Method, wireless device and system for effective area using early measurement

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device for performing early measurements comprises: receiving a configuration message comprising at least one parameter for idle / inactive measurements; determining whether the configuration message includes a measurement carrier list, where each entry of the measurement carrier list includes a carrier frequency on which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; determining whether the configuration message includes a list of active areas separate from the list of measurement carriers; and when a first cell is reselected using a first carrier frequency, if the first cell or the first carrier frequency is not found in the active area list, stopping a timer.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application No. 202080084857.X titled "Effective Region for Early Measurement", which is the PCT international application PCT / IB2020 / 060481 filed on November 6, 2020 and entering the Chinese national phase. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to wireless communication, and more particularly to an effective region for performing early measurement in an inactive / idle mode. Background Art

[0003] In general, unless explicitly given and / or implied from the context a different meaning, all terms used herein will be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field. All references to "a / an / element, device, component, apparatus, step, etc." should be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, device, component, apparatus, step, etc., unless otherwise explicitly stated. The steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step must explicitly be described as after or before another step and / or implicitly a step must be after or before another step. In appropriate cases, any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein can be applied to any other embodiment. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment can be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Other objects, features, and advantages of the appended embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0004] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) includes Carrier Aggregation (CA), which enables a User Equipment (UE) to send / receive information from multiple carrier frequencies via multiple cells (referred to as secondary cells or SCell) to benefit from existing non - contiguous and contiguous carriers. In CA terminology, the PCell is the cell to which the UE establishes a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection or switches. In CA, cells are aggregated at the Medium Access Control (MAC) level. The MAC obtains authorization for a certain cell and multiplexes data from different bearers into one transport block to be sent on that cell. The MAC controls this process. Figure 1 Examples are shown in.

[0005] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of carrier aggregation. In the example shown, the MAC layer multiplexes multiple bearers from the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) and Radio Link Control (RLC) layers for Cell 1, Cell 2, and Cell 3.

[0006] An SCell can be added (or configured) for a UE using RRC signaling (e.g., RRCConnectionReconfiguration), which takes approximately 100 milliseconds. The cell configured for the UE becomes the serving cell of the UE. The SCell can also be associated with an SCell state. When configured / added via RRC, the SCell starts in the deactivated state. The eNB can indicate activation or state change at least when configuring in RRCReconfiguration, as described below.

[0007] ************************************************************

[0008] 1> For each SCell configured for the UE other than the PSCell:

[0009] 2> If the received RRCConnectionReconfiguration message includes the sCellState of the SCell and indicates activated:

[0010] 3> Configure the lower layers to consider the SCell as being in the active state;

[0011] 2> Otherwise, if the received RRCConnectionReconfiguration message includes the sCellState of the SCell and indicates dormant:

[0012] 3> Configure the lower layers to consider the SCell as being in the dormant state;

[0013] 2> Otherwise:

[0014] 3> Configure the lower layers to consider the SCell as being in the deactivated state;

[0015] ************************************************************

[0016] The intermediate state between the deactivated state and the active state is used for enhanced uplink operation. The MAC control element (MAC CE) can be used to change the SCell state among the three states, as follows Figure 2As shown. There are also timers in the MAC for moving cells between deactivation / activation / hibernation. The timers are: (a) sCellHibernationTimer, which moves the SCell from the active state to the dormant state; (b) sCellDeactivationTimer, which moves the SCell from the active state to the deactivated state; and, (c) dormantSCellDeactivationTimer, which moves the SCell from the dormant state to the deactivated state. Activating an SCell at the MAC level takes approximately 20 to 30 milliseconds.

[0017] After the network becomes aware of the need to configure and / or activate CA, the question is which cells to initially configure and / or activate (if already configured), and / or whether the cells / carriers are good enough in terms of radio quality / coverage (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ)). To understand the conditions of SCell or potential SCell in a given available carrier, the network can configure the UE to perform radio resource management (RRM) measurements.

[0018] Typically, the network can be assisted by RRM measurements reported by the UE. In the case of an already configured SCell, the network can configure the UE with a measurement ID associated with a reportConfig (report configuration) having event A1 (the serving becomes better than a threshold), or for a carrier without an already configured SCell, the network can configure the UE with a measurement ID associated with a reportConfig having event A4 (a neighbor becomes better than a threshold). The measurement object is associated with the carrier on which the network wants to report. If the network knows the exact cells it wants the UE to measure, it can configure a white cell list in the measurement object such that the UE only needs to measure the cells in the listed carrier. Figure 3 An example is shown.

[0019] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity (DC) setup. The UE is connected to the master node, and the master node determines to establish CA / DC. To determine the appropriate SCell, the master node configures the UE to report measurements. Based on the reported measurements (which may take a significant amount of time), the master node determines which SCell to add.

[0020] With dual connectivity, it is possible to add to the UE what is called an SCG (Secondary Cell Group) configuration. The main benefit is that the UE can in principle add a cell from another eNodeB. In terms of the protocol, this requires different MAC entities, one for each cell group. The UE has two cell groups, one associated with the PCell (Primary Cell) and the other associated with the PSCell (of the secondary eNodeB), where each group may have its own associated SCell.

[0021] When adding SCells, when the UE is single-connected for example, the RRCConnectionReconfiguration message can carry the cell index (so the MAC identifier is optimized, i.e., shorter), the cell identifier and carrier frequency, common parameters, and status information (active or dormant).

[0022] ************************************************************ SCellToAddModList-r10 ::= SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxSCell-r10)) OF SCellToAddMod-r10 SCellToAddMod-r10 ::= SEQUENCE { sCellIndex-r10 SCellIndex-r10, cellIdentification-r10 SEQUENCE { physCellId-r10 PhysCellId, dl-CarrierFreq-r10 ARFCN-ValueEUTRA } OPTIONAL, -- Cond SCellAdd radioResourceConfigCommonSCell-r10 RadioResourceConfigCommonSCell-r10 OPTIONAL, -- Cond SCellAdd radioResourceConfigDedicatedSCell-r10 RadioResourceConfigDedicatedSCell-r10 OPTIONAL, -- Cond SCellAdd2 ..., [[ dl-CarrierFreq-v1090 ARFCN-ValueEUTRA-v9e0 OPTIONAL -- CondEARFCN-max , [[ antennaInfoDedicatedSCell-v10i0 AntennaInfoDedicated-v10i0OPTIONAL -- Need ON , [[ srs-SwitchFromServCellIndex-r14 INTEGER (0.. 31) OPTIONAL --Need ON , [[ sCellState-r15 ENUMERATED {activated, dormant} OPTIONAL --Need ON }

[0023]

[0024]

[0025]

[0026] ************************************************************

[0027] The process of adding (or modifying) an SCell to the MCG in LTE is described as follows (as described in TS 36.331).

[0028] ************************************************************

[0029] If the RRCConnectionReconfiguration message does not include mobileControlInfo (mobility control information) and the UE is able to comply with the configuration included in the message, the UE shall:

[0030] ……

[0031] ​1> If the received RRCConnectionReconfiguration includes sCellToAddModList:

[0032] 2> Perform the SCell addition or modification specified in 5.3.10.3b;

[0033] ……

[0034] For SCell addition or modification, the UE shall:

[0035] 1> For each sCellIndex value (SCell addition) included in sCellToAddModList or sCellToAddModListSCG and not part of the current UE configuration:

[0036] 2> Add the SCell corresponding to cellIdentification according to radioResourceConfigCommonSCell (radio resource configuration announcement SCell) and radioResourceConfigDedicatedSCell (radio resource configuration dedicated SCell) included in sCellToAddModList or sCellToAddModListSCG;

[0037] 2> If sCellState is configured for the SCell and indicates activated:

[0038] 3> Configure the lower layers to consider the SCell as being in the active state;

[0039] 2> Otherwise, if sCellState is configured for the SCell and indicates dormant:

[0040] 3> Configure the lower layers to consider the SCell as being in the dormant state;

[0041] 2> Otherwise:

[0042] 3> Configure the lower layers to consider the SCell as being in the deactivated state;

[0043] 2> For each measId included in the measIdList in VarMeasConfig:

[0044] 3> If the SCells are not applicable to the associated measurement; and

[0045] 3> If the SCell of interest is included in the cellsTriggeredList defined in the VarMeasReportList for this measId:

[0046] 4> Remove the SCell of interest from the cellsTriggeredList defined in the VarMeasReportList for this measId;

[0047] 1> For each sCellIndex value (SCell modification) included in sCellToAddModList or sCellToAddModListSCG and which is part of the current UE configuration:

[0048] 2> Modify the SCell configuration according to the radioResourceConfigDedicatedSCell included in sCellToAddModList or sCellToAddModListSCG;

[0049] ************************************************************

[0050] Some implementations include early measurements during the idle / inactive to connected state transition in LTE. It is possible to configure the UE to report early measurements when transitioning from the idle / inactive state to the connected state. These measurements are those that the UE can perform in the idle / inactive state and are performed according to the configuration provided by the source cell, with the aim of receiving these measurements immediately after the UE connects and quickly setting up CA and / or other forms of DC (such as EN-DC, MR-DC, etc.), without first providing a measurement configuration (measConfig) in the RRC_CONNECTED (RRC connected state) and waiting for hundreds of milliseconds until the first sample is collected, monitored, and then the first report is triggered and sent to the network.

