold Y selected to be lower than X used as the handover execution condition. This allows the serving cell to prepare for handover when an early measurement report is received and to provide an RRCConnectionReconfiguration with mobilityControlInfo (for LTE) or an RRCReconfiguration with reconfigurationWithSync or CellGroupConfig (for NR) when the radio link between the source cell and the UE is still relatively stable.

[0085] As used herein, a cell for which a conditional handover (or other conditional mobility procedure) is configured is referred to as a "candidate target cell" or "potential target cell". Similarly, a RAN node controlling a candidate / potential target cell is referred to as a "candidate target node" or "potential target node". Once conditional mobility execution conditions for a candidate / potential target cell have been met and mobility execution towards that cell has been triggered, the cell is no longer "potential" or a "candidate" in the normal sense of the word, as it is now determined that a mobility operation will be performed on it. Instead, the candidate / potential target cell may then be referred to as a "target cell".

[0086] Figure 8 An exemplary signal flow between a UE 810, a source RAN node 820, and a target RAN node 830 for CHO is shown. For example, the source node and the target node may be a gNB and / or components of a gNB, such as a CU and / or a DU.

[0087] The process involves two different measurement thresholds: a low threshold and a high threshold. The two thresholds can be expressed as different levels of a specific indicator, such as signal strength, signal quality, etc. For example, the high threshold can be that the quality of the mobility reference signal (MRS) of the target cell or beam becomes X dB stronger than the MRS of the UE of the serving cell (e.g., provided by the source RAN node), while the low threshold is less than the high threshold (i.e., the target is lower than the source). As used in this context, MRS represents a reference signal for any mobility-related purpose. For example, in NR, MRS can be an SSB (SS / PBCH block) or CSI-RS. For another example, for NR operating in unlicensed spectrum (referred to as NR-U), in addition to any of the above signals, MRS can be a discovery reference signal (DRS).

[0088] Initially, the UE may transmit and / or receive user plane (UP) data with the source RAN node. The source RAN node may provide the UE with a measurement configuration including a low threshold (not shown in the figure). When performing measurements that meet the low threshold, the UE may send a measurement report to the serving node (operation 1). While performing measurements and evaluating the low threshold, the UE continues to operate in its current RRC configuration. In operation 2, based on the report, the source RAN node may decide to request an early handover of the UE to the target RAN node (e.g., to a cell indicated in the measurement report), and then send the request (operation 3). For example, the early handover request may include the HandoverPreparationInformaiton IE as described above.

[0089] The target RAN node performs admission control for the UE (operation 4) and responds with a CHO request confirmation (operation 5) including the RRC configuration, similar to a conventional handover. In operation 6, the source RAN node then sends an RRCReconfiguration message including the "CHO ​​configuration" to the UE, which may include a high threshold. After responding with an RRCReconfigurationComplete message (operation 7), the UE continues to perform measurements, and whenever the high threshold condition is met for the target cell, the UE may detach from the source cell and, after performing the RA procedure and synchronizing with the target cell, send an RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the target RAN node (e.g., operations 8-9). Even so, if the high threshold condition is not met, the UE may remain in the source cell for an extended amount of time.

[0090] In operation 10, the target RAN node sends a HANDOVERSUCCESS message to the source gNB indicating that the UE has successfully established the target connection. Upon receiving the handover success indication, the source RAN node stops scheduling any more DL or UL data to the UE and sends an SN STATUS TRANSFER message indicating the latest PDCP SN transmitter and receiver status to the target RAN node (operation 11). The source RAN node now also starts forwarding user data to the target RAN node (operation 12). Upon receiving the handover complete message (operation 9), the target RAN node can start exchanging UP data with the UE. The target RAN node also requests the AMF to switch the DL data path from the source RAN node to the target RAN node (not shown). Once the path switch is complete, the target RAN node sends a UE context release to the source RAN node (operation 13).

[0091] When the UE successfully connects (e.g. completes RA) to the target cell during CHO or normal handover, it releases all conditional reconfigurations it has stored. The RAN node serving the target cell may then provide new conditional reconfigurations to the UE if necessary.

[0092] The conditional handover concepts shown above can be generalized into a generic conditional reconfiguration framework, where the UE can be configured in advance with other types of reconfigurations that can be performed via an RRCReconfiguration message (in NR) or an RRCConnectionReconfiguration message (in LTE) when the associated (multiple) execution conditions are triggered. Each such message is prepared by a candidate target RAN node associated with a candidate target cell and includes an execution condition that can be represented by one or more identifiers of (multiple) measurement configurations. The conditional reconfiguration framework can be applied to the following mobility operations: CHO (e.g., the target candidate RRCReconfiguration message contains a synchronized reconfiguration for the MCG); Conditional PSCell Addition (e.g., the target candidate RRCReconfiguration message includes an SCG configuration including a reconfiguration of synchronization for a cell of the PSCell to be the SCG); Conditional PSCell Change (CPC, e.g., the target candidate RRCReconfiguration message includes an SCG configuration including a reconfiguration of synchronization for a new target candidate cell of the PSCell to be the SCG); · Conditional PSCell release (e.g. the source RRC reconfiguration message to be conditionally applied contains an SCG release indication); or • Conditional PSCell suspension (eg, the source RRC reconfiguration message to be conditionally applied contains an SCG suspension indication).

[0093] The SN-initiated intra-SN CPC procedure is specified in 3GPP Rel-16. In this procedure, a UE operating in an MR-DC receives a conditional reconfiguration including an RRCReconfiguration message containing an SCG configuration (e.g., the secondaryCellGroup field of the CellGroupConfig information element) with associated execution conditions (e.g., A3 / A5 event configuration). When the UE detects that the execution conditions are met (i.e., the neighboring cell is found to be better than the amount configured by the current PSCell), the UE performs a PSCell change. The intra-SN solution for Rel-16 is only used for scenarios where the (candidate) target PSCell is provided by the UE's current SN. Similar to CHO, when the UE successfully connects (e.g., completes RA) to the target cell during intra-SN CPC, it releases all conditional reconfigurations it has stored.

[0094] In 3GPP Rel-17, solutions for Conditional PSCell Addition (CPA) and Inter-SN CPC are being discussed and introduced. The CPA procedure is used to add a PSCell / SCG to a UE that is currently configured with only an MCG when the associated execution conditions are met. CPA is initiated after the MN receives the SCG configuration from the candidate target SN (T-SN), which the MN then provides to the UE as part of the conditional reconfiguration (multiple) along with the associated execution conditions (multiple).

[0095] The Inter-SN CPC procedure can be initiated by the MN or by the source SN (S-SN), with the MN handling signaling to the T-SN and UE. Fig. 9 An SN-initiated inter-SN CPC procedure between a UE 910, a MN 920, a source SN 930, and a target SN 940 is shown. In this example, the source SN provides the UE with the current SCG including cell A, which is the UE's current PSCell. Similarly, the target SN provides cells B and C, which, although not labeled in the figure, are considered "candidate target SNs" before the UE performs a mobility procedure to the target SN. Each of the source SN, the target SN, and the MN may be an eNB, a gNB, or a CU of an eNB, a CU of a gNB, or any other type of RAN node.

[0096] In operation 1, the source SN sends an indication to the MN that the UE needs to change the SN and the conditions for the change, where cells B and C are indicated as candidate PSCells for the UE. In operation 2, the MN sends an SN add request to the target SN, indicating CPC to candidate target PSCells B and C.

[0097] In operation 3, the target SN sends an SN Add Request Confirmation including an RRCReconfiguration message corresponding to the target PSCell. In operation 4, the MN generates a CPC based on the information received in operations 1 and 3, and sends a conditional RRCReconfiguration to the UE in operation 5. The UE confirms in operation 6, after which the MN sends an SN Change Confirmation message to the source SN indicating that the target PSCell candidate proposed in operation 1 is accepted by the UE for CPC.

[0098] Although not in Fig. 9 , but the UE can evaluate the (multiple) conditions associated with the candidate target PSCells B and C, and when detected, perform a PSCell change on the candidate associated with the (multiple) detected conditions. At this time, the (candidate) target SN becomes the SN of the UE, and the candidate target PSCell becomes the PSCell of the UE. Although not specified, it can be expected that when the UE successfully connects to the candidate target cell during CPA or inter-SN CPC, it should release all conditional reconfigurations it has stored in a similar manner to CHO and intra-SN CPC.

[0099] One of the goals of 3GPP Rel-18 for mobility enhancement is to "specify mechanisms and procedures for NR-DC with selective activation of cell groups (at least for SCG) via L3 enhancements", which includes "allowing subsequent cell group changes after changing CG without reconfiguration and re-initiation of CPC / CPA". If this goal is met, it will reduce the interruption time and signaling overhead for SCG changes, especially in the case of frequent SCG changes when operating in FR2 in NR. Traditionally, as described above, when the UE successfully connects (e.g., completes RA) towards the target PSCell, the configuration for other cell groups is released, so subsequent SCG changes require providing the UE with updated configuration towards the candidate target cell.

[0100] During the preparation of the UE mobility procedure, the source RAN node sends the current UE configuration to the target RAN node, and the target RAN node prepares the UE configuration for the (candidate) target cell based on the current configuration and the capabilities of the UE and the target RAN node. The target RAN node encapsulates the configuration as an RRCReconfiguration message, which is sent to the UE via the source RAN node.

[0101] In some cases, the target RAN node may provide configurations in a format that is related or differential to the configuration of the source cell that the UE is currently operating in. These are often referred to as "delta configurations" and include only those parameters of the UE configuration in the source cell that need to be modified for the corresponding target cell.

[0102] However, if the target RAN node does not recognize something about the UE's current configuration (e.g., unsupported features), the target RAN node will build and send a "full configuration" (or "fullConfig"). After receiving it, the UE will clear the current configuration and start a new configuration from scratch. The full configuration affects the UE's MCG configuration and (if present) the UE's SCG configuration. The target RAN node may also build and send a full configuration when building an incremental configuration is too complex. Further details on the full configuration can be found in 3GPP TS38.331 (v17.0.0) section 5.3.5.11.

[0103] When the UE is configured for PSCell change in MR-DC, the entire SCG configuration can be replaced based on including the mrdc-ReleaseAndAdd field in the mrdc-SecondaryCellGroupConfig IE of the RRCReconfiguration message. In this case, the UE will first release the MR-DC configuration (including the existing SCG) and then apply the new SCG configuration. In this case, the new SCG configuration is a complete configuration, rather than being based on an existing SCG configuration, which is released before the new SCG configuration is applied. This is further described by the following process text from 3GPP TS38.331 (V17.0.0) section 5.3.5.3: *** Start of text from 3GPP TS38.331 *** 1> If RRCReconfiguration includes mrdc-SecondaryCellGroupConfig: 2>If mrdc-SecondaryCellGroupConfig is set to setup: 3> If mrdc-SecondaryCellGroupConfig includes mrdc-ReleaseAndAdd: 4>Perform MR-DC release as specified in clause 5.3.5.10; 3> If the received mrdc-SecondaryCellGroup is set to nr-SCG: 4> For the RRCReconfiguration message included in nr-SCG, perform RRC reconfiguration according to 5.3.5.3; 3> If the received mrdc-SecondaryCellGroup is set to eutro-SCG: 4> Perform RRC connection reconfiguration as specified in TS 36.331

[10] , clause 5.3.5.3 for the RRCConnectionReconfiguration message included in the eutra-SCG; ***END OF TEXT FROM 3GPP TS38.331***

[0104] In summary, the UE receives a conditional reconfiguration from a first RAN node (e.g., eNB, gNB, etc.) serving a first cell to which the UE is connected. The conditional reconfiguration is associated with a corresponding candidate target cell, which may be served by the first RAN node or by another RAN node. From a mobility perspective, the first RAN node providing the conditional reconfiguration is considered to be the source RAN node (the first cell is the source cell), and the RAN node serving the corresponding candidate target cell is considered to be the candidate target RAN node.

[0105] However, in some cases, the UE may perform a mobility procedure (e.g., HO) to move from the first cell to the second cell before performing any conditional reconfiguration provided by the first RAN node. However, it is currently unclear whether the UE should release (e.g., discard) the conditional reconfiguration or continue to evaluate them while operating in the second cell.

[0106] In some cases, the first RAN node may provide each conditional reconfiguration as an incremental configuration relative to a source cell (e.g., a first cell) in which the UE operates, indicating only the parameters of the source cell that need to be modified for the corresponding target cell. However, the second cell may be configured with different parameters than the first cell, so it is unclear how the UE should handle the incremental configuration relative to the first cell after moving to the second cell.

[0107] For example, when the target candidate SN receives an SN add request for the CPC, it receives the UE's current SCG configuration and generates an SCGRRCReconfiguration for the candidate target PSCell as an incremental configuration based on the UE's current SCG configuration. The incremental configuration only contains the parameters of the candidate target PSCell that need to be modified by the UE when the UE moves to the cell. For other omitted parameters, the UE should apply the parameters of the current SCG configuration. However, if the UE has changed the SCG since receiving the RRCReconfiguration for the candidate target PSCell, the parameters assumed / applied by the UE may be incorrect.

[0108] Embodiments of the present disclosure address these and other problems, difficulties, or issues by providing techniques whereby a UE may determine whether to maintain or release a stored conditional reconfiguration associated with a candidate target cell after performing a mobility procedure toward the target cell, such as after a successful RA procedure to a target SpCell upon handover, PSCell change, or PSCell addition. In various embodiments, the UE may determine to release or maintain each of its stored conditional reconfigurations based on one or more of the following: The content of the conditional reconfiguration, such as whether it contains an mrdc-ReleaseAndAdd indication for the SCG or an incremental configuration for the SCG; The identity of the target cell for the mobility procedure to be performed; The type of mobility procedure performed, e.g. whether it is a HO, PSCell change or PSCell add procedure, whether it is conditional based on UE measurements or directly caused by a network command, etc. The type of conditional reconfiguration, such as CHO, CPA, CPC, etc. whether the conditional reconfiguration includes a second conditional reconfiguration, and if so, the type of the second conditional reconfiguration; the number of mobility procedures that have been performed when the UE has stored a conditional reconfiguration, e.g. the stored conditional reconfiguration is released after a predetermined number of performed mobility procedures, where the predetermined number is fixed and based on the type of mobility procedure performed and / or the stored conditional reconfiguration, etc.; The time that has passed since the network received and stored the conditional reconfiguration; The state of the target cell (or cell group) after performing a mobility procedure, for example, whether the target PSCell / SCG is activated or deactivated after performing a PSCell add or PSCell change procedure; The status of the candidate target cell associated with the conditional reconfiguration, for example, whether the candidate target PSCell is configured as activated or deactivated after performing the CPC or CPA procedure; and • The correspondence between the configuration for the mobility procedure being performed and the conditional reconfiguration, e.g. whether the two configurations have a matching indication that the conditional reconfiguration is stored / maintained after the mobility procedure is performed (otherwise it is released).

