UE measurements

Abstract

Examples of the present disclosure relate to reporting availability of UE measurements. In an example of the disclosure, a UE may be configured to receive a connection setup message and enable transmission of a report, where the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE, and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Examples of the present disclosure relate to user equipment (UE) measurements. Some examples relate to the availability of reporting UE measurements. Background Art

[0002] The UE is expected to perform measurements and verification of measurements during procedures such as connection establishment / connection recovery. Any delay in reporting measurements will result in delays in the establishment of carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity or other procedures.

[0003] Brief Overview

[0004] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples of the present disclosure, a user equipment (UE) may be provided that includes components for:

[0005] Receive connection establishment message: and

[0006] Transmission of a report is enabled, wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE.

[0007] The report may include an indication of one or more of the following:

[0008] Measurement available

[0009] Measurement not available

[0010] Measurement in progress (partially available)

[0011] Verification not started

[0012] Verification in progress

[0013] Verification Completed

[0014] Detected cell

[0015] Index availability (available / unavailable)

[0016] The report may be sent in response to at least one of the following:

[0017] The connection establishment message received;

[0018] Information request message.

[0019] The connection establishment message may include at least one of the following:

[0020] RRCSetup message;

[0021] RRCResume message.

[0022] This report may be sent in the RRCSetupComplete message.

[0023] One or more of the measurements indicated in the report may include measurements to assist in at least one of:

[0024] Establishment of carrier aggregation (CA);

[0025] Establishment of Dual Connectivity (DC).

[0026] One or more of the measurements indicated in the report may be performed by the UE during at least one of the following:

[0027] Idle mode or inactive mode;

[0028] The connection is established.

[0029] This component can also be used to:

[0030] receiving a request for information from a network; and

[0031] Enabling transmission of a further indication of measurement availability and verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE, wherein a request for information from the network is received after the network has waited a specified time interval.

[0032] This component can also be used to:

[0033] receiving an information request from a network, wherein the information request comprises: a request to provide a measurement result; and

[0034] Transmission of a further indication of measurement availability and verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE is enabled, wherein the further indication comprises an indication of a time required to complete a verification procedure.

[0035] The information request may include a request for an indication of measurement availability and validation status for one or more specified measurements.

[0036] Further indications of measurement availability and validation status may include indications of measurement availability and validation status for one or more specified measurements.

[0037] This component can also be used to:

[0038] receiving a request for information from a network; and

[0039] Transmission of a further indication of measurement availability and verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE is enabled, wherein the further indication of measurement availability and verification status is sent after the network has waited a specified time interval.

[0040] According to several, but not necessarily all, examples of the present disclosure, a method may be provided, the method comprising:

[0041] Receive connection establishment message: and

[0042] Transmission of a report is enabled, wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE.

[0043] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, a computer program may be provided, comprising instructions that, when executed by a UE, cause the UE to at least perform:

[0044] Receive connection establishment message: and

[0045] Transmission of a report is enabled, wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE.

[0046] According to various, but not necessarily all, examples of the present disclosure, a network entity may be provided that includes components for:

[0047] Enables transmission of connection establishment messages to the UE: and

[0048] A report is received, wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE.

[0049] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, a method may be provided, including:

[0050] Enables transmission of connection establishment messages to the UE: and

[0051] A report is received, wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE.

[0052] According to various but not necessarily all examples of the present disclosure, a computer program may be provided, comprising instructions that, when executed by a network entity, cause the network entity to at least perform:

[0053] Enables transmission of connection establishment messages to the UE: and

[0054] A report is received, wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE.

[0055] Although the above examples and optional features of the present disclosure are described separately, it should be understood that their provisions in all possible combinations and permutations are included in the present disclosure. It should be understood that various examples of the present invention may include any or all of the features described with respect to other examples of the present invention, and vice versa. Moreover, it should be understood that any one or more or all of the features, in any combination, may be implemented / included in / executable by apparatus, methods and / or computer program instructions as needed and appropriate.

[0056] Brief Description

[0057] Some examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0058] Figure 1 An example network is shown;

[0059] Figure 2A and 2B An example method is shown;

[0060] Figure 3 Another example method is shown;

[0061] Figure 4 Another example method is shown;

[0062] Figure 5 Another example method is shown;

[0063] Figure 6 Another example method is shown; and

[0064] Figure 7 An example controller is shown.

[0065] The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For the sake of clarity and simplicity, certain features and views of the drawings may be shown schematically or exaggerated. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to aid illustration. Corresponding reference numerals are used in the drawings to indicate corresponding features. For the sake of clarity, not all reference numerals are necessarily shown in all drawings.

[0066] definition

[0067] AMF Access and Mobility Management Function

[0068] Carrier Aggregation (CA)

[0069] DC Dual Connectivity

[0070] E-UTRA Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access eEMR Enhanced EMR

[0071] EMR Early Measurement Report

[0072] FR2 Frequency Band 2

[0073] gNB NR base station

[0074] IE Information Element

[0075] MO Mobile Originated

[0076] NR New Radio

[0077] O-RAN Open Radio Access Network

[0078] RAN Radio Access Network

[0079] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0080] SCell Secondary Cell

[0081] SCG Secondary Cell Group

[0082] SIB System Information Block

[0083] SIM Subscriber Identity Module

[0084] SSB Synchronous Signal Block

[0085] UE User Equipment DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0086] Figure 1 An example of a network 100 is shown that includes multiple network entities, including a terminal device 110, a node device 120, and one or more network devices 130. The terminal device 110 and the node device 120 communicate with each other. The one or more network devices 130 communicate with the access node 120. In some examples, the one or more network devices 130 communicate with the terminal device 110.

