Minimization of drive test measurement area configuration for non-public networks

Abstract

A communication device in a first communication network may determine (810) Minimization of Drive Tests, MDT, configuration information. The communication device may also determine (820) a first MDT measurement associated with the first communication network based on the MDT configuration information. The communication device may also determine (830) a second MDT measurement associated with the second communication network based on the MDT configuration information. The communication device may also store (840) a portion of the first MDT measurement and the second MDT measurement based on the MDT configuration information, where the first and second networks are different from each other, and only either the first network or the second network is a public network (PN) and the other network is a non-public network (NPN).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to configuration enhancements related to minimization of drive tests. Background Art

[0002] Figure 1 An example of a new radio (“NR”) network (e.g., a fifth generation (“5G”) network) is illustrated, which includes 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] Minimization of Drive Tests ("MDT") is standardized for NR to reduce the amount of manually performed drive tests. It is a UE-assisted framework in which network measurements are collected by idle / inactive UEs and radio resource control ("RRC") connected UEs to help the network collect valuable information. It has been specified for Long Term Evolution ("LTE") and NR. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to some embodiments, a method of operating a communication device in a first communication network is provided. The method includes determining minimization of drive tests (MDT) configuration information. The method also includes determining a first MDT measurement associated with the first communication network based on the MDT configuration information. The method also includes determining a second MDT measurement associated with a second communication network based on the MDT configuration information. The method also includes storing a portion of the first MDT measurement and the second MDT measurement based on the MDT configuration information.

[0005] According to other embodiments, a method of operating a communication device is provided. The method includes determining an MDT measurement associated with a second communication network when the communication device is operating in a first communication network. The method also includes storing the MDT measurement associated with the second communication network. The method also includes, after storing the MDT measurement associated with the second communication network, entering the second communication network. The method also includes, after entering the second communication network, deleting the MDT measurement associated with the second communication network based on entering the second communication network.

[0006] According to other embodiments, a communication device, a computer program, a computer program product, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, a host or a system is provided to perform one of the above methods.

[0007] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages: In some embodiments, regional configuration of logged MDT configuration is enhanced so that network operators can better control the granularity of MDT measurement collection, especially when two different networks (e.g., PN and NPN (e.g., PNI-NPN)) are sharing the same frequency or when the UE can move between these two network types. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, 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 illustrating an example of a measurement log for logged minimization of drive tests ("MDT");

[0011] Figure 3 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an example of a recorded measurement configuration;

[0012] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a LoggedMeasurementConfiguration message;

[0013] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of MDT logging performed by a communication device when T330 is running and T319a is not running;

[0014] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a LoggedMeasurementConfiguration information element according to some embodiments;

[0015] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a zone configuration according to some embodiments;

[0016] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example of operations performed by a communication device according to some embodiments;

[0017] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments;

[0018] Fig.10 is a block diagram of a user equipment according to some embodiments;

[0019] Fig.11is a block diagram of a network node according to some embodiments;

[0020] Fig.12 is a block diagram of a host in communication with a user device according to some embodiments;

[0021] Fig.13 is a block diagram of a virtualization environment according to some embodiments; and

[0022] Fig.14 is a block diagram of a host communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] 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 may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure will be thorough and complete and the scope of the inventive concept will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. Components from one embodiment may be assumed by default to exist / use in another embodiment.

[0024] Generally speaking, there are two types of MDT measurement logging: logged MDT and immediate MDT. Logged MDT is described below.

[0025] A UE in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state is configured to perform periodic and event-triggered MDT logging after receiving the MDT configuration from the network. When the UE is in RRC_CONNECTED state, the UE shall report downlink ("DL") pilot strength measurements (reference signal received power ("RSRP") / reference signal received quality ("RSRQ")) along with time information, detailed location information (if available) and wireless local area network ("WLAN"), Bluetooth to the network via the use of the UE Information Framework. The DL pilot strength measurements for MDT logged are collected based on existing measurements required for cell reselection purposes without forcing the UE to perform additional measurements.

[0026] Figure 2 An example of measurement logging for logged MDT is illustrated.

[0027] For periodic logged MDT, the UE receives an MDT configuration including a logging interval (logginginterval) and a logging duration (loggingduration) from the network in an RRC message (e.g., LoggedMeasurementConfiguration). Upon receiving the configuration, a timer (T330) is started at the UE and set to the logging duration (10 minutes - 120 minutes). When the UE is in RRC_IDLE, the UE shall perform periodic MDT logging at an interval set to the logging interval (1.28 seconds - 61.44 seconds).

[0028] Figure 3 An example of a logged measurement configuration is illustrated. The purpose of this procedure is to configure the UE to perform logging of measurement results when in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE. This procedure is applicable to UEs with logged measurement capability in RRC_CONNECTED. The Next Generation Radio Access Network ("NG-RAN") can retrieve the stored logged measurement information through the UE Information procedure.

[0029] In some examples, the NG-RAN initiates a logged measurement configuration procedure to a UE in RRC_CONNECTED by sending a LoggedMeasurementConfiguration message.

[0030] In an additional or alternative example, upon receiving the LoggedMeasurementConfiguration message, the UE shall perform Figure 4 operation.

[0031] In an additional or alternative example, the process provides for logging of available measurements for UEs in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE with logged measurement configuration. The actual process of logging occurring within a UE in RRC IDLE state may continue in RRC INACTIVE state, or vice versa.

[0032] When T330 is running and T319a is not running, the UE shall perform Figure 5 operation.

[0033] A non-public network ("NPN") is a feature that allows a network to be deployed and / or managed by an entity other than a normal operator. The "normal operator" here is assumed to be the operator of one or more public land mobile networks ("PLMNs"). It should be noted that a PLMN also has an identifier called a PLMN identifier ("ID") or sometimes simply "PLMN".

[0034] There are two types of NPN networks, stand-alone NPN ("SNPN") and public network integrated NPN ("PNI-NPN"), which are described below.

