Method and apparatus for connection setting and / or recovery in wireless network

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for connection setup and / or recovery in a wireless network using different sets of device identifications, e.g., depending on network and / or device conditions. A method may include receiving first information indicating a plurality of WTRU identifications and second information indicating one or more associations between each of the plurality of identifications and at least one condition. The method may include determining one or more of the current WTRU condition, the current network condition, the predicted WTRU condition, and the predicted network condition. Based on the association, the method may include determining a WTRU identification associated with one or more of the determined current condition at the WTRU, the determined predicted condition at the WTRU, the determined current condition at the network, and the determined predicted condition at the network. The determination of the WTRU identification may be performed when the WTRU operates in a power saving state, such as an IDLE or INACTIVE state. The method may then include sending an indication of the determined WTRU identification to the network. The transmission of the indication of the determined WTRU identification may be performed upon transition from the power saving state to a non-power saving state, such as a CONNECTED state.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 410,759, filed on September 28, 2022; the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to methods and devices for connection setup and / or connection recovery in a wireless network that use different sets of device identifiers depending on network and / or device conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments may be directed to a method that may include receiving, by a wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), first information indicating a plurality of WTRU identifiers, and receiving second information indicating one or more associations between (i) each of the plurality of WTRU identifiers and (ii) at least one condition. The at least one condition may include at least one of current conditions and / or predicted conditions at either the WTRU or the network. The method may include determining one or more of a current condition at the WTRU, a current condition at the network, a predicted condition at the WTRU, and / or a predicted condition at the network. Based on the associations, the method may include determining, by the WTRU, a WTRU identifier associated with one or more of: the determined current condition at the WTRU, the determined predicted condition at the WTRU, the determined current condition at the network, and / or the determined predicted condition at the network. The method may further include transmitting an indication of the determined WTRU identifier to the network.

[0005] One embodiment may be directed to a WTRU that may include circuitry that may include one or more of a transmitter, a receiver, a processor, and / or a memory. The circuitry may be configured to receive first information indicating a plurality of WTRU identifiers, and receive second information indicating one or more associations between (i) each of the plurality of WTRU identifiers and (ii) at least one condition. The at least one condition may include at least one of current conditions and / or predicted conditions at either the WTRU or the network. The circuitry may be configured to determine one or more of a current condition at the WTRU, a current condition at the network, a predicted condition at the WTRU, and / or a predicted condition at the network. Based on the associations, the circuitry may be configured to determine a WTRU identifier associated with one or more of: the determined current condition at the WTRU, the determined predicted condition at the WTRU, the determined current condition at the network, and / or the determined predicted condition at the network. The circuitry may be configured to transmit an indication of the determined WTRU identifier to the network. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] A more detailed understanding can be obtained from the following detailed description given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. As in the detailed description, the figures in such drawings are exemplary. Accordingly, the figures and the detailed description should not be considered restrictive, and other equally valid examples are possible and likely. In addition, the same reference numerals ("labels") in each figure ("FIG.") indicate the same elements, and wherein:

[0007] Figure 1A is a system diagram showing an exemplary communication system in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented;

[0008] Figure 1B is a system diagram showing an exemplary wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU) that may be used within the communication system shown in Figure 1A ;

[0009] Figure 1C is a system diagram showing an exemplary radio access network (RAN) and an exemplary core network (CN) that may be used within the communication system shown in Figure 1A ;

[0010] Figure 1D is a system diagram showing another exemplary RAN and another exemplary CN that may be used within the communication system shown in Figure 1A ;

[0011] Figure 2 is a signal flow diagram showing an RRC connection / establishment process;

[0012] Figure 3 is a signal flow diagram showing a connection recovery process;

[0013] Figure 4 is a transition diagram showing different RRC states of a WTRU and transitions therebetween;

[0014] Figure 5A is a signal flow chart showing message exchanges in a 4-step random access process;

[0015] Figure 5B is a signal flow chart showing message exchanges in a 2-step random access process;

[0016] Figure 6 is a flow chart showing a network connection setting / recovery process according to some embodiments;

[0017] Figure 7 is an exemplary signal flow chart showing a process of using different WTRU identifiers or sets of identifiers for connection setting or connection recovery depending on network and / or WTRU conditions in a wireless network according to one embodiment; and

[0018] Figure 8 is an exemplary flowchart of a method for connection setup or connection restoration according to some embodiments. Detailed Description

[0019] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments and / or examples disclosed herein. However, it will be understood that such embodiments and examples may be practiced without some or all of the specific details set forth herein. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the following description. Additionally, embodiments and examples not specifically described herein may be practiced or combined with the embodiments and other examples explicitly, implicitly, and / or inherently described, disclosed, or otherwise provided (collectively referred to as "provided") herein.

[0020] Exemplary Communication System

[0021] Figure 1A is a system diagram showing an exemplary communication system 100 in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented. The communication system 100 may be a multi-access system that provides content such as voice, data, video, messaging, broadcasting, etc. to a plurality of wireless users. The communication system 100 may enable a plurality of wireless users to access such content through a shared system resource including wireless broadband. For example, the communication system 100 may employ one or more channel access methods such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), zero-tail unique word DFT-spread OFDM (ZT UW DTS-s OFDM), unique word OFDM (UW-OFDM), resource block filtered OFDM, filter bank multicarrier (FBMC), etc.

[0022] As Figure 1AAs shown, the communication system 100 may include wireless transmit / receive units (WTRUs) 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, a radio access network (RAN) 104 / 113, a core network (CN) 106 / 115, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 108, the Internet 110, and other networks 112, but it will be appreciated that the disclosed embodiments contemplate any number of WTRUs, base stations, networks, and / or network elements. Each of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d may be any type of device configured to operate and / or communicate in a wireless environment. By way of example, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d (any of which may be referred to as a “station” and / or “STA”) may be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and may include a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, a subscription-based unit, a pager, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smartphone, a laptop computer, a netbook, a personal computer, a wireless sensor, a hotspot or Mi-Fi device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head-mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, a medical device and application (e.g., remote surgery), an industrial device and application (e.g., a robot and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of an industrial and / or automation processing chain), a consumer electronic device, a device operating on a commercial and / or industrial wireless network, etc. Any of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d may be interchangeably referred to as a UE.

[0023] The communication system 100 may also include base stations 114a and / or base stations 114b. Each of the base stations 114a, 114b may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to facilitate access to one or more communication networks such as the CN 106 / 115, the Internet 110, and / or other networks 112. By way of example, the base stations 114a, 114b may be a base transceiver station (BTS), a Node B, an eNode B, a master Node B, a master eNodeB, a gNB, an NR NodeB, a site controller, an access point (AP), a wireless router, etc. Although the base stations 114a, 114b are each depicted as a single element, it will be appreciated that the base stations 114a, 114b may include any number of interconnected base stations and / or network elements.

[0024] Base station 114a may be part of RAN 104 / 113, which may also include other base stations and / or network elements (not shown), such as a base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller (RNC), a relay node, etc. Base station 114a and / or base station 114b may be configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals on one or more carrier frequencies, which may be referred to as a cell (not shown). These frequencies may be in licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or a combination of licensed and unlicensed spectrum. A cell may provide wireless service coverage to a specific geographical area that may be relatively fixed or may vary over time. A cell may also be divided into cell sectors. For example, the cell associated with base station 114a may be divided into three sectors. Thus, in one embodiment, base station 114a may include three transceivers, i.e., one transceiver for each sector of the cell. In one embodiment, base station 114a may employ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology and may utilize multiple transceivers for each sector of the cell. For example, beamforming may be used to transmit and / or receive signals in a desired spatial direction.

[0025] Base stations 114a, 114b may communicate with one or more of WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d via air interface 116, which may be any suitable wireless communication link (e.g., radio frequency (RF), microwave, centimeter wave, millimeter wave, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), visible light, etc.). Any suitable radio access technology (RAT) may be used to establish air interface 116.

[0026] More specifically, as described above, communication system 100 may be a multiple access system and may employ one or more channel access schemes, such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, etc. For example, base station 114a in RAN 104 / 113 and WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement wireless technologies, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) that may use Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) to establish air interface 116. WCDMA may include communication protocols such as High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and / or Evolved HSPA (HSPA+). HSPA may include High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and / or High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA).

[0027] In one embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement radio technologies, such as evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) which may use Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) and / or LTE-A Pro (LTE-A Pro) to establish the air interface 116.

[0028] In one embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement radio technologies, such as New Radio (NR) radio access which may use NR to establish the air interface 116.

[0029] In one embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement multiple radio access technologies. For example, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may jointly implement LTE radio access and NR radio access using, for example, the dual connectivity (DC) principle. Accordingly, the air interfaces used by the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may be characterized by multiple types of radio access technologies and / or transmissions to / from multiple types of base stations (e.g., eNBs and gNBs).

[0030] In other embodiments, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement radio technologies, such as IEEE 802.11 (i.e., Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (i.e., WiMAX), CDMA2000, CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO, Interim Standard 2000 (IS-2000), Interim Standard 95 (IS-95), Interim Standard 856 (IS-856), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE (GERAN), etc.

[0031] Figure 1AThe base station 114b therein may be, for example, a wireless router, a master Node B, a master eNode-B, or an access point, and may utilize any suitable RAT to facilitate wireless connectivity in a local area such as a commercial premise, a home, a vehicle, a campus, an industrial facility, an air corridor (e.g., for drones), a road, etc. In one embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may implement a wireless technology such as IEEE 802.11 to establish a wireless local area network (WLAN). In one embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may implement a wireless technology such as IEEE 802.15 to establish a wireless personal area network (WPAN). In yet another embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may utilize a cellular-based RAT (e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-a, LTE-a Pro, NR, etc.) to establish a pico cell or a femto cell. As Figure 1A shown, the base station 114b may be directly connected to the Internet 110. Thus, the base station 114b may not need to access the Internet 110 via the CN 106 / 115.

