Method and apparatus for determining measurements based on additional reference signals from one or more target cells

Abstract

Techniques are provided for facilitating establishment of a dual connectivity / carrier aggregation (DC / CA) connection with a target cell. In the context of a method performed by a user equipment, a measurement procedure is performed when a user equipment served by a primary cell is in an inactive or idle state. The method also includes receiving one or more additional reference signals from the one or more target cells. The method also includes determining a measurement result based on the at least one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells. The method may also include taking an action based on the measurement. Corresponding methods, apparatuses, and computer readable storage media are also provided for the master cell and the target cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Example embodiments generally relate to techniques for wireless communication, and more particularly to techniques for taking actions (including, for example, providing fast resource reservation (FRR)) in response to measurement results based on additional reference signals provided by one or more target cells. Background Art

[0002] In a communication system, a user equipment (UE) may establish an RRC connection with a radio access network (RAN) by initiating a random access (RA) procedure and sending a radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment or resume request to a primary cell and / or one or more secondary cells. Some information may be provided in the RRC connection to allow the RAN to apply various policies, such as accepting the RRC connection establishment request, rejecting the RRC connection establishment request, or releasing the RRC connection establishment request. The RRC connection establishment request may be triggered by a service request in a fifth generation (5G) system.

[0003] To increase the data rate in the uplink and / or downlink transmission directions, the UE may utilize DC / CA (dual connectivity / carrier aggregation), which allows the UE to obtain measurements from multiple cells (such as a primary cell and a secondary cell), and to send and receive data from multiple cells. In this regard, once the UE is in the RRC connected mode, the UE tends to establish DC / CA within a reasonable time before ending the data transmission in order to benefit therefrom. To enable the UE to establish DC / CA more quickly, the UE may use idle / inactive mode measurements on one or more target cells while a timer (e.g., the T331 timer) is running. Measurements performed for cell reselection purposes, or "early" measurements performed in the idle / inactive mode for reporting when moving to the connected mode (hereinafter referred to as call early measurement report (EMR)) are examples of idle / inactive mode measurements performed by the UE. At the expiration of the time and after entering the RRC connected mode, the UE may provide a report of the measurements performed on one or more target cells. The report may be provided to the network to facilitate the establishment of an additional or secondary link or connection with the target cell.

[0004] One frequency band that benefits from idle / inactive mode measurements and subsequent reporting is the FR2 band that supports millimeter wave frequency transmission, such as 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz, for example for relatively short-range high data rate applications. Different from a UE that supports FR1 band (e.g., 4.1 GHz to 7.125 GHz) transmission, supports most traditional cellular mobile communication services, and is typically composed of a single antenna panel with a spherical coverage, a UE that supports FR2 band transmission may have, for example, multiple directional antenna panels located on different sides of the UE, and each panel is configured to cover a part of the space. The increase in the number of FR2 band antenna panels is to compensate for the additional propagation path loss of millimeter wave frequencies. Due to multiple antenna panels, signals from one or more secondary cells are beamformed and transmitted as different spatially filtered narrow beams. In addition, since the space covered by each panel of the FR2 device is limited, a UE configured to operate in the FR2 band may switch between different cells more frequently to receive signals and detect and measure target cells, and thus can rely on idle / inactive mode measurements and subsequent reporting to facilitate such a switch in a timely manner and reduce the amount of unnecessary measurements to save power.

[0005] In a New Radio (NR) network, the initial connection (cell detection / measurement) establishment process (including cell detection and measurement) and the beam selection phase are performed by measuring synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) broadcast from a primary cell (e.g., gNB) through different spatial filters, and these different spatial filters are usually multiplexed and swept in a time division multiplexing (TDM) manner. In NR FR2, due to the assumption regarding multiple UE panels, the UE cell detection and measurement time is relaxed compared to FR1. Therefore, in order to correctly measure the cell / carrier frequency, it is assumed that the UE continuously measures the reference signal by sweeping its receiving panels, which results in additional measurement time compared to the measurement time required by a FR1 single-panel user.

[0006] However, the time required for cell detection and cell measurement (including the time required to extract the synchronization signal block (SSB) index that can be included in the report) may consume a relatively large proportion of the idle / inactive mode. In addition, the time required for cell detection and measurement (such as in combination with obtaining and analyzing idle / inactive mode measurements) may increase the power consumption of the UE, increase the latency (in combination with establishing DC / CA with the target cell), and / or reduce the data throughput of the target cell. SUMMARY

[0007] Various embodiments generally relate to techniques for facilitating DC / CA connection with a target cell, such as by reducing the time required for a user equipment to establish a DC / CA connection with the target cell.

[0008] In an example embodiment, a method is provided that includes: initiating a measurement process when a user equipment (UE) served by a primary cell is in an inactive or idle state. The method also includes receiving one or more additional reference signals (RSs) from one or more target cells, and determining a measurement result based on at least one or more of the additional RSs from the one or more target cells. The method further includes taking an action based on the measurement result.

[0009] The method of the example embodiment determines the measurement result by: determining additional idle / inactive mode measurements based on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells. In this example embodiment, the idle / inactive mode measurements include: early measurement report measurements. In the example embodiment, determining the measurement result includes: performing verification based on the relationship between the measurement results: the measurement results obtained depending on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells, and the measurement results obtained before receiving the one or more additional RSs.

[0010] The method of the example embodiment determines the measurement result by: obtaining enhanced measurements based on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells. In the example embodiment, initiating the measurement process includes: receiving a paging from the primary cell. The method of this example embodiment also includes receiving an indication of the transmission of one or more additional RSs and additional information during the paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control setup / resumption procedure. In the example embodiment, the method initiates the measurement process by: causing a request for additional reference signals and the transmission of additional information to the primary cell. The method of the example embodiment takes an action by: reporting the measurement result or information derived from the measurement result to the primary cell, and / or applying radio resource control (RRC) configuration, applying RRC reconfiguration, or requesting a connection to a different cell.

[0011] In another example embodiment, a device is provided that includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: initiate a measurement process when a user equipment (UE) served by a primary cell is in an inactive or idle state. The device is also caused to receive one or more additional reference signals (RSs) from one or more target cells, and determine a measurement result based on at least one or more of the additional RSs from the one or more target cells. The device is further caused to take an action based on the measurement result.

[0012] The apparatus of the example embodiment is caused to determine a measurement result by determining additional idle / inactive mode measurements based on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells. In this example embodiment, the idle / inactive mode measurements include: early measurement report measurements. In the example embodiment, the apparatus is caused to determine a measurement result by performing verification based on the relationship between the following measurement results: the measurement results obtained depending on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells, and the measurement results obtained before receiving one or more additional RSs. The apparatus of the example embodiment is caused to determine a measurement result by obtaining enhanced measurements based on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells.

[0013] The apparatus of the example embodiment is caused to initiate a measurement procedure by receiving paging from a primary cell. In this example embodiment, when executed by the at least one processor, the instruction is further configured to cause the apparatus to receive an indication of the transmission of one or more additional RSs and additional information during paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure. In the example embodiment, the apparatus is caused to initiate a measurement procedure by causing a request for additional reference signals and the transmission of the additional information to the primary cell. The apparatus of the example embodiment is caused to take an action by reporting a measurement result or information derived from the measurement result to the primary cell, and / or applying a radio resource control (RRC) configuration, applying an RRC reconfiguration, or requesting a connection to a different cell.

[0014] In another example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program instructions stored thereon for: when a user equipment (UE) served by a primary cell is in an inactive or idle state, initiating a measurement procedure. The program instructions are further for receiving one or more additional reference signals (RSs) from one or more target cells, and determining a measurement result based on at least one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells. The program instructions are further for taking an action based on the measurement result.

[0015] The program instructions for determining measurement results according to an exemplary embodiment include: program instructions for determining additional idle / inactive mode measurements based on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells. In this exemplary embodiment, the idle / inactive mode measurements include: early measurement report measurements. In the exemplary embodiment, the program instructions for determining measurement results include program instructions for performing verification based on the relationship between the following measurement results: the measurement results obtained depending on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells, and the measurement results obtained before receiving one or more additional RSs. The program instructions for determining measurement results according to an exemplary embodiment include: program instructions for obtaining enhanced measurements based on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells.