[0087] In some examples, one or more network devices 130 may communicate with each other. In some examples, one or more node devices 120 may communicate with each other.

[0088] The network 100 may be a cellular network comprising a plurality of cells 122, each cell being served by a node device 120. In this example, the interface between the terminal device 110 and the node devices 120 defining the cells 122 is a wireless interface 124.

[0089] The node device 120 includes one or more cellular radio transceivers. The terminal device 110 includes one or more cellular radio transceivers.

[0090] In the example shown, the cellular network 100 is a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network, wherein the terminal device 110 is a user equipment (UE) and the node device 120 may be an access node (such as a base station).

[0091] The term "user equipment" is used to refer to a mobile device that includes a smart card, such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), for authentication / encryption, etc. In some examples, the term "user device" is used to refer to a mobile device that includes circuitry embedded as part of the user equipment for authentication / encryption, such as a software SIM.

[0092] Node device 120 may be any suitable base station. A base station is an access node. It may be a network element responsible for wireless transmission and reception to or from UE 110 in one or more cells. Node device 120 may be a network element in a radio access network (RAN), an open radio access network (O-RAN), an E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access) network, or any other suitable type of network.

[0093] Network device 130 may be part of a core network. Network device 130 may be configured to manage functions related to connectivity for UE 110. For example, network device 130 may be configured to manage functions such as connectivity, mobility, authentication, authorization, and / or other appropriate functions. In some examples, network device 130 may include an access and mobility management function (AMF) or any other suitable entity.

[0094] exist Figure 1 In the examples shown, network device 130 is shown as a single entity. In some examples, network device 130 can be distributed across multiple entities. For example, network device 130 can be cloud-based or distributed in any other suitable manner.

[0095] For example, network 100 may be a 4G or 5G network. For example, it may be a New Radio (NR) network using a gNB or eNB as an access node 120. New Radio is the 3GPP designation for 5G technology. In this case, node device 120 may include a gNodeB (gNB) 120, which is configured to provide user plane and control plane protocol termination to UE 110 and / or perform any other suitable functions. gNBs 120 are interconnected via an X2 / Xn interface 126. The gNBs are also connected to a network device 130 via an N2 interface 128. The gNBs may be connected to an AMF or any other suitable network device 130. Other types of networks and interfaces may be used in other examples. Other types of networks may include next-generation mobile and communication networks, such as 6G networks.

[0096] In the network 100 (such as Figure 1 In a network 100 (e.g., a wireless network 100), it is advantageous to make UE 110 measurements available early in connected mode when a connection is being established or restored. This benefit may be particularly relevant for UE 110 transitioning from idle mode or inactive mode. For example, by reducing the frequency range 2 (FR2) secondary cell / secondary cell group (SCell / SCG) establishment / recovery latency for a UE 110 connecting from idle mode or inactive mode, user throughput may be significantly positively impacted. The reduced latency may also have a positive impact on UE 110 power savings. Thus, examples of the present disclosure relate to making UE measurements available early in connected mode.

[0097] In the NR network 100 or other suitable networks, early measurements can be configured in the connection release message that releases the UE 110 to idle or inactive mode. For example, early measurements can be configured in the RRCRelease message or any other suitable message type. In NR and other suitable networks, both idle and inactive modes are supported for early measurements. For example, the UE 110 can be configured to perform measurements until a given timer expires or is stopped. The timer can be T331 or any other suitable timer. This can be a mandatory part of the configuration that indicates how long the UE 110 needs to perform early measurements after release. The measurement can then be used to assist in connection mode carrier aggregation (CA) and / or dual connectivity (DC) establishment. The use of these measurements will limit the time spent performing measurements during CA and / or DC establishment and can reduce the power consumption of the UE 110.

[0098] UE 110 may be configured to perform measurements as indicated in the connection release message. UE 110 need not perform measurements on a given carrier in idle or inactive mode if the synchronization signal block (SSB) configuration of the carrier provided via dedicated signaling is different from the SSB configuration broadcast in the serving cell, if any.

[0099] If UE 110 is not given a carrier in the connection release message, UE 110 will measure the carriers listed in the appropriate system information block (SIB), such as SIB11 (for configuration of NR cells in SIB5 in LTE). UE 110 will perform measurements in idle or inactive mode only for frequencies and carriers in the configured frequency list for which UE 110 supports frequency CA or DC between the serving frequency / carrier.

[0100] Therefore, a UE 110 with Early Measurement Report (EMR) capability can perform measurements in idle mode or inactive mode until a timer, such as the T331 timer, expires or is stopped. An EMR UE 110 can maintain a cell detectable from connected mode until the timer expires or is stopped. In the interval between the expiration or stopping of the T331 timer and the receipt of a connection establishment or resumption message by the UE 110, it is unknown whether the cell is maintained. After the T331 timer expires or is stopped, whether the cell is maintained and detectable for the purpose of Early Measurement Reporting depends on the UE 110 implementation. Based on UE 110 information indication and network information request, the UE 110 can report early measurement results after security is activated.