[0032] The RAN 104 / 113 may communicate with the CN 106 / 115, which may be any type of network configured to provide voice, data, applications, and / or voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services to one or more of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d. Data may have different quality of service (QoS) requirements, such as different throughput requirements, latency requirements, fault tolerance requirements, reliability requirements, data throughput requirements, mobility requirements, etc. The CN 106 / 115 may provide call control, billing services, location-based services, prepaid calling, Internet connectivity, video distribution, etc., and / or perform advanced security functions such as user authentication. Although Figure 1A not shown, it will be appreciated that the RAN 104 / 113 and / or the CN 106 / 115 may communicate directly or indirectly with other RANs employing the same RAT or a different RAT as the RAN 104 / 113. For example, in addition to being connected to the RAN 104 / 113 that may be utilizing NR wireless technology, the CN 106 / 115 may also communicate with another RAN (not shown) employing GSM, UMTS, CDMA 2000, WiMAX, E-UTRA, or WiFi wireless technology.

[0033] CN 106 / 115 can also serve as a gateway for WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to access the PSTN 108, the Internet 110, and / or other networks 112. The PSTN 108 can include a circuit-switched telephone network that provides plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 110 can include a global system of interconnected computer networks and devices that use common communication protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and / or Internet Protocol (IP) in the TCP / IP Internet protocol suite. The network 112 can include wired and / or wireless communication networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. For example, the network 112 can include another CN connected to one or more RANs, and the other CN can employ the same RAT or a different RAT as the RAN 104 / 113.

[0034] Some or all of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d in the communication system 100 can include multi-mode capabilities (e.g., the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d can include multiple transceivers for communicating with different wireless networks over different wireless links). For example, Figure 1A the illustrated WTRU 102c can be configured to communicate with a base station 114a that can employ a cellular-based wireless technology and with a base station 114b that can employ IEEE 802 wireless technology.

[0035] Figure 1B is a system diagram showing an exemplary WTRU 102. As Figure 1B shown, the WTRU 102 can include a processor 118, a transceiver 120, transmit / receive elements 122, a speaker / microphone 124, a keypad 126, a display / touchpad 128, a non-removable memory 130, a removable memory 132, a power supply 134, a Global Positioning System (GPS) chipset 136, and / or other peripheral devices 138, etc. It will be appreciated that the WTRU 102 can include any sub-combination of the foregoing elements while remaining consistent with the embodiments.

[0036] The processor 118 can be a general-purpose processor, a dedicated processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors associated with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) circuit, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine, etc. The processor 118 can perform signal encoding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, and / or any other functions that enable the WTRU 102 to operate in a wireless environment. The processor 118 can be coupled to a transceiver 120, which can be coupled to a transmit / receive element 122. Although Figure 1B the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 are depicted as separate components, it will be appreciated that the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 can be integrated together in an electronic package or chip.

[0037] The transmit / receive element 122 can be configured to transmit signals to or receive signals from a base station (e.g., base station 114a) via an air interface 116. For example, in one embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 can be an antenna configured to transmit and / or receive RF signals. In one embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 can be a transmitter / detector configured to transmit and / or receive, for example, IR, UV, or visible light signals. In another embodiment, the transmit / receive element 122 can be configured to transmit and / or receive both RF signals and optical signals. It will be appreciated that the transmit / receive element 122 can be configured to transmit and / or receive any combination of wireless signals.

[0038] Although the transmit / receive element 122 is depicted as a single element in Figure 1B the WTRU 102 can include any number of transmit / receive elements 122. More specifically, the WTRU 102 can employ MIMO technology. Thus, in one embodiment, the WTRU 102 can include two or more transmit / receive elements 122 (e.g., multiple antennas) for transmitting and receiving wireless signals via the air interface 116.

[0039] The transceiver 120 can be configured to modulate the signals to be transmitted by the transmit / receive element 122 and demodulate the signals received by the transmit / receive element 122. As described above, the WTRU 102 can have multi-mode capabilities. Thus, the transceiver 120 can include multiple transceivers for enabling the WTRU 102 to communicate via multiple RATs (e.g., such as NR and IEEE 802.11).

[0040] The processor 118 of the WTRU 102 may be coupled to and may receive user input data from: a speaker / microphone 124, a keypad 126, and / or a display / touchpad 128 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) display unit or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display unit). The processor 118 may also output user data to the speaker / microphone 124, the keypad 126, and / or the display / touchpad 128. Additionally, the processor 118 may access information from and store data in any type of suitable memory such as non-removable memory 130 and / or removable memory 132. The non-removable memory 130 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, or any other type of memory storage device. The removable memory 132 may include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a memory stick, a secure digital (SD) memory card, etc. In other embodiments, the processor 118 may access information from and store data in a memory that is not actually located on the WTRU 102, such as on a server or a home computer (not shown).

[0041] The processor 118 may receive power from a power supply 134 and may be configured to distribute power to and / or control the power to other components in the WTRU 102. The power supply 134 may be any suitable device for powering the WTRU 102. For example, the power supply 134 may include one or more dry cell batteries (e.g., nickel cadmium (NiCd), nickel zinc (NiZn), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium ion (Li-ion), etc.), a solar cell, a fuel cell, etc.

[0042] The processor 118 may also be coupled to a GPS chipset 136, which may be configured to provide location information (e.g., longitude and latitude) regarding the current location of the WTRU 102. In addition to or instead of information from the GPS chipset 136, the WTRU 102 may receive location information from a base station (e.g., base stations 114a, 114b) via an air interface 116 and / or may determine its location based on the timing of signals received from two or more nearby base stations. It will be appreciated that the WTRU 102 may obtain location information by any suitable location determination method while remaining consistent with the embodiments.

[0043] The processor 118 may also be coupled to other peripheral devices 138, which may include one or more software and / or hardware modules that provide additional features, functionality, and / or wired or wireless connections. For example, the peripheral devices 138 may include an accelerometer, an electronic compass, a satellite transceiver, a digital camera (for photos and / or videos), a universal serial bus (USB) port, a vibration device, a television transceiver, a hands-free headset, Modules, FM radio units, digital music players, media players, video game player modules, Internet browsers, virtual reality and / or augmented reality (VR / AR) devices, activity trackers, etc. Peripheral device 138 may include one or more sensors, which may be one or more of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a Hall effect sensor, a magnetometer, an orientation sensor, a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, a time sensor; a geographical location sensor; an altimeter, a light sensor, a touch sensor, a magnetometer, a barometer, a gesture sensor, a biometric sensor, and / or a humidity sensor.

[0044] The WTRU 102 may include a full-duplex air interface, wherein some or all of the transmission and reception of signals (e.g., associated with a particular subframe for both the uplink (e.g., for transmission) and the downlink (e.g., for reception)) may be concurrent and / or simultaneous. The full-duplex air interface may include an interference management unit 139 to reduce and / or substantially eliminate self-interference via hardware (e.g., a choke) or signal processing via a processor (e.g., a separate processor (not shown) or via processor 118). In one embodiment, the WTRU 102 may include a half-duplex air interface, wherein some or all of the transmission and reception of signals (e.g., associated with a particular subframe for either the uplink (e.g., for transmission) or the downlink (e.g., for reception)).

[0045] Figure 1C FIG. is a system diagram of the RAN 104 and the CN 106 according to an embodiment. As described above, the RAN 104 may employ E-UTRA radio technology to communicate with the WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c via the air interface 116. The RAN 104 may also communicate with the CN 106.

[0046] The RAN 104 may include eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c, but it will be understood that the RAN 104 may include any number of eNode-Bs while remaining consistent with the embodiment. The eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c via the air interface 116. In one embodiment, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may implement MIMO technology. Thus, for example, the eNode-B 160a may use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to and / or receive wireless signals from the WTRU 102a.

[0047] Each of eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c may be associated with a specific cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio access network (RAN) resource management decisions, handover decisions, user scheduling in the uplink (UL) and / or downlink (DL), etc. As Figure 1C shown, eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c may communicate with each other via the X2 interface.

[0048] Figure 1C The illustrated CN 106 may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, a Serving Gateway (SGW) 164, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (PGW) 166. Although each of the foregoing elements is depicted as part of CN 106, it will be appreciated that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by entities other than the CN operator.

[0049] MME 162 may be connected to each of eNode-Bs 162a, 162b, and 162c in RAN 104 via the S1 interface and may serve as a control node. For example, MME 162 may be responsible for authenticating users of WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, bearer activation / deactivation, selecting a specific serving gateway during the initial attachment of WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, etc. MME 162 may provide control plane functions for handover between RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown) employing other radio technologies such as GSM and / or WCDMA.

[0050] SGW 164 may be connected to each of eNode Bs 160a, 160b, and 160c in RAN 104 via the S1 interface. SGW 164 may generally route and forward user data packets to and from WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c. SGW 164 may perform other functions such as anchoring the user plane during handover between eNode Bs, triggering paging when DL data is available for WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, managing and storing the context of WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c, etc.

[0051] SGW 164 may be connected to PGW 166, which may provide access to a packet switched network such as the Internet 110 to WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c to facilitate communication between WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c and IP-enabled devices.

[0052] CN 106 may facilitate communication with other networks. For example, CN 106 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to a circuit-switched network, such as the PSTN 108, to facilitate communication between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and traditional landline communication devices. For example, CN 106 may include, or may communicate with, an IP gateway (e.g., an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server) that serves as an interface between CN 106 and the PSTN 108. Additionally, CN 106 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to other networks 112, which may include other wired and / or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers.

[0053] Although the WTRU is depicted as a wireless terminal in Figures 1A to 1D it is envisioned that in some representative embodiments, such a terminal may (e.g., temporarily or permanently) use a wired communication interface with the communication network.

[0054] In a representative embodiment, the other network 112 may be a WLAN.

