QoE measurement collection in disconnected state

Abstract

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to QoE measurement collection in a disconnected state. In an example method, a terminal device receives a Quality of Experience (QoE) Measurement Collection (QMC) procedure configuration from an access network device, the QMC procedure configuration indicating whether the QMC procedure is to be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state. The terminal device then records, in a record buffer, QMC record data of the QMC process performed at the terminal device in the disconnected state, based on determining that the QMC process configuration indicates that the QMC process is to be continued when the terminal device enters the disconnected state. In this way, the QMC data collected in the non-connected state may be stored in the record buffer, so that the desired QMC data collected during the non-connected state may be retained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to the field of telecommunications, and in particular, to a terminal device, an access network device, a core network device, a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium for collecting QoE measurements in a non-connected state of the terminal device. Background Art

[0002] One of the main motivations for the evolution of mobile networks is to improve the user experience. That is why the evaluation of the user experience on the User Equipment (UE) side is crucial for network operators, especially when they offer some real-time services, such as streaming services (usually video services). In these services, even intermittent quality degradation can be very unpleasant. Many of these streaming services are a significant part of the commercial traffic growth rate. Therefore, the focus is on the end-user experience.

[0003] In this regard, Quality of Experience (QoE) information collection provides detailed information about multiple UEs at a call level. The ability to record information within the UE, in particular the QoE of end-user services initiated by the operator, provides QoE information to the operator. The collected information cannot be derived from performance measurements in the mobile network. QoE information is information measured by the end-user application layer in the UE. The measured QoE information is collected by the management system for analysis and / or KPI calculation. In addition, in Rel-17, 3GPP has begun studying NRQoE management and optimization for different services in order to identify a framework for collecting and reporting NRQoE measurements, and to study the potential impact on related RAN interfaces. Summary of the invention

[0004] In general, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a technical solution for collecting QoE measurements in a non-connected state of a UE.

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the terminal device at least: receives a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process configuration from an access network device, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; and based on determining that the QMC process configuration indicates that the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state, records in a record buffer QMC record data of the QMC process executed at the terminal device in the non-connected state.

[0006] In a second aspect, an access network device is provided. The access network device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the access network device at least: receives a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process request from a core network device; determines whether the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; based on determining that the QMC process request includes an indication, determines a QMC process configuration, the QMC process configuration indicates whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; and sends the QMC process configuration to the terminal device.

[0007] In a third aspect, a core network device is provided. The core network device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions. When the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the core network device at least: determines whether a quality of experience QoE measurement collection QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; and sends a QMC process request to an access network device, the QMC process request including an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method performed by a terminal device is provided. The method includes: receiving a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process configuration from an access network device, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; and based on determining that the QMC process configuration indicates that the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state, recording QMC record data of the QMC process performed at the terminal device in the non-connected state in a record buffer.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a method performed by an access network device is provided. The method includes: receiving a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process request from a core network device; determining whether the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; determining a QMC process configuration based on determining that the QMC process request includes an indication, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; and sending the QMC process configuration to the terminal device.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a method performed by a core network device is provided. The method includes: determining whether a quality of experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process will be continued when a terminal device enters a non-connected state; and sending a QMC process request to an access network device, the QMC process request including an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a first device is provided. The first device includes: a component for receiving a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process configuration from an access network device, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process will be continued when the first device enters a non-connected state; and a component for recording, in a record buffer, QMC record data of the QMC process performed at the first device in the non-connected state based on determining that the QMC process configuration indicates that the QMC process will be continued when the first device enters a non-connected state.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a second device is provided. The second device includes: a component for receiving a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process request from a core network device; a component for determining whether the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; a component for determining a QMC process configuration based on determining that the QMC process request includes an indication, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; and a component for sending the QMC process configuration to the terminal device.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, a third device is provided. The third device includes: a component for determining whether a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process will be continued when a terminal device enters a non-connected state; and a component for sending a QMC process request to an access network device, the QMC process request including an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device comprises: a receiving circuit configured to receive a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process configuration from an access network device, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; and a recording circuit configured to record QMC record data of the QMC process performed at the terminal device in the non-connected state in a recording buffer based on determining that the QMC process configuration indicates that the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state.

[0015] In an eleventh aspect, an access network device is provided. The access network device includes: a receiving circuit configured to receive a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process request from a core network device; a first determining circuit configured to determine whether the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; a second determining circuit configured to determine a QMC process configuration based on determining that the QMC process request includes an indication, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; and a sending circuit configured to send the QMC process configuration to the terminal device.

[0016] In a twelfth aspect, a core network device is provided. The core network device includes: determining whether a quality of experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process will be continued when a terminal device enters a non-connected state; and a sending circuit configured to send a QMC process request to an access network device, the QMC process request including an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state.