[0016] The program instructions for initiating a measurement process according to an exemplary embodiment include: program instructions for receiving paging from a primary cell. In this exemplary embodiment, the program instructions are further used to receive an indication of the transmission of one or more additional RSs and additional information during paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure. In the exemplary embodiment, the program instructions for initiating a measurement process include: program instructions for causing a request for additional reference signals and the transmission of additional information to the primary cell. The program instructions for taking an action according to an exemplary embodiment include: program instructions for reporting measurement results or information derived from the measurement results to the primary cell, and / or program instructions for applying radio resource control (RRC) configuration, applying RRC reconfiguration, or requesting a connection to a different cell.

[0017] In yet another exemplary embodiment, a device is provided, which includes components for initiating a measurement process when a user equipment (UE) served by a primary cell is in an inactive or idle state. The device also includes components for receiving one or more additional reference signals (RSs) from one or more target cells, and components for determining measurement results based on at least one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells. The device further includes components for taking an action based on the measurement results.

[0018] The component for determining a measurement result according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a component for determining additional idle / inactive mode measurements based on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells. In this exemplary embodiment, the idle / inactive mode measurements include: early measurement report measurements. In the exemplary embodiment, the component for determining a measurement result includes a component for performing verification based on the relationship between the following measurement results: the measurement results obtained depending on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells, and the measurement results obtained before receiving one or more additional RSs. The component for determining a measurement result according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a component for obtaining enhanced measurements based on one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells.

[0019] The component for initiating a measurement procedure according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a component for receiving paging from a primary cell. In this exemplary embodiment, the device also includes a component for receiving an indication of the transmission of one or more additional RSs and additional information during paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure. The component for initiating a measurement procedure according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a component for causing a request for additional reference signals and the transmission of additional information to the primary cell. In the exemplary embodiment, the component for taking an action includes: a component for reporting a measurement result or information derived from the measurement result to the primary cell, and / or a component for applying a radio resource control (RRC) configuration, applying an RRC reconfiguration, or requesting a connection to a different cell.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, a method is provided, which includes configuring a user equipment (UE) to obtain measurements from one or more target cells. The method also includes initiating a measurement procedure and causing communication with one or more target cells to cause one or more target cells to provide one or more additional reference signals from which measurement results can be derived. The method further includes: after the provision of one or more additional reference signals by one or more target cells, terminating the further provision of additional reference signals from one or more target cells.

[0021] The method of the exemplary embodiment also includes: before initiating the measurement procedure, obtaining configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to be provided by one or more target cells; and causing the communication of the configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to the UE. In the exemplary embodiment, configuring the UE includes causing the transmission of one or more verification conditions to the UE to facilitate the verification of one or more idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more verification conditions. Configuring the UE according to an example embodiment includes causing the transmission of one or more enhanced measurement configurations to the UE.

[0022] The method of the exemplary embodiment initiates a measurement procedure by paging the UE. In this exemplary embodiment, the method may also include providing an indication of the transmission of one or more additional RSs and additional information during paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure. In the exemplary embodiment, initiating the measurement procedure includes: receiving a request for an additional reference signal and additional information from the UE. Causing communication with one or more target cells according to one exemplary embodiment includes: causing the transmission of one or more activation signals to one or more target cells. In the exemplary embodiment, terminating the further provision of the additional reference signal includes: receiving an indication from the UE that the measurement procedure is to be ended; and causing communication with one or more target cells to terminate the provision of one or more additional reference signals.

[0023] In another exemplary embodiment, there is provided an apparatus that includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least configure a user equipment (UE) to obtain measurements from one or more target cells. The instructions are further configured to initiate a measurement procedure and cause communication with one or more target cells to cause one or more target cells to provide one or more additional reference signals from which measurement results can be derived. The instructions are further configured to: after the provision of one or more additional reference signals by one or more target cells, terminate the further provision of the additional reference signals from one or more target cells.

[0024] The instructions of the exemplary embodiment are further configured to: before initiating the measurement procedure, obtain configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to be provided by one or more target cells; and cause communication of the configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to the UE. In the exemplary embodiment, the instructions for configuring the UE include instructions for causing the transmission of one or more verification conditions to the UE to facilitate verification of one or more idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more verification conditions. The instructions for configuring the UE according to the exemplary embodiment include instructions for causing the transmission of one or more enhanced measurement configurations to the UE. In the exemplary embodiment, the instructions for initiating the measurement procedure include instructions for paging the UE.

[0025] The apparatus of the example embodiment also includes instructions for providing an indication of the transmission of one or more additional RSs and additional information during paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure. In the example embodiment, the instructions for initiating a measurement procedure include instructions for receiving a request for additional reference signals and additional information from the UE. The instructions for causing communication with one or more target cells according to the example embodiment include instructions for causing the transmission of one or more activation signals to one or more target cells. In the example embodiment, the instructions for terminating the further provision of additional reference signals include: instructions for receiving an indication from the UE that the measurement procedure is to be ended; and instructions for causing communication with one or more target cells to terminate the provision of one or more additional reference signals.

[0026] In another example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program instructions stored thereon for configuring a user equipment (UE) to obtain measurements from one or more target cells. The program instructions are further configured to initiate a measurement procedure and cause communication with one or more target cells to cause one or more target cells to provide one or more additional reference signals from which measurement results can be derived. The program instructions are further configured to: after the provision of one or more additional reference signals by one or more target cells, terminate the further provision of the additional reference signals from one or more target cells.

[0027] The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of the example embodiment also includes: program instructions for obtaining configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to be provided by one or more target cells before initiating a measurement procedure, and program instructions for causing the communication of the configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to the UE. In the example embodiment, the program instructions for configuring the UE include: program instructions for causing the transmission of one or more verification conditions to the UE to facilitate the verification of one or more idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more verification conditions. The program instructions for configuring the UE according to the example embodiment include: program instructions for causing the transmission of one or more enhanced measurement configurations to the UE.

[0028] The program instructions for initiating a measurement process according to an exemplary embodiment include: program instructions for paging a UE. In this exemplary embodiment, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may also include program instructions for providing an indication of the transmission of one or more additional RSs and additional information during paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure. In an exemplary embodiment, the program instructions for initiating a measurement process include: program instructions for receiving a request for additional reference signals and additional information from the UE. The program instructions for causing communication with one or more target cells according to an exemplary embodiment include: program instructions for causing the transmission of one or more activation signals to one or more target cells. In an exemplary embodiment, the program instructions for terminating the further provision of additional reference signals include: program instructions for receiving an indication from the UE that the measurement process will end, and program instructions for causing communication with one or more target cells to terminate the provision of one or more additional reference signals.

[0029] In yet another exemplary embodiment, a device is provided that includes components for configuring a user equipment (UE) to obtain measurements from one or more target cells. The device also includes components for initiating a measurement process and causing communication with one or more target cells to cause one or more target cells to provide one or more additional reference signals, from which measurement results can be derived. The device further includes: components for terminating the further provision of additional reference signals from one or more target cells after the provision of one or more additional reference signals by one or more target cells.

[0030] The device of the exemplary embodiment also includes: components for obtaining configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to be provided by one or more target cells before initiating a measurement process, and components for causing the communication of the configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to the UE. In an exemplary embodiment, the components for configuring the UE include: components for causing the transmission of one or more verification conditions to the UE to facilitate the verification of one or more idle / inactive mode measurements based on one or more verification conditions. The components for configuring the UE according to an exemplary embodiment include: components for causing the transmission of one or more enhanced measurement configurations to the UE.

[0031] The components for initiating a measurement process according to an exemplary embodiment include: components for paging a UE. In this exemplary embodiment, the apparatus also includes components for providing an indication of the transmission of one or more additional RSs and additional information during paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure. In an exemplary embodiment, the components for initiating a measurement process include: components for receiving a request for additional reference signals and additional information from the UE. The components for causing communication with one or more target cells according to an exemplary embodiment include: components for causing the transmission of one or more activation signals to one or more target cells. In an exemplary embodiment, the components for terminating the further provision of additional reference signals include: components for receiving an indication from the UE that the measurement process will end, and components for causing communication with one or more target cells to terminate the provision of one or more additional reference signals.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, a method is provided that includes causing the provision of reference signals to a user equipment (UE), and receiving one or more activation signals from a primary cell serving the UE. The method also includes: in response to the one or more activation signals, causing the provision of one or more additional reference signals (RSs) to the UE. In addition to the reference signals, one or more additional reference signals (RSs) are provided. The method further includes: in response to an indication from the UE that the measurement process will end, terminating the provision of one or more additional reference signals.