[0055] A WLAN in infrastructure basic service set (BSS) mode may have an access point (AP) for the BSS and one or more stations (STAs) associated with the AP. The AP may access a distribution system (DS) or another type of wired / wireless network that carries traffic into and / or out of the BSS, or may have an interface therewith. Traffic destined for an STA from outside the BSS may reach the STA through the AP and may be delivered to the STA. Traffic originating from an STA destined for a destination outside the BSS may be sent to the AP for delivery to the corresponding destination. Traffic between STAs within the BSS may be sent through the AP, e.g., where the source STA may send traffic to the AP and the AP may deliver the traffic to the destination STA. Traffic between STAs within the BSS may be considered and / or referred to as peer-to-peer traffic. This peer-to-peer traffic may be sent between the source STA and the destination STA using direct link setup (DLS) (e.g., sent directly between them). In some representative embodiments, the DLS may use 802.11e DLS or 802.11z tunnel DLS (TDLS). A WLAN using independent BSS (IBSS) mode may not have an AP, and STAs within the IBSS or using the IBSS (e.g., all STAs) may communicate directly with each other. The IBSS communication mode may sometimes be referred to herein as an "ad hoc" communication mode.

[0056] When operating in 802.11ac infrastructure mode or a similar operating mode, an AP can transmit beacons on a fixed channel, such as the primary channel. The primary channel can be of a fixed width (e.g., a 20 MHz wide bandwidth) or a width dynamically set via signaling. The primary channel can be the operating channel of the BSS and can be used by the STA to establish a connection with the AP. In some representative embodiments, Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) can be implemented, for example, in an 802.11 system. For CSMA / CA, STAs including the AP (e.g., each STA) can sense the primary channel. If a particular STA senses / detects the primary signal and / or determines the primary signal to be busy, the particular STA can back off. One STA (e.g., only one station) can transmit in a given BSS at any given time.

[0057] High Throughput (HT) STAs can communicate using a 40 MHz wide channel, e.g., by combining the primary 20 MHz channel with an adjacent or non - adjacent 20 MHz channel to form a 40 MHz wide channel.

[0058] Very High Throughput (VHT) STAs can support channels that are 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and / or 160 MHz wide. 40 MHz and / or 80 MHz channels can be formed by combining consecutive 20 MHz channels. A 160 MHz channel can be formed by combining eight consecutive 20 MHz channels or by combining two non - consecutive 80 MHz channels, which can be referred to as an 80 + 80 configuration. For the 80 + 80 configuration, data can be passed through a fragment parser after channel coding, which can divide the data into two streams. Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) processing and time - domain processing can be performed on each stream separately. The streams can be mapped to two 80 MHz channels, and the data can be transmitted by the transmitting STA. At the receiver of the receiving STA, the above operations for the 80 + 80 configuration can be reversed, and the combined data can be sent to the Media Access Control (MAC).

[0059] 802.11af and 802.11ah support operation modes below 1 GHz. The channel operation bandwidth and carrier are reduced in 802.11af and 802.11ah as compared to those used in 802.11n and 802.11ac. 802.11af supports 5 MHz, 10 MHz, and 20 MHz bandwidths in the TV white space (TVWS) spectrum, and 802.11ah supports 1 MHz, 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz bandwidths using non-TVWS spectrum. According to a representative embodiment, 802.11ah may support meter type control / machine type communication (MTC), such as MTC devices in a macro coverage area. MTC devices may have certain capabilities, e.g., limited capabilities, including supporting (e.g., only supporting) certain and / or limited bandwidths. MTC devices may include a battery with a battery life higher than a threshold (e.g., to maintain a very long battery life).

[0060] A WLAN system that can support multiple channels and channel bandwidths (such as 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11af, and 802.11ah) includes a channel that can be designated as a primary channel. The primary channel may have a bandwidth equal to the maximum common operation bandwidth supported by all STAs in a BSS. The bandwidth of the primary channel may be set and / or restricted by the STA that supports the minimum bandwidth operation mode among all STAs operating in the BSS. In an example of 802.11ah, for an STA that supports (e.g., only supports) the 1 MHz mode (e.g., an MTC type device), the primary channel may be 1 MHz wide, even if the AP and other STAs in the BSS support 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, 16 MHz, and / or other channel bandwidth operation modes. Carrier sensing and / or network allocation vector (NAV) setting may depend on the state of the primary channel. If the primary channel is busy, e.g., due to an STA (which only supports the 1 MHz operation mode) transmitting to the AP, the entire available frequency band may be considered busy even if most of the frequency band remains idle and may be available.

[0061] In the United States, the available frequency band that can be used by 802.11ah is 902 MHz to 928 MHz. In Korea, the available frequency band is 917.5 MHz to 923.5 MHz. In Japan, the available frequency band is 916.5 MHz to 927.5 MHz. The total bandwidth available for 802.11ah is 6 MHz to 26 MHz, depending on the country code.

[0062] Figure 1DFIG. 0 is a system diagram showing RAN 113 and CN 115 according to an embodiment. As described above, RAN 113 may employ NR radio technology to communicate with WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c via air interface 116. RAN 113 may also communicate with CN 115.

[0063] RAN 113 may include gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c, but it will be understood that RAN 113 may include any number of gNBs while remaining consistent with the embodiment. Each of gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may include one or more transceivers for communicating with WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c via air interface 116. In one embodiment, gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may implement MIMO technology. For example, gNBs 180a, 180b may utilize beamforming to transmit signals to and / or receive signals from gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c. Thus, for example, gNB 180a may use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to and / or receive wireless signals from WTRU 102a. In one embodiment, gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may implement carrier aggregation technology. For example, gNB 180a may transmit multiple component carriers to WTRU 102a (not shown). A subset of these component carriers may be located in unlicensed spectrum while the remaining component carriers may be located in licensed spectrum. In one embodiment, gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may implement coordinated multi-point (CoMP) technology. For example, WTRU 102a may receive coordinated transmissions from gNB 180a and gNB 180b (and / or gNB 180c).

[0064] WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using transmissions associated with scalable parameter sets. For example, the OFDM symbol interval and / or the OFDM subcarrier interval may vary for different transmissions, different cells, and / or different portions of the radio transmission spectrum. WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using various or scalable length subframes or transmission time intervals (TTIs) (e.g., containing different numbers of OFDM symbols and / or lasting for different lengths of absolute time).

[0065] gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may be configured to communicate with WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c in stand-alone configuration and / or non-stand-alone configuration. In stand-alone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c without also accessing another RAN (e.g., such as eNode Bs 160a, 160b, 160c). In stand-alone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may use one or more of gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c as a mobility anchor. In stand-alone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using signals in an unlicensed band. In non-stand-alone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate / connect with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c while also communicating / connecting with another RAN (such as eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c). For example, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement the DC principle to communicate with one or more gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c and one or more eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c substantially simultaneously. In non-stand-alone configuration, eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may act as the mobility anchor for WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may provide additional coverage and / or throughput to serve WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c.

[0066] Each of gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may be associated with a specific cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio access network resource management decisions, handover decisions, user scheduling in the uplink (UL) and / or downlink (DL), support for network slicing, dual connectivity, interworking between NR and E-UTRA, routing of user plane data towards user plane functions (UPFs) 184a, 184b, routing of control plane information towards access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 182a, 182b, etc. As Figure 1D shown, gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may communicate with each other via the Xn interface.

[0067] Figure 1DThe illustrated CN 115 may include at least one AMF 182a, 182b, at least one UPF 184a, 184b, at least one session management function (SMF) 183a, 183b, and possibly data networks (DN) 185a, 185b. Although each of the foregoing elements is depicted as part of CN 115, it will be understood that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by entities other than the CN operator.

[0068] AMF 182a, 182b may be connected via the N2 interface to one or more of gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c in the RAN 113 and may act as a control node. For example, AMF 182a, 182b may be responsible for authenticating users of WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, supporting network slicing (e.g., handling different packet data unit (PDU) sessions with different requirements), selecting a particular SMF 183a, 183b, managing the registration area, terminating non-access stratum (NAS) signaling, mobility management, etc. AMF 182a, 182b may use network slicing in order to customize the CN support for WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c based on the type of service that the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c are utilizing. For example, different network slices may be established for different use cases, such as services that rely on ultra-reliable low-latency (URLLC) access, services that rely on enhanced massive mobile broadband (eMBB) access, services for machine type communication (MTC) access, etc. AMF 182a, 182b may provide control plane functions for handovers between the RAN 113 and other RANs (not shown) that employ other radio technologies (such as LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro) and / or non-3GPP access technologies (such as WiFi).

[0069] SMF 183a, 183b may be connected via the N11 interface to AMF 182a, 182b in the CN 115. SMF 183a, 183b may also be connected via the N4 interface to UPF 184a, 184b in the CN 115. SMF 183a, 183b may select and control UPF 184a, 184b and configure the routing of traffic through UPF 184a, 184b. SMF 183a, 183b may perform other functions, such as managing and allocating UE IP addresses, managing PDU sessions, controlling policy enforcement and QoS, providing downlink data notifications, etc. The PDU session type may be IP-based, non-IP-based, Ethernet-based, etc.

[0070] UPF 184a and 184b can be connected to one or more of gNBs 180a, 180b, and 180c in the RAN 113 via the N3 interface. The gNB can provide access to a packet-switched network (such as the Internet 110) to the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c to facilitate communication between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c and IP-enabled devices. UPF 184 and 184b can perform other functions, such as routing and forwarding packets, implementing user plane policies, supporting multi-homed PDU sessions, handling user plane QoS, buffering downlink packets, providing mobile anchoring, etc.

[0071] The CN 115 can facilitate communication with other networks. For example, the CN 115 can include an IP gateway (e.g., an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server) that is an interface between the CN 115 and the PSTN 108 or can communicate therewith. Additionally, the CN 115 can provide access to other networks 112 to the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c. The other networks can include other wired and / or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. In one embodiment, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c can be connected to the DNs 185a and 185b via the UPFs 184a and 184b through the N3 interface to the UPFs 184a and 184b and the N6 interface between the UPFs 184a and 184b and the local data networks (DNs) 185a and 185b.

