Method, apparatus and computer program

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus comprising: means for retrieving a configuration for a time window to perform a measurement in the time window; means for associating the time window with a first receiving element of the user equipment; and means for performing network measurements during the time window using the associated first receiving element and receiving downlink data using a second receiving element of the user equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to methods, apparatus and computer programs for wireless communication systems. Background Art

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

[0003] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising: a component for retrieving a configuration for a time window for performing measurements in the time window; a component for associating the time window with a first receiving element of a user equipment; and a component for performing network measurements using the associated first receiving element and receiving downlink data using a second receiving element of the user equipment during the time window.

[0004] In an example, the first and second receiving elements are independent receiving chains of the user equipment. In an example, the spatial configuration of the first and second receiving elements is different.

[0005] In an example, the first and second receiving elements include means for receiving and decoding signals received by one or more antenna panels of the user equipment.

[0006] In an example, the downlink data is received within the duration of the time window without scheduling restrictions, such that the downlink data can be received using the second receiving element for the entire duration of the time window.

[0007] In an example, the apparatus comprises means for receiving, from a network node, information associating a configuration of a time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for a downlink.

[0008] In an example, the apparatus comprises means for receiving, from a network node, information associating activation of the time window for network measurements and a network transmit beam index for downlink.

[0009] In an example, the network transmit beam index for downlink is a transmission configuration information state.

[0010] In an example, the apparatus comprises: means for receiving a configuration for an additional time window for performing measurements in the additional time window; means for associating the additional time window with the second receiving element of the user equipment; and means for performing network measurements during the additional time window using the associated second receiving element.

[0011] In an example, the time window includes a plurality of opportunities.

[0012] In an example, the opportunity includes one or more symbols.

[0013] In an example, the time window is an SMTC window.

[0014] In an example, the device includes: a component for allocating each of the multiple opportunities of the time window for at least one of: the reception of data, and the performance of network measurements; and a component for performing at least one of the following during the time window based on the allocation in each of the multiple opportunities: i) the reception of data using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element, and ii) network measurements using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element.

[0015] In an example, the means for associating comprises means for associating the time window with: i) the first receiving element of a user equipment, and ii) a second receiving element of the user equipment.

[0016] In an example, means for allocating comprises means for allocating, using at least one of said first receiving element and said second receiving element of said user equipment, each of said plurality of occasions of said time window for at least one of: said receiving of data, and said performing of network measurements.

[0017] In an example, for an opportunity of the plurality of opportunities, one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for the reception of data, and the other of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for performing network measurements.

[0018] In an example, for an opportunity of the plurality of opportunities, both the first receiving element and the second receiving element are allocated for one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

[0019] In an example, the allocation for said receiving of data and said performing of network measurements alternates between each opportunity in said time window for both the first receiving element and the second receiving element.

[0020] In an example, for the time window, one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

[0021] In an example, the time window includes a measurement timing configuration SMTC window based on a synchronization signal block.

[0022] In an example, the means for retrieving comprises means for receiving the configuration for the time window from a network node in a radio resource control reconfiguration message, wherein the configuration comprises information of the first receiving element and an indication that the first receiving element is associated with network measurements, and wherein the configuration comprises information of the second receiving element and an indication that the second receiving element is associated with downlink data reception.

[0023] In an example, one of: the apparatus is for a user equipment, the apparatus is included in the user equipment, and the apparatus is the user equipment.

[0024] According to one aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a component for providing a user equipment with a configuration for performing measurements in the time window; a component for communicating with the user equipment during the time window by at least one of: providing a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and providing downlink data to the user equipment.

[0025] In an example, the means for communicating comprises means for communicating with the user equipment by providing a signal for network measurement at the user equipment using a first cell of a network node, and communicating with the user equipment by providing downlink data to the user equipment using a second cell of the network node, at the same time during the time window.

[0026] In an example, the configuration for a time window comprises an indication for the user equipment to associate the time window with a first receiving element of the user equipment.

[0027] In an example, the apparatus comprises means for providing information to the user equipment associating the configuration of a time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for downlink.

[0028] In one example, the apparatus includes means for providing information to the user equipment associating activation of a time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for a downlink.

[0029] In an example, the apparatus comprises: a component for providing a configuration for an additional time window for performing measurements in the additional time window, wherein the configuration for the additional time window comprises: an indication for the user equipment to associate the additional time window with a second receiving element of the user equipment; and a component for communicating with the user equipment during the additional time window by providing a signal for network measurements at the user equipment.

[0030] In an example, one of: the apparatus is for a network node, the apparatus is included in the network node, and the apparatus is the network node.

[0031] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: retrieving a configuration for a time window for performing measurements in the time window; associating the time window with a first receiving element of a user equipment; and during the time window, performing network measurements using the associated first receiving element and receiving downlink data using a second receiving element of the user equipment.

[0032] In an example, the downlink data is received within the duration of the time window without scheduling restrictions, such that the downlink data can be received using the second receiving element for the entire duration of the time window.

[0033] In an example, the method comprises receiving, from a network node, information associating the configuration of a time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for a downlink.

[0034] In an example, the method includes receiving, from a network node, information associating activation of a time window for network measurements and a network transmit beam index for a downlink.

[0035] In an example, the method includes: receiving a configuration for an additional time window for performing measurements in the additional time window; associating the additional time window with the second receiving element of the user equipment; and performing network measurements during the additional time window using the associated second receiving element.

[0036] In an example, the time window includes a plurality of opportunities.

[0037] In an example, the method includes: allocating each of a plurality of opportunities in a time window for at least one of: the reception of data, and the performance of network measurements; and performing, during the time window, at least one of: i) the reception of data using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element, and ii) network measurements using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element, based on the allocation in each of the plurality of opportunities.

[0038] In an example, the associating comprises associating the time window with: i) the first receiving element of a user equipment, and ii) a second receiving element of the user equipment.

[0039] In an example, said allocating comprises allocating each of said plurality of opportunities of said time window for at least one of: said receiving of data, and said performing of network measurements, using at least one of said first receiving element and said second receiving element of said user equipment.

[0040] In an example, for an opportunity of the plurality of opportunities, one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for the reception of data, and the other of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for performance of network measurements.

[0041] In an example, for an occasion of a plurality of occasions, both the first receiving element and the second receiving element are allocated for one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

[0042] In an example, said receiving of data and said allocating of said performing of network measurements alternates between each opportunity in said time window for both said first receiving element and said second receiving element.

[0043] In an example, for the time window, one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

[0044] In an example, the time window includes a measurement timing configuration SMTC window based on a synchronization signal block.

[0045] In an example, the retrieval comprises receiving the configuration for the time window from a network node in a radio resource control reconfiguration message, wherein the configuration comprises information of the first receiving element and an indication that the first receiving element is associated with network measurements, and wherein the configuration comprises information of the second receiving element and an indication that the second receiving element is associated with downlink data reception.

[0046] In an example, the method is performed by the user equipment.

[0047] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: providing a configuration for a time window to a user equipment for performing measurements in the time window; and during the time window, communicating with the user equipment by at least one of: providing a signal for network measurements at the user equipment, and providing downlink data to the user equipment.

[0048] In an example, the communication includes: during the time window, at the same time, communicating with the user equipment by using a first cell of the network node to provide a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and communicating with the user equipment by using a second cell of the network node to provide downlink data to the user equipment.

[0049] In an example, the configuration for a time window comprises an indication by the user equipment to associate the time window with a first receiving element of the user equipment.

[0050] In an example, the method comprises providing information to the user equipment associating the configuration of the time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for downlink.

[0051] In an example, the method comprises providing information to the user equipment associating activation of the time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for downlink.

[0052] In an example, the method includes: providing a configuration for an additional time window for performing measurements in the additional time window, wherein the configuration for the additional time window includes: an indication for the user equipment to associate the additional time window with a second receiving element of the user equipment; and, during the additional time window, communicating with the user equipment by providing a signal for network measurements at the user equipment.

[0053] In an example, the method is performed by the network node.

[0054] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform: retrieving a configuration for a time window for performing measurements in the time window; associating the time window with a first receiving element of a user equipment; and during the time window, performing network measurements using the associated first receiving element and receiving downlink data using a second receiving element of the user equipment.

[0055] In an example, the downlink data is received within the duration of the time window without scheduling restrictions, such that the downlink data can be received using the second receiving element for the entire duration of the time window.

[0056] In an example, the apparatus is caused to perform: receiving, from a network node, information associating the configuration of the time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for downlink.

[0057] In an example, the apparatus is caused to perform: receiving, from a network node, information associating activation of the time window for network measurement with a network transmit beam index for downlink.

