Uplink delay reduction

Abstract

A method implemented by a UE for reducing latency. The method comprises receiving first configuration information for at least a first uplink (UL) resource for accessing a wireless network and associated with a network node operating in discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX). The method further includes receiving second configuration information for at least a second UL resource, the second UL resource being also used to access the wireless network. The method further includes accessing the wireless network using the second UL resource when the first UL resource is in an off period of the DTRX.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments related to methods for reducing uplink (UL) delay are disclosed. Background Art

[0002] Fifth Generation (5G) Radio Access Network (RAN) Architecture

[0003] The New Radio (NR) 5G RAN (NG-RAN) architecture is shown and described in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.401 v17.0.0 and also in Figure 1 The architecture is shown in .

[0004] A typical NG-RAN includes a group of gNBs connected to the 5G core network (5GC) via an NG interface. As specified in 3GPP TS38.300, the NG-RAN may also include a group of ng-eNBs. The ng-eNB may include a central unit (CU) (also known as ng-eNB-CU) and one or more distributed units (DU) (also known as ng-eNB-DU). The ng-eNB-CU and ng-eNB-DU may be connected via the W1 interface. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the general principles described in this section also apply to the ng-eNB and W1 interface.

[0005] gNB can support frequency division duplex (FDD) mode, time division duplex (TDD) mode or dual mode operation. gNBs can be interconnected through Xn interface. gNB can include CU (also known as gNB-CU) and one or more DU (also known as gNB-DU). gNB-CU and gNB-DU are connected via F1 interface. One gNB-DU is connected to only one gNB-CU. NG, Xn and F1 are logical interfaces.

[0006] For NG-RAN, the NG and Xn-C interfaces for gNBs including gNB-CU and gNB-DU terminate at the gNB-CU. For EN-DC, the S1-U and X2-C interfaces for gNBs including gNB-CU and gNB-DU terminate at the gNB-CU. The gNB-CU and the connected gNB-DU are visible only as gNBs to other gNBs and 5GC. Figure 2 The overall architecture for the separation of gNB-CU-CP and gNB-CU-UP is shown in FIG.

[0007] Multiple uplink resources

[0008] In NR, when using carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity (DC), the user equipment (UE) can be configured with multiple uplink (UL) carriers. In addition, in addition to supporting regular (non-SUL) carriers, NR also supports supplementary uplink (SUL) that usually operates in a lower frequency band, thereby providing higher uplink data rates in power-limited scenarios. A UE in radio resource control (RRC) connected or idle mode can access the NW through SUL or regular (non-SUL) carriers based on the network (NW) configuration and certain quality (e.g. path loss) conditions.

[0009] Network energy consumption / energy saving

[0010] Energy consumption is a major challenge for today's 5G systems. Most of the energy consumption comes from the radio units (RUs) of the RAN. Compared to Long Term Evolution (LTE), network energy consumption for NR is said to be lower due to the lean NR design. However, in current implementations, NR is likely to consume more energy compared to LTE, for example, due to denser network deployment, a higher number of antennas, larger bandwidth, more carriers, and other new (performance-enhancing) features that result in additional energy consumption.

[0011] Furthermore, today's RANs are typically deployed in a layered manner. RAN capabilities are enhanced by adding carriers or spectrum to macro sites and deploying micro and indoor sites to supplement the macro layer to improve coverage (e.g., indoor coverage), absorb traffic, and improve user experience, especially during peak traffic hours. However, these RAN deployments will result in excess network capacity during times of low demand (i.e., low traffic), and therefore, will result in unnecessarily high energy consumption if not offset with appropriate energy-saving techniques.

[0012] Cell deactivation is a conventional energy-saving technique in the air domain that exploits the opportunity to offload UEs and, therefore, associated traffic in a hierarchical RAN structure with overlapping coverage areas to reduce RAN energy consumption. However, cell deactivation comes at the expense of long cell reactivation delays when additional network capacity is needed to provide a specific user experience or for other reasons, which greatly limits the opportunity or time to adopt this energy-saving technique.

[0013] More sophisticated energy-saving techniques in the time, frequency, spatial, and power domains are foreseeable. An example of a UE energy-saving technique in the time domain is discontinuous reception (DRX). Like LTE, NR includes techniques to support DRX for UEs to reduce UE energy consumption. DRX can be used in both RRC connected mode (C-DRX) and RRC idle and inactive mode (DRX). It is similar to an agreement between the network and the UE, that is, regardless of the downlink traffic, the network will only try to contact the UE during the on time of the configured DRX cycle / mode. Therefore, the UE must monitor / decode the downlink channel only as configured, otherwise it can sleep (i.e., be in a low power / energy state) (i.e., sleep during the off time). However, in the case of uplink traffic, the UE can initiate transmission regardless of the DRX configuration. Simply put, the gNB must be ready to receive uplink traffic at any time.

[0014] DRX, or discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX) in general for networks, is a promising approach that enables the network to introduce specific off times during which transmission and / or reception is suspended / interrupted and the RU or at least a part / element / component thereof is placed in a low power / energy state. In other words, DTRX enables the network to operate at a specific duty cycle, whereby the available network capacity is scaled up or down accordingly (up or down). In this way, the available network capacity can be dynamically adjusted to the required network capacity, always according to the current business needs, but without having to offload the UE to a neighboring cell with overlapping coverage areas, i.e., the UE can remain connected to the cell adopting DTRX, and the transition time between NG-RAN nodes on the Xn interface is much less and the signaling overhead is much smaller. In addition, as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 396115, methods are developed for various network nodes (e.g., RAN nodes such as gNB, gNB-CU or gNB-DU, or CN nodes, or functions hosted therein, such as AMF) to coordinate and exchange information associated with at least one DTRX mode adopted or to be adopted at one or more network nodes. Summary of the invention

[0015] There are certain challenges. For example, while DTRX for the network is a promising and flexible approach for network energy conservation, it has a considerable impact on traffic and access latency. The longer the off period duration of the NW DTRX scheme, the longer it may take for the UE to access the NW (e.g., the UE will need to retain data in its transmit buffer for a longer time). The UE may not always tolerate this delay, especially for certain types of UEs or applications that are delay-sensitive. This may result in the NW not taking the risk of configuring a long off period, but sacrificing low energy consumption due to latency.

[0016] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof provide solutions to these or other challenges. For example, disclosed herein are methods and devices that enable one or more network nodes (e.g., RAN nodes such as gNB, gNB-CU, or gNB-DU, or CN nodes, or functions hosted therein, such as AMF) or resources within the one or more network nodes (e.g., SUL carriers or SCell UL resources within the same node, or UL resources on another node, such as random access / PUCCH) to operate so that when one or more nodes / resources are in a DTRX off period, there are other nodes / resources available for a specific UE / service to access the NW. In some embodiments, the DTRX configuration between nodes / resources is coordinated (e.g., not aligned) so that the UE has more opportunities to access the NW. In some embodiments, the UE is configured and / or informed of such "backup" resources and their associated DTRX modes. Therefore, the UE can reduce unnecessary access delays when normal / conventional UL resources are not available when the NW is in a DTRX off period, and instead implement UL access via backup resources.

[0017] When establishing dual connectivity (DC), the master node (MN) can use the above information to select the best secondary node (SN). In addition, for ultra-reliable, low latency (URLLC) services, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) replication can be configured for specific data radio bearers (DRBs) (up to 4 radio link control (RLC) entities under the current specification). The node hosting the PDCP entity can use the knowledge of how the primary cell group (MCG) or secondary cell group (SCG) cells are configured with DTRX to: (1) determine how to establish PDCP replication; (2) can switch between split bearers and PDCP replication; and / or (3) control the activation and / or deactivation of UL PDCP replication. Using dynamic media access control (MAC) CE control, the PDCP entity can communicate the DTRX scheme for the cell to the RLC and / or MAC entity to control UL PDCP replication.

[0018] Therefore, in one aspect, a method for reducing delay implemented by a UE is provided. The method includes: receiving first configuration information for at least a first uplink (UL) resource, the first UL resource being used to access a wireless network and being associated with a network node operating in discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX). The method also includes: receiving second configuration information for at least a second UL resource, the second UL resource also being used to access the wireless network. The method also includes: when the first UL resource is in an off period of the DTRX, accessing the wireless network using the second UL resource.

[0019] In another aspect, a method for reducing delay implemented by a network node is provided. The method includes determining at least a second UL resource that is at least partially available when a first UL resource is in an off period of a first DTRX scheme. The method also includes sending second configuration information for the second UL resource to a UE. The method also includes receiving a message from the UE via the second UL resource during the off period of the first DTRX scheme when the first UL resource is in the off period of the first DTRX scheme.

[0020] In another aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions, which when executed by a processing circuit of a UE causes the UE to implement any UE method disclosed herein. In another aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions, which when executed by a processing circuit of a network node causes the network node to implement any network node method disclosed herein. In one embodiment, there is provided a carrier embodying the computer program, wherein the carrier is one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, a radio signal and a computer-readable storage medium.