[0035] A first network or network identifier (e.g., a PLMN) may be configured to be equivalent to another network or network identifier. For example, an operator of one network may reach an agreement with another operator so that users of these networks may consider the networks equivalent. There are no equivalent NPN networks in the current 3rd Generation Partnership Project ("3GPP") specifications, but it is possible that the concept of equivalent NPNs may be introduced in the future.

[0036] SNPN is a style of NPN that consists of non-PLMN entities. For example, it can be a private company that deploys the network, but the company is not / does not own the PLMN. For example, it can be such a company: it owns a factory and deploys a network in and around the factory to provide services for its staff and machines, etc.

[0037] An entity that owns a SNPN does not necessarily own its own PLMN. The SNPN network has an identifier that includes a PLMN identifier and a network identifier ("NID"). As described above, an entity that owns / manages a SNPN may not have its own PLMN identifier. However, since the SNPN includes a PLMN, a way for the SNPN network owner to obtain a SNPN identifier is to reach an agreement with a PLMN operator so that they can use the operator's PLMN. Another method is to use a "dummy" (e.g., "special," "not commonly used," "invalid," or similar) PLMN as part of the SNPN's identifier.

[0038] The PNI-NPN feature is another flavor of NPN. Similar to SNPN, PNI-NPN can be deployed to provide services to a specific set of users, such as providing services to employees and machines of a company. The main difference between SNPN and PNI-NPN is that PNI-NPN is integrated into the PLMN. Therefore, PNI-NPN can be managed by the operator of the PLMN into which the PNI-NPN is integrated.

[0039] The PNI-NPN has an identifier called a closed access group ("CAG") instead of the NID identifier used by the SNPN. A CAG is associated with each cell that forms the PNI-NPN. UEs of employees, machines, etc. of a company that should be given access to the PNI-NPN are configured with the relevant CAG. Other UEs do not have access to the PNI-NPN and are not configured to use the CAG. In general, when determining whether a UE can connect to a PNI-NPN, both the UE and the network perform a check by checking whether the UE is configured with a CAG, and only if the UE is configured with a CAG is the UE given access to the PNI-NPN.

[0040] Certain challenges currently exist. In some examples, a UE may have access and subscription to several networks or different network types (e.g., SNPN, PNI-NPN, and PLMN). In addition, if the UE is able to receive services that require a specific subscription for registration, the UE may perform registration on a private network (e.g., SNPN). Generally speaking, a UE is successfully registered on a private network (e.g., SNPN) if (1) the UE has found a suitable cell of the SNPN to camp on; and (2) the registration from the UE has been accepted in the registration area of ​​the cell on which the UE camps.

[0041] The current implementation of MDT measurement collection in 3GPP includes that operations, administration, and maintenance ("OAM") or the network will not be able to configure a UE to collect MDT measurements associated with a private network (e.g., NPN). In addition, network operators of private networks sometimes wish to collect MDT neighbor cell measurements from UEs for other networks (e.g., NPN) that may not have a subscription to that network. The collection of such neighbor network data may provide information about coverage hole improvements / optimizations in the current network. That is, comparing neighbor network signals with current network signals may reveal that the current network is not performing as well as the neighbor network. This is not possible with the current specification.

[0042] Another unsupported use case is that the operator of a PLMN may want UEs to collect measurements while they are in an NPN. The UE can indeed report measurements that reveal the coverage of the PLMN within the NPN, allowing the operator to optimize the coverage of the PLMN. Another reason why a PLMN operator may want UEs in the NPN to collect measurements is that there are more UEs in neighbor networks for data collection than in the current network. This is not possible with existing solutions.

[0043] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Various embodiments herein provide operations performed by a UE as part of a logged MDT framework / process for network coverage / performance optimization. The operations may include collecting MDT-related information and measurements for a new network type (e.g., NPN) when the UE is registered to a private network or a public network. The operations may also include collecting MDT measurements associated with an NPN cell to which the UE is registered / resides / on. The operations may also include collecting MDT measurements associated with a neighboring network, wherein the UE is not registered to the neighboring network, but the UE is configured to collect MDT measurements on a target frequency deployed on a neighboring NPN cell. The operations may also include deleting logged MDT measurement reports and / or configurations associated with an old network when the UE enters a new network and is registered to the new network. The operations may also include maintaining logged MDT measurement reports and / or configurations associated with an old network when the UE enters a new network and is registered to the new network.

[0044] In additional or alternative embodiments, the operations are implemented by enhancing the logged MDT configuration. In some examples, the enhancement includes including the NPN identity indication (e.g., NPN-PLMN identity information) in the MDT configuration or as part of the regional scope for the UE. In additional or alternative examples, the enhancement includes including the NPN indication in the regional scope of the neighboring frequency (e.g., in interFreqTargetInfo).

[0045] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE is allowed to log MDT measurements related to different networks having different network types (eg, public network ("PN") and NPN) according to an MDT configuration received from an OAM or network node.

[0046] Herein, the terms private network (eg, non-private network ("NPN")) and stand-alone NPN ("SNPN") / public network integrated NPN ("PNI-NPN") node are used interchangeably.

[0047] The PNI-NPN network in this article covers the scenario where the cell announces the PLMN+Closed Area Group ("CAG") in the NPN identity in the system information block 1 ("SIB1").

[0048] The SNPN network in this article covers the scenario where the cell announces the PLMN+network identity ("NID") in the NPN identity in SIB1.

[0049] This document will describe how a user equipment ("UE") (sometimes referred to herein as a communication device) that can access different network types (e.g., SNPN, PNI-NPN, and PLMN) should collect MDT related information. This will imply that the UE has been connected to a cell associated with (e.g., broadcasting) an identifier of the NPN (e.g., a SNPN with an NID identifier or a PNI-NPN with a CAG).

[0050] Minimization of Drive Tests ("MDT") related information configuration support for NPN is described below.