[0058] In an example, the apparatus is caused to perform: receiving a configuration for an additional time window for performing measurements in the additional time window; associating the additional time window with the second receiving element of the user equipment; and performing network measurements during the additional time window using the associated second receiving element.

[0059] In an example, the time window includes a plurality of opportunities.

[0060] In an example, the device is caused to perform: allocating each of the multiple opportunities in the time window for at least one of: the reception of data, and the performance of network measurements; and according to the allocation in each of the multiple opportunities, during the time window, performing at least one of the following: i) receiving data using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element, and ii) network measurements using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element.

[0061] In an example, the associating comprises associating the time window with: i) the first receiving element of a user equipment, and ii) a second receiving element of the user equipment.

[0062] In an example, said allocating comprises allocating each of said plurality of opportunities of said time window for at least one of: said receiving of data, and said performing of network measurements, using at least one of said first receiving element and said second receiving element of said user equipment.

[0063] In an example, for an opportunity of a plurality of opportunities, one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for the receiving of data, and another of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for the performing of network measurements.

[0064] In an example, for an occasion of a plurality of occasions, both the first receiving element and the second receiving element are allocated for one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

[0065] In an example, said receiving of data and said allocating of said performing of network measurements alternates between each opportunity in said time window for both said first receiving element and said second receiving element.

[0066] In an example, for the time window, one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

[0067] In an example, the time window includes a measurement timing configuration SMTC window based on a synchronization signal block.

[0068] In an example, the retrieval comprises receiving a configuration for the time window from a network node in a radio resource control reconfiguration message, wherein the configuration comprises information of the first receiving element and an indication that the first receiving element is associated with network measurements, and wherein the configuration comprises information of the second receiving element and an indication that the second receiving element is associated with downlink data reception.

[0069] In an example, one of: the apparatus is for the user equipment, the apparatus is included in the user equipment, the apparatus is the user equipment.

[0070] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to perform: providing a configuration for a time window for performing measurements in the time window to a user equipment; and during the time window, communicating with the user equipment by at least one of the following: providing a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and providing downlink data to the user equipment.

[0071] In an example, the communication includes: during the time window, at the same time, communicating with the user equipment by using a first cell of the network node to provide a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and communicating with the user equipment by using a second cell of the network node to provide downlink data to the user equipment.

[0072] In an example, the configuration for the time window comprises an indication for the user equipment to associate the time window with a first receiving element of the user equipment.

[0073] In an example, the apparatus is caused to perform: providing information associating the configuration of a time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for downlink to the user equipment.

[0074] In an example, the apparatus is caused to perform: providing information associating activation of the time window for network measurement and a network transmit beam index for downlink to a user equipment.

[0075] In an example, the apparatus is caused to perform: providing a configuration for an additional time window for performing measurements in the additional time window, wherein the configuration of the additional time window includes: an indication for a user device to associate the additional time window with a second receiving element of the user device; and during the additional time window, communicating with the user device by providing a signal for network measurements at the user device.

[0076] In an example, one of: the apparatus is for a network node, the apparatus is included in the network node, and the apparatus is the network node.

[0077] According to one aspect, a computer program is provided comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: retrieve a configuration for a time window for performing measurements in the time window; associate the time window with a first receiving element of a user equipment; and during the time window, perform network measurements using the associated first receiving element and receive downlink data using a second receiving element of the user equipment.

[0078] According to one aspect, a computer program comprising instructions is provided, which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform at least the following operations: provide a configuration for a time window for performing measurements in the time window to a user equipment; and during the time window, communicate with the user equipment by at least one of the following: provide a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and provide downlink data to the user equipment.

[0079] A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising program instructions, which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following items: retrieve a configuration for a time window for performing measurements in the time window; associate the time window with a first receiving element of a user equipment; and during the time window, perform network measurements using the associated first receiving element and receive downlink data using a second receiving element of the user equipment.

[0080] A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising program instructions, which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following items: provide a configuration for a time window for performing measurements in the time window to a user equipment; and during the time window, communicate with the user equipment by at least one of the following: provide a signal for network measurements at the user equipment, and provide downlink data to the user equipment.

[0081] A computer program comprising instructions stored thereon, which may cause the method as described herein to be performed.

[0082] A computer program comprises instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, may cause the apparatus to perform the method as described herein.

[0083] A computer product, stored on a medium, can cause an apparatus to execute the method as described herein.

[0084] A non-transitory computer readable medium comprises program instructions, which when executed by a device, causes the device to perform the method as described herein.

[0085] An electronic device may include the apparatus described herein.

[0086] Various aspects have been described above. It should be understood that further aspects may be provided by combining any two or more of the above aspects.

[0087] Various other aspects and further embodiments are described in the following detailed description and in the appended claims.

[0088] According to some aspects, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. Some further aspects are defined in the dependent claims. Embodiments that do not fall within the scope of the claims should be interpreted as examples that help to understand the present disclosure.

[0089] List of abbreviations:

[0090] AF: Application Function

[0091] AMF: Access Management Function

[0092] AN: Access Network

[0093] BS: Base Station

[0094] CN: Core Network

[0095] DL: Downlink

[0096] eNB: eNodeB

[0097] FR2: Frequency Range 2

[0098] gNB: gNodeB

[0099] IIoT: Industrial Internet of Things

[0100] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0101] NEF: Network Exposure Function

[0102] NG-RAN: Next Generation Radio Access Network

[0103] NF: Network Function

[0104] NR: New Radio

[0105] NRF: Network Repository Function

[0106] NW: Network

[0107] MIMO: Multiple Input Multiple Output

[0108] MS: Mobile Station

[0109] PCF: Policy Control Function

[0110] PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0111] PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network

[0112] RAN: Radio Access Network

[0113] RF: Radio Frequency

[0114] RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0115] RRM: Radio Resource Management

[0116] Rx: Receive

[0117] SCS: Subcarrier Spacing

[0118] SMF: Session Management Function

[0119] SMTC: SSB-based RRM measurement timing configuration

[0120] SSB: Synchronization Signal Block

[0121] TCI: Transmission Configuration Information

[0122] TRP: Transmission Reception Point

[0123] UE: User Equipment

[0124] UDR: Unified Data Repository

[0125] UDM: Unified Data Management

[0126] UL: Uplink

[0127] UPF: User Plane Function

[0128] 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0129] 5G: Fifth Generation

[0130] 5GC: 5G Core Network

[0131] 5G-AN: 5G Radio Access Network

[0132] 5GS: 5G System BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0133] Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0134] Figure 1 A schematic representation of a 5G system is shown;

[0135] Figure 2 A schematic representation of the control arrangement is shown;

[0136] Figure 3 A schematic representation of a terminal is shown;

[0137] Figure 4 A schematic representation of a user equipment having a single receive chain and example operations performed by the user equipment are shown;

[0138] Figure 5 A schematic representation of a user equipment having two receive chains is shown;

[0139] Figure 6a shows a schematic representation of a user equipment architecture with two receive chains per antenna panel;

[0140] Figure 6b shows a schematic representation of a user equipment architecture with four receive chains per antenna panel;

[0141] Figure 7 Example graphical representations of narrow beam and coarse beam modes are shown;

[0142] Figure 8 A schematic representation of the scheduling constraints is shown;

[0143] Figure 9a A schematic representation of a communication system is shown, wherein the user equipment is capable of receiving two downlink streams simultaneously;

[0144] Figure 9b A schematic representation of a communication system is shown, wherein the user equipment is capable of simultaneously receiving a downlink stream and performing measurements;

[0145] Fig.9c Another schematic representation of a communication system is shown, wherein the user equipment is capable of simultaneously receiving a downlink stream and performing measurements;

[0146] Fig.10 A schematic representation showing the association between SMTC configuration and transport configuration information status is shown;

[0147] Fig.11 An example signaling diagram between a serving cell and a user equipment having multiple receive chains is shown;

[0148] Fig.12 A schematic representation of a user equipment with multiple receive chains performing data reception and measuring performance simultaneously is shown;

[0149] Fig.13 A flow chart of an example method performed by a user device is shown;

[0150] Fig.14 Another example method flow chart performed by a network node is shown; and

[0151] Fig.15 A schematic representation of a non-volatile memory medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, allow the processor to perform Fig.13 and 14 One or more steps in the method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0152] Before explaining some examples of the present disclosure in detail, Figures 1 to 3Certain general principles of wireless communication systems and mobile communication devices are briefly explained to aid understanding of the technology on which the described examples are based.

[0153] In the wireless communication system 100, such as Figure 1 As shown, a mobile communication device / terminal or user equipment, and / or user equipment (UE), and / or machine type communication device 102 is provided with wireless access through at least one base station (not shown) or similar wireless transmission and / or reception node or point. The communication device is equipped with appropriate signal receiving and transmitting devices for implementing communication, for example, implementing access to a communication network or communicating directly with other devices. The communication device can access a carrier provided by a station or access point and send and / or receive communications on the carrier.