[0072] In view of Figures 1A to 1D and Figures 1A to 1D the corresponding descriptions, one or more of the functions described herein with respect to one or more or all of the following can be performed by one or more emulation devices (not shown): WTRUs 102a to 102d, base stations 114a to 114b, eNode-Bs 160a to 160c, MME 162, SGW 164, PGW 166, gNBs 180a to 180c, AMFs 182a to 182b, UPFs 184a to 184b, SMFs 183a to 183b, DNs 185a to 185b, and / or any other devices described herein. The emulation devices can be one or more devices configured to emulate one or more or all of the functions described herein. For example, the emulation devices can be used to test other devices and / or simulate network and / or WTRU functions.

[0073] The simulation device can be designed to implement one or more tests on other devices in a laboratory environment and / or an operator network environment. For example, one or more simulation devices can perform one or more or all functions when fully or partially implemented and / or deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network, in order to test other devices within the communication network. One or more simulation devices can perform one or more or all functions when temporarily implemented / deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network. The simulation device can be directly coupled to another device for testing purposes and / or can perform tests using over-the-air wireless communication.

[0074] One or more simulation devices can perform one or more (including all) functions when not implemented / deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network. For example, the simulation device can be used to test test scenarios in a laboratory and / or an undeployed (e.g., for testing) wired and / or wireless communication network in order to implement testing of one or more components. One or more simulation devices can be test equipment. The simulation device can transmit and / or receive data using direct RF coupling and / or wireless communication via an RF circuit (e.g., which can include one or more antennas).

[0075] WTRU Connection State and Random Access Procedure

[0076] RRC Connection State and State Transition

[0077] In NR, the WTRU can be in one of the following three RRC states: RRC_CONNECTED (which can also be referred to as "connected mode" etc. in this document), RRC_INACTIVE (which can also be referred to as "inactive mode" etc. in this document, and / or RRC_IDLE (which can also be referred to as "idle mode" etc. in this document).

[0078] In RRC_CONNECTED, the WTRU actively connects to the network, where signaling and data radio bearers (SRBs and DRBs) are established. It is capable of receiving downlink (DL) data from the network in unicast fashion and also sending uplink (UL) data to the network. The mobility of the WTRU from one cell / node to another is controlled by the network. The network can configure the WTRU to send measurement reports either periodically or when certain conditions are met (e.g., an adjacent cell becomes better than the serving cell by more than a specific threshold). Based on these reports, the network can send a handover command to the WTRU to move the WTRU to another cell / node. The network can also configure conditional handover (CHO), where when certain conditions are met, the WTRU executes a pre-configured handover command instead of sending a measurement report. The network can also send a handover (HO) command to the WTRU without receiving any measurement reports (e.g., based on an implementation such as the determination of the current location).

[0079] Keeping the WTRU in the connected mode can be power-intensive for the WTRU (e.g., the WTRU needs to continuously monitor the PDCCH of the serving cell, e.g., for determining the arrival of DL data, for UL data scheduling, etc.). Additionally, a certain cell / gNB can accommodate a specific number of WTRUs in the connected mode (e.g., due to resource limitations). Therefore, when the UL or DL of the WTRU is inactive for a specific duration (e.g., based on an inactivity timer maintained at the network), the network can cause the WTRU to enter the RRC_INACTIVE or RRC_IDLE state.

[0080] If the network expects the WTRU to be active for an extended period, it can cause the WTRU to enter the RRC_IDLE state. When in RRC_IDLE, the WTRU camps on the best cell (the cell with the best signal level in the highest priority RAT and the highest priority frequency within that RAT), which will help the WTRU establish a connection via that cell if the WTRU needs to transition back to the connected state. More details of the cell reselection process to ensure the WTRU is camping on (e.g., always camping on) the best cell are discussed below. The WTRU can also monitor the downlink paging channel to monitor for the arrival of DL data. If the WTRU detects a paging indicating the arrival of DL data from the network, or if the WTRU needs to send UL data, the WTRU can initiate a connection setup and / or establishment process.

[0081] During connection setup or resume, the WTRU performs a random access (RA) procedure (also referred to as a random access channel (RACH) procedure in this disclosure) before sending an RRCSetupRequest or RRCResumeRequest message. The RA procedure can serve two main purposes: (1) UL synchronization between the WTRU and the network (e.g., gNB), and (2) obtaining resources that will be used to send the request message.

[0082] During the RA procedure, the WTRU sends a message (referred to as msg1) containing a preamble and an RA-RNTI (random access - radio network temporary identifier) on the RACH to the gNB. In the case of contention-based random access (CBRA), the preamble is randomly selected from a set of possible preamble values (i.e., there may be contention if another WTRU uses the same preamble value to initiate a random access procedure). In the case of contention-free random access (CFRA), a specific preamble is provided to the WTRU in advance (e.g., when the WTRU is in the CONNECTED state, during a transition to the IDLE / INACTIVE state, etc.). The RA-RNTI is calculated based on the PRACH (physical RACH) occasion on which the random access message will be sent to the network.

[0083] The gNB responds with msg2 containing a random access response (RAR) after receiving msg1. To enable the WTRU to detect the RAR, the network also sends a DCI (downlink control indicator) scrambled with the RA-RNTI in the PDCCH, and this DCI is used by the WTRU to determine on which resources (i.e., time and frequency) the RAR (and other relevant information) is provided to the WTRU. The WTRU attempts to detect this DCI within a period of time (referred to as the RAR window) after sending the preamble. If such a DCI is not received, the WTRU may retransmit the preamble. If the DCI is received, the WTRU will receive the RAR at the indicated time and frequency resources in the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). In the RAR and associated information, the WTRU will be provided with a timing advance (TA) to be applied to send UL data, a TC-RNTI (temporary cell RNTI), and UL resources for sending the setup / resume request message.

[0084] The WTRU can obtain detailed information / configuration regarding the use of the random access channel, such as RACH occasions, random access response windows, etc., via dedicated configuration when in the CONNECTED state, during a transition in the IDLE / INACTIVE state, or from the system information broadcast (SIB).

[0085] Figure 2 and Figure 3The RRC connection establishment / setup procedure and the connection resume procedure are shown respectively, as elaborated in Sections 9.2.1.3 and 9.2.2.4.1 of TS 38.300 [1] respectively.

[0086] The RA procedure, e.g., msg1 and msg2, is not shown in these figures. However, some of the subsequent signaling is shown, e.g., msg3, msg4, and msg5. For clarity, it should be noted that: msg3 corresponds to the message sent after receiving the RA response from the gNB (e.g., RRCResumeRequest or RRCSetupRequest); msg4 corresponds to the response from the network to msg3 sent from the UE (e.g., RRCResume or RRCSetup); and msg5 corresponds to the confirmation from the UE that msg4 has been correctly executed (e.g., RRCResumeComplete or RRCSetupComplete). It should also be noted that if the WTRU resumes the connection in the same gNB, messages between two gNBs and between the gNB and the core network (CN) will not be required, and thus, the WTRU can resume without involving the CN.

[0087] As can be seen above, the RRC connection setup procedure is a long procedure that requires several round-trips to complete and involves the CN. This is because when the WTRU enters the IDLE mode, the RRC context of the WTRU is released, and thus, the cellular network at the RAN level does not know the WTRU. Therefore, the RAN has to obtain the WTRU context from the CN. Additionally, security has to be re-established after that, and before UL / DL data transmission / reception can occur, the WTRU is reconfigured with DRBs and SRBs.

[0088] This long setup procedure is not compatible with low-latency services, and thus, NR introduces an intermediate state between the CONNECTED and IDLE states, called the INACTIVE state. This state has most of the energy-saving advantages of the IDLE state (e.g., the WTRU does not need to continuously monitor the PDCCH, which is one of the most power-consuming procedures in the CONNECTED state), but at the same time, the RAN still maintains the RRC / security context of the WTRU. When it is necessary to transition the WTRU to the CONNECTED mode (e.g., due to the arrival of UL data or receiving a paging indicating the arrival of DL data), the connection can be resumed very quickly without involving the CN, re-establishing the WTRU's security context, and reconfiguring the bearers.

[0089] Figure 4 Summarizes the different RRC states and the transitions between them.

[0090] The ASN.1 message definitions of RRC setup and RRC resume request messages are as follows.

[0091] RRCSetupRequest

[0092] The RRCSetupRequest message is used to request the establishment of an RRC connection.

[0093] Signaling Radio Bearer: SRB0

[0094] RLC - SAP: TM

[0095] Logical Channel: CCCH

[0096] Direction: WTRU to Network

[0097] RRCSetupRequest message

[0098]

[0099] RRCResumeRequest

[0100] The RRCResumeRequest message is used to request the resume of a suspended RRC connection or to perform RNA update.

[0101] Signaling Radio Bearer: SRB0

[0102] RLC - SAP: TM

[0103] Logical Channel: CCCH

[0104] Direction: WTRU to Network

[0105] RRCResumeRequest message

[0106]

[0107] RRCResumeRequest1

[0108] The RRCResumeRequest1 message is used to request the resume of a suspended RRC connection or to perform RNA update.

[0109] Signaling Radio Bearer: SRB0

[0110] RLC - SAP: TM

[0111] Logical Channel: CCCH1

[0112] Direction: WTRU to Network

[0113] RRCResumeRequest1 message

[0114]

[0115] When the WTRU enters the INACTIVE state, the network includes suspendConFig in the RRCRelease message. SuspendConfig may contain information such as: the resumeIdentity to be used by the WTRU, the RAN paging area, and / or the nextHopChaining count. The resumeIdentity to be used by the WTRU may include a short identity (e.g., shortI-RNTI (24 bits)) and / or a long identity (e.g., fullI-RNTI (40 bits)). The WTRU may determine which identity (e.g., short or long identity) to use based on the system information broadcast in the target cell (e.g., if useFullResumeID is indicated in the SIB, use the long identity; otherwise, use the short identity). The RAN paging area (e.g., a list of cells) may refer to the RAN area where the WTRU is paged at the RAN level. If the WTRU performs cell reselection to a cell outside the RAN area, the WTRU performs a RAN area update procedure. The nextHopChaining count may be used to derive the security context (e.g., encryption / integrity protection keys) when resuming the connection.