[0021] In another aspect, a UE is provided, which is configured to implement the UE method disclosed herein. The UE may include a memory and a processing circuit coupled to the memory. Similarly, in another aspect, a network node is provided, which is configured to implement the network node method disclosed herein. The network node may include a memory and a processing circuit coupled to the memory.

[0022] An advantage of the embodiments disclosed herein is that it shortens the UL access delay of the UE because due to the coordination of the off periods, there are more opportunities for UL access compared to conventional schemes, while the resources of the NW node or the same node can each operate with a longer DTRX scheme and save energy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments.

[0024] Figure 1 A system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0025] Figure 2 The separation of gNB-CU-CP and gNB-CU-UP is shown.

[0026] Figure 3 The operation of DTRX is shown.

[0027] Figure 4 It is shown that the DTRX scheme may have different on-period allocations for DL ​​and UL, respectively.

[0028] Figure 5Coordination of two DTRX timelines according to an embodiment is shown.

[0029] Figure 6 It is shown that the backup node does not necessarily need to operate in DTRX.

[0030] Figure 7 Coordination of two DTRX timelines according to an embodiment is shown.

[0031] Figure 8 Coordination of two DTRX timelines according to an embodiment is shown.

[0032] Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a process according to an embodiment.

[0033] Fig.10 An example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments is shown.

[0034] Fig.11 A UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0035] Fig.12 A network node according to some embodiments is shown.

[0036] Fig.13 A host is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0037] Fig.14 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized.

[0038] Fig.15 A communication diagram is shown in which a host communicates with a UE via a network node over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Some embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.The embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0040] Certain embodiments include a method performed by a first network node in a communication network, wherein a first set of resources operates in DTRX. The method may include configuring at least a second set of UL resources (e.g., PRACH, PUCCH, PUSCH, PWUS), the second set of UL resources potentially operating in a second DTRX scheme on the same node (e.g., SCell resources, SUL resources, WUS resources), wherein the second set of resources are available for fully or partially available potential UE access when the first set of resources is in an off period of the first DTRX scheme. The method includes negotiating / coordinating with at least a second network node (e.g., a geographically overlapping coverage node) for at least a second set of UL resources (e.g., PRACH, PUCCH, PUSCH, PWUS) on the second node, such that the potential off periods of the resources on the first and second nodes are not completely aligned. The method may include providing a configuration to the UE that describes which UL resources are permitted to be used when the first set of resources is in an off period of DTRX. In some embodiments, the configuration also describes whether one or more resources in the second set of resources are allowed to be used by all UEs, or only certain types of UEs (e.g., URLLC type UEs) are allowed to use, or whether they are used by UEs for specific applications / bearers (e.g., emergency services, voice, etc.). This may involve neighboring nodes exchanging service support capabilities, such as supporting emergency fallback services, so that the correct type of resources are included. In some embodiments, the configuration for the second set of resources can be changed dynamically, including granting access to the set of resources (e.g., temporary barring of resources).

[0041] Some embodiments include a method performed by a UE in a communication network. The method may include: receiving a configuration for a first set of resources operating in DTRX. The method may also include: receiving a configuration for a set of additional UL resources for potential access on at least a first or second node, the set of additional UL resources to be used when the first set of resources is operating in DTRX and is in an off period. In some embodiments, if allowed (if the resources are not prohibited, if the UE is allowed to use the resources according to the configuration), the method may include: accessing the NW through the second set of resources when the first set of resources is currently unavailable due to being in an off period of NW DTRX. In some embodiments, the method may include: when different layers within the UE have conflicting commands in transmission, specifying which layer is in control.

[0042] In some embodiments involving NG-RAN node separation architecture, communication between the gNB-CU and the gNB-DU may be defined. For example, when a set of resource information originates from the gNB-DU, it is transmitted to the gNB-CU before the information is transmitted to other NG-RAN nodes. As another example, the gNB-CU may transmit the resource information to the gNB-DU after negotiation, potentially including capability exchange (e.g., support for emergency services, etc.).

[0043] In an embodiment using dual connectivity, communication between the PDCP entity and the RLC / MAC entity may be defined such that the RLC / MAC entity receives the MCG / SCG cell DTRX configuration in order to control UL PDCP duplication activation and / or deactivation.

[0044] A “network node” or (simply “node”) may be a RAN node, a core network (CN) node, an OAM, an SMO, a network management system (NMS), a non-real-time RAN intelligent controller (Non-RT RIC), a real-time RAN intelligent controller (RT-RIC), a radio unit (RU) (e.g., transceiver), a CU, a DU, an antenna system, a gNB, an eNB, an en-gNB, an ng-eNB, a gNB-CU, a gNB-CU-CP, a gNB-CU-UP, an eNB-CU, an eNB-CU-CP, an eNB-CU-UP, an IAB node, an IAB donor DU, an IAB donor CU, an IAB-DU, an IAB-MT, an open RAN (O-RAN) CU (O-CU), an O-CU control plane (CP), an O-CU user plane (UP), an O-RAN DU (O-DU), an O-RANRU (O-RU), an O-RAN eNB (O-eNB), and / or an O-RAN gNB (O-gNB).

[0045] The term "DTRX" may refer to discontinuous transmission and / or discontinuous reception, or another network energy saving strategy. In addition, the terms "DTX" and "DRX" may refer to discontinuous transmission and discontinuous reception, respectively.

[0046] DTRX operates in Figure 3 , in which downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) resources provided by a first network node 301 (e.g., a gNB or a component of a gNB) to at least one UE 302 are only available during an on period, which may also be referred to as an on duration, and conversely, a corresponding off period may alternatively be referred to as an off duration.

[0047] It should be noted that in one aspect, the DTRX scheme can have separate timelines and different on-period allocations for DL ​​and UL, respectively. Figure 4, where the UE may use UL resources 401 (eg, PUCCH, PUSCH, PRACH) during DRX On periods, while DL 402 resources are available to the UE during On periods.

[0048] It is understood that during the off period, any UL traffic from UE 302 will be delayed until UL resources are available; the longer the DTRX cycle (which is more energy efficient for the NW), the longer the UL access delay of the UE. For some types of UEs (such as URLLC) or applications running in the UE (such as emergency calls), this delay may be intolerable.

[0049] Therefore, in order to avoid such excessive delays, the first network node 301 may exchange DTRX configurations and coordinate (planned / scheduled) DTRX timelines with the second network node 502 (see Figure 5 ), so that the DTRX off periods of the two nodes are not always aligned. In addition, configurations for resources are also exchanged, and the nodes inform each other that UEs from one node can access through the resources of another node acting as a "backup" or proxy node / resource. In addition, the UE served by the first node 301 is notified (configured with) the resources and availability of the second node 502. In the event that immediate access is required when the first node is in an off period, the UE will use these resources of the second node as backup resources. This is Figure 5 Although Figure 5 The first node 301 is shown to be a first RAN node (e.g., a gNB) and the second node 502 is a second RAN node, but in other embodiments, the first node 301 is a first component of a RAN node and the second node 502 is a second component of the same RAN node (this is in Figure 7 and Figure 8 ).

[0050] When the second node receives UL signaling from the UE, it may forward it to the first node, or activate the first node (i.e., terminate the DTRX off period of the first node) for further UL signaling reception or DL ​​transmission, etc. For example, in the case of forwarding, the nodes may operate in such a way that the second node 502 (also referred to as a "backup node") acts as a secondary node in a split bearer architecture, and the UL data is forwarded from the backup node to the PDCP entity in the first node 301 (also referred to as a "primary node"). Typically, when the legacy bearer split is configured for the uplink, the UE is allowed to use the backup node only when the UL data exceeds a certain threshold. It is suggested herein that if data forwarding is used, then if the primary node is currently in an off period, the UE is allowed to access the backup node regardless of the threshold. Of course, other examples of data forwarding are possible, such as data forwarding via the Xn interface between gNBs, which is typically used in other ways during handover.

[0051] It should be noted that the backup node does not necessarily operate in DTRX. However, the primary node and the backup node should still be aligned so that the backup node is available when the primary node is in a down period. Figure 6 Such a scenario is shown in FIG.

[0052] As described above, the first node and the second node may be the same node 701 (for example, Figure 7 . Thus, in one aspect, the same node 701 employs a first DTRX cycle for a first resource (e.g., a first radio unit provided in a first cell 711 (e.g., a primary cell (PCell)) and employs a different second DTRX cycle for a second resource (e.g., a second radio unit provided in a second cell 712 (e.g., a secondary cell (SCell)). However, the DTRX cycles are coordinated such that, for example, at any given point in time, at least one of the resources 711, 712 may be used to receive UL data from the UE 302. For example, in the case of carrier aggregation, the same node 701 (e.g., a gNB) may host multiple cells, configure different DTRX modes for these cells, provide non-aligned off periods for the cells, and configure an access configuration for the UE for the Scell ​​712 during the off period of the PCell 711. Figure 7 In another example, the node 701 may configure different DTRX modes for the common carrier 811 (non-SUL) and the SUL carrier 812 similarly to the above, such as Figure 8 as shown in .

