Adapting radio measurements based on global navigation satellite system measurement gaps

Abstract

A method is provided that includes acquiring radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) in a telecommunications system during an evaluation period. The method includes performing global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements to determine location information on which uplink transmissions to the NTN are based, the GNSS measurements associated with a GNSS measurement gap. The method includes performing a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap to a threshold duration. And the method comprises performing an evaluation of the radio measurements based on the comparison.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to telecommunications, and in particular to adapting radio measurements in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) of a telecommunication system based on global navigation satellite system measurement gaps. Background Art

[0002] A telecommunication system may be viewed as a facility for enabling communication sessions between two or more entities (such as user terminals, base stations, and / or other nodes) by providing carrier waves between the various entities involved in the communication path. For example, a telecommunication system may be provided by means of a communication network and one or more compatible communication devices. For example, a communication session may include data communications for carrying communications, such as voice, video, electronic mail (email), text messages, multimedia, and / or content data, etc. Non-limiting examples of the services provided include two-way or multi-way calls, data communications or multimedia services, and access to data network systems (such as the Internet).

[0003] In a wireless telecommunication system, at least a portion of a communication session between at least two stations occurs over a wireless link. Examples of wireless systems include public land mobile networks (PLMNs), satellite-based communication systems, and different wireless local area networks, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs). Some wireless systems may be divided into cells, and are therefore often referred to as cellular systems.

[0004] A user can access a telecommunication system by means of an appropriate communication device or terminal. The user's communication device may be referred to as a user equipment (UE) or user equipment. The communication device is provided with appropriate signal receiving and sending means for enabling communication, for example, enabling access to a communication network or communicating directly with other users. The communication device may access a carrier provided by a station (e.g., a base station of a cell) and send and / or receive communications on the carrier.

[0005] Telecommunication systems and related equipment typically operate according to a given standard or specification, which specifies what the various entities associated with the system are allowed to do and how it should be achieved. Communication protocols and / or parameters for the connection are also typically defined. An example of a telecommunication system is the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Other examples of telecommunication systems are Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE, and so-called 5G or New Radio (NR) networks. NR is being standardized by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Summary of the invention

[0006] Example implementations of the present disclosure relate generally to telecommunications, and in particular to adapting radio measurements in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) of a telecommunications system based on global navigation satellite system measurement gaps.The present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following example implementations.

[0007] Some example implementations provide an apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store computer-readable program code; and at least one processing circuit system configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-readable program code so that the apparatus at least: performs radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) in an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; performs GNSS measurements in a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement gap in which no radio measurements are performed; performs a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; and estimates radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison.

[0008] Some example implementations provide an apparatus comprising: components for performing radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) in an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; components for performing global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements in a GNSS measurement gap in which no radio measurements are performed; components for performing a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; and components for estimating radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison.

[0009] Some example implementations provide a method comprising: performing radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) in an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; performing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements in a GNSS measurement gap in which no radio measurements are performed; performing a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; and estimating radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison.

[0010] Some example implementations provide a computer-readable storage medium that is non-transitory and has computer-readable program code stored therein that, in response to being executed by at least one processing circuit system, causes an apparatus to at least: perform radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) in an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; perform GNSS measurements in a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement gap in which no radio measurements are performed; perform a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; and estimate radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison.

[0011] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent by reading the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, which will be briefly described below. The present disclosure includes any combination of two, three, four or more features or elements set forth in the present disclosure, regardless of whether such features or elements are explicitly combined or otherwise referenced in the specific example implementations described herein. The present disclosure is intended to be read as a whole, so that any separable features or elements of the present disclosure should be considered combinable in any aspect and example implementation thereof, unless the context of the present disclosure clearly provides otherwise.

[0012] Therefore, it should be understood that this “Summary” is provided only to summarize some example implementations in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that the above-mentioned example implementations are merely examples and should not be interpreted as narrowing the scope or spirit of the present disclosure in any way. Other example implementations, aspects, and advantages will become clear from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the principles of some of the described example implementations by way of example. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Having generally described example implementations of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0014] Figure 1 A telecommunications system implemented according to some examples of the present disclosure is illustrated, the telecommunications system comprising one or more public land mobile networks (PLMNs) coupled to one or more external data networks;

[0015] Figure 2 illustrates deployment of a PLMN according to some example implementations;

[0016] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the implementation according to some examples Figure 2 Deployment of non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) in the deployment of

[0017] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating various steps in a method of adapting radio measurements according to some example implementations;

[0018] Figure 5A , Figure 5B and Figure 5C illustrates corresponding overlap scenarios between a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Measurement Gap (MG) and an On Duration of a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) cycle according to some example implementations;

[0019] Fig. 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 6C and Fig.6D is a flow chart illustrating various steps in a method according to various example implementations; and

[0020] Figure 7 Apparatus according to some example implementations are illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Some implementations of the present disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some but not all implementations of the present disclosure are shown. In fact, various implementations of the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the implementations described herein; rather, these example implementations are provided to make the present disclosure thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout.

[0022] Unless otherwise specified or clear from the context, references to first, second, etc. should not be construed as implying a particular order. A feature described as being above another feature (unless otherwise specified or clear from the context) may be below the other feature, and vice versa; and similarly, a feature described as being to the left of another feature may instead be to the right of the other feature, and vice versa. Furthermore, while reference may be made herein to quantitative measurements, values, geometric relationships, and the like, any one or more (if not all) of these may be absolute or approximate, unless otherwise specified, to take into account acceptable variations that may occur, such as variations due to engineering tolerances, and the like.

[0023] As used herein, unless otherwise specified or clear from the context, an "or" in a set of operands is an "inclusive or" and is therefore true if and only if one or more of those operands is true, and an "exclusive or" (i.e., false) when all operands are true. Thus, for example, "[A] or [B]" is true if [A] is true, or if [B] is true, or if both [A] and [B] are true. In addition, the articles "a" and "an" mean "one or more" unless otherwise specified or the context clearly points to the singular form. In addition, it should be understood that the terms "data," "content," "digital content," and "information," and similar terms are sometimes used interchangeably unless otherwise specified. The term "network" may refer to a group of interconnected computers, including clients and servers; and within a network, these computers may be interconnected directly or indirectly in various ways, including via one or more switches, routers, gateways, access points, and the like.