[0017] In a thirteenth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the terminal device to execute the method in the fourth aspect.

[0018] In a fourteenth aspect, an access network device is provided. The access network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the access network device to execute the method in the fifth aspect.

[0019] In a fifteenth aspect, a core network device is provided. The core network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the core network device to execute the method in the sixth aspect.

[0020] In a sixteenth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions is provided, the program instructions being used to cause an apparatus to perform at least the methods of the fourth, fifth and sixth aspects.

[0021] In a seventeenth aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the methods of the fourth, fifth and sixth aspects.

[0022] In an eighteenth aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions for performing the method of at least the fourth, fifth and sixth aspects.

[0023] It should be understood that the summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1A shows an example of a network environment in which some example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0026] Figure 1B An example of a processing flow of a QMC procedure in a connected state of a UE that can be implemented with some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 An example of a process flow for performing a QMC procedure in a non-connected state of a UE according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0028] Figure 3A An example processing flow for a specific implementation of allocating a record buffer according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0029] Figure 3B An example processing flow of a specific implementation for performing a QMC process in a non-connected state of a UE according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Figure 4 A flowchart showing an example method implemented by a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0031] Figure 5 A flowchart showing an example method implemented by an access network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0032] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example method implemented by a core network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 7 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0034] Figure 8 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0035] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure without implying any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways different from the ways described below.

[0037] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0038] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it is considered to be within the knowledge of a person skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments (whether or not explicitly described).

[0039] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0040] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "include", "comprise", "have", "have", "include" and / or "comprising" when used herein specify the presence of stated features, elements and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0041] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one, more than one, or all of the following:

[0042] (a) only hardware circuit implementation (e.g., only implementation in analog and / or digital circuits) and

[0043] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (where applicable):

[0044] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, and

[0045] (ii) a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor) with software, software and any portion of memory that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions) and

[0046] (c) A hardware circuit and / or processor that requires software (e.g., firmware) to operate, such as a microprocessor or a portion of a microprocessor, but where the software is not required for operation, the software may not be present.

[0047] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or its) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers (for example and if applicable to a particular claim element) a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device or other computing or network device.

[0048] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as New Wireless (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including but not limited to the fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there are of course future types of communication technologies and systems, using which the present disclosure can be implemented. It should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present invention to the above-mentioned systems.

[0049] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from it. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), for example, a Node B (Node B or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a NRNB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, a low-power node such as a femto, a pico, etc.

[0050] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS) or access terminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over IP (voip) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet computer, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device such as a digital camera, a game terminal device, a music storage and playback device, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a laptop embedded device (LEE), a laptop mounted device (LME), a USB small device (dongles), a smart device, a wireless client device (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a target, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial equipment and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated process chain environments, consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0051] In Rel-17, Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) was defined. MBS (formerly known as (E)MBMS in previous releases) is considered to allow resource-efficient transmission to multiple end users that need to receive the same content. Since broadcast is extended information only in the downlink (DL), it can be used even in idle mode, i.e. all UEs in the broadcast service area are authorized to receive data. As mentioned above, QoE measurement data is important for measuring the quality of service perceived by the end users. For example, for TV broadcasting via MBS in NR, QoE reflects the subjective perception and acceptance level of TV quality.

[0052] Traditionally, QoE measurements are dedicated to RRC connected UEs, where a subset of QoE metrics collected from the UE is used by the RAN for further optimization. In the RRC connected state, QoE metrics can be sent in a timely manner. However, as long as the UE is in the RRC idle / inactive state, the collected QoE metrics cannot be reported. Traditionally, when the UE returns to the RRC connected state, the QoE metrics (i.e., QMC data) can be stored in the UE and reported to the network (e.g., MCE, measurement collection entity).

[0053] For the case of MBS services, due to the fact that MBS services can be used by UEs in RRC idle / inactive state while the QoE Measurement Set (QMC) is activated and there is no measurement report specified for the application layer, the QMC data will be directly mapped into the measReportAppLayerContainer on the RRC layer for measurement reporting to the network side. The measReportAppLayerContainer will then be first stored in the UE and reported when the RRC connection is restored or reestablished. However, when QMC is activated, the UE may remain in the RRC non-connected state for a long time. Due to size limitations, the contents of the measReportAppLayerContainer may be overwritten several times until the RRC connection is restored or reestablished, which will result in the loss of the required QMC data.

[0054] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a mechanism to solve the above problems, especially how to enable a terminal device to store a report of a QMC process performed by the terminal device in a non-connected state in a log buffer. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure enable the UE to store QMC data collected in a non-connected state, so that the required QMC data collected during the non-connected state can be sent to the network side. The principles and some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0055] Figure 1A An example of a network environment 101 in which some example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. In the description of the example embodiments of the present disclosure, the network environment 101 may also be referred to as a communication system 101 (e.g., a portion of a communication network). For illustrative purposes only, various aspects of the example embodiments will be described in the context of one or more core network devices, access network devices, and terminal devices that communicate with each other. However, it should be understood that the description herein may apply to other types of devices or other similar devices referenced using other terms.