[0053] Please note, Figure 7 and Figure 8The scheme shown in is still energy efficient for the node 701 as long as, for example, different radio units (RUs) are involved in the TRX processing for different resources. The reason is that the RU is the component that contributes most to the energy consumption.

[0054] In some embodiments, the DTRX cycle may be configured to ensure that at any given time, at least one resource (e.g., call, carrier) is available for UL transmission of the UE, thereby minimizing access delay. In other embodiments, the aggregation of DTRX cycle OnDurations may not result in constant UL availability, but the delay to the start of an OnDuration for a cell at any point in time is lower than the tolerable traffic delay in time-critical use cases.

[0055] The NW provides the UE with configuration on when / how to access backup resources (e.g., SCell 702 or SUL carrier 802). For example, in the current NR specification, the initial access of the UE from the RRC idle state can be performed using a SUL UL carrier or a non-SUL UL carrier. Separate RACH configurations for these resources are configured in the broadcast system information of the cell. The UE then implements access on one or the other resource (SU or non-SUL) based on a comparison of the measured RSRP with a threshold configured by the NW. Here, a time condition is additionally introduced so that when the non-SUL carrier is in the off period of its DTRX, access through the SUL can be implemented despite the good non-SUL RSRP.

[0056] The configuration of the above-mentioned UE access to the backup resource can be provided by broadcast or dedicated message. In broadcast mode, the DTRX configuration information for the first cell and the second (alternative) cell and the rules for when to use the second cell can be included in the SIB (e.g., SIB1 or a dedicated energy-saving SIB). In dedicated mode, the information can be provided to each UE via dedicated RRC signaling. Information about the second (backup) cell RA configuration can be included by the first cell in the DTRX configuration signaling, or it can be obtained by the UE from the second cell SI.

[0057] In some embodiments, only specific UEs may be allowed to implement access through backup resources. In some aspects, the access may be implemented only for specific services (e.g., identified by 5QI, DRB, etc.). Optionally, when backup resources are configured and signaled via SI, all UEs may use the backup resources.

[0058] In some embodiments, the master node (e.g., node 301) can exchange information such as capabilities / resource availability / load with one or more backup nodes (e.g., node 502). For example, regarding various services, for example, whether a potential backup node has the ability to provide a specific service (such as an emergency service). Based on such information, the master node can select which nodes can serve as backup nodes. In addition, in a related embodiment, the UE may be notified of the potential capabilities / limitations of various backup nodes. For example, if the UE node knows that the backup node does not have the ability to provide emergency services, then the UE may not waste UL resources unnecessarily on the backup node for establishing an emergency call.

[0059] In some embodiments, the gNB DTRX configuration provided by the first node to the UE may depend on the service type, QoS, QoE, etc. requirements of the UEs in the cell. For example, only when one or more UEs in the cell have low latency requirements (e.g., involving URLLC or cMTC applications), the first node may configure the UE with second cell information for fast UL access. As described above, such UEs may then be individually configured to access the UL via the second cell, e.g., via dedicated RRC signaling, or such configuration may be provided to all UEs in the first cell, e.g., via broadcast signaling (e.g., broadcast system information (SI)).

[0060] In some embodiments, the NW can temporarily prohibit such access of its UEs without unconfiguring all relevant parameters. For example, this may be useful in cases where the additional resources are temporarily under high load. Therefore, similar to NREAB (Extended Access Barring) and the like, access barring configuration is provided via a broadcast channel applicable to backup resources. In the case where the backup resource access barring configuration is not allowed, UEs that have configurations for backup resources and are otherwise allowed to use backup resources will not be allowed to use backup resources.

[0061] In some embodiments, the UE may be configured with a wake-up signal (WUS) procedure in the UL direction, such that the UE may send a WUS to the gNB to wake up the gNB receiver (i.e., at least to cause the gNB to immediately switch from the OFF period of the DRX cycle to the ON state). For example, a URLLC UE may be configured to send an indication to the gNB (e.g., sending an indication via a UL channel) that the UE wants to start an operation, or that the indication itself is the start of an operation, so that the gNB stops DTRX or a part of DTRX, such as DRX or DTX operation, and remains ON in the DL or UL until further instructions from the URLLC UE or a specific period is reached.

[0062] In this case, the UE may be configured with WUS resources in the same cell, or in another cell or neighboring node on the same node. For example, the WUS may be sent to the master node, and in another embodiment, the WUS is sent to the backup node, which in turn wakes up the master node. The NW may decide whether to configure the UE with a WUS process based on different factors, such as the service type and UE capabilities.

[0063] For example, if the UE has a service with high QoE / QoS requirements and / or if the UE has limited capabilities in terms of the carriers it can use, the NW may decide to configure the UE with a WUS procedure. The WUS may additionally be accompanied by a minimum delay between the WUS transmission and the time when the UE is able to send UL signals (e.g., PRACH to the gNB). The minimum delay is necessary for the gNB to leave the off period of its DRX cycle. The minimum delay may be based on a pre-configuration or may be provided to the UE as part of the WUS configuration. The minimum delay may enable the gNB to employ a low power WUR elsewhere to receive the WUS, which is then responsible for waking up the primary gNB receiver. Thus, the UE receives a WUS configuration from the gNB or another gNB (e.g., a neighboring gNB), and if the gNB is in the off period of the DRX cycle, the UE may send a WUS based on the provided configuration, for example, if the UE has some data for the UL, and after waiting for the potential minimum delay, the UE may start sending to the gNB via regular UL resources. In this case, the WUS mechanism may optionally be accompanied by a WUS ACK from the gNB.

[0064] In the above mechanism, the UE's own serving node or neighboring node may provide the UE with associated configurations, such as the second set of UL resources and other underlying configurations, via higher layer signaling (such as RRC signaling or SIB). Configuration exchange between nodes may be accomplished through existing interfaces.

[0065] Scenario and coverage considerations

[0066] This document proposes to apply and coordinate DTRX mode and several NW nodes (e.g. gNB) covering the same general area, where the nodes may not be co-located, so the second cell coverage may not be equal to the first cell coverage, and can be applied to multiple cells provided by the same NW node in a co-located manner. These scenarios may differ in their coverage implications and may require different DTRX coordination logic.

[0067] If the switching of the currently active cell is symmetric in terms of coverage, this scheme assumes a deployment type with two completely overlapping cells so that the coverage is unchanged when they are switched. The motivation for such a NW deployment could be, for example, to provide additional capacity during peak times, while providing a more energy efficient single layer operation during off-peak times. The DTRX configuration could then be adapted depending on whether the second cell is active at a particular point in time.

[0068] In other scenarios, unchanged coverage may be secondary and the coverage of the coordinated cells (first and second cells) need not be identical. This may be the case for a best effort private NW installation, such as in an office building, where it is assumed that both the underlying and cooperating operator NWs exist. The UE may then be configured to use the second cell only when coverage exists, otherwise wait for the end of the off period of the first cell before attempting UL access.

[0069] UE Process

[0070] In one embodiment, a UE configured with gNB DTRX operation according to the embodiments disclosed herein will behave as if it is connected to or resides on a backup cell at different times. The UE may use the first cell as a permanent serving cell. The UE obtains SI from the first cell and uses the RACH configuration for the first cell when the first cell is in the DTRX on period, which can be considered as baseline operation. In addition, the UE obtains information about at least one second cell that can be used as a backup UL access resource, such as a cell ID. As described above, such information can be obtained from gNB DTRX configuration signaling (dedicated or broadcast). It can also determine the best SSB information and / or receive SI from the second cell before the DTRX off period of the first cell, including RACH configuration information. This allows the UE to utilize the UL resources of the second cell with minimal delay and / or energy consumption.

[0071] Optionally, when a need for UL access arises during the first cell off period, the UE may follow a conventional RACH-based access procedure toward the second cell, including searching for the SSB associated with the second cell ID, determining the best SSB and reading SI, and performing RA according to the RA configuration.

[0072] In some embodiments, the gNB DTRX configuration may indicate that multiple second cells may be available during some first cell off periods. Then, if UL access is required during the first cell off period, the UE may pre-evaluate the link quality of the multiple second cells and use the cell with the best quality.

[0073] Fig. 9The method according to a specific embodiment is shown. To simplify the discussion, the steps performed by the user equipment and the network node are combined in the above flowchart. Therefore, the user equipment or the network node does not perform Fig. 9 all steps.

[0074] As shown, the method starts at step s910, where a network node (NN) (e.g., node 301, 502, or 701) determines a second UL resource. The resource will be available at least partially during the off period of the first UL resource, so that if allowed, if the first UL resource is in the off period, the UE can access the wireless network (or at least reduce the delay before the UE can access the network). This may involve negotiation or coordination with one or more neighboring cells or network nodes. These neighbors may have at least partially overlapping coverage areas.