[0033] The method of the exemplary embodiment also includes: before causing the provision of reference signals to the UE, receiving a request for configuration information of one or more additional reference signals. The method of the exemplary embodiment further includes causing the provision of configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to the primary cell.

[0034] In another exemplary embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least cause the provision of reference signals to a user equipment (UE). The instructions are also configured to receive one or more activation signals from a primary cell serving the UE, and in response to the one or more activation signals, cause the provision of one or more additional reference signals (RSs) to the UE. In addition to the reference signals, one or more additional reference signals (RSs) are provided. The instructions are also configured to: in response to an indication from the UE that the measurement process will end, terminate the provision of one or more additional reference signals.

[0035] The instructions of the example embodiment are further configured to: receive a request for configuration information of one or more additional reference signals before causing the provision of a reference signal to the UE. The instructions of the example embodiment are further configured to cause the provision of the configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to the primary cell.

[0036] In another example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including program instructions stored thereon for causing the provision of a reference signal to a user equipment (UE) and for receiving one or more activation signals from a primary cell serving the UE. The program instructions are further configured to: in response to the one or more activation signals, cause the provision of one or more additional reference signals (RS) to the UE. One or more additional reference signals (RS) are provided in addition to the reference signal. The program instructions are further configured to: in response to an indication from the UE indicating that a measurement procedure is to be ended, terminate the provision of the one or more additional reference signals.

[0037] The program instructions of the example embodiment are further configured to: receive a request for configuration information of one or more additional reference signals before causing the provision of a reference signal to the UE. In this example embodiment, the program instructions are further configured to cause the provision of the configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to the primary cell.

[0038] In yet another example embodiment, a device is provided, the device including means for causing the provision of a reference signal to a user equipment (UE) and means for receiving one or more activation signals from a primary cell serving the UE. The device also includes means for causing the provision of one or more additional reference signals (RS) to the UE in response to the one or more activation signals. One or more additional reference signals (RS) are provided in addition to the reference signal. The device further includes means for terminating the provision of the one or more additional reference signals in response to an indication from the UE indicating that a measurement procedure is to be ended.

[0039] The device of the example embodiment also includes means for receiving a request for configuration information of one or more additional reference signals before causing the provision of a reference signal to the UE. The device of the example embodiment also includes means for causing the provision of the configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to the primary cell.

[0040] The above summary is provided only to summarize some example embodiments and to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that the above embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit of the present disclosure in any way. It should be understood that the scope of the present disclosure also includes many potential embodiments other than those summarized herein, some of which will be further described below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the specification, the drawings, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] After generally describing certain example embodiments of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, in which:

[0042] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a communication system in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus that may be configured in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 3 illustrates a block diagram of a timeline of the state of a user equipment in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 4A illustrates a signal diagram of operations in a downlink configuration in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Figure 4B illustrates a signal diagram of operations in a downlink configuration in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 4C illustrates a signal diagram of operations in an uplink configuration in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 4D illustrates a signal diagram of operations in an uplink configuration in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 5 illustrates an example workflow implemented by a UE in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] Figure 6 illustrates an example workflow implemented by a primary cell in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0051] Figure 7 illustrates an example workflow implemented by a target cell in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are illustrated. In fact, the various embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals always refer to like elements. As used herein, the terms "data", "content", "information" and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data that can be sent, received, and / or stored in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Thus, the use of any such term should not be regarded as limiting the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0053] In addition, as used herein, the term 'circuitry' refers to (a) a pure hardware circuit implementation (e.g., an implementation in analog circuitry and / or digital circuitry); (b) a combination of circuitry and (one or more) computer program products, including software and / or firmware instructions stored on one or more computer-readable memories that work together to cause an apparatus to perform one or more functions described herein; and (c) circuitry that requires software or firmware to operate even if the software or firmware is physically absent, such as, for example, (one or more) microprocessors or a portion of (one or more) microprocessors. This definition of 'circuitry' applies to all uses of the term herein, including in any claims. As another example, as used herein, the term 'circuitry' also includes an implementation that includes one or more processors and / or a portion thereof and attendant software and / or firmware. As another example, for instance, the term 'circuitry' as used herein also includes a baseband integrated circuit or an application processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, other network devices (such as core network devices), a field programmable gate array, and / or other computing devices.

[0054] The term "comprising" is meant to include but not be limited to the manner commonly used in the patent context and should be interpreted accordingly. The use of broader terms such as "comprises", "includes" and "having" should be understood to provide support for narrower terms such as "consisting of", "consisting essentially of" and "comprised substantially of". In addition, in cases where the terms "includes" and "including" and their variants are used in an embodiment or a claim, these terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising".

[0055] Phrases such as "in one embodiment", "according to one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in various embodiments", etc. generally mean that the specific feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase can be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, but not necessarily in all embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, a specific feature, structure, or characteristic can be included in multiple embodiments of the present disclosure, such that these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0056] As used herein, the terms "example", "exemplary", etc. are used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any implementation, aspect, or design described herein as "example" or "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as being superior or more advantageous than other implementations, aspects, or designs. Instead, the use of the terms "example", "exemplary", etc. is intended to present concepts in a concrete manner.

[0057] If the specification states that a certain component or feature "may", "can", "could", "should", "would", "preferably", "possibly", "typically", "optionally", "for example", "often", or "might" (or other such language) be included or have a characteristic, then that particular component or feature is not necessarily included or has that characteristic. Such a component or feature can optionally be included in some embodiments or can be excluded.

[0058] As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" refers to a non-transitory storage hardware, non-transitory storage device, or non-transitory computer system memory that can be accessed by a controller, microcontroller, computing system, or module of a computing system to encode computer-executable instructions or software programs thereon. The non-transitory "computer-readable medium" can be accessed by a computing system or module of a computing system to retrieve and / or execute the computer-executable instructions or software programs encoded on the medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media can include, but are not limited to, one or more types of hardware memory, non-transitory tangible media (e.g., one or more magnetic storage disks, one or more optical disks, one or more USB flash drives), computer system memory, or random access memory (such as DRAM, SRAM, EDO RAM), etc.

[0059] As Figure 1As shown, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a communication system 100 is provided. In some embodiments, the communication system 100 may include at least one user equipment (UE) 110, at least one primary cell 120 currently serving the UE, and one or more target cells 130A, 130B (collectively referred to as '130'). The primary cell is described as operating in the FR1 band, and the UE and the (multiple) target cells are described as operating in the FR2 band, where the (multiple) target cells operating in the FR2 band are regarded as (multiple) secondary cells. However, one or more network nodes may control the primary cell, the (multiple) target cells, and / or the UE, all of which may operate in other frequency bands. For example, the primary cell may be configured to also operate in the FR2 band, or the (multiple) target cells may be configured to operate in the FR1 band. Regardless of the frequency band, the apparatus, method, and computer program product of the exemplary embodiments are configured to implement a measurement process based on measurements by the UE 110 of one or more additional reference signals (RSs) from one or more target cells 130, as described herein, to improve the efficiency of the DC / CA establishment / recovery process, thereby establishing or recovering an additional connection with the target cell in a timely or efficient manner.

[0060] For example, the system 100 may be deployed within a radio access architecture based on advanced long term evolution (Advanced LTE, LTE-A) and / or new radio (NR, 5G). However, the system may be deployed in other network architectures, including within other communication networks, including for example other communication networks developed in the future, such as sixth generation (6G) networks, and any one of many existing networks, including universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) radio access network (UTRAN or e-UTRAN), wireless local area network (WLAN or WiFi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), personal communication service (PCS), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), systems using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, mobile ad hoc networks (MANET), and internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) or any combination thereof.

[0061] The UE 110 can be any type of user terminal, terminal device, etc. to which resources are allocated and assigned on the air interface. For example, the UE can be a portable computing device, such as a wireless mobile communication device, including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile station (mobile phone), smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular phone, device using a wireless modem (alarm or measurement device, etc.), laptop computer and / or touchscreen computer, tablet computer, game console, notebook computer, and multimedia device. The user equipment can also be referred to as a subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, or user equipment (UE), to name just a few names or devices.

[0062] Cells such as the primary cell 120 and one or more target cells 130 are network elements and can be embodied by any one of various access points. For example, a cell can be embodied by a base station, Node B (e.g., gNB), etc.

