Frame number correction for discontinuous reception

Abstract

A first entity in a communication network including a second entity may determine (440) a discontinuous reception ("DRX") cycle start time based on a number of times a frame number ("FN") has surrounded. The first entity may also initiate (450) the DRX cycle at the DRX cycle start time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to frame number ("FN") correction for discontinuous reception ("DRX"). Background Art

[0002] Figure 1 An example of a new radio ("NR") network (e.g., a fifth generation ("5G") network) is shown, including a 5G core ("5GC") network 130, network nodes 120a-b (e.g., 5G base stations ("gNBs"), and multiple communication devices 110 (also referred to as user equipment ("UE")).

[0003] A system frame number ("SFN") may be used to refer to a system frame, which is a timing reference in a 5G network. In some examples, each system frame includes 10 subframes, numbered from 0 to 9. Each subframe may correspond to 1 ms. Thus, one system frame may correspond to 10 ms. In some examples, the SFN may have a value from 0 to 1023 (1024 possible values), corresponding to a total of 10240 ms. A device-to-device frame number ("DFN") may be used to refer to a device-to-device ("D2D") frame, which is a timing reference in a sidelink network.

[0004] A discontinuous reception ("DRX") cycle in 5G may refer to a cycle in which a communication device switches between a lower power state (e.g., an idle state) and an active state. In some examples, the communication device saves power in a lower power state by not monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with a network node or a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) associated with another communication device. In order to receive messages, the communication device periodically wakes up (e.g., switches to an active state). Summary of the invention

[0005] According to some embodiments, a method of a first entity operating in a communication network including a second entity is provided. The method also includes determining a discontinuous reception ("DRX") cycle start time based on the number of times a frame number ("FN") has wrapped around. The method also includes starting a DRX cycle at the DRX cycle start time.

[0006] According to other embodiments, a first entity, a network node, a communication device, a computer program, a computer program product, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, a host or a system for performing the above method is provided.

[0007] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. In some embodiments, when a frame number ("FN") wraps around, a configured DRX cycle length may be maintained, which may reduce communication latency between two entities when at least one of the two entities is operating in a DRX cycle. Reducing communication latency may: improve user experience, and reduce wasted resources, including radio resources, bandwidth, and energy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, and illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of the inventive concept. In the drawings:

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a fifth generation ("5G") network;

[0010] Figure 2 is a table showing an example of a problem with the DRX standard formula;

[0011] Figure 3 is a diagram showing that according to some embodiments, Figure 2 Table of examples of problems being overcome;

[0012] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example of operations performed by a first entity according to some embodiments;

[0013] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments;

[0014] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a user equipment according to some embodiments;

[0015] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a network node according to some embodiments;

[0016] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a host computer in communication with a user device according to some embodiments;

[0017] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a virtualization environment according to some embodiments; and

[0018] Fig.10 is a block diagram of a host computer communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art, wherein examples of embodiments of the inventive concept are shown. However, the inventive concept can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. Components from one embodiment may be defaulted to being present / used in another embodiment.

[0020] FN (SFN or DFN) can be used in discontinuous reception ("DRX") functionality to ensure that the communication device and the transmitting device (e.g., a network node or another communication device) know when the communication device switches states. In some examples, the DRX cycle start time is the same as the start of the drx-onDurationTimer. The DRX cycle end time is the start of the next DRX cycle, and therefore also the next start of the drx-onDurationTimer. During the "on" portion of the cycle (drx-onDurationTimer runs), the UE listens to the PDCCH transmitted by the network. In some aspects, during this "on" portion of the DRX cycle, the network can send a PDCCH to the UE, for example for scheduling purposes. The known operation of the DRX functionality is applicable to embodiments of the present disclosure, in which the UE can periodically: turn off to save power, and turn on to at least receive a control channel (e.g., PDCCH).

[0021] The device and the network each determine the DRX cycle start time independently. However, they should of course both use the same rule / formula so that both determine the exact same DRX cycle start time for all DRX cycles.

[0022] In some examples, for a long DRX cycle, the UE starts its drx-onDurationTimer (e.g., for PDCCH monitoring) based on determining a drx-StartOffset, which is determined based on the following formula: [(SFN×10)+subframe number] modulo (drx-LongCycle)=drx-StartOffset.

[0023] For a short DRX cycle, the UE starts its drx-onDurationTimer (e.g., for PDCCH monitoring) based on determining drx-StartOffset, which is determined based on the following formula: [(SFN×10)+subframe number] modulo (drx-ShortCycle)=(drx-StartOffset) modulo (drx-ShortCycle).

[0024] There are some challenges. For example, when the DRX service lasts for a period longer than the period covered by the entire SFN range (e.g., 10240ms), a difference between the application packet arrival and the start of DRX may occur. For example, extended reality ("XR") services can last for a much longer period of time.