[0024] Reference may be made herein to terminology specific to particular systems, architectures, etc., but it should be understood that example implementations of the present disclosure are equally applicable to any of a variety of systems, architectures, etc. For example, reference may be made to 3GPP technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), UMTS, LTE, Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Enhanced Machine Type Communications (eMTC), Advanced LTE, 5G NR, Advanced 5G, and 6G; however, it should be understood that example implementations of the present disclosure may be equally applicable to non-3GPP technologies such as IEEE 802, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth Low Energy.

[0025] In addition, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) a pure hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation solely in analog and / or digital circuitry); (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (as applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of (multiple) hardware processors with software (including (multiple) digital signal processors, software and (multiple) memories that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions); or (c) (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may not be present when it is not required for operation.

[0026] The above definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0027] Figure 1 A telecommunications system 100 implemented according to various examples of the present disclosure is illustrated. A telecommunications system typically includes one or more telecommunications networks. As shown, for example, the system includes one or more public land mobile networks (PLMNs) 102, which are coupled to one or more other external data networks 104, particularly including a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet. Each PLMN includes a core network (CN) 106 backbone, such as an evolved packet core (EPC) of LTE, a 5G core network (5GC), etc.; and each of the core network and the Internet is coupled to one or more radio access networks (RAN) 108, air interfaces, etc. that implement one or more radio access technologies (RATs). As used herein, "network equipment" refers to any suitable equipment on the network side of a telecommunications network. Examples of suitable network equipment will be described in more detail below.

[0028] In addition, the system includes one or more radio units, which may be variously referred to as user equipment (UE) 110, terminal equipment, terminal equipment, mobile station, etc. UE is generally a device configured to communicate with another UE or network equipment in a telecommunications network. UE may be a portable computer (e.g., a laptop, a notebook computer, a tablet), a mobile phone (e.g., a mobile phone, a smart phone), a wearable computer (e.g., a smart watch), etc. In other examples, UE may be an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Industrial Internet of Things (IioT device), a vehicle provided with vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication technology, etc. In operation, these UEs may be configured to connect to one or more RANs 108 according to their specific radio access technology, thereby accessing a specific CN 106 of a PLMN 102, or accessing one or more external data networks 104 (e.g., the Internet). The external data network may be configured to provide Internet access, operator services, third-party services, etc. For example, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has classified 5G mobile network services into three categories: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine type communications (mMTC) or massive Internet of Things (MioT).

[0029] Examples of radio access technologies include 3GPP radio access technologies, such as GSM, UMTS, LTE, Advanced LTE, NB-IoT, eMTC, 5G NR, Advanced 5G, and 6G. Other examples of radio access technologies include IEEE 802 technologies, such as IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.15 (including 802.15.1 (WPAN / Bluetooth), 802.15.4 (Zigbee), and 802.15.6 (WBAN)), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), etc. In general, radio access technology may refer to any 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G or higher generation mobile communication technology and different versions thereof, as well as any other wireless radio access technology that may be arranged to interconnect with such mobile communication technology to provide access to the CN 106 of a mobile network operator (MNO).

[0030] In various examples, the RAN 108 may be configured as one or more macro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. The RAN may generally include one or more radio access nodes configured to interact with the UE 110. In various examples, the radio access node may be referred to as a base station (BS), an access point (AP), a base transceiver station (BTS), a node B (NB), an evolved NB (eNB), a macro BS, a NB (MNB) or an eNB (MeNB), a home BS, a NB or an eNB (HeNB), a next generation NB (gNB), an enhanced gNB (en-gNB), a next generation eNB (ng-eNB), etc. A certain type of network control / management entity is responsible for controlling the radio access node. The network control / management entity and the radio access node may be separate or integrated into a single device. The network control / management entity may include a processing circuit system configured to perform various management functions, etc. The processing circuit system may be associated with a computer-readable storage medium or a database for maintaining information required in the management functions.

[0031] The RAN 108 may be centralized or distributed. In various examples, the components of the RAN may be interconnected via Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), optical fiber, dark fiber, passive wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), WDM passive optical network (WDM-PON), optical transport network (OTN), time sensitive network (TSN), and / or any other data link layer network (possibly including radio links). The RAN may be connected to the CN 106 via one or more gateways, network functions, etc.

[0032] As will be appreciated, the PLMN 102 may be deployed in a variety of different ways. Figure 2A deployment 200 of a PLMN is illustrated according to some example implementations, such as a 4G LTE or 5G deployment. As shown, the deployment includes a CN 106 and a RAN 108 having one or more radio access nodes 202 configured to interact with a UE 110. In a 4G LTE deployment, the EPC is the CN and the Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) is the RAN; and the E-UTRAN includes one or more eNBs (radio access nodes) configured to connect the UE to the E-UTRAN, thereby accessing the EPC. Similarly, in a 5G deployment, the 5GC is the CN 106 and the Next Generation (NG) Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) is the RAN 108; and the NG-RAN includes one or more gNBs (radio access nodes 202) configured to connect the UE 110 to the NG-RAN, thereby accessing the 5GC. The term 'gNB' in 5G may correspond to the eNB in ​​4G LTE.

[0033] Some deployments of 4G LTE and 5G are specifically considered to be standalone (SA) deployments. Other deployments combine 4G LTE and 5G technologies and are called non-standalone (NSA) deployments. In some deployments, the E-UTRAN includes one or more ng-eNBs that are configured to communicate with the 5GC and may also be configured to communicate with one or more gNBs. Similarly, in another deployment, the NG-RAN may include one or more en-GNBs that are configured to communicate with the EPC and may also be configured to communicate with one or more eNBs. In various cases, a single UE 110, a dual-mode or multi-mode UE may support multiple (two or more) RANs and thereby be configured to connect to multiple RANs, such as 4G LTE and 5G.