[0063] Now referring to Figure 2 , an example apparatus 200 is provided. In some instances, the apparatus 200 can be an embodiment of the UE 110, and / or can be embodied by the UE 110 or otherwise associated with the UE 110. Alternatively, the apparatus 200 can be an embodiment of a network element, or can be embodied by a network element or otherwise associated with a network element, and thus can embody an access point of any one cell (e.g., the primary cell 120 or the target cell 130).

[0064] The apparatus 200 can include a processor 202, a memory 204, and a network interface 206. The apparatus 200 can be configured to perform the operations described herein. Although these components are described in terms of the execution of various functions, it should be understood that a particular implementation necessarily involves the use of particular hardware. It should also be understood that some of these components can include similar or common hardware. For example, two sets of circuitry can utilize the same processor, network interface, storage medium, etc. to perform their related functions, such that there is no need for duplicate hardware for each set of circuitry.

[0065] In some embodiments, the processor 202 (and / or a coprocessor or any other processing circuitry auxiliary or associated with the processor) can communicate with the memory 204 via a bus to transfer information between the components of the apparatus. The memory 204 is non-transitory and can include, for example, one or more volatile and / or non-volatile memories. In other words, for example, the memory 204 can be an electronic storage device (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium). The memory 204 can be configured to store information, data, content, applications, instructions, etc. to enable the apparatus to perform various functions according to the example embodiments disclosed herein.

[0066] Processor 202 can be embodied in a number of different ways and, for example, can include one or more processing devices configured to execute independently. In some non-limiting embodiments, processor 202 can include one or more processors configured in series via a bus to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, and / or multithreading. The use of the term “processor” can be understood to include a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, multiple processors within a device, and / or remote or “cloud” processors.

[0067] In some embodiments, processor 202 can be configured to execute instructions stored in memory 204 and / or circuitry otherwise accessible to processor 202. In some embodiments, processor 202 can be configured to execute hard-coded functions. Thus, whether configured by hardware or software methods, or by a combination thereof, processor 202 can represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in circuitry) capable of performing operations in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein when correspondingly configured. Alternatively, as another example, when processor 202 is embodied as an executor of software instructions, those instructions can specifically configure processor 202 to perform the algorithms and / or operations described herein when the instructions are executed.

[0068] In some embodiments, device 200 can optionally include input / output circuitry that can in turn communicate with processor 202 to provide output to a user and / or other entity and, in some implementations, receive indications of input. The input / output circuitry can include a user interface and can include a display and can include a web user interface, a mobile application, a query-initiation computing device, a kiosk, etc. In some embodiments, the input / output circuitry can also include a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a touchscreen, a touch area, soft keys, a microphone, a speaker, or other input / output mechanisms. The processor and / or user interface circuitry including the processor can be configured to control one or more functions of one or more user interface elements via computer program instructions (e.g., software and / or firmware) stored in a memory accessible to the processor (e.g., memory 204, etc.).

[0069] The network interface 206 can be any component, such as a device or circuitry embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to receive and / or transmit data from / to a network and / or any other device, circuitry, or module that communicates with the apparatus 200. In this regard, the network interface 206 can include, for example, a network interface for enabling communication with a wired or wireless communication network (such as the primary cell 120 and one or more secondary cells 130). For example, the network interface 206 can include one or more network interface cards, antennas, buses, switches, routers, modems, and supporting hardware and / or software, or any other device suitable for enabling communication via a network. Additionally or alternatively, the network interface 206 can include circuitry for interacting with one or more antennas to cause signal transmission via the one or more antennas or for processing the reception of signals received via the one or more antennas.

[0070] The UE 110 and the cell can be based on Figure 3Timing diagram communication to obtain measurement results in a manner that reduces measurement acquisition and verification latency and thus reduces the time required for DC / CA establishment / recovery (collectively referred to hereinafter as DC / CA establishment). Thus, the UE 110 may be in the RRC connected mode. Upon transition to the idle / inactive mode, idle / inactive mode measurements of the UE 110 may be obtained, which UE 110 supports and relies on idle / inactive mode measurements to facilitate DC / CA establishment. The idle / inactive mode measurements may be any of a variety of idle / inactive mode measurements. For a UE that supports early measurement reporting (EMR) (referred to as an EMR UE), the idle / inactive mode measurements may be EMR measurements. In one embodiment, an EMR UE is a UE that supports one or more RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE measurement capabilities (including idleInactiveNR-MeasReport-r16, idleInactiveNR-MeasBeamRport-r16, idleInactiveEUTRA-MeasReport-r16, and / or idleInactive-ValidityArea-r16 measurements), is considered capable of performing early measurement reporting (EMR), and thus is an EMR UE for which the idle / inactive mode measurements may be EMR measurements. However, a UE (referred to as a non-EMR UE) does not need to support and rely on EMR measurements, and for a UE that supports and relies on EMR measurements, the UE may perform idle / inactive mode measurements based on reference signals transmitted by one or more target cells 130 during at least a portion of the idle / inactive period. In this regard, a timer (e.g., T331) may start running upon transition from the RRC connected mode to the idle / inactive mode or from the time the UE starts performing idle / inactive mode measurements, at least for EMR UEs. The timer indicates the length of time for the UE 110 to obtain idle / inactive measurements based on reference signals transmitted by the (multiple) target cells 130. After the timer expires, the behavior of the UE regarding obtaining additional measurements has not been defined previously. After the idle / inactive period, the UE enters the RRC establishment phase and then returns to the RRC connected mode. As described below, the methods, apparatuses, and computer program products of the example embodiments obtain measurement results (in addition to, or separate from, EMR measurements for EMR-supporting UEs) to facilitate rapid resource reservation related to establishing or restoring a DC / CA connection with a target cell, thereby allowing the UE and the target cell to start communicating faster and more efficiently.

[0071] Figures 4A - 4DIllustrates two example implementations of a signal flow according to an example embodiment, where a user equipment is configured to communicate with a primary cell and / or one or more target cells to improve the speed at which the UE establishes a DC / CA connection. As described below by way of example and not limitation, Figures 4A - 4D the UE is configured to support EMR reporting. However, in other example embodiments, the idle / inactive mode measurements need not be EMR measurements. Additionally, Figures 4A - 4B illustrates a downlink configuration, Figures 4C - 4D illustrates an uplink configuration.

[0072] The establishment of a DC / CA connection can be improved in various ways, such as by continuing to perform idle / inactive mode measurements, such as EMR measurements, for example after a timer expires, by obtaining idle / inactive mode measurements (from which the idle / inactive mode measurements can be verified), and / or by obtaining additional and / or different types of idle / inactive mode measurements relative to previous idle / inactive mode measurements. For example, the verification of one or more idle / inactive measurements can reduce the burden on the UE to perform new measurements during a state transition (e.g., from an inactive / idle state to a connected state). In various embodiments, the UE can partially or fully verify one or more idle / inactive mode measurements, such as based on the relationship between the idle / inactive mode measurements obtained before the timer expires and the idle / inactive mode measurements obtained after the timer expires. For example, the relationship can be based on a comparison of the idle / inactive mode measurements obtained before the timer expires and the idle / inactive mode measurements obtained after the timer expires, and confirming that the measurements are the same or differ by no more than an acceptable amount or percentage. The relationship can also include: using a previous reception assumption of the idle / inactive mode measurement to obtain a measurement result, and checking whether the obtained measurement result is still greater than or equal to a threshold, or whether the UE can still detect the synchronization signals of the previously measured cell, such as the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and / or the secondary synchronization signal (SSS), or whether the measured energy level on the measured carrier (e.g., received signal strength indicator (RSSI)) is greater than or equal to an energy threshold level. This verification can reduce the time for the UE to establish a DC / CA connection.

[0073] In Figure 4A operation 1 (e.g., downlink configuration), the UE 401 can be configured to be in a connected mode. The UE 401 in the connected mode can communicate with a primary cell 402 and / or one or more candidate target cells 403 / 404 (collectively referred to as target cells below). The UE 401 can be configured to perform one or more DC / CA measurements in the connected mode.