[0116] The I-RNTI is used to identify both the WTRU and the gNB hosting the WTRU context. When the WTRU moves while in RRC INACTIVE, this requires moving the WTRU context from one gNB to another. The 3GPP specifications do not specify the number of bits used to identify the gNB or the number of bits used to identify the WTRU within the I-RNTI. The partitioning of the total number of bits is left to the network implementation.

[0117] In the System Information Block #1 (SIB1) broadcast in the cell, there is an information element (IE) called "useFullResumeID" which is used to indicate whether the WTRU uses the full or short I-RNTI when resuming the RRC connection. That is, if the WTRU resumes the connection in a cell where the useFullResumeID flag is broadcast, the WTRU will use the full I-RNTI (i.e., use the RRCResumeRequest1 message). If such a flag is not broadcast, the WTRU resumes using the short I-RNTI (i.e., use the RRCResumeRequest message).

[0118] The RRCResumeRequest message is 48 bits long, while the RRCResumeRequest1 message is 64 bits long.

[0119] The main reason for focusing on the message size of RRC Resume Request / RRC Resume Request1 messages is that these messages are sent using transparent RLC during initial access (i.e., they cannot be segmented and must fit into one MAC transport block), so the message size must be kept as small as possible to ensure reliable reception even if the WTRU is at the cell edge.

[0120] The situation of RRC Setup Request is similar, and its size is also 48 bits, similar to the RRC Resume Request message.

[0121] When the WTRU performs a connection setup / establishment or resume procedure, it includes (in the RRC Setup Request or RRC Resume Request) the cause of establishment or resume. Currently, the following causes are defined.

[0122]

[0123] For example, if the connection is being set up / resumed due to a voice call or video call originating from the WTRU, the WTRU will set the cause of establishment / resume to mo-VoiceCall (mobile-originated voice call) or mo-VideoCall (mobile-originated video call). As another example, if the connection is being set up / resumed due to a downlink paging indication for DL data, the WTRU will set the cause of establishment / resume to one of mt-Access (mobile-terminated access), highPriorityAccess, mps-PriorityAccess, or mcs-PriorityAccess (depending on the access category of the WTRU).

[0124] The mechanism for RAN area update is sometimes referred to as a "two-step resume" procedure because the WTRU sends a Resume Request indicating a cell reselection outside the RAN area, and the network responds with a Release message (e.g., including a new RAN area configuration). That is, the WTRU will remain in the INACTIVE state, and if the WTRU needs to be paged (e.g., for the arrival of DL data expected for the WTRU at the RAN), the network now has information about which RAN area the WTRU can access.

[0125] Two-step and four-step random access

[0126] Random access can be performed in a contention-based manner (i.e., contention-based random access (CBRA)) and a contention-free manner (i.e., contention-free random access (CFRA)). Two types of random access are supported in NR: 4-step RA and 2-step RA. The 4-step RACH procedure is the procedure described above together with the RRC resume / setup procedure. For example, the 2-step RACH procedure can be useful in scenarios where minimizing latency is important because the signaling exchanges required to complete the random access procedure are reduced.

[0127] The 2-step and 4-step procedures are briefly described below:

[0128] 4-step random access procedure:

[0129] 1. The 4-step random access starts with the transmission of MSG1 from the WTRU, which contains a preamble on the PRACH. When MSG1 is transmitted, the WTRU monitors for a random access response (e.g., RAR / Msg2) from the network within a configured window.

[0130] 2. After receiving an RAR containing a UL grant and a timing advance command, the WTRU applies the timing advance command and uses the UL grant provided in the RAR to transmit Msg3.

[0131] 3. When Msg3 is transmitted, the WTRU monitors again for a network response (e.g., Msg4) containing contention resolution information.

[0132] 4. If contention resolution is successful, the random access is completed and the WTRU starts the connection. If contention resolution fails, the WTRU restarts the random access via the transmission of Msg1.

[0133] 2-step random access procedure:

[0134] 1. The 2-step random access starts with the transmission of MsgA, which includes a preamble on the physical random access channel (PRACH) and a payload on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). After MsgA is transmitted, the WTRU monitors for a response from the network (e.g., MsgB) within a configured window containing information about contention resolution.

[0135] 2. If contention resolution is successful, the WTRU terminates the random access procedure. If contention resolution fails and a fallback indication is provided in MsgB, the WTRU uses the UL grant contained in the MsgB fallback indication to perform Msg3 transmission and starts monitoring for contention resolution. If contention resolution fails again after Msg3 transmission, the WTRU reverts back to MsgA transmission. If the number of failed MsgA transmissions reaches a configured number, the WTRU can revert back to 4-step random access.

[0136] The message exchanges for 4-step and 2-step RACH can be seen respectively in Figure 5A and Figure 5B respectively.

[0137] When starting a random access procedure based on network configuration, the type of random access to use is selected. When contention-free random access resources are configured, the WTRU performs 4-step or 2-step random access according to whether the random access resources correspond to 2-step or 4-step. If no contention-free random access resources are provided, the WTRU selects between 4-step random access and 2-step random access based on the RSRP threshold.

[0138] Latency and coverage reliability

[0139] As mentioned above, the size of the msg3 message (e.g., RRCSetupRequest, RRCResumeRequest, RRCResumeRequest1, etc.) remains small to ensure reliable coverage during initial access. Therefore, the WTRU is able to include only limited information in msg3, and in particular a limited number of establishment or resume reasons, which have mostly been pre-specified in 3GPP.

[0140] Therefore, the network has to wait until at least msg5 to obtain additional information from the WTRU, and will most likely even need to reconfigure the WTRU to obtain additional information (further round-trip times (RTTs) are required before the network receives the required information).

[0141] 3GPP has initiated standardization of AI / ML-related enhancements in Rel-18. Therefore, more and more functions will become available, where the WTRU can give the network WTRU assistance information at the start of connection setup or resume, which can be used to determine the optimal configuration of the WTRU (e.g., whether carrier aggregation is configured, whether dual connectivity is performed, what bearer configuration to use for user data, how much data is expected from the WTRU, what the traffic pattern from this WTRU will be like, etc.). Therefore, by not including such assistance information in msg3, the opportunity to properly configure the WTRU in msg4 is missed. Specifically, if the assistance information provided to the network in msg5 indicates that the current configuration is not the most suitable for the needs of the WTRU and its services and / or applications, further reconfiguration will be required, thus consuming more network resources and increasing latency. For some WTRUs and some applications (e.g., applications with very strict latency requirements), even a few additional RTTs with the wrong configuration during initial access may lead to performance degradation (even in the best case where the WTRU can send assistance information in msg5 and be reconfigured immediately).

[0142] Representative example of using multiple WTRU identities to convey WTRU and network conditions during connection setup / resumption to reduce overhead

[0143] In the following discussion, the terms "mode" and "state" may be used interchangeably (e.g., IDLE mode and IDLE state).

[0144] In the following discussion, the terms "data volume / type" and "traffic volume / type" may be used interchangeably.

[0145] In the following discussion, the terms "connection setup" and "connection establishment" may be used interchangeably. In the following discussion, the terms "expected", "anticipated", "estimated", "predictive", and "predicted" (and their adverbial variants) may be used interchangeably.

[0146] In the following discussion, the term AI / ML (Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning) may be used to describe any model and associated learning algorithm used by the WTRU or / and the network to predict future behavior (e.g., traffic prediction, measurement prediction, etc.). It may be assumed that the model and associated learning algorithm utilize a large set of data collected by the WTRU and / or the network. It is assumed that the network already knows the AI / ML capabilities of the WTRU (or it may be the network that provides the AI / ML model used by the WTRU), including the prediction time range, prediction confidence / accuracy (e.g., 95% confidence), and / or error margin (e.g., predicted value = x, lower limit = L, upper limit = u; indicating that the value is expected to be between x - L and x + U).

[0147] In the following discussion, the term "time range" may be used to refer to the time when the prediction is expected to be achieved (i.e., the difference time from the current time) (e.g., UL data arrival, measurement value of a certain cell reaching a certain value, etc.).

[0148] Representative example of a WTRU configured with multiple identities depending on current WTRU conditions

[0149] In one embodiment, a WTRU may be configured with multiple identities (e.g., multiple sets of resume identities, e.g., a full I-RNTI and short I-RNTI pair), and may be configured to use one or the other identity when transitioning from the INACTIVE state to the CONNECTED state, where the specific identity used may depend on the current WTRU conditions (e.g., UL data level, etc.). By this method, a conventional message for a connection setup request or connection resume request (which has a smaller size to ensure reception by the network even when the WTRU is at the cell edge) can be used to convey the current WTRU conditions to the network.

[0150] For example, a WTRU may be configured to use: if it has less than a specific amount (e.g., X MB during recovery) of UL data to transmit that is pending, use a first recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_a, short I-RNTI_a); if it has between X and Y MB of UL data to transmit that is pending, use a second recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_b, short I-RNTI_b); and if it has more than Y MB of UL data to transmit that is pending, use a third recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_c, short I-RNTI_c).

[0151] In one embodiment, a WTRU may be configured with multiple RA preambles and may select one or more for MSG1 and / or MSGA transmission during connection setup or recovery based on current WTRU conditions.

[0152] In one embodiment, a WTRU may be configured and / or instructed to use multiple RACH opportunities, where the WTRU uses one or more RACH opportunities during the RA procedure based on current WTRU conditions.

[0153] Representative example of a WTRU configured with multiple identities depending on predicted WTRU conditions

[0154] In one embodiment, a WTRU may be configured with multiple identities (e.g., multiple sets of recovery identities, e.g., complete I-RNTI and short I-RNTI pairs) and may be configured to use one or the other identity when transitioning from the INACTIVE state to the CONNECTED state, where the specific identity used may depend on predicted WTRU conditions (e.g., predicted UL data level, etc.).

[0155] For example, a WTRU may be configured to use: if it predicts that it will have no more than X MB to transmit in the UL within a given time frame, use a first recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_a, short I-RNTI_a); if it predicts that it will have between X and Y MB to transmit in the UL within a given time frame, use a second recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_b, short I-RNTI_b); and if it will have more than Y MB to transmit in the UL within a given time frame, use a third recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_c, short I-RNTI_c).

