Enhanced mobility operation for network power saving mode

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) is configured to receive a target neighbor cell (TNC) configuration from a network, the TNC configuration including a discontinuous transmission (DTX) configuration and a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration, where the DTX configuration includes a DTX cycle periodicity, and where the CSI-RS includes a CSI-RS periodicity; determining a physical layer (PHY) sampling interval based at least on the DTX configuration or the CSI-RS configuration; and measuring the CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC during the PHY sampling interval.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates in general to wireless communications, and more particularly to enhanced mobility operation for network power-saving modes. Background Technology

[0002] Network Energy Saving (NES) and Discontinuous Transmission (DTX) are operating modes for New Radio (NR) that reduce signaling and power consumption. These operating modes typically involve the base station (e.g., a Next Generation Node B (gNB)) silencing certain transmissions, such as Channel State Information Reference Signals (CSI-RS). User Equipment (UE) can use CSI-RS for mobility operations. Therefore, it is necessary to define various areas of CSI-RS operation for both the UE and the network in mobility scenarios (e.g., handover) associated with these two power-saving modes. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Some exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by a user equipment (UE). The method includes: receiving a target neighboring cell (TNC) configuration from a network, the TNC configuration including a discontinuous transmission (DTX) configuration and a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration, wherein the DTX configuration includes DTX cyclic periodicity, and wherein the CSI-RS includes CSI-RS periodicity; determining a physical layer (PHY) sampling interval based at least on the DTX configuration or the CSI-RS configuration; and measuring the CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC during the PHY sampling interval.

[0004] Other exemplary implementations relate to a method performed by a serving cell. The method includes: determining that a target neighboring cell (TNC) for a user equipment (UE) is operating in Network Power Saving (NES) mode; and configuring the UE to perform a mobility measurement based on a synchronization signal block (SSB) based on the TNC operating in the NES mode.

[0005] Another exemplary implementation relates to a method performed by a user equipment (UE). The method includes: determining whether a target neighboring cell (TNC) for the UE is operating in Network Power Saving (NES) mode; and receiving a mobility configuration from the network, the mobility configuration instructing the UE to perform a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) mobility measurement on the TNC. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 Exemplary network arrangements according to various exemplary implementations are shown.

[0007] Figure 2Exemplary user equipment (UE) according to various exemplary implementations are shown.

[0008] Figure 3 An exemplary base station according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0009] Figure 4 A diagram of information elements is shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0010] Figure 5 A diagram illustrating a method for UE measurement behavior in the absence of a measurement gap (MG) for mobility measurement according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0011] Figure 6 A method diagram illustrating UE measurement behavior for performing mobility measurements in the presence of a measurement gap (MG) according to various exemplary embodiments is shown.

[0012] Figure 7 A diagram illustrating a method for mobility operation when the target neighboring cell is in NES mode, according to various exemplary embodiments, is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The exemplary embodiments can be further understood with reference to the following description and related figures, wherein the same elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments relate to improvements in mobility operation for NES and DTX.

[0014] The exemplary embodiments are described with respect to the UE. However, references to the UE are provided for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary embodiments can be used with any electronic component capable of establishing a connection with an accessory device and configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the accessory device. Therefore, the UE described herein is used to represent any electronic component.

[0015] Exemplary implementations are also described with reference to 5G New Radio (NR) networks. However, it should be understood that exemplary implementations can also be implemented in other types of networks, including but not limited to LTE networks, future evolutions of cellular protocols, or any other type of network.

[0016] Mobility is a core principle of any cellular network. CSI-RS is a reference signal used in the downlink (DL) direction in 5G NR. CSI-RS is used for channel sounding and for the UE to measure the characteristics of the radio channel. DL channel quality is measured by the UE using these reference signals and reported back to the gNB in ​​the uplink (UL) direction via Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) reports. CSI-RS is used by the UE and gNB to determine when the UE should perform a handover operation.