[0074] As shown in operation 2, in an instance where the UE 401 establishes a connection to one or more target cells 403 and / or performs one or more idle / inactive mode measurements, the UE 401 may send one or more idle / inactive mode measurements to the primary cell 402. In some instances, the UE 401 also sends information about the (one or more) target cells to which the UE 401 is connected and the mobility state information of the UE. In other instances, the primary cell 402 may be configured to extract one or more mobility state information of the connected UE 401. As shown in operations 3-4, the network and / or the primary cell 402 may be configured to use the mobility state information from the UE to predict one or more target cells to which the UE 401 may subsequently establish a DC / CA connection. In an example embodiment, the primary cell 402 may send one or more requests to one or more additional target cells 403 / 404, where the one or more requests may request configuration information of one or more additional auxiliary reference signals provided by the one or more target cells 403 / 404. The one or more target cells 403 / 404 may then provide configuration information of one or more additional reference signals that may be provided by the (one or more) target cells, such as CSR-RS or SSB or other positioning reference signal configuration information. In an example embodiment, operations 3-4 may be performed on one or more UEs 401 with low mobility and / or static, and the primary cell 402 may be configured to defer the process of operations 3-4 for high mobility UEs until the primary cell 402 receives additional information (e.g., as shown in operation 25 in Figure 4B ).

[0075] As shown in operation 5, the primary cell 402 may send one or more idle / inactive mode measurement configurations, such as EMR measurement configuration, to the UE 401, for example, via a conventional SS burst. According to an example embodiment, the primary cell 402 may then configure the UE 401 to obtain measurements from one or more target cells 403. As shown in operations 6-10, for example, the primary cell 402 may be configured to provide the UE 401 with information about verification configurations and conditions to facilitate the verification of one or more idle / inactive mode measurements, provide information about enhanced measurement configurations to facilitate one or more enhanced measurements, and / or provide one or more additional RS configurations, such as for continuing measurements after a timer expires, verifying idle / inactive mode measurements, and / or performing enhanced measurements.

[0076] To verify one or more idle / inactive mode measurements, including but not limited to EMR measurements, the UE 401 may be configured to use at least one of a combination of validity conditions sent by the primary cell 402. In some embodiments, the validity conditions may include: (1) the UE location and mobility state of the UE (such as a static UE, a low-mobility UE, a normal-mobility UE, a high-mobility UE, etc.) during idle / inactive mode measurements (such as EMR measurements) and / or after the expiration of the T331 timer, (2) the T331 timer length and / or channel changes (including cell and beam switching) during the measurement, (3) the UE location relative to one or more DC / CA measurement cells, (4) the time interval between the expiration of the T331 timer (e.g., the last EMR measurement of the cell / carrier) and the validity measurement, (5) service requirements (e.g., enhanced mobile broadband (eMMB), extended reality (XR), and / or ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC)), which may be derived from, for example, 5G quality of service (QoS) indicators (5QI), data radio bearers (DRB), and / or associated slice information, (6) the measurement difference (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP) difference) between the best measurement cell / carrier and other detected / measured cells / carriers, (7) cell quality (e.g., the number of measured beams above a specific threshold), and / or (8) if the T331 timer has not expired. The above list is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present application and the appended claims.

[0077] In a downlink (DL) instance, the validity measurement configuration and / or potential validity conditions may additionally or alternatively include at least one of the following: the measurement configuration and / or validity type (e.g., location-based, measurement-based, a combination of location and measurement, etc.) of the (one or more) relevant DL reference signals to be used for the validity measurement. In an example embodiment, the measurement configuration of the (one or more) relevant DL RSs may include: (1) the measurement validity type (e.g., cell quality, beam measurement, etc., or a type implicitly selected based on the measurement configuration (e.g., based on CSI-RS or SSB)), (2) the number of new measurements, the duration of new measurements, and the accuracy of new measurements, (3) the manner of performing the measurement, the measurement resources, and the filtering configuration, (4) the scaling factor and the number of samples for the measurement, and / or (5) the measurement validity threshold (e.g., RSRP threshold) between the EMR measurement and the measurement performed for verification. The above list is also for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present application and the appended claims. The optional verification configuration may also indicate whether the UE should use one or more of these verification techniques, and / or indicate the manner of combining the above verification techniques with, for example, one or several of the above verification techniques.

[0078] Referring again to operation 6, the primary cell 402 may be configured to provide one or more signals to the UE 401, the one or more signals including information regarding verification of previous idle / inactive mode measurements, including but not limited to EMR measurements. The signal may configure the UE 401 to use at least one of the above verification measurements to determine conditions for previous measurements of RSs from one or more additional target cells and / or conditions for verifying previous measurements. Referring to operation 7, the primary cell 402 may provide one or more enhanced measurement configurations to the UE 401, thereby defining different types of measurements or additional measurements to be made relative to previous measurements performed by the UE. In instances where the UE is configured to support EMR, the enhanced measurement configuration may define different types of measurements or additional measurements to be made relative to previous measurements performed by the UE for EMR.

[0079] As shown in operation 8, the primary cell 402 may provide one or more additional RS transmission configurations to the UE 401. Information regarding the additional RS transmission configuration may define the type of additional RSs to be provided by one or more target cells, the timing of the additional RSs from one or more target cells, and / or additional RS other characteristics that will allow the UE to receive and measure the additional RSs. Based on the additional SSs from one or more target cells, the UE may make additional measurements, verify previous measurements, including but not limited to previous EMR measurements, and / or perform enhanced measurements, all of which provide information that may improve DC / CA establishment speed, such as by enabling the network to more easily estimate the primary cell and target cells and pre-configuring cells for DC / CA establishment.

[0080] As shown in operations 9-10, the primary cell 402 may be configured to increase the speed at which the UE 401 can detect and / or connect / reconnect to one or more additional target cells 403 / 404 by providing one or more candidates for target cell configuration to the UE. Alternatively, the identification of one or more additional target cells may be performed during an RRC resume period or an RRC establishment period (as Figure 3 shown). The primary cell 402 may also send one or more RRC release signals to the UE 401 to cause the UE 401 to transition from a connected state to an inactive / idle state, where the UE 401 that supports EMR may perform one or more traditional EMR measurements, such as until the T331 timer expires.

[0081] According to an example embodiment, as shown in operations 11-12, the primary cell 402 may be configured to send one or more activation commands to one or more target cells 403 / 404. The one or more activation commands may be configured to request one or more additional RSs from the target cells 403 / 404. The target cells may optionally respond to the activation command, such as by acknowledging receipt of the activation command.

[0082] Then, the measurement process is initiated. In instances where there is a downlink traffic instance from the master node to the UE, as shown in operation 13, the master cell 402 may page the UE 401 in the inactive / idle mode to alert the UE that one or more additional RSs will be provided by one or more target cells using a paging message. In an example embodiment, the paging may occur concurrently with the transmission of an activation command to one or more target cells 403. In an example embodiment, an indication of the transmission of one or more additional RSs and additional information may be provided during paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure.

[0083] Then, the measurement process begins, as shown in operation 14. In this regard, the measurement process may include obtaining idle / inactive mode measurements of the additional RSs transmitted by the (one or more) target cells. In instances where the UE supports EMR, the measurement of the additional RSs may continue the EMR measurement. However, for non-EMR UEs, the measurement of the additional RSs may be a continuation of other types of idle / inactive mode measurements of traditional RSs previously provided by the (one or more) target cells. The measurement process may additionally or alternatively include performing a verification based on the additional RSs to verify previous idle / inactive mode measurements, including but not limited to previous EMR measurements. Additionally or alternatively, the measurement process may include performing enhanced measurements, which may be complementary to and / or of a different type than previous idle / inactive mode measurements (including but not limited to EMR measurements) previously performed.

[0084] After activation, the (one or more) target cells 403 / 404 provide additional RSs during the idle / inactive mode and optionally within the RRC connected mode and subsequent connected modes. As Figure 3 shown by the darker vertical dashed lines, the target cells are configured to provide traditional RSs. Although Figure 3 not shown, the traditional RSs may be repeatedly transmitted regardless of the operating mode of the UE 401 such that the traditional RSs are transmitted when the UE is in the connected mode, idle / inactive mode, and RRC connected mode. The traditional RSs are typically transmitted at a predefined frequency. The additional RSs are transmitted by the (one or more) same target cells and are complementary to the traditional RSs, as Figure 3 shown by the lighter vertical dashed lines. The additional RSs may be transmitted at the same frequency as the traditional RSs, a higher frequency, or even a lower frequency, but in any case, they are complementary to the traditional RSs. Thus, during the transmission of the additional RSs, the sum of the RSs transmitted by the (one or more) target cells is greater than the traditional RSs. Based on the additional RSs, the UE may be configured to perform measurement processes such as obtaining additional idle / inactive mode measurements, verifying previous idle / inactive mode measurements, and / or obtaining enhanced measurements.