[0025] Figure 2 is a table showing how problems can occur when the DRX cycle length is not a factor of 10240ms. In this example, the DRX cycle value is 60ms (drx-StartOffset=0), and traffic arrives with a period of 60ms. It can be observed that when the SFN wraps around (e.g., exceeds its maximum value), the DRX "on duration" (i.e., drx-onDurationTimer) will start at a different time interval than the time interval it originally started. Specifically, when the SFN becomes 0 again, the DRX cycle starts earlier than the configured 60ms cycle length, i.e., at time 10240ms, which is only 40ms later than the previous DRX cycle started at 10200ms. This results in an offset between the time when the application packet arrives at the RAN and the time when the UE will start monitoring the PDCCH. This produces an undesirable increased latency, which can be increased for each SFN wraparound.

[0026] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. In some embodiments, a DRX cycle start may be determined based on the number of times the SFN has been wrapped around. In some examples, determining the DRX cycle start based on the number of times the SFN has been wrapped around prevents any offset between application packet arrival and the start of the DRX cycle.

[0027] Although the following description may generally refer to a discontinuous reception ("DRX") cycle performed by a communication device communicatively coupled to a network node via a communication network, embodiments herein may be applicable to other scenarios in which a DRX cycle occurs.

[0028] When performing current operations to determine the start of a drx-onDurationTimer (e.g., [(SFN×10)+subframe number] modulo (drx-LongCycle)=drx-StartOffset), a system frame number ("SFN") wraparound issue may occur. In some examples, SFN takes values ​​in the range 0 to 1023, and subframe numbers can be from 0 to 9, so the term [(SFN×10)+subframe number] ranges from 0 to 10239, and then repeats these values ​​(e.g., SFN=0 again each time). Therefore, if the DRX cycle length is not a factor of 10240ms, the current operation will incorrectly calculate the start of the DRX cycle each time the SFN value wraps around. This issue is not specific to extended reality ("XR") services, and may occur for any R15 / 16 DRX cycle length that is not a factor of 10240ms.

[0029] In some embodiments, the operation for determining the start of drx-onDurationTimer can be modified to [((1024×m+SFN)×10)+subframe number] modulo (drx-LongCycle)=drx-StartOffset, where m=0 when DRX is activated, and m is incremented each time SFN=0. These modifications do not require the introduction of additional configurable parameters.

[0030] In some embodiments, the communication device and / or network node may determine the start of a DRX cycle by determining an amount of time until the DRX cycle starts (drx-StartOffset), the amount of time until the DRX cycle starts being determined based on the number of times the SFN has wrapped around. In some examples, each time there is a SFN wraparound, the drx-StartOffset is adjusted by adding "(FN_max*m)", where FN_max is the maximum range of the SFN and m is an integer counter that is incremented each time the SFN wraps around. In some examples, m may be initialized to zero and incremented in response to an SFN attempt to be incremented to a value exceeding FN_max or in response to the SFN returning to a zero value. Adding "(FN_max*m)" may be sufficient to prevent misalignment.

[0031] In an additional or alternative embodiment, for a long DRX cycle, the start of the DRX cycle may be determined based on the following formula: [(FN_max×m+SFN)×10+subframe number] modulo (drx-LongCycle)=(drx-StartOffset).

[0032] Similarly, for a short DRX cycle, the start of the DRX cycle may be determined based on the following formula: [(FN_max×m+SFN)×10+subframe number] modulo (drx-ShortCycle)=(drx-StartOffset) modulo (drx-ShortCycle).

[0033] In additional or alternative embodiments, the following operations may be used to maintain m: 1> Initialization: m = 0 1>When DRX is configured and activated: 2> If SFN reaches 0, it increases by 1, that is, m = m + 1 1> End the loop

[0034] Figure 3 An example is shown of how the difference between packet arrival and DRX start can be eliminated by calculating the DRX cycle start based on the number of times the SFN has wrapped around.

[0035] Eliminating the difference between packet arrival and DRX start can prevent communication delays between the entity operating to perform DRX and another entity. In some examples, preventing communication delays can improve user experience. In additional or alternative examples, communication delays are prevented and energy, radio resources, and bandwidth used to communicate (monitor and / or transmit) with another entity are reduced.

[0036] In the following description, although the first entity may be any one of the wireless device 512A-B, the wired or wireless device UE 512C-D, the UE 600, the hub 514, the network node 510A-B, the core network node 508, the network node 700, the virtualized hardware 904, the virtual machine 908A, 908B, the network node 1004 or the UE 1006, the UE 600 (also referred to herein as the communication device 600) shall be used to describe the functionality of the operation of the first entity. Now, reference will be made to some embodiments according to the inventive concept. Figure 4 Flowchart of Figure 6 The operation of the communication device 600 is implemented by the structure of the block diagram. For example, the module can be stored in Figure 6 The modules may be stored in the memory 610, and these modules may provide instructions, so that when the instructions of the modules are executed by the corresponding communication device processing circuit 602, the processing circuit 602 performs the corresponding operations of the flowchart.

[0037] Figure 4 An example of operations performed by a first entity in a communication network including a second entity for performing FN correction for DRX is shown.