[0017] DTX and NES are gNB operating modes, both offering potential power savings for the UE and network. DTX and NES can operate simultaneously. During mobility, due to differences in DTX configuration, the UE may not receive data during the correct time interval. For example, a neighboring cell (e.g., non-serving) may have DTX enabled, while the serving cell may have it disabled. The UE must have some means to identify when a neighboring cell has DTX enabled, as the UE will waste power monitoring CSI-RS during periods when the neighboring cell is not transmitting. In the second example, both the serving cell and the neighboring cell may have DTX configured. In the third example, the serving cell may configure measurement gaps for the UE during CSI-RS measurements (e.g., inter-frequency measurements); in this scenario, the UE must consider how to handle measurement gaps (MG) and DTX windows.

[0018] Figure 1 An exemplary network arrangement 100 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. The exemplary network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. Those skilled in the art will understand that the UE 110 can be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, desktop computer, smartphone, phablet, embedded device, wearable device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc. It should also be understood that a practical network arrangement can include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Therefore, for illustrative purposes, only an example with one UE 110 is provided.

[0019] UE 110 can be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of network configuration 100, the network with which UE 110 can wirelessly communicate is the 5G NR radio access network (RAN) 120. However, it should be understood that UE 110 can also communicate with other types of networks (e.g., 5G cloud RAN, next-generation RAN (NG-RAN), legacy cellular networks, etc.), and UE 110 can also communicate with the network via a wired connection. Regarding an exemplary implementation, UE 110 can establish a connection with the 5G NR RAN 120. Therefore, UE 110 can have a 5G NR chipset to communicate with the NR RAN 120.

[0020] 5G NR RAN 120 can be a portion of a cellular network that can be deployed by a network operator (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.). RAN 120 can include cells or base stations configured to transmit and receive services from UEs equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets. In this example, 5G NR RAN 120 includes gNB 120A. However, the reference to gNB is provided merely for illustrative purposes, and any appropriate base station or cell can be deployed (e.g., Node B, eNodeB, HeNB, eNB, gNB, gNodeB, macro cell, micro cell, small cell, femtocell, etc.).

[0021] Those skilled in the art will understand that any relevant procedures can be performed for UE 110 to connect to 5G NR RAN 120. For example, as discussed above, 5G NR RAN 120 can be associated with a specific network operator where UE 110 and / or its user have protocol and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card). Upon detecting the presence of 5G NR RAN 120, UE 110 can send the corresponding credential information to associate with 5G NR RAN 120. More specifically, UE 110 can be associated with a specific cell (e.g., gNB 120A). There may also be one or more neighboring cells with which the UE can communicate prior to handover operations. Figure 1 An additional neighboring cell is shown in gNB 120B, but those skilled in the art will recognize that a UE may have more than one neighboring cell available for handover.

[0022] Network deployment 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, an Internet 140, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network services backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 manages traffic flowing between the cellular network and the Internet 140. The IMS 150 can generally be described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE 110 using IP protocols. The IMS 150 can communicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 to provide multimedia services to the UE 110. The network services backbone 160 communicates directly or indirectly with the Internet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network services backbone 160 can generally be described as a collection of components (e.g., servers, network storage deployments, etc.) that implement a set of services that can be used to extend the functionality of the UE 110 in communicating with various networks.

[0023] Figure 2 An exemplary UE 110 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. UE 110 will refer to Figure 1The network layout 100 is used for description. UE 110 can represent any electronic device and may include a processor 205, a memory layout 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225, and other components 230. Other components 230 may include, for example, audio input devices, audio output devices, batteries providing a limited power source, data acquisition devices, ports for electrically connecting UE 110 to other electronic devices, sensors for detecting the status of UE 110, etc.

[0024] Processor 205 can be configured to execute multiple engines of UE 110. For example, engines may include handover engine 235 for performing operations related to enhanced handover operations and logic for DTX and NES. The engines described above, as applications (e.g., programs) executed by processor 205, are merely exemplary. The functionality associated with these engines can also be represented as separate combined components of UE 110, or as modular components coupled to UE 110, such as integrated circuits with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry for receiving signals and processing circuitry for processing signals and other information. These engines can also be embodied as one application or multiple separate applications. Furthermore, in some UEs, the functionality described for processor 205 is split between two or more processors (such as a baseband processor and an application processor). Exemplary implementations can be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0025] Memory arrangement 210 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by UE 110. Display device 215 may be a hardware component configured to display data to a user, while I / O device 220 may be a hardware component enabling the user to input data. Display device 215 and I / O device 220 may be separate components or may be integrated together (such as a touchscreen). Transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish a connection with 5G-NR RAN 120. Therefore, transceiver 225 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a set of consecutive frequencies).