[0075] At step s915, the NN sends second configuration information for the second UL resource. The second configuration information may include configuration information for a plurality of potential UL resources that may be used as the second UL resource. The second configuration information may be broadcast or directly signaled to the UE.

[0076] At step s920, the UE receives first configuration information for a first UL resource. This step may be performed before step s910, simultaneously with step s925 (eg, in the same message), or after step s925.

[0077] At step s925, the UE receives second configuration information for the second UL resource.The first and second UL resources may be associated with the same network node or different network nodes.

[0078] At step s930, the UE accesses the wireless network using the second UL resource, and at step s935, the NN receives a message from the UE via the second UL resource. The UE may first check the configuration information and / or one or more parameters (e.g., reference signal strength) to determine whether it is allowed to access the wireless network using the second UL resource at the current time. The message may be a wake-up message. The wake-up message may be used to wake up any UL resource. In some scenarios, the message may be forwarded from the NN to another NN.

[0079] At step s940, the UE provides user data (e.g., based on a request for data input by the user). At step s945, the UE forwards the user data to the host computer via the NN. At step s950, the NN acquires the user data. At step s955, the NN then forwards the user data to the host computer. User data can also flow in the reverse direction, where the NN acquires the user data and then forwards the data to the UE.

[0080] Fig.10 An example of a communication system 1000 is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0081] In this example, the communication system 1000 includes a telecommunications network 1002, which includes an access network 1004 (such as a radio access network (RAN)) and a core network 1006 (which includes one or more core network nodes 1008). The access network 1004 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 1010a and 1010b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 1010), or any other similar third generation partnership project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. The network node 1010 facilitates direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), for example, by connecting UE 1012a, 1012b, 1012c, and 1012d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE 1012) to the core network 1006 via one or more wireless connections.

[0082] Example wireless communications over wireless connections include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transferring information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Additionally, in various embodiments, the communication system 1000 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, whether over a wired or wireless connection. The communication system 1000 may include and / or interface to any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0083] UE 1012 may be any of a variety of communication devices, including wireless devices that are arranged, configured and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network node 1010 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node 1010 is arranged, capable, configured and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE 1012 and / or with other network nodes or devices in telecommunication network 1002 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or perform other functions, such as management in telecommunication network 1002.

[0084] In the depicted example, the core network 1006 connects the network node 1010 to one or more hosts, such as the host 1016. These connections may be direct or may be 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 1006 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 1008) constructed with hardware and software components. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UE, network node, and / or host, so that the description thereof is generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 1008. The example core network node includes 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) One or more functions.

[0085] The host 1016 may be owned or controlled by a service provider other than the operator or provider of the telecommunications network 1002 and / or the access network 1004, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The host 1016 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 of various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs, analysis functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functions implemented by a server.

[0086] Overall, Fig.10 The communication system 1000 enables connections between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In this sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards, including 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 (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low power wide area network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0087] In some examples, the telecommunication network 1002 is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, the telecommunication network 1002 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the telecommunication network 1002. For example, the telecommunication network 1002 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or massive machine type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to other UEs.

[0088] In some examples, UE 1012 is configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE can be designed to send information to access network 1004 according to a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from access network 1004. In addition, the UE can be configured to operate in a single RAT or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE can operate using any one or a combination of WiFi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, that is, configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0089] In this example, the hub 1014 communicates with the access network 1004 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 1012c and / or 1012d) and a network node (e.g., network node 1010b). In some examples, the hub 1014 may be a controller, a router, a content source and analysis, or any other communication device described herein with respect to the UE. For example, the hub 1014 may be a broadband router that enables the UE to access the core network 1006. As another example, the hub 1014 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The commands or instructions may be received from the UE, the network node 1010, or received by an executable code, a script, a process, or other instructions in the hub 1014. As another example, the hub 1014 may be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage for UE data, and in some embodiments, analysis or other processing of the data may be implemented. As another example, the hub 1014 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the hub 1014 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, and then the hub 1014 provides it directly to the UE, provides it to the UE after implementing local processing, and / or provides it to the UE after adding additional local content. In another example, the hub 1014 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UE, especially when one or more UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0090] Hub 1014 can have constant / persistent or intermittent connection to network node 1010b. Hub 1014 can also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between hub 1014 and UE (e.g., UE 1012c and / or 1012d) and between hub 1014 and core network 1006. In other examples, hub 1014 is connected to core network 1006 and / or one or more UEs via wired connection. In addition, hub 1014 can be configured to be connected to M2M service provider and / or connected to another UE via direct connection through access network 1004. In some scenarios, UE can establish wireless connection with network node 1010, while still connected via hub 1014 through wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, hub 1014 can be a dedicated hub, that is, its main function is to route communication from network node 1010b to UE or from UE to the hub of network node 1010b. In other embodiments, the hub 1014 may be a non-dedicated hub, ie, a device operable to route communications between UEs and the network node 1010b, but which is also operable as a communications origin and / or destination for a particular data channel.

[0091] Fig.11 UE 1100 according to some embodiments is shown. As used herein, UE refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with a network node and / or other UEs. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smart phones, 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, notebook computers, notebook embedded devices (LEEs), notebook mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted or vehicle-mounted 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 communications (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0092] 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 owning and / or operating an 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 associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller), or may not initially be associated with one. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter).

[0093] UE 1100 includes a processing circuit 1102, which is operatively coupled to an input / output interface 1106, a power supply 1108, a memory 1110, a communication interface 1112, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus 1104. Some UEs may utilize Fig.11 All or a subset of the components shown in . The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. In addition, some UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0094] The processing circuit 1102 is configured to process instructions and data, and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in the memory 1110 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuit 1102 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 1102 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0095] In this example, the input / output interface 1106 can be configured to provide one or more interfaces 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 1100. 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, direction pads, 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.

[0096] In some embodiments, the power supply 1108 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 outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The power supply 1108 may also include a power supply circuit for delivering power from the power supply 1108 itself and / or an external power supply to the various components of the UE 1100 through an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. For example, the delivered power may be used to charge the power supply 1108. The power supply circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from the power supply 1108 so that the power is suitable for the corresponding components of the UE 1100 to which the power is supplied.

[0097] The memory 1110 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 1110 includes one or more application programs 1114, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other applications, and corresponding data 1116. The memory 1110 may store any one of a variety of different operating systems or a combination of operating systems for use by the UE 1100.

[0098] The memory 1110 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), 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 (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC commonly referred to as a "SIM card". The memory 1110 may allow the UE 1100 to access instructions, applications, etc. stored on a transient or non-transient storage medium to offload data or upload data. An article of manufacture (eg, an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system) may be tangibly embodied as or in memory 1110 , which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0099] The processing circuit 1102 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using a communication interface 1112. The communication interface 1112 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include an antenna 1122 or be communicatively coupled to the antenna 1122. The communication interface 1112 may include one or more transceivers for communication, 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 1118 and / or a receiver 1120 suitable for providing network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). In addition, the transmitter 1118 and the receiver 1120 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 1122) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0100] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functionality of the communication interface 1112 may include cellular communication, WiFi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication (such as Bluetooth, near field communication), location-based communication (such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location), another similar communication functionality, or any combination thereof. 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.

[0101] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE can provide an output of the data captured by its sensor via a wireless connection to a network node through its communication interface 1112. The data captured by the UE's sensor can be transmitted to the network node via another UE through a wireless connection. The output can be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to balance the load of reports from several sensors), in response to a trigger event (e.g., when humidity is detected, an alarm is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0102] As another example, the UE includes an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface that is 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 that performs a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0103] When the UE is in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, it can be a device for one or more application areas, including but not limited to urban wearable technology, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are the following devices or devices embedded in the following devices: connected refrigerators or freezers, TVs, connected lighting devices, electricity meters, robotic vacuum cleaners, voice-controlled smart speakers, home security cameras, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detectors, door / window sensors, flood / humidity sensors, electric door locks, connected doorbells, air conditioning systems such as heat pumps, self-driving cars, surveillance systems, weather monitoring devices, parking monitoring devices, electric vehicle charging stations, smart watches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), wearable devices for tactile enhancement or sensory enhancement, sprinklers, animal or item tracking devices, sensors for monitoring plants or animals, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and any type of medical equipment, such as heart rate monitors or remotely controlled surgical robots. In addition to including, for example, in combination with Fig.11 In addition to the other components described in the UE 1100 shown in FIG, circuits and / or software may also be included depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0104] As another specific example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and sends 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, airplane, or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions related to its operation.

[0105] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together for a single use case. For example, a first UE may be a drone or integrated in a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller for operating the drone. When the user implements changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the speed of the drone. The first and / or second UE may also include one or more of the above functions. For example, a UE may include a sensor and an actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0106] Fig.12 A network node 1200 according to some embodiments is shown. As used herein, a network node refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or devices in a telecommunications network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

[0107] Base stations can be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmit power level), and therefore can be called femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations or macro base stations, depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station can be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) components 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. The components of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0108] Other examples of network nodes include a multi-transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access node, a multi-standard radio (MSR) device (such as an MSR BS), a network controller (such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC)), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmission node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile positioning center (E-SMLC)), and / or a minimization of drive testing (MDT).