[0051] In some embodiments, the operations are performed by the UE as part of a logged MDT framework for network optimization. Figure 6 Examples of these operations are illustrated. The operations include receiving a recorded MDT configuration from a network node. In some examples, the MDT configuration includes an NPN network identifier, which indicates an area on which the UE can reside and collect MDT measurements. In additional or alternative examples, the NPN public land mobile network ("PLMN") identifier list may include only PNI-NPN related identifiers. In additional or alternative examples, the NPN PLMN identifier list may include only SNPN related identifiers. In additional or alternative examples, the NPN PLMN identifier list may include both PNI-NPN and SNPN related identifiers. In additional or alternative examples, the MDT configuration includes a PNI-NPN identifier and / or a SNPN identifier in combination with a PLMN identifier (e.g., an identifier associated with a public network).

[0052] In some examples, the MDT configuration includes an indication in the adjacent frequency region range (so called InterFrequencyTargetInfo) indicating whether the network is interested in collecting NPN cell coverage measurements as part of the target frequency. In an additional or alternative example, the network may include in the MDT configuration whether the UE should log MDT measurements only when it is camped in a cell of a specific network (e.g., PNI-NPN or SNPN), or whether the UE should log measurements from all cells belonging to the network identities listed in the MDT configuration.

[0053] The operation may also include evaluating the logging conditions from the received MDT configuration. The UE evaluates whether the serving cell measurements can be logged in the logged MDT report for a given logging instance based on the received MDT configuration. In some examples, the network includes an NPN identity as part of the MDT configuration to enable the UE to log MDT measurements when the UE is connected to the NPN network. If the NPN identity (represented by npn-IdentityInfoList) is present in the logged MDT configuration, the UE in the NPN evaluates whether the serving / residence cell belongs to the list of allowed NPN identities in npn-IdentityInfoList-r16 configured by the network. If so, the UE logs measurements related to the serving cell and / or neighboring cells in the MDT report. In other words, the UE evaluates measurements associated only with the NPN (e.g., a PNI-NPN that belongs to the list of allowed NPN identities in npn-IdentityInfoList-r16).

[0054] Embodiments related to enhancements to MDT configuration regarding adjacent frequency region ranges are described in Figure 7 1 and described below. The operations may include evaluating / checking the logging conditions included in the received MDT configuration. When two neighbor cells from different networks share a carrier frequency, the evaluation / check determines whether MDT-related measurements associated with neighbor cells from other network types are included per configured carrier frequency (configured as part of InterFreqTargetInfo).

[0055] In some embodiments, if InterFreqTargetInfo is present, the UE in the PN evaluates measurements associated with allowed PLMN identities present in InterFreqTargetInfo and / or plmn-IdentityList.Network configuration may restrict the UE to collect only MDT measurements associated with neighbor PN cells on the configured target carrier frequency.

[0056] In an additional or alternative embodiment, if InterFreqTargetInfo is present, the UE in the PN evaluates measurements associated with the allowed PLMN identities presented in the InterFreqTargetInfo and / or plmn-IdentityList. The network configuration may restrict the UE to collect only MDT measurements associated with neighbor NPN cells on the configured target carrier frequency. In some examples, to collect NPN-related MDT measurements, the UE reads a list of intra-frequency neighboring CAG cells in SIB3 and matches the measured PCI with the PCI broadcast in SIB3 for neighbor PNI-NPN cells. In an additional or alternative example, to collect NPN-related MDT measurements, the UE reads a list of inter-frequency neighboring CAG cells in SIB4 and matches the measured PCI with the PCI broadcast in SIB4 for neighbor PNI-NPN cells.

[0057] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE in the PN evaluates measurements associated with the allowed PLMN identities presented in the InterFreqTargetInfo and / or plmn-IdentityList. The network configuration may request the UE to collect MDT measurements associated with both neighbor PN and NPN cells separately on the configured target carrier frequency. In some examples, to collect NPN-related MDT measurements, the UE reads the list of intra-frequency neighboring CAG cells in SIB3 and matches the measured PCI with the PCI broadcast in SIB3 for neighbor PNI-NPN cells. In additional or alternative examples, to collect NPN-related MDT measurements, the UE reads the list of inter-frequency neighboring CAG cells in SIB4 and matches the measured PCI with the PCI broadcast in SIB4 for neighbor PNI-NPN cells.

[0058] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE in the NPN evaluates measurements associated with allowed NPN identities presented in InterFreqTargetInfo and / or npn-IdentityInfoList-r18. The network configuration may restrict the UE to collect only MDT measurements associated with neighbor NPN cells on the configured target carrier frequency.

[0059] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE in the NPN evaluates measurements associated with allowed NPN identities presented in InterFreqTargetInfo and / or npn-IdentityInfoList-r18. The network configuration may restrict the UE to collect only MDT measurements associated with neighbor PN cells on the configured target carrier frequency.

[0060] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE in the NPN evaluates measurements associated with allowed NPN identities presented in InterFreqTargetInfo and / or npn-IdentityInfoList-r18. The network configuration may request the UE to collect MDT measurements associated with both neighbor PN and NPN cells separately on the configured target carrier frequency.

[0061] Operations performed by the UE to perform MDT-related measurements for inter-PN-NPN mobility are described below.

[0062] In some embodiments, a UE entering an NPN from a PN immediately deletes the MDT measurement results recorded in the NPN. Therefore, the UE can report only the measurements collected while residing in the NPN to the RAN forming the NPN. In addition, if it is determined that the UE should activate or continue to perform MDT measurements, the UE continues to perform MDT measurements in the NPN.

[0063] In an additional or alternative embodiment, a UE entering a PN from an NPN immediately deletes the MDT measurement results recorded in the NPN. Therefore, the UE is able to report only the measurements collected while residing in the PN to the RAN forming the PN. In addition, if it is determined that the UE should activate or continue to perform MDT measurements, the UE will continue to perform MDT measurements in the PN.

[0064] In an additional or alternative embodiment, a UE entering an NPN from a PN maintains the NPN logged MDT and may delete the logged MDT associated with the NPN after a certain time. In addition, if it is determined that the UE should activate or continue to perform MDT measurements, the UE continues to perform MDT measurements in the NPN. In some examples, the UE may report both logged measurements collected while in a PM and while in an NPN to the network on which it is residing (NPN). In an additional or alternative example, the UE may report measurements collected while in a residing network (e.g., an NPN) to the network on which it is residing, while it reports measurements collected while in a previously residing network to the RAN node that formed the previously residing network. The latter means that the UE reports measurements collected while in a previously residing network when it returns to the PN.