[0156] In one embodiment, the WTRU may be configured to consider not only the predicted value or range of values but also the confidence interval or margin of error when determining which identity to use. For example, if the WTRU has a 90% confidence level that the UL traffic level predicted via AI / ML will be X MB and an 80% confidence level that it will be Y MB, the WTRU may select the identity associated with the data volume of X MB.

[0157] In one embodiment, the network may send an indication in msg4 (e.g., RRC resume, RRC setup) to instruct the WTRU to send the predicted value. The indication may be a flag instructing the WTRU to send all predicted values. Alternatively, the indication may be a detailed filter / indication (e.g., indicating how many samples, minimum accuracy and / or confidence level, minimum and / or maximum time range from now on, etc.).

[0158] In one embodiment, the WTRU may be configured to include a detailed prediction (e.g., RRC resume complete, RRC setup complete, etc.) in msg5 based on an indication received, for example, in msg4. For example, the WTRU may include a time series prediction of the UL buffer level (e.g., a set of timestamps, values, confidence intervals, lower_error_margin, upper_error_margin, etc.).

[0159] In one embodiment, the WTRU may be configured with multiple RA preambles and may select one or more for MSG1 and / or MSGA transmission during connection setup or resume based on predicted WTRU conditions.

[0160] In one embodiment, the WTRU may be configured and / or instructed to use multiple RACH opportunities, where the WTRU uses one or more RACH opportunities during the RA procedure according to predicted WTRU conditions.

[0161] Representative example of a WTRU configured with multiple identities depending on current network conditions

[0162] In one embodiment, the WTRU may be configured with multiple identities (e.g., multiple sets of resume identities, e.g., a complete I-RNTI and short I-RNTI pair) and may be configured to use one or the other identity when transitioning from the INACTIVE state to the CONNECTED state, where the particular identity used may be a function of the current network conditions (e.g., the signal level of the current serving cell or one or more neighboring cells).

[0163] For example, the WTRU may be configured to use: if the current serving cell has a signal level below X dBm during recovery, use the first recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_a, short I-RNTI_a); if the current serving cell has a signal level between X and Y dBm during recovery, use the second recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_b, short I-RNTI_b); and if the current serving cell has a signal level above Y dBm during recovery, use the third recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_c, short I-RNTI_c).

[0164] In one embodiment, the WTRU may be configured with multiple RA preambles and may select one or more for MSG1 and / or MSGA transmission during connection setup or recovery based on current network conditions.

[0165] In one embodiment, the WTRU may be configured and / or instructed to use multiple RACH opportunities, where the WTRU may be configured to use one or more RACH opportunities during the RA procedure based on current network conditions.

[0166] In one embodiment, the mapping or association between current network conditions and WTRU identity, RA preambles, RACH opportunities, etc. may be based on an examination of how network conditions change between the time the WTRU transitions to INACTIVE / IDLE and the current conditions when the WTRU transitions back to the CONNECTED mode. For example, the WTRU may be configured to use: if it is determined that the signal levels of one or more serving cells (e.g., PCell and SCell) at the current moment and at the time of transitioning to INACTIVE / IDLE are the same or only slightly different (e.g., within a configured threshold), use the first recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_a, short I-RNTI_a); if the signal level of the serving cell at the current moment is significantly better than (e.g., based on a configured threshold) the signal level during the process of transitioning to INACTIVE / IDLE, use the second recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_b, short I-RNTI_b); and if the signal level of the serving cell at the current moment is significantly worse than (e.g., based on a configured threshold) the signal level during the process of transitioning to INACTIVE / IDLE, use the third recovery identity pair (complete I-RNTI_c, short I-RNTI_c).

[0167] Representative example of a WTRU configured with multiple identities depending on predicted network conditions

[0168] In one embodiment, the WTRU may be configured with multiple identities (e.g., multiple sets of recovery identities, e.g., a pair of a full I-RNTI and a short I-RNTI), and may be configured to use one or the other identity when transitioning from the INACTIVE state to the CONNECTED state, where the particular identity used may be a function of predicted network conditions (e.g., the signal level of the current serving cell or one or more neighboring cells).

[0169] For example, the WTRU may be configured to use: if it is predicted that the signal level of the current serving cell is below X dBm within a given time range, use the first recovery identity pair (full I-RNTI_a, short I-RNTI_a); if it is predicted that the signal level of the current serving cell is between X and Y dBm within a given time range, use the second recovery identity pair (full I-RNTI_b, short I-RNTI_b); and if it is predicted that the signal level of the current serving cell is above Y dBm within a given time range, use the third recovery identity pair (full I-RNTI_c, short I-RNTI_c).

[0170] In one embodiment, the WTRU may be configured to consider not only the predicted value or range of values but also the confidence interval or margin of error when deciding which identity to use. For example, if the WTRU has a 90% confidence that the predicted serving cell signal level will be below X, and an 80% confidence that the predicted serving cell signal level will be below Y, the WTRU may select the identity associated with the level of X dBm.

[0171] In one embodiment, the network may send an indication in msg4 (e.g., RRC resume, RRC setup) to instruct the WTRU to send the predicted values of the relevant network conditions. The indication may be a flag instructing the WTRU to send all predicted values. Alternatively, the indication may be a detailed filter / indication (e.g., indicating how many samples, minimum accuracy / confidence level, minimum / maximum time range from now on, etc.).

[0172] In one embodiment, the WTRU may be configured to include a detailed prediction of network conditions (e.g., RRC resume complete, RRC setup complete, etc.) in msg5 based on, for example, the indication received in msg4. For example, the WTRU may include a time series prediction of the signal level of the serving cell and / or neighboring cells (e.g., a set of timestamps, values, confidence intervals, lower_error_margin, upper_error_margin, etc.).

[0173] In one embodiment, a WTRU may be configured with multiple RA preambles and may be configured to select one or more for MSG1 and / or MSGA transmission during connection setup or restoration based on predicted network conditions.

[0174] In one embodiment, a WTRU may be configured and / or instructed to use multiple RACH opportunities, where the WTRU may use one or more RACH opportunities during the RA procedure according to predicted network conditions.

[0175] Combination of embodiments

[0176] Any and all previous solutions may be combined. For example, the mapping or association between different identities may be based on a combination of current and predicted WTRU conditions, and / or current WTRU and network conditions, and / or current WTRU and predicted network conditions, and / or current and predicted network conditions, etc.

[0177] In one embodiment, a WTRU may select a WTRU identity to use in msg3 based on current WTRU or network conditions, but may include predicted values of one or more WTRU and / or network conditions in msg5.

[0178] In one embodiment, a WTRU may select a WTRU identity to use in msg3 based on predicted WTRU or network conditions, but may include current values of one or more WTRU and / or network conditions in msg5.

[0179] Representative example of how a WTRU receives configuration

[0180] In one embodiment, a WTRU may receive configuration (e.g., regarding WTRU identity, RA preamble, RACH opportunity, etc., and their association / mapping with different current and / or predicted WTRU and / or network conditions) in an RRC reconfiguration message when in the CONNECTED state.

[0181] In one embodiment, a WTRU may receive these configurations during a transition to the INACTIVE or IDLE state (e.g., in an RRC release message).

[0182] Exemplary method

[0183] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an exemplary embodiment as described above. At 610, the network may configure (or instruct the WTRU) with multiple connection setup and / or connection restoration identities. Each identity may include, for example, a pair that includes a full RNTI and a short I-RNTI.

[0184] At 620, the network may further configure (or indicate to the WTRU) the association between each WTRU identity set and one or more conditions of that identity set for connection setup and / or connection restoration. The conditions may include current conditions related to the WTRU or the network or any combination thereof. The conditions may include future conditions related to the WTRU or the network or any combination thereof predicted using AI / ML modeling. These conditions may include, for example: UL data level, predicted data level, current signal level of the serving cell, predicted signal level of the serving cell, etc.

[0185] At 630, an event occurs that may cause the WTRU to start transitioning from a first active state (e.g., inactive) to a second active state (e.g., RRC_CONNECTED).

[0186] At 640, the WTRU may determine one or more relevant conditions that have been configured as the basis for deciding which identity set to use to transition to the connected state.

[0187] At 650, the WTRU may select one of the identity sets based on one or more relevant conditions as described above.

[0188] At 660, the WTRU may transmit the selected identity set to the network in a connection request (e.g., RRCSetupRequest).

[0189] Exemplary process

[0190] Figure 7 is a signal flow diagram showing an exemplary process according to various embodiments. More specifically, Figure 7 shows a process in which a WTRU may be configured with multiple identities (e.g., recovery identities) that may be used during connection setup and / or connection restoration and may depend on current and / or predicted UE and / or network conditions. As Figure 7 shown in the example of, at 701, the WTRU may be in a connected state, and at 702, the network (e.g., a network element or node) may detect that the WTRU is inactive (e.g., determine that the WTRU is inactive).

[0191] In Figure 7 the example of, at 705, the WTRU may receive a message or information from the network, such as an RRC release message. In one embodiment, the information or RRC release message may include or may indicate multiple WTRU identities. According to an embodiment, the RRC release message or a separate message or information may include or indicate the association between the identity and current and / or predicted conditions at the WTRU and / or the network.

[0192] As Figure 7An example is further shown at 710. In an exemplary embodiment, the WTRU may optionally transition to an inactive state (e.g., RRC_INACTIVE). At 715, the WTRU may be configured to monitor and / or determine at least one of the current and / or predicted conditions at the WTRU and / or the network. At 720, the WTRU may be configured to detect or determine whether a trigger for connection establishment and / or restoration (e.g., UL data arrival, DL paging, etc.) has been realized. At 725, based on the association, the WTRU may be configured to determine a WTRU identity corresponding to the determined current and / or predicted conditions at the WTRU and / or the network.