[0051] The first aspect of the existing solution is described in the 5.6.20 Idle mode measurements, standardized in EUTRA 36.331 (v15.7.0). The UE can receive the idle / inactive mode measurement configuration in the system information (SIB5) in the MeasIdleConfigSIB-r15 field, which indicates up to 8 cells or cell ID ranges to perform measurements on. Additionally, the UE can be configured with dedicated measurement configuration in the RRCConnectionRelease message with measIdleDedicated-r15 when transitioning from RRC_CONNECTED (RRC connected) to RRC_IDLE (RRC idle), where measIdleDedicated-r15 overrides the configuration broadcast in SIB5. The broadcast signaling and dedicated signaling are as follows:

[0052] RRCConnectionRelease message -- ASN1START RRCConnectionRelease ::= SEQUENCE { rrc-TransactionIdentifier RRC-TransactionIdentifier, criticalExtensions CHOICE { c1 CHOICE { rrcConnectionRelease-r8 RRCConnectionRelease-r8-IEs, spare3 NULL, spare2 NULL, spare1 NULL }, criticalExtensionsFuture SEQUENCE {} } } -- Other information has been omitted RRCConnectionRelease-v1530-IEs ::= SEQUENCE { drb-ContinueROHC-r15 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, -- Cond UP-EDT nextHopChainingCount-r15 NextHopChainingCount OPTIONAL, --Cond UP-EDT measIdleConfig-r15 MeasIdleConfigDedicated-r15 OPTIONAL,-- Need ON rrc-InactiveConfig-r15 RRC-InactiveConfig-r15 OPTIONAL,-- Need OR cn-Type-r15 ENUMERATED {epc,fivegc} OPTIONAL, --Need OR nonCriticalExtension SEQUENCE {} OPTIONAL } -- ASN1STOP

[0053] MeasIdleConfig information element -- ASN1START MeasIdleConfigSIB-r15 ::= SEQUENCE { measIdleCarrierListEUTRA-r15 EUTRA-CarrierList-r15, ... } MeasIdleConfigDedicated-r15 ::= SEQUENCE { measIdleCarrierListEUTRA-r15 EUTRA-CarrierList-r15OPTIONAL, -- Need OR measIdleDuration-r15 ENUMERATED {sec10, sec30, sec60, sec120, sec180, sec240, sec300, spare}, ... } EUTRA-CarrierList-r15 ::= SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxFreqIdle-r15)) OFMeasIdleCarrierEUTRA-r15 MeasIdleCarrierEUTRA-r15 ::= SEQUENCE { carrierFreq-r15 ARFCN-ValueEUTRA-r9, allowedMeasBandwidth-r15 AllowedMeasBandwidth, validityArea-r15 CellList-r15 OPTIONAL, -- NeedOR measCellList-r15 CellList-r15 OPTIONAL, -- NeedOR reportQuantities ENUMERATED {rsrp, rsrq, both}, qualityThreshold-r15 SEQUENCE { idleRSRP-Threshold-r15 RSRP-Range OPTIONAL, --Need OR idleRSRQ-Threshold-r15 RSRQ-Range-r13 OPTIONAL --Need OR } OPTIONAL, -- Need OR ... } CellList-r15 ::= SEQUENCE (SIZE (1.. maxCellMeasIdle-r15)) OF PhysCellIdRange -- ASN1STOP

[0054]

[0055] Some implementations include carrier information and a cell list. A list of carriers on which the UE shall perform measurements and an optional cell list are provided for the UE. The field s-NonIntraSearch in SystemInformationBlockType3 does not affect the UE measurement procedure in the IDLE mode.

[0056] Upon receiving the measurement configuration, the UE starts timer T331 with the value provided in measIdleDuration, which can range from 0 seconds to 300 seconds. The timer stops upon receiving RRCConnectionSetup, RRCConnectionResume, which indicates a transition to RRC_CONNECTED. The purpose is to limit the amount of time the UE spends performing early measurements.

[0057] The validity area includes a list of physical cell identifiers (PCIs) on which the UE shall perform idle mode measurements, and this list is signaled per carrier. The purpose is to limit the area where CA or DC can be established later when the UE resumes / establishes a connection, so the early measurements are somewhat useful for this purpose. If validityArea is configured and the UE reselects to a serving cell whose PCI does not match any entry in the validityArea for the corresponding carrier frequency, then timer T331 stops. Thereupon, the UE stops performing IDLE measurements and releases the idle mode measurement configuration (i.e., VarMeasIdleConfig). This does not necessarily mean that the UE releases the configured and performed idle measurement results, i.e., these results can still be stored and may be requested by the network. In addition, after timer T331 expires or stops, the UE may continue with IDLE mode measurements according to the broadcast SIB5 configuration.

[0058] Since cell candidates for CA setup need to be within a minimum acceptable threshold, only measurements above a specific threshold shall be stored. How the UE performs measurements in the IDLE mode depends on the UE implementation as long as the RAN4 requirements for measurement reporting defined in 36.133 are met.

[0059] More detailed UE behavior is as captured in 36.331;

[0060] ************************************************************

[0061] 5.6.20 Idle mode measurements

[0062] 5.6.20.1 General description

[0063] This procedure specifies the measurements performed in the RRC_IDLE state when the UE has an idle mode measurement configuration and the storage of available measurements by the UE in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_CONNECTED states.

[0064] 5.6.20.2 Start

[0065] While T331 is running, the UE shall:

[0066] 1> Perform measurements according to the following:

[0067] 2> For each entry in measIdleCarrierListEUTRA in VarMeasIdleConfig:

[0068] 3> If the UE supports carrier aggregation between the serving carrier and the carrier frequency and bandwidth indicated by carrierFreq and allowedMeasBandwidth in the corresponding entry;

[0069] 4> Perform measurements at the carrier frequency and bandwidth indicated by carrierFreq and allowedMeasBandwidth in the corresponding entry;

[0070] Note: The field s-NonIntraSearch in SystemInformationBlockType3 does not affect the UE measurement process in idle mode. How the UE performs measurements in IDLE mode depends on the UE implementation as long as the requirements for measurement reporting in TS 36.133

[16] are met. If the SIB2 idle measurement indication is not configured, the UE does not need to perform idle measurements.

[0071] 4> If measCellList is included:

[0072] 5> Consider the PCell and the cells identified by each entry in measCellList as applicable for idle mode measurement reporting;

[0073] 4> Otherwise:

[0074] 5> Consider the PCell and up to maxCellMeasIdle identified strongest cells as applicable for idle mode measurement reporting, where the RSRP / RSRQ measurement results of the identified strongest cells are higher than the value provided in qualityThreshold (if present);

[0075] 4> Store the measurement results of the cells applicable for idle mode measurement reporting in VarMeasIdleReport;

[0076] 3> Otherwise:

[0077] 4> Do not consider this carrier frequency as applicable for idle mode measurement reporting;

[0078] 1> If a validityArea is configured in VarMeasIdleConfig and the UE reselects to a serving cell whose physical cell identifier does not match any entry in the validityArea of the corresponding carrier frequency:

[0079] 2> Stop T331;

[0080] 5.6.20.3 Expiry or Stop of T331

[0081] The UE shall:

[0082] 1> If T331 expires or stops:

[0083] 2> Release VarMeasIdleConfig;

[0084] Note: Whether to continue IDLE mode measurements according to SIB5 configuration after T331 expires or stops depends on UE implementation.

[0085] ************************************************************

[0086] Some implementations include an indication of early measurements available at recovery / setup in LTE. For example, when the UE attempts to recover from RRC_IDLE or establish a call without context, if the previous step has been executed, i.e., if the UE is configured to store idle measurements, the network can request the UE after recovery / setup (after security is activated): whether the UE has available idle measurements.

[0087] If the UE is establishing a connection from RRC_IDLE without an AS context, the network does not know that the UE has stored available measurements. Thus, to enable the network to know and possibly request the UE to report early measurements, the UE can indicate the availability of stored idle measurements in RRCConnectionSetupComplete. Since not all cells support this function, the UE includes this availability information only if the cell broadcasts the idleModeMeasurements indication in SIB2. The flag and procedure text in RRCReconnectionSetupComplete are as follows: RRCConnectionSetupComplete-v1530-IEs ::= SEQUENCE { logMeasAvailableBT-r15 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, logMeasAvailableWLAN-r15 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, idleMeasAvailable-r15 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, flightPathInfoAvailable-r15 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, connectTo5GC-r15 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, registeredAMF-r15 RegisteredAMF-r15 OPTIONAL, s-NSSAI-list-r15 SEQUENCE(SIZE (1..maxNrofS-NSSAI-r15)) OF S-NSSAI-r15 OPTIONAL, ng-5G-S-TMSI-Bits-r15 CHOICE { ng-5G-S-TMSI-r15 NG-5G-S-TMSI-r15, ng-5G-S-TMSI-Part2-r15 BIT STRING (SIZE (8)) } OPTIONAL, nonCriticalExtension RRCConnectionSetupComplete-v1540-IEs OPTIONAL }

[0088] ************************************************************

[0089] 5.3.3.4 UE Receives RRCConnectionSetup

[0090] Note 1: Prior to this, lower layer signaling is used to allocate C-RNTI. For details, see TS 36.321;

[0091] The UE shall

[0092] 1> If RRCConnectionSetup is received in response to an RRCConnectionResumeRequest from a suspended RRC connection:

[0093] ……

[0094] 1> Set the content of the RRCConnectionSetupComplete message as follows:

[0095] 2> If an RRCConnectionSetup is received in response to an RRCConnectionResumeRequest:

[0096] ……

[0097] 2> If the UE is connected to the EPC:

[0098] 3> Except for NB-IoT:

[0099] ……

[0100] 4> If SIB2 contains idleModeMeasurements and the UE has available IDLE mode measurement information in VarMeasIdleReport:

[0101] 5> Include idleMeasAvailabl

[0102] 4> Stop T331 (if it is running);

[0103] ……

[0104] 3> For NB-IoT:

[0105] 4> If the UE supports serving cell idle mode measurement reporting and servingCellMeasInfo exists in SystemInformationBlockType2-NB:

[0106] 5> Set measResultServCell to include the measurements of the serving cell;

[0107] Note 2: The UE includes the latest results of the serving cell measurements for cell selection / reselection evaluation, and the measurements are performed according to the performance requirements specified in TS 36.133.