[0101] Figure 2A and 2B An example method according to an example of the present disclosure is shown. The method can report early measurement results and additional details related to the measurement. The measurement can be a measurement performed by UE 110.

[0102] The measurements may include measurements performed by the UE 110 when the UE 110 is in idle mode or inactive mode and / or measurements performed during connection establishment and possibly during periods in connected mode. The measurements include measurements used to assist in establishing CA or establishing DC.

[0103] Figure 2A The method may be implemented by the UE 110 or a device within the UE 110 or by any other suitable terminal entity.

[0104] At block 200, the method includes receiving a connection establishment message. The connection establishment message may be received from a network entity, such as gNB 120. The connection establishment message may include configuration information for UE 110. The connection establishment message may include a radio resource control (RRC) setup message, an RRC resume message, or any other suitable type of message. The connection establishment procedure may also be based on a mobile originated (MO) call and, therefore, be initiated by the UE.

[0105] At block 202, the method includes enabling transmission of a report. The report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by UE 110 and an indication of a verification status for one or more measurements performed by UE 110. UE 110 may perform a verification procedure for measurements it has performed or is performing. The verification procedure used will depend on the type of measurement that has been performed or is being performed. The verification procedure may determine that the measurement results are still accurate or relevant, or that the measurement results meet one or more other appropriate criteria. For example, the verification procedure may determine whether the measurement was performed within an appropriate time period or was obtained using an appropriate procedure.

[0106] The report may include any suitable information related to measurements performed by UE 110. In some examples, the response may include an indication of any one or more of: measurement available, measurement unavailable, measurement in progress (partially available), verification not started, verification in progress, verification complete, cell detected, index availability (available / unavailable), or any other suitable information.

[0107] The report may be sent in response to a received connection setup message. In some examples, the report may be sent in response to a different message, such as an information request message. An information request message may also be received from network 100. The information request message may be received after receiving the connection setup message.

[0108] The report may be sent in any suitable message. In some examples, the report may be sent in an RRCSetupComplete message. In some examples, the response may be sent in a different message or in a new information element (IE). The different message may be a UEInformationResponse message or any other suitable message.

[0109] After the report has been sent or after the connection establishment message is received, further messages may be exchanged between the UE 110 and the network entity.

[0110] For example, in some examples, UE 110 may receive an information request. The information request may be received from the same network entity that received the original connection establishment message. The information request may be received after the network has waited a specified time interval. The time interval may be determined by the network or may be defined in a standard. The time interval may be determined based on an acceptable delay for the connection establishment or connection recovery process.

[0111] The information request may request additional information related to the measurement result. For example, the information request may request further information related to the validity status and / or availability status of the measurement result.

[0112] In response to receiving the information request, UE 110 may enable further indications of measurement availability and verification status for measurements performed by UE 110 .

[0113] In some examples, UE 110 may receive an information request from the network, where the information request includes a request to provide measurement results. The information request may include a request for an indication of measurement availability and verification status for one or more specified measurements. The measurements may be specified per cell, per carrier, per SSB, or per any other parameter.

[0114] In response to the request, UE 110 may enable further indications of measurement availability and verification status for sending measurements performed by UE 110 .

[0115] Further indications may include an indication of a time required to complete the verification process. Further indications of measurement availability may include an indication of measurement availability for one or more specified measurements specified in the information request.

[0116] In some examples, UE 110 may receive an information request from the network. In response to receiving the information request, UE 110 may enable additional indications of measurement availability and verification status for measurements performed by UE 110. The additional indications of measurement availability and verification status are sent after the network has waited for a specified time interval. The time interval may be determined by the network or may be defined in a standard. The time interval may be determined based on an acceptable delay for a connection establishment or connection recovery process.

[0117] Figure 2B The method may be implemented by gNB 120 or a device within gNB 120 or other network entities.

[0118] The method includes, at block 204, enabling transmission of a connection setup message to the UE 110. The connection setup message may include configuration information for the UE 110. The connection setup message may include an RRCSetup message, an RRCResume message, or any other suitable type of message.

[0119] The method also includes, at block 206, receiving a report including an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by UE 110. The report may include any suitable information related to measurements performed by UE 110, as described herein.

[0120] In some examples, the report may be received in response to a connection setup message. In some examples, the report may be received in response to a different message. For example, the report may be received in response to an information request message. The information request message may be sent from a network entity to UE 110. The information request may be sent after the connection setup message.

[0121] The report may be received from UE 110. The report may be received from UE 110 to which a connection setup message was sent. The report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by UE 110. As described herein, the report may include any suitable information related to the measurements performed by UE 110.

[0122] Figure 3 Another example method that can be implemented using UE 110 and gNB 120 is shown. UE 110 and gNB 120 can be as follows: Figure 1 The network 100 may be part of the network shown, or may be part of any other suitable type of network 100.

[0123] At block 300, UE 110 is configured with a FR2 SCell and enhanced EMR (eEMR) capabilities. The eEMR capabilities enable UE 110 to implement examples of the present disclosure. However, UE 110 may also implement examples of the present disclosure without supporting these capabilities.

[0124] At block 302, gNB 120 sends a release message to UE 110. The release message may be an RRC Release message or any other suitable type of message. The release message may release or suspend the RRC connection so that UE 110 may enter an idle mode or an inactive mode.

[0125] At block 304, UE 110 enters idle mode or inactive mode. At block 306, UE 110 performs measurements. UE 110 performs measurements while in idle mode or inactive mode. The measurements may include any measurements that help establish carrier aggregation or dual connectivity.