[0026] Figure 3 An exemplary base station 300 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Base station 300 may represent any other access node that gNB 120A or UE 110 can use to establish connections and manage network operations.

[0027] Base station 300 may include processor 305, memory arrangement 310, input / output (I / O) devices 315, transceiver 320, and other components 325. These other components 325 may include, for example, audio input devices, audio output devices, batteries, data acquisition devices, ports for electrically connecting base station 300 to other electronic devices and / or power sources, etc.

[0028] Processor 305 can be configured to execute multiple engines of UE 110. For example, engines may include handover engine 330 for performing operations related to enhanced handover operations and logic for DTX and NES. Memory 310 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by base station 300. I / O device 315 may be a hardware component or port enabling a user to interact with base station 300. Transceiver 320 may be a hardware component configured to exchange data with UE 110 and any other UE in network arrangement 100. Transceiver 320 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a continuous set of frequencies). Therefore, transceiver 320 may include one or more components (e.g., radio equipment) to enable data exchange with various networks and UEs.

[0029] In a first aspect of the exemplary implementation, the serving gNB provides the UE with a list of neighboring cells containing CSI-RS measurement information. This CSI-RS measurement information includes information that takes into account the gNB's DTX and / or NES modes. This information is provided to the UE in configuration information. Those skilled in the art will understand that when the UE connects to the serving cell, the UE receives configuration information for neighboring cells (e.g., neighboring cells to which the UE may be handed over by the serving cell). Information elements (IEs) can be used to provide this configuration information to the UE.

[0030] Figure 4Figure 400 illustrates information elements according to various exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that each IE may contain other IEs, such as sub-IEs. As described above, the IEs shown in Figure 400 are sent from the serving gNB (e.g., gNB120A) to the UE (e.g., UE 110) and can provide information such as about neighboring cells. Figure 400 shows four extended IEs (thus illustrating sub-IEs of these IEs): CSI-RS-ResourceConfigMobility 402, csi-RS-CellList-Mobility 406, csi-rs-ResourceList-Mobility 414, and associated SSB 422. For an example of how the illustrated IEs are included, ResourceConfigMobility 402 includes csi-RS-CellList-Mobility 406.

[0031] CSI-RS-ResourceConfigMobility 402 is shown to include the following IEs: subcarrierSpacing 404, csi-RS-CellList-Mobility 406, and refServCellIndex 408. It is noteworthy that csi-RS-CellList-Mobility 406 contains CSI-RS information for mobility of multiple neighboring cells (e.g., gNB 120B). It should be understood that the subsequent discussion of IEs pertains to a single neighboring cell (e.g., gNB 120B), but those skilled in the art will recognize that in scenarios with multiple neighboring cells, csi-RS-CellList-Mobility 406 will contain information for multiple neighboring cells, not just one (such as gNB 120B).

[0032] In csi-RS-CellList-Mobility 406, these are IEs cellID 410, csi-rs-MeasurementBWdensity 412, csi-rs-ResourceList-Mobility 414, and DTX / DRX configuration 416. In some implementations, DTX / DRX configuration 416 can also be understood as DTX / DRX mode. DTX / DRX configuration 416 may include information about DTX activity / inactivity time windows of neighboring cells (e.g., window duration, offset, DTX cycle information, etc.). Therefore, the DTX / DRX configuration information is per-cell, for example, for each neighboring cell.

[0033] csi-rs-ResourceList-Mobility 414 is configured per resource. Within csi-rs-ResourceList-Mobility 414 are csi-RS-index 418, slotConfig 420, associatedSSB 422, frequencyDomainAllocation 424, firstOFDMSymbolInTimeDomain 426, and slotConfigForNES 430.