[0065] In an additional or alternative embodiment, a UE entering a PN from an NPN maintains a PN logged MDT and may delete the logged MDT associated with the PN after a certain period of time. In addition, if it is determined that the UE should activate or continue to perform MDT measurements, the UE continues to perform MDT measurements in the PN. In some examples, the UE may report both logged measurements collected while in a PM and while in an NPN to the network (PN) on which it is residing. Alternatively, the UE may report measurements collected while in a resident network (e.g., a PN) to the network on which it is residing, while it reports measurements collected while in a previously resident network to the RAN node that formed the previously resident network. The latter means that the UE reports measurements collected while in a previously resident network when it returns to the NPN.

[0066] In an additional or alternative embodiment, the UE enters the new network and the new network configures the UE with a timer value - the time for which the UE should retain MDT related information associated with the old network. Such configuration occurs by broadcasting the timer value via system information.

[0067] In an additional or alternative embodiment, the UE enters the new network after the old network configures the UE with a timer value (how long the UE should retain MDT related information associated with the old network). Such configuration occurs by broadcasting the timer value via system information.

[0068] In an additional or alternative embodiment, the UE enters the new network after the old network configures the UE with a timer value (how long the UE should keep MDT related information).Such configuration occurs by dedicated configuration via RRC messages.

[0069] In an additional or alternative embodiment, the UE enters a new network and the new network configures the UE with a timer value - the time for which the UE should retain MDT related information. Such configuration occurs by dedicated configuration via RRC messages.

[0070] In an additional or alternative embodiment, the UE enters a new network and the UE records the NPN and PN measurements in separate variables.

[0071] In the following description, although the communication device may be any one of the wireless devices 912A-B, the wireless devices UE 912C-D, the UE 1000, the virtualized hardware 1304, the virtual machines 1308A, 1308B, or the UE 1406, the UE 1000 (also referred to herein as the communication device 1000) shall be used to describe the functionality of the operation of the communication device. Figure 8 Flowchart to discuss (using Fig.10 The operation of the communication device 1000 is implemented by the structure of the block diagram. For example, the module can be stored in Fig.10 The modules are stored in the memory 1010, and these modules can provide instructions, so that when the instructions of the modules are executed by the corresponding communication device processing circuit 1002, the processing circuit 1002 performs the corresponding operations of the flowchart.

[0072] Figure 8 Operations performed by a communication device are illustrated.

[0073] At block 810, the processing circuit 1002 determines MDT configuration information. In some embodiments, determining the MDT configuration information includes receiving an MDT configuration message from the first communication network.

[0074] At block 820 , the processing circuit 1002 determines a first MDT measurement associated with the first communication network based on the MDT configuration information.

[0075] At block 830, the processing circuit 1002 determines a second MDT measurement associated with the second communication network based on the MDT configuration information.In some embodiments, the MDT configuration information includes an indication of an area in which the communication device is allowed to collect the second MDT measurement.

[0076] In additional or alternative embodiments, the indication of the area includes a list of non-public network NPN public land mobile network PLMN identities. In some examples, determining the second MDT measurement includes determining the second MDT measurement based on the second communication network on the NPN PLMN identity list. In additional or alternative examples, the NPN PLMN identity list includes at least one of the following: a public network integrated NPN, i.e., a PNI-NPN identity; an independent NPN, i.e., a SNPN identity; and a PLMN identity.

[0077] In additional or alternative embodiments, the indication of the area includes an indication of a target frequency for collecting the second MDT measurement.In some examples, determining the second MDT measurement includes determining the second MDT measurement using the target frequency.

[0078] At block 840, the processing circuit 1002 stores a portion of the first MDT measurement and the second MDT measurement based on the MDT configuration information.In some embodiments, the MDT configuration information includes an indication that the communications device stores the MDT measurement only when it is residing on a particular type of communications network or a particular communications network.

[0079] At block 850 , the processing circuit 1002 enters a second communication network.

[0080] At block 860, the processing circuit 1002 receives an indication of the threshold amount of time. In some embodiments, the indication is received from the first communication network via at least one of a broadcast signal and a dedicated radio resource control (RRC) message. In additional or alternative embodiments, the indication is received from the second communication network via at least one of a broadcast signal and a dedicated radio resource control (RRC) message.

[0081] At block 870 , the processing circuit 1002 determines additional MDT measurements associated with the second communication network.

[0082] At block 880, the processing circuit 1002 sends information associated with the MDT measurement. In some embodiments, sending the information associated with the MDT measurement includes: sending the information associated with the first MDT measurement to the first communication network before deleting the first MDT measurement associated with the second communication network; and sending the information associated with the second MDT measurement to the second communication network before deleting the first MDT measurement associated with the second communication network. In additional or alternative embodiments, sending the information associated with the MDT measurement includes: sending the information associated with the first MDT measurement to the second communication network before deleting the first MDT measurement associated with the second communication network; and sending the information associated with the second MDT measurement to the second communication network before deleting the first MDT measurement associated with the second communication network.

[0083] At block 890, the processing circuit 1002 deletes the second MDT measurements associated with the second communication network. In additional or alternative embodiments, deleting the MDT measurements associated with the second communication network includes deleting the MDT measurements after a threshold amount of time has elapsed since the communication device entered the second communication network.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first communication network is separated from the second communication network. In additional or alternative embodiments, only one of the first communication network and the second communication network is a public network PN, and the other communication network is a non-public network NPN. In some examples, the NPN includes at least one of the following: an independent NPN, namely a SNPN; and a public network integrated NPN, namely a PNI-NPN.

[0085] For some embodiments, Figure 8 The various operations illustrated in may be optional.