[0034] In some deployments, the operation of the radio access node 202 may be distributed or functionally split into components including one or more remote radio heads (RRHs) or radio units (RUs) and baseband units (BBUs); and in some architectures, the BBU may be split into distributed units (DUs) and central / centralized units (CUs), such as servers, hosts, or nodes. In some architectures, the RRH / RUs and DUs may be collocated. Node operations may also be distributed between multiple servers, hosts, or nodes.

[0035] It should also be understood that the distribution of work between CN 106 operations and radio access node 202 operations may vary from implementation to implementation. Therefore, the 5G network architecture may be based on a so-called CU-DU split. One gNB-CU (central node) may control one or more gNB-DUs. The gNB-CU may control multiple spatially separated gNB-DUs that act as at least transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) nodes. However, in some example implementations, the gNB-DU (also referred to as DU) may include, for example, a radio link control (RLC), a media access control (MAC) layer, and a physical (PHY) layer, while the gNB-CU (also referred to as CU) may include layers above the RLC layer, such as a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio resource control (RRC), and an Internet Protocol (IP) layer. Other functional splits are also possible. It can be assumed that those skilled in the art are familiar with the OSI model and the functions within each layer.

[0036] In some example implementations, a server or CU may generate a virtual network through which the server communicates with the radio node. Typically, a virtual network may involve the process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functions into a single software-based management entity (virtual network). Such a virtual network may provide a flexible distribution of operations between the server and the radio head / node. In practice, any digital signal processing task may be performed in the CU or DU, and the boundary at which the responsibilities between the CU and DU are transferred may be selected based on the implementation.

[0037] Various networks are now beginning to support non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), such as IoT over NTNs and NR over NTNs. In an NTN system, a radio access node 202 (e.g., eNB, gNB) or radio access node functionality may be deployed on a satellite or other aerospace platform in a regenerative deployment (or architecture), or relayed by a radio access node in a transparent deployment. Therefore, NTNs can provide communication coverage over very large areas (which may not be possible with terrestrial radio access networks alone). This functionality can be used to connect IoT devices globally, as well as to provide personal communications in remote areas and disaster relief.

[0038] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the implementation according to some examples Figure 2 300 of a deployment of an NTN 302 in a deployment of an NTN 302 in a deployment of an NTN 302. As shown, the NTN may include an aerospace platform, such as a satellite 304, connected to the UE 110 via a service link 306 (radio link) and connected to an NTN gateway 308 via a feeder link 310 (radio link). The NTN gateway may then be connected to the radio access node 202. In some examples, the NTN gateway and the radio access node may be collocated.

[0039] In various examples, the aerospace platform may be a satellite or airborne platform, an aircraft, etc. As indicated, the aerospace platform may be a satellite 304. In other more specific examples, the aerospace platform may be a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite, etc. Likewise, in more specific examples, the aerospace platform may be an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), such as a tethered UAS (TUA), a lighter-than-air UAS (LTA), a heavier-than-air UAS (HTA), a high altitude platform (HAP), etc. Some example implementations of the present disclosure may be described in the context of a satellite or a UAS, but it should be understood that these example implementations are equally applicable to other aerospace platforms.

[0040] In the specific example where the aerospace platform is a satellite 304 of the NTN 302 in a transparent deployment, the satellite can implement a transparent payload. That is, the satellite can implement radio frequency (RF) filtering, conversion and amplification. Therefore, the waveform signal repeated by the payload can remain unchanged. The satellite can generate a radio coverage beam with a corresponding footprint 312 over a given service area defined by its field of view 314 and onboard antenna technology. The corresponding footprint of the radio beam is usually elliptical. The field of view of the satellite can depend on the onboard antenna diagram and / or the minimum elevation angle. One radio beam can carry the signal of a cell, and several satellite radio beams can carry the signal of a single cell or multiple cells.

[0041] In some deployments, it is assumed that the UE 110 supporting the NTN 302 has global navigation satellite system (GNSS) capabilities. The UE can be configured to perform GNSS measurements (position fix) using the GNSS 316 including the constellation of satellites 318 to determine its own location information (UE location information). The UE can then perform uplink transmissions to the NTN based on the location information.

[0042] More specifically, for example, UE 110 may be configured to perform pre-compensation of uplink transmissions in terms of time and frequency adjustments based on UE location information (obtained via GNSS 316). Such pre-compensation may be useful when the NTN operates on low earth orbit satellites moving at approximately 28,000 km / h relative to the earth. Pre-compensation may be based on UE location information, and the UE knows the location information of the satellites 304 of the NTN 302 (e.g., location information obtained via satellite assistance information broadcast in a system information block). And by calculating the distance between the UE and the satellites and how the distance will change during transmission, the UE may determine when to perform an uplink transmission to the NTN.

[0043] In some deployments, it may be assumed that the UE 110 is unable to communicate with the NTN 302 and simultaneously acquire GNSS measurements from the GNSS 316. Some discussions include that when the UE must perform GNSS measurements, the UE moves to RRC idle mode, but if the UE is non-stationary and has a long connection and is non-stationary, the UE moving to RRC idle mode may incur overhead in terms of connection establishment signaling. That is, the UE may need to move to RRC idle mode to measure GNSS multiple times.

[0044] The GNSS measurements may be valid for a duration, which the UE 110 may report to the radio access node 202 so that the radio access node knows when new GNSS measurements may be needed. The recent discussion also includes the radio access node 202 being configured to trigger the UE 110 to perform GNSS measurements during a GNSS measurement gap, such as when the current GNSS validity period is about to expire. Similarly, the UE may be configured to autonomously trigger GNSS measurements during a measurement timer if the UE is not otherwise triggered by the radio access node before the GNSS validity period expires.

[0045] In the above context, both the GNSS measurement gap triggered by the radio access node and the measurement timer of the UE may be related to the duration during which the UE is triggered or otherwise configured to perform GNSS measurements to determine its own location information. In this regard, the duration of the GNSS measurement gap or measurement timer may be based on the GNSS position fix duration reported by the UE. As previously described, the duration of the GNSS measurement gap or UE measurement timer may generally be referred to as a GNSS measurement gap (MG) (GNSS-MG). In a scenario where the UE completes the measurement faster than the reported GNSS position fix duration / configured GNSS-MG, the GNSS-MG may also correspond to the actual time the UE spends on the GNSS measurement. In some examples, the duration of the GNSS measurement may correspond to a scaled version of the GNSS-MG, where the scaling factor is configured by the network or defined by the specification.