[0109] Embodiments also include corresponding techniques for a RAN node to configure a UE to maintain or release stored conditional reconfigurations when or after performing a mobility procedure to a target cell, and / or to indicate to the UE (during or after performing a mobility procedure) which stored conditional reconfigurations should be maintained (or released). Embodiments also include corresponding techniques for a UE to notify a RAN node of the ability to maintain stored conditional configurations after performing a mobility procedure to a target cell.

[0110] Embodiments may provide various benefits and / or advantages. For example, embodiments provide knowledge of what stored conditional reconfigurations the UE should maintain after a cell group change procedure (e.g., to facilitate subsequent mobility procedures with low latency or delay). In this way, both the UE and the network are aware of the conditional reconfigurations that the UE is evaluating at a given moment, which prevents configuration mismatches between the UE and the network. This also prevents unnecessary reconfiguration failures due to the network assuming that the UE is operating with a configuration different from the actual configuration (e.g., SCG configuration).

[0111] In various embodiments, the configuration of CPC may be performed using the same RRC IE as CHO, so these different processes may be collectively referred to as conditional configuration or conditional reconfiguration. In any case, such configuration provides (multiple) trigger / execution conditions and the RRCReconfiguration message to be applied when (multiple) trigger conditions are met.

[0112] Fig. 10A An exemplary ASN.1. data structure for the ConditionalReconfiguration IE is shown, which is used to add, modify, and release conditional configurations. Within this IE, the condConfigToAddModList IE is a list of configurations of candidate SpCells to be added or modified for the CHO or CPC.

[0113] Fig. 10BAn exemplary ASN.1. data structure for the condConfigToAddModList IE is shown. Each configuration is included in the CondConfigToAddMod field, which includes a condExecutionCond subfield and a condRRCReconfig subfield. The condExecutionCond subfield provides an execution condition that needs to be satisfied to trigger the execution of the conditional configuration, which is included in the condRRCReconfig subfield. Both subfields are mandatory when adding a condConfigId. Otherwise, the subfield is optionally present when the condRRCReconfig associated with the condConfigId is being modified, and the UE uses the stored value when the subfield does not exist.

[0114] Likewise, the field condConfigToRemoveList is a list of configurations of candidate SpCells to be removed. When the network removes the stored conditional configuration of a candidate cell, the network releases the measID(s) associated with the condExecutionCond if the condExecutionCond of other candidate cells does not use the measID(s).

[0115] Fig. 10C Shown for Fig. 10A An exemplary ASN.1 data structure of the CondConfigId field of the ConditionalReconfiguration IE is shown in FIG. This field identifies a CHO configuration or a CPC configuration by an integer value.

[0116] Figures 10A to 10C The IEs, fields, and subfields shown in may be used differently in various embodiments, sometimes generated by the MN, sometimes by the source SN, and sometimes by the target candidate SN. For example, when the CPC configuration is not configured as an MR-DC configuration in an mrdc-SecondaryCellGroup (as defined in 3GPP TS38.331), the CPC configuration may be considered to be "MN formatted". In other words, the UE receives an RRCReconfiguration from the MN that may contain an mrdc-SecondaryCellGroup (for example, in the case where the UE is also configured with an SCGMeasConfig for inter-SN CPC), but the CPC configuration is not within that container. In this case, Figures 10A to 10C The content of the ConditionalReconfiguration IE shown in is not included in the mrdc-SecondaryCellGroup.

[0117] Similarly, when the CPC configuration is configured as an MR-DC configuration in an mrdc-SecondaryCellGroup (as defined in 3GPP TS 38.331), the CPC configuration can be considered as an "SN format". In other words, the UE receives an RRCReconfiguration from the MN that may contain an mrdc-SecondaryCellGroup and the CPC is within this container. In this case, Figures 10A to 10C The contents of the ConditionalReconfiguration IE shown in is included in the mrdc-SecondaryCellGroup (eg, within a series of other nested IEs / fields / subfields).

[0118] The description of various embodiments refers to actions performed by the UE after performing a mobility procedure toward a target cell. The mobility procedure performed may be any of the following: CHO, CPC, CPA, unconditional HO, unconditional PSCell change, unconditional PSCell addition, cell group addition, cell group modification, cell group release, etc. The mobility procedure performed may be associated with and / or cause a state change of a part of the UE configuration (e.g., a state change of an SCG from deactivated to activated (or vice versa), a state change of one or more SCells, etc.). The execution of the mobility procedure may or may not include the UE performing a reconfiguration with a synchronization procedure (with or without performing a random access procedure toward the (target) cell).

[0119] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain or release the stored conditional reconfiguration after performing the mobility procedure based on an indication from the network. For example, the indication may have two values, one associated with maintaining and the other associated with releasing. As another example, the presence of an indication may be associated with maintaining, and the above indication may be associated with releasing, or vice versa.

[0120] In some embodiments, an indication of maintaining or releasing a stored conditional reconfiguration when performing a mobility procedure may be included in or associated with the corresponding conditional reconfiguration to be maintained or released. In other embodiments, the indication(s) of whether to maintain or release the stored (multiple) conditional reconfigurations are included in or associated with the configuration of the performed mobility procedure. For example, the UE receives (multiple) indications from the network, which are included in a message (e.g., RRCReconfiguration) configuring HO, PSCell change, PSCell addition, or PSCell / SCG release. As another example, the UE receives (multiple) indications from the network, which are included in a message (e.g., RRCReconfiguration) reconfiguring the SCG state, for example, switching from deactivation to activation, or vice versa.

[0121] In some embodiments, whether to maintain or release the stored indication(s) of the conditional reconfiguration may depend on the target cell of the mobility procedure being performed. For example, different target cells may have different indications or indication values. The indication may then be provided (or set to a specific value) for a subset of the possible target cells for the mobility procedure being performed, and may not be present or be set to a different value for another subset of the possible target cells.

[0122] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain the stored conditional reconfiguration after performing the mobility procedure based on a combination of an indication associated with the conditional configuration and an indication associated with the configuration for performing the mobility procedure. For example, the UE determines to maintain the conditional configuration only when the indication value of the conditional configuration is the same as the indication value of the performed mobility procedure.

[0123] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain the stored conditional reconfiguration (e.g., for CPC) based on whether the conditional reconfiguration includes an incremental configuration or an indication of releasing and then adding the SCG configuration (e.g., by the presence of mrdc-ReleaseAndAdd in an RRCReconfiguration message included in the conditional reconfiguration). For example, if the RRCReconfiguration message includes an incremental configuration, the UE releases the stored conditional reconfiguration, and if the RRCReconfiguration message includes the indication, the UE maintains the stored conditional configuration. In some variants, the network may selectively enable the determination by the UE, for example, via a dedicated RRC message or a broadcast message. For example, the dedicated RRC message may be an RRCReconfiguration message as defined in 3GPP TS38.331 (v17.0.0) or an RRCConnectionReconfiguration as defined in 3GPP TS36.331 (v17.0.0).

[0124] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain the stored conditional reconfiguration (e.g., for CPC) after performing the mobility procedure based on whether the conditional reconfiguration includes a full configuration (e.g., as indicated by the presence of fullConfig in a corresponding RRC reconfiguration message included in the conditional reconfiguration) or an incremental configuration. For example, if the RRCReconfiguration message includes an incremental configuration, the UE releases the stored conditional reconfiguration, and if the RRCReconfiguration message includes a full configuration, the UE maintains the stored conditional configuration. In some variants, the network may selectively enable the determination, for example, via a dedicated RRC message or a broadcast message. For example, the dedicated RRC message may be an RRCReconfiguration message as defined in 3GPP TS38.331 (v17.0.0) or an RRCConnectionReconfiguration as defined in 3GPP TS36.331 (v17.0.0).

[0125] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain a stored conditional reconfiguration (e.g., for CPC) after performing a mobility procedure based on an implicit indication, such as whether the conditional reconfiguration includes another conditional reconfiguration. For example, if the UE includes another conditional reconfiguration, the UE releases the stored conditional reconfiguration, and if it does not include another conditional reconfiguration, the UE maintains the stored conditional reconfiguration. As another example, the implicit indication may be the type of mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration, such as CHO, CPA, or CPC. For example, if the UE is associated with CPA or CPC, the UE releases the stored conditional reconfiguration, and if it is associated with CHO, the UE maintains the stored conditional reconfiguration. In some variants, the UE may identify the type of associated mobility procedure based on a reconfiguration (e.g., a condRRCReconfig field) included in the conditional reconfiguration, such as, for example, whether it includes a reconfiguration for synchronization of the MCG, a reconfiguration for the SCG, or both.

[0126] As another example, the implicit indication may be a release or version associated with the included reconfiguration, e.g., 3GPP Rel-16 CPC configuration, 3GPP Rel-17 CPC configuration, or 3GPP Rel-18 CPC configuration, inter-SN CPC, intra-SN CPC configuration, etc. For example, the UE identifies the release or version based on a release designation field in the conditional reconfiguration.

[0127] As another example, the implicit indication may be the configuration state of the candidate target cell within the conditional reconfiguration, e.g., whether the CPA or CPC configuration includes a candidate target PSCell / SCG that is configured to be activated or deactivated after performing the procedure. In the event that the state of the PSCell / SCG is deactivated after performing the conditional PSCell add or change procedure, the UE may then perform the procedure without having any reconfiguration of synchronization or random access towards the target PSCell.

[0128] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain a stored conditional reconfiguration (e.g., for CPC) after performing a mobility procedure based on the number of mobility procedures performed by the UE while the conditional reconfiguration was maintained (i.e., not released). For example, the UE maintains the stored conditional reconfiguration after performing the first X mobility procedures, and then releases it after performing X+1 mobility procedures. The number X may be specified (making it known to UEs with this capability), pre-configured as a UE-specific parameter, or configured by the network via dedicated or broadcast signaling.

[0129] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain a stored conditional reconfiguration (e.g., for CPC) after performing a mobility procedure based on the number of conditional reconfigurations that have been applied / performed by the UE while the conditional reconfiguration has been maintained (i.e., not released). For example, when the UE has applied Y stored conditional reconfigurations, the UE releases all remaining stored conditional reconfigurations. The number Y may be specified (making it known to UEs with this capability), preconfigured as a UE-specific parameter, or configured by the network via dedicated or broadcast signaling.

[0130] A possible implementation of the above embodiment is a counter K at the UE. When the UE receives at least one conditional reconfiguration for at least one candidate cell (e.g., adding, removing and / or modifying a candidate cell), the counter is initialized to zero. The counter is incremented at each execution of a mobility procedure (or conditional mobility procedure). The UE compares the counter value after the execution of the mobility procedure with the max_counter_value_Kmac (representing X or Y above) obtained by the UE in any of the above ways.

[0131] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain the stored conditional reconfiguration (e.g., for CPC) after performing a mobility procedure based on a duration T since the UE received / stored the conditional reconfiguration. For example, the UE maintains the stored conditional reconfiguration for all mobility procedures performed before T, and releases the stored conditional reconfiguration when the first mobility procedure is performed after T.

[0132] The duration T may be specified (making it known to UEs with this capability), preconfigured as a UE-specific parameter, or configured by the network via dedicated or broadcast signaling. For example, T is configured in (or associated with) the conditional reconfiguration, whereby different time values ​​T may be used for different conditional reconfigurations.

[0133] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain a stored conditional reconfiguration (e.g., for CPC) after performing a mobility procedure based on the type of mobility procedure performed. For example, if the mobility procedure performed is HO or CHO, the UE maintains the stored conditional reconfiguration, but if the mobility procedure performed is a PSCell change, CPC, PSCell addition, or CPA, the UE releases the stored conditional reconfiguration. Note that these types of combinations are merely examples, and other combinations of the types of mobility procedures performed that trigger the release or maintenance of the stored conditional reconfiguration are also possible.

[0134] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain the stored conditional reconfiguration (e.g., for CPC) after performing the mobility procedure based on the state of the target cell after performing the mobility procedure. For example, if the UE performs a PSCell add (or CPA) or a PSCell change (or CPC) procedure, the UE determines whether to maintain or release the stored conditional reconfiguration based on whether the target PSCell / SCG is activated or deactivated after the procedure.

[0135] In some embodiments, the UE maintains the stored conditional reconfiguration until the next security key update is performed.When a reconfiguration procedure including a security key update is performed, the UE then releases the stored conditional reconfiguration.

[0136] In some embodiments, the UE determines whether to maintain or release the stored conditional reconfiguration based on the specific target cell of the mobility procedure being performed. For example, the UE may maintain the stored conditional reconfiguration for a first subset of possible target cells and release the stored conditional reconfiguration for a second subset of possible target cells. In some variants, each stored conditional reconfiguration may be associated with a different first subset and second subset, or at least may be configured with a first subset and a second subset independently of other conditional reconfigurations.

[0137] The above embodiments may be combined in various ways. For example, the UE determines whether to maintain the stored conditional reconfiguration (e.g., for CPC) after performing the mobility procedure based on the type of conditional reconfiguration (e.g., CHO, CPC, or CPA) and the target cell of the performed mobility procedure.

[0138] As discussed above, when a UE that only supports 3GPP Rel-16 and / or Rel-17 conditional reconfiguration procedures (e.g., CHO, CPC, CPA) but does not support the newly defined Rel-18 procedures releases the stored conditional reconfiguration when it performs another conditional or non-conditional reconfiguration. If the network then assumes that such a UE stores a conditional reconfiguration after performing another mobility procedure, there will be a mismatch between the UE and the network regarding the conditional reconfiguration that the UE has stored, which may result in different errors. In some embodiments, the UE can indicate to the network that it supports maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration after performing a mobility procedure, for example, as part of the UE capability information.