[0038] At block 410, the processing circuit 602 determines the length of the DRX cycle. In some embodiments, determining the length of the DRX cycle includes determining whether the DRX cycle is a long DRX cycle or a short DRX cycle. The length of the DRX cycle may be predetermined or preset.

[0039] At block 420, processing circuitry 602 determines a frame number ("FN"). In some examples, FN is a counter of frames that are timing references associated with a communication network. In some examples, FN has a maximum range ("FN_max") of 1024 (0 to 1023). In some embodiments, processing circuitry 602 maintains a counter of the number of times FN has wrapped around ("m"). In some examples, the number of times FN has wrapped around is associated with the number of times FN has been incremented beyond FN_max. When FN is incremented beyond FN_max (or attempted to be incremented beyond FN_max), FN may be set to zero (or reset / returned to zero if it was initialized to zero). In additional or alternative examples, the number of times FN has wrapped around is associated with the number of times FN has returned to zero. In additional or alternative examples, each frame has a length of 10 ms.

[0040] At block 430, the processing circuit 602 determines a subframe number associated with a current subframe of the current frame. In some examples, each frame includes ten subframes (0 to 9). In additional or alternative examples, each subframe has a length of 1 ms.

[0041] At block 440, processing circuit 602 determines a DRX cycle start time based on the number of times the FN has wrapped around. In some embodiments, determining the DRX cycle start time includes determining the DRX cycle start time based on: a maximum range of the FN; the FN; the number of times the FN has wrapped around; the subframe number; and the length of the DRX cycle.

[0042] In an additional or alternative embodiment, if the DRX cycle is a long DRX cycle, determining the DRX cycle start time includes determining an amount of time until the DRX cycle starts ("drx-StartOffset") based on the following formula: drx-StartOffset = [(FN_max*m+FN)*10+subframe number] modulo (drx-LongCycle), Where drx-LongCycle is the length of the DRX cycle.

[0043] In an additional or alternative embodiment, if the DRX cycle is a short DRX cycle, determining the DRX cycle start time includes determining an amount of time until the DRX cycle starts ("drx-StartOffset") based on the following formula: drx-StartOffset modulo drx-ShortCycle = [(FN_max*m+FN)*10+subframe number] modulo (drx-ShortCycle), Where drx-ShortCycle is the length of the DRX cycle.

[0044] At block 450, the processing circuit 602 starts the DRX cycle at the DRX cycle start time. In some embodiments, starting the DRX cycle includes starting a timer associated with the length of the DRX cycle ("drx-onDurationTimer"). Thus, in some aspects, the cycle start time is the same as the start of the drx-onDurationTimer and may be used interchangeably in some aspects.

[0045] In additional or alternative embodiments, the first entity is a communication device and the second entity is a network node. The FN may be a SFN. In some examples, initiating the DRX cycle includes, for example, monitoring a physical downlink control channel ("PDCCH") for transmissions from the network node during an "on" portion of the DRX cycle. In additional or alternative examples, the transmission from the network node is a multicast broadcast service ("MBS") broadcast transmission or an MBS multicast transmission.

[0046] In an additional or alternative embodiment, the first entity is a first communication device and the second entity is a second communication device. The FN may be a device-to-device FN ("DFN"). In some examples, the communication network is a sidelink communication network. In an additional or alternative example, the DRX cycle is a sidelink DRX cycle. In an additional or alternative example, initiating a sidelink DRX cycle includes monitoring a physical sidelink control channel ("PSCCH") for transmissions from the second communication device. In an additional or alternative example, initiating a sidelink DRX cycle includes transmitting a signal to the second communication device via the PSCCH.

[0047] In an additional or alternative embodiment, determining the start of the DRX cycle includes determining an amount of time until the sidelink DRX cycle starts (e.g., sl-drx-StartOffset) based on the following formula: sl-drx-StartOffset = [(FN_max*m+DFN)*10+subframe number] modulo (sl-drx-Cycle), Where sl-drx-Cycle is the length of the sidelink DRX cycle.

[0048] Although the communication device is described Figure 4, but the operation may be performed by any suitable entity such as a network node (e.g., network node 700). In some embodiments, the first entity is a network node and the second entity is a communication device. The FN may be a SFN. In some examples, initiating a DRX cycle includes transmitting a signal to the communication device via a PDCCH. In additional or alternative examples, transmitting the signal includes transmitting an MBS broadcast signal or an MBS multicast signal.

[0049] For some embodiments, Figure 4 Various operations shown in may be optional. For example, with respect to Embodiment 1 (below), blocks 410, 420, and 430 are optional.