[0046] Problems may arise when the GNSS-MG is faced with UE procedures for radio measurements, such as for radio link monitoring (RLM) or radio resource measurement (RRM) activities. In the context of RLM, the UE may be configured to periodically perform radio measurements to monitor the quality of the serving cell. As a non-limiting example, consider the case of an M1 type UE (i.e., an enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) UE) in coverage enhancement mode A. The UE may be configured to periodically perform radio measurements during an evaluation period (T Evaluate _Q out_CatM1 ) relative to the threshold (Q out_CatM1) to evaluate the quality of the downlink radio link of the primary cell (PCell). The evaluation period may depend on whether the UE is configured for discontinuous reception (DRX) with a configured DRX cycle. In this regard, the DRX cycle link may range from less than 0.01 seconds to 2.56 seconds, or from less than 0.01 seconds to 10.24 seconds for extended DRX (eDRX).

[0047] It is also worth noting that in some deployments, if a cell has not been measured for more than a certain period of time (e.g., 5 seconds), the UE 110 may consider the cell "unknown". This may mean that without additional acquisition time (or time to search for cells, T search ), the UE cannot obtain downlink information from the cell. In short, the UE can regard the radio measurement samples exceeding the specific time period as invalid and discard them.

[0048] GNSS-MGs ranging from 1 to 31 seconds may interfere with the ability of UE 110 to perform radio measurements (such as performing RLM to assess serving cell conditions). A similar issue may be how measurement delays in RRM (e.g., applicable to identification and assessment of neighbor cells) are affected by long GNSS-MGs. Therefore, example implementations of the present disclosure provide a solution that enables a UE configured with GNSS-MG to perform assessments or radio measurements, such as for RLM or RRM, more quickly. In particular in the case of RLM, this may avoid unnecessary delays in the UE determining that the quality of the serving cell has degraded. Solutions of some example implementations may also enable the UE to take full advantage of radio measurements acquired prior to the GNSS-MG.

[0049] As explained in more detail below, according to some example implementations of the present disclosure, the UE 110 may be configured to perform radio measurements associated with the NTN 302 in an evaluation period associated with a configured DRX cycle. The configured DRX cycle may be configured by the NTN or the radio access node 202. The UE may also be configured to perform GNSS measurements in a GNSS-MG. In some examples, the UE may be configured to perform GNSS measurements in a GNSS-MG without any radio measurements being performed therein.

[0050] UE 110 may be configured to perform a comparison of the duration of the GNSS-MG with a threshold duration. In some examples, the threshold duration may be associated with a DRX cycle, the DRX cycle comprising an on-duration during which radio measurements are performed. Then, based on the comparison, the UE may be configured to estimate the radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements and based on the comparison.

[0051] In some examples where the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS-MG is not greater than (less than or equal to) the threshold duration, the evaluation period may be maintained. In some of these examples, the UE 110 may be configured to estimate the radio quality based on radio measurements performed before and after the GNSS-MG. In some other examples, the UE may be configured to extend the evaluation period based on at least one complete or partial overlap of the on-duration of the GNSS-MG and the DRX cycle. The UE may then estimate the radio quality based on the radio measurements performed in the extended evaluation period.

[0052] In some examples where the comparison indicates that the duration of GNSS-MG is greater than the threshold duration, UE 110 may be configured to discard one or more radio measurements in the radio measurements performed before GNSS-MG, and estimate the radio quality based on the radio measurements excluding the one or more radio measurements discarded in the radio measurements. That is, the radio quality may be estimated based only on the (multiple) radio measurements acquired after GNSS-MG. In some further examples, the UE may be configured to restart the evaluation period in which the radio measurements are acquired, the evaluation period being restarted after GNSS-MG. The UE may then estimate the radio quality based on the radio measurements performed in the restarted evaluation period. Here, the radio quality may be estimated based only on the (multiple) radio measurements acquired after GNSS-MG.

[0053] In some examples where the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than the threshold duration, UE 110 may adjust the evaluation period to be associated with a shorter DRX cycle or no DRX cycle configuration relative to the configured DRX cycle. In some further examples, the shorter DRX cycle may be shorter than the configured DRX cycle applied by the UE prior to the GNSS-MG.

[0054] As indicated, some example implementations are based on one or more features aimed at efficiently handling the impact of the GNSS-MG on the UE's radio measurements (eg, the time required for measurements or the measurement requirements). Figure 4 4 is a flow chart illustrating various steps in a method 400 of adapting RLM (radio) measurements according to some example implementations, which illustrates at least one of the feature(s) that may be implemented by UE 110. As indicated by blocks 402 and 404, the method includes acquiring RLM measurements during an evaluation period and performing GNSS measurements during GNSS-MG.

[0055] As shown in block 406, the method 400 includes comparing the duration of the GNSS-MG to a threshold duration, the threshold duration being associated with the DRX cycle (or eDRX cycle). In this regard, the threshold duration may be the configured DRX cycle or another value based on the configured DRX cycle, such as the configured DRX cycle with some additional duration (e.g., duration t+e(DRX) cycle) or a scaled value of the configured DRX cycle (e.g., k×(e)DRX cycle). In some examples, the threshold duration may be another threshold (e.g., 5 seconds), or the comparison may be performed only when the (e)DRX cycle is above the other threshold or only when eDRX is configured. In other similar examples, the comparison may be performed only when the GNSS-MG is below a threshold (e.g., 13 seconds). If in these other examples the (e)DRX cycle or the GNSS-MG does not meet other thresholds, the UE may proceed to block 410.

[0056] In some examples, the GNSS-MG considered in the comparison at block 406 may be from a configured value for the GNSS-MG or an early terminated GNSS-MG. In this regard, an early terminated GNSS-MG is a GNSS-MG in which the UE 110 performs GNSS measurements for a shorter duration than the GNSS-MG and signals its availability to the network (e.g., the radio access node 202). For example, this may include, if the UE completes the GNSS measurements early, the UE is configured to send a random access preamble before the GNSS-MG ends.