[0086] Fig. 9 An example of a communication system 900 is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0087] In this example, the communication system 900 includes a telecommunications network 902 and a core network 906, the telecommunications network 902 including an access network 904 such as a radio access network (RAN), and the core network 906 including one or more core network nodes 908. The access network 904 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 910a and 910b (one or more of which can be generally referred to as network nodes 910), or any other similar third generation partnership project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP access point. In addition, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the network node 910 is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which the radio part and the baseband part are supplied and integrated by a single supplier. Therefore, it will be understood that the network node 910 includes a decomposed implementation or part thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunications network 902 includes one or more open RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunications network 902 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 functions of any node in the telecommunications network 102 (including one or more network nodes 110 and / or core network nodes 108).

[0088] 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 near real-time RAN control applications (e.g., xApps) or non-real-time RAN automation applications (e.g., rApps)), or any combination thereof (the adjective "open" indicates support for ORAN specifications). The network node can support the specifications by, for example, supporting interfaces defined by the ORAN specifications (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 communicated from a 3GPP network node or an ORAN network node through 3GPP defined interfaces (e.g., N2, N3) and / or ORAN Alliance defined interfaces (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 can be implemented in a virtualized environment (further described 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 defined by the O-RAN Alliance. The network node 910 facilitates direct or indirect connection of a user equipment (UE), such as by connecting wireless devices 912a, 912b, 912c, and 912d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE 912) to the core network 906 via one or more wireless connections. The network node 910 facilitates direct or indirect connection of a user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UE 912a, 912b, 912c, and 912d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE 912) to the core network 906 via one or more wireless connections.

[0089] Example wireless communications over wireless connections include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transferring information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. In addition, in different embodiments, the communication system 900 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via a wired connection or a wireless connection. The communication system 900 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0090] UE 912 may be any of a variety of communication devices, including wireless devices that are arranged, configured and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network node 910 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node 910 is arranged, capable, configured and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE 912 and / or with other network nodes or devices in telecommunication network 902 to enable and / or provide network access (such as wireless network access) and / or perform other functions (such as management in telecommunication network 902).

[0091] In the depicted example, the core network 906 connects the network node 910 to one or more hosts, such as the host 916. These connections may be direct or indirect connections via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network node may be directly coupled to the host. The core network 906 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 908) constructed with hardware and software components. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UE, network nodes, and / or hosts, so that their descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 908. The example core network node includes a mobile switching center (MSC), a mobility management entity (MME), a home subscriber server (HSS), an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), an authentication server function (AUSF), a subscription identifier de-hiding function (SIDF), a unified data management (UDM), a security edge protection agent (SEPP), a network open function (NEF), and / or a user plane function (UPF) One or more functions.

[0092] The host 916 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network 904 and / or the telecommunications network 902, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The host 916 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include real-time and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (such as retrieving and editing data about various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analysis functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functions performed by a server.

[0093] As a whole, Fig. 9The communication system 900 implements the connection between UE, network node and host. In this sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures such as specific standards, including but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standards (e.g., 6G); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WI-FI); and / or any other appropriate 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.

[0094] In some examples, the telecommunication network 902 is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, the telecommunication network 902 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the telecommunication network 902. For example, the telecommunication network 902 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or provide massive machine type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to other UEs.

[0095] In some examples, the UE 912 is configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the access network 904, the UE can be designed to send information to the access network 904 according to a predetermined schedule. Additionally, the UE can be configured to operate in a single RAT or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE can operate using any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0096] In this example, the hub 914 communicates with the access network 904 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 912c and / or 912d) and a network node (e.g., network node 910b). In some examples, the hub 914 can be a controller, a router, a content source and analysis, or any of the other communication devices described herein with respect to the UE. For example, the hub 914 can be a broadband router that enables the UE to access the core network 906. As another example, the hub 914 can be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The commands or instructions can be received from the UE, the network node 910, or received through executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the hub 914. As another example, the hub 914 can be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage device for UE data, and in some embodiments, analysis or other processing of the data can be performed. As another example, the hub 914 can be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the hub 914 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, and then the hub 914 provides it to the UE directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In another example, the hub 914 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UE, particularly when one or more of the UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0097] The hub 914 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 910b. The hub 914 may also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between the hub 914 and the UE (e.g., UE 912c and / or 912d) and between the hub 914 and the core network 906. In other examples, the hub 914 is connected to the core network 906 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. In addition, the hub 914 may be configured to be connected to an M2M service provider via the access network 904 and / or to another UE via a direct connection. In some scenarios, the UE may establish a wireless connection with the network node 910 while still being connected via a wired or wireless connection via the hub 914. In some embodiments, the hub 914 may be a dedicated hub, that is, its main function is to route communications from the network node 910b to the UE / from the UE to the network node 910b. In other embodiments, hub 914 may be a non-dedicated hub, that is, a device operable to route communications between UEs and network node 910b, but also capable of operating as a communications origin and / or endpoint for certain data channels.

[0098] Fig.10UE 1000 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 customer premises 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 communications (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0099] 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 owning and / or operating 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 particular human user, or may not initially be associated with that particular 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 operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter).

[0100] UE 1000 includes a processing circuit 1002, which is operatively coupled to an input / output interface 1006, a power supply 1008, a memory 1010, a communication interface 1012, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus 1004. Some UEs may utilize Fig.10 All or a subset of the components shown in . The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another UE. In addition, some UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0101] The processing circuit 1002 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 1010 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuit 1002 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic and appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors such as microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs), and appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 1002 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0102] In this example, the input / output interface 1006 can be configured to provide one or more interfaces to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, transmitters, smart cards, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device can allow a user to capture information into the UE 1000. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, web cameras, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, directional pads, trackpads, rollers, smart cards, etc. A presence-sensitive display can include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor can be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device can use an interface port of the same type as an input device. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port can be used to provide input devices and output devices.

[0103] In some embodiments, the power supply 1008 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., an electrical socket), a photovoltaic device, or a power battery. The power supply 1008 may also include a power circuit for delivering power from the power supply 1008 itself and / or an external power supply to various parts of the UE 1000 via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. The delivered power may be used, for example, to charge the power supply 1008. The power circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification to the power from the power supply 1008 so that the power is suitable for various components of the UE 1000 to which the power is supplied.