[0108] 3> If a DCN-ID value is received from the upper layer (see TS23.401), then include dcn-ID;

[0109] ************************************************************

[0110] If the UE is establishing a connection from RRC_IDLE but has a stored AS context (i.e., resuming from a suspended state), the network can know that the UE may have stored available idle measurements after checking the context obtained from the source node where the UE was suspended. However, since the UE only needs to perform measurements when the cell is above the configured RSRP / RSRQ threshold and within the configured valid area for cell selection / cell reselection, it is still uncertain whether the UE has available measurements. Therefore, in order for the network to know and potentially request the UE to report early measurements, the UE can also indicate the availability of the stored idle measurements in RRCConnectionResumeComplete. Since not all cells support this feature, the UE includes this availability information only if the cell broadcasts the idleModeMeasurements indication in SIB2. The flags and procedure text in RRCReconnectionResumeComplete are as follows: RRCConnectionResumeComplete-v1530-IEs ::= SEQUENCE { logMeasAvailableBT-r15 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, logMeasAvailableWLAN-r15 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, idleMeasAvailable-r15 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, flightPathInfoAvailable-r15 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, nonCriticalExtension SEQUENCE {} OPTIONAL }

[0111] ************************************************************

[0112] 5.3.3.4A UE receives RRCRRCConnectionResume

[0113] The UE shall:

[0114] ……

[0115] 1> Set the content of the RRCConnectionResumeComplete message as follows:

[0116] 2> Except for NB-IoT:

[0117] ……

[0118] 3> If SIB2 includes idleModeMeasurements and the UE has available IDLE mode measurement information in VarMeasIdleReport:

[0119] 4> Include idleMeasAvailable

[0120] 3> Stop T331 (if it is running);

[0121] 2> For NB-IoT:

[0122] 3> If the UE supports serving cell idle mode measurement reporting and servingCellMeasInfo exists in SystemInformationBlockType2-NB:

[0123] 4> Set measResultServCell to include the measurements of the serving cell;

[0124] Note: The UE includes the latest results of serving cell measurements for cell selection / reselection evaluation, and the measurements are performed according to the performance requirements specified in TS 36.133.

[0125] 1> Submit the RRCConnectionResumeComplete message to the lower layer for transmission;

[0126] 1> The process ends.

[0127] ************************************************************

[0128] Some implementations include reporting early measurements during resume / setup in LTE. After the UE indicates that idle measurements are available to the target cell during resume or setup, the network can request the UE to report these available measurements by including the field idleModeMeasurementReq in the UEInformationRequest message sent to the UE. Then, the UE responds with a UEInformationResponse containing these measurements. Figure 4 Examples are shown in.

[0129] The process text is copied as follows.

[0130] ************************************************************

[0131] 5.6.5.3 Reception of UEInformationRequest Message

[0132] Upon receipt of the UEInformationRequest message, the UE shall only: after successful security activation

[0133] ……

[0134] 1> If idleModeMeasurementReq is included in UEInformationRequest and the UE has stored VarMeasIdleReport:

[0135] 2> Set measResultListIdle in the UEInformationResponse message to the value of idleMeasReport in VarMeasIdleReport;

[0136] 2> Discard VarMeasIdleReport after the lower layer has confirmed successful delivery of the UEInformationResponse message;

[0137] ……

[0138] UEInformationResponse Message -- ASN1START UEInformationResponse-r9 ::= SEQUENCE { rrc-TransactionIdentifier RRC-TransactionIdentifier, criticalExtensions CHOICE { c1 CHOICE { ueInformationResponse-r9 UEInformationResponse-r9-IEs, spare3 NULL, spare2 NULL, spare1 NULL }, criticalExtensionsFuture SEQUENCE {} } } UEInformationResponse-v1530-IEs ::= SEQUENCE { measResultListIdle-r15 MeasResultListIdle-r15 OPTIONAL, flightPathInfoReport-r15 FlightPathInfoReport-r15 OPTIONAL, nonCriticalExtension SEQUENCE {} OPTIONAL }

[0139] 5.6.20 Idle mode measurements

[0140] 5.6.20.1 General description

[0141] This procedure specifies the measurements performed in the RRC_IDLE state when the UE has an idle mode measurement configuration, and the storage of available measurements by the UE in both the RRC_IDLE and RRC_CONNECTED states.

[0142] 5.6.20.2 Start

[0143] When T331 is running, the UE shall:

[0144] 1> Perform measurements according to the following:

[0145] 2> For each entry in measIdleCarrierListEUTRA in VarMeasIdleConfig:

[0146] 3> If the UE supports carrier aggregation between the serving carrier and the carrier frequency and bandwidth indicated by carrierFreq and allowedMeasBandwidth in the corresponding entry;

[0147] 4> Perform measurements in the carrier frequency and bandwidth indicated by carrierFreq and allowedMeasBandwidth in the corresponding entry;

[0148] Note: The field s-NonIntraSearch in SystemInformationBlockType3 does not affect the UE measurement process in IDLE mode. How the UE performs measurements in IDLE mode depends on the UE implementation as long as the requirements for measurement reports in TS 36.133 are met. If the SIB2 idle measurement indication is not configured, the UE does not need to perform idle measurements.

[0149] 4> If measCellList is included:

[0150] 5> Consider the PCell and the cells identified by each entry in measCellList as applicable for idle mode measurement reports;

[0151] 4> Otherwise:

[0152] 5> Consider the PCell and up to maxCellMeasIdle identified strongest cells as applicable for idle mode measurement reports, where the RSRP / RSRQ measurement results of the identified strongest cells are higher than the value provided in qualityThreshold (if present);

[0153] 4> Store the measurement results of the cells applicable for idle mode measurement reports in VarMeasIdleReport;

[0154] 3> Otherwise:

[0155] 4> Do not consider this carrier frequency as applicable for idle mode measurement reports;

[0156] 1> If validityArea is configured in VarMeasIdleConfig and the UE reselects to a serving cell whose physical cell identifier does not match any entry in the validityArea of the corresponding carrier frequency:

[0157] 2> Stop T331;

[0158] 5.6.20.3 T331 Expiry or Stop

[0159] The UE shall:

[0160] 1> If T331 expires or stops:

[0161] 2> Release VarMeasIdleConfig;

[0162] Note: After T331 expires or stops, whether to continue IDLE mode measurements according to the SIB5 configuration depends on the UE implementation.

[0163] ************************************************************

[0164] There are certain challenges currently. For example, in LTE euCA, a UE can be configured with an idle mode measurement configuration including an active area. The active area configures a cell list per frequency in the idle mode measurement configuration (MeasIdleConfig), and can be configured for one, several, or all frequencies that are part of the idle mode measurement configuration.

[0165] In the case where an active area is configured (i.e., the active area is configured for any frequency in MeasIdleConfig), if the UE reselects to a carrier that does not have any active area configured or to a cell on a carrier with an active area configured but whose PCI is not included in that active area, the UE shall consider itself outside the active area. In this case, the UE stops timer T331, thus releasing the idle measurement configuration.

[0166] One problem with the existing active area configuration in LTE is that each carrier on which the UE should be allowed to camp while still being within the active area needs to be part of the idle mode measurement configuration (MeasIdleConfig). Since the idle mode measurement configuration is for measurements of carriers that should be added as SCell in the CA configuration or (in Rel-16) added as SCG in the MR-DC configuration, these carriers are not suitable or possible to camp on in many cases. If the active area related to the camping area is included in the idle mode measurement configuration, this will require including carriers (frequencies) that are useless for idle / inactive mode measurements (or early measurements). Due to the limit on the number of carriers that can be included in the idle mode measurement configuration, this may additionally cause problems.

[0167] In LTE, if the UE reselects to a carrier that does not include an active area (i.e., the cell list that is part of the active area), it considers itself outside the active area. However, in many cases, the required configuration would be to continue idle / inactive mode measurements (or early measurements) when the UE camps on a specific carrier, regardless of which cell it camps on. This is, for example, the case where all cells on a certain carrier support CA or DC configuration, which may be a typical case. However, the network cannot configure an active area that includes the entire carrier (frequency).

[0168] The process text is copied as follows.

[0169] ************************************************************

[0170] 36.331 (v15.7.0), Subclause 5.6.20.2:

[0171] [……]

[0172] 1> If a validityArea is configured in VarMeasIdleConfig and the UE reselects to a serving cell whose physical cell identifier does not match any entry in the validityArea of the corresponding carrier frequency:

[0173] 2> Stop T331;

[0174] [……]

[0175] 36.331 (v15.7.0), Subclause 6.3.5:

[0176] [……]

[0177] –MeasIdleConfig

[0178] The IE MeasIdleConfig is used to convey information to the UE about the requested measurements to be performed in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE.

[0179] MeasIdleConfig information element -- ASN1START MeasIdleConfigSIB-r15 ::= SEQUENCE { measIdleCarrierListEUTRA-r15 EUTRA-CarrierList-r15, ... } MeasIdleConfigDedicated-r15 ::= SEQUENCE { measIdleCarrierListEUTRA-r15 EUTRA-CarrierList-r15 OPTIONAL, -- Need OR measIdleDuration-r15 ENUMERATED {sec10, sec30, sec60, sec120, sec180, sec240, sec300, spare}, ... } EUTRA-CarrierList-r15 ::= SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxFreqIdle-r15)) OF MeasIdleCarrierEUTRA-r15 MeasIdleCarrierEUTRA-r15::= SEQUENCE { carrierFreq-r15 ARFCN-ValueEUTRA-r9, allowedMeasBandwidth-r15 AllowedMeasBandwidth, validityArea-r15 CellList-r15 OPTIONAL, -- NeedOR measCellList-r15 CellList-r15 OPTIONAL, -- NeedOR reportQuantities ENUMERATED {rsrp, rsrq, both}, qualityThreshold-r15 SEQUENCE { idleRSRP-Threshold-r15 RSRP-Range OPTIONAL, --Need OR idleRSRQ-Threshold-r15 RSRQ-Range-r13 OPTIONAL --Need OR } OPTIONAL, -- Need OP ... } CellList-r15 ::= SEQUENCE (SIZE (1.. maxCellMeasIdle-r15)) OF PhysCellIdRange -- ASN1STOP

[0180]

[0181]

[0182] ************************************************************

[0183] In summary, one disadvantage of this method is that the effective area that the network can configure only includes cells operating on the frequencies on which the UE is configured to perform early measurements. For example, if the UE is not configured to perform early measurements on frequency x, the network cannot configure the effective area of cells operating on frequency x.

[0184] In addition, LTE euCA signaling for the effective area only allows restricting the cells / frequencies on which the UE is authorized to perform measurements. But it cannot achieve the possibility of making a certain serving frequency effective for early measurements regardless of the specific cell. For example, the network may have very good full coverage at low frequency x, and it can perform CA on many other frequencies and frequency x. Therefore, it may want to configure the UE such that whenever the UE camps on a cell operating on that frequency, the UE performs early measurements. The current signaling does not allow this because each effective area carrier must include a list of effective cells. Summary of the Invention

[0185] Based on the above description, there are certain challenges with the current effective area for early measurements. Some aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments can provide solutions to these challenges or other challenges. For example, some embodiments include methods for controlling how a wireless device performs idle / inactive measurements when the wireless device is in a dormant state (RRC_IDLE, RRC_IDLE with suspended, or RRC_INACTIVE). For example, a particular embodiment includes receiving a configuration for idle / inactive measurements in an RRC release message when transitioning to RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE. The configuration includes the effective area. A particular embodiment configures such an effective area that includes cells operating on frequencies on which the UE is not configured to measure during the idle / inactive mode. A particular embodiment configures the effective area in such a way that the UE performs measurements whenever it camps on any cell operating on a given frequency.