[0057] Back to Figure 4 In some examples where the GNSS-MG duration is not greater than the threshold duration, the UE 110 may continue with ongoing RLM measurements (including measurements acquired prior to the GNSS-MG), as shown in block 408. The evaluation period may also be maintained or extended for the duration of one or more DRX cycles. In this regard, the evaluation period may be extended based on a number of DRX cycles (or a number of DRX cycle on-durations) that at least partially overlap with the GNSS-MG.

[0058] Figure 5A , Figure 5B and Figure 5C The following diagram illustrates corresponding overlap scenarios between the on-duration of the GNSS-MG and one or more DRX cycles according to some example implementations. Figure 5A In , there is no overlap between the on-duration (sometimes referred to as the on-duration phase) of the GNSS-MG and DRX cycles, and the evaluation period can be maintained without being extended. Figure 5BIn the example, the on-duration of a DRX cycle partially overlaps with the GNSS-MG, and the evaluation period can be extended to the duration of a DRX cycle. Figure 5C In some examples, the evaluation period may be extended by up to the duration of two DRX cycles (where the OnDuration of two DRX cycles partially overlaps with the GNSS-MG). Furthermore, in some examples, the extension of the evaluation period may depend on whether the overlap is complete or partial (e.g., for partial overlap, by a factor of 0.5, where the factor may be configured by the network or defined in the specification). In these scenarios, the OnDuration of a DRX cycle is used as an example of when the UE may perform (multiple) radio measurements, but it should be understood that the description is generally applicable to any type of duration / time in which the UE performs (multiple) radio measurements when DRX is used.

[0059] Back again Figure 4 In some examples where the GNSS-MG duration is greater than the threshold duration, the UE may discard the RLM measurements acquired before the GNSS-MG and restart the evaluation period after the GNSS-MG, as shown in block 410. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may consider an evaluation period corresponding to a shorter DRX cycle or a "no DRX cycle" configuration. In some examples, the evaluation period may be restarted with a predefined value instead of a value corresponding to the DRX cycle.

[0060] In some examples, UE 110 may be configured to compare the duration of GNSS-MG with a second threshold duration (e.g., 5 seconds). In some of these examples, when the duration of GNSS-MG is greater than the second threshold, the UE may apply scheduling restrictions immediately after the GNSS-MG. Scheduling restrictions may indicate that some resources are not available for allocation for transmission at the UE or monitoring reception at the UE, and may indicate that the UE does not need to perform transmission in restricted resources or monitor reception in restricted resources. Scheduling restrictions may have a duration that enables the UE to perform a cell search process to reacquire synchronization or a cell to reacquire a serving cell that becomes unknown after the second threshold duration. In some examples, the evaluation period may be restarted at box 410 after an additional duration for the UE to perform the cell search process. However, if the UE fails to complete the cell search process within a specific allowed duration, the UE may trigger an early radio link failure (or reconstruction) process.

[0061] Although primarily described in the context of RLM measurements, example implementations of the present disclosure are equally applicable to other radio measurements. As described above, in some examples, the radio measurements may be RRM measurements, such as for measuring neighboring cells for mobility purposes. In this context, some example implementations may depend on the number of RRM measurement gaps or DRX cycles of RRM measurements that fully or partially overlap with the GNSS-MG. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, in addition to the time for evaluating neighboring cells, the affected requirements may also relate to the time for measuring known cells and the time for detecting unknown cells.

[0062] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6D 6 is a flow chart illustrating various steps in a method 600 that may be implemented by a UE 110 according to various example implementations. The method includes performing radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) during an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, such as Fig. 6A The method includes performing a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement in a GNSS measurement gap, as shown in block 604. The method includes performing a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration, as shown in block 606. And the method includes estimating a radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison, as shown in block 608.

[0063] In some examples, the threshold duration is associated with a configured DRX cycle, the configured DRX cycle including an on-duration during which the radio measurements are performed. In some examples, the threshold duration may be associated with a scaled version of the configured DRX cycle, wherein the scaling factor is configured by the network or defined by a specification.

[0064] In some examples, the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is not greater than a threshold duration, and the evaluation period is maintained.

[0065] In some examples, the method 600 further includes extending the evaluation period based on at least one of a full or partial overlap of the GNSS measurement gap with an on-duration of the DRX cycle, such as Figure 6B 6. In some of these examples, the radio quality is estimated at block 608 based on radio measurements performed during the extended evaluation period.

[0066] In some examples, the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than a threshold duration. In some of these examples, method 600 also includes discarding one or more radio measurements performed before the GNSS measurement gap in the radio measurements, such as Figure 6C 6. Also in some of these examples, the radio quality is estimated at block 608 based on the radio measurements excluding one or more radio measurements discarded from the radio measurements.

[0067] In some examples, the method 600 further includes restarting an evaluation period in which radio measurements are performed, the evaluation period being restarted after a GNSS measurement gap, such as Fig.6D In some of these examples, the radio quality is estimated at block 608 based on radio measurements performed in the restarted evaluation period.

[0068] In some examples, the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than a threshold duration, and the method 600 also includes adjusting the evaluation period to be associated with a shorter DRX cycle or a no DRX cycle configuration relative to the configured DRX cycle. The use of the shorter DRX cycle or no DRX cycle configuration may be configured by the NTN or defined by a specification.

[0069] According to example implementations of the present disclosure, telecommunication system 100 or PLMN 102 and components thereof (such as UE 110, CN 106, RAN 108, radio access node 202, satellite 304, NTN gateway 308 and / or satellite 318) may be implemented in various ways. Means for implementing the system and components thereof may include hardware, firmware, software or a combination thereof. In some examples, one or more devices may be configured to function as or otherwise implement the system and components thereof shown and described herein. In examples involving more than one device, the respective devices may be connected to each other or otherwise communicate with each other in a variety of different ways, such as directly or indirectly via a wired or wireless network, etc.