[0056] The communication system 101 includes terminal devices 110-1, 110-2, 110-3 and 110-4 (collectively referred to as terminal devices 110), access network devices 120-1 and 120-2 (collectively referred to as access network devices 120) and core network devices 130. The access network devices 120 in the communication system 101 provide one or more services (e.g., connection services) for one or more terminal devices 110. Communication between one of the terminal devices 110 and the core network device 130 can be performed via one or more access network devices 120.

[0057] Although only some terminal devices 110 are shown in FIG. 1 , it should be understood that any number of terminal devices or devices considered as user devices can communicate with any number of access network devices or devices considered as access network devices. In addition, although FIG. 1 depicts terminal devices 110-1, 110-2, 110-3 and 110-4 as mobile phones, terminal devices 110 can be any type of user equipment. In addition, terminal devices 110-1, 110-2, 110-3 are located in the area of ​​cell 140-1 hosted by access network device 120-1, and / or terminal device 110-4 is located in the area of ​​cell 140-2 hosted by access network device 120-2.

[0058] The access network device 120 can communicate with the core network device 130, and the core network device 130 can provide various services to the terminal device 110 via the access network device 120. As shown in Figure 1, the television broadcast service 150 of the football match runs on the terminal device 110-1. In order to determine the subjective perception and acceptance level of TV quality, the quality of experience (QoE), that is, the application layer (AL) metric of the service quality perceived by the end user, can be measured, and the corresponding measurement data can be collected for subsequent analysis. It should be understood that the terminal devices 110-2, 110-3 and 110-4 and the access network device 120-2 are optional for various example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0059] The core network device 130 may include some suitable network entities, such as the core network entities described in various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, such as a measurement collector entity (MCE) 131, a network manager (NM) 133, a domain manager / element manager (DM / EM) 135, to facilitate QoE measurement. Conventional solutions only foresee operations related to running and collecting QoE measurements and reporting them for RRC connection status. The management-based process described is as follows: Figure 1B shown.

[0060] Figure 1B An example of a process flow 103 that can be implemented with some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, Figure 1B The activation of a measurement collection job in NR and the reporting of the collected information are shown. In general, the QMC process may involve the network requesting a session, the terminal device requesting a session and the activation of a recording session and the reporting of the recorded measurement data. Figure 1BAs shown, the core network device 130 includes three network entities, namely MCE 131, NM 133 and DM / EM 135. The terminal device 110 includes an access layer (AS) 111 and an application layer (AL) 112. It should be understood that AS 111 may include a radio resource control (RRC) layer. The terms "AS 111" and "RRC 111" may be used interchangeably hereinafter.

[0061] Figure 1B The signaling exchange during the QMC process in the connected state is specifically shown. In this process, UE internal AT commands for application level measurement configuration (+CAPPLEVMCNR) and application level measurement reporting (+CAPPLEVMRNR) have been used. +CAPPLEVMR may include the following elements shown in Table 1.

[0062]

[0063] Table 1+CAPPLEVMRNR command syntax

[0064] Furthermore, normative QMC functionality is defined to be AL service specific, e.g. for streaming services over HTTP. The QoE metrics collected in the AL shall be stored in an octet string container with a maximum length of 8000 bytes in compressed mode. The container shall be delivered to the gNB via RRC in the "measReportApplicationLayer" mode. Furthermore, an AT command to share RRC status information with the AL exists and is used. The corresponding AT command is called +CSCON.

[0065] like Figure 1B As shown, once the QMC process is completed, since the terminal device 110 is in RRC connection with the access network device 120-1 in which uplink transmission is available, the QMC report can be sent to the MCE 131 in a timely manner. As described above, some services can run in a non-connected mode, that is, an RRC idle / inactive mode, in which uplink transmission may not be available. If the QMC process is disabled in the RRC non-connected state, some important QMC data may not be collected. In this regard, the QMC process in the non-connected mode according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure will be performed. In the following, reference will be made to Figure 2 Describe the QMC process in non-connected mode in detail as Figure 1B Supplement of the QMC process in the connected state is shown.

[0066] Figure 2 An example of a process flow 200 for performing a QMC process in a non-connected state according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purpose of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 1A-1B Describe process flow 201. It should be understood that although reference is made to Figure 1A The processing flow 200 is described with reference to the network environment 100, but the processing flow 200 can also be applied to other similar communication scenarios.