[0109] The network node 1200 includes a processing circuit 1202, a memory 1204, a communication interface 1206, and a power supply 1208. The network node 1200 may include 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 component. In a specific scenario where the network node 1200 includes multiple individual components (e.g., a BTS and a BSC component), one or more individual components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple node Bs. In such a scenario, in some instances, each unique node B and RNC pair may be considered as a single individual network node. In some embodiments, the network node 1200 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such an embodiment, some components may be repeated (e.g., separate memories 1204 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 1210 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 1200 may also include multiple sets of the various components shown 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 1200. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within the network node 1200.

[0110] The processing circuit 1202 may include 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, a combination of one or more of resources, or a combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic that is operable to provide network node 1200 functionality alone or in combination with other network node 1200 components (such as memory 1204).

[0111] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1202 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1202 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1212 and baseband processing circuitry 1214. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1212 and baseband processing circuitry 1214 may be on separate chips (or a set of chips), boards, or units (e.g., a radio unit and a digital unit). In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 1212 and baseband processing circuitry 1214 may be on the same chip or a set of chips, boards, or units.

[0112] The memory 1204 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to persistent memory, 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 storage device that stores information, data and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 1202. The memory 1204 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 1202 and utilized by the network node 1200). The memory 1204 may be used to store any calculations performed by the processing circuit 1202 and / or any data received via the communication interface 1206. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1202 and the memory 1204 are integrated.

[0113] The communication interface 1206 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 1206 includes a port / terminal 1216 for sending data to the network and receiving data from the network, for example, via a wired connection. The communication interface 1206 also includes a radio front-end circuit 1218, which can be coupled to the antenna 1210, or in some embodiments is a part of the antenna 1210. The radio front-end circuit 1218 includes a filter 1220 and an amplifier 1222. The radio front-end circuit 1218 can be connected to the antenna 1210 and the processing circuit 1202. The radio front-end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna 1210 and the processing circuit 1202. The radio front-end circuit 1218 can receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 1218 can use a combination of a filter 1220 and / or an amplifier 1222 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. Then, the radio signal can be sent via the antenna 1210. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 1210 may collect radio signals, which may then be converted to digital data by radio front end circuit 1218. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 1202. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0114] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 1200 does not include a separate radio front end circuit 1218, and instead the processing circuit 1202 includes the radio front end circuit and is connected to the antenna 1210. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit 1212 is part of the communication interface 1206. In other embodiments, the communication interface 1206 includes one or more ports or terminals 1216, the radio front end circuit 1218, and the RF transceiver circuit 1212 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 1206 communicates with the baseband processing circuit 1214 as part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0115] Antenna 1210 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 1210 may be coupled to radio front end circuit 1218 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 1210 is separate from network node 1200 and may be connected to network node 1200 via an interface or port.

[0116] Antenna 1210, communication interface 1206 and / or processing circuit 1202 may be configured to implement any receiving operation and / or certain acquisition operations implemented by a network node as described herein. Any information, data and / or signal may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 1210, communication interface 1206 and / or processing circuit 1202 may be configured to implement any sending operation implemented by a network node as described herein. Any information, data and / or signal may be sent to a UE, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0117] The power supply 1208 provides power to the various components of the network node 1200 in a form suitable for the various components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each corresponding component). The power supply 1208 may also include or be coupled to a power management circuit to provide power to the components of the network node 1200 for implementing the functions described herein. For example, the network node 1200 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., an electrical grid, a power outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as a cable, whereby the external power source provides power to the power circuit of the power supply 1208. As another example, the power supply 1208 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated in the power circuit. If the external power source fails, the battery can provide backup power.

[0118] An embodiment of the network node 1200 may include Fig.12, to provide certain aspects of the network node functionality, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality required to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 1200 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 1200 and to allow information to be output from the network node 1200. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for the network node 1200.

[0119] Fig.13 is a block diagram of a host 1300 according to various aspects described herein, and the host 1300 may be Fig.10 1016 of the embodiment of the host. As used herein, the host 1300 can be or include various combinations of hardware and / or software, including a stand-alone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or a processing resource in a server farm. The host 1300 can provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0120] Host 1300 includes processing circuitry 1302, which is operably coupled to input / output interface 1306, network interface 1308, power supply 1310, and memory 1312 via bus 1304. Other components may be included in other embodiments. The features of these components may be similar to those described with respect to previous figures (such as Fig.11 and Fig.12 ) are substantially similar in features to those described for the devices of the host 1300, so that the description thereof is generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 1300.

[0121] The memory 1312 may include one or more computer programs (including one or more host applications 1314 and data 1316), and the data 1316 may include user data, such as data generated by the UE for the host 1300 or data generated by the host 1300 for the UE. An embodiment of the host 1300 may utilize only a subset of the components shown or utilize all of the components shown. The host application 1314 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile 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), including transcoding for multiple different categories, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., mobile phones, desktop computers, wearable display systems, head-up display systems). The host application 1314 may also provide user authentication and authorization checks, and may periodically report health status, routing, and content availability to a central node (such as a device in a core network or at the edge). Thus, the host 1300 can select and / or instruct different hosts for over-the-top services of the UE. The host application 1314 can 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.

[0122] Fig.14 1400 is a block diagram showing a virtualized environment, in which the functions implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized. In the current context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or apparatus, 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 in which at least a portion of the functions are implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components performed by one or more virtual machines (VMs), which are implemented in one or more virtual environments 1400 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 in which a virtual node does not require a radio connection (e.g., a core network node or host), the node may be fully virtualized.

[0123] Application 1402 (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 a virtualized environment Q400 to implement some features, functions and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein.

[0124] Hardware 1404 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions 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 1406 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1408a and 1408b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 1408), and / or implement any functionality, features, and / or benefits associated with some embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer 1406 may present a virtual operating platform that appears to be network hardware to VMs 1408.

[0125] VM 1408 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual network or interface and virtual storage, and can be operated by corresponding virtualization layer 1406. Different embodiments of instances of virtual device 1402 can be implemented on one or more VM 1408, and can be implemented in different ways. Virtualization of hardware is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV) in some contexts. NFV can be used to integrate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches and physical storage, which can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0126] In the context of NFV, VM 1408 can be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM 1408 and a portion of the hardware 1404 on which the VM executes, whether hardware dedicated to the VM and / or hardware shared by the VM with other VMs, form 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 1408 on the hardware 1404 and corresponds to an application 1402.

[0127] Hardware 1404 may be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware 1404 may implement some functionality through virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1404 may be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed through management and orchestration 1410, where management and orchestration 1410 oversees lifecycle management of applications 1402. In some embodiments, hardware 1404 is coupled to one or more radio units, each of which includes one or more transmitters that may be coupled to one or more antennas and one or more receivers. The radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes through one or more appropriate network interfaces, and may be used in conjunction with virtual components to provide radio capabilities for virtual nodes, such as radio access points or base stations. In some embodiments, a control system 1412 may be used to provide some signaling, which may optionally be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0128] Fig.15 A communication diagram is shown in which a host 1502 communicates with a UE 1506 via a network node 1504 over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. Fig.15 To describe the UE discussed in the preceding paragraphs (such as Fig.10 UE 1012a and / or Fig.11 UE 1100), network nodes (such as Fig.10 The network node 1010a and / or Fig.12 network nodes 1200) and hosts (such as Fig.10 Host 1016 and / or Fig.13 An example implementation of host 1300).

[0129] Similar to the host 1300, an embodiment of the host 1502 includes hardware, such as a communication interface, a processing circuit, and a memory. The host 1502 also includes software, which is stored in the host 1502 or accessible by the host 1502 and can be executed by the processing circuit. The software includes a host application, which is operable to provide services to a remote user (e.g., a UE 1506 connected via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1550 extending between the UE 1506 and the host 1502). When providing services to the remote user, the host application can provide user data sent using the OTT connection 1550.

[0130] The network node 1504 includes hardware that enables it to communicate with the host 1502 and the UE 1506. The connection 1560 can be direct or through a core network (such as Fig.10The core network 1006 of the present invention) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private or managed networks. For example, the intermediate network can be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0131] UE 1506 includes hardware and software, which is stored in UE 1506 or accessible by UE 1506 and can be executed by the processing circuit of UE. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or an operator-specific "app", which is operable to provide services to human or non-human users through UE 1506 with the support of host 1502. In host 1502, the executed host application can communicate with the executed client application via an OTT connection 1550 terminated at UE 1506 and host 1502. 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. OTT connection 1550 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 through OTT connection 1550.