[0104] The memory 1010 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 tape cartridge, a flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory 1010 includes one or more application programs 1014, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 1016. The memory 1010 may store any of a variety of operating systems or a combination of operating systems for use by the UE 1000.

[0105] The memory 1010 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 (such as a tamper-proof module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), including one or more user 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 1010 may allow the UE 1000 to access instructions, applications, etc. stored on a temporary or non-temporary storage 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 1010, which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0106] The processing circuit 1002 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using a communication interface 1012. The communication interface 1012 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include an antenna 1022 or be communicatively coupled to the antenna 1022. The communication interface 1012 may include one or more transceivers for communication, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 1018 and / or a receiver 1020 suitable for providing network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). In addition, the transmitter 1018 and the receiver 1020 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 1022) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may be implemented separately alternatively.

[0107] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functionality of the communication interface 1012 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.

[0108] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensor via a wireless connection to a network node through its communication interface 1012. The data captured by the UE's sensor may be transmitted to the network node via another UE via a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., every 15 minutes if it reports a sensed temperature), random (e.g., in order to load balance reports from multiple 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).

[0109] As another example, the UE includes an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch can change. For example, the UE can include a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight based on the received input, or adjusts a robotic arm performing a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0110] When in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a UE 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 television, 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 / humidity sensor, an electric door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system (such as a heat pump), an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), a wearable device for tactile enhancement or sensory enhancement, a sprinkler, an animal or item tracking device, a sensor for monitoring plants or animals, an industrial robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device (such as a heart rate monitor or a remotely controlled surgical robot). In addition to the description of Fig.10 In addition to the other components described for the UE 1000 shown in FIG. 1 , a UE in the form of an IoT device includes circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0111] As another specific example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends 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 that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or capable of performing other functions associated with its operation.

[0112] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE may be or be integrated into a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller for operating the drone. When the user 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 functions. For example, the UE may include a sensor and an actuator and handle the communication of data for the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0113] Fig.11 A network node 1100 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 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).

[0114] Base stations may be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, based on their transmit power level), and thus may be referred to as a femto base station, a pico base station, a micro base station, or a macro base station, depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), 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. Portions of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0115] Other examples of network nodes include a multi-transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access node, a multi-standard radio (MSR) device such as an MSR BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmission node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile positioning center (E-SMLC)) and / or a minimization of drive tests (MDT).

[0116] The network node 1100 includes a processing circuit 1102, a memory 1104, a communication interface 1106, and a power supply 1108. The network node 1100 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 1100 includes multiple separated components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separated components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered as a single separated network node in some cases. In some embodiments, the network node 1100 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such an embodiment, some components may be repeated (e.g., separate memories 1104 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 1110 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 1100 may also include multiple sets of various illustrated components for different wireless technologies, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WI-FI, ZIGBEE, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into the network node 1100. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within the network node 1100.

[0117] The processing circuit 1102 may include a combination of one or more of 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 the functionality of the network node 1100 alone or in conjunction with other network node 1100 components (such as memory 1104).

[0118] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1102 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1102 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1112 and baseband processing circuitry 1114. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1112 and baseband processing circuitry 1114 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 1112 and baseband processing circuitry 1114 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0119] The memory 1104 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 1102. The memory 1104 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including computer programs, software, applications, including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 1102 and utilized by the network node 1100. The memory 1104 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuit 1102 and / or any data received via the communication interface 1106. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 1102 and the memory 1104 are integrated.

[0120] The communication interface 1106 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks and / or UEs. As shown, the communication interface 1106 includes one or more ports / terminals 1116, for example, sending data to the network and receiving data from the network via a wired connection. The communication interface 1106 also includes a radio front-end circuit 1118, which can be coupled to the antenna 1110, or in some embodiments is a part of the antenna 1110. The radio front-end circuit 1118 includes a filter 1120 and an amplifier 1122. The radio front-end circuit 1118 can be connected to the antenna 1110 and the processing circuit 1102. The radio front-end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna 1110 and the processing circuit 1102. The radio front-end circuit 1118 can receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 1118 can use a combination of a filter 1120 and / or an amplifier 1122 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be sent via the antenna 1110. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 1110 may collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuit 1118. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 1102. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0121] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 1100 does not include a separate radio front end circuit 1118, but rather the processing circuit 1102 includes the radio front end circuit and is connected to the antenna 1110. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or part of the RF transceiver circuit 1112 is part of the communication interface 1106. In other embodiments, the communication interface 1106 includes one or more ports or terminals 1116, the radio front end circuit 1118, and the RF transceiver circuit 1112 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 1106 communicates with the baseband processing circuit 1114 as part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0122] Antenna 1110 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 1110 may be coupled to radio front end circuit 1118 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 1110 is separate from network node 1100 and may be connected to network node 1100 via an interface or port.

[0123] Antenna 1110, communication interface 1106 and / or processing circuit 1102 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain acquisition 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 1110, communication interface 1106 and / or processing circuit 1102 may be configured to perform any sending operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be sent to a UE, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0124] The power supply 1108 provides power to the various components of the network node 1100 in a form suitable for the various components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each corresponding component). The power supply 1108 may further include or be coupled to a power management circuit to supply power to the components of the network node 1100 for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node 1100 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power 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 1108. As another example, the power supply 1108 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack, which is connected to the power circuit or integrated in the power circuit. If the external power source fails, the battery can provide backup power.

[0125] An embodiment of the network node 1100 may include Fig.11Additional components beyond those shown are used to provide certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 1100 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 1100 and to allow information to be output from the network node 1100. This may allow a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other management functions of the network node 1100.

[0126] Fig.12 is a block diagram of a host 1200 according to various aspects described herein, and the host 1200 may be Fig. 9 1200 is an embodiment of a host 916. As used herein, the host 1200 can be or include various combinations of hardware and / or software, including processing resources in a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or a server farm. The host 1200 can provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0127] Host 1200 includes processing circuitry 1202, which is operably coupled to input / output interface 1206, network interface 1208, power supply 1210, and memory 1212 via bus 1204. 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 (such as Fig.10 and Fig.11 ) so that its description is generally applicable to corresponding components of the host 1200.