[0067] In process flow 201, before initiating a QMC process, the core network device 130 determines (202) whether the QMC process is to continue in a non-connected state. Then, the core network device 130 sends (204) a QMC process request 205 to the access network device 120-1. Upon receiving (206) the QMC process request 205, the access network device 120-1 determines (208) whether the QMC process request 205 includes an indication of whether the QMC process is to continue when the terminal device 110-1 enters a non-connected state. If the access network device 120-1 determines that the QMC process request 205 includes the indication, the access network device 120-1 determines (212) a QMC process configuration 210 based on the indication received from the core network device 130, the QMC process configuration 210 indicating whether the QMC process is to continue when the terminal device enters a non-connected state. In some alternative embodiments, if the access network device 120-1 determines that the QMC process request 205 does not include the indication, the access network device 120-1 determines the QMC process configuration 210 according to the service associated with the QMC process request. For example, if the access network 120-1 does not receive the indication, the access network 120-1 may determine whether the QMC process is to continue when the terminal device enters the non-connected state based on the type or attribute of the service indicated by the QMC process request 205.

[0068] After determining the QMC process configuration 210, the access network device 120-1 sends (214) the QMC process configuration 210 to the terminal device 110-1. Therefore, the terminal device 110-1 receives (216) the QMC process configuration 210 from the access network device 120-1. If the QMC process configuration 210 indicates that the QMC process will continue when the terminal device 110-1 enters the non-connected state, the terminal device 110-1 records (222) the QMC record data of the QMC process performed at the terminal device 110-1 in the non-connected state in the record buffer. On the other hand, if the QMC process configuration 210 indicates that the QMC process will be stopped when the terminal device 110-1 enters the non-connected state, the terminal device 110-1 can stop the QMC process in the non-connected state. In this way, by recording the QMC data collected in the non-connected state in the record buffer, the required QMC data collected during the non-connected state can be maintained without loss.

[0069] In some example embodiments, the recording buffer may be pre-allocated by terminal device 110-1 for recording QMC recording data of the QMC process. In some other example embodiments, the recording buffer may be allocated by terminal device 110-1 when receiving (216) QMC process configuration 210. For example, Figure 2 As shown, when the terminal device 110-1 receives (216) the QMC process configuration 210, the terminal device 110-1 can allocate (218) a record buffer based on the QMC process configuration 210. A record buffer can be allocated for each service associated with the QMC process request 205. Alternatively, a record buffer can be allocated for all services associated with all QMC process requests 205. In some example embodiments, the terminal device 110-1 can allocate multiple record buffers corresponding to multiple QMC process requests and receive a QMC process configuration for each of the multiple QMC processes. In other words, multiple record buffers can exist in the terminal device 110-1 at the same time, and the record buffers are configured independently of each other.

[0070] In order to allocate the record buffer, some other parameters of the record buffer may be required. Therefore, the QMC process configuration 210 may include additional instructions to facilitate the allocation of the record buffer. In some example embodiments, the additional instructions may include an indication of a buffer size of the record buffer. The buffer size of the record buffer may be determined by the access network device 120-1 based on the storage capacity information previously received from the terminal device 110-1.

[0071] In some example embodiments, the further indication may include an indication of a size threshold of the record buffer. The size threshold may be an absolute threshold or a relative threshold. For example, the size threshold may be a specific amount of data, or a percentage of the buffer size of the record buffer.

[0072] In some example embodiments, the further indication may include an indication of the location of the log buffer.For example, the log buffer may be allocated in the RRC layer, or may also be allocated in the application layer.

[0073] In some example embodiments, the further indication may include an indication of an application state of the record buffer. The non-connected state may include an RRC idle state and an RRC inactive state. The QMC process configuration 210 may indicate in which state the record buffer will be used. The record buffer associated with a service may be configured differently for different states.

[0074] In some example embodiments, further instructions may include instructions on how to control the QMC process when a size threshold or buffer size is exceeded. The action to be taken by the terminal device 110-1 when the size threshold or buffer size is exceeded may be defined in the QMC process configuration 210. For example, when the size of the QMC record data recorded in the record buffer exceeds a predetermined size threshold or buffer size, the terminal device 110-1 in the RRC inactive state may resume the connection with the access network device 120-1. If the terminal device 110-1 is in the RRC idle state, the terminal device 110-1 may initiate a connection with the access network device 120-1. After the connection is established, the terminal device may send a report of the QMC record data to the access network device 120-1 and clear the record buffer.

[0075] In some alternative embodiments, when the size of the QMC record data exceeds a predetermined size threshold or buffer size, the terminal device 110-1 may stop recording the QMC record data and discard the new QMC record data. In some other alternative embodiments, when the size of the QMC record data exceeds a predetermined size threshold or buffer size, the terminal device 110-1 may overwrite the recorded QMC record data (e.g., the oldest QMC record data) with new QMC record data (i.e., QMC data newly collected after exceeding the size threshold or buffer size).