[0126] At block 308, UE 110 sends a connection request message to gNB 120. The connection request message may include an RRCRequest message or any other suitable type of message. The connection request message may include information such as the identity of UE 110 and the establishment cause.

[0127] At block 310, UE 110 performs verification of measurements that have been performed or are being performed. The verification process may be an ongoing process that may begin before UE 110 sends a connection request message to gNB 120 and may be ongoing during connection establishment.

[0128] The verification process may include an eEMR verification process, a verification process, or any other suitable type of process. The process used for verification may depend on factors such as the type of measurements that have been taken and the connection scenario for UE 110.

[0129] The time taken for the verification process is unknown as it may depend on the environment. For example, performing verification on multiple channels may take longer than performing verification on a single channel.

[0130] At block 312, gNB 120 sends a connection setup message to UE 110. When UE 110 receives the connection setup message, measurements and verification of the measurements may proceed.

[0131] The connection establishment message may be an RRCSetup message, an RRCResume message, or any other suitable type of message.

[0132] When UE 110 receives the connection setup message, UE 110 exits idle mode or inactive mode and transitions to connected mode, and sends a setup complete message at block 314. In examples of the present disclosure, the setup complete message may include a report. The report may include an indication of the availability of one or more measurements performed by UE 110 and an indication of the verification status of the one or more measurements performed by UE 110. The report may include one or more valid measurements performed by UE 110.

[0133] The measurements performed by UE 110 and the verification of these measurements are performed during connection establishment. This is taken into account in the report. For example, the report may indicate which measurements are completed and available, which are in progress and only partially available, and which have not yet started and are therefore not yet available. Similarly, the report may indicate which measurements have been verified, which measurements have been verified and are in progress, and which measurements have not yet started to be verified. For example, the report may only include verified measurements.

[0134] In some examples, additional messages may be exchanged between UE 110 and gNB 120 after the setup complete message is sent. Figures 4 to 6 Different example methodologies are shown that can be used in different implementation and use-case scenarios.

[0135] Figure 4Another example method is shown that may be performed after sending the setup complete message at block 314. The setup complete message may include a report including an indication of the availability of one or more measurements performed by UE 110 and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by UE 110.

[0136] exist Figure 4 In the example of , gNB 120 waits before requesting additional information related to the measurement.

[0137] exist Figure 4 In the method of , at block 400, UE 110 continues to perform measurements. UE 110 may complete ongoing measurements when the setup complete message is sent, and / or may perform measurements that have not yet begun when the setup complete message is sent.

[0138] gNB 120 or any other suitable portion of network 100 may be aware of the expected delay for measurement completion. In some examples, the delay may be specified in a standard. In some examples, the delay may be determined based on an acceptable delay for establishing a connection. The delay may be the maximum allowed verification time. The delay may be defined in TS 38.133 or any other suitable standard or protocol.

[0139] At block 402, security is activated between UE 110 and gNB 120. Any suitable protocol may be used to activate security. This block is optional. In some implementations, this block may be omitted.

[0140] At block 404, gNB 120 waits. gNB 120 waits until UE 110 is expected to have performed measurements and verification of the measurements or a verification procedure. gNB 120 may wait for a period of time determined based on known delays (e.g., an acceptable delay for establishing a connection). gNB 120 may not send any requests for measurement results or measurement status or verification status during the waiting period. UE 110 may continue to perform measurements and verification of the measurements during the waiting period.

[0141] At block 406, gNB 120 sends an information request message to UE 110. The information request message may be a UEInformationRequest message or any other suitable type of message.

[0142] In some examples, the information request message may request a specified measurement and / or a verification status for the specified measurement. For example, the information request message may request measurement results and / or verification status per cell, per carrier, per SSB carrier, or per any other suitable parameter.

[0143] At block 408, UE 110 may perform or continue to perform an evaluation of the validation status of the measurement. For example, UE 110 may perform an eEMR validation status evaluation.

[0144] At block 410, UE 110 responds to the information request message by sending an information response message to gNB 120. The information response message may include a UEInformationResponse message or any other suitable type of message. The information response message may include the information requested in the information request message. The information response message may include measurement results, measurement status, verification status for the measurement, and any other suitable information. The measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurement may be provided for the specific measurement requested in the information request message. The measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurement may be provided on a per-cell, per-carrier, per-SSB carrier, or per any other suitable parameter. The measurement results apply only to verified measurement results.

[0145] Figure 5 Another example method is shown that may be performed after sending the setup complete message at block 314. The setup complete message may include a report including an indication of the availability of one or more measurements performed by UE 110 and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by UE 110.

[0146] exist Figure 5 In the example shown in FIG4 , gNB 120 sends two requests for additional information related to the measurement.

[0147] exist Figure 5 In the method, at block 400, UE 110 continues to perform measurements. UE 110 may complete ongoing measurements when a setup complete message is sent and / or may perform measurements that were not started when the setup complete message is sent. This may be as follows: Figure 4 and as mentioned above.

[0148] The gNB 120 or any other suitable portion of the network 100 may know the expected delay for measurement completion. In some examples, the delay may be specified in a standard. In some examples, the delay may be determined based on an acceptable delay for establishing a connection. The gNB 120 may set a delay threshold. The delay threshold may be implementation specific. The delay may be the maximum allowed verification time. The delay may be defined in TS 38.133 or any other suitable standard or protocol. This may be as follows: Figure 4 and as mentioned above.