[0154] Some examples will be explained below with reference to a mobile communication device capable of communicating via a wireless cellular system and a mobile communication system providing services for such mobile communication devices. Figure 1 , 2 3 briefly explain some general principles of wireless communication systems, their access systems, and mobile communication devices to help understand the technology on which the examples are based.

[0155] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a 5G system (5GS) 100 is shown. The 5GS may include a device 102 (e.g., a user equipment or terminal), a 5G radio access network (5G-RAN) 106, a 5G core network (5GC) 104, one or more network functions (NFs), one or more application functions (AFs) 108, and one or more data networks (DNs) 110.

[0156] The 5G-RAN 106 may include one or more gNodeB (gNB) distributed unit functions connected to one or more gNodeB (gNB) centralized unit functions.

[0157] 5GC 104 may include access management function (AMF) 112, session management function (SMF) 114, authentication server function (AUSF) 116, user data management (UDM) 118, user plane function (UPF) 120, network open function (NEF) 122 and / or other NFs. Some of the examples shown below may be applicable to the 3GPP 5G standard. However, some examples may also be applicable to 6G, 4G, 3G and other 3GPP standards.

[0158] In such as Figure 1In the communication system shown, a mobile communication device / terminal or user equipment, and / or user equipment (UE), and / or a machine type communication device is provided with wireless access through at least one base station or similar wireless transmission and / or reception node or point. The terminal is equipped with appropriate signal receiving and sending devices for implementing communication, for example, implementing access to a communication network or communicating directly with other devices. The communication device can access a carrier provided by a base station or access point and send and / or receive communications on the carrier.

[0159] Figure 2 Shows the control Figure 1 An example of a control device 200 for the functions of a 5G-RAN or 5GC shown. The control device may include at least one random access memory (RAM) 211a, at least one read-only memory (ROM) 211b, at least one processor 212, 213, and an input / output interface 214. At least one processor 212, 213 may be coupled to the RAM 211a and the ROM 211b. At least one processor 212, 213 may be configured to execute appropriate software code 215. The software code 215 may, for example, allow one or more steps to be executed to perform one or more aspects of the present invention. The software code 215 may be stored in the ROM 211b. The control device 200 may be interconnected with another control device 200 that controls another function of a 5G-AN or 5GC. In some examples, each function of a 5G-AN or 5GC includes a control device 200. In an alternative example, two or more functions of a 5G-AN or 5GC may share a control device.

[0160] Figure 3 An example of a terminal 300 is shown, such as Figure 1 The terminal shown in . The terminal 300 can be provided by any device capable of sending and receiving radio signals. Non-limiting examples include: user equipment, mobile station (MS) or mobile device, such as a mobile phone or so-called "smartphone", a computer equipped with a wireless interface card or other wireless interface facilities (e.g., a USB dongle), a personal data assistant (PDA) or tablet computer equipped with wireless communication capabilities, a machine type communication (MTC) device, a cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) device, or any combination of these or the like. The terminal 300 can provide data communications, such as for bearer communications. The communication can be one or more of voice, electronic mail (email), text messaging, multimedia, data, machine data, etc.

[0161] The terminal 300 may receive signals over the air interface or radio interface 307 by means of a number of suitable means for receiving, and may transmit signals by means of suitable means for transmitting radio signals. Figure 3In the embodiment of the present invention, the transceiver device is schematically designated by block 306. The transceiver device 306 may be provided, for example, by a radio component and an associated antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement may be arranged inside or outside the mobile device. The antenna arrangement may include a plurality of antenna panels. Each antenna panel may be associated with a receive chain for processing. The millimeter wave antenna may be a single element or an antenna array. The array may be steered using phase shifters.

[0162] The terminal 300 may be equipped with at least one processor 301, at least one memory ROM 302a, at least one RAM 302b and other possible components 303 for performing the tasks it is designed to perform with software and hardware assistance, including controlling access and communication to access systems and other communication devices. At least one processor 301 is coupled to the RAM 302b and the ROM 302a. At least one processor 301 may be configured to execute appropriate software code 308. The software code 308 may, for example, allow the execution of one or more aspects of the present invention. The software code 308 may be stored in the ROM 302a.

[0163] The processor, memory and other related control devices may be provided on an appropriate circuit board and / or in a chipset. This feature is indicated by reference numeral 304. The device may optionally have a user interface, such as a keyboard 305, a touch screen or touch pad, a combination thereof, etc. Depending on the type of device, one or more displays, speakers and microphones may optionally be provided.

[0164] One or more of the following examples may apply to 3GPP 5G communications. These examples may also apply to 5G Advanced (5G-A) and future and older 3GPP standards, including 4G, LTE, 3G, etc.

[0165] 5G Frequency Range 2 (FR2) includes operating frequencies that have been allocated to 5G in the millimeter wave (mmWave) region (i.e., above 24 GHz). The FR2 antenna array on the user equipment (UE) can be assumed to be directional. Therefore, in order to achieve good performance, the UE may include multiple embedded antenna panels. However, the multiple antenna panels and multiple receive (Rx) chains included in the UE do not necessarily need to have a 1-to-1 mapping. Therefore, the 3GPP Rel-17 FR2 RAN4 requirement assumes a single Rx chain UE, which means that Rel-17 UEs (and earlier versions) can meet the RAN4 requirements assuming that a single Rx chain is activated. Therefore, the UE may have a single activated FR2 panel / Rx chain at this time. This behavior may be beneficial to UE implementation in making the implementation simpler, especially for early implementations, while not restricting the UE implementation. However, this behavior has drawbacks, for example, in terms of neighboring cell measurements, because the single Rx reception assumption means that the UE must scan its reception on the antenna panels assuming that there is only one Rx chain at this time. Therefore, the UE will scan with spherical coverage to get a full picture of its environment, which will cause time delays (scanning delays). This is in Figure 4 It is illustrated in . Here it is shown that for a single Rx chain, four antenna panels, for a single sample global measurement acquisition, the UE needs 4 consecutive Rx scans. Then, further, for each Rx spatial setting for L1 and / or L3 measurement, it is assumed that 3 to 5 samples are required per Rx scan direction to ensure UE cell detection and / or measurement accuracy.

[0166] Figure 4 A schematic representation of a user equipment (UE) with a single receive chain, and example operations performed by the UE are shown.

[0167] A UE 401 is provided. The UE 401 comprises a first antenna board A1 (labeled as 403), a second antenna board A2 (labeled as 405), a third antenna board A3 (labeled as 407) and a fourth antenna board A4 (labeled as 409).

[0168] The UE 401 includes a receiving element 411 (Rx element). The receiving element may also be referred to as an Rx chain 411. The Rx chain 411 may be connected to any one of the four antenna panels 403, 405, 407, 409.

[0169] Figure 4 Also shown is an example operation of the UE 401, where the UE 401 operates each of the four antenna panels 403, 405, 407, 409 individually.

[0170] The operation shows a first time window 413 and a first time period 415. During the first time window 413, the UE 401 performs burst measurements 417 using a beam from a first antenna panel 403. For example, the beam is a coarse beam.

[0171] The operation shows a second time window 419 and a second time period 421. During the second time window 419, the UE 401 performs a burst measurement 423 using a beam from the second antenna panel 405. For example, the beam is a coarse beam.

[0172] The operation shows a third time window 425 and a third time period 427. During the third time window 425, the UE 401 performs burst measurement 429 using a beam from the third antenna panel 407. For example, the beam is a coarse beam.

[0173] The operation shows a fourth time window 431 and a fourth time period 433. During the fourth time window 431, the UE 401 performs burst measurement 435 using a beam from the fourth antenna panel 409. For example, the beam is a coarse beam.

[0174] For example, when each time window is 5 milliseconds (ms) and each time period is 20 ms, the UE 401 will take 80 ms to perform spherical measurement around the entire UE 401 .

[0175] In this example, the UE uses synchronization signal block (SSB) bursts for cell detection and measurement. Figure 4 In this example, four SSB bursts are used to enable receiving each burst in spherical coverage. In this example, each SSB burst is sent by the gNB to the UE every 20 ms. In other examples, the period may be higher or lower than 20 ms. The baseline assumption is that 1 Rx chain is active at a time, meaning that the UE can sample in a single direction per SSB burst.

[0176] Figure 5 A schematic representation of a UE with two receive chains is shown.