[0076] Figure 3A-3B The specific implementation of the QMC process in the non-connected mode according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The QMC process includes two stages, namely the configuration and allocation of the record buffer stage, and the execution of the QMC process stage. For the purpose of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 1A-1B Description Figure 3A The processing flow 301 shown and Figure 3B The process flow 303 is shown. It should be understood that although the process flows 301 and 303 are described with reference to the network environment 101 of FIG. 1 , the process flows 301 and 303 can also be applied to other similar communication scenarios.

[0077] Figure 3A An example process flow 301 of a specific implementation for allocating a record buffer according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The process flow 301 involves the NM 133 of the core network device 130, the access network device 120-1, the RRC layer 111 of the terminal device 110-1 and the application layer 113 of the terminal device 110-1.

[0078] In the processing flow 301, at 302, the terminal device 110-1 establishes an RRC connection with the access network device 120-1. The storage capability information 305 is transmitted (304) from the RRC layer 111 to the access network device 120-1. After the access network device 120-1 receives (306) the storage capability information 305, the access network device 120-1 will know the storage capability of the terminal device 110-1. The NM 133 sends (308) the message activeQMCJob 310 to the access network device 120-1. For example, when the UE leaves the RRC connected state and enters the RRC idle / inactive state, the NM 133 specifies whether the QMC process is to continue together with the "activateQMCJob" configuration message. That is, the activeQMCJob 310 may include a QMC profile and an indicator of whether the QMC process is to continue in the idle / inactive state. In addition to this indication, the rest of the activeQMCJob 310 may be the same as Figure 1B The same as the activeQMCJob 105 shown. In some example embodiments, the indicator may be a CONTINUE_FLAG of a BOOLEAN data type, where TRUE indicates to continue the QMC process and FALSE indicates to terminate the QMC process (or vice versa). In the event that the indicator is FALSE or absent, the QMC process will be executed in accordance with the current state of the art.

[0079] Back to Figure 3A , upon receiving (312) activeQMCJob 310, the access network device 120-1 determines an RRC reconfiguration message 315 at 314. The access network device 120-1 creates an RRC reconfiguration message 315 based on the CONTINUE_FLAG in activeQMCJob310. The RRC reconfiguration message 310 may include applayermeasconfig information. When FLAG is TRUE, the appLayerMeasConfig information in the RRC reconfiguration message 315 is modified to configuration data for one or more new buffers for QMC data logging and an indication of UE behavior for handling full buffers during idle and inactive states and a buffer fill threshold. Record buffers may be created per application metric.

[0080] After specifying the RRC reconfiguration message 315, the access network device 120-1 sends (316) the RRC reconfiguration message 315 to the terminal device 110-1. When the terminal device 110-1 receives (318) the RRC reconfiguration message 315, the terminal device 110-1 allocates a record buffer and sets parameters for the record buffer based on the RRC reconfiguration message 315 at 322. In other words, the configuration data in the RRC reconfiguration message 315 will trigger a set of record buffers according to the number of AppLayerMeasIds on the terminal device side. Alternatively, the configuration data in the RRC reconfiguration message 315 will be stored on the terminal device side and will be enabled to trigger a set of record buffers when entering idle / inactive.

[0081] Since the QoE measurement is performed in AL 113, the RRC layer 111 sends (324) an AT command + CAPPLEVMCNR 320 including a CONTINUE_FLAG to AL 113 to inform AL 113 that QMC is to continue when the terminal device 110-1 enters a non-connected state. In the illustrated embodiment, the login process is performed in the AS domain (i.e., the RRC layer 111 of the terminal device 110-1). When the QoE measurement data is collected, AL 113 will send the data to the RRC layer 111 so that the data is recorded in the record buffer allocated in the RRC layer 111. Therefore, it is not necessary to transmit the parameters for allocating the record buffer to AL 113. Only the CONTINUE_FLAG is forwarded to AL 113 as a modification of the existing AT command + CAPPLEVMCNR. In some alternative embodiments, the record buffer can be allocated in AL 113. In this case, all parameters for allocating the record buffer will be transmitted to AL 113.

[0082] Figure 3B An example processing flow 303 is shown for performing a specific implementation of a QMC process in a non-connected state according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. When the terminal device 110-1 changes the RRC state from RRC connected to RRC idle / inactive state during activation of the QMC process, the QMC process begins to be performed in a non-connected state.