[0139] In some embodiments, the UE obtains an indication from the network to maintain the conditional reconfiguration after performing a mobility procedure (e.g., after performing another conditional reconfiguration). The indication can then tell the UE whether to maintain or release a specific conditional reconfiguration, or to release a conditional reconfiguration set. In an alternative, the UE obtains an indication from the target node of the conditional reconfiguration performed. The indication can be received, for example, in an RRC message (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message or a new RRC message), in a MAC CE, or in a DCI. For example, the UE obtains an indication from the network after successfully performing a random access to the target node / cell of the conditional reconfiguration performed.

[0140] In some embodiments, the UE maintains the other (multiple) stored conditional reconfigurations after performing the first conditional reconfiguration until receiving an indication from the network (e.g., the target node of the first conditional reconfiguration) to maintain or release the other (multiple) stored conditional reconfigurations. In other embodiments, the UE releases the other (multiple) conditional reconfigurations unless it receives an indication from the network to maintain them, such as within a predetermined duration after performing the first conditional reconfiguration.

[0141] In some variants, the UE avoids evaluating the execution conditions of other (multiple) stored conditional reconfigurations after performing the first conditional reconfiguration until receiving an indication from the network (e.g., the target node of the first conditional reconfiguration) to maintain or release the other (multiple) stored conditional reconfigurations. Once the UE receives an indication to maintain the stored conditional reconfiguration, it resumes evaluating the execution conditions.

[0142] In other variations, the UE continues to evaluate the execution conditions of other (multiple) stored conditional reconfigurations after executing the first conditional reconfiguration until an indication is received from the network (e.g., the target node of the first conditional reconfiguration) to maintain or release the other (multiple) stored conditional reconfigurations. In the event that the execution condition is satisfied before the UE receives an indication from the network, the UE avoids executing the associated conditional reconfiguration until an indication is received from the network that the conditional reconfiguration should be maintained. In this case, the UE may evaluate whether the execution condition is still valid after receiving the indication.

[0143] In some embodiments, the UE provides information to assist the network in configuring the UE to maintain or release a stored conditional reconfiguration after the UE performs a mobility procedure. In different variants, the UE may provide such information to the target MN of the performed mobility procedure (e.g., HO or CHO) or to the target SN of the performed mobility procedure (e.g., PSCell change, CPC, PSCell addition, CPA, CHO with SCG configuration). In some variants, the UE may provide such information to the MN, which then sends the information to the SN. For example, the UE may send such information as part of (or together with) an RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0144] In some embodiments, the information provided by the UE to assist the network in configuring the UE to maintain or release the stored conditional reconfiguration may include a list of conditional reconfigurations and related information stored by the UE, such as: The identifier of the conditional reconfiguration (CondReconfigID); Identifiers of one or more candidate target cells for conditional reconfiguration, e.g., frequency and physical cell identity (PCI); Execution conditions for conditional reconfiguration, possibly including measurement configuration; Conditional reconfiguration type, such as CHO, CPA, CPC, etc. Whether the conditional reconfiguration is a full configuration (e.g., as indicated by the presence of fullConfig in the corresponding RRC reconfiguration message) or an incremental configuration; • Whether the conditional reconfiguration includes a release indication and then adds the SCG configuration (eg, as indicated by the presence of mrdc-ReleaseAndAdd in the corresponding RRC reconfiguration message) or includes an incremental configuration for the SCG.

[0145] In some embodiments, the information provided by the UE to assist the network in configuring the UE to maintain or release the stored conditional reconfiguration may include measurement results for candidate target cells of the stored conditional reconfiguration.

[0146] In some embodiments, the UE may indicate to the network that it supports maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration after performing the mobility procedure based on providing any of the above information to assist the network. In other embodiments, the UE explicitly indicates to the network that it supports maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration and / or that it has stored the conditional reconfiguration without providing such assistance information.

[0147] Other embodiments include various techniques for a RAN node to configure a UE with information about a conditional reconfiguration to be maintained when performing another mobility procedure, to indicate to other RAN nodes what conditional reconfiguration the UE has stored, and to provide information to assist other RAN nodes in configuring the UE to maintain or release the stored conditional reconfiguration after performing a mobility procedure.

[0148] In some embodiments, the MN provides a list of all candidate T-SNs and / or all candidate PSCells associated with conditional reconfigurations stored by the UE (e.g., in the CG-ConfigInfo IE included in the S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST message) to each candidate target SN (T-SN). For example, the candidate cells can be identified by carrier frequency and PCI. In a variant, the MN provides a list of candidate T-SNs and / or candidate PSCells associated with stored conditional reconfigurations that the UE should maintain after performing any mobility procedures. In a variant, the MN provides a list of candidate T-SNs and / or candidate PSCells associated with stored conditional reconfigurations as follows: the UE should maintain these conditional reconfigurations after execution of the CPC configured by the MN (i.e., to the candidate T-SN).

[0149] In some embodiments, the MN has received information about other candidate T-SNs and / or candidate PSCells from the current (source) SN of the UE, based on which the MN can provide any of the above lists. For example, the S-SN provides the MN with this information in an S-NODE CHANGE REQUIRED message for configuring the CPC process.

[0150] In some embodiments, when an S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST message with one of these lists is received, the candidate T-SN combines the received list with other available information (e.g., neighbor cell relations toward other candidate PSCells, connections toward other candidate T-SNs, operator configuration, etc.) to determine which conditional reconfigurations for other candidate T-SNs / PSCells the UE should maintain when the UE performs a MN-configured mobility procedure (e.g., CPC) to the candidate target cell (PSCell) of the candidate T-SN. In an alternative, the information about other conditional reconfigurations that the T-SN is to maintain is included in the target SCG configuration, which is included in the conditional reconfiguration (e.g., within the CPC configuration). In another alternative, the candidate T-SN provides this information to the MN together with the target SCG configuration, for example, in an S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE message. The MN can then provide this information to the UE within or together with the conditional reconfiguration (e.g., CPC configuration) of the candidate target cell (PSCell) served by the candidate T-SN.

[0151] In some embodiments, based on receiving a message with one of these lists, a candidate T-SN serving a candidate target cell (PSCell) determines whether the UE should maintain the conditional reconfiguration of the candidate target cell after the UE performs a mobility procedure configured by the MN to other candidate target cells. In an alternative, after performing a mobility procedure to any of the indicated target cells, the candidate T-SN sends an indication to the UE of which other target cells (e.g., target PSCells) the UE should maintain the conditional reconfiguration provided by the candidate T-SN. For example, the T-SN includes this information into the target SCG configuration, which will be included in the conditional reconfiguration provided to the UE.

[0152] In another alternative, the T-SN provides this information to the MN together with the target SCG configuration, for example, in an S-NODEADDITION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE message. The MN may then provide the information to the UE within or together with the conditional reconfiguration (e.g., CPC configuration) of the relevant candidate PSCell in the candidate T-SN.

[0153] In some embodiments, each candidate T-SN sends information to the MN about which conditional reconfigurations (and / or associated candidate cells) should be maintained by the UE, such as in a CG-CandidateList IE included in an S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE message. For example, the candidate cells may be identified by carrier frequency and PCI. In some variants, each candidate T-SN includes other information, such as how long the conditional reconfiguration should be maintained, the number (X) of mobility procedures for which the conditional reconfiguration should be maintained, etc.

[0154] In some embodiments, the MN receives from each candidate T-SN a list of other candidate target cells whose associated conditional reconfigurations should be maintained by the UE after execution of the conditional configuration provided by the candidate T-SN. The MN stores this information and performs a mapping between the candidate cell identities (e.g., frequency and PCI) and the conditional reconfiguration identifier (CondReconfigID).

[0155] In some embodiments, for each conditional reconfiguration sent to the UE in an RRCReconfiguration, the MN includes a list of other candidate cells whose associated conditional reconfigurations should be maintained by the UE after execution of the conditional reconfiguration. This may be provided, for example, as a list of CondReconfigIDs.

[0156] In some embodiments, the MN sends some information about other conditional reconfigurations that the UE has stored to a candidate target node for conditional reconfiguration (e.g., T-SN for CPC or CPA, T-MN for CHO). This is useful for the candidate target node in the case where the UE performs the conditional reconfiguration (at which point it becomes the target node). In some variants, the MN may only provide information about a relevant subset of the conditional reconfigurations stored by the UE. For example, the MN may send information about other CPC or CPA configurations to the candidate T-SN.

[0157] In an alternative solution, the MN sends information about the conditional reconfiguration that the UE has stored to the target node where the UE performs conditional reconfiguration (e.g., the T-SN when performing CPC or CPA configuration). For example, the MN can send this information to the T-SN in an S-NODE Reconfiguration Complete message (or together with an S-NODE Reconfiguration Complete message).

[0158] In some embodiments, the information provided by the MN to assist the target node in configuring the UE to maintain or release the stored conditional reconfiguration after the UE performs a conditional or non-conditional mobility procedure may include a list of conditional reconfigurations and related information stored by the UE, such as: The identifier of the conditional reconfiguration (CondReconfigID); Identifiers of one or more candidate target cells for conditional reconfiguration, e.g., frequency and physical cell identity (PCI); Execution conditions for conditional reconfiguration, possibly including measurement configuration; Conditional reconfiguration type, such as CHO, CPA, CPC, etc. Whether the conditional reconfiguration is a full configuration (e.g., as indicated by the presence of fullConfig in the corresponding RRC reconfiguration message) or an incremental configuration; • Whether the conditional reconfiguration includes a release indication and then adds the SCG configuration (eg, as indicated by the presence of mrdc-ReleaseAndAdd in the corresponding RRC reconfiguration message) or includes an incremental configuration for the SCG.

[0159] In some embodiments, the information provided by the MN to assist the target node in configuring the UE to maintain or release the stored conditional reconfiguration may include UE measurement results for candidate target cells of the stored conditional reconfiguration.

[0160] In some embodiments, the information provided by the MN to assist the target node in configuring the UE to maintain or release the stored conditional reconfiguration may include an indication of UE support (eg, capability) for storing the conditional reconfiguration after performing a mobility procedure.

[0161] In an alternative, the target node of the performed mobility procedure uses this information to determine what conditional reconfiguration the UE should maintain and what conditional reconfiguration it should release. The target node of the performed mobility procedure then informs the UE what conditional reconfiguration it should maintain and what to release, for example, using an RRC message or MAC CE. For example, the target node sends information about what conditional reconfiguration to maintain and what to release in an RRCReconfiguration message.

[0162] In some embodiments, the MN sends information about the conditional reconfigurations (or about some of them) that the UE has stored to the target node for a non-conditional mobility procedure, i.e., a procedure that will be performed upon receiving the configuration. As an example, the MN sends this information to the target MN in the case of a normal handover procedure or in the case of a normal PSCell add or PSCell change procedure. For example, the MN then includes this information to the target node together with a request to perform the procedure, for example, in a HANDOVER REQUEST message when requesting a target MN for handover, or in an S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST message when requesting a PSCell add or PSCell change procedure.

[0163] In an alternative, the target node of the non-conditional mobility procedure uses this information to determine what conditional reconfigurations the UE should maintain and what conditional reconfigurations it should release. The target node then informs the UE what conditional reconfigurations it should maintain and what conditional reconfigurations it should release in the message used to configure the mobility procedure, for example, in the case of a handover procedure, the target MN includes it in the RRC reconfiguration message corresponding to the handover command, or in the case of a PSCell add or PSCell change procedure, the target SN includes it in the corresponding RRC reconfiguration message including the corresponding new SCG configuration.

[0164] Fig.11 An exemplary ASN.1 data structure for the CondReconfigToAddModList IE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. This IE is similar to Fig. 10B The CondReconfigToAddModList IE shown in , in addition to which each CondReconfigToAddMod IE also includes a StoreCondCandidesList field. This field contains a list of other conditional reconfigurations that the UE should maintain after performing the condRRCReconfig included in the same CondReconfigToAddMod IE. Each entry in the list is an identifier associated with a conditional configuration stored, for example, by the UE.

[0165] Fig.12An exemplary ASN.1 data structure for a CG-ConfigInfo message according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The message is used by the MN to request the SN to perform certain actions, such as establishing, modifying, or releasing an SCG. The message may include additional information that assists the SN in setting the SCG configuration. The exemplary message includes an OtherCandidateCellListCPC IE, which is a sequence of CandidateCellCPC fields, each CandidateCellCPC field indicating a candidate target cell whose conditional reconfiguration should be maintained after the UE performs a mobility procedure.

[0166] Fig.13 An exemplary ASN.1 data structure for a CG-CandidateList message according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The message is used by a candidate T-SN to convey the SCG radio configuration for one or more candidate target cells for CPA or CPC. The exemplary message includes a storeCG-CandidateInfo IE, which is a sequence of StoreCG-Candidate fields, each field indicating another candidate target cell whose conditional reconfiguration should be maintained after a UE configured with CPC or CPA performs.

[0167] The above embodiments can also refer to Figures 14 to 16 Shown, Figures 14 to 16 The exemplary methods (e.g., processes) performed by the UE, the first RAN node, and the second RAN node are shown respectively. In other words, the various features of the operations described below correspond to the various embodiments described above. These exemplary methods can be used in collaboration to provide various exemplary benefits and / or advantages. Although Figures 14 to 16 Certain blocks are shown in a certain order, but the operations of the corresponding methods may be performed in a different order than shown and may be combined and / or divided into blocks having different functions than shown. Optional blocks or operations are indicated by dashed lines.

[0168] Specifically, Fig.14 A flowchart of an exemplary method (e.g., process) for a UE configured to communicate with a RAN via at least an MCG according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The exemplary method may be performed by a UE (e.g., a wireless device, an IoT device, a modem, etc., or a component thereof) such as described elsewhere herein.