[0034] The network can configure the slot mode for NES in the form of slotConfigforNES 430. slotConfigforNES430 indicates to UE 110 the resources (e.g., frequency) and time for neighboring cell gNB 120B to not transmit CSI-RS due to NES. slotConfigForNES 430 also indicates the time periodicity and offset of the CSI-RS for neighboring cell gNB 120B when neighboring cell gNB 120B is using NES mode.

[0035] In associated SSB 422 are ssb-Index 432 and isQuasiColated 434. Those skilled in the art will recognize that mobility operation can be based on a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) or on CSI-RS. SSB-based mobility operation of exemplary embodiments will be discussed below.

[0036] In a second aspect of the exemplary implementation, this document discloses a novel UE measurement behavior for performing mobility measurements without measurement gaps (MG). When a UE performs CSI-RS-based mobility measurements (e.g., inter-frequency measurements) on neighboring cells without measurement gaps (MG), the UE needs to determine, for each target neighboring cell, whether the target cell is using DTX or NES mode.

[0037] Figure 5 Figure 500 illustrates a method for UE measurement behavior in the absence of a measurement gap (MG) according to various exemplary embodiments. Method 500 is applicable to a scenario where UE 110 is performing CSI-RS-based mobility measurements against a target neighboring cell (TNC) without an MG. Similarly, those skilled in the art will understand that references to a single target neighboring cell are merely exemplary, and the UE can perform mobility measurements against any number of neighboring cells. References to TNC in Method 500 can be understood to refer to gNB 120B.

[0038] In 502, UE 110 obtains the DTX configuration for gNB 120B. Typical operation of UE 110 with the serving cell (e.g., gNB 120A) includes reporting on neighboring cells. TNC DTX configuration 502 may include DTX window duration and offset, as well as DTX cycling (e.g., via DTX / DRX configuration 416).

[0039] In step 504, UE 110 determines whether the serving cell (e.g., gNB 120A) is using DTX. If the serving cell is using DTX, then in step 506, UE 110 determines whether DTX is currently enabled for the TNC. If DTX is not enabled for the TNC, UE 110 proceeds to step 510. In step 510, UE 110 measures CSI-RS in the legacy manner.

[0040] If the TNC does indeed have DTX enabled, UE 110 proceeds to 508. In 508, UE 110 determines the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window, for example, the number of times the TNC will send a CSI-RS resource set in the TNC DTX window.

[0041] If the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window is one, UE 110 proceeds to step 512. In step 512, UE 110 sets the physical layer (PHY) sampling interval for measuring CSI-RS from the TNC. In this example, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on max{CSI-RS periodicity, DTX cycle of neighboring cells, DRX cycle of serving cell}. As can be seen from this formula, when setting the PHY sampling interval, the CSI-RS periodicity, the TNC's DTX cycle, and the serving cell's DRX cycle are considered. This ensures that UE 110 will receive the CSI-RS sent by the TNC.

[0042] Returning to method 500, if the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window is greater than one in 508, UE 110 proceeds to 514. In 514, UE 110 determines whether to use samples across the DTX window for filtering.

[0043] If UE 110 uses samples across windows for filtering, then UE 110 proceeds to step 516 and sets the PHY sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, TNC DTX cycle, serving cell DRX cycle}. Similar to the example above, when setting the PHY sampling interval, the TNC DTX cycle and the serving cell DRX cycle are taken into account. This ensures that UE 110 will receive CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC within multiple DTX windows available for filtering.

[0044] If UE 110 does not use samples across the DTX window for filtering, UE 110 proceeds from determination 514 to 518. In 518, UE 110 sets the PHY sampling window within the DTX window to either max{CSI-RS periodicity, DRX cycle of the serving cell} or CSI-RS periodicity. In each of these cases, this ensures that UE 110 will receive CSI-RS in at least one DTX window.

[0045] In some exemplary implementations, the operations (508, 512, 514, 516, 518) following the "yes" path from determination 506 can be replaced by UE 110 setting the PHY sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, neighboring cell DTX cycle, serving cell DRX cycle}. In this example, it will be ensured that UE 110 receives CSI-RS in each DTX window of the TNC where CSI-RS was transmitted.