[0149] At block 402, security is activated between UE 110 and gNB 120. Any suitable protocol may be used to activate security. This block is optional. In some implementations, this block may be omitted. This may be done as follows: Figure 4 and as mentioned above.

[0150] At block 500, gNB 120 sends a first information request message to UE 110. The first information request message may be a UEInformationRequest message or any other suitable type of message.

[0151] In some examples, the first information request message may request a specified measurement and / or a verification status for the specified measurement. For example, the first information request message may request measurement results and / or verification status on a per-cell, per-carrier, per-SSB carrier, or per any other suitable parameter. In some examples, the first information request message may request any message that is already prepared or meets a filter or criteria indicated in the first information request message. For example, the first information request message may request measurements that have been completed and verified.

[0152] exist Figure 5 In the example of FIG, gNB 120 sends a first information request message to UE 110 without waiting for UE 110 to complete measurement and verification of the measurement.

[0153] At block 502, UE 110 responds to the first information request message by sending a first information response message to gNB 120. The first information response message may include a UEInformationResponse message or any other suitable type of message. The first information response message may include the information requested in the first information request message. The first information response message may include measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurements, as well as any other suitable information. The measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurements may be provided for the specific measurements requested in the first information request message. The measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurements may be provided on a per-cell, per-carrier, per-SSB carrier, or per any other suitable parameter. For example, the report may include only verified measurements.

[0154] In some examples, the first information response message may include information related to measurements that have been completed when the first information request message is sent. For example, the first information response message may include measurement results of measurements that have been completed and verified when the first information request message is sent.

[0155] In some examples, the first information response message may include an indication to gNB 120 of how long UE 110 needs to complete the measurements and verification of the measurements. Network 100 or gNB 120 may then use this information to determine when to send the second information request message.

[0156] At block 504, UE 110 may perform or continue to perform an evaluation of a validation status of the measurement. For example, UE 110 may perform an eEMR validation status evaluation.

[0157] At block 506, gNB 120 waits. gNB 120 waits until UE 110 is expected to have performed measurements and verified the measurements. gNB 120 may wait for a period of time determined based on information provided in the first information response message. For example, UE 110 may indicate in the first information response message the time required to complete and confirm the measurements, and gNB 120 may use this information to determine an appropriate wait time.

[0158] At block 508, gNB 120 sends a second information request message to UE 110. The second information request message may be a UEInformationRequest message or any other suitable type of message.

[0159] In some examples, the second information request message may request a specified measurement and / or a verification status for the specified measurement. For example, the second information request message may request measurement results and / or verification status on a per-cell basis, a per-carrier basis, a per-SSB carrier basis, or any other suitable parameter. In some examples, the second information request message may request information different from that requested in the first information request message.

[0160] exist Figure 5 In the example of , gNB 120 sends the second information request message after gNB has waited for UE 110 to complete the measurement and verification of the measurement.

[0161] At block 510, UE 110 may perform or continue to perform an evaluation of the verification status of the measurement. For example, UE 110 may perform an eEMR verification status evaluation. This may be a continuation of the process performed at block 504.

[0162] At block 512, UE 110 responds to the second information request message by sending a second information response message to gNB 120. The second information response message may include a UEInformationResponse message or any other suitable type of message. The second information response message may include the information requested in the second information request message. The second information response message may include measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurements, as well as any other suitable information. The measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurements may be provided for the specific measurements requested in the second information request message. The measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurements may be provided on a per-cell, per-carrier, per-SSB carrier, or per any other suitable parameter.

[0163] The second information response message may include different information than the first information response message. For example, the second information response message may include information related to different measurements than the first information response message. For example, the first information response message may include information related to measurements that were completed and verified when the first information request message was sent, while the second information response message may report information related to measurements that were completed when the second information request message was sent. For example, the report may only include verified measurements.

[0164] Variations of this method may be used in some examples of the present disclosure. For example, in some examples, UE 110 may begin periodically sending information response messages (when measurements are complete) until all measurements have been sent. In this case, gNB 120 only needs to send the first information request message, and then UE 110 will periodically report the availability indication of the measurement until UE 110 has performed the measurement and verification procedures.

[0165] Figure 6 Another example method is shown that may be performed after sending the setup complete message at block 314. The setup complete message may include a report including an indication of the availability of one or more measurements performed by UE 110 and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by UE 110.

[0166] exist Figure 6 In the example of , UE 110 responds to the request for further information and verification of the measurements has already been performed.

[0167] exist Figure 6 In the method, at block 400, UE 110 continues to perform measurements. UE 110 may complete ongoing measurements when the setup complete message is sent and / or may perform measurements that have not yet begun when the setup complete message is sent. This may be as follows: Figure 4 and as mentioned above.

[0168] gNB 120 or any other suitable portion of network 100 may know the expected delay for measurement completion. In some examples, the delay may be determined in a standard. In some examples, the delay may be determined based on an acceptable delay for establishing a connection. The delay may be the maximum allowed verification time. The delay may be defined in TS 38.133 or any other suitable standard or protocol. This may be as follows: Figure 4 and as mentioned above.

[0169] At block 402, security is activated between UE 110 and gNB 120. Any suitable protocol may be used to activate security. This block is optional. In some implementations, this block may be omitted. This may be done as follows: Figure 4 and as mentioned above.