[0128] The memory 1212 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host applications 1214 and data 1216, which may include user data (e.g., data generated by the UE for the host 1200 or data generated by the host 1200 for the UE). An embodiment of the host 1200 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application 1214 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., generic 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, and G.711), including code conversion for multiple different categories, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., mobile phones, desktop computers, wearable display systems, head-up display systems). The host application 1214 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health status, routing, and content availability to a central node (such as a device in a core network or on the edge). Thus, the host 1200 can select and / or indicate different hosts for over-the-top services for the UE. The host application 1214 can support various protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0129] Fig.13 1300 is a block diagram showing a virtualized environment 1300 in which the functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualizing a hardware platform, storage device, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization may be applied to any device or component thereof described herein, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functions are implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs), which are implemented in one or more virtual environments 1300 hosted by one or more hardware nodes (such as hardware computing devices operating as network nodes, UEs, core network nodes, or hosts). In addition, in embodiments where a virtual node does not require a radio connection (e.g., a core network node or host), the node may be fully virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualized environment 1300 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.

[0130] Application 1302 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) runs in a virtualized environment Q400 to implement some features, functions and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein.

[0131] The hardware 1304 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. The software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1306 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1308a and 1308b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 1308), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described in connection with some of the embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 1306 may present a virtual operating platform that appears to be network hardware to the VMs 1308.

[0132] The VMs 1308 include virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1306. Different embodiments of instances of virtual devices 1302 may be implemented on one or more of the VMs 1308, and may be implemented in different ways. Virtualization of hardware is referred to in some contexts as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network device types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0133] In the context of NFV, VMs 1308 may be software implementations of physical machines that run programs as if they were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of VMs 1308 and the portion of hardware 1304 on which the VM executes, whether hardware dedicated to the VM and / or hardware shared by the VM with other VMs in the VM, 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 1308 on top of hardware 1304 and corresponds to an application 1302.

[0134] Hardware 1304 can be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware 1304 can implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1304 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., in a data center or CPE), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 1310, where management and orchestration 1310 particularly oversees the life cycle management of application 1302. In some embodiments, hardware 1304 is coupled to one or more radio units, each of which includes one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that can be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio unit can communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces, and can be used in combination with virtual components to provide radio capabilities to virtual nodes such as radio access nodes or base stations. In some embodiments, a control system 1312 can be used to provide some signaling, which can be alternatively used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0135] Fig.14 A communication diagram showing a host 1402 communicating with a UE 1406 via a network node 1404 over a partial wireless connection according to some embodiments.

[0136] Now refer to Fig.14 Describes the UE (such as Fig. 9 UE912a and / or Fig.10 UE 1000), network nodes (such as Fig. 9 The network node 910a and / or Fig.11 network nodes 1100) and hosts (such as Fig. 9 Host 916 and / or Fig.12 An example implementation of host 1200).

[0137] Similar to the host 1200, an embodiment of the host 1402 includes hardware, such as a communication interface, a processing circuit, and a memory. The host 1402 also includes software stored in or accessible by the host 1402 and executable by the processing circuit. The software includes a host application that is operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 1406 connected via an over-the-top transfer (OTT) connection 1450 extending between the UE 1406 and the host 1402. In providing services to the remote user, the host application can provide user data sent using the OTT connection 1450.

[0138] The network node 1404 includes hardware that enables it to communicate with the host 1402 and the UE 1406. The connection 1460 can be direct or through a core network (such as Fig. 9The core network 906 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.

[0139] UE 1406 includes hardware and software that is stored in or accessible by UE 1406 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 "application", which is operable to provide services to human or non-human users via UE 1406 with the support of host 1402. In host 1402, the executing host application can communicate with the executing client application via an OTT connection 1450 that terminates at UE 1406 and host 1402. In the process of providing services to the user, the client application of the UE can receive request data from the host application of the host and provide user data in response to the request data. OTT connection 1450 can transmit request data and user data. The client application of the UE can interact with the user to generate user data that it provides to the host application via OTT connection 1450.

[0140] The OTT connection 1450 may extend via a connection 1460 between the host 1402 and the network node 1404 and via a wireless connection 1470 between the network node 1404 and the UE 1406 to provide connectivity between the host 1402 and the UE 1406. The connection 1460 and the wireless connection 1470 over which the OTT connection 1450 may be provided are drawn abstractly to illustrate communications between the host 1402 and the UE 1406 via the network node 1404 without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via those devices.

[0141] As an example of sending data via the OTT connection 1450, in step 1408, the host 1402 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 1406. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with the UE 1406, which shares data with the host 1402 without explicit human interaction. In step 1410, the host 1402 initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE 1406. The host 1402 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by the UE 1406. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 1406 or by the operation of a client application executed on the UE 1406. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission may be through the network node 1404. Therefore, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, in step 1412, the network node 1404 sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host 1402 to the UE 1406. In step 1414 , UE 1406 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on UE 1406 that is associated with a host application executed by host 1402 .

[0142] In some examples, UE 1406 executes a client application that provides user data to host 1402. The user data may be provided in reaction to or in response to data received from host 1402. Thus, in step 1416, UE 1406 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 a user via an input / output interface of UE 1406. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data is provided, in step 1418, UE 1406 initiates transmission of the user data to host 1402 via network node 1404. In step 1420, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, network node 1404 receives user data from UE 1406 and initiates transmission of the received user data to host 1402. In step 1422, host 1402 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by UE 1406.

[0143] One or more of the various embodiments improves the performance of an OTT service provided to a UE 1406 using an OTT connection 1450 in which a wireless connection 1470 forms the last leg. More precisely, the regional configuration of the recorded MDT configuration is enhanced so that the network operator can better control the granularity of the MDT measurement collection, especially when two different networks (e.g., PN and NPN (e.g., PNI-NPN)) share the same frequency, or when the UE is able to move between these two network types.