[0083] Energy saving and resource efficiency are typical reasons for terminal devices to initiate a large number of unicast connections. This changes the current situation at the access layer. However, when the AS changes, the services running on the application layer will not be notified. Figure 3BAs shown, at 328, the terminal device 110-1 changes its state to RRC idle. Then, the access network device 120-1 sends (332) an RRC connection release message 325 to the RRC layer 111. After the terminal device 110-1 receives (334) the RRC connection release message 325, the unicast connection between the terminal device 110-1 and the access network device 120-1 is released. At the same time, the terminal device 110-1 changes from the connected state to the RRC idle state and sends (336) an AT command + CSON 330 to the AL113 of the terminal device 120-1.

[0084] When AL 113 receives +CSON 330, AL 113 knows that the RRC connection is released. Based on the BOOLEAN variable in CONTINUE_FLAG previously received by AL 113, AL 113 knows whether the QMC process should be terminated (e.g., CONTINUE_FLAG=FALSE) or continued (e.g., CONTINUE_FLAG=TRUE). In this embodiment, AL 113 continues the QMC process at 342 based on CONTINUE_FLAG. AL 113 periodically sends (344) AT command +CAPPLAYMRNR 435 via RRC layer 111, including a report of QMC data (by Figure 3B That is, the AL will periodically send QMC reports of the corresponding AppLayerMeasId to the AS domain, where they can be buffered as long as the filling threshold is not exceeded. When receiving (346)+CAPPLAYMRNR335, the RRC layer 111 records the report in the record buffer at 348.

[0085] At a certain point, if the RRC layer 111 determines at 352 that the size of the report recorded in the record buffer exceeds a size threshold of the buffer size, the terminal device 110-1 initiates a connection procedure with the access network device 120-1 via a random access channel (RACH) at 354. RRC reactivation is initiated by the size threshold, i.e., resuming RRC inactivity and reconnecting RRC idle, which synchronizes with the network and resumes or establishes an RRC connection via RACH, respectively.

[0086] After reestablishing the connection, the terminal device 110-1 sends (356) AT command + CSON340 to the AL113 to notify the reestablishment of the connection. At the same time, the RRC layer 111 sends (362) an RRC measurement report list 345 including all reports recorded in the record buffer to the access network device 120-1. After receiving (364) the RRC measurement report list 345, the access network device 120-1 forwards (366) the report list in the measurement report 350 to the MCE 133 of the core network device 130. The MCE 133 receives (368) the measurement report 350 and stores the measurement report 350 for subsequent analysis.

[0087] In an optional embodiment in which a record buffer is allocated in AL 113, AL 113 may store the QMC data in the record buffer, and when AL 113 determines that the size of the QMC data exceeds a size threshold or a buffer size, AL 113 may notify RRC layer 111 to initiate a connection with access network device 120-1. Then, AL 113 sends a report of the QMC data to MCE 133 via RRC layer 111.

[0088] Figure 4 A flowchart 400 of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, the method 400 will be described from the perspective of the terminal device 110-1 with reference to FIG.

[0089] In block 402, the terminal device 110-1 receives a quality of experience QoE measurement collection QMC process configuration from the access network device 120-1, the QMC process configuration indicating whether to continue the QMC process when the terminal device enters a non-connected state. In block 404, the terminal device 110-1 records QMC record data of the QMC process performed at the terminal device in the non-connected state in a record buffer based on determining that the QMC process configuration indicates that the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state.

[0090] In some example embodiments, the QMC process configuration also indicates at least one of: a buffer size for the record buffer; a size threshold for the record buffer; a location of the record buffer; an applied state of the record buffer; and an indication of how to control the QMC process when the size threshold or the buffer size is exceeded.

[0091] In some example embodiments, the indication indicates one of the following: resuming or initiating a connection with an access network device for sending a report of QMC record data and then clearing the record buffer; stopping recording QMC record data and discarding new QMC record data; or overwriting the recorded QMC record data with new QMC record data.

[0092] In some example embodiments, terminal device 110-1 further recovers the non-connected state based on determining that the report is sent. In some example embodiments, the size threshold is an absolute threshold or a relative threshold. In some example embodiments, the terminal device further allocates a plurality of record buffers for storing a plurality of reports of a plurality of QMC processes performed at the terminal device in the non-connected state. In this case, the record buffer is one of the plurality of record buffers.

[0093] In some example embodiments, the QMC process configuration is received for each QMC process in a plurality of QMC processes. In some example embodiments, the terminal device further causes a radio resource control (RRC) layer of the terminal device to send an indication to an application layer of the terminal device whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state.

[0094] In some example embodiments, the buffer size is determined based on the storage capability information of the terminal device. In some example embodiments, the non-connected state includes a radio resource control RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state. In some example embodiments, the QMC process configuration is included in a radio resource control RRC message or a broadcast message. In some example embodiments, the RRC message includes: an RRC connection release message or an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0095] Figure 5 A flowchart 500 of a method implemented at an access network device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, the method 500 will be described from the perspective of the access network device 120-1 with reference to FIG.