[0050] Figure 5 An example of a communication system 500 is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0051] In this example, the communication system 500 includes a telecommunications network 502, which includes an access network 504 such as a radio access network (RAN) and a core network 506, which includes one or more core network nodes 508. The access network 504 includes: one or more access network nodes such as network nodes 510a and 510b (one or more of which can be collectively referred to as network nodes 510), or any other similar third generation partnership project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP access point. In addition, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the network node 510 is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which the radio part and the baseband part are supplied by a single supplier and integrated. Therefore, it will be understood that the network node 510 can include a decomposed implementation or part thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunications network 502 includes one or more open RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunications network 502 that supports ORAN specifications (e.g., specifications published by the O-RAN Alliance or any similar organization), and can operate alone or in conjunction with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in the telecommunications network 502 (including one or more network nodes 510 and / or core network nodes 508).

[0052] Examples of ORAN network nodes include: an open radio unit (O-RU), an open distributed unit (O-DU); an open central unit (O-CU), including an O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP); a RAN intelligent controller (near real-time or non-real-time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near real-time RAN control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real-time RAN automation application (e.g., rApp); or any combination thereof (the adjective "open" indicates support for ORAN specifications). The network node can support the specification by, for example, supporting interfaces defined by the ORAN specification, such as A1, F1, W1, E1, E2, X2, Xn interfaces, open fronthaul user plane interfaces, or open fronthaul management plane interfaces. The intent and content-aware notifications described herein can be transmitted from a 3GPP network node or an ORAN network node via a 3GPP defined interface (e.g., N2, N3) and / or an ORAN Alliance defined interface (e.g., A1, O1). In addition, an ORAN network node can be a logical node in a physical node. In addition, the ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualized environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualized environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a service management and orchestration framework via an O-2 interface, and the O-2 interface is defined by the O-RAN Alliance. The network node 510 facilitates direct or indirect connection of a user equipment (UE), such as by connecting wireless devices 512a, 512b, 512c, and 512d (one or more of which may be collectively referred to as UE 512) to the core network 506 via one or more wireless connections. The network node 510 facilitates direct or indirect connection of a user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UE 512a, 512b, 512c, and 512d (one or more of which may be collectively referred to as UE 512) to the core network 506 via one or more wireless connections.

[0053] Example wireless communications via wireless connections include the use of electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. In addition, in different embodiments, the communication system 500 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may contribute to or participate in the transmission of data and / or signals (whether via a wired or wireless connection). The communication system 500 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0054] UE 512 may be any of a variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network node 510 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node 510 is arranged, capable, configured and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE 512 and / or with other network nodes or devices in telecommunication network 502 to: enable and / or provide network access such as wireless network access, and / or perform other functions such as management in telecommunication network 502.

[0055] In the depicted example, the core network 506 connects the network node 510 to one or more hosts such as the host 516. These connections may be direct or indirect (via one or more intermediary networks or devices). In other examples, the network node may be directly coupled to the host. The core network 506 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 508) composed of hardware and software components. The features of these components may be substantially similar to the features described for the UE, network node, and / or host, so that their descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 508. The example core network node includes the functions of one or more of the following: a mobile switching center (MSC), a mobility management entity (MME), a home subscriber server (HSS), an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), an authentication server function (AUSF), a subscription identifier de-hiding function (SIDF), a unified data management (UDM), a security edge protection agent (SEPP), a network exposure function (NEF), and / or a user plane function (UPF).

[0056] The host 516 may be owned or controlled by a service provider other than the operator or provider of the telecommunications network 502 and / or the access network 504, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The host 516 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (e.g., retrieving and collating data about various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analysis functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functions performed by a server.

[0057] on the whole, Figure 5The communication system 500 implements connectivity between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that 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.

[0058] In some examples, the telecommunication network 502 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, the telecommunication network 502 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the telecommunication network 502. For example, the telecommunication network 502 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or providing massive machine type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to yet other UEs.

[0059] In some examples, UE 512 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to transmit information to access network 504 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from access network 504. In addition, the UE may be configured to operate in a single RAT or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE may operate with any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (new air interface), and LTE, i.e., be configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) new air interface dual connectivity (EN-DC).

[0060] In this example, the hub 514 communicates with the access network 504 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 512c and / or 512d) and a network node (e.g., network node 510b). In some examples, the hub 514 can be: a controller, a router, a content source, and an analytics device (analytics), or any other communication device described herein with respect to a UE. For example, the hub 514 can be a broadband router that enables UE access to the core network 506. As another example, the hub 514 can be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. Commands or instructions can be received from the UE, the network node 510, or through executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the hub 514. As another example, the hub 514 can be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage device for UE data, and in some embodiments, can perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 514 can be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the hub 514 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, and then the hub 514 provides it to the UE directly, or after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In another example, the hub 514 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UE, especially if one or more of the UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0061] The hub 514 may have a continuous / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 510b. The hub 514 may also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between the hub 514 and the UE (e.g., UE 512c and / or 512d) and between the hub 514 and the core network 506. In other examples, the hub 514 is connected to the core network 506 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. In addition, the hub 514 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider through the access network 504 and / or to another UE via a direct connection. In some scenarios, the UE may establish a wireless connection with the network node 510 while still being connected via the hub 514 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 514 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications from the network node 510b to the UE / from the UE to the network node 510b. In other embodiments, hub 514 may be a non-dedicated hub - ie, a device operable to route communications between UEs and network node 510b but also capable of operating as a communications origin and / or endpoint for certain data channels.