[0132] The OTT connection 1550 may extend via a connection 1560 between the host 1502 and the network node 1504 and via a wireless connection 1570 between the network node 1504 and the UE 1506 to provide a connection between the host 1502 and the UE 1506. The connection 1560 and the wireless connection 1570 over which the OTT connection 1550 may be provided are drawn abstractly to illustrate communication between the host 1502 and the UE 1506 via the network node 1504 without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0133] As an example of sending data via OTT connection 1550, in step 1508, host 1502 provides user data, which can be implemented by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a specific human user interacting with UE 1506. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with UE 1506, and UE 1506 shares data with host 1502 without explicit human-computer interaction. In step 1510, host 1502 initiates a transmission carrying user data to UE 1506. Host 1502 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by UE 1506. The request may be caused by human-computer interaction with UE 1506, or by the operation of a client application executed on UE 1506. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission may be delivered via network node 1504. Therefore, in step 1512, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, network node 1504 sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by host 1502 to UE 1506. In step 1514 , UE 1506 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be implemented by a client application executing on UE 1506 that is associated with a host application executed by host 1502 .

[0134] In some examples, UE 1506 executes a client application that provides user data to host 1502. The user data may be provided as a reaction or response to data received from host 1502. Thus, in step 1516, UE 1506 may provide the user data, which may be implemented 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 UE 1506. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, in step 1518, UE 1506 initiates transmission of the user data to host 1502 via network node 1504. In step 1520, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, network node 1504 receives user data from UE 1506 and initiates transmission of the received user data to host 1502. In step 1522, host 1502 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by UE 1506.

[0135] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to UE 1506 using OTT connection 1550, where wireless connection 1570 forms the last leg. More specifically, the teachings of these embodiments can improve the energy efficiency of wireless networks while minimizing the delay impact on UEs. This can provide some benefits, such as improved latency and reduced energy consumption when trying to initially reach a network node that may be in a dormant or reduced power cycle.

[0136] In an example scenario, host 1502 may collect and analyze plant status information. As another example, host 1502 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating a map. As another example, host 1502 may collect and analyze real-time data to help control vehicle congestion (e.g., control traffic lights). As another example, host 1502 may store surveillance videos uploaded by a UE. As another example, host 1502 may store or control access to media content, such as video, audio, VR, or AR, which may broadcast, multicast, or unicast the media content to a UE. As other examples, host 1502 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical electrical loads to balance power generation demand, location services, presentation services (such as compiling charts based on data collected from remote devices, etc.), or any other function for collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or sending data.

[0137] In some examples, a measurement process may be provided for monitoring data rates, delays, and other factors improved by one or more embodiments. There may also be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1550 between the host 1502 and the UE 1506 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in the software and hardware of the host 1502 and / or the UE 1506. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with other devices through which the OTT connection 1550 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement process by providing the values ​​of the monitored quantities of the above examples or by providing the values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1550 may include message formatting, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc.; the reconfiguration does not require direct changes to the operation of the network node 1504. These processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurement may involve proprietary UE signaling, which facilitates the host 1502 to measure throughput, propagation time, delay, etc. The measurements may be implemented in software that causes messages (particularly empty or 'dummy' messages) to be sent using the OTT connection 1550 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0138] Although the computing devices (e.g., UE, network node, host) described herein may include a combination of the hardware components shown, other embodiments may include computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to implement the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. The determination, calculation, acquisition or similar operations described herein may be implemented by a processing circuit, which may process information by, for example, converting the acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired information or the converted information with the information stored in the network node, and / or implementing one or more operations based on the acquired information or the converted information, and making a determination as a result of the processing. In addition, although the components are described as a single box located within a larger box, or a single box nested within multiple boxes, in practice, the computing device may include multiple different physical components constituting a single illustrated component, and the functions may be divided between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functions of the components may be divided between a processing circuit and a communication interface. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0139] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein may be provided by a processing circuit that executes instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transient computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by a processing circuit without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these specific embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to implement the described functions, regardless of whether instructions stored on a non-transient computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to separate processing circuits or other components of a computing device, but are generally enjoyed by the entire computing device and / or by end users and wireless networks.

[0140] Summary of various embodiments

[0141] Group A Embodiment

[0142] 1. A method implemented by a user equipment (UE) for reducing delay during network discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX), the method comprising: receiving first configuration information for at least a first uplink (UL) resource, the first UL resource being used to access a wireless network and associated with a network node operating in DTRX; receiving second configuration information for at least a second UL resource, the second UL resource also being used to access the wireless network; and accessing the wireless network using the second UL resource when the first UL resource is in an off period of the DTRX.

[0143] 2. The method according to 1, wherein the first UL resource and the second UL resource are associated with the same network node or associated with different network nodes.

[0144] 3. The method according to 1 or 2, wherein the first configuration information and the second configuration information are received in the same message or in different messages.

[0145] 4. The method according to any one of 1-3, wherein the first configuration information or the second configuration information further includes an indication that the second UL resource is to be used when the first UL resource operates in DTRX and is in an off period.

[0146] 5. The method according to any one of 1-4 also includes: determining whether the UE is allowed to access the wireless network using the second UL resource.

[0147] 6. A method according to 5, wherein determining whether the UE is allowed to use the second UL resource to access the wireless network includes determining one or more of the following: whether the UE is prohibited from using the second UL resource; whether there are one or more conditions that allow the UE to use the resource according to one or more parameters in the first configuration information or the second configuration information.

[0148] 7. A method according to any one of 1-6, wherein the first configuration information or the second configuration information includes an indication of how to resolve conflicts between different layers within the UE with conflicting commands.

[0149] 8. The method according to any one of 1-7, wherein the second UL resource includes at least one of a PRACH resource, a PUCCH resource, a PUSCH resource or a PWUS resource.

[0150] 9. The method according to any one of 1-8, wherein the second UL resource is available at least during at least a portion of an off time of the first UL resource.

[0151] 10. A method according to any one of 1-9, wherein the first configuration information or the second configuration information includes an indication of whether the second UL resource is available for all UEs, specific UEs, one or more specific types of UEs, all applications and / or bearers, and / or one or more specific applications and / or bearers.

[0152] 11. The method according to any one of 1-10 further includes: measuring one or more reference signals, wherein when the reference signal exceeds a threshold or when the reference signal is lower than a threshold, the UE uses the second UL resource to access the radio.

[0153] 12. The method according to any one of 1-11, wherein the configuration information includes information for a wake-up signal; and the method further comprises: sending a WUS via the second UL resource when the first UL resource is in a shutdown period.

[0154] 13. The method according to any one of 1-12, wherein the second configuration information includes information for multiple different UL resources, and the method further includes: determining which UL resource to use as the second UL resource.

[0155] 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determination of which UL resource to use as the second UL resource is based on signal strength and / or UL resource availability.

[0156] 15. The method of any preceding embodiment, further comprising: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host via transmission to the network node.

[0157] Group B Example

[0158] 16. A method implemented by a network node for reducing delays during network discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX), the method comprising: determining that at least a second UL resource is at least partially available when a first UL resource is in an off period of a first DTRX scheme; sending second configuration information for the second UL resource to a UE; and receiving a message from the UE via the second UL resource during the off period of the first UL resource in the first DTRX scheme.

[0159] 17. The method of 16, wherein the first UL resource and the second UL resource are associated with the same network node or are associated with different network nodes.

[0160] 18. The method according to 16 or 17, wherein the first configuration information and the second configuration information are sent to the UE in the same message.

[0161] 19. The method according to any one of 16-17, wherein the first configuration information or the second configuration information further includes an indication that the second UL resource is to be used when the first UL resource operates in DTRX and is in an off period.

[0162] 20. The method of any one of 16-19, wherein the configuration information comprises one or more parameters used by the UE to determine whether it is allowed to access the second UL resource.

[0163] 21. The method of any one of 16-20, wherein the first configuration information or the second configuration information includes an indication of how to resolve conflicts between different layers within the UE having conflicting commands.

[0164] 22. A method according to any one of 16-21, wherein the second UL resource includes at least one of a PRACH resource, a PUCCH resource, a PUSCH resource or a PWUS resource.

[0165] 23. The method according to any one of 16-22, wherein the second UL resource is available at least during at least a portion of an off time of the first UL resource.

[0166] 24. A method according to any one of 16-23, wherein the first configuration information or the second configuration information includes an indication of whether the second UL resource is available for all UEs, specific UEs, one or more specific types of UEs, all applications and / or bearers, and / or one or more specific applications and / or bearers.

[0167] 25. The method according to any one of 16-24 further includes: negotiating or coordinating with a second network node for the second UL resource so that any on periods and off periods of the first UL resource and the second UL resource are aligned to reduce the amount of time that the two resources are turned off at the same time.

[0168] 26. The method of 25, wherein negotiating or coordinating comprises: exchanging service support capabilities.

[0169] 27. The method according to any one of 25-26, wherein negotiating or coordinating comprises exchanging DTRX configurations and timelines so that the DTRX off periods of two nodes do not always occur at the same time.