[0177] A UE 501 is provided. The UE 501 includes a first antenna panel A1 (labeled 503), a second antenna panel A2 (labeled 505), a third antenna panel A3 (labeled 507), and a fourth antenna panel A4 (labeled 509). The UE 501 includes a first Rx element 511 and a second Rx element 513. The first Rx element may be referred to as a first Rx chain 511, and the second Rx element may be referred to as a second Rx chain 513. Each of the Rx chains 511 and 513 may be connected to any of the four antenna panels 503, 505, 507, 509. The first and / or second Rx elements / chains 511, 513 may include circuit systems configured to receive signals from one or more of the antenna panels 503, 505, 507, 509 and decode the signals.

[0178] This UE 501 architecture has advantages for UE and system level performance, for example, in terms of measurement related delays. Figure 5 In this example, it is assumed that four antenna panels 503, 505, 507, 509 are implemented in the UE 501, which are placed in a manner to improve spherical coverage, and Rx chains 511, 513 can be used simultaneously. Two Rx chains 511, 513 can be active at the same time in the four antenna panels 503, 505, 507, 509, which can include any combination of two antenna panels 503, 505, 507, 509 that can be activated at the same time. In some examples, more or less than four antenna panels are provided in the UE 501.

[0179] use Figure 5 In the UE 501 of the embodiment, the UE 501 can use more than one Rx chain to perform measurements, including, for example, radio resource management (RRM) measurements. In other implementations, the UE 501 can use one Rx chain 511 to receive and perform RRM measurements while using other Rx chains 513 to receive data.

[0180] In a downlink (DL) data reception scenario, a multi Rx UE is expected to be able to receive on two Rx data links. The received data may come from different transmission sources. Examples of transmission sources include transmission reception points (TRPs), remote radio heads (RRHs), cells (where cells can be provided by the same or different gNBs). Figure 9a , where the UE uses two Rx chains to receive data from two different TRPs using two different Rx chains. In this example, different TRPs are located at different locations. Figure 9aIn this scenario, the UE can receive four layers of DL MIMO because in FR2, each antenna panel can implement two layers using cross-polarized antennas. Therefore, when two antenna panels are combined, four layers can be implemented. This will be described in more detail below.

[0181] Although in some examples, four-layer DL MIMO can be achieved with multiple Rx chains in the UE, the UE may not be able to receive data at four layers while performing RRM measurements simultaneously. Typically, in FR2, Layer 3 (L3) RRM measurements are performed in the UE using a different spatial Rx setup than used for data reception, data transmission, and L1 measurements. In some common implementations, a wide beam (spatial UE Rx setup) is associated with each UE panel for L3 measurements, and although beam refinement is not applied, Rx scanning is used when making such measurements.

[0182] The following items have been determined: With a single Rx chain, the UE cannot perform DL demodulation and RRM measurement tasks simultaneously. However, with two Rx chains, each of the two Rx chains can independently perform different tasks. Therefore, some UEs may be able to receive data with one active Rx chain and perform measurements with the other Rx chain. Other UE implementations may be able to use two Rx chains for measurements simultaneously. In some implementations, the UE will not be able to perform measurements and data reception at the same time.

[0183] Figure 6a and 6b Two possible UE panel architectures that can be considered are shown. It should be understood that these architectures are shown as examples only.

[0184] Figure 6a A schematic representation of a UE architecture with two receive chains per antenna panel is shown.

[0185] The UE architecture 601 includes a baseband circuit system 603, which is connected to a transmit / receive circuit system 605. The transmit / receive circuit system 605 is connected to a multiplexer 607. The multiplexer 607 is connected to a first antenna panel 609 and a second antenna panel 611. The first 609 and second antenna panels 611 are configured to transmit and / or receive data, measurements, etc.

[0186] The transmit / receive circuit system 605 comprises four Rx chains 613, 615, 617, 619. Two Rx chains 613, 615 are associated with the first antenna board 609. Another two Rx chains 617, 619 are associated with the second antenna board 611. Thus, two RX chains are provided for each antenna board.

[0187] Figure 6bA schematic representation of a UE architecture with four receive chains per antenna panel is shown.

[0188] UE architecture 651 includes baseband circuitry 653, which is connected to transmit / receive circuitry 655. Transmit / receive circuitry 655 is connected to multiplexer 657. Multiplexer 657 is connected to first antenna panel 659, and additional antenna panel 661 is also shown. In this example, there are two additional antenna panels. In other examples, there may be more or fewer antenna panels than these additional antenna panels. First antenna panel 659 and additional antenna panels 661 are configured to send and / or receive data, measurements, etc.

[0189] The transmit / receive circuit system 655 includes four Rx chains 653, 655, 657, 659. All four Rx chains 653, 655, 657, 659 are associated with the first antenna panel 659. In this way, four RX chains are provided for the same antenna panel. The four Rx chains 653, 655, 657, 659 can also be associated with another antenna panel 611 (not shown).

[0190] It has been determined that some UE architectures may not be able to use two Rx chains from the same antenna panel, which suggests that for each Rx chain there should be a minimum angular separation between the beams used. This minimum separation may have some impact on which beams the UE can use simultaneously for data and RRM measurements. This may mean that whenever the UE has to perform RRM measurements in a similar direction to a narrow data beam, the narrow beam used for data should be turned off. This is important in Figure 7 This is explained in .

[0191] Figure 7 Example graphical representations of narrow and coarse beam patterns are shown.

[0192] A graph is shown with "angle" labeled on the x-axis and "beam gain" labeled on the y-axis. A narrow beam 701 beam pattern is shown in a solid line graph. A narrow beam can be used for data reception and / or transmission. A coarse beam beam pattern 703 is shown in a dashed line graph. A coarse beam can be used for network measurements, such as RRM measurements. The beam pattern for coarse beam 703 has a larger beam angle range than the narrow beam 701. However, the beam pattern for coarse beam 703 has a smaller peak beam gain than the narrow beam 701. Since the coarse beam 703 typically uses fewer antenna elements, it has a smaller beamforming gain than the narrow beam 701 in order to have a wider beam width and detect neighboring cells.

[0193] As part of the 3GPP Rel-15 to Rel-17 RRM requirements, scheduling restrictions apply when the UE performs RRM measurements. Figure 8 This is explained in .

[0194] Figure 8 A schematic representation of scheduling constraints is shown. Figure 8 It is shown when considering 120kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS) parameters, namely synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs) using 120kHz SCS.

[0195] 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols 801 are provided, which are individually numbered. In the 14 OFDM symbols 801, SSB resources 803 are shown. SSB resources 803 are shown as brick-pattern blocks. Symbols labeled 0, 1, 2, and 13 are resources available for data 805. Resources available for data 805 are shown as diagonally shaded blocks. Symbols labeled 3 to 12 are resources with scheduling restrictions 807 (i.e., due to UE monitoring SSB resources).

[0196] Due to these restrictions 807, one symbol before and one symbol after the SSB resource symbol are not available for UE scheduling (for data). This may be due to, for example, changes in the UE's spatial filter parameters when performing RRM measurements in other directions.

[0197] Due to scheduling constraints, only 4 symbols out of a total of 14 symbols 801 are available for data scheduling. If one considers that the SSB-based RRM Measurement Timing Configuration (SMTC) window may be, for example, 5 milliseconds, this means that if all SSB resource 803 locations are used within the SMTC window, only 28% of the resources (in terms of time) are available during the SMTC window.

[0198] The 3GPP specification introduces the SMTC window for informing the UE and other devices about the measurement period and SSB timing that the UE can use to perform measurements.

[0199] In some cases, the SMTC may be reused by multiple UEs in the network, which means that these UEs will be restricted to the same symbols. This leaves relatively less time resources for the network to schedule the UEs. Therefore, this scheduling restriction may cause large delays in the network, especially in the case of busy networks.

[0200] In the case where RRM measurements need to be performed, in some examples, the UE may change the Rx settings / configuration to perform RRM measurements. For a multi-Rx chain UE, when performing measurements, the UE may switch at least one of its Rx chains from DL data reception mode to RRM measurement mode. This situation is as follows Figures 9a to 9c shown.

[0201] Figure 9a A schematic representation of a communication system is shown in which a UE is able to receive two downlink streams simultaneously.

[0202] UE 901 includes four antenna panels, labeled A1 to A4. UE 901 includes two Rx chains 903, 905. There is also a first service node 907 and a second service node 909. The first service node 907 and the second service node 909 can be transmission sources. Examples of transmission sources include TRPs, RRHs, cells (where the cells can be provided by the same or different gNBs). There are also two neighboring cells / nodes 911.

[0203] Antenna panel A1 is receiving a first DL data reception 913 from a first service node 907. Antenna panel A3 is receiving a second DL data reception 915 from a second service node 909. Since UE 901 has two separate RX chains 903, 905, the DL data receptions occur simultaneously (i.e., at the same time). One of the Rx chains 903 decodes the DL data reception from the first service node TRP 907, while the other RX chain 905 decodes the DL data reception from the second service node 909.