[0062] Figure 6UE 600 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, laptops, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless client equipment (CPEs), vehicle mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless devices, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including: Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, Machine Type Communication (MTC) UEs, and / or Enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0063] The UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, 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, the UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Instead, the UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user, but the device may not be associated with a specific human user, or may not initially be associated with a specific human user, (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, the UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user, but the device may be associated with a user or the device may be operated for the benefit of the user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0064] UE 600 includes processing circuitry 602, which is operatively coupled to input / output interface 606, power supply 608, memory 610, communication interface 612, and / or any other components or any combination thereof via bus 604. Some UEs may utilize Figure 6 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.

[0065] The processing circuit 602 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 610 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuit 602 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 together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, a general-purpose processor, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 602 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0066] In this example, the input / output interface 606 can be configured to provide an interface or multiple interfaces to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include: a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, a transmitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device can allow a user to capture information into the UE 600. Examples of input devices include: a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a roller, a smart card, and the like. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use an interface port of the same type as an input device. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port may be used to provide input devices and output devices.

[0067] In some embodiments, the power supply 608 is configured as a battery or a battery pack. Other types of power supplies may be used, such as an external power supply (e.g., a power socket), a photovoltaic device, or a power cell. The power supply 608 may also include a power supply circuit for delivering power from the power supply 608 itself and / or an external power supply to various parts of the UE 600 via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. The delivered power may be used, for example, for charging the power supply 608. The power supply circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification to the power from the power supply 608 so that the power is suitable for the corresponding components of the UE 600 being powered.

[0068] The memory 610 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, and the like. In one example, the memory 610 includes: one or more application programs 614, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a widget engine, or other application; and corresponding data 616. The memory 610 may store any of a variety of operating systems or a combination of operating systems for use by the UE 600.

[0069] The memory 610 may be configured to include a plurality of 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 (e.g., 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 610 may allow the UE 600 to access instructions, applications, and the like stored on a temporary or non-temporary memory medium to offload data or upload data. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in memory 610 , which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0070] The processing circuit 602 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using a communication interface 612. The communication interface 612 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 622. The communication interface 612 may include one or more transceivers for communicating, for example, by the following operations: communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., a network node in an access network or another UE). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 618 and / or a receiver 620 suitable for providing network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, and the like). In addition, the transmitter 618 and the receiver 620 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 622) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0071] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functionality of the communication interface 612 may include: cellular communication, Wi-Fi 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 networking (SONET), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), QUIC, hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), and the like.

[0072] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensor to a network node via a wireless connection through its communication interface 612. The data captured by the UE's sensor may be transmitted to the network node via another UE over a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load resulting from reports from several sensors), in response to a trigger event (e.g., sending an alarm when moisture is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0073] 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 the control surface or rotor of an unmanned aircraft in flight based on the received input, or adjusts a robotic arm performing a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0074] A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, may be a device used in 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: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, connected lighting, an electric meter, a robotic vacuum cleaner, a voice-activated smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electric door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system such as a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), a wearable device for tactile enhancement or sensory enhancement, a sprinkler, an animal or item tracking device, a sensor for monitoring plants or animals, an industrial robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device such as a heart rate monitor or a remote-controlled surgical robot. In addition to the above, the UE may be used in one or more application areas including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. Figure 6 In addition to the other components described for UE 600 shown in FIG. 6 , a UE in the form of an IoT device may include circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0075] As yet another specific example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another UE and / or a network node. In this case, the UE may be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, a UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent: a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane, or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0076] In fact, for a single use case, any number of UEs may be used together. For example, a first UE may be or be integrated into a drone and may provide speed information of the drone (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes 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 more than one of the above functionalities. For example, the UE may include a sensor and an actuator and may handle the transmission of data from both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0077] Figure 7 A network node 700 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), NR NodeBs (gNBs)), O-RAN nodes, or components of O-RAN nodes (e.g., intelligent controllers, O-RUs, O-DUs, O-CUs).

[0078] Base stations may be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level), and thus, depending on the amount of coverage provided, base stations may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), which is 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. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0079] Other examples of network nodes include: multi-transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, MSR devices such as multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNC) or base station controllers (BSC), base transceiver stations (BTS), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), operations and maintenance (O&M) nodes, operations support system (OSS) nodes, self-organizing network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., evolved serving mobile positioning center (E-SMLC)) and / or minimization of drive tests (MDT).

[0080] The network node 700 includes a processing circuit 702, a memory 704, a communication interface 706, and a power supply 708. The network node 700 may be composed of multiple physically separated components (e.g., a NodeB component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have its own corresponding components. In certain scenarios where the network node 700 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more separate components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In this scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered to be a single separate network node in some instances. In some embodiments, the network node 700 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In this embodiment, some components may be copied (e.g., separate memories 704 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 710 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 700 may also include multiple sets of various illustrated components for different wireless technologies (these wireless technologies are integrated into the network node 700), such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chip sets and other components within the network node 700.