[0170] 28. The method according to any one of 25-27, wherein negotiating or coordinating comprises: configuring the DTRX cells of each cell so that at least one cell is available for UL transmission of the UE at any time.

[0171] 29. The method according to any one of 16-27, wherein the second configuration information for the second UL resource changes dynamically.

[0172] 30. The method according to any one of 16-29 further includes: forwarding the message to the first network node.

[0173] 31. A method according to any one of 16-30, wherein the message activates the first or second node.

[0174] 32. The method according to any one of 16-31, wherein sending the second configuration information for the second UL resource to the UE includes sending via broadcast or via dedicated signaling.

[0175] 33. The method according to any one of 16-32 further includes: selecting one or more nodes or cells from a plurality of nodes or cells to use for the second UL resource.

[0176] 34. The method according to any one of 16-33, wherein the second configuration information includes information about one or more capabilities and / or one or more restrictions of the second UL resource.

[0177] 35. The method according to any one of 16-34 further includes: sending a configuration message to temporarily restrict access to the second UL resources.

[0178] 36. The method according to any one of 16-35, wherein the second configuration information is provided via higher layer signaling such as RRC signaling or SIB.

[0179] 37. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments further includes: acquiring user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or a user device.

[0180] Group C Example

[0181] 38. A user equipment for reducing delay during network discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX), comprising: a processing circuit configured to implement any step according to any one of Group A embodiments; and a power supply circuit configured to supply power to the processing circuit.

[0182] 39. A network node for reducing delay during network discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX), the network node comprising: a processing circuit configured to implement any step according to any one of Group B embodiments; a power supply circuit configured to supply power to the processing circuit.

[0183] 40. A user equipment (UE) for reducing delays during network discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX), the UE comprising: an antenna configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; a radio front-end circuit connected to the antenna and a processing circuit and configured to regulate signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuit; the processing circuit configured to implement any of the steps described in any one of Group A embodiments; an input interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to allow information to be input into the UE for processing by the processing circuit; an output interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information that has been processed by the processing circuit from the UE; and a battery connected to the processing circuit and configured to power the UE.

[0184] 41. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: a processing circuit configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and a processing circuit, the communication interface and processing circuit of the UE being configured to implement any of the steps described in any one of Group A embodiments to receive the user data from the host.

[0185] 42. The host according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the cellular network further comprises a network node configured to communicate with the UE to send the user data from the host to the UE.

[0186] 43. A host according to the above two embodiments, wherein the processing circuit of the host is configured to execute a host application to provide the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executed on the UE, and the client application is associated with the host application.

[0187] 44. A method implemented by a host operating in a communication system, the communication system also including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: providing user data to the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the network node, wherein the UE implements any operation according to any one of Group A embodiments to receive the user data from the host.

[0188] 45. The method according to the preceding embodiment further comprises: executing, at the host, a host application associated with the client application executed on the UE to receive the user data from the UE.

[0189] 46. ​​The method according to the aforementioned embodiment further includes: at the host, sending input data to a client application executed on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.

[0190] 47. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: a processing circuit configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and a processing circuit, the communication interface and processing circuit of the UE being configured to implement any of the steps described in any one of Group A embodiments to send the user data to the host.

[0191] 48. The host according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the cellular network further comprises a network node configured to communicate with the UE to send the user data from the UE to the host.

[0192] 49. A host according to the above two embodiments, wherein the processing circuit of the host is configured to execute a host application to provide the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executed on the UE, and the client application is associated with the host application.

[0193] 50. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system, the communication system also including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving, at the host, user data sent by the UE to the host via the network node, wherein the UE implements any step according to any one of Group A embodiments to send the user data to the host.

[0194] 51. The method according to the aforementioned embodiment further includes: executing, at the host, a host application associated with the client application executed on the UE to receive the user data from the UE.

[0195] 52. The method according to the aforementioned embodiment further includes: at the host, sending input data to a client application executed on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.

[0196] 53. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: a processing circuit configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the network node having a communication interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the network node being configured to implement any operation according to any one of Group B embodiments to send the user data from the host to the UE.

[0197] 54. A host according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the processing circuit of the host is configured to execute a host application that provides the user data; and the UE includes a processing circuit that is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive a transmission of user data from the host.

[0198] 55. A method implemented in a host configured to operate in a communication system, the communication system also including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: providing user data to the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the network node, wherein the network node implements any operation according to any one of the embodiments in Group B to send the user data from the host to the UE.

[0199] 56. The method according to the preceding embodiment further comprises: sending, at the network node, the user data provided by the host for the UE.

[0200] 57. A method according to any one of the above two embodiments, wherein the user data is provided at the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application executed on the UE, and the client application is associated with the host application.

[0201] 58. A communication system configured to provide an over-the-top service, the communication system comprising: a host, the host comprising: a processing circuit configured to provide user data to a user equipment (UE), the user data being associated with the over-the-top service; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network node for transmission to the UE, the network node having a communication interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the network node being configured to implement any operation described in any one of Group B embodiments to send the user data from the host to the UE.

[0202] 59. The communication system according to the aforementioned embodiment further includes: the network node; and / or the user equipment.

[0203] 60. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: a processing circuit configured to initiate reception of user data; and a network interface configured to receive the user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and a processing circuit, the processing circuit of the network node being configured to implement any operation according to any one of Group B embodiments to receive the user data from the user equipment (UE) for the host.

[0204] 61. A host according to the above two embodiments, wherein the processing circuit of the host is configured to execute a host application to provide the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executed on the UE, and the client application is associated with the host application.

[0205] 62. The host of any one of the preceding two embodiments, wherein initiating reception of the user data comprises requesting the user data.

[0206] 63. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system, the communication system also including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host, initiating reception of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission that the network node has received from the UE, wherein the network node implements any step according to any one of Group B embodiments to receive the user data from the UE for the host.

[0207] 64. The method according to the preceding embodiment further comprises: at the network node, sending the received user data to the host.

[0208] Although various embodiments are described herein, it should be understood that they are presented as examples only and not as limitations. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments. In addition, unless otherwise specified herein or clearly contradictory to the context, any combination of the above-mentioned elements in all possible variations thereof is included in the present disclosure.

[0209] As used herein, sending a message "to" or "towards" an intended recipient includes sending the message directly to the intended recipient or indirectly to the intended recipient (i.e., one or more other nodes are used to relay the message from the source node to the intended recipient). Likewise, as used herein, receiving a message "from" a sender includes receiving the message directly from the sender or indirectly from the sender (i.e., one or more nodes are used to relay the message from the sender to a receiving node). In addition, as used herein, "a" means "at least one" or "one or more".

[0210] In addition, although the processes described above and shown in the drawings are shown as a series of steps, this is for illustration only. Therefore, it is contemplated that some steps may be added, some steps may be omitted, the order of the steps may be rearranged, and some steps may be performed in parallel.

[0211] Abbreviations

[0212] At least some of the following abbreviations may be used in the present disclosure. If there is an inconsistency between abbreviations, the above usage shall take precedence. If listed multiple times below, the first listing shall take precedence over any subsequent listings.

[0213] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0214] 5G Fifth Generation

[0215] 5GC 5G Core Network

[0216] 5GS Fifth Generation System

[0217] AMF Access and Mobility Management Function

[0218] ARQ Automatic Repeat Request

[0219] BCCH Broadcast Control Channel

[0220] BCH Broadcast Channel

[0221] CA Carrier Aggregation

[0222] CC Carrier Component

[0223] CCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDU

[0224] CDMA Code Division Multiple Access

[0225] CGI Cell Global Identifier

[0226] CN Core Network

[0227] CP Control Plane

[0228] CPICH Common Pilot Channel

[0229] CQI Channel Quality Information

[0230] C-RNTI Cell RNTI

[0231] CSI Channel State Information

[0232] CU Central Unit

[0233] CU-CP Central Unit Control Panel

[0234] CU-UP Central Unit User Plane

[0235] DC Dual Connection

[0236] DCCH Dedicated Control Channel

[0237] DL Downlink

[0238] DMRS Demodulation Reference Signal

[0239] DRX Discontinuous Reception

[0240] DTX Discontinuous Transmission

[0241] DU Distributed Unit

[0242] E-CID Enhanced Cell ID (positioning method)

[0243] EN E-UTRAN-NR

[0244] eNB Evolved Node B / E-UTRAN Node B

[0245] en-gNB is a gNB that acts as a secondary node in an EN-DC scenario (i.e., in a DC scenario where the eNB is the primary node and the gNB is the secondary node).