[0186] In some embodiments, if there is a list of cells for a specific frequency in the effective area, the effective area only includes the cells in the list of cells for that specific frequency. If the effective area for a specific frequency is included in the effective area but there is no list of cells, the effective area includes any cell operating on that frequency. If the UE is configured with an effective area, it will continue to perform idle / inactive measurements whenever it camps on any cell belonging to that effective area, and if the UE reselects to a cell that is not part of that effective area, the UE may stop performing idle / inactive measurements.

[0187] Generally, a specific embodiment enables the configuration of an active area, where if a UE camps on a cell within the active area, the UE shall perform idle / inactive measurements. The active area includes a carrier frequency and an optional list of cells, and the carrier frequency may be different from the carrier frequency on which the UE is configured to perform early measurements, where the UE may be configured to consider any cell on a specific carrier frequency as part of the active area.

[0188] According to some embodiments, a method for performing early measurements by a wireless device includes receiving an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements. The early measurement configuration includes a list of measurement carriers. Each entry in the list of measurement carriers includes a carrier frequency on which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The early measurement configuration further includes a list of active areas separate from the list of measurement carriers. Each entry in the list of active areas includes a carrier frequency on which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The method further includes: reselecting to a new cell, and determining whether to perform idle / inactive mode measurements when camping on the new cell based on the list of active areas.

[0189] A specific advantage is that the list of active areas is separated from the list of measurement carriers, which helps improve configuration flexibility.

[0190] In a specific embodiment, determining that the wireless device may perform idle / inactive mode measurements when camping on the new cell includes: determining that the carrier frequency of the new cell matches the carrier frequency in the list of active areas. For example, when an entry in the list of active areas includes a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using the carrier frequency.

[0191] In a specific embodiment, determining that the wireless device may perform idle / inactive mode measurements when camping on the new cell further includes: determining that the carrier frequency and cell identifier of the new cell match the carrier frequency and associated cell identifier in the list of active areas.

[0192] In a specific embodiment, the carrier frequency in the list of active areas differs from the carrier frequency in the list of measurement carriers by at least one carrier frequency.

[0193] In a specific embodiment, the method further includes: stopping the measurement timer when it is determined that the wireless device may not perform idle / inactive mode measurements when camping on the new cell.

[0194] According to some embodiments, a wireless device is capable of performing early measurements. The wireless device includes processing circuitry operable to perform any of the above-described wireless device methods.

[0195] According to some embodiments, a method performed by a network node for configuring early measurements for a wireless device includes: generating an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements. The early measurement configuration includes a list of measurement carriers. Each entry in the list of measurement carriers includes a carrier frequency on which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The early measurement configuration further includes a list of valid regions separate from the list of measurement carriers. Each entry in the list of valid regions includes a carrier frequency on which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The method further includes sending the early measurement configuration to the wireless device.

[0196] In a particular embodiment, the list of valid regions indicates that when the carrier frequency of a new cell matches the carrier frequency in the list of valid regions, the wireless device may perform idle / inactive mode measurements when camping on the new cell. For example, when an entry in the list of valid regions includes a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using the carrier frequency.

[0197] In a particular embodiment, the list of valid regions indicates that when the carrier frequency and cell identifier of the new cell match the carrier frequency and associated cell identifier in the list of valid regions, the wireless device may perform idle / inactive mode measurements when camping on the new cell.

[0198] In a particular embodiment, the carrier frequencies in the list of valid regions differ from the carrier frequencies in the list of measurement carriers by at least one carrier frequency.

[0199] According to some embodiments, a network node is capable of configuring early measurements for a wireless device. The network node includes processing circuitry operable to perform any of the above-described network node methods.

[0200] A computer program product is also disclosed, which includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable program code that is operable, when executed by processing circuitry, to perform any of the methods performed by the above-described wireless device.

[0201] Another computer program product includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable program code that is operable, when executed by processing circuitry, to perform any of the methods performed by the above-described network node.

[0202] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, in some embodiments, the network may configure the cells / frequencies for which the UE should perform early measurements separately from the frequencies for which the UE is configured to perform measurements while in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE. Additionally, it may be possible to whitelist certain frequencies, and the network may configure the UE to perform early measurements when camping on any cell operating on a whitelisted frequency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0203] To more fully understand the disclosed embodiments and their features and advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0204] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of carrier aggregation (CA);

[0205] Figure 2 is a state diagram illustrating cell transitions between an active state, a deactivated state, and a dormant state;

[0206] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity setup;

[0207] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example UE request / response;

[0208] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example radio network;

[0209] Figure 6 illustrates an example user equipment according to certain embodiments;

[0210] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example method in a wireless device according to certain embodiments;

[0211] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example method in a network node according to certain embodiments;

[0212] Figure 9 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a wireless device and a network node in a radio network according to certain embodiments;

[0213] Figure 10 illustrates an example virtualized environment according to certain embodiments;

[0214] Figure 11 illustrates an example telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network according to certain embodiments;

[0215] Figure 12shows a host computer communicating with a user equipment via a base station over a partial wireless connection according to some embodiments;

[0216] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing a method implemented according to some embodiments;

[0217] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to some embodiments;

[0218] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to some embodiments; and

[0219] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0220] As described above, there are certain challenges with respect to the effective area for early measurements. Certain aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure may provide solutions to these or other challenges. For example, certain embodiments configure such an effective area that includes a cell operating on a frequency on which a user equipment (UE) is not configured to measure during the idle / inactive mode. Certain embodiments configure the effective area in such a way that the UE performs measurements when resident in any cell operating on a given frequency.

[0221] Specific embodiments are described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0222] The embodiments and examples herein are described with respect to methods, signaling, and procedures for fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR). However, the embodiments and examples are equally applicable to evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) and other wireless networks. The terms idle / inactive measurement and early measurement are used interchangeably herein.

[0223] In long term evolution (LTE) euCA, a UE may be configured to perform idle / inactive mode measurements to report after the UE returns to RRC_CONNECTED. The early measurement configuration may optionally include an effective area that is signaled with the physical cell identifier (PCI) for each carrier that the UE is configured to measure.

[0224] If the UE reselects to a cell whose frequency and PCI match the active area, the UE continues to perform measurements. However, if the UE reselects to a cell on a carrier with a PCI not included in the active area, the UE stops the early measurements and deletes the early measurement configuration.

[0225] NR can also include an active area. The design of the active area in LTE means that the active area can only include cells on frequencies on which the UE is configured to perform early measurements (since the same carrier list is used to indicate which carriers to measure and which carriers the cells in the active area belong to).

[0226] If the network wants to configure the active area for cells on frequencies that the UE may reselect to but are not related to early measurements (e.g., low-bandwidth carriers on low frequencies suitable for robustness but useless for carrier aggregation (CA) / dual connectivity (DC)), the network must still configure early measurements on that carrier so that the cells belong to the active area.

[0227] To avoid such a limitation in NR, specific embodiments define an active area separate from the idle / inactive measurement carrier list. Additionally, when the active area is defined separately from the carrier list to be measured, the active area can include a set of carriers rather than a set of cells.

[0228] In a specific embodiment, the active area is defined as a carrier list (which can be different from the carriers to be measured during RRC_IDLE / INACTIVE), where each carrier optionally has a PCI list. Additionally, since it is possible to configure idle / inactive measurements only for specific frequencies (i.e., without indicating a cell list), a specific embodiment can configure an active area that includes frequencies without indicating a cell list.

[0229] In some embodiments, the cell list in the active area is optional to facilitate idle / inactive measurements when camping on any cell on that frequency.

[0230] An example ASN.1 and the process handling of the active area are shown below. MeasIdleConfigDedicated-r16 ::= SEQUENCE { measIdleCarrierListNR-r16 NR-CarrierList-r16 OPTIONAL, -- Need FFS measIdleCarrierListEUTRA-r16 EUTRA-CarrierList-r16 OPTIONAL, -- Need FFS measIdleDuration-r16 FFS-Value, validityAreaList-r16 ValidityAreaList-r16 OPTIONAL, -- Need N ... } ValidityAreaList-r16 ::= SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxFreq)) OF ValidityArea-r16 ValidityArea-r16 ::= SEQUENCE { carrierFreq-r16 ARFCN-ValueNR, validityCellList-r16 ValidityCellList OPTIONAL -- Need N } ValidityCellList :: = SEQUENCE (SIZE (1.. maxCellInter)) OF PhysCellId

[0231] 1> If validityAreaList is configured in VarMeasIdleConfig:

[0232] 2> If the UE reselects to a serving cell on a frequency that does not match the carrierFreq of any entry in the validityAreaList;

[0233] 3> Stop T331;

[0234] 2> Otherwise:

[0235] 3> If validityCellList is included for the corresponding frequency:

[0236] 4> If the physical cell identifier of the serving cell does not match any entry in the validityCellList:

[0237] 5> Stop T331;

[0238] In some embodiments, when T331 stops, the UE is not forced to continue performing early measurements, but the UE may continue to perform the measurement based on UE implementation (i.e., the same as in LTE euCA).

[0239] Figure 5FIG. 0 illustrates an example wireless network in accordance with certain embodiments. The wireless network may include any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, and / or radio network or other similar type of system, and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, and / or radio network or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be configured to operate in accordance with a particular standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, particular embodiments of the wireless network may implement communication standards such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards; wireless local area network (WLAN) standards such as the IEEE 802.11 standard; and / or any other suitable communication standards such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0240] Network 106 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WAN), local area networks (LAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks to enable communication between devices.

[0241] Network node 160 and WD 110 include various components described in more detail below. These components work together to provide network node and / or wireless device functionality, such as providing wireless connectivity in a wireless network. In different embodiments, the wireless network may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that can facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0242] As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless device and / or with other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to the wireless device and / or to perform other functions in the wireless network (e.g., management).