[0169] The exemplary method includes the operation of box 1410, wherein the UE may receive multiple conditional reconfigurations from the RAN. Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition. The exemplary method may also include the operation of box 1420, wherein the UE may store the multiple conditional reconfigurations. The exemplary method also includes the operation of box 1440, wherein the UE may perform a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by a second RAN node according to the first reconfiguration. The first mobility procedure and the multiple stored conditional reconfigurations are associated with the same one of the MCG and SCG for the UE. The exemplary method also includes the operation of box 1450, wherein the UE may selectively maintain or release each of the stored conditional reconfigurations after performing the mobility procedure.

[0170] In some embodiments, the first mobility procedure towards the first target cell is a handover or a conditional handover (CHO).Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a conditional handover (CHO), wherein the candidate target cell is a primary cell (PCell) of the MCG.

[0171] In other embodiments, the first mobility procedure towards the first target cell is one of: unconditional primary SCG cell (PSCell) change, unconditional PSCell addition, SCG addition, SCG modification, and SCG release. And, each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: Conditional Primary SCG Cell (PSCell) Addition (CPA), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; and • Conditional PSCell Change (CPC), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

[0172] In other embodiments, the first mobility procedure towards the first target cell is CPA or CPC, and each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: CPA, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; or CPC, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

[0173] In some embodiments, selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations in block 1450 is based on one or more of: an indication received from the RAN regarding the first mobility procedure; The content of the stored conditional reconfiguration; the contents of one or more other conditional reconfigurations in the stored conditional reconfiguration; The type of mobility procedure associated with the stored conditional reconfiguration; The identifier of the first target cell; The content of the first reconfiguration; The type of first mobility procedure performed; The number of mobility procedures performed by the UE when the conditional reconfiguration has been stored; Duration of stored condition reconfiguration; a state of a first target cell or group of cells including the first target cell after execution of the first mobility procedure, • the status of the candidate target cells after execution of the corresponding mobility procedure; and A matching or corresponding relationship between one or more parameters of the first configuration and one or more parameters of the conditional reconfiguration.

[0174] In some of these embodiments, each conditional reconfiguration includes an identifier of one or more of: other conditional reconfigurations that should be maintained by the UE after performing the associated mobility procedure; other conditional reconfigurations that should be maintained by the UE after performing the associated mobility procedure; and other candidate target cells, the associated conditional reconfigurations of the other candidate target cells should be maintained by the UE after performing the associated mobility procedure.

[0175] In some of these embodiments, each conditional reconfiguration includes an indication that a state of the candidate target cell is activated or deactivated after execution of the associated mobility procedure, and selectively maintaining or releasing each of the conditional reconfigurations stored in box 1450 is based on the indicated state of the candidate target cell after execution of the associated mobility procedure.

[0176] In some of these embodiments, the first reconfiguration includes an indication that a state of the first target cell or a state of a group of cells including the first target cell is activated or deactivated after execution of the first mobility procedure. In this case, selectively maintaining or releasing the conditional reconfiguration stored in block 1450 is based on the indicated state of the first target cell or a group of cells including the first target cell after execution of the first mobility procedure.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first reconfiguration is one of the stored conditional reconfigurations, the one conditional reconfiguration being associated with the first mobility procedure and the first target cell.

[0178] In some of these embodiments, selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations in box 1450 includes the operation of subbox 1451, wherein the UE may maintain the stored conditional reconfiguration when the first mobility procedure is a handover or a conditional handover, and release the stored condition when the first mobility procedure is one of the following: non-conditional PSCell change, CPC, non-conditional PSCell addition, or CPA.

[0179] In some embodiments, selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations in box 1450 includes the operation of subbox 1452, wherein the UE may maintain the conditional reconfigurations stored during the execution of less than a predetermined number of mobility procedures, and release the conditional reconfigurations stored during the execution of at least a predetermined number of mobility procedures.

[0180] In other embodiments, selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations in block 1450 includes operations of subblock 1453, wherein the UE may maintain conditional reconfigurations that have been stored for less than a predetermined duration, and release conditional reconfigurations that have been stored during execution of at least the predetermined duration.

[0181] In other embodiments, selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations in box 1450 includes the operation of subbox 1454, wherein the UE may release the conditional reconfiguration including the incremental configuration and maintain the conditional reconfiguration including the full configuration or release indication, and then add the SCG configuration.

[0182] In other embodiments, for each of the stored conditional reconfigurations, selectively maintaining or releasing the stored conditional reconfigurations in block 1450 is based on one of: one or more indications received from the first RAN node prior to performance of the first mobility procedure; or one or more indications received from the second RAN node after performance of the first mobility procedure. In some of these embodiments, the one or more indications include a plurality of indications corresponding to a respective plurality of stored conditional reconfigurations. In other of these embodiments, the one or more indications include a single indication that applies to a plurality of stored conditional reconfigurations. In such embodiments, selectively maintaining or releasing the stored conditional reconfigurations is based on the single indication.

[0183] In some of these embodiments, for each of the stored conditional reconfigurations, selectively maintaining or releasing the conditional reconfiguration after performing the mobility procedure in block 1450 includes one or more of the following, labeled with corresponding sub-block numbers: (1455) maintaining the conditional reconfiguration unless a corresponding release indication is received from the second RAN node; (1456) releasing the conditional reconfiguration when no corresponding indication is received from the second RAN node within a predetermined duration after execution of the first mobility procedure; (1457) refraining from evaluating an execution condition associated with the conditional reconfiguration until a corresponding indication is received from the second RAN node; (1458) continuing to evaluate execution conditions associated with the conditional reconfiguration until a corresponding indication is received from the second RAN node; and (1459) When the execution condition has been met, avoiding execution of mobility procedures associated with the conditional reconfiguration until a corresponding indication is received from the second RAN node.

[0184] In other embodiments, for each stored conditional reconfiguration, selectively maintaining or releasing the conditional reconfiguration after performing the mobility procedure in block 1450 is based on one or more of the following: Whether the conditional reconfiguration includes another conditional reconfiguration, and if so, the type of the other conditional reconfiguration; • Whether both the conditional reconfiguration and the first reconfiguration include an indication to maintain the conditional reconfiguration after execution of the mobility procedure.

[0185] In some embodiments, the example method may also include the operations of block 1430, where the UE may send one or more of the following information to the RAN: an indication of UE support or capability for maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration following performance of the mobility procedure; and One or more of the following for each condition reconfiguration stored by the UE: Identifier for conditional reconfiguration, an identifier of one or more candidate target cells associated with the target cell, Execution conditions associated with conditional reconfiguration, The measurement configuration associated with the conditional reconfiguration, the type of mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration, Whether the conditional reconfiguration is full configuration or incremental configuration, Does the conditional reconfiguration include instructions to release and then add the SCG, or include instructions for the SCG Incremental configuration, UE measurement results for the associated one or more candidate target cells.

[0186] In some embodiments, before performing the first mobility procedure, the information is sent to the first RAN node providing the MCG in block 1420. In other embodiments, after performing the first mobility procedure, the information is sent to the second RAN node in block 1420.

[0187] in addition, Fig.15 A flowchart of an exemplary method (e.g., process) for a first RAN node configured to provide an MCG for a UE according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The exemplary method may be performed by a RAN node (e.g., a base station, eNB, gNB, ng-eNB, en-gNB, etc. or a component thereof) such as described elsewhere herein.

[0188] The example method includes the operations of block 1560, where the first RAN node may send the following operations to the UE: a plurality of conditional reconfigurations, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; and whether the UE should maintain or release one or more indications of multiple conditional reconfigurations after performance of a first mobility procedure towards a first target cell served by a second RAN node, wherein the first mobility procedure and the multiple conditional reconfigurations are associated with the same one of the MCG and the SCG for the UE. The example method also includes the operation of block 1570, where the first RAN node may subsequently perform and / or facilitate a first mobility procedure of the UE to a first target cell served by the second RAN node according to the first reconfiguration.

[0189] In some embodiments, the first mobility procedure towards the first target cell is a handover or a conditional handover (CHO).Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a conditional handover (CHO), wherein the candidate target cell is a primary cell (PCell) of the MCG.

[0190] In other embodiments, the first mobility procedure towards the first target cell is one of: non-conditional primary SCG cell (PSCell) change, non-conditional PSCell addition, SCG addition, SCG modification, and SCG release. In addition, each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: Conditional Primary SCG Cell (PSCell) Addition (CPA), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; and • Conditional PSCell Change (CPC), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

[0191] In other embodiments, the first mobility procedure towards the first target cell is CPA or CPC, and each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: CPA, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; or CPC, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

[0192] In some embodiments, the exemplary method may include operations of blocks 1540 to 1550, wherein the first RAN node may send information about a plurality of conditional reconfigurations of the UE to a second RAN node, and receive the following information from the second RAN node: a first reconfiguration and one or more indications. In some of these embodiments, the information sent to the second RAN node in block 1540 includes one or more of the following: an indication of UE support or capability for maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration after performance of the mobility procedure, and One or more of the following for each condition reconfiguration stored by the UE: ο an identifier for a conditional reconfiguration, o identifiers of one or more candidate target cells associated with the target cell, o execution conditions associated with conditional reconfiguration, o measurement configuration associated with the conditional reconfiguration, o the type of mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration, ο Whether the conditional reconfiguration is full configuration or incremental configuration, o whether the conditional reconfiguration includes an indication to release and then add the SCG, or includes an incremental configuration for the SCG, and o UE measurement results for the associated one or more candidate target cells.

[0193] In some of these embodiments, the exemplary method may also include the operation of box 1530, wherein the first RAN node may receive at least a portion of the information sent to the second RAN node, or information on which the information sent to the second RAN node is based, from the UE in box 1540.

[0194] In some of these embodiments, each conditional reconfiguration includes an identifier of one or more of: • other conditional reconfigurations that should be maintained by the UE after performing the associated mobility procedure; · when other conditions maintained by the UE are reconfigured following execution of the associated mobility procedure; and • Other candidate target cells, the associated conditional reconfiguration of other candidate target cells shall be maintained by the UE after execution of the associated mobility procedure.

[0195] In some embodiments, each conditional reconfiguration comprises at least one field associated with a version or release of the functionality.The version or release also indicates whether the UE should maintain or release the conditional reconfiguration after execution of the mobility procedure.

[0196] In some embodiments, each conditional reconfiguration includes a first indication of whether the state of the associated candidate target cell is activated or deactivated after the execution of the associated mobility procedure. In addition, each first indication also indicates whether the UE should maintain or release the associated conditional reconfiguration after the execution of the associated mobility procedure.

[0197] In some embodiments, the first reconfiguration includes a second indication of whether the state of the first target cell or the cell group including the first target cell is activated or deactivated after the execution of the first mobility procedure. In addition, the second indication also indicates whether the UE should maintain or release the associated conditional reconfiguration after the execution of the associated mobility procedure.

[0198] In some embodiments, the one or more indications include a single indication that applies to multiple (ie, all) conditional reconfigurations. In other embodiments, the one or more indications include multiple indications corresponding to respective multiple conditional reconfigurations.

[0199] In some embodiments, the first configuration is one of conditional reconfigurations for the UE, wherein the first configuration is associated with a first mobility procedure and a first target cell.

[0200] In some embodiments, the exemplary method may also include the operation of box 1520, wherein the first RAN node may receive information from each of one or more other RAN nodes about candidate target cells associated with conditional reconfiguration that should be maintained by the UE after performance of a mobility procedure to a target cell provided by another RAN node.

[0201] In some embodiments, the example method may further include the operation of block 1510, where the first RAN node may receive multiple conditional reconfigurations from multiple candidate target nodes (i.e., sent to the UE in block 1560). In some of these embodiments, information identifying other conditional reconfigurations that should be maintained is included in or associated with the corresponding conditional reconfigurations (e.g., received in block 1520).

[0202] in addition, Fig.16 A flow chart of an exemplary method (e.g., process) for configuring, by a UE, a second RAN node as a target node or candidate target node for a mobility procedure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The exemplary method may be performed by a RAN node (e.g., a base station, eNB, gNB, ng-eNB, en-gNB, etc., or a component thereof) such as described elsewhere herein.

[0203] The exemplary method includes the operation of box 1630, wherein the second RAN node may send one or more indications to the UE or to the first RAN node whether the UE should maintain or release multiple conditional reconfigurations after execution of a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by the second RAN node, and the first RAN node is configured to provide a primary cell group MCG for the UE. Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition. In addition, the first mobility procedure and the multiple conditional reconfigurations are associated with the same one of the MCG and the secondary cell group SCG for the UE. The exemplary method also includes the operation of box 1640, wherein the second RAN node may perform and / or facilitate (1640) the first mobility procedure of the UE to the first target cell served by the second RAN node based on the first reconfiguration.

[0204] In some embodiments, the first mobility procedure towards the first target cell is a handover or a conditional handover (CHO).Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a conditional handover (CHO), wherein the candidate target cell is a primary cell (PCell) of the MCG.

[0205] In other embodiments, the first mobility procedure towards the first target cell is one of: unconditional primary SCG cell (PSCell) change, unconditional PSCell addition, SCG addition, SCG modification, and SCG release. And, each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: Conditional Primary SCG Cell (PSCell) Addition (CPA), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; and • Conditional PSCell Change (CPC), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

[0206] In other embodiments, the first mobility procedure towards the first target cell is CPA or CPC, and each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: CPA, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; or CPC, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

[0207] In some embodiments, the exemplary method may include operations of blocks 1610 to 1620, wherein the second RAN node may receive information about a plurality of conditional reconfigurations from the first RAN node and determine, based on the received information, whether each conditional reconfiguration should be maintained or released by the UE after the first mobility procedure. The one or more indications sent in block 1630 are based on the determination in block 1620.

[0208] In some of these embodiments, the information received from the first RAN node (e.g., in block 1610) includes an identifier of one or more of: Other conditional reconfigurations that should be maintained by the UE after performing the associated mobility procedures; · when other conditions maintained by the UE are reconfigured following execution of the associated mobility procedure; and • Other candidate target cells, the associated conditional reconfiguration of other candidate target cells shall be maintained by the UE after execution of the associated mobility procedure.