[0246] ePDCCH Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0247] E-UTRA Evolved UTRA

[0248] E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN

[0249] FDD Frequency Division Duplex

[0250] FFS for further study

[0251] Base stations in gNB NR

[0252] GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System

[0253] GSM Global System for Mobile Communications

[0254] HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request

[0255] HO Handover

[0256] HSPA High Speed ​​Packet Access

[0257] IAB Integrated Access and Backhaul

[0258] IE Information Elements

[0259] LOS Line of Sight

[0260] LPP LTE Positioning Protocol

[0261] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0262] MAC Media Access Control

[0263] MBMS Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service

[0264] MBSFN Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service Single Frequency Network

[0265] MIB Master Information Block

[0266] MME Mobility Management Entity

[0267] MSC Mobile Switching Center

[0268] NES Network Energy Saving

[0269] NG Next Generation

[0270] NG Interface between NG-RAN and 5GC.

[0271] NGAP NG Application Protocol

[0272] NG-RAN NG Radio Access Network

[0273] NPDCCH Narrowband Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0274] NR New Radio

[0275] OCNG OFDMA Channel Noise Generator

[0276] OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0277] OFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access

[0278] OSS Operation Support System

[0279] OTDOA Observed Time Difference of Arrival O&M Operation and Maintenance

[0280] OAM Operations, Administration and Maintenance PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel

[0281] P-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical Channel P Cell Main cell

[0282] PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel PDCP Packet Data Convergence Protocol PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel PGW Packet Gateway

[0283] PLMN Public Land Mobile Network PMI Precoding matrix indicator PRACH Physical Random Access Channel PRS Positioning Reference Signal

[0284] PSS Primary Synchronization Signal

[0285] PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel QoE Quality of Experience

[0286] RACH Random Access Channel

[0287] RAN Radio Access Network

[0288] RAT Radio Access Technology

[0289] RLC Radio Link Control

[0290] RLM Radio Link Management

[0291] RNC Radio Network Controller RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier RRC Radio Resource Control

[0292] RRM Radio Resource Management

[0293] RS reference signal

[0294] RSCP Received Signal Code Power

[0295] RSRP Reference symbol received power or reference signal received power RSRQ Reference signal reception quality or reference symbol reception quality RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator RSTD Reference Signal Time Difference

[0296] S1 Interface between RAN and CN in LTE.

[0297] S1AP S1 Application Protocol

[0298] SCH Synchronization Channel

[0299] SCell Secondary Cell

[0300] SDAP Service Data Adaptation Protocol SDU Service Data Unit

[0301] SFN System Frame Number

[0302] SGW Service Gateway

[0303] SI System Information

[0304] SIB System Information Block

[0305] SMO Service Management and Orchestration SNR Signal to Noise Ratio

[0306] SON Self-Optimizing Network SS Sync Signal

[0307] SSS Secondary synchronization signal TDD Time Division Duplex

[0308] TSS third synchronization signal TTI Transmission Time Interval UE User Equipment UL Uplink UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System USIM Universal Subscriber Identity Module UTRA Universal Terrestrial Radio Access UTRAN Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network WCDMA Wideband CDMA WLAN Wide Area Network

[0309] WUS wake-up signal

[0310] Xn Interface between two gNBs in NR.

[0311] XnAP Xn Application Protocol

Claims

1. A method for reducing delay implemented by a user equipment UE (302), the method comprising: receiving (s920) first configuration information for at least a first uplink (UL) resource, the first UL resource being used for accessing a wireless network and being associated with a network node (301, 502, 701) operating in discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX); receiving (s925) second configuration information for at least a second UL resource, the second UL resource also being used to access the wireless network; as well as When the first UL resource is in the DTRX off period, the wireless network is accessed (s930) using the second UL resource.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first UL resource and the second UL resource are associated with the same network node or are associated with different network nodes.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first configuration information and the second configuration information are received in the same message or in different messages.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first configuration information or the second configuration information further includes an indication that the second UL resource is to be used when the first UL resource operates in DTRX and is in an off period.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: Determining whether the UE is allowed to access the wireless network using the second UL resource.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: Determining whether the UE is allowed to access the wireless network using the second UL resource includes: determining whether the UE is prohibited from using the second UL resource; and / or Determine whether one or more conditions exist such that the UE is allowed to use resources according to one or more parameters in the first configuration information or the second configuration information.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The first configuration information or the second configuration information comprises an indication of how to resolve conflicts between different layers within the UE having conflicting commands.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The second UL resources include PRACH resources, PUCCH resources, PUSCH resources and / or PWUS resources.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The second UL resource is available at least during at least a portion of an off time of the first UL resource.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The first configuration information or the second configuration information includes an indication of whether the second UL resource is available for all UEs, specific UEs, one or more specific types of UEs, all applications and / or bearers, and / or one or more specific applications and / or bearers.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: One or more reference signals are measured, wherein when the reference signal exceeds a threshold or when the reference signal is lower than a threshold, the UE uses the second UL resource to access the radio.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The configuration information includes information for a wake-up signal WUS, and The method further includes sending the WUS via the second UL resource when the first UL resource is in an off period.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The second configuration information includes information for a plurality of different UL resources, and The method also includes determining which UL resource to use as the second UL resource.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The determination of which UL resource to use as the second UL resource is based on signal strength and / or UL resource availability.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising: Provide user data; as well as The user data is forwarded to a host via transmission to the network node.

16. A method for reducing delay implemented by a network node (301, 502, 701), the method comprising: determining (s910) that at least a second uplink UL resource is at least partially available when the first UL resource is in an off period of a first discontinuous transmission and reception DTRX scheme; Sending (s915) second configuration information for the second UL resource to a user equipment UE (302); as well as A message is received (s935) from the UE via the second UL resource during the first UL resource is in an off period of the first DTRX scheme.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The first UL resource and the second UL resource are associated with the same network node or are associated with different network nodes.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein: The first configuration information and the second configuration information are sent to the UE in the same message.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16-17, wherein: The first configuration information or the second configuration information further includes an indication that the second UL resource is to be used when the first UL resource operates in DTRX and is in an off period.

20. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein: The configuration information includes one or more parameters used by the UE to determine whether it is allowed to access the second UL resources.

21. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 20, wherein: The first configuration information or the second configuration information comprises an indication of how to resolve conflicts between different layers within the UE having conflicting commands.

22. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 21, wherein: The second UL resource includes a PRACH resource, a PUCCH resource, a PUSCH resource or a PWUS resource.

23. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 22, wherein: The second UL resource is available at least during at least a portion of an off time of the first UL resource.

24. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 23, wherein: The first configuration information or the second configuration information includes an indication of whether the second UL resource is available for all UEs, specific UEs, one or more specific types of UEs, all applications and / or bearers, and / or one or more specific applications and / or bearers.

25. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 24, further comprising: Negotiate or coordinate with the second network node for the second UL resource so that any on periods and off periods of the first UL resource and the second UL resource are aligned to reduce the amount of time that both resources are turned off simultaneously.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein: Negotiating or coordinating includes exchanging service support capabilities.

27. The method according to any one of claims 25-26, wherein: Negotiation or coordination includes exchanging DTRX configurations and timelines so that the DTRX off periods of two nodes do not always occur at the same time.

28. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein: Negotiating or coordinating includes configuring the DTRX cells of each cell so that at least one cell is available for UL transmission of the UE at a given time.

29. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 27, wherein: The second configuration information for the second UL resource changes dynamically.

30. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 29, further comprising: The message is forwarded to the first network node.

31. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 30, wherein: The message activates the first or second node.

32. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 31, wherein: Sending the second configuration information for the second UL resource to the UE includes sending via broadcast or sending via dedicated signaling.

33. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 32, further comprising: One or more nodes or cells are selected from a plurality of nodes or cells for use in the second UL resource.

34. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 33, wherein: The second configuration information includes information about one or more capabilities and / or one or more restrictions of the second UL resource.

35. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 34, further comprising: Send a configuration message for temporarily restricting access to the second UL resources.

36. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 35, wherein: The second configuration information is provided via higher layer signaling.

37. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a User Equipment (UE), cause the UE to implement a method according to any one of claims 1-15.

38. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry of a network node, cause the network node to implement a method according to any one of claims 16 to 36.

39. A carrier comprising a computer program according to claim 37 or 38, wherein: The carrier is one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, a radio signal and a computer-readable storage medium.

40. A user equipment UE (302) configured to implement a method for reducing delay, the method comprising: Receiving first configuration information for at least a first uplink (UL) resource, the first UL resource being used to access a wireless network and being associated with a network node (301, 502, 701) operating in discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX); receiving second configuration information for at least a second UL resource, the second UL resource also being used to access the wireless network; and When the first UL resource is in the DTRX off period, the second UL resource is used to access the wireless network.

41. The UE according to claim 40, wherein: The UE is further configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 2-15.

42. A network node (301, 502, 701) configured to implement a method for reducing delay, the method comprising: determining that at least a second uplink (UL) resource is at least partially available when the first UL resource is in an off period of a first discontinuous transmission and reception (DTRX) scheme; Sending second configuration information for the second UL resource to a user equipment UE (302); and A message is received from the UE via the second UL resource during a time when the first UL resource is in an off period of the first DTRX scheme.

43. The network node according to claim 42, wherein: The network node is further configured to implement a method according to any one of claims 17-36.

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