[0070] According to some example implementations, Figure 4 At least some of the described method 400 may be performed by an apparatus comprising means for performing the functions of the corresponding steps of the method. FIG. 6A to FIG. 6D At least some of the described method 600 may be performed by an apparatus comprising means for performing the functions of the corresponding steps of the method. Examples of suitable apparatuses may include user equipment, user equipment, user terminals, and the like.

[0071] Figure 7An apparatus 700 according to some example implementations of the present disclosure is illustrated, in which components for performing various functions include hardware, either alone or under the direction of one or more computer programs from a computer-readable storage medium (such as a computer memory (or simply "memory"). Generally, an apparatus of an example implementation of the present disclosure may include, contain or be embodied in one or more fixed or portable electronic devices. Examples of suitable electronic devices include wearable computers, mobile phones, portable computers, desktop computers, workstation computers, servers (server computers), etc. The apparatus may include one or more of each of a plurality of components, such as, for example, a processing circuit system 702 connected to a computer-readable storage medium 704.

[0072] Processing circuitry 702 may be comprised of one or more processors, either alone or in combination with one or more computer-readable storage media. Processing circuitry is generally any computer hardware capable of processing information, such as, for example, data, a computer program, and / or other suitable electronic information. Processing circuitry includes a set of electronic circuits, some of which may be packaged as an integrated circuit or multiple interconnected integrated circuits (integrated circuits are sometimes more commonly referred to as "chips"). Processing circuitry may be configured to execute a computer program, which may be stored on the processing circuitry or otherwise stored in a computer-readable storage medium 704 (of the same or another device).

[0073] Depending on the specific implementation, the processing circuit system 702 can be a plurality of processors, a multi-core processor, or some other type of processor. In addition, the processing circuit system can be implemented using a plurality of heterogeneous processor systems in which a main processor exists on a single chip together with one or more auxiliary processors. As another illustrative example, the processing circuit system can be a symmetric multi-processor system containing multiple processors of the same type. In another example, the processing circuit system can be embodied as or otherwise include one or more ASICs, FPGAs, etc. Therefore, although the processing circuit system may be able to execute a computer program to perform one or more functions, the processing circuit systems of various examples are able to perform one or more functions without the help of a computer program. In either case, the processing circuit system can be appropriately programmed to perform functions or operations implemented according to the examples of the present disclosure.

[0074] Computer-readable storage media 704 is generally any computer hardware capable of temporarily and / or permanently storing information such as, for example, data, computer programs (e.g., computer-readable program code 706), and / or other suitable information. Computer-readable storage media may include volatile and / or nonvolatile memory, and may be fixed or removable. Examples of suitable memory include recording media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard drive, flash memory, a thumb drive, a removable computer disk, an optical disk, or some combination thereof.

[0075] Computer-readable storage media 704 is a non-transient device capable of storing information and is different from a computer-readable transmission medium capable of carrying information from one location to another. Examples of suitable computer-readable transmission media include electronic carrier signals, telecommunication signals, software distribution packages, or some combination thereof. As used herein, the term "non-transient" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, rather than a signal), rather than a limitation on data storage persistence (e.g., RAM vs. ROM). Computer-readable media as described herein generally refers to computer-readable storage media or computer-readable transmission media. A computer-readable medium is any entity or device capable of storing and carrying information (such as one or more computer programs or portions thereof).

[0076] In addition to computer-readable storage media 704, processing circuit system 702 may also be connected to one or more interfaces for displaying, sending and / or receiving information. The interface may include communication interface 708 and / or one or more user interfaces. The communication interface may be configured to send and / or receive information to (multiple) other devices, networks, etc. The communication interface may be configured to send and / or receive information via physical (wired) and / or wireless communication links. Examples of suitable communication interfaces include network interface controllers (NICs), wireless NICs (WNICs), etc.

[0077] The user interface may include a display 710 and / or one or more user input interfaces 712. The display may be configured to present or otherwise display information to a user, suitable examples of which include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED) display, an active matrix OLED (AMOLED), etc. The user input interface may be wired or wireless, and may be configured to receive information from a user into the device, such as for processing, storage, and / or display. Suitable examples of user input interfaces include a microphone, an image or video capture device, a keyboard or keypad, a joystick, a touch-sensitive surface (separate from or integrated into a touch screen), a biometric sensor, etc. The user interface may also include one or more interfaces for communicating with peripheral devices (such as a printer, a scanner, etc.).

[0078] The execution of computer readable program code 706 by processing circuit system 702, or the storage of computer readable program code in computer readable storage medium 704, supports the combination of operations for implementing the example implementations of the present disclosure. In this manner, apparatus 700 may include at least one processing circuit system and at least one computer readable storage medium coupled to at least one processing circuit system, wherein at least one processing circuit system is configured to execute computer readable program code stored in at least one machine readable storage medium. It will also be understood that one or more functions and combinations of functions may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system and / or processing circuit system that performs the specified functions, or by a combination of dedicated hardware and program code instructions.

[0079] Some example implementations of the present disclosure may also be implemented in the form of a computer process defined by one or more computer programs or parts thereof. Example implementations of the present disclosure may be implemented by executing at least a portion of a computer program including a computer-readable program code. The computer program may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form. The computer program may be stored in a computer-readable medium, which may be read by a computer, a processing circuit system, or other suitable device. As described above, for example, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Additionally or alternatively, for example, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable transmission medium. The coding of the software for executing the example implementations of the present disclosure is fully within the scope of those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0080] As will be appreciated, any suitable computer-readable program code can be loaded from a computer-readable medium (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium, a computer-readable transmission medium) into a computer, a processing circuit system, or other programmable device to produce a specific machine, so that the specific machine becomes a means of implementing the functions described herein. Computer-readable program code can also be stored in a computer-readable medium, which can instruct a computer, a processing circuit system, or other programmable device to operate in a particular manner, thereby generating a specific machine or a specific product. In some examples, a computer-readable program code stored in a computer-readable medium can produce a product, wherein the product becomes a means of implementing the functions described herein. Computer-readable program code can be retrieved from a computer-readable medium and loaded into a computer, a processing circuit system, or other programmable device to configure a computer, a processing circuit system, or other programmable device to perform operations to be performed on or by a computer, a processing circuit system, or other programmable device.