[0046] Returning to Decision 504, the discussion will now follow the "No" path (i.e., the serving cell does not use DTX) to Decision 520. In Decision 520, if the TNC does not enable DTX, UE 110 measures CSI-RS in the legacy manner in 510.

[0047] If the TNC does indeed have DTX enabled, UE 110 proceeds to 522, where UE 110 determines the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window.

[0048] If the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window is one, UE 110 proceeds to 524. In 524, UE 110 sets the physical layer (PHY) sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, DTX cycle of neighboring cells}. Since the serving cell does not use DTX / DRX (as determined in 504), this operating mode does not need to be considered when setting the PHY sampling interval. Therefore, only the CSI-RS periodicity and DTX cycle of neighboring cells are used to set the PHY sampling interval.

[0049] If the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window is greater than one, UE 110 proceeds to 530. In 530, UE 110 determines whether it will use samples across the window for filtering.

[0050] If UE 110 uses samples across the DTX window for filtering, then UE 110 proceeds to 526. In 526, UE 110 sets the PHY sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, DTX cycle of TNC}.

[0051] If UE 110 does not use samples across the DTX window for filtering, then UE 110 proceeds to 528. In 528, UE 110 sets the PHY sampling interval to CSI-RS periodicity.

[0052] In some exemplary implementations, the operations (522, 524, 530, 526, 528) following the "yes" path from determination 520 can alternatively be replaced by UE 110 setting the PHY sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, DTX cycle of neighboring cells}.

[0053] Figure 5 Method Figure 500 describes the scenario where the UE performs CSI-RS-based mobility measurements on the TNC without the MG.

[0054] Figure 6 Figure 600 illustrates a method for UE measurement behavior in the presence of measurement gaps (MGs) according to various exemplary embodiments. Method 600 is applicable to situations where the UE is performing CSI-RS-based mobility measurements on a TNC while MGs are present. The MGs used for CSI-RS measurements may fully or partially overlap with the DTX window of the TNC. When full overlap occurs, the MGs have the same or smaller periodicity as the DTX cycle periodicity (i.e., all MG timings overlap with the DTX cycle). Partial overlap indicates that the measurement gap repetition period (MGRP) is greater than the DTX cycle periodicity (i.e., a portion of the MG timings overlaps with the DTX cycle).

[0055] Operations 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 614, 620, 622, and 630 are respectively related to the above reference. Figure 5 Operations 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 514, 520, 522, and 530 are substantially similar and will not be described further. The difference between method 500 and method 600 lies in the variables considered when setting the PHY sampling interval. In method 600, in addition to considering one or more of the TNC's DTX cycle, CSI-RS periodicity, and the serving cell's DRX cycle, the MG must also be considered (e.g., by considering MGRP in some scenarios).

[0056] Returning to method 600 and proceeding from determination 608, if the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window is one, UE 110 proceeds to 612. In 612, UE 110 sets the physical layer (PHY) sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, TNC DTX cycle, serving cell DRX cycle, MGRP}. Therefore, in this scenario, MGRP is considered when setting the PHY sampling interval.

[0057] If the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window is greater than one, UE 110 proceeds to 614. In 614, UE 110 determines whether it should use samples across the DTX window for filtering.

[0058] If UE 110 uses cross-window samples for filtering, then UE 110 proceeds to step 616 and sets the PHY sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, TNC DTX cycle, serving cell DRX cycle, MGRP}. Similarly, in this scenario, MG is considered when setting the PHY sampling interval.

[0059] If UE 110 does not use samples across the DTX window for filtering, then UE 110 proceeds from determination 614 to 618, in which UE 110 sets the PHY sampling window within the DTX window to max{CSI-RS periodicity, DRX cycle of the serving cell, MGRP} or max{CSI-RS periodicity, MGRP}.

[0060] In some exemplary implementations, the operations (608, 612, 614, 616, 618) following the "yes" path from determination 606 can alternatively be replaced by UE 110 setting the PHY sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, DTX cycle of neighboring cells, DRX cycle of serving cell, MGRP}.