[0209] In some of these embodiments, the information received from the first RAN node (e.g., in block 1610) includes one or more of: An indication of UE support or capability to maintain stored conditional reconfigurations after performing mobility procedures; and One or more of the following for each condition reconfiguration stored by the UE: ο an identifier for a conditional reconfiguration, o identifiers of one or more candidate target cells associated with the target cell, o execution conditions associated with conditional reconfiguration, o measurement configuration associated with the conditional reconfiguration, o the type of mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration, ο Whether the conditional reconfiguration is full configuration or incremental configuration, o Whether the conditional reconfiguration includes an indication to release and then add the SCG, or includes an incremental configuration for the SCG, and o UE measurement results for the associated one or more candidate target cells.

[0210] In some embodiments, the one or more indications are sent to the first RAN node along with the first reconfiguration prior to the first mobility procedure (e.g., in block 1630). In other embodiments, the one or more indications are sent to the UE after the first mobility procedure (e.g., in block 1630). In some embodiments, the one or more indications include a single indication that applies to multiple conditional reconfigurations.

[0211] Although various embodiments are described above in terms of methods, apparatuses, devices, computer-readable media, and receivers, a person skilled in the art will readily appreciate that such methods may be embodied in various combinations of hardware and software in various systems, communication devices, computing devices, control devices, apparatuses, non-transitory computer-readable media, and the like.

[0212] Fig.17An example of a communication system 1700 according to some embodiments is shown. In this example, the communication system 1700 includes a communication network 1702, which includes an access network 1704 (e.g., RAN) and a core network 1706, which includes one or more core network nodes 1708. The access network 1704 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 1710a-b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 1710) or any other similar 3GPP access nodes or non-3GPP access points. The network nodes 1710 facilitate direct or indirect connection of UEs, such as by connecting UEs 1712a-d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 1712) to the core network 1706 via one or more wireless connections.

[0213] Example wireless communications over wireless connections include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information without using wires, cables, or other material conductors. In addition, in different embodiments, the communication system 1700 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals via a wired or wireless connection. The communication system 1700 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0214] UE 1712 can be any of a variety of communication devices, including wireless devices that are arranged, configured and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network node 1710 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node 1710 is arranged, enabled, configured and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE 1712 and / or with other network nodes or devices in communication network 1702 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or perform other functions, such as management in communication network 1702.

[0215] In the depicted example, the core network 1706 connects the network node 1710 to one or more hosts, such as the host 1716. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network node may be directly coupled to the host. The core network 1706 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., 1708) structured with hardware and software components. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UE, network nodes, and / or hosts, so that their descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 1708. The example core network node includes the functions of one or more of the following: a mobile switching center (MSC), a mobility management entity (MME), a home subscriber server (HSS), an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), an authentication server function (AUSF), a subscription identifier de-hiding function (SIDF), a unified data management (UDM), a security edge protection agent (SEPP), a network open function (NEF), and / or a user plane function (UPF).

[0216] The host 1716 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network 1704 and / or the communication network 1702, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The host 1716 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include real-time and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs, analytical functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functions performed by a server.

[0217] As a whole, Fig.17 The communication system 1700 implements the connection between the UE, the network node and the host. In this sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards or any applicable future generation standards (e.g., 6G); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi); and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wi Max), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards, such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0218] In some examples, the communication network 1702 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Thus, the communication network 1702 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the communication network 1702. For example, the communication network 1702 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or provide massive machine type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to additional UEs.

[0219] In some examples, UE 1712 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to send information to access network 1704 with a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from access network 1704. In addition, the UE may be configured to operate in a single RAT or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE may operate with any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., be configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0220] In this example, a hub 1714 communicates with an access network 1704 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 1712c and / or 1712d) and a network node (e.g., network node 1710b). In some examples, the hub 1714 may be a controller, a router, a content source, and analysis, or any other communication device described herein with respect to a UE. For example, the hub 1714 may be a broadband router that enables access to the core network 1706 of the UE. As another example, the hub 1714 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. Commands or instructions may be received from the UE, the network node 1710, or through executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the hub 1714. As another example, the hub 1714 may be a data collector used as temporary storage for UE data, and in some embodiments, analysis or other processing of the data may be performed. As another example, the hub 1714 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the hub 1714 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to the sensory information via the network node, and then the hub 1714 provides it directly to the UE after performing local processing and / or after adding additional local content. In another example, the hub 1714 acts as a proxy server or coordinator for the UE, especially if one or more UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0221] Hub 1714 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to network node 1710b. Hub 1714 may also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between hub 1714 and UE (e.g., UE 1712c and / or 1712d) and between hub 1714 and core network 1706. In other examples, hub 1714 is connected to core network 1706 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. In addition, hub 1714 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider and / or to another UE via access network 1704. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection with network node 1710 while still being connected via hub 1714 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, hub 1714 may be a dedicated hub, i.e., a hub whose primary function is to route communications from UE to / from network node 1710b to UE. In other embodiments, hub 1714 may be a non-dedicated hub, ie, a device operable to route communications between UEs and network node 1710b, but which is also capable of operating as a communications start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0222] Fig.18 A UE 1800 according to some embodiments is shown. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, laptops, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop equipment (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer terminal equipment (CPEs), in-vehicle or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless devices, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, machine type communication (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0223] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, such as by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Rather, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user but may not be initially associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold or operated by an end user but may be associated or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter).

[0224] UE 1800 includes a processing circuit 1802, which is operably coupled to an input / output interface 1806, a power supply 1808, a memory 1810, a communication interface 1812, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus 1804. Some UEs may utilize Fig.18 All or a subset of the components shown in . The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another UE. In addition, some UEs may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0225] The processing circuit 1802 is configured to process instructions and data, and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored as a machine-readable computer program in the memory 1810. The processing circuit 1802 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic and appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors (such as microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs)) and appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 1802 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0226] In this example, the input / output interface 1806 can be configured to provide an interface or interface to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, transmitters, smart cards, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device can allow a user to capture information into the UE 1800. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, web cameras, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, directional keys, trackpads, rollers, smart cards, etc. The presence-sensitive display can include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor can be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device can use an interface port of the same type as an input device. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port can be used to provide input devices and output devices.

[0227] In some embodiments, the power supply 1808 is configured as a battery or a battery pack. Other types of power supplies may be used, such as an external power supply (e.g., a power socket), a photovoltaic device, or a power unit. The power supply 1808 may also include a power circuit for delivering power from the power supply 1808 itself and / or an external power supply to various parts of the UE 1800 via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. The delivered power may be used, for example, for charging the power supply 1808. The power circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification to the power from the power supply 1808 so that the power is suitable for the corresponding components of the UE 1800 that provide power.

[0228] The memory 1810 may be or be configured to include a memory such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a hard disk, a removable cartridge, a flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory 1810 includes one or more application programs 1814, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 1816. The memory 1810 may store any of a variety of operating systems or combinations of operating systems used by the UE 1800.

[0229] The memory 1810 may be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray optical drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory such as a tamper-proof module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), the UICC including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as USIM and / or ISIM, other memories, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (e UICC), an integrated UICC (i UICC), or a removable UICC commonly referred to as a "SIM card". The memory 1810 may allow the UE 1800 to access instructions, applications, etc. stored on a temporary or non-temporary memory medium to offload data or upload data. An article of manufacture, such as utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or stored in memory 1810 , which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0230] The processing circuit 1802 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using a communication interface 1812. The communication interface 1812 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 1822. The communication interface 1812 may include one or more transceivers for communicating, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 1818 and / or a receiver 1820 suitable for providing network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). In addition, the transmitter 1818 and the receiver 1820 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 1822) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may be implemented separately instead.

[0231] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication interface 1812 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication (e.g., Bluetooth), near field communication, location-based communication (e.g., use of a global positioning system (GPS)) to determine location, another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. The communication may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, new radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / Internet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical network (SONET), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), QUIC, hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0232] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensor via a wireless connection to a network node through its communication interface 1812. The data captured by the UE's sensor may be transmitted to the network node via another UE via a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports a sensed temperature), random (e.g., outputting a load even from reports from several sensors), in response to a trigger event (e.g., sending an alarm when moisture is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0233] As another example, the UE includes an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch can change. For example, the UE can include a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight based on the received input, or adjusts a robotic arm performing a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0234] When in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a UE may be a device for use in one or more application domains including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. A non-limiting example of such an IoT device is a device that is or is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electric meter, a robotic vacuum cleaner, a voice-controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / humidity sensor, an electric door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system (such as a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), a wearable device for tactile enhancement or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal or item tracking device, a sensor for monitoring plants or animals, an industrial robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, such as a heart rate monitor or a remotely controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device may include, in addition to the examples described above, Fig.18 The UE 1800 shown in FIG. 1 may include other components described in addition to circuits and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0235] As yet another specific example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. In this case, the UE may be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, a UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane, or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0236] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE may be or be integrated in a drone and provide drone speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user changes from the remote control, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone speed. The first UE and / or the second UE may also include more than one of the above functions. For example, a UE may include a sensor and an actuator and handle communication of data from both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0237] Fig.19A network node 1900 according to some embodiments is shown. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (e.g., radio access points) and base stations (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, eNBs, and gNBs).

[0238] Base stations may be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or in other words, their transmission power level), and may therefore be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations, depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Components of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0239] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment (such as MSR BS), network controllers (such as radio network controllers (RNC) or base station controllers (BSC), base transceiver stations (BTS), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), operations and maintenance (O&M) nodes, operations support system (OSS) nodes, self-organizing network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)) and / or minimization of drive tests (MDT).

[0240] The network node 1900 includes a processing circuit 1902, a memory 1904, a communication interface 1906, and a power supply 1908. The network node 1900 may be composed of multiple physically separated components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have its own corresponding components. In certain scenarios where the network node 1900 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more separate components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In this case, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered to be a single separate network node in some cases. In some embodiments, the network node 1900 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memories 1904 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 1910 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 1900 may also include multiple sets of various illustrated components for different wireless technologies, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into the network node 1900. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within the network node 1900.

[0241] The processing circuit 1902 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide network node 1900 functionality, either alone or in combination with other network node 1900 components (such as memory 1904).

[0242] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1902 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1902 includes radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1912 and / or baseband processing circuitry 1914. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry 1912 and baseband processing circuitry 1914 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 1912 and baseband processing circuitry 1914 may be on the same chip or collection of chips, boards, or units.

[0243] The memory 1904 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and / or computer executable memory device that stores information, data and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 1902. The memory 1904 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 1902 and utilized by the network node 1900 (collectively referred to as computer programs 1904a, which may be computer program products). The memory 1904 may be used to store any calculations performed by the processing circuit 1902 and / or any data received via the communication interface 1906. In some embodiments, processing circuit 1902 and memory 1904 are integrated.

[0244] The communication interface 1906 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks and / or UEs. As shown, the communication interface 1906 includes a port / terminal 1916 for sending and receiving data to the network via a wired connection. The communication interface 1906 also includes a radio front-end circuit 1918, which can be coupled to an antenna 1910 or to a part of an antenna 1910 in some embodiments. The radio front-end circuit 1918 includes a filter 1920 and an amplifier 1922. The radio front-end circuit 1918 can be connected to the antenna 1910 and the processing circuit 1902. The radio front-end circuit 1918 can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna 1910 and the processing circuit 1902. The radio front-end circuit 1918 can receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a radio connection. The radio front-end circuit 1918 can use a combination of a filter 1920 and / or an amplifier 1922 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be sent via the antenna 1910. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 1910 may collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuit 1918. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 1902. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0245] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 1900 does not include a separate radio front end circuit 1918, but rather, the processing circuit 1902 includes the radio front end circuit and is connected to the antenna 1910. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit 1912 is part of the communication interface 1906. In other embodiments, the communication interface 1906 includes one or more ports or terminals 1916, the radio front end circuit 1918, and the RF transceiver circuit 1912 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 1906 communicates with the baseband processing circuit 1914 as part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0246] Antenna 1910 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 1910 may be coupled to radio front end circuit 1918 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 1910 is separate from network node 1900 and connectable to network node 1900 via an interface or port.

[0247] Antenna 1910, communication interface 1906 and / or processing circuit 1902 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 1910, communication interface 1906 and / or processing circuit 1902 may be configured to perform any sending operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be sent to a UE, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0248] The power supply 1908 provides power to the various components of the network node 1900 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). The power supply 1908 may also include or be coupled to a power management circuit to provide power to the components of the network node 1900 for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node 1900 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, a power outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as a cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit of the power supply 1908. As another example, the power supply 1908 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack that is connected to or integrated in the power circuit. If the external power source fails, the battery may provide backup power.

[0249] Embodiments of network node 1900 may include Fig.191900 for providing certain aspects of the network node, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 1900 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 1900 and to allow information to be output from the network node 1900. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for the network node 1900.

[0250] Fig. 20 According to various aspects described herein, it may be Fig.17 1716 of the embodiment of the host 2000. As used herein, the host 2000 can be or include various combinations of hardware and / or software, including processing resources in a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or a server cluster. The host 2000 can provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0251] Host 2000 includes processing circuitry 2002 operatively coupled to input / output interface 2006, network interface 2008, power supply 2010, and memory 2012 via bus 2004. Other components may be included in other embodiments. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of the previous figures, such as Fig.18 and Fig.19 , so that its description is generally applicable to corresponding components of host 2000.

[0252] Memory 2012 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host applications 2014 and data 2016, which may include user data, such as data generated by the UE for the host 2000 or data generated by the host 2000 for the UE. An embodiment of the host 2000 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application 2014 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., general video coding (VVC), high efficiency video coding (HEVC), advanced video coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, advanced audio coding (AAC), MPEG, G). 711) includes transcoding of multiple different categories, types or implementations for UEs (e.g., mobile phones, desktop computers, wearable display systems, head-up display systems). The host application 2014 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health, routing, and content availability to a central node (such as a device in or on the edge of a core network). Thus, the host 2000 may select and / or indicate a different host for an over-the-top service for the UE. The host application 2014 may support various protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0253] Fig.21 2100 is a block diagram showing a virtualized environment 2100 in which functions implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or equipment, which may include a virtualized hardware platform, storage device, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization may be applied to any device or component thereof described herein, and relates to an implementation scheme in which at least a portion of functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 2100 hosted by one or more hardware nodes (such as hardware computing devices operating as network nodes, UEs, core network nodes, or hosts). In addition, in embodiments where the virtual node does not require a wireless connection (e.g., a core network node or host), the node may be fully virtualized.