[0081] The retrieval, loading, and execution of computer-readable program code including program code instructions may be performed sequentially, such that one instruction is retrieved, loaded, and executed at a time. In some example implementations, the retrieval, loading, and / or execution may be performed in parallel, such that multiple instructions may be retrieved, loaded, or executed together. The execution of program code instructions may produce a computer-implemented process such that instructions executed by a computer, processing circuitry, or other programmable device provide operations for implementing the functions described herein.

[0082] As noted above and reiterated below, the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following example implementations.

[0083] Clause 1. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store computer-readable program code; and at least one processing circuit system configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-readable program code so that the apparatus at least: performs radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) in an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; performs GNSS measurements in a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement gap; performs a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; and estimates radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison.

[0084] Clause 2. The apparatus of clause 1, wherein the threshold duration is associated with a configured DRX cycle, the configured DRX cycle comprising an On-Duration during which the radio measurements are performed.

[0085] Clause 3. The apparatus of clause 1 or 2, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is not greater than a threshold duration, and the evaluation period is maintained.

[0086] Clause 4. An apparatus according to clause 3, wherein at least one processing circuit system is configured to execute a computer-readable program code so that the apparatus further: extends the evaluation period based on at least one complete or partial overlap of the GNSS measurement gap with the on-duration of the DRX cycle, and the radio quality is estimated based on radio measurements performed in the extended evaluation period.

[0087] Clause 5. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than a threshold duration, and wherein at least one processing circuit system is configured to execute a computer-readable program code so that the apparatus further: discards one or more radio measurements in the radio measurements that were performed before the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements excluding the one or more radio measurements discarded in the radio measurements.

[0088] Clause 6. An apparatus according to clause 5, wherein at least one processing circuit system is configured to execute a computer-readable program code so that the apparatus further: restarts an evaluation period in which radio measurements are performed, the evaluation period being restarted after a GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the restarted evaluation period.

[0089] Clause 7. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than a threshold duration, and wherein at least one processing circuit system is configured to execute computer readable program code to cause the apparatus to adjust the evaluation period to be associated with a shorter DRX cycle or a no DRX cycle configuration relative to a configured DRX cycle.

[0090] Clause 8. An apparatus comprising: components for performing radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) in an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; components for performing global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements in a GNSS measurement gap; components for performing a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; and components for estimating radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison.

[0091] Clause 9. The apparatus of clause 8, wherein the threshold duration is associated with a configured DRX cycle, the configured DRX cycle comprising an On-Duration during which the radio measurements are performed.

[0092] Clause 10. The apparatus of clause 8 or 9, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is not greater than a threshold duration, and the evaluation period is maintained.

[0093] Clause 11. An apparatus according to clause 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for extending the evaluation period based on at least one complete or partial overlap of the GNSS measurement gap with an on-duration of the DRX cycle, and the radio quality is estimated based on radio measurements performed in the extended evaluation period.

[0094] Clause 12. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 8 to 11, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than a threshold duration, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for discarding one or more radio measurements in the radio measurements that were performed before the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements excluding the one or more radio measurements discarded in the radio measurements.

[0095] Clause 13. An apparatus according to clause 12, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for restarting an evaluation period in which radio measurements are performed, the evaluation period being restarted after a GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the restarted evaluation period.

[0096] Clause 14. An apparatus according to any of clauses 8 to 13, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than a threshold duration, and the apparatus further comprises means for adjusting the evaluation period to be associated with a shorter DRX cycle or a no DRX cycle configuration relative to a configured DRX cycle.

[0097] Clause 15. A method comprising: performing radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) in an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; performing GNSS measurements in a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement gap; performing a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; and estimating radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison.

[0098] Clause 16. The method of clause 15, wherein the threshold duration is associated with a configured DRX cycle, the configured DRX cycle comprising an On-Duration during which the radio measurements are performed.

[0099] Clause 17. The method of clause 15 or 16, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is not greater than a threshold duration, and the evaluation period is maintained.

[0100] Clause 18. The method of clause 17, wherein the method further comprises extending the evaluation period based on at least one full or partial overlap of the GNSS measurement gap with an On-Duration of the DRX cycle, and the radio quality is estimated based on radio measurements performed in the extended evaluation period.

[0101] Clause 19. A method according to any one of clauses 15 to 18, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than a threshold duration, and wherein the method further comprises discarding one or more radio measurements in the radio measurements that were performed before the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements excluding the one or more radio measurements discarded in the radio measurements.

[0102] Clause 20. The method of clause 19, wherein the method further comprises restarting an evaluation period in which radio measurements are performed, the evaluation period being restarted after a GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the restarted evaluation period.

[0103] Clause 21. A method according to any of clauses 15 to 20, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than a threshold duration, and the method further comprises adjusting the evaluation period to be associated with a shorter DRX cycle or a no DRX cycle configuration relative to a configured DRX cycle.

[0104] Clause 22. A computer-readable storage medium that is non-transitory and has computer-readable program code stored therein, the computer-readable program code causing the device, in response to being executed by at least one processing circuit system, to at least: perform radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) during an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; perform GNSS measurements during a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement gap; perform a comparison of a duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; and estimate radio quality based on at least some of the radio measurements performed during the evaluation period and based on the comparison.

[0105] Clause 23. The computer-readable storage medium of clause 22, wherein the threshold duration is associated with a configured DRX cycle, the configured DRX cycle comprising an On-Duration during which the radio measurements are performed.

[0106] Clause 24. The computer-readable storage medium of clause 22 or 23, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is not greater than a threshold duration, and the evaluation period is maintained.

[0107] Clause 25. A computer-readable storage medium according to clause 24, wherein the computer-readable storage medium has additional computer-readable program code stored therein, the additional computer-readable program code causing the device to further: extend the evaluation period based on at least one complete or partial overlap of the GNSS measurement gap with the on-duration of the DRX cycle, and the radio quality is estimated based on radio measurements performed during the extended evaluation period.