[0085] As shown in operation 15, the UE 401 may be configured to resume connection with the primary cell 402, such as by sending a random access message. In an example embodiment, the primary cell 402 may have configured the UE 401 to send one or more requests to the primary cell 402. The one or more requests may be an indication that the UE 401 may need one or more additional RSs from one or more target cells 403 / 404. The request from the UE 401 to the primary cell 402 may be in the form of a specific preamble, etc.

[0086] As shown in operation 16, the primary cell 402 may be configured to respond to one or more random accesses of the UE 401. The primary cell 402 may respond to one or more updates of the transmission of additional RSs to be provided by the target cell and / or updates on additional idle / inactive mode measurements, verification conditions, and / or enhanced measurements to be performed.

[0087] As shown in operations 17 - 19, the UE 401 may send one or more requests to start RRC establishment and / or resume RRC establishment, such as starting a transition from the idle / inactive state to the RRC connected state. The primary cell 402 is configured to receive the request and respond upon approval by the UE 401. The UE 401 may then complete the RRC establishment with the primary cell 402. Throughout this process, the (one or more) target cells may continue to provide additional RSs, and the UE may continue the measurement process based on the additional RSs.

[0088] As shown in operation 20, the UE 401 may be configured to complete the measurement process, such as by completing consecutive idle / inactive mode measurements of additional RSs, completing verification of previous idle / inactive mode measurements (including but not limited to previous EMR measurements), and / or completing one or more enhanced measurements of additional RSs. The UE 401 may be configured to report the measurement results of the measurement process to the primary cell. The measurement results may include information on the continuous idle / inactive mode measurements of additional RSs, information on the verification of previous idle / inactive mode measurements, and / or information on the enhanced measurements of additional RSs. Although the UE may send the measurement results at the end of the measurement process, the primary cell 402 may alternatively configure the UE 401 to send the measurement results when the UE 401 completes one or more idle / inactive mode measurements.

[0089] After the measurement process is completed, as shown in operation 21, the primary cell 402 may be configured to send one or more cancellation signals to one or more additional target cells to terminate the transmission of additional RSs. The primary cell 402 may be configured to send one or more cancellation signals at least partially based on the measurement results of the one or more completed idle / inactive mode measurements.

[0090] In addition to or instead of sending a report of the performed measurements, the UE may also take other actions based on the measurement results. As shown in operation 22, for example, the UE 401 may be configured to apply one or more target cell configurations based on the measurement results from one or more completed idle / inactive mode measurements. In an example embodiment, the primary cell 402 may send an indication to the UE 401 for applying one or more target cell configurations. In other embodiments, the UE 401 may be configured to apply one or more target cell configurations based on the measurement results from one or more completed idle / inactive mode measurements. Alternatively, a UE of another example embodiment may be configured to take an action by switching from the primary cell 402 to the corresponding target cell based on the measurement results obtained from the idle / inactive mode measurements of the target cell 403 / 404 such that the corresponding target cell then serves as the primary cell of the UE.

[0091] Based on the measurement results, as shown in operations 23-24, the primary cell 402 of an example embodiment may be configured to provide an indication of reconfiguration completion to the (multiple) target cells 403 / 404 to which the UE has applied the target cell configurations, and may send one or more release signals to one or more other target cells to which the UE has not applied the target cell configurations. As shown in operation 25, the UE 401 may be configured to send one or more RA signals to the (multiple) target cells 403 / 404. For example, an RA signal may be sent to initiate DC / CA establishment, which in turn will allow the UE to connect to the target cell in the future or resume the connection with the target cell without much delay at the start of the communication between the UE and the target cell. Due to the configuration of the UE and the target cell provided as a result of the idle / inactive mode measurement results, the DC / CA establishment can be performed in an efficient manner in terms of the time required for establishment and the processing resources required for establishment, thereby reducing the power consumption of the UE, reducing the delay in establishing or resuming the connection with the target cell, and / or increasing the throughput with the target cell.

[0092] Although Figures 4A - 4B the initiation of the measurement process in Figures 4C - 4D is performed via the downlink, the operations of the method for uplink configuration are as Figures 4C - 4D shown. As shown in the figure, Figures 4A - 4BThe corresponding operations for downlink configuration depicted are the same. However, the activation in the uplink configuration is provided by a request for additional reference signals and a message with additional information, which is sent by the UE to the primary cell in operation 12 to request additional RS from one or more target cells. In one embodiment, the message can be a random access message, for example, the request for additional RS is provided by a preamble. In addition to issuing an activation command (operation 13), the primary node responds to the message from the UE with an update on the provision of additional RS by the (one or more) target cells. This update from the primary node can be provided as a random access response.

[0093] Now refer to Figures 5 - 7 , an example flowchart of operations performed by apparatuses (such as Figure 2 's apparatuses) embodied by the UE, the primary cell, and one or more target cells respectively. Now refer to Figure 5 , which illustrates method 500 that can be performed by an apparatus embodied by the UE, the apparatus including components for initiating a measurement process 401, such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc. The initiation of the measurement process can include the UE receiving a paging signal from the primary cell in a downlink configuration, as Figures 4A - 4B shown. The initiation of the measurement process can alternatively include the transmission of one or more additional reference signal requests from the UE to the primary cell in an uplink configuration, as Figures 4C - 4D shown.

[0094] At 502, the apparatus also includes components for receiving one or more additional reference signals from one or more target cells, such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc. In addition to the conventional RS sent by the one or more target cells, there are one or more additional reference signals.

[0095] At 403, the apparatus further includes components, such as processor 202, for determining a measurement result based on one or more additional reference signals. The determination of the measurement result may be performed based on: performing verification based on the relationship between the following measurements: idle / inactive mode measurements obtained from one or more additional RSs, and idle / inactive mode measurements obtained before receiving the one or more additional RSs (such as based on legacy RSs received before the expiration of a timer (e.g., T331 timer)). The determination of the measurement result may additionally or alternatively include obtaining one or more enhanced measurements based on the one or more additional RSs. The enhanced measurements may be supplementary to and / or of a different type from the previously obtained idle / inactive mode measurements, such as based on legacy RSs. The determination of the measurement result may additionally or alternatively include continuing to obtain idle / inactive mode measurements, such as after the expiration of a timer. These idle / inactive mode measurements may be of the same type as the previously obtained ones, such as based on legacy RSs, where in instances where the number of idle / inactive mode measurements obtained from legacy RSs is insufficient, additional idle / inactive mode measurements may be obtained. The idle / inactive mode measurements may be EMR measurements, or may also be verification of EMR measurements in instances where the UE supports EMR. However, the idle / inactive mode measurements do not need to be EMR measurements, but may be other types of idle / inactive mode measurements, such as in instances where the UE is a non-EMR UE.

[0096] At 504, the apparatus further includes components, such as processor 202, memory 204, network interface 206, etc., for taking an action based on the measurement result. Various actions may be taken, including reporting the measurement result and / or information derived from the measurement result from the UE to the serving cell. The action may additionally or alternatively include the UE requesting a DC / CA connection to a different cell, such as the target cell as a result of the measurement. Additionally, the action may include configuring the UE and / or the cell, such as the target cell, based on the measurement result to facilitate more efficient DC / CA establishment. Additionally, the action may include applying radio resource control (RRC) configuration and / or applying RRC reconfiguration.

[0097] Now refer to Figure 6 , which is an example flowchart illustrating the operations performed, such as the operations performed by the apparatus shown as and embodied as the serving cell. Now refer to Figure 2 and shown as Figure 7, method 600 is illustrated, which can be executed by a device embodied by a primary cell at 601. The device includes components such as processor 202 and network interface 206 for configuring a user equipment (UE) to obtain idle / inactive mode measurements from one or more target cells. The configuration of the UE can include causing the transmission of one or more verification conditions to the UE to facilitate the verification of one or more idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more verification conditions. The configuration of the UE can additionally or alternatively include causing the transmission of one or more enhanced measurement configurations to the UE. In addition, the configuration of the UE can include the transmission of additional RS configuration from the primary cell to the UE, such as based on information about the additional RS configuration provided by the (multiple) target cells in response to a request from the primary cell, as described above with respect to Figures 4A - 4D stated. In this regard, the device of the exemplary embodiment can include components such as processor 202 and network interface 206 for obtaining configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to be provided by one or more target cells before the initiation of the measurement process, as shown in operations 3 and 4 of Figure 4A and Figure 4C . In some embodiments, the device further includes components such as processor 202 and network interface 206 for causing the communication of the configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to the UE.