[0204] In this configuration example, the UE 901 has two narrow beams dedicated for data reception. This can be achieved by configuring two active transmission configuration information (TCI) states that can connect the UE 901 to different non-co-located serving nodes 907, 909.

[0205] The TCI state may also be referred to as the network transmit beam index for the downlink.

[0206] Figure 9b A schematic representation of a communication system is shown, wherein a UE 901 is able to simultaneously receive a downlink flow and perform measurements.

[0207] and Figure 9a compared to, Figure 9b 901 operation is shown to have changed. Antenna panel A1 continues to receive the first DL data reception 913 from the first serving node 907. The operation has changed in that antenna panel A4 is used to perform measurements 917 on a neighboring cell 911. For example, panel A4 and receive chain 905 are used. In this case, when the UE performs such measurements using panel A4, Figure 9aThe data stream 915 in the UE 901 is interrupted (due to the performance of the measurement). The measurement can be called a network measurement. For example, the network measurement can be an RRM measurement, or any other suitable measurement. In some examples, performing the network measurement can include receiving a reference signal, etc. The RRM measurement can include scanning measurements in different directions and / or using different spatial filters. Since the UE 901 has two independent RX chains 903, 905, DL data reception and network measurements occur simultaneously (i.e., at the same time) using different Rx panels or spatial settings.

[0208] Fig.9c Another schematic representation of a communication system is shown, where the user equipment is able to simultaneously receive a downlink stream and perform measurements. In this case, the UE will perform measurements in the direction covered by antenna panel A1. Therefore, the UE switches to a spatial Rx configuration on antenna panel A1.

[0209] like Fig.9c As shown, antenna panel A1 is used to perform measurements 919 on the first service node 907. Therefore, when performing these measurements, the reception of data from the first service node 907 will be interrupted. Antenna panel A3 can continue to receive DL data reception 915 from the second service node 909. This Fig.9c It is shown in FIG. 1 with a narrow beam from the second service node 909 to the antenna panel A3.

[0210] It has been determined that a UE including multiple Rx chains has a scheduling optimization problem when performing measurements. This is because the data scheduling on one or more Rx chains of the UE is restricted when performing measurements.

[0211] In known systems, when a UE performs RRM measurements, there are scheduling restrictions on at least the symbol before the measurement, the symbol after the measurement, and the symbol of the measurement (e.g., SSB symbol) so that the measurement can be performed. This means that the network cannot assume that the UE can receive or send any data during these symbols.

[0212] One or more of the following examples are intended to address one or more of the issues identified above.

[0213] In an example, there is a device having a component for retrieving a configuration for the time window for performing measurements in the time window, and a component for associating the time window with a receiving chain of a user equipment. The device also has a component for performing network measurements during the time window using the associated receiving chain. In this way, if the device is a UE with multiple Rx chains, or is included in a UE with multiple Rx chains, one of the Rx chains is associated with a time window for measurement so that other Rx chains can receive DL data without scheduling restrictions on certain symbols as described above. This will be described in more detail below. In some examples, multiple Rx chains from a UE are associated with a TCI state at the UE.

[0214] In some examples, when using a UE capable of receiving multiple Rx chains, scheduling constraints are balanced during RRM measurements. In this way, the UE can receive simultaneously using multiple Rx chains.

[0215] In some examples, the UE and the base station (e.g., gNB) exchange information to configure the UE for association. The exchanged information may allow these entities to define when one or more Rx chains in the UE are interrupted / have scheduling restrictions. The interruption / scheduling restriction may be due to the UE performing, for example, L3 RRM measurements.

[0216] In some examples, to ensure that UE power consumption is preserved, a mechanism for associating time windows with Rx chains is applied when the UE has multiple Rx chains in active use.

[0217] In some examples, the association mechanism can be implemented on the UE without signaling exchange with the network. In these cases, the configuration of the UE can be specified by (pre-configured) UE behavior.

[0218] In some examples, the use of the configured time window can be split (or shared) between Rx chains. In some examples, the time window can be an SMTC window. For example, the network can configure a measurement object of a given frequency for the UE, which includes an SMTC per ssbFrequency with a given period. ssbFrequency indicates the frequency of the synchronization signal associated with MeasObjectNR. The SMTC configuration includes multiple opportunities. Each opportunity may include an SSB burst. The opportunity may be, for example, one or more symbols or one or more time slots. When the UE knows / receives the SMTC configuration, the UE can share the SMTC opportunities between (UE's) Rx chains.

[0219] For example, if the network configures a period that is twice the SMTC period, the UE can use multiple receiver chains to perform synchronized measurements in multiple directions at the same time. Measurements can be performed using multiple Rx chains by increasing the SMTC period for multi-Rx UEs compared to single-Rx UEs. For example, for a single-Rx UE, the SMTC may be 40 milliseconds, while for a dual-Rx UE, the SMTC is 80 milliseconds. These numbers are given as examples only. Alternatively, the STMC configuration can be offset for each receiver chain.

[0220] The splitting / sharing of the SMTC window can be achieved with a number of different configurations at the UE. If the SMTC window has a specified / predetermined number of measurements that should be made, then for a UE with multiple Rx chains, these measurements can be shared between the Rx chains. Four example options are shown below, each with an associated table:

[0221] For example, SMTC sharing enables: when one Rx chain is used to perform network measurements, the other Rx chain will be available for data reception. This allows data reception without scheduling restrictions on the Rx chain used for data reception. This is shown in Table 1 below. Table 1 shows that the Rx1 and Rx2 chains of the UE will be used for network measurements in an alternating manner at each opportunity of the SMTC window.

[0222]

[0223] Table 1: Example configuration for SMTC sharing in an alternating manner.

[0224] In this example, 12 opportunities for the SMTC window are shown. Each opportunity is configured for network measurements, as indicated by the "x" in the second row. The "x" included in the Rx1 row or the Rx2 row indicates that the Rx chain is associated with an SMTC window, for example, for measurements of that opportunity.

[0225] In this example, if TCI1 is no longer active, TCI2 can use all SMTC opportunities as shown in Table 1.1 below. This may happen, for example, if TCI1 is to be used for scheduling data.

[0226]

[0227] Table 1.1: Example configuration for SMTC when TCI1 is no longer active.

[0228] In another example, the network may choose to configure two SMTC windows. For example, one SMTC window per TCI, rather than sharing the timing of a single SMTC window. This situation is shown in Table 2 below, with two active TCIs.

[0229]

[0230] Table 1.2: Example configuration for SMTC with two SMTC windows.

[0231] In this example, if TCI2 is no longer used, the network can de-activate the configured SMTC_B. As shown in Table 2.1 below. TCI1 will then be indicated and SMTC_A is activated. At this point, TCI2 is not actively used for scheduling. TCI2 may be in the active TCI list even though the network has not indicated that it is used for scheduling data.

[0232]

[0233] Table 2.1: Example configuration for SMTC when configuration SMTC_B is deactivated.

[0234] In another example, the same timing of the SMTC window is allocated to two Rx chains. In this case, a longer SMTC period can be used (for example, a period twice as long as the SMTC period when using 1 Rx chain). The Rx chain can be considered to be associated with / or equivalent to the TCI state. In this way, a UE with two Rx chains can support receiving from two active or indicated TCI states at the same time. This is shown in Table 3 below. The association between the TCI state (index) and the UE panel and / or the Rx chain may not be fixed. The association between the TCI state (index) and the UE panel and / or the Rx chain can change dynamically.

[0235]

[0236] Table 3: Another example configuration for SMTC sharing where both Rx chains have the same configuration

[0237] The UE is able to perform RRM measurements using two Rx chains simultaneously. Therefore, since the UE has the ability to measure simultaneously, the number of measurement opportunities required to obtain the necessary measurement samples may be reduced. In this example, both Rx chains (Rx1 and Rx2) are associated with SMTC opportunities 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. Both Rx chains will perform network measurements in these SMTC opportunities. In other SMTC opportunities, the UE side will receive data without any restrictions. In this way, all 12 measurements (or 12 groups of measurements) are performed.

[0238] In another example, the same timing of the SMTC window is allocated to the two Rx chains, while giving priority to the measurement delay, as shown in Table 4 below.

[0239]

[0240] Table 4: Another example configuration for SMTC sharing with two Rx chains

[0241] Have the same configuration while giving priority to measuring latency.

[0242] Since measurement delay is prioritized, the 12 measurements (or 12 groups of measurements) are performed simultaneously in consecutive SMTC opportunities as early as possible. In an alternative option, data reception is prioritized and measurements are performed in the last 6 opportunities of the SMTC window.

[0243] In another example, the timing of the SMTC window is configured to utilize / associated with one Rx chain. This is shown in Table 5 below. In this example, the SMTC is associated with Rx2. In other examples, the SMTC is associated with Rx1.