[0254] Application 2102 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) runs in virtualization environment 2000 to implement some features, functions and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein.

[0255] The hardware 2104 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions (collectively referred to as computer program 2104a, which may be a computer program product) executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. The software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 2106 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 2108a-b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 2108), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described with respect to some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 2106 may present a virtual operating platform that appears to be networked hardware to the VMs 2108.

[0256] VM 2108 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 2106. Different embodiments of instances of virtual devices 2102 may be implemented on one or more of VM 2108, and may be implemented in different ways. Virtualization of hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to merge many network device types onto industry standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices, which may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0257] In the context of NFV, each VM 2108 can be a software implementation of a physical machine running programs, as if they were executed on a physical non-virtualized machine. Each VM 2108 and the portion of the hardware 2104 that executes the VM can be hardware dedicated to the VM and / or hardware shared with other VMs, forming a separate virtual network element. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling a specific network function running in one or more VMs 2108 on top of the hardware 2104 and corresponding to an application 2102.

[0258] Hardware 2104 may be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware 2104 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 2104 may be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., such as in a data center or CPE), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 2110, which in particular oversees the lifecycle management of application 2102. In some embodiments, hardware 2104 is coupled to one or more radio units, each of which includes one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio unit may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces, and may be used in conjunction with virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or base station. In some embodiments, some signaling may be provided by using a control system 2112, which may alternatively be used for communication between a hardware node and a radio unit.

[0259] Fig. 22 A communication diagram of a host 2202 communicating with a UE 2206 via a network node 2204 via a partial radio connection according to some embodiments is shown. According to various embodiments, reference will now be made to Fig. 22 Describe UE (such as Fig.17 UE 1712a and / or Fig.18 UE 1800), network nodes (such as Fig.17 The network node 1710a and / or Fig.19 network node 1900) and the hosts discussed in the preceding paragraphs (such as Fig.17 Host 1716 and / or Fig. 20 An example implementation of host 2000).

[0260] Similar to the host 2000, an embodiment of the host 2202 includes hardware, such as a communication interface, a processing circuit, and a memory. The host 2202 also includes software stored in or accessible by the host 2202 and executable by the processing circuit. The software includes a host application operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 2206 connected via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 2250 extending between the UE 2206 and the host 2202. When providing services to the remote user, the host application can provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 2250.

[0261] The network node 2204 includes hardware that enables it to communicate with the host 2202 and the UE 2206. The connection 2260 can be direct or through a core network (such as Fig.17The core network 1706 of the present invention) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public networks, private networks or managed networks. For example, the intermediate network can be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0262] UE 2206 includes hardware and software stored in UE 2206 or accessible by UE 2206 and executable by UE processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or an operator-specific "app", which is operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via UE 2206 to the support of host 2202. In host 2202, the executing host application can communicate with the executing client application via an OTT connection 2250 terminated at UE 2206 and host 2202. When providing services to the user, the client application of the UE can receive request data from the host application of the host and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 2250 can transmit both request data and user data. The client application of the UE can interact with the user to generate user data that it provides to the host application via the OTT connection 2250.

[0263] The OTT connection 2250 may extend via a connection 2260 between the host 2202 and the network node 2204 and via a wireless connection 2270 between the network node 2204 and the UE 2206 to provide connectivity between the host 2202 and the UE 2206. The connection 2260 and the wireless connection 2270 that may provide the OTT connection 2250 are drawn abstractly to illustrate communications between the host 2202 and the UE 2206 via the network node 2204 without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via those devices.

[0264] As an example of transmitting data via OTT connection 2250, in step 2208, host 2202 provides user data that can be executed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a specific human user interacting with UE 2206. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with UE 2206 that shares data with host 2202 without explicit human interaction. In step 2210, host 2202 initiates a transmission carrying user data to UE 2206. Host 2202 can initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by UE 2206. The request can be caused by human interaction with UE 2206 or by the operation of a client application executed on UE 2206. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission can be delivered via network node 2204. Therefore, in step 2212, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, network node 2204 sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by host 2202 to UE 2206. In step 2214 , UE 2206 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be executed by a client application executing on UE 2206 associated with a host application executed by host 2202 .

[0265] In some examples, UE2206 executes a client application that provides user data to host 2202. The user data may be provided in response to data received from host 2202. Thus, in step 2216, UE 2206 may provide user data that may be executed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may also take into account user input received from a user via an input / output interface of UE2206. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data is provided, UE2206 initiates transmission of the user data to host 2202 via network node 2204 in step 2218. In step 2220, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, network node 2204 receives user data from UE 2206 and initiates transmission of the received user data to host 2202. In step 2222, host 2202 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by UE 2206.

[0266] One or more of the various embodiments improves the performance of OTT services provided to UE 2206 using OTT connection 2250, where wireless connection 2270 forms the last segment. More precisely, the embodiments disclosed herein can provide the UE with knowledge of what stored conditional reconfigurations it should maintain (e.g., to facilitate subsequent mobility processes with low latency or delay after a cell group change or other mobility process). In this way, both the UE and the network know the conditional reconfiguration that the UE is evaluating at any given moment, which can prevent configuration mismatches between the UE and the network. This can also prevent unnecessary reconfiguration failures caused by the network assuming that the UE is operating with a configuration different from the actual configuration. At a high level, the embodiments can improve the mobility robustness of both the UE and the network. Therefore, the embodiments increase the value of the OTT services delivered via the UE and the network (improved in this manner) to both the end user and the service provider.

[0267] In an example scenario, plant status information may be collected and analyzed by host 2202. As another example, host 2202 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating a map. As another example, host 2202 may collect and analyze real-time data to help control vehicle congestion (e.g., control traffic lights). As another example, host 2202 may store surveillance videos uploaded by a UE. As another example, host 2202 may store or control access to media content (such as video, audio, VR, or AR) that it may broadcast, multicast, or unicast to a UE. As other examples, host 2202 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical power loads to balance power generation demand, location services, presentation services (such as compiled graphs of data collected from remote devices, etc.), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or sending data.

[0268] In some examples, a measurement process may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, delays, and other factors targeted by one or more embodiments. In response to changes in the measurement results, there may also be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 2250 between the host 2202 and the UE 2206. The measurement process and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in the software and hardware of the host 2202 and / or the UE 2206. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in other devices through which the OTT connection 2250 passes or are deployed in association with other devices; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying the values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above or supplying the values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 2250 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not require direct changes to the operation of the network node 2204. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurement may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the measurement of throughput, propagation time, delay, etc. by the host 2202. These measurements can be implemented in the software, using the OTT connection 2250 to send messages in specific empty or "dummy" messages while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0269] The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the present disclosure. Various modifications and alterations to the embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the teachings herein. Thus, it will be appreciated that one skilled in the art will be able to design many systems, arrangements, and programs that, although not explicitly shown or described herein, embody the principles of the present invention and are therefore within the spirit and scope of the present invention. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the various exemplary embodiments may be used interchangeably with each other and with each other.

[0270] As used herein, the term unit may have a conventional meaning in the field of electronic devices, electrical devices and / or electronic equipment, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, output and / or display functions, etc., as well as those described herein.

[0271] Any suitable steps, methods, features, functions or benefits disclosed herein can be performed by one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual devices. Each virtual device may include a plurality of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented via a processing circuit, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and other digital hardware that may include a digital signal processor (DSP), a dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuit may be configured to execute a program code stored in a memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a cache memory, a flash memory device, an optical storage device, etc. The program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols and instructions for executing one or more technologies described herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit may be used to cause the corresponding functional unit to perform the corresponding function according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0272] As herein, the device and / or apparatus may be represented by a semiconductor chip, a chipset, or a (hardware) module including such a chip or chipset; however, this does not exclude the possibility that the function of the device or apparatus is implemented as a software module rather than a hardware implementation, such as a computer program or computer program product including an executable software code portion for execution or running on a processor. In addition, the function of the device or apparatus may be implemented by any combination of hardware and software. The device or apparatus may also be considered as a component of a plurality of devices and / or apparatuses, whether functionally cooperating with each other or independent of each other. In addition, the device and apparatus may be implemented in a distributed manner throughout the system, as long as the function of the device or apparatus is preserved. Such and similar principles are considered to be known to those skilled in the art.

[0273] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It should also be understood that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0274] In addition, certain terms used in this disclosure, including the specification and drawings, may be used synonymously in some cases (e.g., "data" and "information"). It should be understood that although these terms (and / or other terms that may be synonymous with each other) may be used synonymously herein, there may be situations where such words may not be intended to be used synonymously.

[0275] The techniques and devices described herein include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

[0276] A1. A method for a user equipment (UE), the UE being configured to communicate with a radio access network (RAN) via a master cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG), the method comprising: receiving a plurality of conditional reconfigurations from the RAN, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; Store multiple conditional reconfigurations; performing a first mobility procedure towards a first target cell served by a second RAN node according to the first reconfiguration; After performing the first mobility procedure, each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is selectively maintained or released.

[0277] A2. The method of embodiment A1, wherein selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is based on one or more of the following: an indication received from the RAN regarding the first mobility procedure, The contents of the stored conditional reconfiguration, the contents of one or more other conditional reconfigurations in the stored conditional reconfiguration, the type of mobility procedure associated with the stored conditional reconfiguration, The identifier of the first target cell, The first reconfiguration content, the type of the first mobility procedure performed, The number of mobility procedures performed by the UE when the conditional reconfiguration has been stored, The duration of the stored conditional reconfiguration, After execution of the first mobility procedure, a state of a first target cell or a group of cells including a first target cell, The state of the candidate target cell after execution of the corresponding mobility procedure, and the matching or corresponding relationship between one or more parameters of the first configuration and one or more parameters of the conditional reconfiguration.

[0278] A2a. The method of embodiment A2, wherein each conditional reconfiguration comprises a list of one or more of the following: other candidate target cells, whose associated conditional reconfiguration should be maintained by the UE after execution of the conditional reconfiguration, and A candidate target node is provided for a candidate target cell whose associated conditional reconfiguration should be maintained by the UE after execution of the conditional reconfiguration.

[0279] A3. The method of any one of embodiments A2 to A2a, wherein each of the conditional reconfigurations is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: Conditional Handover (CHO), where the candidate target cell is the primary cell (PCell) of the MCG; Conditional Primary SCG Cell (PSCell) Addition (CPA), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell; and Conditional PSCell Change (CPC), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell;

[0280] A3a. The method according to embodiment A3, wherein: Each conditional reconfiguration comprises an indication of whether the state of the candidate target cell is activated or deactivated following execution of the associated said mobility procedure; and Selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is based on an indication contained in the conditional reconfiguration.

[0281] A3b. A method according to any one of embodiments A3 to A3a, wherein the first mobility procedure is one of the following: CHO, CPC, CPA, unconditional switching, unconditional PSCell change, unconditional PSCell addition, cell group addition, cell group modification and cell group release.

[0282] A3c. The method of any one of embodiments A3 to A3b, wherein the first configuration is one of the stored conditional reconfigurations associated with a corresponding first mobility procedure towards the first target cell.

[0283] A3d. A method according to any one of embodiments A3 to A3c, wherein selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations includes: maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration when the first mobility process is a handover or a conditional handover; and releasing the stored condition when the first mobility process is one of the following: unconditional PSCell change, CPC, unconditional PSCell addition, or CPA.

[0284] A4. The method according to any one of embodiments A2 to A3b, wherein: The first mobility process is an unconditional PSCell addition or an unconditional PSCell change, and the first target cell is a first PSCell of a first SCG; The first reconfiguration includes a first indication of whether the first PSCell and / or the first SCG is activated or deactivated after performing the first mobility procedure; and The stored conditional reconfiguration is selectively maintained or released based on the first indication.

[0285] A5. A method according to any one of embodiments A2 to A4, wherein selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations includes maintaining the conditional reconfigurations stored during the execution of less than a predetermined number of mobility processes, and releasing the conditional reconfigurations stored during the execution of at least a predetermined number of mobility processes.

[0286] A6. The method of any one of embodiments A2 to A4, wherein selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations comprises maintaining conditional reconfigurations that have been stored for less than a predetermined duration, and releasing conditional reconfigurations that have been stored for at least the predetermined duration.

[0287] A7. A method according to any one of embodiments A2 to A4, wherein selectively maintaining or releasing each of the stored conditional reconfigurations includes releasing a conditional reconfiguration including an incremental configuration, and maintaining a conditional reconfiguration including an indication of a full configuration or release and then adding an SCG configuration.

[0288] A8. The method of any one of embodiments A2 to A4, wherein for each of the stored conditional reconfigurations, selectively maintaining or releasing the stored conditional reconfiguration is based on one of: one or more indications received from the first RAN node prior to performing the first mobility procedure; or One or more indications received from the second RAN node after performing the first mobility procedure.

[0289] A8a. The method according to embodiment A8, wherein one of the following is applied: The one or more indications include a single indication that applies to all stored conditional reconfigurations; or the one or more indications include multiple indications corresponding to a respective plurality of stored conditional reconfigurations.

[0290] A8b. The method of any one of embodiments A8 to A8a, wherein for each of the stored conditional reconfigurations, selectively maintaining or releasing the conditional reconfiguration after performing the mobility procedure comprises one or more of: maintaining the conditional reconfiguration unless a corresponding indication to release is received from the second RAN node; releasing the conditional reconfiguration when no corresponding indication is received from the second RAN node within a predetermined duration after execution of the first mobility procedure; refraining from evaluating an execution condition associated with the conditional reconfiguration until a corresponding indication is received from the second RAN node; continuing to evaluate execution conditions associated with the conditional reconfiguration until a corresponding indication is received from the second RAN node; and When the execution condition has been met, executing the mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration is avoided until a corresponding indication is received from the second RAN node.

[0291] A9. The method of any one of embodiments A2 to A8, wherein for each of the stored conditional reconfigurations, selectively maintaining or releasing the conditional reconfiguration after performing the mobility procedure is based on one or more of: whether the conditional reconfiguration includes another conditional reconfiguration, and if so, the type of the other conditional reconfiguration; Whether both the conditional reconfiguration and the first reconfiguration include an indication to maintain the conditional reconfiguration after execution of the mobility procedure.