[0081] The processing circuit 702 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic that is operable to provide network node 700 functionality alone or in conjunction with other network node 700 components such as memory 704.

[0082] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 702 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, processing circuitry 702 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 712 and baseband processing circuitry 714. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 712 and baseband processing circuitry 714 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units (e.g., a radio unit and a digital unit). In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 712 and baseband processing circuitry 714 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0083] The memory 704 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to: a persistent storage device, a solid-state memory, a remotely mounted memory, a magnetic medium, an optical medium, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a mass storage medium (e.g., a hard disk), a removable storage medium (e.g., a flash drive, a compact disk (CD), or a digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores instructions, data, and / or information that can be used by the processing circuit 702. The memory 704 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including computer programs, software, applications, including one or more of the following: logic, rules, codes, tables, and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 702 and utilized by the network node 700. The memory 704 may be used to store any calculations performed by the processing circuit 702 and / or any data received via the communication interface 706. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 702 and the memory 704 are integrated.

[0084] The communication interface 706 is used for wired or wireless transmission of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks and / or UEs. As shown, the communication interface 706 includes (one or more) ports / (one or more) terminals 716 for sending data to the network and receiving data from the network, for example, via a wired connection. The communication interface 706 also includes a radio front-end circuit 718, which can be coupled to the antenna 710, or can be a part of the antenna 710 in some embodiments. The radio front-end circuit 718 includes a filter 720 and an amplifier 722. The radio front-end circuit 718 can be connected to the antenna 710 and the processing circuit 702. The radio front-end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna 710 and the processing circuit 702. The radio front-end circuit 718 can receive digital data to be sent (send out) to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 718 can use a combination of filters 720 and / or amplifiers 722 to convert digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be transmitted via the antenna 710. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 710 may collect radio signals, which may then be converted into digital data by radio front end circuitry 718. The digital data may be passed to processing circuitry 702. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0085] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 700 does not include a separate radio front end circuit 718, but rather the processing circuit 702 includes the radio front end circuit and is connected to the antenna 710. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or part of the RF transceiver circuit 712 is part of the communication interface 706. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 706 includes one or more ports or terminals 716, the radio front end circuit 718, and the RF transceiver circuit 712 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 706 communicates with the baseband processing circuit 714, which is part of the digital unit (not shown).

[0086] Antenna 710 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 710 may be coupled to radio front end circuit 718 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 710 is separate from network node 700 and may be connected to network node 700 via an interface or port.

[0087] Antenna 710, communication interface 706 and / or processing circuit 702 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 710, communication interface 706 and / or processing circuit 702 may be configured to perform any transmission operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be transmitted to a UE, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0088] The power supply 708 supplies power to various components of the network node 700 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). The power supply 708 may also include or be coupled to a power management circuit to supply power to the components of the network node 700 to perform the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 700 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., an electrical grid, an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as a cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit of the power supply 708. As another example, the power supply 708 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack that is connected to or integrated in the power circuit. The battery may provide backup power if the external power source fails.

[0089] Embodiments of the network node 700 may include, in addition to Figure 7Additional components beyond those shown in the figure are used to provide certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 700 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 700 and to allow information to be output from the network node 700. This may allow a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other management functions of the network node 700.

[0090] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a host 800 according to various aspects described herein, which may be Figure 5 800 can provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0091] Host 800 includes processing circuitry 802, which is operably coupled to input / output interface 806, network interface 808, power supply 810, and memory 812 via bus 804. Other components may be included in other embodiments. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to previous figures (e.g., Figure 6 and 7 ) so that its description is generally applicable to corresponding components of the host 800.

[0092] The memory 812 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host applications 814 and data 816, which may include user data, such as data generated by the UE for the host 800 or data generated by the host 800 for the UE. An embodiment of the host 800 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application 814 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 UE (e.g., mobile phones, desktop computers, wearable display systems, head-up display systems). The host application 814 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health, routing, and content availability to a central node (e.g., a device in a core network or on the edge). Thus, the host 800 may select and / or instruct different hosts for over-the-top services for UEs. The host application 814 may support various protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), and the like.

[0093] Fig. 9 900 is a block diagram showing a virtualized environment, in which the functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or equipment, which may include virtualized hardware platforms, storage devices, and networking 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 functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 900, which are hosted by one or more hardware nodes (e.g., 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 radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), the node may be fully virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualized environment 900 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a service management and orchestration framework via an O-2 interface.

[0094] An application 902 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) is run in a virtualized environment 900 to implement some features, functions and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein.

[0095] Hardware 904 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, and the like. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to: instantiate one or more virtualization layers 906 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 908a and 908b (one or more of which may be collectively referred to as VMs 908), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described with respect to some of the embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer 906 may present a virtual operating platform that appears to VMs 908 to be networked hardware.