[0244]

[0245] Table 5: Another example configuration for SMTC, where

[0246] The SMTC is associated with one of the Rx chains.

[0247] Rx2 is configured to perform network measurements in opportunities 0 to 11 of the SMTC window and is restricted in performing measurements. Rx1 can perform data reception during the SMTC window without scheduling restrictions.

[0248] This example is particularly useful for UEs with two Rx chains operating in the same antenna panel. In this case, one of the Rx chains is used to make RRM measurements during the SMTC window, while the other Rx chain receives data without scheduling restrictions.

[0249] Selecting an option from Tables 1 to 4 suitable for configuration at the UE may depend on the UE architecture and / or network configuration. In some examples, the UE may indicate to the network which option to use or prefer.

[0250] In some examples, a combination of the above configurations may be applied at the UE.

[0251] Fig.10 A schematic representation of the association between SMTC configuration and transport configuration information status is shown.

[0252] For the first option 1001, there are a first TCI 1003 and a second TCI 1005. The first TCI 1003 may be regarded as the first Rx chain (or the first Rx element) of the UE or associated with the first Rx chain (or the first Rx element) of the UE. The second TCI 1005 may be regarded as the second Rx chain (or the second Rx element) of the UE or associated with the second Rx chain (or the second Rx element) of the UE. In the first option 1001, the first TCI 1003 is associated with the first SMTC 1007 (indicated by an arrow). The second TCI 1005 is associated with the second SMTC 1009 (indicated by an arrow). In the example, the UE receives the first SMTC 1007 and / or the second SMTC 1009 from the network. In other examples, the first SMTC 1007 and / or the second SMTC 1009 are preconfigured at the UE.

[0253] For the second option 1011, there are a first TCI 1013 and a second TCI 1015. The first TCI 1013 can be regarded as the first Rx chain of the UE or associated with the first Rx chain of the UE. The second TCI 1015 can be regarded as the second Rx chain of the UE or associated with the second Rx chain of the UE. In the second option 1011, the first TCI 1013 is associated with the first SMTC 1017 (indicated by the arrow). The second TCI 1005 is not associated with any SMTC 1019 (indicated by the arrow). In the example, the UE receives the first SMTC 1017 from the network. In other examples, the first SMTC 1017 is preconfigured at the UE.

[0254] The association between the (UE's) Rx chain and the SMTC configuration may mean that the RX chain uses the time window of the SMTC configuration for network measurements. In this time window for the Rx chain, there is a saying that there are scheduling restrictions during the time window. Scheduling restrictions refer to the reception of data, as mentioned above. Therefore, if another Rx chain is included in the UE, during the time window, the UE can freely receive DL data without scheduling restrictions. During the duration of the time window, downlink data can be received without scheduling restrictions, so that the downlink data can be received using the second receiving element for the duration of the entire time window.

[0255] In some examples, the UE has multiple different antenna panels, where each antenna panel is located in a different area / portion of the UE device. Figure 5, where an antenna panel is shown on each of the four sides of the device. Due to the position of the antenna panels, the angle / direction at which the UE is aimed is different for different antenna panels. If a first antenna panel is associated with / connected to a first Rx chain of the UE and a second antenna panel is associated with / connected to a second Rx chain, the angle / direction of the signal associated with the first and second Rx chains is different. In this way, the first Rx chain can be used for data and the second Rx chain can be used for network measurements, wherein the data and network measurements are performed at different angles / directions. This is why there are no scheduling restrictions on the first Rx chain used for data. The different angles / directions as described above may be referred to as spatial settings. Therefore, the spatial settings of the relevant Rx chains may be different, depending on which antenna panel the Rx chain is connected to.

[0256] In some examples, the SMTC is configured similarly to how it is in 3GPP Rel-17. When more than one SMTC is configured, each SMTC is configured with additional configuration per Rx chain or TCI state. In some cases, this may be to enable the UE to split the SMTC configuration between different active Rx chains (or TCI states). For the network, one benefit is that the UE can be scheduled in one of the Rx chains (TCI states) in the SMTC without scheduling restrictions / interruptions, while the UE is using another Rx chain for measurements.

[0257] In some examples, SMTC splitting occurs when the UE has two Rx chains active. Otherwise, UE measurements and performance fall back to using one Rx chain (similar to Table 1.1).

[0258] In an example of SMTC splitting / sharing such as Table 1, the measurement period (i.e., the length of time that network measurements are performed) may not change, but the UE can be scheduled in different antenna panels accordingly, regardless of whether there are scheduling restrictions known to the network. The benefit of this is that the overall scheduling opportunities of the UE can be improved.

[0259] In the example of SMTC split / sharing such as in Table 2, the measurement period of the network measurement remains unchanged compared to the single Rx chain UE assumption. However, the UE scheduling restrictions are applied to the two Rx chains (TCI state) in a synchronized manner, while at other times of the SMTC, there are no scheduling restrictions on both Rx chains (Rx 1 and Rx 2). Therefore, the UE can be scheduled on both Rx chains without restrictions. For example, there is no restriction at every other SMTC opportunity. This approach assumes that the UE can use both Rx chains (TCI state) to execute simultaneously.

[0260] The SMTC splitting / sharing examples of Table 3 are similar to those of Table 2, but use different measurement methods. In some examples, the UE can determine which option is more appropriate. In other examples, the network informs the UE which configuration should be used. In other examples, the configuration depends on the UE capabilities. For example, the UE can provide an indication of the UE capabilities to the network. The network can then determine the appropriate configuration based on the received indication. The indication from the UE can be whether the UE can measure simultaneously using two Rx chains, or measure using one Rx chain at a time (per SMTC opportunity).

[0261] Through each of the above SMTC splitting / sharing configurations, UE scheduling constraints are reduced (ie, scheduling opportunities are increased). Therefore, the UE can experience more scheduling opportunities, thereby improving throughput, and the overall network and system throughput is improved.

[0262] In another example, different SMTCs may be configured as part of a MeasObjectNR, which may be extended with a new field named "perTCIsmtc". It should be understood that in other examples, any suitable name may be given to the new field. In 5G NR, measurement objects (MeasObjectNR) are defined for intra-frequency and inter-frequency. Each measurement object indicates the frequency / time location of the reference signal to be measured and the subcarrier spacing.

[0263] The new field perTCIsmtc may contain two SMTC configurations, which may use different periods and / or different offsets. Each new SMTC configuration may be associated with a TCI state (or receive chain). Some example pseudocode for the configuration of a MeasObjectNR utilizing the perTCIsmtc field is shown below, with additional information in bold:

[0264]

[0265] PerTCIsmtc_A is associated with the first TCI state

[0266] PerTCIsmtc_B is associated with the second TCI state

[0267] in

[0268]

[0269] Duration enumeration {sf1,sf2,sf3,sf4,sf5}

[0270] This code snippet is an example of how to encode per TCI SMTC configuration. When this feature is enabled, the UE can apply PerTCIsmtc_A to the UE's first Rx chain and PerTCIsmtc_B to the UE's second Rx chain.

[0271] In some examples, the network indicates the split / sharing configuration to be used at the UE and / or the purpose of how to apply the Rx chain.

[0272] In one example, the network instructs each Rx chain (or TCI state) to use every second SMTC opportunity every other time. Any suitable method can be used to determine which SMTC cycle can be executed at any time. For example, the frame number and a deterministic algorithm can be used to determine. For example, the frame index of the SMTC opportunity can be used as a reference.

[0273] In one example, the UE indicates its capability to measure SMTC simultaneously using more than one Rx chain.

[0274] Fig.11 An example of a signaling diagram between a UE and a network is shown.

[0275] Fig.11 An example signaling diagram between a serving cell and a UE with multiple receive chains is shown. The serving cell may be provided by a network node or a base station (e.g., a gNB). The network node may provide one or more cells in addition to the serving cell. Fig.11 In this example, the UE has two Rx chains. In other examples, the UE may have more than two Rx chains.

[0276] At S1101, the serving cell provides a configuration message to the UE. The message may be a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message. In other examples, other suitable message types are used.

[0277] The message includes a first time window. The first time window may be a first SMTC (SMTC1). SMTC1 may be part of the measurement object configuration. The message may indicate that the UE will use the first SMTC when the UE has a single Rx chain / TCI state active.

[0278] The message also contains the perTCIsmtc configuration. perTCIsmtc may be part of the measurement object configuration. The message may instruct perTCIsmtc to remain inactive until the UE has multiple Rx chains / TCI states active.