[0292] A10. The method according to any one of embodiments A1 to A9, further comprising sending one or more of the following information to the RAN: an indication of UE support or capability for maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration following performance of the mobility procedure; and One or more of the following for each condition reconfiguration stored by the UE: Identifier for conditional reconfiguration, an identifier of one or more candidate target cells associated with the target cell, Execution conditions associated with conditional reconfiguration, The measurement configuration associated with the conditional reconfiguration, the type of mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration, Whether the conditional reconfiguration is full configuration or incremental configuration, Whether the conditional reconfiguration includes an indication to release and then add the SCG, or includes an incremental configuration for the SCG, UE measurement results for the associated one or more candidate target cells.

[0293] A11. The method of embodiment A10, wherein the information is sent according to one of the following: Before performing the first mobility procedure, providing the MCG to a first RAN node; or, After performing the first mobility procedure, toward the second RAN node.

[0294] B 1. A method for a first RAN node, the first RAN node being configured to provide a master cell group (MCG) for a user equipment (UE) communicating with the RAN via a secondary cell group (SCG), the method comprising: Do one or more of the following: sending information about conditional reconfigurations stored by the UE to each of the one or more other RAN nodes, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; and receiving, from each of the one or more other RAN nodes, information of a candidate target cell associated with a conditional reconfiguration that should be maintained by the UE after performing a mobility procedure to a target cell provided by another RAN node; Subsequently based on the first reconfiguration, a first mobility procedure for the UE to a first target cell served by the second RAN node is performed and / or facilitated.

[0295] B2. The method of embodiment B1, wherein each of the conditional reconfigurations is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: Conditional Handover (CHO), where the candidate target cell is the primary cell (PCell) of the MCG; Conditional Primary SCG Cell (PSCell) Addition (CPA), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell; and Conditional PSCell Change (CPC), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell.

[0296] B2a. A method according to any one of embodiments B1 to B2, wherein the first mobility process is one of the following: CHO, CPC, CPA, unconditional switching, unconditional PSCell change, unconditional PSCell addition, cell group addition, cell group modification and cell group release.

[0297] B2b. The method of any one of embodiments B1 to B2a, wherein the first configuration is one of the stored conditional reconfigurations associated with a corresponding first mobility procedure towards the first target cell.

[0298] B2c. The method of any one of embodiments B1 to B2b, wherein the information sent to and / or received from each of the one or more RAN nodes includes an identifier of one or more of: reconfiguration of conditions that should be maintained; candidate target cells associated with the conditional reconfiguration that should be maintained; and A candidate target node is provided for a candidate target cell associated with a conditional reconfiguration that should be maintained.

[0299] B3. The method according to any one of embodiments B1 to B2c further includes sending multiple conditional reconfigurations to the UE, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility process, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition.

[0300] B4. The method according to embodiment B3 further includes: when performing a mobility process, sending one or more indications to the UE regarding whether the UE should maintain or release multiple conditional reconfigurations.

[0301] B4a. The method according to embodiment B4, wherein one of the following is applied: The one or more indications include a single indication applicable to all conditional reconfigurations; or the one or more indications include multiple indications corresponding to respective multiple conditional reconfigurations.

[0302] B4b. A method according to any one of embodiments B4 to B4a, wherein each conditional reconfiguration sent to the UE includes an identifier of one or more of the following: Other conditions that should be maintained reconfiguration; Other candidate target cells associated with other condition reconfigurations that should be maintained; and a candidate target node providing other candidate target cells associated with other condition reconfigurations that should be maintained.

[0303] B5. The method of any one of embodiments B1 to B4b, wherein: Each conditional reconfiguration is also associated with a candidate target node providing the associated one or more candidate target cells; and One or more RAN nodes to which the information is sent, including a plurality of candidate target nodes.

[0304] B6. A method according to embodiment B5, wherein the information sent to each candidate target node identifies stored conditional configurations associated with other candidate target cells provided by other candidate target nodes, which other candidate target cells should be maintained by the UE after performing one of the following: A mobility process of a candidate target cell provided to a candidate target node; Any mobility process.

[0305] B7. The method of any one of embodiments B1 to B4b, wherein the information is sent to a second RAN node configured to provide the first target cell.

[0306] B8. The method of any one of embodiments B1 to B4b, wherein the information is received from a source RAN node configured to provide a source cell for the first mobility procedure.

[0307] B9. The method according to any one of embodiments B1 to B4b, wherein: receiving information from a plurality of candidate target nodes, each candidate target node providing one or more candidate target cells for a mobility procedure associated with a conditional reconfiguration; and The information received from each candidate target node identifies other conditional reconfigurations that should be maintained after the UE performs the mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration.

[0308] B10. The method according to embodiment B9 also includes receiving multiple conditional reconfigurations from multiple candidate target nodes, wherein information identifying other conditional reconfigurations that should be maintained is included in or associated with the corresponding conditional reconfigurations.

[0309] B 11. The method of any one of embodiments B1 to B10, further comprising receiving one or more of the following information from the UE before performing and / or facilitating the first mobility procedure: an indication of UE support or capability for maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration following performance of the mobility procedure; and One or more of the following for each condition reconfiguration stored by the UE: Identifier for conditional reconfiguration, an identifier of one or more candidate target cells associated with the target cell, Execution conditions associated with conditional reconfiguration, The measurement configuration associated with the conditional reconfiguration, the type of mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration, Whether the conditional reconfiguration is full configuration or incremental configuration, Whether the conditional reconfiguration includes an indication to release and then add the SCG, or includes an incremental configuration for the SCG, UE measurement results for the associated one or more candidate target cells.

[0310] B12. The method of embodiment B11, wherein the information sent to the one or more other RAN nodes is based on information received from the UE.

[0311] C1. A method for configuring, by a user equipment (UE), a second radio access network (RAN) node as a target node or a candidate target node for a mobility procedure, the method comprising one or more of the following: receiving, from a first RAN node configured to provide a master cell group (MCG) for the UE, information about a plurality of conditional reconfigurations stored by the UE, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; and Information of a candidate target cell associated with a conditional reconfiguration that the UE should maintain after performing a mobility procedure to a target cell provided by the second RAN node is sent to the first RAN node.

[0312] C2. The method of embodiment C1, wherein each of the conditional reconfiguration items is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: Conditional Handover (CHO), where the candidate target cell is the primary cell (PCell) of the MCG; Conditional Primary SCG Cell (PSCell) Addition (CPA), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell; and Conditional PSCell Change (CPC), where the candidate target cell is the PSCell.

[0313] C3. A method according to any one of embodiments C1 to C2, wherein the first mobility procedure is one of the following: CHO, CPC, CPA, unconditional switching, unconditional PSCell change, unconditional PSCell addition, cell group addition, cell group modification and cell group release.

[0314] C4. The method of any one of embodiments C1 to C3, wherein the information sent to and / or received from the first RAN node includes an identifier of one or more of: reconfiguration of conditions that should be maintained; candidate target cells associated with the conditional reconfiguration that should be maintained; and A candidate target node is provided for a candidate target cell associated with a conditional reconfiguration that should be maintained.

[0315] C5. The method of any one of embodiments C1 to C4, wherein the information received from the first RAN node includes one or more of the following: an indication of UE support or capability for maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration following performance of the mobility procedure; and One or more of the following for each condition reconfiguration stored by the UE: Identifier for conditional reconfiguration, an identifier of one or more candidate target cells associated with the target cell, Execution conditions associated with conditional reconfiguration, The measurement configuration associated with the conditional reconfiguration, the type of mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration, Whether the conditional reconfiguration is full configuration or incremental configuration, Whether the conditional reconfiguration includes an indication to release and then add the SCG, or includes an incremental configuration for the SCG, UE measurement results for the associated one or more candidate target cells.

[0316] C6. The method according to any one of embodiments C1 to C5, further comprising: performing and / or facilitating a first mobility procedure for the UE towards a first target cell served by the second RAN node in accordance with the first reconfiguration; and Based on the information received from the first RAN node, it is determined whether each conditional reconfiguration stored by the UE should be maintained after the first mobility procedure.

[0317] C7. The method according to embodiment C6, wherein one of the following is applied: The method further includes: after the first mobility procedure, sending to the UE one or more indications regarding whether the UE should maintain or release the plurality of conditional reconfigurations; or Prior to the first mobility procedure, information of candidate target cells associated with the conditional reconfiguration that should be maintained is sent to the first RAN node.

[0318] C8. The method of embodiment C7, wherein the one or more indications are sent to the RAN node in or together with the first reconfiguration.

[0319] C9. The method according to any one of embodiments C6 to C8, wherein one of the following is applied: The one or more indications include a single indication that applies to all conditional reconfigurations; or The one or more indications include a plurality of indications corresponding to a respective plurality of conditional reconfigurations.

[0320] C10. The method according to any one of embodiments C1 to C5, wherein: the second RAN node is a candidate target node providing a candidate target cell associated with one of the conditional reconfigurations; and The method further comprises sending a conditional reconfiguration associated with the candidate target cell to the first RAN node.

[0321] C10a. The method according to embodiment C10 further comprises: determining whether each of the conditional reconfigurations stored by the UE should be maintained after the mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration based on the information received from the first RAN node.

[0322] C11. The method of any one of embodiments C10 to C10a, wherein information about candidate target cells associated with the conditional reconfiguration that should be maintained is included in or associated with the conditional reconfiguration.

[0323] D1. A user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a radio access network (RAN) via a master cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG), the UE comprising: a communication interface circuit configured to communicate with the RAN at least via the MCG; A processing circuit is operably coupled to the communication interface circuit, wherein the processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments A1 to A11.

[0324] D2. A user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a radio access network (RAN) via a master cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG), the UE being further configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments A1 to A11.

[0325] D3. A non-temporary computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a radio access network (RAN) via a main cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG), configure the UE to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments A1 to A11.

[0326] D4. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a radio access network (RAN) via a main cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG), configure the UE to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments A1 to A11.

[0327] E1. A first radio access network (RAN) configured to provide a master cell group (MCG) for a user equipment (UE), the UE being further configured to communicate with the RAN via a secondary cell group (SCG), the first RAN node comprising: a communication interface circuit configured to communicate with the RAN at least via the MCG; A processing circuit is operably coupled to the communication interface circuit, wherein the processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments B1 to B12.

[0328] E2. A first radio access network (RAN) configured to provide a master cell group (MCG) for a user equipment (UE), the UE being further configured to communicate with the RAN via a secondary cell group (SCG), the first RAN node being further configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments B1 to B12.

[0329] E3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a first radio access network (RAN) configured to provide a primary cell group (MCG) for a user equipment (UE), are configured to communicate with the RAN via a secondary cell group (SCG), configuring the first RAN node to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments B1 to B12.

[0330] E4. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a first radio access network (RAN) configured to provide a master cell group (MCG) for a user equipment (UE), are configured to communicate with the RAN via a secondary cell group (SCG) to configure the first RAN node to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments B1 to B12.

[0331] F1. A second radio access network (RAN) node configured as a target node or a candidate target node for a mobility procedure performed by a user equipment (UE), the second RAN node comprising: a communication interface circuit configured to communicate with the RAN at least via the MCG; A processing circuit is operably coupled to the communication interface circuit, wherein the processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments C1 to C11.

[0332] F2. A second radio access network (RAN) node configured as a target node or a candidate target node for a mobility procedure performed by a user equipment (UE), the second RAN node being further configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments C1 to C11.

[0333] F3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a second radio access network (RAN) node configured as a target node or a candidate target node for a mobility procedure performed by a user equipment (UE), configure the second RAN node to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments C1 to C11.

[0334] F4. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a second radio access network (RAN) node configured as a target node or a candidate target node for a mobility procedure performed by a user equipment (UE), configure the second RAN node to perform operations corresponding to any of the methods of embodiments C1 to C11.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment UE, the UE being configured to communicate with a radio access network RAN ​​via at least a master cell group MCG, the method comprising: receiving (1410) a plurality of conditional reconfigurations from the RAN, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; storing (1420) the plurality of conditional reconfigurations; performing (1440) a first mobility procedure towards a first target cell served by a second RAN node according to the first reconfiguration, wherein the first mobility procedure and the stored plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with a same one of the MCG and a secondary cell group (SCG) for the UE; as well as After performing the first mobility procedure, each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is selectively maintained or released (1450).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first mobility procedure to the first target cell is a handover or a conditional handover (CHO); and Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a conditional handover CHO, where the candidate target cell is the primary cell PCell of the MCG.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first mobility process is one of the following: unconditional primary SCG cell PSCell change, unconditional PSCell addition, SCG addition, SCG modification, and SCG release; and Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: Conditional PSCell adds CPA, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; or conditional PSCell changes CPC, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first mobility procedure to the first target cell is one of the following: adding CPA to a conditional primary SCG cell PSCell, or changing CPC to a conditional PSCell; and Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: CPA, wherein the candidate target cell is a PSCell of the SCG; or CPC, wherein the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein selectively maintaining or releasing (1450) each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is based on one or more of: an indication received from the RAN regarding the first mobility procedure, the stored content of the conditional reconfiguration, the contents of one or more other conditional reconfigurations in the stored conditional reconfiguration, a type of mobility procedure associated with the stored conditional reconfiguration, an identifier of the first target cell, the content of the first reconfiguration, and A type of the first mobility procedure performed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The content of each stored conditional reconfiguration includes at least one field associated with a version or release of functionality; and Selectively maintaining or releasing (1450) each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is based on the version or release associated with the field.

7. The method of any one of claims 5 to 6, wherein selectively maintaining or releasing (1450) each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is further based on one or more of: After execution of the first mobility procedure, a state of the first target cell or a cell group including the first target cell, the state of the candidate target cell after the execution of the corresponding mobility procedure, and A matching or corresponding relationship between one or more parameters of the first configuration and one or more parameters of the conditional reconfiguration.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein each conditional reconfiguration comprises an identifier of one or more of: Other conditions that should be maintained by the UE after execution of the associated mobility procedure are reconfigured, and Other candidate target cells, the associated conditional reconfiguration of the other candidate target cells should be maintained by the UE after the execution of the associated mobility procedure.

9. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein: Each conditional reconfiguration comprises an indication of whether the state of the candidate target cell is activated or deactivated following execution of the associated said mobility procedure; and Selectively maintaining or releasing (1450) each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is based on the indicated state of the candidate target cell after execution of an associated mobility procedure.

10. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein: The first reconfiguration includes an indication that, after execution of the first mobility procedure, a state of the first target cell or a state of a cell group including the first target cell is activated or deactivated; and Selectively maintaining or releasing (1450) the stored conditional reconfiguration is based on the indicated state of the first target cell or a group of cells including the first target cell after execution of the first mobility procedure.

11. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein selectively maintaining or releasing (1450) the stored conditional reconfiguration is based on a single indication from the RAN that applies to the stored plurality of conditional reconfigurations.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first reconfiguration is one of the stored conditional reconfigurations, the one conditional reconfiguration being associated with the first mobility procedure and the first target cell.

13. A method for a first RAN node, the first RAN node being configured to provide a master cell group (MCG) for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: The following items are sent (1560) to the UE: a plurality of conditional reconfigurations, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; as well as whether the UE should maintain or release one or more indications of the plurality of conditional reconfigurations after performance of a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by a second RAN node, wherein the first mobility procedure and the plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with the same one of the MCG and a secondary cell group, SCG, for the UE; as well as Subsequently, based on the first reconfiguration, the first mobility procedure for the UE to the first target cell served by the second RAN node is performed and / or facilitated (1570).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The first mobility procedure to the first target cell is a handover or a conditional handover (CHO); and Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a conditional handover CHO, where the candidate target cell is the primary cell PCell of the MCG.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein: The first mobility process is one of the following: unconditional primary SCG cell PSCell change, unconditional PSCell addition, SCG addition, SCG modification, SCG release; and Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: Conditional PSCell adding CPA, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; or Conditional PSCell change CPC, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein: The first mobility procedure to the first target cell is one of the following: adding CPA to a conditional primary SCG cell PSCell; or changing CPC to a conditional PSCell; and Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: CPA, wherein the candidate target cell is a PSCell of the SCG; or CPC, wherein the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the first configuration is one of the conditional reconfigurations for the UE, the first configuration being associated with the first mobility procedure and the first target cell.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, further comprising: sending (1540) information about the plurality of conditional reconfigurations for the UE to the second RAN node; as well as The first reconfiguration and the one or more indications are received (1550) from the second RAN node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information sent to the second RAN node comprises one or more of: an indication of UE support or capability for maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration after performance of the mobility procedure, and One or more of the following for each condition reconfiguration stored by the UE: an identifier of the conditional reconfiguration, an identifier of the one or more candidate target cells associated therewith, the execution condition associated with the conditional reconfiguration, a measurement configuration associated with the conditional reconfiguration, a type of the mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration, whether the conditional reconfiguration is a full configuration or an incremental configuration, Whether the conditional reconfiguration includes an indication to release and then add the SCG, or includes an incremental configuration for the SCG, UE measurement results for the associated one or more candidate target cells.

20. The method of any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein each conditional reconfiguration comprises an identifier of one or more of: Other conditions that should be maintained by the UE after execution of the associated mobility procedure are reconfigured, and Other candidate target cells, the associated conditional reconfiguration of the other candidate target cells should be maintained by the UE after the execution of the associated mobility procedure.

21. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein: Each conditional reconfiguration includes at least one field associated with a version or release of a function; and the version or release also indicates whether the UE should maintain or release the conditional reconfiguration after execution of a mobility procedure.

22. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 21, wherein: Each conditional reconfiguration comprises a first indication of whether the state of the associated candidate target cell is activated or deactivated after execution of the associated mobility procedure; and Each first indication further indicates whether the UE should maintain or release the associated conditional reconfiguration after execution of the associated mobility procedure.

23. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 22, wherein: The first reconfiguration includes a second indication of whether the state of the first target cell or a cell group including the first target cell is activated or deactivated after execution of the first mobility procedure; and The second indication further indicates whether the UE should maintain or release the associated conditional reconfiguration after execution of the associated mobility procedure.

24. The method of any one of claims 13 to 23, wherein the one or more indications comprise a single indication that applies to the plurality of conditional reconfigurations.

25. A method for a second radio access network RAN ​​node, the second radio access network RAN ​​node being configured as a target node or a candidate target node for a mobility procedure performed by a user equipment UE, the method comprising one or more of the following: sending (1630) to the UE or to a first RAN node configured to provide a master cell group (MCG) for the UE one or more indications of whether the UE should maintain or release a plurality of conditional reconfigurations following execution of a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by the second RAN node, the first RAN node being configured to provide a master cell group (MCG) for the UE, wherein: Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; and The first mobility procedure and the plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with a same one of the MCG and a secondary cell group (SCG) for the UE; as well as According to the first reconfiguration, the first mobility procedure of the UE to the first target cell served by the second RAN node is performed and / or facilitated (1640).

26. The method of claim 25, wherein: The first mobility procedure to the first target cell is a handover or a conditional handover (CHO); and Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a conditional handover CHO, where the candidate target cell is the primary cell PCell of the MCG.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein: The first mobility process is one of the following: unconditional primary SCG cell PSCell change, unconditional PSCell addition, SCG addition, SCG modification, SCG release; and Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: Conditional PSCell adds CPA, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG; or conditional PSCell changes CPC, where the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein: The first mobility procedure to the first target cell is one of the following: adding CPA to a conditional primary SCG cell PSCell, or changing CPC to a conditional PSCell; and Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with one of the following mobility procedures: CPA, wherein the candidate target cell is a PSCell of the SCG; or CPC, wherein the candidate target cell is the PSCell of the SCG.

29. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 28, further comprising: receiving (1610) information about the plurality of conditional reconfigurations from the first RAN node; as well as determining (1620) whether each of the conditional reconfigurations should be maintained or released by the UE after the first mobility procedure based on the received information, Wherein the one or more indications are based on the determination (1620).

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the information received from the first RAN node comprises one or more of: an indication of UE support or capability for maintaining the stored conditional reconfiguration after performance of the mobility procedure, and One or more of the following for each condition reconfiguration stored by the UE: an identifier of the conditional reconfiguration, an identifier of the one or more candidate target cells associated therewith, the execution condition associated with the conditional reconfiguration, a measurement configuration associated with the conditional reconfiguration, a type of the mobility procedure associated with the conditional reconfiguration, whether the conditional reconfiguration is a full configuration or an incremental configuration, The conditional reconfiguration includes an indication to release and then add the SCG, or includes an incremental configuration for the SCG, UE measurement results for the associated one or more candidate target cells.

31. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 30, wherein the information received from the first RAN node comprises an identifier of one or more of: a reconfiguration of conditions that should be maintained by the UE after execution of the associated mobility procedure, and A candidate target cell, the associated conditional reconfiguration of the candidate target cell should be maintained by the UE after execution of the associated mobility procedure.

32. A method according to any one of claims 25 to 29, wherein one of the following applies: Prior to the first mobility procedure, the one or more indications are sent to the first RAN node together with the first reconfiguration; or After the first mobility procedure, the one or more indications are sent to the UE.

33. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 32, wherein the second RAN node is a candidate target node providing a candidate target cell associated with one of the conditional reconfigurations.

34. A method according to any one of claims 25 to 33, wherein the one or more indications comprise a single indication that applies to the plurality of conditional reconfigurations.

35. A user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800), configured to communicate with a radio access network RAN ​​(100, 399, 599, 699, 1704) via at least a master cell group MCG (411), the UE comprising: a communication interface circuit (1812) configured to communicate with the RAN via at least the MCG; as well as A processing circuit (1802) operably coupled to the communication interface circuit, wherein the processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are configured to: receiving a plurality of conditional reconfigurations from the RAN, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; storing the plurality of conditional reconfigurations; performing a first mobility procedure towards a first target cell served by a second RAN node according to a first reconfiguration, wherein the first mobility procedure and the stored plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with a same one of the MCG and a secondary cell group (SCG) for the UE; as well as After performing the first mobility procedure, each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is selectively maintained or released.

36. The UE of claim 35, wherein the processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are further configured to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 2 to 12.

37. A user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800) configured to communicate with a radio access network RAN ​​(100, 399, 599, 699, 1704) via at least a master cell group MCG (411), the UE being further configured to: receiving a plurality of conditional reconfigurations from the RAN, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; storing the plurality of conditional reconfigurations; performing a first mobility procedure towards a first target cell served by a second RAN node according to the first reconfiguration, wherein the first mobility procedure and the stored plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with a same one of the MCG and a secondary cell group (SCG) for the UE; as well as After performing the first mobility procedure, each of the stored conditional reconfigurations is selectively maintained or released.

38. The UE according to claim 37, further configured to perform operations corresponding to the method according to any one of claims 2 to 12.

39. A non-transitory computer-readable medium (1810) storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processing circuit (1802) of a user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800), configures the UE to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with a radio access network RAN ​​(100, 399, 599, 699, 1704) via at least a master cell group MCG (411).

40. A computer program product (1814), comprising computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a processing circuit (1802) of a user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800), configures the UE to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with a radio access network RAN ​​(100, 399, 599, 699, 1704) via at least a master cell group MCG (411).

41. A first radio access network RAN ​​node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 920, 1710, 1900, 2102) configured to provide a master cell group MCG (411) for a user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800), the first RAN node comprising: a communication interface circuit (1906, 2104), configured to communicate with the UE via the MCG; as well as A processing circuit (1902, 2104) operably coupled to the communication interface circuit, wherein the processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are configured to: Send the following items to the UE: a plurality of conditional reconfigurations, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition, and whether the UE should maintain or release one or more indications of the plurality of conditional reconfigurations after performance of a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by a second RAN node, wherein the first mobility procedure and the plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with the same one of the MCG and a secondary cell group, SCG, for the UE; as well as Subsequently, based on the first reconfiguration, performing and / or facilitating the first mobility procedure of the UE to the first target cell served by the second RAN node.

42. The first RAN node according to claim 38, wherein the processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are further configured to perform operations corresponding to the method according to any one of claims 14 to 24.

43. A first radio access network RAN ​​node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 920, 1710, 1900, 2102) configured to provide a master cell group MCG (411) for a user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800), the first RAN node being further configured to: Send the following items to the UE: a plurality of conditional reconfigurations, wherein each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition, and whether the UE should maintain or release the one or more indications of the plurality of conditional reconfigurations after performance of a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by a second RAN node, wherein the first mobility procedure and the plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with the same one of the MCG and a secondary cell group, SCG, for the UE; and Subsequently, based on the first reconfiguration, a first mobility procedure of the UE to the first target cell served by the second RAN node is performed and / or facilitated.

44. The first RAN node according to claim 43, further configured to perform corresponding operations of the method according to any one of claims 14 to 24.

45. A non-transitory computer-readable medium (1904, 2104) storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processing circuit (1902, 2104) of a first radio access network RAN ​​node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 920, 1710, 1900, 2102), configure the first RAN node to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 13 to 24, wherein the first radio access network RAN ​​node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 920, 1710, 1900, 2102) is configured to provide a master cell group (MCG) (411) for a user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800).

46. ​​A computer program product (1904a, 2104a) comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit (1902, 2104) of a first radio access network RAN ​​node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 920, 1710, 1900, 2102), configure the first RAN node to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 13 to 24, the first radio access network RAN ​​node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 920, 1710, 1900, 2102) being configured to provide a master cell group (MCG) (411) for a user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800).

47. A second radio access network RAN ​​node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 940, 1710, 1900, 2102) configured as a target node or a candidate target node for a mobility procedure performed by a user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800), the second RAN node comprising: a communication interface circuit (1906, 2104) configured to communicate with the UE and with a first RAN node (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800) configured to provide a master cell group MCG (411) for the UE; and A processing circuit (1902, 2104) operably coupled to the communication interface circuit, wherein the processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are configured to: sending one or more indications to the UE or the first RAN node whether the UE should maintain or release a plurality of conditional reconfigurations following performance of a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by the second RAN node, wherein: Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; and The first mobility procedure and the plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with the same one of the MCG and the secondary cell group SCG (421) for the UE; and According to the first reconfiguration, the first mobility procedure of the UE to the first target cell served by the second RAN node is performed and / or facilitated.

48. The second RAN node according to claim 47, wherein the processing circuit and the communication interface circuit are further configured to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 26 to 34.

49. A second Radio Access Network, RAN node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 940, 1710, 1900, 2102) configured as a target node or a candidate target node for a mobility procedure performed by a User Equipment, UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800), the second RAN node being further configured to: sending (1630) to the UE or to a first RAN node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 920, 1710, 1900, 2102) one or more indications of whether the UE should maintain or release a plurality of conditional reconfigurations following execution of a first mobility procedure to a first target cell served by the second RAN node, the first RAN node being configured to provide a master cell group MCG (411) for the UE, wherein: Each conditional reconfiguration is associated with a mobility procedure, one or more candidate target cells, and an execution condition; and The first mobility procedure and the plurality of conditional reconfigurations are associated with a same one of the MCG and a secondary cell group (SCG) for the UE; as well as According to the first reconfiguration, the first mobility procedure of the UE to the first target cell served by the second RAN node is performed and / or facilitated.

50. The second RAN node according to claim 49, further configured to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 26 to 34.

51. A non-transitory computer-readable medium (1904, 2104) storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit (1902, 2104) of a second radio access network RAN ​​node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 940, 1710, 1900, 2102), configure the second RAN node to perform operations corresponding to the method of any one of claims 25 to 34, the second radio access network RAN ​​node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 940, 1710, 1900, 2102) being configured as a target node or a candidate target node for a mobility procedure performed by a user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800).

52. A computer program product (1904a, 2104a), comprising computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a processing circuit (1902, 2104) of a second radio access network RAN ​​node (410, 510, 520, 610, 620, 940, 1710, 1900, 2102), configure the second RAN node to perform corresponding operations of the method of any one of claims 25 to 34, the second radio access network RAN ​​node being configured as a target node or a candidate target node for a mobility procedure performed by a user equipment UE (430, 505, 605, 910, 1712, 1800).

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