[0096] The VM 908 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage devices, and can be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 906. Different embodiments of instances of virtual devices 902 can be implemented on one or more VMs 908 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 device types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices, which can be located in data centers and client devices.

[0097] In the context of NFV, a VM 908 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM 908 and the portion of the hardware 904 that executes the VM, 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 908 on top of the hardware 904 and corresponds to an application 902.

[0098] The hardware 904 may be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware 904 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 904 may be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., such as in a data center or CPE), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 910, which, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of the application 902. In some embodiments, the hardware 904 is coupled to one or more radio units, each of which includes one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio unit may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces, and may be used in conjunction with virtual components to provide radio capabilities to virtual nodes, such as radio access nodes or base stations. In some embodiments, a control system 912 may be used to provide some signaling, which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0099] Fig.10 A communication diagram is shown in which a host 1002 communicates with a UE 1006 via a network node 1004 over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. Fig.10 Describe the UE discussed in the previous paragraph (eg, Figure 5 UE 512a and / or Figure 6 UE 600), network node (e.g., Figure 5 The network node 510a and / or Figure 7 network node 700) and a host (e.g., Figure 5 Host 516 and / or Figure 8 An example implementation of a host 800 according to various embodiments.

[0100] Like the host 800, an embodiment of the host 1002 includes hardware, such as a communication interface, a processing circuit, and a memory. The host 1002 also includes software that is stored in or accessible by the host 1002 and can be executed by the processing circuit. The software includes a host application, which can be operable to provide services to a remote user (e.g., a UE 1006 connected via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1050 extending between the UE 1006 and the host 1002). When providing services to the remote user, the host application can provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 1050.

[0101] The network node 1004 includes hardware that enables it to communicate with the host 1002 and the UE 1006. The connection 1060 can be direct or through a core network (such as Figure 5The core network 506 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.

[0102] UE 1006 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by UE 1006 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 via UE 1006 with the support of host 1002. In host 1002, the executing host application can communicate with the executing client application via an OTT connection 1050 terminated at UE 1006 and host 1002. When providing services to users, the client application of UE can: receive request data from the host application of the host, and provide user data in response to the request data. OTT connection 1050 can transmit both request data and user data. The client application of UE can interact with the user to generate user data, and the client application of UE provides the user data to the host application through OTT connection 1050.

[0103] The OTT connection 1050 may extend via a connection 1060 between the host 1002 and the network node 1004 and via a wireless connection 1070 between the network node 1004 and the UE 1006 to provide connectivity between the host 1002 and the UE 1006. The connection 1060 and the wireless connection 1070 over which the OTT connection 1050 may be provided have been drawn abstractly to illustrate communications between the host 1002 and the UE 1006 via the network node 1004 without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via those devices.

[0104] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 1050, in step 1008, the host 1002 provides user data, which can be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a specific human user interacting with the UE 1006. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with the UE 1006, and the UE 1006 shares the data with the host 1002 without explicit human interaction. In step 1010, the host 1002 initiates a transmission carrying the user data toward the UE 1006. The host 1002 may initiate the transmission in response to a request transmitted by the UE 1006. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 1006 or by the operation of a client application executed on the UE 1006. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission may be delivered via the network node 1004. Therefore, in step 1012, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the network node 1004 transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host 1002 to the UE 1006. In step 1014 , UE 1006 receives user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on UE 1006 that is associated with a host application executed by host 1002 .

[0105] In some examples, the UE 1006 executes a client application that provides user data to the host 1002. The user data may be provided as a reaction or response to data received from the host 1002. Therefore, in step 1016, the UE 1006 may provide the user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via the input / output interface of the UE 1006. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data is provided, in step 1018, the UE 1006 initiates the transmission of the user data toward the host 1002 via the network node 1004. In step 1020, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the network node 1004 receives the user data from the UE 1006 and initiates the transmission of the received user data toward the host 1002. In step 1022, the host 1002 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 1006.

[0106] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to UE 1006 using OTT connection 1050, where wireless connection 1070 forms the last leg. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments can maintain the configured DRX cycle length when FN wraps around, which can reduce communication delay between the two entities when at least one of the two entities is operating with a DRX cycle. Reducing communication delay can: improve user experience, and reduce wasted resources, including radio resources, bandwidth, and energy.

[0107] In an example scenario, plant status information may be collected and analyzed by host 1002. As another example, host 1002 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating a map. As another example, host 1002 may collect and analyze real-time data to help control traffic congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, host 1002 may store surveillance videos uploaded by a UE. As another example, host 1002 may store media content (e.g., video, audio, VR, or AR) or control access to the media content, and host 1002 may broadcast, multicast, or unicast the media content to the UE. As other examples, host 1002 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical electrical loads to balance power generation demand, positioning services, presentation services (e.g., compiling charts based on data collected from remote devices, etc.), or any other function that collects, retrieves, stores, analyzes, and / or transmits data.