[0279] For example, the message from the serving cell may be:

[0280]

[0281] In the case where multiple SMTC windows are configured (e.g., as shown in Table 2.1), activation and deactivation of SMTC windows may follow TCI state activation. SMTC window activation may be explicitly signaled to the UE via, for example, RRC, MAC, or L1 messages. SMTC window activation may also be implicitly signaled by scheduling data on the relevant TCI state.

[0282] At S1103, the serving cell requests activation / the serving cell activates the second Rx chain at the UE. Before the activation message, it is assumed that a single (first Rx chain) is active at the UE.

[0283] After requesting activation at the UE / after requesting activation at the UE, the UE now has the first and second Rx chains active. This means that the first TCI state and the second TCI state are active. Therefore, the UE now activates the perTCIsmtc configuration at the UE. For example, the Rx chain with the smaller index (TCI), i.e. the first Rx chain, uses perTCIsmtc1, while the second RX chain uses perTCIsmtc2. In other examples, the situation can be reversed.

[0284] In an example, the serving cell provides the UE with a configuration for the time window to perform measurements in the time window, and communicates with the UE during the time window by at least one of: providing a signal for network measurements at the user equipment, and providing downlink data to the user equipment. In some examples, the communication with the UE is during the time window, at the same time, by providing a signal for network measurements using a serving cell of the network node, and providing downlink data to the user equipment using a second cell of the network node.

[0285] In an example, the configuration of the time window includes an indication to the UE to associate the time window with a first receiving element of the user equipment.

[0286] In an example, the serving cell provides the UE with information that associates the configuration of the time window for network measurements with the network transmit beam index for the downlink.

[0287] In an example, the serving cell provides the UE with information that associates activation of a time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for the downlink.

[0288] In an example, the serving cell provides the UE with a configuration for the additional time window for performing measurements in the additional time window, wherein the configuration for the additional time window includes an indication for the user equipment to associate the additional time window with a second receiving element of the user equipment. The serving cell can then communicate with the user equipment during the additional time window by providing a signal for network measurements.

[0289] Fig.12 Explained Fig.11 Advantages of the mechanism.

[0290] Fig.12 A schematic diagram showing simultaneous data reception and measurement execution by a UE with multiple receive chains is shown.

[0291] Fig.12 The operation of UE 1201 in four time periods 1203, 1205, 1207, 1209 is shown. UE 1201 has Figure 5 Thus, UE 1201 has two Rx chains and four antenna panels (not shown).

[0292] In each of the four time periods 1203, 1205, 1207, and 1209, the UE 1201 is performing data reception and also performing measurements. Each time period may be an SMTC time period. Each time period includes a time window for measurement. Each time window may be an SMTC window.

[0293] Within the first time period 1203, there is a first time window 1211. During the first time window 1211, the UE 1201 performs: i) receiving data 1213 from the primary serving TRP 1251, and ii) performing measurements. The UE 1201 can receive (and decode) data using the first Rx chain without UE restrictions (e.g., scheduling restrictions) and perform measurements using the second Rx chain. For example, the measurements can be measurements of neighboring cells (similar to Figures 9a to 9c ). An SSB burst 1215 within the first time window 1211 is also shown. Outside the first time window 1211, within a first time period, the UE 1201 receives data 1217 from both the primary serving TRP 1251 and the secondary serving TRP 1253.

[0294] Within the second time period 1205, there is a second time window 1219. During the second time window 1219, the UE 1201 performs: i) receiving data 1221 from the auxiliary service TRP 1253, and ii) performing measurements. The UE 1201 can receive (and decode) data using the second Rx chain without UE restrictions (e.g., scheduling restrictions) and perform measurements using the first Rx chain. For example, the measurements can be measurements of neighboring cells (similar to Figures 9a to 9c ). An SSB burst 1223 within the second time window 1219 is also shown. Outside the first time window 1205, within the second time period 1205, the UE 1201 receives data 1225 from both the primary serving TRP 1251 and the secondary serving TRP 1253.

[0295] Within the third time period 1207, there is a third time window 1227. During the third time window 1227, the UE 1201 performs: i) receiving data 1229 from the primary serving TRP 1251, and ii) performing measurements. The UE 1201 can receive (and decode) data using the first Rx chain without UE restrictions (e.g., scheduling restrictions) and perform measurements using the second Rx chain. For example, the measurements can be measurements of neighboring cells (similar to Figures 9a to 9c ). An SSB burst 1231 within a third time window 1227 is also shown. Outside the third time window 1227, within a third time period 1207, UE 1201 receives data 1233 from both the primary serving TRP 1251 and the secondary serving TRP 1253.

[0296] In the fourth time period 1209, there is a fourth time window 1235. During the fourth time window 1235, the UE 1201 performs: i) receiving data 1237 from the auxiliary service TRP 1253, and ii) performing measurements. The UE 1201 can receive (and decode) data using the second Rx chain without UE restrictions (such as scheduling restrictions) and perform measurements using the first Rx chain. For example, the measurement can be a measurement of a neighboring cell (similar to Figures 9a to 9c ). An SSB burst 1239 within a fourth time window 1235 is also shown. Outside the fourth time window 1235, within a fourth time period 1209, the UE 1201 receives data 1241 from both the primary serving TRP 1251 and the secondary serving TRP 1253.

[0297] exist Fig.12In this example, the UE receives downlink data using two Rx links from different TRPs 1251, 1253. Outside the SMTC time window, the network is able to schedule the UE in DL using two Rx links / TCI states. The behavior of UE 1201 will be different when considering the timing / symbols within the SMTC time window 1211, 1219, 1227, 1235. When considering the UE behavior in some known systems, the network will not be able to schedule data in SSB symbols and / or symbols around SSB.

[0298] The association between at least one Rx chain and an SMTC time window enables the UE to be scheduled on at least one active Rx chain (TCI state) during that SMTC window without scheduling restrictions. This is achieved by enabling the network to know when a UE is assumed to have restrictions on a given Rx chain due to measurements being performed.

[0299] It can also enhance the scheduling possibilities of the UE, thereby minimizing the number of opportunities (eg, symbols) at which the UE is assumed to be unable to receive and / or transmit data due to scheduling restrictions.

[0300] When analyzing from a network perspective, in some cases, multiple UEs will have the same or similar SMTC configurations. Therefore, when looking at known systems, the scheduling restrictions are common to multiple UEs, and the network must schedule all UEs that share the SMTC configuration on the same OFDM symbols. When applying the example mechanism described above, because multiple receiver chain UEs that support these optimized scheduling restrictions can use these symbols, the overall network performance can be greatly optimized.

[0301] Fig.13 An example method flow executed by an apparatus is shown. The apparatus may be included in a user equipment.

[0302] In S1301 , the method includes retrieving a configuration for a time window for performing measurement in the time window.

[0303] In S1303, the method includes associating the time window with a first receiving element of the user equipment.

[0304] In S1305 , the method includes performing network measurements using an associated first receiving element and receiving downlink data using a second receiving element of the user equipment during the time window.

[0305] Fig.14 An example method flow performed by an apparatus is shown. The apparatus may be included in a network node. In one example, the network node is a base station. In some examples, the network node provides a serving cell.

[0306] In S1401, the method includes providing, to a user equipment, a configuration for the time window for performing measurement in the time window.

[0307] In S1403, the method includes communicating with the user equipment during the time window by at least one of: providing a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and providing downlink data to the user equipment.

[0308] Fig.15 Schematic representations of non-volatile storage media 1500a (e.g., a computer compact disk (CD) or a digital versatile disk (DVD)) and 1500b (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick) are shown, which store instructions and / or parameters 1502 that, when executed by a processor, allow the processor to perform Fig.13 and / or Fig.14 One or more steps in a method.

[0309] It is noted that while the above describes exemplifying embodiments, there are numerous variations and modifications which may be made to the disclosed solution without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0310] Therefore, the examples may vary within the scope of the appended claims. In general, some embodiments may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although the embodiments are not limited thereto. Although various embodiments may be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it is fully understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein, as non-limiting examples, may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0311] These examples may be implemented by computer software or hardware or a combination of software and hardware stored in a memory and executable by at least one data processor of the entity involved. In addition, it should be noted in this regard that any program may represent program steps, or interconnected logic circuits, blocks and functions, or a combination of program steps and logic circuits, blocks and functions. The software may be stored on physical media such as memory chips or memory blocks implemented in processors, magnetic media (such as hard disks or floppy disks), and optical media (such as DVDs and data variants thereof, CDs).

[0312] The term "non-transitory" as used herein refers to the limitations of the medium itself (ie, tangible, not a signal), not the limitations of data storage persistence (eg, RAM vs. ROM).

[0313] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one of: ” and similar expressions, where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, mean at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all the elements.

[0314] The memory may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The data processor, as a non-limiting example, may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a gate-level circuit, and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture.