[0098] At 602, the device further includes components such as processor 202 and network interface 206 for initiating a measurement process and causing communication with one or more target cells to provide one or more additional reference signals (from which measurement results can be obtained) to the UE. As described above, the initiation of the measurement process can include paging the UE in a downlink configuration, as shown in Figures 4A - 4B , or receiving a request for additional reference signals from the UE in an uplink configuration, as shown in Figures 4C - 4D . The communication with one or more target cells can include causing the transmission of one or more activation signals from the primary cell to one or more target cells.

[0099] The device further includes components such as processor 202, memory 204, and network interface 206 for terminating the further provision of additional reference signals from one or more target cells after the provision of the one or more additional reference signals. See box 603. The termination of the further provision of additional reference signals can include the primary cell receiving an indication from the UE that the measurement process will end and causing the termination of the communication with one or more target cells.

[0100] Now refer to Figure 7, an example flowchart 700 of operations performed by an apparatus embodied as a target cell is provided. At 701, the apparatus of the example embodiment includes components for causing the provision of reference signals to a user equipment, such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc.

[0101] At 702, the apparatus embodied as the target cell further includes components for receiving one or more activation signals from a serving primary cell of the UE, such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc. The method further includes: components for causing the provision of one or more additional reference (RS) signals to the UE at 703, such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc. Finally, the apparatus further includes: components for terminating the provision of one or more additional reference signals in response to an indication from the UE that a measurement procedure is to be ended at 704, such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc.

[0102] In the example embodiment, apparatus 200 also includes components for receiving a request for configuration information of one or more additional reference signals, such as processor 202, network interface 206, etc. The request for configuration information is received before causing the provision of reference signals to the UE. In this example embodiment, the apparatus also includes causing the provision of configuration information of one or more additional reference signals to the primary cell.

[0103] Figures 5 - 7 A flowchart depicting operations according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart and combinations of blocks in the flowchart can be implemented in various ways, such as hardware, firmware, processors, circuitry, and / or other communication devices associated with the execution of software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the above processes or operations can be embodied by computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions embodying the above processes or operations can be stored in the memory 204 of an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 200, UE 110) adopting an embodiment of the present invention and executed by the processor 202. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine such that the resulting computer or other programmable device implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct the computer or other programmable device to operate in a particular manner such that the instructions stored in the computer programmable memory produce an article of manufacture, the execution of which implements the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. The computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable device, thereby producing a computer-implemented process such that the instructions executed in the computer or other programmable device provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks.

[0104] Accordingly, the blocks of the flowchart support combinations of components for performing specified functions and combinations of operations for performing specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks of the flowchart and combinations of blocks in the flowchart can be implemented by a special-purpose hardware-based computer system for performing the specified functions or by a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

Claims

1. A method, comprising: initiating a measurement process when a user equipment (UE) served by a primary cell is in an inactive or idle state; receiving one or more additional reference signals (RSs) from one or more target cells; determining a measurement result based on at least the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells; and taking an action based on the measurement result.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the measurement result comprises: determining additional idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the idle / inactive mode measurement comprises: early measurement report measurement.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the measurement result comprises: performing verification based on the relationship between the measurement results: the measurement result obtained depending on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells, and the measurement result obtained before receiving the one or more additional RSs.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the measurement result comprises: obtaining enhanced measurements based on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein initiating the measurement process comprises: receiving a paging from the primary cell.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprises: receiving an indication of the transmission of the one or more additional RSs and additional information during the paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein initiating the measurement process comprises: causing a request for additional reference signals and the transmission of additional information to the primary cell.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein taking an action comprises: reporting the measurement result or information derived from the measurement result to the primary cell.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein taking an action comprises: applying radio resource control (RRC) configuration, applying RRC reconfiguration, or requesting a connection to a different cell.

11. An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: initiating a measurement process when a user equipment (UE) served by a primary cell is in an inactive or idle state; receiving one or more additional reference signals (RSs) from one or more target cells; determining a measurement result based on at least the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells; and taking an action based on the measurement result.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is caused to determine the measurement result by: determining additional idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the idle / inactive mode measurement comprises: An early measurement report measurement.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is caused to determine a measurement result by performing a verification based on a relationship between the following measurement results: the measurement result obtained depending on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells, and the measurement result obtained before receiving the one or more additional RSs.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the apparatus is caused to determine a measurement result by obtaining enhanced measurements based on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the apparatus is caused to initiate the measurement process by receiving a paging from the primary cell.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to receive an indication of the transmission of the one or more additional RSs and additional information during the paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the apparatus is caused to initiate the measurement process by causing a request for additional reference signals and the transmission of additional information to the primary cell.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the apparatus is caused to take an action by reporting the measurement result or information derived from the measurement result to the primary cell.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the apparatus is caused to take an action by applying a radio resource control (RRC) configuration, applying an RRC reconfiguration, or requesting a connection to a different cell.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions for at least performing the following: Initiating a measurement process when a user equipment (UE) served by a primary cell is in an inactive or idle state; Receiving one or more additional reference signals (RSs) from one or more target cells; Determining a measurement result based on at least the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells; and Taking an action based on the measurement result.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the program instructions for determining the measurement result comprise: Program instructions for determining additional idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 22, wherein the idle / inactive mode measurement comprises: An early measurement report measurement.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the program instructions for determining the measurement result include program instructions for performing verification based on the relationship between the following measurement results: the measurement result obtained by relying on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells, and the measurement result obtained before receiving the one or more additional RSs.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the program instructions for determining the measurement result comprise: Program instructions for obtaining enhanced measurements based on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of claims 21 to 25, wherein the program instructions for initiating the measurement process: include program instructions for receiving paging from the primary cell.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 26, further comprises: Program instructions for receiving an indication of the transmission of the one or more additional RSs and additional information during the paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of claims 21 to 25, wherein the program instructions for initiating the measurement process comprise: Program instructions for causing a request for additional reference signals and the transmission of additional information to the primary cell.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of claims 21 to 28, wherein the program instructions for taking an action comprise: Program instructions for reporting the measurement result or information derived from the measurement result to the primary cell.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of claims 21 to 28, wherein the program instructions for taking an action comprise: Program instructions for applying radio resource control (RRC) configuration, applying RRC reconfiguration, or requesting a connection to a different cell.

31. An apparatus, comprising: Components for initiating a measurement process when a user equipment (UE) served by a primary cell is in an inactive or idle state; Components for receiving one or more additional reference signals (RSs) from one or more target cells; Components for determining a measurement result based on at least the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells; and Components for taking an action based on the measurement result.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the components for determining the measurement result comprise: Components for determining additional idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells.

33. The idle / inactive mode measurement according to claim 32, wherein the comprises: Early measurement report measurement.

34. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the component for determining the measurement result includes a component for performing verification based on the relationship between the following measurement results: the measurement result obtained depending on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells, and the measurement result obtained before receiving the one or more additional RSs.

35. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the component for determining the measurement result comprises: a component for obtaining enhanced measurements based on the one or more additional RSs from the one or more target cells.

36. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 35, wherein the component for initiating the measurement process comprises: a component for receiving paging from the primary cell.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36, further comprises: a component for receiving an indication of the transmission of the one or more additional RSs and additional information during the paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure.

38. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 35, wherein the component for initiating the measurement process comprises: a component for causing a request for additional reference signals and the transmission of additional information to the primary cell.

39. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 38, wherein the component for taking an action comprises: a component for reporting the measurement result or information derived from the measurement result to the primary cell.

40. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 38, wherein the component for taking an action comprises: a component for applying a radio resource control (RRC) configuration, applying an RRC reconfiguration, or requesting a connection to a different cell.

41. A method, comprising: configuring a user equipment (UE) to obtain measurements from one or more target cells; initiating a measurement process and causing communication with the one or more target cells to cause the one or more target cells to provide one or more additional reference signals from which measurement results can be derived; and after the one or more target cells provide the one or more additional reference signals, terminating the further provision of the additional reference signals from the one or more target cells.

42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising: before initiating the measurement process, obtaining configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to be provided by the one or more target cells; and causing the communication of the configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to the UE.

43. The method according to claim 41 or 42, wherein configuring the UE comprises: causing the transmission of one or more verification conditions to the UE to facilitate the verification of one or more idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more verification conditions.

44. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 43, wherein configuring the UE comprises: causing the transmission of one or more enhanced measurement configurations to the UE.

45. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 44, wherein initiating the measurement process comprises: paging the UE.

46. The method according to claim 45, further comprises: During the paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure, providing an indication of the transmission of the one or more additional RSs and additional information.

47. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 44, wherein initiating the measurement process comprises: Receiving, from the UE, a request for additional reference signals and additional information.

48. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 47, wherein causing communication with the one or more target cells comprises: Causing the transmission of one or more activation signals to the one or more target cells.

49. The method according to any one of claims 41 to 48, wherein terminating the further provision of the additional reference signals comprises: Receiving, from the UE, an indication that the measurement process will end; and Causing communication with the one or more target cells to terminate the provision of the one or more additional reference signals.

50. An apparatus, comprising: At least one processor; and At least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: Configuring a user equipment (UE) to obtain measurements from one or more target cells; Initiating a measurement process and causing communication with the one or more target cells to cause the one or more target cells to provide one or more additional reference signals from which measurement results can be derived; and After the one or more target cells provide the one or more additional reference signals, terminating the further provision of the additional reference signals from the one or more target cells.

51. The apparatus according to claim 50, wherein the instructions are further configured to: Before initiating the measurement process, obtain configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to be provided by the one or more target cells; and Cause communication of the configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to the UE.

52. The apparatus according to claim 50 or 51, wherein the instructions for configuring the UE comprise: Instructions for causing the transmission of one or more verification conditions to the UE to facilitate verification of one or more idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more verification conditions.

53. The apparatus according to any one of claims 50 to 52, wherein the instructions for configuring the UE comprise: Instructions for causing the transmission of one or more enhanced measurement configurations to the UE.

54. The apparatus according to any one of claims 50 to 53, wherein the instructions for initiating the measurement process comprise: Instructions for paging the UE.

55. The apparatus according to claim 54, further comprises: Instructions for providing an indication of transmission of the one or more additional RSs and additional information during the paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure.

56. The apparatus according to any one of claims 50 to 53, wherein the instructions for initiating the measurement procedure comprise: Instructions for receiving, from the UE, a request for additional reference signals and additional information.

57. The apparatus according to any one of claims 50 to 56, wherein the instructions for causing communication with the one or more target cells comprise: Instructions for causing transmission of one or more activation signals to the one or more target cells.

58. The apparatus according to any one of claims 50 to 57, wherein the instructions for terminating further provision of additional reference signals comprise: Instructions for receiving, from the UE, an indication that the measurement procedure is to be ended; and Instructions for causing communication with the one or more target cells to terminate the provision of the one or more additional reference signals.

59. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for at least performing the following: Configuring a user equipment (UE) to obtain measurements from one or more target cells; Initiating a measurement procedure and causing communication with the one or more target cells to cause the one or more target cells to provide one or more additional reference signals from which measurement results can be derived; and After the one or more target cells provide the one or more additional reference signals, terminating further provision of the additional reference signals from the one or more target cells.

60. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 59, further comprising program instructions for the following: Before initiating the measurement procedure, obtaining configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to be provided by the one or more target cells; and Causing communication of the configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to the UE.

61. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 59 or 60, wherein the program instructions for configuring the UE comprise: Program instructions for causing transmission of one or more verification conditions to the UE to facilitate verification of one or more idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more verification conditions.

62. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of claims 59 to 61, wherein the program instructions for configuring the UE comprise: Program instructions for causing transmission of one or more enhanced measurement configurations to the UE.

63. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of claims 59 to 62, wherein the program instructions for initiating the measurement procedure comprise: Program instructions for paging the UE.

64. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 63, further comprise: Program instructions for providing an indication of the transmission of the one or more additional RSs and additional information during the paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure.

65. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of claims 59 to 62, wherein the program instructions for initiating the measurement procedure comprise: Program instructions for receiving, from the UE, a request for additional reference signals and additional information.

66. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of claims 59 to 65, wherein the program instructions for causing communication with the one or more target cells comprise: Program instructions for causing the transmission of one or more activation signals to the one or more target cells.

67. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of claims 59 to 66, wherein the program instructions for terminating the further provision of the additional reference signals comprise: Program instructions for receiving, from the UE, an indication that the measurement procedure is to be ended; and Program instructions for causing communication with the one or more target cells to terminate the provision of the one or more additional reference signals.

68. An apparatus, comprising: Components for configuring a user equipment (UE) to obtain measurements from one or more target cells; Components for initiating a measurement procedure and causing communication with the one or more target cells to cause the one or more target cells to provide one or more additional reference signals, from which measurement results can be derived; and Components for terminating the further provision of the additional reference signals from the one or more target cells after the provision of the one or more additional reference signals by the one or more target cells.

69. The apparatus according to claim 68, further comprising: Components for obtaining configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to be provided by the one or more target cells before initiating the measurement procedure; and Components for causing communication of the configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to the UE.

70. The apparatus according to claim 68 or 69, wherein the components for configuring the UE comprise: Components for causing the transmission of one or more verification conditions to the UE to facilitate verification of one or more idle / inactive mode measurements based on the one or more verification conditions.

71. The apparatus according to any one of claims 68 to 70, wherein the components for configuring the UE comprise: Components for causing the transmission of one or more enhanced measurement configurations to the UE.

72. The apparatus according to any one of claims 68 to 71, wherein the components for initiating the measurement procedure comprise: Components for paging the UE.

73. The apparatus according to claim 72, further comprising: Components for providing an indication of the transmission of the one or more additional RSs and additional information during the paging, or during a random access procedure or a radio resource control establishment / resumption procedure.

74. The apparatus according to any one of claims 68 to 70, wherein the means for initiating the measurement process comprises: means for receiving a request for additional reference signals and additional information from the UE.

75. The apparatus according to any one of claims 68 to 74, wherein the means for causing communication with the one or more target cells comprises: means for causing transmission of one or more activation signals to the one or more target cells.

76. The apparatus according to any one of claims 68 to 75, wherein the means for terminating further provision of additional reference signals comprises: means for receiving an indication from the UE that the measurement process is to be ended; and means for causing communication with the one or more target cells to terminate the provision of the one or more additional reference signals.

77. A method, comprising: causing provision of a reference signal to a user equipment (UE); receiving one or more activation signals from a primary cell serving the UE; in response to the one or more activation signals, causing provision of one or more additional reference signals (RS) to the UE, wherein the one or more additional reference signals (RS) are provided in addition to the reference signal; and in response to an indication from the UE that a measurement process is to be ended, terminating the provision of the one or more additional reference signals.

78. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: receiving a request for configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals before causing the reference signal to be provided to the UE; and causing the configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to be provided to the primary cell.

79. An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: causing provision of a reference signal to a user equipment (UE); receiving one or more activation signals from a primary cell serving the UE; in response to the one or more activation signals, causing provision of one or more additional reference signals (RS) to the UE, wherein the one or more additional reference signals (RS) are provided in addition to the reference signal; and in response to an indication from the UE that a measurement process is to be ended, terminating the provision of the one or more additional reference signals.

80. The apparatus according to claim 79, wherein the instructions are further configured to: receive a request for configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals before causing the reference signal to be provided to the UE; and cause the configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to be provided to the primary cell.

81. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for at least performing the following: causing provision of a reference signal to a user equipment (UE); receiving one or more activation signals from a primary cell serving the UE; In response to the one or more activation signals, cause the provision of one or more additional reference signals (RS) to the UE, wherein the one or more additional reference signals (RS) are provided in addition to the reference signal; and In response to an indication from the UE indicating that a measurement procedure is to be ended, terminate the provision of the one or more additional reference signals.

82. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 81, wherein the program instructions are further configured to: Before causing the provision of the reference signal to the UE, receive a request for configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals; and Cause the provision of the configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to the primary cell.

83. An apparatus, comprising: means for causing the provision of a reference signal to a user equipment (UE); Receiving one or more activation signals from a primary cell serving the UE; means for causing the provision of one or more additional reference signals (RS) to the UE in response to the one or more activation signals, wherein the one or more additional reference signals (RS) are provided in addition to the reference signal; and means for terminating the provision of the one or more additional reference signals in response to an indication from the UE indicating that a measurement procedure is to be ended.

84. The apparatus according to claim 83, further comprising: means for receiving a request for configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals before causing the provision of the reference signal to the UE; and means for causing the provision of the configuration information of the one or more additional reference signals to the primary cell.

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