[0096] At block 502, the access network device 120-1 receives a QMC process request for quality of experience (QoE) measurement collection from a core network device. At block 504, the access network device 120-1 determines whether the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state. At block 506, the access network device 120-1 determines a QMC process configuration based on determining that the QMC process request includes an indication, and the QMC process configuration indicates whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state. At block 508, the access network device 120-1 sends the QMC process configuration to the terminal device 110-1.

[0097] In some example embodiments, in order to determine the QMC process configuration, the access network device 120-1 may determine at least one of the following QMC process configurations: a buffer size of a record buffer; a size threshold for the record buffer; a location of the record buffer; an applied state of the record buffer; and an indication of how to control the QMC process when the size threshold or the buffer size is exceeded.

[0098] In some example embodiments, the indication may indicate one of the following: resuming or initiating a connection with an access network device for sending a report of QMC record data and then clearing the record buffer; stopping recording the QMC record buffer and discarding new QMC record data; or overwriting the recorded QMC record data with new QMC record data.

[0099] In some example embodiments, the size threshold may be an absolute threshold or a relative threshold. In some example embodiments, to determine the QMC process configuration, the access network device 120-1 may receive storage capability information of the terminal device; and determine a buffer size of the record buffer based on the storage capability information.

[0100] In some example embodiments, in order to send the QMC process configuration, the access network device 120-1 may send a radio resource control RRC message or a broadcast message including the QMC process configuration to the terminal device. In some example embodiments, the RRC message includes an RRC reconfiguration message or an RRC connection release message. In some example embodiments, the non-connected state includes a radio resource control RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the access network device may also determine a QMC process configuration based on a service associated with the QMC process request based on determining that the QMC process request does not include an indication, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state.

[0102] Figure 6 A flowchart 600 of a method implemented at a core network device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, the method 600 will be described from the perspective of the core network device 130 with reference to FIG.

[0103] At block 602, the core network device 130 determines whether a quality of experience QoE measurement collection QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state. At block 604, the core network device 130 sends a QMC process request to the access network device, the QMC process request including an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state. In some example embodiments, the core network device 130 may also receive a report of QMC record data of the QMC process from the terminal device; and store the report.

[0104] Figure 7A simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The device 700 may be provided to implement a communication device, for example, a terminal device 110, an access network device 120, or a core network device 130 as shown in FIG. 1 . As shown, the device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to the processor 710, and one or more communication modules 740 coupled to the processor 710.

[0105] The communication module 740 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 740 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

[0106] Processor 710 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may include one or more of the following: as non-limiting examples, a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 800 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are time slaved to a clock that synchronizes a main processor.

[0107] The memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include (but are not limited to) read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic storage devices and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist over the duration of a power outage.

[0108] The computer program 730 includes computer executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 710. The program 730 may be stored in the ROM 724. The processor 710 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading the program 730 into the RAM 722.

[0109] The embodiment of the present invention can be implemented with the help of program 730, so that the device 700 can execute the Figures 2 to 3B Any process of the present invention discussed. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the program 730 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 700 (e.g., in the memory 720) or in other storage devices accessible by the device 700. The device 800 may load the program 730 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 722 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0111] Figure 8 800 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The computer readable medium 800 has a program 730 stored thereon. Note that although Figure 8 Computer readable medium 800 is shown in the form of a CD or DVD, but computer readable medium 800 may be in any other form suitable for carrying or storing program 730.

[0112] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof, as non-limiting examples.

[0113] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions such as those included in a program module that are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced Figure 4 , 5 or 6 described methods 400, 500 or 600. In general, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functions of program modules can be combined or separated between program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine executable instructions of program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0114] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device so that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, enables the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be implemented. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the machine, partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0115] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer readable media, etc.

[0116] The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor system, apparatus or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer readable storage media would include an electrical connection having one or more conductors, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0117] In addition, although operations are described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring the specific order shown or to perform these operations in sequence, or to perform all the operations shown, to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these details should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as descriptions of features peculiar to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0118] Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Instead, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: Receiving a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process configuration from an access network device, wherein the QMC process configuration indicates whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; as well as Based on determining that the QMC process configuration indicates that the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters the unconnected state, QMC record data of the QMC process performed at the terminal device in the unconnected state is recorded in a record buffer.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the QMC process configuration further indicates at least one of the following: a buffer size of the record buffer; a size threshold for the record buffer; the location of the record buffer; the applied state of the record buffer; and An indication of how to control the QMC process when the size threshold or the buffer size is exceeded.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the indication indicates one of the following items: Resuming or initiating a connection with the access network device for sending a report of the QMC record data, and then clearing the record buffer; Stop recording QMC record data and discard new QMC record data; or The recorded QMC record data is overwritten with the new QMC record data.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: Based on determining that the report is sent, the non-connected state is restored. The terminal device according to claim 2 , wherein the size threshold is an absolute threshold or a relative threshold.

6. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: A plurality of record buffers are allocated for storing a plurality of reports of a plurality of QMC processes performed at the terminal device in the unconnected state, the record buffer being one of the plurality of record buffers. 7 . The terminal device of claim 6 , wherein the QMC process configuration is received for each QMC process of the plurality of QMC processes.

8. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: Enable the radio resource control RRC layer of the terminal device to send an indication to the application layer of the terminal device as to whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters the non-connected state.

9. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the buffer size is determined based on storage capability information of the terminal device.

10. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The non-connected state includes a radio resource control RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state.

11. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the QMC process configuration is included in a radio resource control RRC message or a broadcast message.

12. The terminal device according to claim 11, wherein the RRC message comprises: RRC connection release message or RRC reconfiguration message.

13. An access network device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the access network device to at least: Receiving a QoE measurement collection QMC process request from a core network device; determining whether the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process is to be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; determining a QMC process configuration based on determining that the QMC process request includes the indication, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process is to be continued when the terminal device enters the unconnected state; as well as Sending the QMC process configuration to the terminal device.

14. The access network device according to claim 13, wherein the access network device is configured to determine the QMC process configuration by: Determine at least one of the following for the QMC process configuration: a buffer size of the record buffer; a size threshold for the record buffer; the location of the record buffer; the applied state of the record buffer; and An indication of how to control the QMC process when the size threshold or the buffer size is exceeded.

15. The access network device according to claim 14, wherein the indication indicates one of the following items: Resuming or initiating a connection with the access network device to send a report of the QMC record data, and then clearing the record buffer; Stop recording the QMC record buffer and discard new QMC record data; or The recorded QMC record data is overwritten with the new QMC record data. The access network device according to claim 14 , wherein the size threshold is an absolute threshold or a relative threshold.

17. The access network device according to claim 14, wherein the access network device is caused to determine the QMC process configuration by: receiving storage capacity information of the terminal device; and Based on the storage capability information, the buffer size of the record buffer is determined.

18. The access network device according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the access network device is configured to send the QMC process configuration by: Send a radio resource control RRC message or a broadcast message including the QMC process configuration to the terminal device.

19. The access network device according to claim 18, wherein the RRC message comprises an RRC reconfiguration message or an RRC connection release message.

20. The access network device according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein: The non-connected state includes a radio resource control RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state.

21. The access network device according to any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the access network device is configured to: Based on determining that the QMC process request does not include the indication, determining the QMC process configuration according to the service associated with the QMC process request, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters the non-connected state.

22. A core network device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions, where the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the core network device to at least: Determine whether the Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; as well as A QMC process request is sent to the access network device, wherein the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters the non-connected state.

23. The core network device according to claim 22, wherein the core network device is further configured to: receiving a report of QMC record data of the QMC process from the terminal device; and The report is stored.

24. A method comprising: Receiving a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process configuration from an access network device, wherein the QMC process configuration indicates whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; as well as Based on determining that the QMC process configuration indicates that the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters the unconnected state, QMC record data of the QMC process performed at the terminal device in the unconnected state is recorded in a record buffer.

25. A method comprising: Receiving a QoE measurement collection QMC process request from a core network device; determining whether the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process is to be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; determining a QMC process configuration based on determining that the QMC process request includes the indication, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process is to be continued when the terminal device enters the unconnected state; as well as Sending the QMC process configuration to the terminal device.

26. A method comprising: Determine whether the Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; as well as A QMC process request is sent to the access network device, wherein the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters the non-connected state.

27. A first device, comprising: a component for receiving a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process configuration from an access network device, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process will be continued when the first device enters a non-connected state; as well as A component for recording, in a record buffer, QMC record data of the QMC process performed at the first device in the non-connected state based on determining that the QMC process configuration indicates that the QMC process will be continued when the first device enters the non-connected state.

28. A second device, comprising: A component for receiving a quality of experience QoE measurement collection QMC process request from a core network device; means for determining whether the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process is to be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; means for determining a QMC process configuration based on determining that the QMC process request includes the indication, the QMC process configuration indicating whether the QMC process is to be continued when the terminal device enters the unconnected state; as well as A component for sending the QMC process configuration to the terminal device.

29. A third device, comprising: A component for determining whether the Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection (QMC) process will be continued when the terminal device enters a non-connected state; as well as A component for sending a QMC process request to an access network device, wherein the QMC process request includes an indication of whether the QMC process will be continued when the terminal device enters the non-connected state.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions, which when executed by an apparatus causes the apparatus to at least perform the method according to claim 24, 25 or 26.

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