[0243] Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)). Base stations may be classified based on the total amount of coverage provided (or in other words, the transmit power level of the base station), and thus a base station may also be referred to as a femto base station, pico base station, micro base station, or macro base station.

[0244] A base station can be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls the relay. The network node can also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). These remote radio units can be integrated with an antenna to form a radio with an integrated antenna, or they can be not integrated with an antenna to form a radio with an integrated antenna. The parts of a distributed radio base station can also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Some other examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) devices (such as MSR BS), network controllers (such as radio network controllers (RNC) or base station controllers (BSC)), base transceiver stations (BTS), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCE), core network nodes (such as MSC, MME), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (such as E-SMLC) and / or MDT.

[0245] As another example, the network node can be a virtual network node, as described in more detail below. However, more generally, a network node can represent any suitable device (or group of devices) that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to implement and / or provide access for a wireless device to a wireless communication network, or to provide some service to a wireless device that has accessed the wireless network.

[0246] In Figure 5 it, network node 160 includes a processing circuit 170, a device-readable medium 180, an interface 190, an auxiliary device 184, a power supply 186, a power supply circuit 187, and an antenna 162. Although Figure 5 the network node 160 shown in the exemplary wireless network of can represent a device that includes a combination of the shown hardware components, other embodiments can include network nodes with different combinations of components.

[0247] It should be understood that a network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. In addition, although the components of network node 160 are depicted as a single box within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in reality, a network node can include multiple different physical components that make up a single shown component (for example, the device-readable medium 180 can include multiple individual hard disk drives as well as multiple RAM modules).

[0248] Similarly, network node 160 can be composed of multiple physically separate components (such as Node B components and RNC components, BTS components and BSC components, etc.), which can have their respective corresponding components. In some scenarios where network node 160 includes multiple separate components (such as BTS and BSC components), one or more separate components can be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC can control multiple NodeBs. In this case, each unique pair of NodeB and RNC can be considered as a single separate network node in some cases.

[0249] In some embodiments, network node 160 can be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components can be replicated (such as separate device-readable media 180 for different RATs), and some components can be reused (such as the same antenna 162 can be shared by RATs). Network node 160 can also include multiple sets of various components shown for different wireless technologies (such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies) integrated into network node 160. These wireless technologies can be integrated into the same or different chips or chip sets and other components within network node 160.

[0250] Processing circuitry 170 is configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (such as certain acquisition operations) described herein as being provided by a network node. These operations performed by processing circuitry 170 can include processing the information obtained by processing circuitry 170 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information, and making a determination based on the result of the processing.

[0251] Processor circuitry 170 can include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic, which can operate to provide network node 160 functionality either alone or in conjunction with other network node 160 components (such as device-readable media 180).

[0252] For example, processing circuitry 170 can execute instructions stored in device-readable media 180 or in a memory within processing circuitry 170. Such functionality can include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 170 can include a system-on-chip (SOC).

[0253] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 170 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and the baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on separate chips (or chip sets), boards, or units (such as a radio unit and a digital unit). In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 172 and the baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on the same chip or chip set, board, or set of units.

[0254] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by processing circuitry 170 that executes instructions stored on a device-readable medium 180 or in a memory within the processing circuitry 670. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided, for example, in a hard-wired manner by the processing circuitry 170 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable medium. In any of these embodiments, whether or not instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium are executed, the processing circuitry 170 may be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry 170 or to other components of the network node 160 but are enjoyed by the network node 160 as a whole and / or by end users and the wireless network generally.

[0255] The device-readable medium 180 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to permanent storage devices, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (such as a hard disk), removable storage media (such as a flash drive, compact disk (CD), or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuitry 170. The device-readable medium 180 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuitry 170 and used by the network node 160. The device-readable medium 180 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 170 and / or any data received via the interface 190. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 170 and the device-readable medium 180 may be considered integrated.

[0256] Interface 190 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network node 160, network 106, and / or WD 110. As shown, interface 190 includes ports / terminals 194 for sending data to and receiving data from network 106, for example, via a wired connection. Interface 190 also includes radio front-end circuitry 192, which may be coupled to antenna 162 or, in some embodiments, is part of antenna 162.

[0257] Radio front-end circuitry 192 includes filter 198 and amplifier 196. Radio front-end circuitry 192 can be connected to antenna 162 and processing circuitry 170. The radio front-end circuitry can be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 162 and processing circuitry 170. Radio front-end circuitry 192 can receive digital data that is to be transmitted outward to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. Radio front-end circuitry 192 can use a combination of filter 198 and / or amplifier 196 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be transmitted via antenna 162. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 162 can collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by radio front-end circuitry 192. The digital data can be passed to processing circuitry 170. In other embodiments, the interface can include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0258] In some alternative embodiments, network node 160 may not include a separate radio front-end circuitry 192. Instead, processing circuitry 170 can include radio front-end circuitry and can be connected to antenna 162 without a separate radio front-end circuitry 192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of RF transceiver circuitry 172 can be considered part of interface 190. In other embodiments, interface 190 can include one or more ports or terminals 194, radio front-end circuitry 192, and RF transceiver circuitry 172 (as part of a radio unit (not shown)), and interface 190 can communicate with baseband processing circuitry 174 (which is part of a digital unit (not shown)).

[0259] Antenna 162 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays, configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 162 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry 192 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector, or panel antennas, operable to transmit / receive radio signals in, for example, a range between 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas may be used to transmit / receive radio signals in any direction, sector antennas may be used to transmit / receive radio signals relative to devices within a specific area, and panel antennas may be line-of-sight antennas for transmitting / receiving radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some cases, using more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In certain embodiments, antenna 162 may be separate from network node 160 and may be connected to network node 160 via an interface or port.

[0260] Antenna 162, interface 190, and / or processing circuitry 170 may be configured to perform any of the receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 162, interface 190, and / or processing circuitry 170 may be configured to perform any of the transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network device.

[0261] Power circuitry 187 may include or be coupled to a power management circuit and is configured to supply power for the components of network node 160 to perform the functions described herein. Power circuitry 187 may receive power from power source 186. Power source 186 and / or power circuitry 187 may be configured to supply power to the various components of network node 160 in a form suitable for each respective component (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each corresponding component). Power source 186 may be included within power circuitry 187 and / or network node 160 or external to power circuitry 187 and / or network node 160.

[0262] For example, network node 160 may be connected to an external power source (such as a power outlet) via an input circuit or an interface such as a cable, and the external power source supplies power to power circuitry 187. As another example, power source 186 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack, which is connected to or integrated in power circuitry 187. The battery may provide backup power if the external power source fails. Other types of power sources may also be used, such as photovoltaic devices.

[0263] Alternative embodiments of network node 160 may include beyond Figure 5Add-ons for the components shown in , the add-ons may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the functions of a network node (including any of the functions described herein and / or any functions required to support the subject matter described herein). For example, network node 160 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into network node 160 and to allow information to be output from network node 160. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node 160.

[0264] As used herein, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with a network node and / or another wireless device. Unless otherwise specified, the term WD may be used interchangeably with user equipment (UE) herein. Wireless communication may include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information through the air.

[0265] In some embodiments, the WD may be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the WD may be designed to send information to the network at a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event or in response to a request from the network.

[0266] Examples of WDs include, but are not limited to, smart phones, mobile phones, cellular phones, IP voice (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, gaming consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, portable computers, portable embedded devices (LEEs), portable mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless client devices (CPEs), in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, etc. The WD may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communication (vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X)), and the WD may be referred to as a D2D communication device in such cases.

[0267] As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another WD and / or network node. In such a case, the WD may be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which in the 3GPP context may be referred to as an MTC device. As an example, a WD may be a UE implementing the 3GPP NarrowBand Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices (e.g., electricity meters), industrial machines, or home or personal devices (e.g., refrigerators, TVs, etc.), personal wearable devices (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.).

[0268] In other scenarios, a WD may represent a vehicle or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating state or other functions associated with its operation. A WD as described above may represent a wirelessly connected endpoint, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Additionally, a WD as described above may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or mobile terminal.

[0269] As shown in the figure, wireless device 110 includes antenna 111, interface 114, processing circuitry 120, device-readable medium 130, user interface device 132, auxiliary device 134, power supply 136, and power circuitry 137. WD 110 may include multiple sets of one or more of the illustrated components for different wireless technologies supported by WD 110 (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, to mention just a few). These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chip sets as other components within WD 110.

[0270] Antenna 111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and is connected to interface 114. In certain alternative embodiments, antenna 111 may be separate from WD 110 and may be connected to WD 110 via an interface or port. Antenna 111, interface 114, and / or processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform any of the receiving or transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a WD. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, the radio front-end circuitry and / or antenna 111 may be considered an interface.

[0271] As shown in the figure, interface 114 includes radio front-end circuit 112 and antenna 111. Radio front-end circuit 112 includes one or more filters 118 and amplifiers 116. Radio front-end circuit 112 is connected to antenna 111 and processing circuit 120, and is configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 111 and processing circuit 120. Radio front-end circuit 112 may be coupled to antenna 111 or be part of antenna 111. In some embodiments, WD 110 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 112; instead, processing circuit 120 may include a radio front-end circuit and may be connected to antenna 111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuit 122 may be considered part of interface 114.

[0272] Radio front-end circuit 112 may receive digital data that will be transmitted outward via a wireless connection to other network nodes or WDs. Radio front-end circuit 112 may use a combination of filters 118 and / or amplifiers 116 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna 111. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 111 may collect radio signals, which are then converted into digital data by radio front-end circuit 112. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 120. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0273] Processor circuit 120 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic, which is operable to provide the WD 110 functionality either alone or in conjunction with other WD 110 components (such as device readable medium 130). Such functionality may include providing any one of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, processing circuit 120 may execute instructions stored in device readable medium 130 or in a memory within processing circuit 120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0274] As shown in the figure, processing circuit 120 includes one or more of RF transceiver circuit 122, baseband processing circuit 124, and application processing circuit 126. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may include different components and / or different combinations of components. In certain embodiments, processing circuit 120 of WD 110 may include a SOC. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuit 122, baseband processing circuit 124, and application processing circuit 126 may be on separate chips or a chipset.