[0193] As Figure 7 shown in the example, at 730, the WTRU may be configured to transmit a message or information, such as an RRC resume request, which may include or indicate the determined WTRU identity. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the WTRU may re-use the WTRU identity field in the RRC resume request to indicate its current and / or predicted conditions at the WTRU and / or the network. At 735, the network may determine the configuration of the WTRU (e.g., the optimal configuration), for example, based on the information received from the WTRU. At 740, the WTRU may receive an RRC resume message from the network, and at 745, the WTRU may transmit an RRC resume complete message to the network. In one example, at 750, the WTRU may transition to a connected state (e.g., RRC_CONNECTED).

[0194] Exemplary method

[0195] Figure 8 is an exemplary flowchart showing an exemplary method for connection setup and / or restoration in a wireless network according to some exemplary embodiments. Figure 8 The exemplary method of Figures 1A to 1D and the disclosure appended hereto may be considered a generalization or synthesis of the various disclosures discussed above. For purposes of explanation and simplicity, for example, the architecture described with respect to Figure 8 may be referred to describe the Figure 8 example. However, the exemplary method depicted in Figure 8 may also be performed using a different architecture. According to some embodiments, the Figure 8 method may be implemented by a UE or a WTRU (such as the WTRU 102 described in the foregoing). It should be noted that the Figure 8 method and / or block may be modified to include or be replaced by any one or more of the processes or blocks discussed elsewhere herein. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that

[0196] As Figure 8 shown in the example of Figure 8 , the method may include receiving, at 805, first information indicating a plurality of WTRU identities. In some exemplary embodiments, the plurality of WTRU identities may include WTRU identities available during connection setup and / or connection restoration.

[0197] As Figure 8 further shown in the example of Figure 8 , at 810, the method may include receiving second information indicating one or more associations between (i) each of the plurality of identities and (ii) at least one condition. For example, the at least one condition may include at least one of a current condition and / or a predicted condition of the WTRU and / or a current condition and / or a predicted condition at the network. According to certain embodiments, the first information and the second information may be received in the same message (e.g., in a single RRC release message), or the first information and the second information may be received in separate messages. In one example, either the first information and / or the second information may be received when the WTRU is in a connected state. In other examples, either the first information and / or the second information may be received when the WTRU is in a state other than the connected state.

[0198] In one embodiment, at 815, the method may include determining one or more of a current condition at the WTRU, a current condition at the network, a predicted condition at the WTRU, and / or a predicted condition at the network. According to one example, either the current condition and / or the predicted condition at the WTRU may include, may relate to, or may indicate the amount of uplink data to be transmitted by the WTRU. In one example, either the current condition and / or the predicted condition at the network may include, may relate to, or may indicate the signal level of the cell serving the WTRU. In some embodiments, any predicted condition at the WTRU and / or any predicted condition at the network may be predicted by the WTRU using artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML).

[0199] According to some embodiments, although not explicitly stated in Figure 8 Figure 8 , the method may optionally include transitioning to an inactive state based on receiving a message (such as a radio resource control (RRC) release message), where when in the inactive state, one or more of a current condition at the WTRU, a current condition at the network, a predicted condition at the WTRU, and / or a predicted condition at the network may be determined.

[0200] As Figure 8As further shown in the example at 820, the method may include determining, based on an association (from among a plurality of WTRU identities), a WTRU identity associated with one or more of: a determined current condition at the WTRU, a determined predicted condition at the WTRU, a determined current condition at the network, and / or a determined predicted condition at the network. According to one exemplary embodiment, the determination 820 of the WTRU identity may be performed when the WTRU is operating in a power saving state, such as an idle state or an inactive state. In one exemplary embodiment, the determination 820 of the WTRU identity may be performed when transitioning to, or after transitioning to, a non-power saving state, such as a connected state.

[0201] At 825, the method may include transmitting or providing an indication of the determined WTRU identity to the network. According to one exemplary embodiment, the indication of the determined WTRU identity may be transmitted in a setup or resume request message. In an exemplary embodiment, the transmission 825 of the indication of the determined WTRU identity may be performed when transitioning to, or after transitioning to, a non-power saving state (such as a connected state) from a power saving state (e.g., an idle or inactive state).

[0202] Conclusion

[0203] For the sake of brevity, most of the discussion above has focused on the RRC resume case. However, all of the solutions are equally applicable to the case of RRC setup (e.g., the WTRU may be configured with multiple initial UE identities to be used in the RRC setup request upon RRC connection establishment, in a manner similar to the resume identities, for different current / predicted WTRU and network conditions).

[0204] Although the features and elements are provided above in particular combinations, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that each feature or element may be used alone or in any combination with other features and elements. The present disclosure is not limited in terms of the specific embodiments described in this application, which are intended to be illustrative of aspects. Many modifications and variations can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Any element, act, or instruction used in the description of this application should not be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless expressly so provided. Functional equivalent methods and devices within the scope of the present disclosure, other than those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications and changes are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is limited only by the terms of the appended claims and the full scope of equivalents given by such claims. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific methods or systems herein.

[0205] For simplicity, the foregoing embodiments were discussed in terms of and with structures for devices having infrared capabilities (i.e., infrared transmitters and receivers). However, the embodiments discussed are not limited to these systems, but may be applied to other systems that use other forms of electromagnetic or non-electromagnetic waves (such as sound waves).

[0206] It will also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the term "video" or the term "image" may mean any of a snapshot, a single image, and / or multiple images displayed on a time basis. As another example, when referred to herein, the term "user equipment" and its abbreviation "UE", the term "remote", and / or the term "head-mounted display" or its abbreviation "HMD" may mean or include (i) a wireless transmit and / or receive unit (WTRU); (ii) any of a number of embodiments of a WTRU; (iii) a device having wireless and / or wired capabilities (e.g., wearable) that is specifically configured with some or all of the structures and functions of a WTRU; (iii) a device having wireless and / or wired capabilities that is configured with less than all of the structures and functions of a WTRU; or (iv) a similar device. Reference is made herein Figures 1A to 1D Details of an exemplary WTRU are provided, which exemplary WTRU may represent any WTRU set forth herein. As another example, the various disclosed embodiments herein are described above and below as utilizing a head-mounted display. Those skilled in the art will recognize that devices other than a head-mounted display may be utilized and that some or all of the present disclosure and the various disclosed embodiments may be correspondingly modified without undue experimentation. Examples of such other devices may include drones or other devices configured to stream information to provide an augmented reality experience.

[0207] Additionally, the methods provided herein may be implemented in a computer program, software, or firmware incorporated into a computer-readable medium for execution by a computer or processor. Examples of computer-readable media include electronic signals (transmitted via a wired or wireless connection) and computer-readable storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), registers, cache memory, semiconductor memory devices, magnetic media such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical media, and optical media such as CD-ROM disks and digital versatile disks (DVDs). A processor associated with software may be used to implement a radio frequency transceiver for a WTRU, UE, terminal, base station, RNC, MME, EPC, AMF, or any host computer.

[0208] Variations of the methods, apparatuses, and systems provided above are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Given the wide variety of embodiments that can be applied, it should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are merely examples and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the appended claims. For example, the embodiments provided herein include handheld devices that can include or be used in conjunction with any suitable voltage source (such as a battery, etc.) that provides any suitable voltage.

[0209] In addition, in the embodiments provided above, processing platforms, computing systems, controllers, and other devices including processors are mentioned. These devices can include at least one central processing unit (“CPU”) and a memory. In accordance with the practice of those skilled in the art of computer programming, references to actions or symbolic representations of operations or instructions can be executed by various CPUs and memories. Such actions and operations or instructions can be referred to as “executed,” “computer-executed,” or “CPU-executed.”

[0210] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the operations or instructions of actions and symbolic representations include the manipulation of electrical signals by the CPU. The electrical system represents data bits that can cause a final transformation or reduction of the electrical signal and maintain the data bits in a memory location in the storage system, thereby reconfiguring or otherwise changing the operation of the CPU and other processing of the signal. The memory location that maintains the data bits is a physical location having specific electrical, magnetic, optical, or organic characteristics corresponding to or representing the data bits. It should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the above platforms or CPUs, and other platforms and CPUs can support the provided methods.

[0211] The data bits can also be maintained on a computer-readable medium, which includes magnetic disks, optical disks, and any other volatile (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) or non-volatile (e.g., read-only memory (ROM)) mass storage systems readable by the CPU. The computer-readable medium can include a computer-readable medium that exists only on the processing system or distributed among multiple interconnected processing systems that may be local or remote to the processing system. It should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the above memories, and other platforms and memories can support the provided methods.

[0212] In an illustrative embodiment, any operation, process, etc. described herein can be implemented as computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable instructions can be executed by a processor of a mobile unit, a network element, and / or any other computing device.

[0213] The difference between the hardware implementation and the software implementation of various aspects of the system is small. The use of hardware or software is generally (but not always, as in some cases, the choice between hardware and software can become important) a design choice representing a cost - efficiency trade - off. There may be various vehicles (e.g., hardware, software, and / or firmware) by which the processes and / or systems and / or other technologies described herein can be implemented, and the preferred vehicle can vary with the context in which the processes and / or systems and / or other technologies are deployed. For example, if the implementer determines that speed and accuracy are of utmost importance, then the implementer can choose a predominantly hardware and / or firmware vehicle. If flexibility is most important, then the implementer can choose a predominantly software implementation. Alternatively, the implementer can choose some combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0214] The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the apparatus and / or processes by use of block diagrams, flowcharts, and / or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and / or examples include one or more functions and / or operations, those skilled in the art will understand that each function and / or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented, individually and / or jointly, by a wide variety of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment, several portions of the subject matter described herein can be implemented via application - specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field - programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), and / or other integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that all or part of some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein can be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, as one or more computer processes running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or more processes running on one or more computer systems), as one or more processes running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or more processes running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or virtually as any combination thereof, and, in accordance with the present disclosure, designing the circuitry and / or writing the code for the software and / or firmware would be entirely within the skill of those in the art. Additionally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein can be distributed as a process product in a variety of forms, and illustrative examples of the subject matter described herein apply regardless of the particular type of signal - bearing medium used for actual distribution. Examples of signal - bearing media include, but are not limited to, the following: recordable media such as floppy disks, hard disk drives, CDs, DVDs, digital tapes, computer memories, etc.; and transmissive media such as digital and / or analog communication media (e.g., fiber optic cables, waveguides, wired communication links, wireless communication links, etc.).