[0144] In an example scenario, host 1402 may collect and analyze plant status information. As another example, host 1402 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from the UE for use in creating a map. As another example, host 1402 may collect and analyze real-time data to help control vehicle congestion (e.g., control traffic lights). As another example, host 1402 may store surveillance videos uploaded by the UE. As another example, host 1402 may store media content (such as video, audio, VR, or AR) that it may broadcast, multicast, or unicast to the UE, or control access to the media content. As other examples, host 1402 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical power loads to balance power generation demand, positioning services, presentation services (such as compiling charts based on data collected from remote devices, etc.), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or sending data.

[0145] In some examples, a measurement process may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, delays, and other factors improved by one or more embodiments. There may also be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1450 between the host 1402 and the UE 1406 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 1402 and / or the UE 1406. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with other devices through which the OTT connection 1450 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement process by supplying the values ​​of the monitored quantities illustrated above or supplying the values ​​of other physical quantities according to which the software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1450 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not require direct changes to the operation of the network node 1404. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurement may involve dedicated UE signaling, which facilitates the host 1402 to measure throughput, propagation time, delay, etc. The measurements may be achieved by software causing messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, to be sent using the OTT connection 1450 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0146] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UE, network node, host) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may include computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to 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 by, for example, 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 being located in a larger box or a single box nested in multiple boxes, in practice, the computing device may include multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and the functions may be divided between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any one of the components described herein, and / or the functions of the components may be divided between the processing circuit and the communication interface. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0147] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein may be provided by a processing circuit that executes instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by a processing circuit without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these specific embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functions, regardless of whether instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to the processing circuit itself or other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or generally by end users and wireless networks.

Claims

1. A method for operating a communication device in a first communication network, the method comprising: Determine (810) minimization of drive tests (MDT) configuration information; determining (820) a first MDT measurement associated with the first communication network based on the MDT configuration information; determining (830) a second MDT measurement associated with a second communication network based on the MDT configuration information; as well as A portion of the first MDT measurement and the second MDT measurement is stored (840) based on the MDT configuration information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: Determining the MDT configuration information includes: receiving the MDT configuration information from the first communication network.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The MDT configuration information includes: an indication of an area in which the communication device is allowed to collect the second MDT measurements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein: The indication of the area includes a closed access group CAG identifier.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein: The indication of the area includes a list of non-public network (NPN) public land mobile network (PLMN) identities, and The determining the second MDT measurement includes: determining the second MDT measurement based on the second communication network on the NPN PLMN identity list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein: The NPN PLMN identification list includes at least one of the following: Public Network Integration-NPN is PNI-NPN identification; Independent NPN or SNPN identification; and PLMN identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein: The NPN PLMN identifier list includes the PNI-NPN identifier, and The PNI-NPN identifier also includes the PLMN identifier and the closed access group CAG identifier.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein: The NPN PLMN identifier list includes the PLMN identifier, and The PLMN identifier also includes the PLMN identifier and the network identifier NID.

9. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein: The indication of the area includes an indication of a target frequency for collecting the second MDT measurements, and The determining the second MDT measurement includes: using the target frequency to determine the second MDT measurement.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The MDT configuration information includes an indication that the communication device stores MDT measurements only when it is camped on a specific type of communication network or on a specific communication network.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The first communication network is separate from the second communication network, and Among them, only one of the first communication network and the second communication network is a public network PN, and the other communication network is a non-public network NPN.

12. A method of operating a communication device, the method comprising: determining (830) MDT measurements associated with a second communication network while the communication device is operating in the first communication network; storing (840) the MDT measurements associated with the second communication network; After storing the MDT measurements associated with the second communication network, entering (850) the second communication network; as well as After entering the second communication network, the MDT measurements associated with the second communication network are deleted (890) based on entering the second communication network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein: the MDT measurement associated with the second communication network is a first MDT measurement associated with the second communication network determined when the communication device is operating in the first communication network, The method further comprises: After entering the second communication network, second MDT measurements associated with the second communication network are determined (870) while the communication device is operating in the second communication network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: before deleting the first MDT measurement associated with the second communication network, sending (880) information associated with the first MDT measurement to the first communication network; as well as Prior to deleting the first MDT measurement associated with the second communication network, information associated with the second MDT measurement is sent (880) to the second communication network.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: before deleting the first MDT measurement associated with the second communication network, sending (880) information associated with the first MDT measurement to the second communication network; as well as Prior to deleting the first MDT measurement associated with the second communication network, information associated with the second MDT measurement is sent (880) to the second communication network.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein: Deleting the MDT measurements associated with the second communication network includes deleting the MDT measurements after a threshold amount of time has elapsed since the communication device entered the second communication network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: An indication of the threshold amount of time is received (860) from the first communication network via at least one of a broadcast signal and a dedicated radio resource control, RRC, message.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: An indication of the threshold amount of time is received (860) from the second communication network via at least one of a broadcast signal and a dedicated radio resource control, RRC, message.

19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein: The first communication network comprises a public network PN, and The second communication network includes a non-public network NPN.

20. The method of any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein: The first communication network includes a non-public network NPN, and Wherein, the second communication network includes a public network PN.

21. The method of any one of claims 19-20, wherein: The NPN includes at least one of the following: Standalone NPN or SNPN; and Public Network Integration-NPN is PNI-NPN.

22. The method of any one of claims 12 to 18, further comprising: The operation as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11.

23. A communication device (1000) operating in a communication network, the first entity comprising: Processing circuit (1002); as well as A memory (1010) coupled to the processing circuit and having instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by the processing circuit to cause the communication device to perform operations including those of any of claims 1-22.

24. A computer program comprising program code to be executed by processing circuitry (1002) of a communication device (1000) operating in a communication network, whereby execution of the program code causes the communication device to perform operations including the operations of any one of claims 1-22.

25. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium (1010), the non-transitory storage medium (1010) comprising program code executed by a processing circuit (1002) of a communication device (1000) operating in a communication network, whereby execution of the program code causes the communication device to perform operations including the operations described in any one of claims 1-22.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein, the instructions executable by a processing circuit (1002) of a communication device (1000) operating in a communication network to cause the communication device to perform operations including the operations of any of claims 1-22.

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