[0170] At block 600, gNB 120 sends an information request message to UE 110. The information request message may be a UEInformationRequest message or any other suitable type of message.

[0171] In some examples, the information request message may request a specific measurement and / or a verification status for the specific measurement. For example, the information request message may request measurement results and / or verification status on a per-cell, per-carrier, per-SSB carrier, or by any other suitable parameter. In some examples, the information request message may request any prepared message. For example, the information request message may request measurements that have been completed and verified.

[0172] exist Figure 6 In the example of FIG, gNB 120 sends an information request message to UE 110 without waiting for UE 110 to complete measurements and verification of the measurements.

[0173] At block 602, UE 110 may perform or continue to perform an evaluation of a validation status of a measurement. For example, UE 110 may perform an eEMR validation status evaluation.

[0174] At block 604, gNB 120 waits. gNB 120 waits until UE 110 is expected to have performed measurements and verified the measurements. gNB 120 may wait for a period of time determined based on known delays (e.g., an acceptable delay for establishing a connection). gNB 120 may not send any requests for measurement results or measurement status or verification status during the waiting period. UE 110 may continue to perform measurements and verify the measurements during the waiting period. In some examples, the waiting period is the time required for UE 110 to verify any available measurements.

[0175] At block 606, UE 110 responds to the information request message by sending an information response message to gNB 120. The information response message may include a UEInformationResponse message or any other suitable type of message. The information response message may include the information requested in the information request message. The information response message may include measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurements, as well as any other suitable information. The measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurements may be provided for the specific measurements requested in the information request message. The measurement results, measurement status, and verification status for the measurements may be provided on a per-cell, per-carrier, per-SSB carrier, or per any other suitable parameter. In some examples, the information response message may include only verified measurements.

[0176] Any suitable message or information element may be used to enable UE 110 to indicate the measurement availability and verification status of the measurement to gNB 120. For example, the verification status may be indicated along with the measurement results. The following illustrates an example in which the idle mode reporting framework may be enhanced with additional information fields to indicate the verification status of the reported results.

[0177] The MeasResultidleNR may be included in the UEInformationResponse message and the RRCResumeComplete message. This may be configured as follows:

[0178] -MeasureResultIdleNRIE MeasResultidleNR covers NR measurement results performed in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE.

[0179] MeasResultIdleNR information element

[0180] Table 1 shows example field descriptions for the MeasResultIdleNR information element.

[0181]

[0182] Table 1

[0183] Table 2 shows example status messages that may be included in reports from UE 110 to gNB 120. These status messages may be included in RRCSetupResume / Complete messages, or in response to UEInformationRequest, or in any other suitable message.

[0184]

[0185]

[0186]

[0187] Table 2

[0188] The availability status and / or verification status may be indicated for a corresponding single measurement or may be indicated for multiple measurements. In some examples, there may be only one availability status, and this may be used to indicate the availability status and / or verification status of multiple measurements.

[0189] In this case, the gNB 120 or other network entity may be configured to:

[0190] 1) Requesting information about the availability and / or verification status of one measurement from the UE 110 in a UE Information Request message or any other suitable message.

[0191] 2) If VALIDATION_COMPLETED, directly establish an Scell ​​to any associated cell.

[0192] 3) Request detailed validity information via UEInformationRequest and wait for UEInformationResponse before establishing the Scell. Other messages may be used in other examples.

[0193] Figure 7 An example of a controller 700 is shown. Controller 700 may be provided within a device such as UE 110 or a network device. Controller 700 may be implemented as a controller circuit. Controller 700 may be implemented solely in hardware, with certain aspects of software including firmware, or may be a combination of hardware and software (including firmware).

[0194] like Figure 7 As shown, the controller 700 may be implemented using instructions that enable hardware functionality, for example, by using executable instructions of a computer program 706 that may be stored in a general or special purpose processor 702 on a computer readable storage medium (disk, memory, etc.) to be executed by the processor 702.

[0195] The processor 702 is configured to read from and write to the memory 704. The processor 702 may further include an output interface and an input interface, through which data and / or commands are output by the processor 702 and through which data and / or commands are input to the processor 702.

[0196] The memory 704 stores a computer program 706 including computer program instructions (computer program code) that, when loaded into the processor 702, controls the operation of the device. The computer program instructions of the computer program 706 provide the logic and routines that enable the device to perform the methods shown in the figures. By reading the memory 704, the processor 702 can load and execute the computer program 706.

[0197] In an example where the controller 700 is provided within the UE 110, the controller 700 thus includes: at least one processor 702; and at least one memory 704 storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor 702, cause the UE 110 to at least:

[0198] Receive 200 Connection Established message: and

[0199] Transmission 202 of a report is enabled, wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE 110 and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE 110 .

[0200] In an example where the controller 700 is provided within the gNB 120, the controller 700 thus includes: at least one processor 702; and at least one memory 704 storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor 702, cause the gNB 120 to at least perform:

[0201] enabling transmission 204 of a connection establishment message to the UE 110; and

[0202] A report is received 206 , wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE 110 and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE 110 .

[0203] The computer program 706 may reach the UE 110 via any suitable delivery mechanism 708. The delivery mechanism 708 may be, for example, a machine-readable medium, a computer-readable medium, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a computer program product, a storage device, a recording medium such as a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or a digital versatile disk (DVD), or a solid-state memory, an article of manufacture including or tangibly embodying the computer program 706. The delivery mechanism may be a signal configured to reliably transmit the computer program 706. The apparatus may propagate or transmit the computer program 706 as a computer data signal.