[0108] In some examples, a measurement process may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors improved by one or more embodiments. There may also be optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1050 between the host 1002 and the UE 1006 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented with software and hardware of the host 1002 and / or the UE 1006. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with other devices through which the OTT connection 1050 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement process by supplying the values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or supplying values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1050 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not require direct changes to the operation of the network node 1004. Such processes and functionality may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurement may involve proprietary UE signaling, which facilitates the measurement of throughput, propagation time, latency, and the like by the host 1002. The measurement can be implemented as follows: software causes the OTT connection 1050 to be used to transmit messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0109] 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 is to be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. The determination, calculation, acquisition or similar operations described herein may be performed by a processing circuit, which may process information, for example, by the following operations: converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with the information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information, and making a determination as a result of the processing. In addition, although the components are depicted as a single box located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in fact, the computing device may include multiple different physical components constituting a single illustrated component, and functionality may be divided between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any component described herein, and / or the functionality of the component 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, while the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0110] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality 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-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality 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 those specific embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functionality regardless of whether instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to only the processing circuit or other components of the computing device, but are generally enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks.

Claims

1. A method of a first entity operating in a communication network including a second entity, the method comprising: Determining (440) a discontinuous reception DRX cycle start time based on the number of times the frame number FN has wrapped around; as well as A DRX cycle is started (450) at the DRX cycle start time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: FN is a counter of frames, which are timing references associated with the communication network, having a maximum range FN_max.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The number of times the FN has wrapped around is associated with the number of times the FN has been incremented beyond the FN_max.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The number of times the FN has wrapped around is associated with the number of times the FN has returned to zero.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: determining (410) the length of the DRX cycle; determining (420) the FN associated with a current frame; as well as determining (430) a subframe number associated with a current subframe of the current frame, Wherein determining the DRX cycle start time comprises determining the DRX cycle start time based on the following items: The maximum range of the FN, FN_max; The FN; the number of times the FN has wrapped around, m; the subframe number; and The length of the DRX cycle.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: determining the length of the DRX cycle comprises determining that the DRX cycle is a long DRX cycle, Wherein determining the DRX cycle start time comprises determining the amount of time until the DRX cycle starts drx-StartOffset based on the following formula: drx-StartOffset = [(FN_max*m+FN)*10+subframe number] modulo (drx-LongCycle), Wherein drx-LongCycle is the length of the DRX cycle.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein: determining the length of the DRX cycle comprises determining that the DRX cycle is a short DRX cycle, Wherein determining the DRX cycle start time comprises determining the amount of time until the DRX cycle starts drx-StartOffset based on the following formula: drx-StartOffset modulo drx-ShortCycle = [(FN_max*m+FN)*10+subframe number] modulo (drx-ShortCycle), Wherein drx-ShortCycle is the length of the DRX cycle.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein: The FN_max is 1024, where each frame is associated with a FN between 0 and 1023, Each frame consists of ten subframes, and Each of the ten subframes is associated with a subframe number between 0 and 9.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: Each frame has a length of 10 ms, and Each subframe has a length of 1 ms.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: Starting the DRX cycle includes starting a timer drx-onDurationTimer associated with the length of the DRX cycle.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The first entity is a communication device, and the second entity is a network node, and The FN is a system FN, SFN.

12. The method according to any one of claims 11-12, wherein: Initiating the DRX cycle comprises monitoring a Physical Downlink Control Channel, PDCCH, for transmissions from the network node.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The transmission from the network node is at least one of: Multicast Broadcast Service MBS broadcast transmission; and MBS multicast transmission.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The first entity is a first communication device, and the second entity is a second communication device, wherein the communication network is a sidelink communication network, and The FN is a device-to-device FN, DFN.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The DRX cycle is a sidelink DRX cycle, and Wherein starting the sidelink DRX cycle comprises at least one of the following: monitoring a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) for transmissions from the second communications device; and A signal is transmitted to the second communication device via the PSCCH.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The first entity is a network node, and the second entity is a communication device, and The FN is a system FN, SFN.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: Initiating the DRX cycle comprises transmitting a signal to the communication device via a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: Transmitting the signal includes transmitting at least one of: Multicast Broadcast Service MBS broadcast signal; and MBS multicast signal.

19. A first entity (600, 700) operating in a communication network, the first entity comprising: Processing circuit (602, 702); as well as A memory (610, 704) coupled to the processing circuit and having stored therein instructions executable by the processing circuit to cause the first entity to perform operations including any of the operations of claims 1-18.

20. A computer program comprising program code to be executed by processing circuitry (602, 702) of a first entity (600, 700) operating in a communications network, whereby execution of the program code causes the first entity to perform operations including any of the operations of claims 1-18.

21. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium (610, 704), the non-transitory storage medium comprising program code to be executed by a processing circuit (602, 702) of a first entity (600, 700) operating in a communication network, whereby execution of the program code causes the first entity to perform operations including any of the operations of claims 1-18.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by a processing circuit (602, 702) of a first entity (600, 700) operating in a communication network to cause the first entity to perform operations including any of the operations of claims 1-18.

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