[0275] In an alternative embodiment, some or all of the baseband processing circuitry 124 and the application processing circuitry 126 may be combined into one chip or chipset, and the RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In another alternative embodiment, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 122 and the baseband processing circuitry 124 may be on the same chip or chipset, and the application processing circuitry 126 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In other alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 122, the baseband processing circuitry 124, and the application processing circuitry 126 may be combined in the same chip or chipset. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be part of the interface 114. The RF transceiver circuitry 122 may condition RF signals for the processing circuitry 120.

[0276] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as being performed by the WD may be provided by the processing circuitry 120 executing instructions stored on the device-readable medium 130, which in certain embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by the processing circuitry 120, for example, in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium.

[0277] In any of these embodiments, whether or not instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium are executed, the processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform the described functions. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to the processing circuitry 120 or to other components of the WD 110, but are enjoyed by the WD 110 as a whole and / or generally by the end user and the wireless network.

[0278] The processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation described herein as being performed by the WD (such as certain obtaining operations). These operations performed by the processing circuitry 120 may include processing information obtained by the processing circuitry 120 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored by the WD 110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information and making a determination based on the result of such processing.

[0279] The device-readable medium 130 is operable to store a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by the processing circuitry 120. The device-readable medium 130 may include a computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), a mass storage medium (e.g., a hard disk), a removable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc (CD) or a digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device storing information, data, and / or instructions usable by the processing circuitry 120. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 120 and the device-readable medium 130 are integrated.

[0280] The user interface device 132 may provide components that allow a human user to interact with the WD 110. Such interaction may take various forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device 132 is operable to generate output to the user and allow the user to provide input to the WD 110. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface device 132 installed in the WD 110. For example, if the WD 110 is a smart phone, the interaction may be via a touch screen; if the WD 110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen providing usage (e.g., gallons used) or a speaker providing an auditory alert (e.g., if smoke is detected).

[0281] The user interface device 132 may include an input interface, devices, and circuitry, as well as an output interface, devices, and circuitry. The user interface device 132 is configured to allow information to be input into the WD 110 and is connected to the processing circuitry 120 to allow the processing circuitry 120 to process the input information. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a microphone, a proximity sensor or other sensors, keys / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuitry. The user interface device 132 is also configured to allow information to be output from the WD 110 and allow the processing circuitry 120 to output information from the WD 110. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, a vibration circuit, a USB port, a headphone jack, or other output circuitry. By using one or more of the input and output interfaces, devices, and circuitry of the user interface device 132, the WD 110 can communicate with an end user and / or a wireless network and allow them to benefit from the functions described herein.

[0282] The auxiliary device 134 is operable to provide more specific functions that may not typically be performed by the WD. This may include dedicated sensors for making measurements for various purposes, interfaces for other types of communication such as wired communication, etc. The inclusion and type of components of the auxiliary device 134 may vary according to the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0283] In some embodiments, power supply 136 may be in the form of a battery or a battery pack. Other types of power supplies may also be used, such as an external power supply (e.g., a power outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a fuel cell. WD 110 may also include a power supply circuit 137 for delivering power from power supply 136 to various parts of WD 110, and WD 110 requires power from power supply 136 to perform any of the functions described or indicated herein. In certain embodiments, power supply circuit 137 may include a power management circuit.

[0284] Power supply circuit 137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power supply; in such a case, WD 110 may be connected to the external power supply (e.g., a power outlet) via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. In certain embodiments, power supply circuit 137 is also operable to deliver power from the external power supply to power supply 136. For example, this may be used for charging power supply 136. Power supply circuit 137 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification of the power from power supply 136 to make the power suitable for the various components of WD 110 to which it is supplied.

[0285] Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented using any suitable components in any suitable type of system, the embodiments disclosed herein are described with respect to a wireless network (e.g., Figure 5 the example wireless network shown in). For simplicity, Figure 5 the wireless network only depicts network 106, network nodes 160 and 160b, and WDs 110, 110b, and 110c. In fact, the wireless network may also include any additional elements suitable for supporting communication between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device (e.g., a landline telephone, a service provider, or any other network node or terminal device). Among the components shown, network node 160 and wireless device (WD) 110 are depicted with additional details. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate access and / or use of the services provided by or through the wireless network.

[0286] Figure 6illustrates an example user equipment according to certain embodiments. As used herein, a "user equipment" or "UE" may not necessarily have a "user" in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated equipment. Instead, a UE may represent equipment that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user but may not or initially may not be associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent equipment that is not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user but may be associated with or operate in the interest of a user (e.g., a smart meter). UE 200 may be any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including an NB-IoT UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an Enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. As Figure 6 shown, UE 200 is an example of a WD configured for communication according to one or more communication standards released by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) (e.g., the GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards of 3GPP). As previously mentioned, the terms WD and UE may be used interchangeably. Thus, although Figure 6 is a UE, the components discussed herein apply equally to a WD, and vice versa.

[0287] In Figure 6 , UE 200 includes a processing circuit 201 operably coupled to an input / output interface 205, a radio frequency (RF) interface 209, a network connection interface 211, a memory 215 including a random access memory (RAM) 217, a read-only memory (ROM) 219, and a storage medium 221, etc., a communication subsystem 231, a power supply 213, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 includes an operating system 223, application programs 225, and data 227. In other embodiments, the storage medium 221 may include other similar types of information. Certain UEs may use Figure 6 all of the components shown, or only a subset of the components. The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another. Additionally, certain UEs may include multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0288] In Figure 6Among them, the processing circuit 201 can be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 201 can be configured to implement any sequential state machine, which can be operated to execute machine instructions stored as a machine-readable computer program in a memory. The state machine can be, for example: one or more hardware-implemented state machines (such as implemented in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored programs, a general-purpose processor (such as a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP)) together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 201 can include two central processing units (CPUs). Data can be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0289] In the depicted embodiment, the input / output interface 205 can be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, an output device, or an input and output device. The UE 200 can be configured to use the output device through the input / output interface 205.

[0290] The output device can use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a USB port can be used to provide input to and output from the UE 700. The output device can be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, a transmitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof.

[0291] The UE 200 can be configured to use the input device through the input / output interface 205 to allow a user to capture information into the UE 200. The input device can include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (such as a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a touchpad, a roller, a smart card, etc. The presence-sensitive display can include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor can be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an inclinometer, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another type of sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device can be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor.

[0292] In Figure 6In this case, the RF interface 209 can be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as, for example, transmitters, receivers, and antennas. The network connection interface 211 can be configured to provide a communication interface to network 243a. Network 243a can include wired and / or wireless networks such as a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), computer network, wireless network, telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, network 243a can include a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 211 can be configured to include a receiver and transmitter interface that is used to communicate with one or more other devices via a communication network according to one or more communication protocols such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc. The network connection interface 211 can implement receiver and transmitter functions suitable for a communication network link (such as optical, electrical, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functions can share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively can be implemented separately.

[0293] RAM 217 can be configured to interface with the processing circuit 201 via the bus 202 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs such as an operating system, application programs, and device drivers. ROM 219 can be configured to provide computer instructions or data to the processing circuit 201. For example, ROM 219 can be configured to store invariant low-level system code or data for basic system functions such as basic input and output (I / O) stored in non-volatile memory, boot-up, or reception of keystrokes from a keyboard.

[0294] The storage medium 221 can be configured to include a memory such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable tape, or flash drive. In one example, the storage medium 221 can be configured to include an operating system 223, application programs 225 (such as, for example, a web browser application), a widget or gadget engine, or another application, and data files 227. The storage medium 221 can store any one or combination of various operating systems for use by the UE 200.

[0295] The storage medium 221 may be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID), floppy disk drives, flash memories, USB flash drives, external hard disk drives, thumb drives, pen drives, key drives, high density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) disc drives, built-in hard disk drives, Blu-ray disc drives, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) disc drives, external mini dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs), synchronous dynamic random access memories (SDRAMs), external micro DIMM SDRAMs, smart card memories such as subscriber identity modules or removable user identities (SIM / RUIM) modules, other memories, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 may allow the UE 200 to access computer-executable instructions, application programs, etc. stored on a temporary or non-temporary memory medium to offload data or upload data. For example, an article such as an article of manufacture of a communication system may be tangibly embodied in the storage medium 221, and the storage medium 221 may include a device-readable medium.

[0296] In Figure 6 it, the processing circuitry 201 may be configured to communicate with the network 243b using the communication subsystem 231. The network 243a and the network 243b may be one or more identical networks or one or more different networks. The communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with the network 243b. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (such as another WD, UE) or a base station of a radio access network (RAN) according to one or more communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.2, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc.). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 233 and / or a receiver 235 to respectively implement transmitter or receiver functions suitable for a RAN link (such as frequency allocation, etc.). In addition, the transmitter 233 and the receiver 235 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively may be implemented separately.

[0297] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 231 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication (e.g., the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for determining location), another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 243b may include wired and / or wireless networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power supply 213 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 200.

[0298] The features, benefits, and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of the UE 200 or divided among multiple components of the UE 200. Additionally, the features, benefits, and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software, or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. Additionally, the processing circuitry 201 may be configured to communicate with any such component via the bus 202. In another example, any such component may be represented by program instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processing circuitry 201, perform the corresponding functions described herein. In another example, the functions of any such component may be divided between the processing circuitry 201 and the communication subsystem 231. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0299] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example method in a wireless device according to certain embodiments. In a particular embodiment, Figure 7 one or more steps of may be performed by the wireless device 110 described with respect to Figure 5 The method may begin at step 712, in which a wireless device (e.g., the wireless device 110) receives an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements. The early measurement configuration includes a list of measurement carriers and a list of valid regions.

[0300] Each entry in the list of measurement carriers includes a carrier frequency on which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive mode measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency. The list of valid regions is separate from the list of measurement carriers.

[0301]

[0302] ​Each entry in the active area list includes a carrier frequency on which the wireless device should perform idle / inactive mode measurements and zero or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency.

[0303] Thus, as described in more detail above, the active area list is decoupled from the measurement carrier list, which helps improve configuration flexibility. In a particular embodiment, the carrier frequency in the active area list differs from the carrier frequency in the measurement carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

[0304] At step 714, the wireless device reselects to a new cell. Then, the wireless device needs to determine which early measurements (if any) the wireless device should perform.