[0204] The computer program 706 may include computer program instructions for causing the UE 110 to perform at least the following or for performing at least the following:

[0205] Receiving the connection establishment message 200: and

[0206] Transmission 202 of a report is enabled, wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE 110 and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE 110 .

[0207] The computer program 706 may include computer program instructions for causing the gNB 120 to perform at least the following or for performing at least the following:

[0208] enabling transmission 204 of a connection establishment message to the UE 110; and

[0209] A report is received 206 , wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE 110 and an indication of a verification status for the one or more measurements performed by the UE 110 .

[0210] The computer program instructions may be included in a computer program, a non-transitory computer readable medium, a computer program product, a machine readable medium. In some, but not necessarily all, examples, the computer program instructions may be distributed across more than one computer program.

[0211] Although memory 704 is shown as a single component / circuitry, it may be implemented as one or more separate components / circuitry, some or all of which may be integrated / removable and / or may provide permanent / semi-permanent / dynamic / cached storage.

[0212] Although processor 702 is shown as a single component / circuitry, it may be implemented as one or more separate components / circuitry, some or all of which may be integrated / removable.Processor 702 may be a single-core or multi-core processor.

[0213] References to "computer-readable storage medium," "computer program product," "tangibly embodied computer program," etc., or "controller," "computer," "processor," etc., should be understood to include not only computers having different architectures (such as single / multi-processor architectures and sequential (von Neumann) / parallel architectures), but also special-purpose circuits (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific circuits (ASICs), signal processing devices, and other processing circuit systems). References to computer programs, instructions, code, etc., should be understood to include software or firmware for a programmable processor, such as the programmable content of a hardware device, whether instructions for a processor or configuration settings for a fixed-function device, gate array, or programmable logic device, etc.

[0214] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0215] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuitry only), and

[0216] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (where applicable):

[0217] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0218] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) (including digital signal processor(s)), software and memory(s) with software that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions, and

[0219] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when the software is not required for operation.

[0220] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation consisting solely of hardware circuits or processors and their accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers (for example, if applicable to a particular claim element) a baseband integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or networking device.

[0221] The stages shown in Figures 2 to 6 may represent steps in a method and / or code sections in a computer program 706. The description of a particular order of blocks does not necessarily imply that there is a required or preferred order for the blocks, and the order and arrangement of the blocks may vary. In addition, some blocks may be omitted.

[0222] Where a structural feature has been described, it may be replaced by a means for performing one or more of the functions of the structural feature, whether the function or functions are described explicitly or implicitly.

[0223] As used herein, the term "comprising" has an inclusive, rather than exclusive, meaning. That is, any reference to X including Y indicates that X may include only one Y or may include more than one Y. If the exclusive meaning of "comprising" is intended, this will be made clear from the context by reference to "including only one..." or by use of "consisting of..."

[0224] Throughout this specification, the terms "connected," "coupled," and "in communication with" and their derivatives mean operatively connected / coupled / in communication with one another. It should be understood that any number or combination of intervening components (including no intervening components) may be present, i.e., to provide direct or indirect connection / coupling / in communication with one another. Any such intervening components may include hardware and / or software components.

[0225] As used herein, the term "determine" (and its grammatical variations) may include, but is not limited to, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, measuring, investigating, identifying, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, a database, or another data structure), ascertaining, etc. Furthermore, "determining" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), obtaining, etc. Furthermore, "determining" may include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, etc.

[0226] In this specification, various examples are cited. The description of features or functions associated with an example indicates that those features or functions are present in that example. Whether explicitly stated or not, the terms "example" or "for example" or "can" or "may" used in the text indicate that such features or functions are present in at least the example described (whether described as an example or not), and they may, but not necessarily, be present in some or all of the other examples. Therefore, "example", "for example", "can" or "may" refers to a specific example in a class of examples. The attributes of an instance may be attributes of only that instance, or attributes of a class, or attributes of a subclass of a class that includes some but not all examples in the class. Therefore, it is implicitly disclosed that features described with reference to one example rather than with reference to another example may, where possible, be used in that other example as part of a working combination, but do not necessarily have to be used in that other example.

[0227] Although the examples have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0228] Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described above.

[0229] Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not.

[0230] Although features have been described with reference to certain examples, those features may also be present in other examples whether described or not.

[0231] As used in this document, the terms "a," "an," or "the" are used in an inclusive, rather than exclusive, sense. That is, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, any reference to X that includes one / an / the Y indicates that X may include only one Y or may include more than one Y. If the exclusive meaning of "a," "an," or "the" is intended, it will become clear from the context. In some cases, the use of "at least one" or "one or more" may be used to emphasize an inclusive meaning, but the absence of these terms should not be used to infer any exclusive meaning.

[0232] The presence of a feature (or combination of features) in a claim is a reference to that feature (or combination of features) itself as well as to features that achieve substantially the same technical effect (equivalent features). Equivalent features include, for example, features that are variants and achieve substantially the same result in substantially the same way. Equivalent features include, for example, features that perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve substantially the same result.

[0233] In this specification, reference has been made to various examples using adjectives or adjective phrases to describe features of the examples. Such description of a characteristic associated with an example indicates that the characteristic exists in some examples exactly as described, and in other examples substantially as described.