[0315] Alternatively, or in addition, some examples may be implemented using a circuit system. The circuit system may be configured to perform one or more functions and / or method steps described previously. The circuit system may be provided in a base station and / or a communication device.

[0316] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0317] (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (e.g., only analog and / or digital circuits are used);

[0318] (b) A combination of hardware circuits and software, such as:

[0319] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0320] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) and software (including digital signal processor(s)), software and memory(s) that act together to enable the apparatus (e.g., a communications device or base station) to perform the various functions described above; and

[0321] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may not be present when not required for operation.

[0322] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example, an integrated device.

[0323] The above description has provided a complete and informative description of some embodiments by way of exemplary and non-limiting examples. However, various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art when the above description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. However, all such and similar teaching modifications will still fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device comprising: means for retrieving a configuration for a time window for performing measurements in the time window; means for associating the time window with a first receiving element of a user equipment; Means for performing network measurements using the associated first receiving element during the time window and receiving downlink data using the second receiving element of the user equipment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the downlink data is received within the duration of the time window without scheduling restrictions, such that downlink data can be received throughout the duration of the time window using the second receiving element.

3. The device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the device comprises: Means for receiving, from a network node, information associating said configuration of a time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for downlink.

4. The device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the device comprises: Means for receiving, from a network node, information associating activation of said time window for network measurements and a network transmit beam index for downlink.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the device comprises: means for receiving a configuration for a further time window for performing measurements in the further time window; means for associating the further time window with the second receiving element of the user equipment; as well as Means for performing network measurements using the associated second receiving element during the further time window.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the time window comprises a plurality of opportunities.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the device comprises: means for allocating each of said plurality of opportunities of said time window for at least one of: said receiving of data, and said performing of network measurements; as well as Means for performing, during the time window in accordance with the allocation in each of the plurality of opportunities, at least one of: i) receiving data using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element, and ii) network measurement using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the means for associating comprises: Means for associating the time window with: i) the first receiving element of a user equipment, and ii) a second receiving element of the user equipment.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the means for dispensing comprises: Means for allocating, using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element of the user equipment, each of the plurality of opportunities of the time window for at least one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein for a timing in the plurality of timings, one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for the reception of data, and the other of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for the performance of network measurements.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein for an opportunity in the plurality of opportunities, both the first receiving element and the second receiving element are allocated for one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein for both the first receiving element and the second receiving element, the allocation for the reception of data, and the allocation for the performance of network measurements, alternate between each opportunity in the time window.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein for the time window, one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the time window comprises: The SMTC window is configured based on the measurement timing of the synchronization signal block.

15. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the means for retrieving comprises: means for receiving said configuration for said time window from a network node in a radio resource control reconfiguration message, wherein the configuration includes: information of the first receiving element, and an indication that the first receiving element is associated with a network measurement, and The configuration includes: information of the second receiving element, and an indication that the second receiving element is associated with downlink data reception.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein one of the following items: the apparatus is used for the user equipment, the apparatus is included in the user equipment, and the apparatus is the user equipment.

17. An apparatus comprising: means for providing to a user equipment a configuration for the time window for performing measurements in the time window; Means for communicating with the user equipment during the time window by at least one of: providing a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and providing downlink data to the user equipment.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for communicating comprises: A component for the following items: during the time window, at the same time, communicating with the user equipment by using a first cell of the network node to provide a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and communicating with the user equipment by using a second cell of the network node to provide downlink data to the user equipment.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the configuration for the time window comprises: An instruction for the user equipment to associate the time window with a first receiving element of the user equipment.

20. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the device comprises: Means for providing said user equipment with information associating said configuration of a time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for downlink.

21. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the device comprises: Means for providing said user equipment with information correlating activation of said time window for network measurements and a network transmit beam index for downlink.

22. The device according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the device comprises: means for providing a configuration for a further time window for performing measurements in said further time window, wherein the configuration for the further time window comprises: an instruction for the user equipment to associate the further time window with a second receiving element of the user equipment; and Means for communicating with the user equipment during the further time window by providing a signal for network measurements at the user equipment.

23. The apparatus according to any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein one of the following items: the apparatus is used in a network node, the apparatus is included in the network node, and the apparatus is the network node.

24. A method comprising: retrieving a configuration for the time window for performing measurements in the time window; Associating the time window with a first receiving element of a user device; as well as During the time window, network measurements are performed using the associated first receiving element and downlink data is received using the second receiving element of the user equipment.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the downlink data is received within the duration of the time window without scheduling restrictions, such that downlink data can be received throughout the duration of the time window using the second receiving element.

26. A method according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein the method comprises: Information is received from a network node associating the configuration of a time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for downlink.

27. A method according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein the method comprises: Information is received from a network node associating activation of the time window for network measurements and a network transmit beam index for downlink.

28. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein the method comprises: receiving a configuration for a further time window to perform measurements in the further time window; associating the further time window with the second receiving element of the user equipment; as well as During the further time window, network measurements are performed using the associated second receiving element.

29. The method of any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein the time window comprises a plurality of occasions.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the method comprises: allocating each of the plurality of opportunities of the time window for at least one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements; as well as According to the allocation in each of the plurality of opportunities, at least one of: i) receiving data using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element, and ii) network measurement using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is performed during the time window.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the associating comprises: The time window is associated with: i) the first receiving element of a user equipment, and ii) a second receiving element of the user equipment.

32. A method according to claim 30 or claim 31, wherein the allocating comprises: Using at least one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element of the user equipment, each of the plurality of opportunities of the time window is allocated for at least one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

33. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 32, wherein for a timing in the plurality of timings, one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for the reception of data, and the other of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for the performance of network measurements.

34. The method of any one of claims 30 to 33, wherein for an opportunity of the plurality of opportunities, both the first receiving element and the second receiving element are allocated for one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

35. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 33, wherein for both the first receiving element and the second receiving element, the allocation for the reception of data, and the allocation for the performance of network measurements, alternate between each opportunity in the time window.

36. The method of any one of claims 30 to 32, wherein for the time window, one of the first receiving element and the second receiving element is allocated for one of: the receiving of data, and the performing of network measurements.

37. The method of any one of claims 24 to 36, wherein the time window comprises: The SMTC window is configured based on the measurement timing of the synchronization signal block.

38. The method of any one of claims 24 to 37, wherein the retrieving comprises: receiving said configuration for said time window from a network node in a radio resource control reconfiguration message, wherein the configuration includes: information of the first receiving element, and an indication that the first receiving element is associated with a network measurement, and The configuration includes: information of the second receiving element, and an indication that the second receiving element is associated with downlink data reception.

39. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein the method is performed by the user equipment.

40. A method comprising: providing a configuration for the time window to a user equipment for performing measurements in the time window; During the time window, communicating with the user equipment by at least one of: providing a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and providing downlink data to the user equipment.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the communicating comprises: During the time window, at the same time, communicate with the user equipment by providing a signal for network measurement at the user equipment using a first cell of the network node, and communicate with the user equipment by providing downlink data to the user equipment using a second cell of the network node.

42. A method according to claim 40 or claim 41, wherein the configuration for the time window comprises: An instruction for the user equipment to associate the time window with a first receiving element of the user equipment.

43. A method according to any one of claims 40 to 42, wherein the method comprises: Information is provided to the user equipment associating the configuration of a time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for downlink.

44. A method according to any one of claims 40 to 43, wherein the method comprises: Information is provided to the user equipment that associates activation of the time window for network measurements with a network transmit beam index for downlink.

45. A method according to any one of claims 40 to 44, wherein the method comprises: providing a configuration for a further time window for performing measurements in the further time window, wherein the configuration for the further time window comprises: an instruction for the user equipment to associate the further time window with a second receiving element of the user equipment; and During the further time window, communicating with the user equipment is performed by providing a signal for network measurements at the user equipment.

46. ​​The method according to any one of claims 40 to 45, wherein the method is performed by the network node.

47. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to perform: retrieving a configuration for the time window for performing measurements in the time window; Associating the time window with a first receiving element of a user device; as well as During the time window, network measurements are performed using the associated first receiving element and downlink data is received using the second receiving element of the user equipment.

48. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor, and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to perform: providing a configuration for the time window to a user equipment for performing measurements in the time window; as well as During the time window, communicating with the user equipment by at least one of: providing a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and providing downlink data to the user equipment.

49. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least perform the following: retrieving a configuration for the time window for performing measurements in the time window; Associating the time window with a first receiving element of a user device; as well as During the time window, network measurements are performed using the associated first receiving element and downlink data is received using the second receiving element of the user equipment.

50. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least perform the following: providing a configuration for the time window to a user equipment for performing measurements in the time window; and During the time window, communicating with the user equipment by at least one of: providing a signal for network measurement at the user equipment, and providing downlink data to the user equipment.

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