[0305] At step 716, the wireless device determines whether to perform idle / inactive mode measurements when camping on the new cell based on the active area list. For example, in a particular embodiment, the wireless device may determine that the carrier frequency of the new cell matches the carrier frequency in the active area list. As an example, when an entry in the active area list includes a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, that entry is valid for any cell using that carrier frequency.

[0306] In a particular embodiment, the wireless device may further determine that the carrier frequency and cell identifier of the new cell match the carrier frequency and associated cell identifier in the active area list.

[0307] Based on the active area list, the wireless device either proceeds to step 718 (in which the wireless device performs idle / inactive mode measurements) or proceeds to step 720 (in which the wireless device stops the measurement timer and does not perform idle / inactive mode measurements).

[0308] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to Figure 7 method 700. Additionally, Figure 7 one or more steps in the method may be performed in parallel or in any suitable order.

[0309] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example method in a network node according to certain embodiments. In a particular embodiment, Figure 8 one or more steps of Figure 5 may be performed by network node 160 as described with respect to

[0310] The method may begin at step 812, in which a network node (e.g., network node 160) generates an early measurement configuration for performing idle / inactive mode measurements. The early measurement configuration includes a measurement carrier list and an active area list, as described above with respect to Figure 7 stated.

[0311] At step 814, the network node sends an early measurement configuration to the wireless device. The wireless device may use the early measurement configuration as described above with respect to Figure 7 that described.

[0312] The method 800 may be modified, additional steps may be added or steps may be omitted. Additionally, Figure 8 one or more steps in the method of Figure 8 may be performed in parallel or in any suitable order.

[0313] Figure 9 FIG. shows a schematic block diagram of two devices in a wireless network (e.g., Figure 5 the wireless network shown in Figure 5 ). The apparatus includes a wireless device and a network node (e.g., Figure 7 the wireless device 110 and network node 160 shown in Figure 8 ). Devices 1600 and 1700 are operable to perform the example methods described with reference to Figure 7 and Figure 8 respectively, and may perform any other processes or methods disclosed herein. It should also be understood that

[0314] The methods of

[0315] are not necessarily performed only by devices 1600 and / or 1700. At least some operations of the methods may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0316] As Figure 9As shown, device 1600 includes a receiving module 1602 configured to receive an early measurement configuration according to any of the embodiments and examples described herein. A determining module 1604 is configured to determine whether to perform idle / inactive mode measurements according to any of the embodiments and examples described herein. A transmitting module 1606 is configured to transmit measurement results according to any of the embodiments and examples described herein.

[0317] As Figure 9 As shown, device 1700 includes a generating module 1702 configured to generate an early measurement configuration according to any of the embodiments and examples described herein. A transmitting module 1704 is configured to transmit the early measurement configuration to a wireless device according to any of the embodiments and examples described herein.

[0318] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram showing a virtualized environment 300 in which functions implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or equipment that can include a virtualized hardware platform, storage devices, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to nodes (e.g., virtualized base stations or virtualized radio access nodes) or devices (e.g., UEs, wireless devices, or any other type of communication device) or their components, and involves an implementation in which at least a portion of the functions are implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., by one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers executed on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0319] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein can be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 300 hosted by one or more hardware nodes 330. Additionally, in embodiments where the virtual node is not a radio access node or does not require a radio connection (e.g., a core network node), the network node can then be fully virtualized.

[0320] These functions can be implemented by one or more applications 320 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual devices, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) that are operable to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 320 run in the virtualized environment 300, and the virtualized environment 800 provides hardware 330 including a processing circuit 360 and a memory 390. The memory 390 contains instructions 395 executable by the processing circuit 360, whereby the applications 320 are operable to provide one or more of the features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0321] The virtualized environment 300 includes general or specialized network hardware devices 330, which include a set of one or more processors or processing circuits 360, which can be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuit including digital or analog hardware components or specialized processors. Each hardware device can include a memory 390-1, which can be a non-permanent memory for temporarily storing instructions 395 or software executed by the processing circuit 360. Each hardware device can include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 370, also known as network interface cards, which include physical network interfaces 380. Each hardware device can also include a non-transitory, permanent machine-readable storage medium 390-2 in which software 395 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuit 360 are stored. The software 395 can include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 350 (also known as hypervisors), software for executing virtual machines 340, and software that allows it to perform functions, features, and / or benefits described in connection with some embodiments herein.

[0322] The virtual machines 340 include virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and can be run by corresponding virtualization layers 350 or hypervisors. Different embodiments of instances of virtual devices 320 can be implemented on one or more of the virtual machines 340, and the implementation can be made in different ways.

[0323] During operation, the processing circuit 360 executes software 395 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 350, which is sometimes referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). The virtualization layer 350 can present a virtual operating platform that appears like the networking hardware of the virtual machines 340.

[0324] As Figure 10 shown, the hardware 330 can be an independent network node with general or specific components. The hardware 330 can include an antenna 3225 and can implement some functions through virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 330 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., in a data center or customer premise equipment (CPE)), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed by a management and orchestration (MANO) 3100, which supervises the lifecycle management of applications 320 and so on.

[0325] In some contexts, the virtualization of hardware is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to unify many network device types into industry-standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical memories, which can be located in data centers and customer premise equipment.

[0326] In the context of NFV, a virtual machine 340 can be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 340, along with the portion of the hardware 330 that executes that virtual machine (whether it is hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and / or hardware shared by that virtual machine with other virtual machines in the virtual machine 340), forms a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0327] Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more virtual machines 340 on top of the hardware network infrastructure 330 and correspond to Figure 10 the applications 320 in.

[0328] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 3200, each including one or more transmitters 3220 and one or more receivers 3210, can be coupled to one or more antennas 3225. The radio units 3200 can communicate directly with the hardware node 330 through one or more suitable network interfaces and can be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station.

[0329] In some embodiments, a control system 3230 can be used to implement some signaling and can alternatively be used for communication between the hardware node 330 and the radio units 3200.

[0330] Referring to Figure 11 , according to an embodiment, a communication system includes: a telecommunication network 410 (such as a 3GPP-type cellular network), which includes an access network 411 (such as a radio access network) and a core network 414. The access network 411 includes a plurality of base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, such as NB, eNB, gNB, or other types of wireless access points, and each base station defines a corresponding coverage area 413a, 413b, 413c. Each base station 412a, 412b, 412c can be connected to the core network 414 through a wired or wireless connection 415. A first UE 491 located in the coverage area 413c is configured to be wirelessly connected to or paged by the corresponding base station 412c. A second UE 492 in the coverage area 413a can be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 412a. Although multiple UEs 491, 492 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to the case where a single UE is located in the coverage area or a single UE is connected to the corresponding base station 412.

[0331] The telecommunications network 410 is itself connected to a host computer 430 which may be embodied in the hardware and / or software of an independent server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as processing resources in a server farm. The host computer 430 may be owned or controlled by a service provider, or may be operated or operated on behalf of a service provider. The connections 421, 422 between the telecommunications network 410 and the host computer 430 may extend directly from the core network 414 to the host computer 430, or may pass through an optional intermediate network 420. The intermediate network 420 may be one or a combination of more than one of a public, private or managed network; the intermediate network 420 (if any) may be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, the intermediate network 420 may include two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0332] Figure 11 The communication system as a whole in FIG. realizes the connectivity between the connected UEs 491, 492 and the host computer 430. This connection may be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 450. The host computer 430 and the connected UEs 491, 492 are configured to transmit data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 450 using the access network 411, the core network 414, any intermediate network 420, and possibly other infrastructure (not shown) acting as intermediaries. The participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 450 passes are not aware of the routing of the uplink and downlink communications, and in this sense, the OTT connection 450 may be transparent. For example, the base station 412 may not be informed or need not be informed about the past routing of incoming downlink communications having data originating from the host computer 430 and destined to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 491. Similarly, the base station 412 need not know the future routing of uplink communications originating from the UE 491 and destined for the output to the host computer 430.

[0333] Figure 12 FIG. shows a host computer communicating with a user equipment via a base station over a partial wireless connection according to some embodiments. Now reference will be made to Figure 12Describe an example implementation of a UE, a base station, and a host computer according to an embodiment as discussed in the above paragraphs. In communication system 500, host computer 510 includes hardware 515, which includes communication interface 516 configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with interfaces of different communication devices of communication system 500. Host computer 510 also includes processing circuitry 518, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. Specifically, processing circuitry 518 may include one or more programmable processors suitable for executing instructions, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown). Host computer 510 also includes software 511, which is stored in or accessible by host computer 510 and executable by processing circuitry 518. Software 511 includes host application 512. Host application 512 is operable to provide services to remote users, such as UE 530 connected via OTT connection 550, which terminates at UE 530 and host computer 510. When providing services to remote users, host application 512 may provide user data transmitted using OTT connection 550.

[0334] Communication system 500 also includes base station 520 disposed in a telecommunications system, and base station 520 includes hardware 525 enabling it to communicate with host computer 510 and UE 530. Hardware 525 may include: communication interface 526 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with interfaces of different communication devices of communication system 500; and radio interface 527 for establishing and maintaining a wireless connection 570 with at least UE 530 located in a coverage area (not shown) served by base station 520. Communication interface 526 may be configured to facilitate connection 560 with host computer 510. Connection 560 may be a direct connection, alternatively, the connection may pass through the core network of the telecommunications system (not shown) and / or through one or more intermediate networks external to the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, hardware 525 of base station 520 also includes processing circuitry 528, which may include one or more programmable processors suitable for executing instructions, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown). Base station 520 also has software 521 stored internally or accessible via an external connection. Figure 12 In which is not shown) of UE 530. Figure 12 In which is not shown).

[0335] The communication system 500 also includes the UE 530 that has been mentioned. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 may include a radio interface 537 configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 570 with a base station serving the coverage area where the UE 530 is currently located. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 also includes processing circuitry 538, which may include one or more programmable processors suitable for executing instructions, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown). The UE 530 also includes software 531 that is stored in or accessible by the UE 530 and can be executed by the processing circuitry 538. The software 531 includes a client application 532. The client application 532 is operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via the UE 530 with the support of the host computer 510. In the host computer 510, a host application 512 being executed may communicate with the client application 532 being executed via an OTT connection 550 that terminates at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. When providing a service to the user, the client application 532 may receive request data from the host application 512 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 550 may convey both the request data and the user data. The client application 532 may interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0336] Note that Figure 12 the host computer 510, base station 520, and UE 530 shown in Figure 11 may be similar or identical to the host computer 430, one of the base stations 412a, 412b, 412c, and one of the UEs 491, 492, respectively. That is, the internal workings of these entities may be as Figure 12 shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology may be Figure 11 the network topology of

[0337] In Figure 12 the OTT connection 550 has been abstractly drawn to illustrate the communication between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 via the base station 520, but no intermediate devices and the exact routing messages through these devices have been explicitly mentioned. The network infrastructure may determine the routing, which may be configured to hide from the UE 530 or from the service provider operating the host computer 510 or from both. When the OTT connection 550 is active, the network infrastructure may further make a decision to dynamically change the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or network reconfiguration).