[0108] Clause 26. A computer-readable storage medium according to any one of clauses 22 to 25, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than a threshold duration, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium has additional computer-readable program code stored therein, the additional computer-readable program code causing the device to further: discard one or more radio measurements in the radio measurements that were performed before the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements excluding the one or more radio measurements discarded in the radio measurements.

[0109] Clause 27. A computer-readable storage medium according to clause 26, wherein the computer-readable storage medium has additional computer-readable program code stored therein, the additional computer-readable program code causing the device to further: restart an evaluation period in which radio measurements are performed, the evaluation period being restarted after a GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality being estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the restarted evaluation period.

[0110] Clause 28. A computer-readable storage medium according to any one of clauses 22 to 27, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than a threshold duration, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium has additional computer-readable program code stored therein, the additional computer-readable program code causing the apparatus to further: adjust the evaluation period to be associated with a shorter DRX cycle or a no DRX cycle configuration relative to a configured DRX cycle.

[0111] Clause 29. An apparatus comprising means for performing the method according to any one of clauses 15 to 21.

[0112] Clause 30. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, the computer readable program code in response to being executed by at least one processing circuit system causing an apparatus to perform the method according to any one of clauses 15 to 21.

[0113] Clause 31. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code, the computer readable program code in response to being executed by at least one processing circuit system causing an apparatus to perform the method according to any one of clauses 15 to 21.

[0114] Clause 32. A computer program comprising computer readable program code which, in response to being executed by at least one processing circuitry, causes an apparatus to perform a method according to any one of clauses 15 to 21.

[0115] Benefiting from the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the related drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs will be able to think of many modifications and other implementations disclosed herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific implementation disclosed, and modifications and other implementations are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. In addition, although the foregoing description and the related drawings describe example implementations in the context of certain example combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be understood that different combinations of elements and / or functions can be provided by alternative implementations without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, as in some claims in the appended claims, it is also possible to consider elements and functional combinations different from the elements and / or functions explicitly described above. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used only in a general and descriptive sense, and not for the purpose of limitation.

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: at least one memory configured to store computer readable program code; as well as at least one processing circuit system configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer readable program code so that the apparatus at least: performing radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) during an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; During the GNSS measurement gap, perform GNSS measurements; performing a comparison of the duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; as well as Radio quality is estimated based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison. 2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold duration is associated with the configured DRX cycle, the DRX cycle comprising an on-duration, the radio measurement being performed during the on-duration. 3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is not greater than the threshold duration, and the evaluation period is maintained.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one processing circuit system is configured to execute the computer-readable program code so that the apparatus further: extends the evaluation period based on at least one complete or partial overlap of the GNSS measurement gap with the on-duration of the DRX cycle, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the extended evaluation period.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than the threshold duration, and Wherein the at least one processing circuit system is configured to execute the computer-readable program code so that the apparatus further: discards one or more radio measurements in the radio measurements that are performed before the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements excluding the one or more radio measurements discarded in the radio measurements.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processing circuit system is configured to execute the computer-readable program code so that the apparatus further: restarts the evaluation period in which the radio measurements are performed, the evaluation period being restarted after the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality being estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the restarted evaluation period.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than the threshold duration, and The at least one processing circuit system is configured to execute the computer readable program code to cause the apparatus to: adjust the evaluation period to be associated with a shorter DRX cycle or a no DRX cycle configuration relative to the configured DRX cycle.

8. A method of communication, comprising: performing radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) during an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; During the GNSS measurement gap, perform GNSS measurements; performing a comparison of the duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; as well as Radio quality is estimated based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the threshold duration is associated with the configured DRX cycle, the DRX cycle comprising an On Duration, the radio measurements being performed during the On Duration. 10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the comparing indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is not greater than the threshold duration, and the evaluation period is maintained.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: The evaluation period is extended based on at least one complete or partial overlap of the GNSS measurement gap with an on-duration of the DRX cycle, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurement performed in the extended evaluation period.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the comparing indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than the threshold duration, and The method further comprises: One or more radio measurements performed before the GNSS measurement gap in the radio measurements are discarded, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements excluding the one or more radio measurements discarded in the radio measurements.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises: The evaluation period in which the radio measurements are performed is restarted, the evaluation period being restarted after the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the restarted evaluation period.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the comparing indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than the threshold duration, and the method further comprises: The evaluation period is adjusted to be associated with a shorter DRX cycle or a no DRX cycle configuration relative to the configured DRX cycle.

15. A computer readable storage medium, the computer readable storage medium being non-transitory and having computer readable program code stored therein, the computer readable program code in response to being executed by at least one processing circuit system, causing an apparatus to at least: performing radio measurements associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) during an evaluation period associated with a configured discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle; During the GNSS measurement gap, perform GNSS measurements; performing a comparison of the duration of the GNSS measurement gap with a threshold duration; as well as Radio quality is estimated based on at least some of the radio measurements performed in the evaluation period and based on the comparison.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the threshold duration is associated with the configured DRX cycle, the DRX cycle comprising an On-Duration during which the radio measurements are performed. 17 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is not greater than the threshold duration, and the evaluation period is maintained.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable storage medium has additional computer-readable program code stored therein, the additional computer-readable program code being responsive to being executed by the at least one processing circuit system, causing the apparatus to further: extend the evaluation period based on at least one complete or partial overlap of the GNSS measurement gap with an on-duration of the DRX cycle, and the radio quality being estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the extended evaluation period.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the comparison indicates that the duration of the GNSS measurement gap is greater than the threshold duration, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium has additional computer-readable program code stored therein, the additional computer-readable program code, in response to being executed by the at least one processing circuit system, causes the apparatus to further: discard one or more radio measurements in the radio measurements that were performed before the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality is estimated based on the radio measurements excluding the one or more radio measurements discarded in the radio measurements.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-readable storage medium has additional computer-readable program code stored therein, the additional computer-readable program code being responsive to being executed by the at least one processing circuit system, causing the apparatus to further: restart the evaluation period in which the radio measurements are performed, the evaluation period being restarted after the GNSS measurement gap, and the radio quality being estimated based on the radio measurements performed in the restarted evaluation period.

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