[0234] The above description describes some examples of the present disclosure, however, those skilled in the art will be aware of possible alternative structures and method features that provide equivalent functionality to the specific examples of such structures and features described above, and for the sake of brevity and clarity, these structures and method features have been omitted from the above description. Nevertheless, the above description should be interpreted as implicitly including reference to these alternative structures and method features that provide equivalent functionality, unless these alternative structures or method features are explicitly excluded in the above description of the examples of the present disclosure.

[0235] While efforts have been made in the foregoing description to call attention to those features regarded as important, it will be understood that the applicant may seek protection by way of claims for any patentable feature or combination of features mentioned above and / or shown in the drawings, whether or not emphasized.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising: Receive connection establishment message: and Enabling transmission of a report, wherein the report includes: An indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE, and an indication of a verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the report includes an indication of one or more of the following: Measurement available Measurement not available Measurement in progress (partially available) Verification not started Verification in progress Verification Completed Detected cell Index availability (available / unavailable) 3. The UE according to any preceding claim, wherein the report is sent in response to at least one of: The received connection establishment message; Information request message.

4. The UE according to claim 3, wherein the connection establishment message includes at least one of the following: RRCSetup message; RRCResume message. The UE according to claim 4 , wherein the report is sent in an RRCSetupComplete message.

6. The UE according to any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the measurements indicated in the report comprises: To assist in the measurement of at least one of the following: Establishment of carrier aggregation (CA); Establishment of Dual Connectivity (DC).

7. The UE of any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the measurements indicated in the report are performed by the UE during at least one of: Idle mode or inactive mode; The connection is established.

8. The UE according to any preceding claim, wherein the component is further configured to: receiving an information request from the network; and Enabling transmission of a further indication of the measurement availability and verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE, wherein the information request from the network is received after the network has waited a specified time interval.

9. The UE according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the component is further configured to: receiving an information request from the network, wherein the information request comprises: A request to provide measurement results; as well as Transmission of a further indication of measurement availability and a verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE is enabled, wherein the further indication comprises an indication of a time required to complete a verification procedure.

10. The UE according to claim 9, wherein the information request comprises: A request for an indication of the availability and validation status of one or more specified measurements.

11. The UE according to claim 10, wherein the further indication of measurement availability and verification status comprises: An indication of the measurement availability and validation status for one or more specified measurements.

12. The UE according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the component is further configured to: receiving an information request from the network; and Enabling transmission of a further indication of the measurement availability and verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE, wherein the further indication of the measurement availability and verification status is sent after the network has waited a specified time interval.

13. A method comprising: Receive connection establishment message: and Transmission of a report is enabled, wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE and an indication of a verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE.

14. A computer program comprising instructions, which, when executed by a UE, cause the UE to at least: Receive connection establishment message: and Enabling transmission of a report, wherein the report includes: An indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE, and an indication of a verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE.

15. A network entity comprising means for: Enables transmission of connection establishment messages to the UE: and Receive a report, wherein the report includes: An indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE, and an indication of a verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE.

16. The network entity of claim 15, wherein the report includes an indication of one or more of the following: Measurement available Measurement not available Measurement in progress (partially available) Verification not started Verification in progress Verification Completed Detected cell Index availability (available / unavailable) 17. The network entity according to any one of claims 15 to 16, wherein the report is received in response to at least one of: The connection establishment message sent; Information request message.

18. The network entity according to claim 17, wherein the connection establishment message comprises at least one of the following: RRCSetup message; RRCResume message 19. The network entity according to any of claims 15 to 18, wherein the report is sent in an RRCSetupComplete message.

20. The network entity according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein one or more of the measurements indicated in the report comprise: To assist in the measurement of at least one of the following: Establishment of carrier aggregation (CA); Establishment of Dual Connectivity (DC).

21. The network entity according to any one of claims 15 to 20, wherein one or more of the measurements indicated in the report are performed by the UE during at least one of the following: Idle mode or inactive mode; The connection is established.

22. The network entity according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein the component is further configured to: enabling transmission of an information request to the UE, wherein the information request is sent after a predetermined time interval; and A further indication of the measurement availability and verification status is received for one or more measurements performed by the UE.

23. The network entity according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein the component is further configured to: enabling transmission of an information request to the UE, wherein the information request comprises: A request to provide measurement results; as well as A further indication of measurement availability and a verification status is received for one or more measurements performed by the UE, wherein the further indication comprises an indication of a time required to complete a verification procedure.

24. The network entity of claim 23, wherein the information request comprises: A request for an indication of the availability and validation status of one or more specified measurements.

25. The network entity according to claim 24, wherein the further indication of measurement availability and verification status comprises: An indication of the measurement availability and validation status for one or more specified measurements.

26. The network entity according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein the component is further configured to: enabling transmission of an information request to the UE; and A further indication of the measurement availability and verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE is received, wherein the further indication of the measurement availability and verification status is sent after a specified time interval.

27. A method comprising: Enables transmission of connection establishment messages to the UE: and A report is received, wherein the report includes an indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE and an indication of a verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE.

28. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a network entity, cause the network entity to at least: Enables transmission of connection establishment messages to the UE: and Receive a report, wherein the report includes: An indication of measurement availability for one or more measurements performed by the UE, and an indication of a verification status for one or more measurements performed by the UE.

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