[0338] The wireless connection 570 between the UE 530 and the base station 520 is consistent with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT services provided to the UE 530 using the OTT connection 550, in which the wireless connection 570 forms the final part. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments can improve the signaling overhead and reduce the latency, which can provide users with faster Internet access.

[0339] A measurement process can be provided for monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors that are the object of improvement in one or more embodiments. There can also be optional network functions for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or the network functions for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 can be implemented in the software 511 and the hardware 515 of the host computer 510, or in the software 531 and the hardware 535 of the UE 530, or in both. In an embodiment, sensors (not shown) can be deployed in or associated with the communication devices through which the OTT connection 550 passes; the sensors can participate in the measurement process by providing values of the monitored quantities exemplified above or other physical quantities from which the software 511, 531 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 550 can include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc.; the reconfiguration does not need to affect the base station 520, and the reconfiguration can be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 520. Such processes and functions can be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurement can involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the measurement of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. by the host computer 510. The measurement can be achieved by the software 511 and 531 using the OTT connection 550 to send messages (especially empty messages or "virtual" messages) while monitoring the propagation time, errors, etc.

[0340] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes: a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which can be those host computers, base stations, and UEs described with reference to Figure 11 and Figure 12 For the sake of simplicity of the present disclosure, only references to Figure 13 are included in this part.

[0341] In step 610, the host computer provides user data. In a sub-step 611 (which may be optional) of step 610, the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In a second step 620, the host computer initiates a transmission to the UE, the transmission carrying the user data. In a third step 630 (which may be optional), according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the base station sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host computer to the UE. In step 640 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0342] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes: a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be those host computers, base stations, and UEs described with reference to Figure 11 and Figure 12 Those described. To simplify this disclosure, only references to Figure 14 are included in this part.

[0343] In step 710 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In a second step 720, the host computer initiates a transmission to the UE, the transmission carrying the user data. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the transmission may be relayed by the base station. In step 730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0344] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes: a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be those host computers, base stations, and UEs described with reference to Figure 11 and Figure 12 Those described. To simplify this disclosure, only references to Figure 15 are included in this part.

[0345] In step 810 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in a second step 820, the UE provides user data. In a sub-step 821 of step 820 (which may be optional), the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In a sub-step 811 of step 810 (which may be optional), the UE executes a client application that provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. When providing user data, the executed client application may also consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner of providing user data, the UE initiates, in a third sub-step 830 (which may be optional), the transmission of the user data to the host computer. In step 840 of the method, the host computer receives the user data sent from the UE, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

[0346] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes: a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be those host computers, base stations, and UEs referred to Figure 11 and Figure 12 described. To simplify this disclosure, only references to Figure 16 are included in this part.

[0347] In step 910 (which may be optional), according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the base station receives user data from the UE. In step 920 (which may be optional), the base station initiates the transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In a third step 930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0348] The term unit may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices, and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid-state and / or discrete devices, and computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, output, and / or display functions, etc. (such as those functions described herein).

[0349] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems and devices disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. The components of the systems and devices may be integrated or separated. Additionally, the operations of the systems and devices may be performed by more components, fewer components, or other components. Furthermore, any suitable logic including software, hardware, and / or other logic may be used to perform the operations of the systems and devices. As used herein, "each" refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.

[0350] Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the methods disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. The methods may include more, fewer, or other steps. In addition, the steps may be performed in any suitable order.

[0351] The foregoing description sets forth many specific details. However, it should be understood that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description. Using the included description, one of ordinary skill in the art will be able to implement the appropriate functionality without undue experimentation.

[0352] References in the specification to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "example embodiment", etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments (whether or not explicitly described).

[0353] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular embodiments, changes and permutations of the embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description of the embodiments does not limit the present disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims.

[0354] At least some of the following abbreviations may be used in the present disclosure. If there is an inconsistency between the abbreviations, precedence shall be given to how it is used above. If it is listed multiple times below, the first listing shall take precedence over any subsequent listing.

[0355] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0356] 5G Fifth Generation

[0357] ABS Almost Blank Subframe

[0358] ACK / NACK Acknowledgment / Negative Acknowledgment

[0359] ARQ Automatic Repeat Request

[0360] CA Carrier Aggregation

[0361] CC Carrier Component

[0362] CDMA Code Division Multiple Access

[0363] CG Configured Grant

[0364] CIR Channel Impulse Response

[0365] CP Cyclic Prefix

[0366] C-RNTI Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0367] DL Downlink

[0368] DM Demodulation

[0369] E-SMLC Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center

[0370] eNB E-UTRAN Node B

[0371] E-SMLC Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center

[0372] E-UTRA Evolved UTRA

[0373] E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN

[0374] gNB Base Station in NR

[0375] GSM Global System for Mobile Communications

[0376] HO Handover

[0377] LOS Line of Sight

[0378] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0379] MAC Medium Access Control

[0380] MDT Minimization of Drive Tests

[0381] MME Mobility Management Entity

[0382] MSC Mobile Switching Center

[0383] NR New Radio

[0384] OSS Operation Support System

[0385] O&M Operation and Maintenance

[0386] Pcell Primary Cell

[0387] RAN Radio Access Network

[0388] RAT Radio Access Technology

[0389] RNC Radio Network Controller

[0390] RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0391] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0392] RRM Radio Resource Management

[0393] RS Reference Signal

[0394] RSRP Reference Signal Received Power, or

[0395] Reference Signal Received Power

[0396] RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality, or

[0397] Reference Symbol Received Quality

[0398] SCH Synchronization Channel

[0399] Scell Secondary Cell

[0400] SDU Service Data Unit

[0401] SFN System Frame Number

[0402] SI System Information

[0403] SIB System Information Block

[0404] SON Self-Organizing Network

[0405] SUL Supplementary Uplink

[0406] SS Synchronization Signal

[0407] TO Transmission Opportunity

[0408] TOA Time of Arrival

[0409] TTI Transmission Time Interval

[0410] UE User Equipment

[0411] UL Uplink

[0412] UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0413] UTRA Universal Terrestrial Radio Access

[0414] UTRAN Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network

[0415] WCDMA Wide CDMA

[0416] WLAN Wide Area Network.

Claims

1. A method for performing early measurements by a wireless device, the method comprises: receiving a configuration message comprising at least one parameter for idle / inactive measurements; determining whether the configuration message comprises a measurement carrier list, wherein each entry of the measurement carrier list comprises a carrier frequency on which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; determining whether the configuration message comprises a valid area list separate from the measurement carrier list; and when reselecting to a first cell using a first carrier frequency, stopping a timer if the first cell or the first carrier frequency is not found in the valid area list.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprises: starting a timer T331, and wherein stopping the timer comprises stopping timer T331.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when an entry in the valid area list comprises a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using the carrier frequency.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprises: entering an idle or inactive state; before reselecting to the first cell, measuring at least one carrier frequency associated with the first cell.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, the carrier frequencies in the valid area list differ from the carrier frequencies in the measurement carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprises: in the case of determining that the wireless device cannot perform idle / inactive measurements when resident in a new cell, stopping the measurement timer and stopping the idle / inactive measurements.

7. A wireless device capable of performing early measurements, the wireless device comprising a processing circuit operable to: receive a configuration message comprising at least one parameter for idle / inactive measurements; determine whether the configuration message comprises a measurement carrier list, wherein, each entry of the measurement carrier list comprises a carrier frequency on which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive measurements and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; determine whether the configuration message comprises a valid area list separate from the measurement carrier list; and when reselecting to a first cell using a first carrier frequency, stopping a timer if the first cell or the first carrier frequency is not found in the valid area list.

8. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein, the processing circuit is further operable to start a timer T331, and wherein stopping the timer comprises stopping timer T331.

9. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein, when an entry in the valid area list comprises a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using the carrier frequency.

10. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein, the processing circuit is further operable to: enter an idle or inactive state; Before reselection to the first cell, measure at least one carrier frequency associated with the first cell.

11. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein, the carrier frequencies in the active area list differ from the carrier frequencies in the measurement carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

12. The wireless device according to claim 7, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to: stop the measurement timer and stop the idle / inactive measurement when it is determined that the wireless device cannot perform the idle / inactive measurement while camping on a new cell.

13. A system for configuring a wireless device to perform early measurements, the system comprising: a network node configured to send a configuration message to the wireless device, the configuration message including a configuration message for at least one parameter for idle / inactive measurement; a wireless device configured to: receive the configuration message; determine whether the configuration message includes a measurement carrier list, wherein each entry in the measurement carrier list includes a carrier frequency on which the wireless device is to perform idle / inactive measurement and one or more cell identifiers associated with the carrier frequency; determine whether the configuration message includes an active area list separate from the measurement carrier list; and when reselecting to a first cell using a first carrier frequency, stop the timer if the first cell or the first carrier frequency is not found in the active area list.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein, the wireless device is further configured to: start timer T331, and wherein stopping the timer includes stopping timer T331.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein, when an entry in the active area list includes a carrier frequency and zero associated cell identifiers, the entry is valid for any cell using the carrier frequency.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein, the wireless device is further configured to: enter an idle or inactive state; before reselection to the first cell, measure at least one carrier frequency associated with the first cell.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein, the carrier frequencies in the active area list differ from the carrier frequencies in the measurement carrier list by at least one carrier frequency.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein, the wireless device is further configured to: stop the measurement timer and stop the idle / inactive measurement when it is determined that the wireless device cannot perform the idle / inactive measurement while camping on a new cell.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein, the active area list indicates that the wireless device can perform idle / inactive measurement while camping on a new cell when the carrier frequency of the new cell matches the carrier frequencies in the active area list.

Images