[0215] Those skilled in the art will recognize that in the art, devices and / or processes are typically described in the manner set forth herein, and thereafter engineering practices are used to integrate such described devices and / or processes into a data processing system. That is, at least a portion of the devices and / or processes described herein can be integrated into a data processing system through a reasonable amount of experimentation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that a typical data processing system generally can include a system unit enclosure, a video display device, memories such as volatile and non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digital signal processors, computing entities such as operating systems, drivers, graphical user interfaces, and application programs, one or more interaction devices such as touchpads or screens, and / or one or more in a control system including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing position and / or speed; control motors for moving and / or adjusting components and / or amounts). A typical data processing system can be implemented using any suitable commercially available components, such as those commonly found in data computing / communication and / or network computing / communication systems.

[0216] The subject matter described herein sometimes illustrates different components that are included within or connected to different other components. It should be understood that such depicted architectures are merely examples, and in fact, many other architectures can be implemented that achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components that achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" such that the desired functionality can be achieved. Thus, any two components that are combined herein to achieve a particular functionality can be considered to be "associated" with each other such that the desired functionality is achieved regardless of the architecture or intermediate components. Similarly, any two such associated components can also be considered to be "operably connected" or "operably coupled" to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components that can be so associated can also be considered to be "capable of being operably coupled" to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include (but are not limited to) components that are physically mating and / or physically interacting, and / or components that are wirelessly interacting and / or wirelessly communicating, and / or components that are logically interacting and / or capable of logically interacting.

[0217] Regarding the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those skilled in the art can convert the plural to the singular and / or the singular to the plural, as appropriate for the context and / or application. For clarity, various singular / plural permutations may be explicitly set forth herein.

[0218] Those skilled in the art will understand that, generally, the terms used herein and particularly in the appended claims (e.g., the subject matter of the appended claims) are generally intended to be "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to", the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least", the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but not limited to", etc.). Those skilled in the art will further understand that if an intention is to express a specific number of introduced claim recitations, then such intention will be expressly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation, there is no such intention. For example, in cases where only one item is desired, the term "single" or similar language may be used. To assist understanding, the following appended claims and / or the description herein may include the use of introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce multiple claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that a claim recitation introduced by the indefinite article "a" or "an" will limit any particular claim including such introduced claim recitation to only embodiments including one such recitation, even if the same claim includes an introductory phrase "one or more" or "at least one" and an indefinite article such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and / or "an" should be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"). The same is true for the use of definite articles to introduce claim recitations. Additionally, even if a specific number of introduced claim recitations are expressly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., merely reciting "two recitations" without further modifiers means at least two recitations or two or more recitations). Further, in those cases where a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, generally, such construction is intended to convey what those skilled in the art will understand (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" will include, but not be limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those cases where a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, such meaning is generally expected in the sense that those skilled in the art will understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" will include, but not be limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc.). Those skilled in the art will further understand that any disjunctive word and / or phrase actually presenting two or more alternatives (whether in the specification, claims, or drawings) should be understood to contemplate the possibility of including one of the items, any one of the items, or both items.For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B". In addition, as used herein, the term "any" followed by a list of multiple items and / or multiple categories of items is intended to include "any", "any combination", "any plurality", and / or "any combination of any plurality" individually or in combination with other items and / or other categories of items. Further, as used herein, the term "set" is intended to include any number of items, including zero. Additionally, as used herein, the term "number" is intended to include any number, including zero. And the term "plurality" as used herein is intended to be synonymous with "multiple".

[0219] In addition, in cases where the features or aspects of the present disclosure are described in terms of a Markush group, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup member within the Markush group.

[0220] As those skilled in the art will understand, for any and all purposes, such as in providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also cover any and all possible subranges and combinations of those subranges. Any listed range can be readily identified as fully describing and enabling the same range to be broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third, upper third, etc. As those skilled in the art will also understand, all language such as "at most", "at least", "greater than", "less than", etc. includes the recited numbers and refers to ranges that can subsequently be broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as those skilled in the art will understand, a range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a group having 1 to 3 units refers to a group having 1, 2, or 3 units. Similarly, a group having 1 to 5 units refers to a group having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 units, and so on.

[0221] In addition, unless otherwise specified, the claims should not be construed as limited to the recited order or elements. Further, the use of the term "means for..." in any claim is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C.§112, paragraph 6 or the means-plus-function claim format, and any claim without the term "means for..." is not intended to be so.

[0222] By way of example, suitable processors include general-purpose processors, dedicated processors, conventional processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors associated with a DSP core, controllers, microcontrollers, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs); field programmable gate array (FPGA) circuits, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), and / or state machines.

[0223] A WTRU may be used in conjunction with modules implemented in hardware and / or software, including software defined radio (SDR), as well as other components such as cameras, video camera modules, videophones, speakerphones, vibration devices, speakers, microphones, television transceivers, hands-free headsets, keyboards, modules, frequency modulation (FM) radio units, near field communication (NFC) modules, liquid crystal display (LCD) display units, organic light emitting diode (OLED) display units, digital music players, media players, video game console modules, Internet browsers, and / or any wireless local area network (WLAN) or ultra-wideband (UWB) module.

[0224] While various embodiments have been described in the context of communication systems, it is contemplated that the system may be implemented in software on a microprocessor / general purpose computer (not shown). In certain embodiments, one or more functions of the various components may be implemented in software controlling the general purpose computer.

[0225] Additionally, although the invention has been shown and described herein with reference to particular embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope of the equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.

[0226] 1 References

[0227] [1] 3GPP, "Group Radio Access Network NR; NR and NG-RAN Overall Description", TS 38.300, version 17.1.0, July 2022.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), the method comprises: receiving first information indicating a plurality of WTRU identities; receiving second information indicating one or more associations between (i) each of the plurality of WTRU identities and (ii) at least one condition, where the at least one condition includes at least one of current conditions and predicted conditions at either the WTRU or the network; determining one or more of the current condition at the WTRU, the current condition at the network, the predicted condition at the WTRU, and the predicted condition at the network; based on the associations, determining the WTRU identities associated with one or more of: the determined current condition at the WTRU, the determined predicted condition at the WTRU, the determined current condition at the network, and the determined predicted condition at the network; and transmitting an indication of the determined WTRU identities to the network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information are received in a radio resource control (RRC) release message, or wherein the first information and the second information are received in separate messages.

3. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the plurality of WTRU identities include WTRU identities available during connection setup and / or connection restoration.

4. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, wherein either the current condition at the WTRU or the predicted condition at the WTRU includes the amount of uplink data to be transmitted by the WTRU.

5. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, wherein either the current condition at the network or the predicted condition at the network includes the signal level of the cell serving the WTRU.

6. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, wherein either the predicted condition at the WTRU or the predicted condition at the network is predicted by the WTRU using artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML).

7. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, wherein either the first information or the second information is received when the WTRU is in the CONNECTED state.

8. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, comprising transitioning to the INACTIVE state or the IDLE state based on receiving a radio resource control (RRC) release message, where either the current condition at the WTRU, the current condition at the network, the predicted condition at the WTRU, or the predicted condition at the network is determined while in the INACTIVE state or the IDLE state.

9. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the WTRU identity is determined when transitioning from the IDLE or INACTIVE state to the CONNECTED state or after that.

10. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the indication of the determined WTRU identifier is transmitted in a connection setup or connection resume request message that triggers the WTRU to transition from an IDLE or INACTIVE state to a CONNECTED state.

11. A wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), comprising: a circuit including any one of a transmitter, a receiver, a processor, and a memory, the circuit being configured to: receive first information indicating a plurality of WTRU identifiers; receive second information indicating one or more associations between (i) each of the plurality of WTRU identifiers and (ii) at least one condition, wherein the at least one condition includes at least one of a current condition and a predicted condition at either the WTRU or the network; determine one or more of the current condition at the WTRU, the current condition at the network, the predicted condition at the WTRU, and the predicted condition at the network; based on the associations, determine the WTRU identifier(s) associated with one or more of: the determined current condition at the WTRU, the determined predicted condition at the WTRU, the determined current condition at the network, and the determined predicted condition at the network; and transmit an indication of the determined WTRU identifier to the network.

12. The WTRU according to claim 11, wherein the first information and the second information are received in a radio resource control (RRC) release message, or wherein the first information and the second information are received in separate messages.

13. The WTRU according to at least one of claims 11 to 12, wherein the plurality of WTRU identifiers include WTRU identifiers available during connection setup and / or connection resume.

14. The WTRU according to at least one of claims 11 to 13, wherein either the current condition at the WTRU or the predicted condition at the WTRU includes the amount of uplink data to be transmitted by the WTRU.

15. The WTRU according to at least one of claims 11 to 14, wherein either the current condition at the network or the predicted condition at the network includes the signal level of the cell serving the WTRU.

16. The WTRU according to at least one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the WTRU is configured to use artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) to predict either the predicted condition at the WTRU or the predicted condition at the network.

17. The WTRU according to at least one of claims 11 to 16, wherein either the first information or the second information is received while the WTRU is in a CONNECTED state.

18. The WTRU according to at least one of claims 11 to 17, wherein the WTRU is transitioned to the INACTIVE state or the IDLE state based on receiving a radio resource control (RRC) release message, and wherein any one of the current conditions at the WTRU, the current conditions at the network, the predicted conditions at the WTRU, and the predicted conditions at the network is determined while in the INACTIVE state or the IDLE state.

19. The WTRU according to at least one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the WTRU is configured to determine the WTRU identity when transitioning from the IDLE or INACTIVE state to the CONNECTED state or after such transition.

20. The WTRU according to at least one of claims 11 to 19, wherein the indication of the determined WTRU identity is transmitted in a connection setup or connection resume request message that triggers the WTRU to transition from the IDLE or INACTIVE state to the CONNECTED state.

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