[0061] Returning to Determined 604, the discussion will now follow the "No" path (i.e., the serving cell does not use DTX) to Determined 620. In Determined 620, if the TNC does not enable DTX, UE 110 measures CSI-RS in the legacy manner in 610.

[0062] If the TNC does indeed have DTX enabled, UE 110 proceeds to 622, where UE 110 determines the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window.

[0063] If the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window is one, UE 110 proceeds to 624. In 624, UE 110 sets the physical layer (PHY) sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, TNC DTX cycle, MGRP}.

[0064] If the number of CSI-RS in the TNC DTX window is greater than one, UE 110 proceeds to 630. In 630, UE 110 determines whether it should use samples across the window for filtering.

[0065] If UE 110 uses samples across the DTX window for filtering, then UE 110 proceeds to 626. In 626, UE 110 sets the PHY sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, DTX cycle of neighboring cells, MGRP}.

[0066] If UE 110 does not use samples across the DTX window for filtering, then UE 110 proceeds to 628. In 628, UE 110 sets the PHY sampling interval to CSI-RS periodicity or max{CSI-RS periodicity, MGRP}.

[0067] In some exemplary implementations, the operations (622, 624, 630, 626, 628) following the "yes" path from determination 620 can alternatively be replaced by UE 110 setting the PHY sampling interval to max{CSI-RS periodicity, DTX cycle of neighboring cells, MGRP}.

[0068] In a third aspect of the exemplary implementation, when the TNC is in NES mode, operations related to SSB-based mobility or CSI-RS mobility are considered. These operations can be performed by the network or the UE.

[0069] In the first option, when NES is enabled on the TNC, the network can determine whether the UE should perform SSB-based mobility measurement or CSI-RS-based mobility measurement on the TNC. In this first option, when NES is enabled on the TNC, the network (e.g., the serving cell) can configure SSB-based mobility measurement on the TNC instead of CSI-RS-based mobility measurement. Therefore, in this option, the UE does not need to know whether the TNC is in NES mode, because the network will configure the UE to perform SSB-based mobility measurement, which should not be affected by NES mode.

[0070] In the second option, when NES is enabled on the TNC, the UE can determine whether the UE should perform SSB-based mobility measurement or CSI-RS mobility measurement on the TNC. Figure 7 Figure 700 illustrates a method for mobility operation when the target neighboring cell is in NES mode, according to various exemplary embodiments. As stated above, in the second option, the UE will determine whether to perform an SSB-based mobility measurement or a CSI-RS mobility measurement on the TNC.

[0071] In 702, the UE will receive mobility configuration for the TNC from the network (e.g., the serving cell). In this example, it can be assumed that the network has already configured the UE to perform CSI-RS mobility measurements for the TNC. However, as will be described in more detail below, in some scenarios, the UE will ignore the mobility configuration (e.g., the UE will skip performing CSI-RS mobility measurements).

[0072] In 704, the UE will determine whether the TNC can operate in NES mode. For example, if the UE receives slotcConfigforNES 430 IE in the TNC configuration, the UE will understand that the TNC can operate in NES mode. However, it should be understood that there may be other ways to determine whether the TNC can operate in NES mode. If the TNC cannot operate in NES mode, the UE will perform CSI-RS mobility measurements as configured in the mobility configuration (as shown in 706).

[0073] If the UE determines in 704 that the TNC is capable of operating in NES mode, there may be two options for selecting the type of mobility measurement to be performed. The first option is shown in 708, in which the UE will perform an SSB mobility measurement on the TNC and skip performing a CSI-RS mobility measurement, regardless of whether the TNC has NES mode enabled.

[0074] The second option is shown in 710, 712, and 714. In this second option, the UE will first determine whether NES mode is currently enabled for the TNC. If NES mode is not enabled, in 712, the UE will perform CSI-RS-based mobility measurements on the TNC as configured in the mobility configuration. If NES mode is enabled, in 714, the UE will perform SSB mobility measurements on the TNC and skip performing CSI-RS mobility measurements.

[0075] Example In a first embodiment, a method performed by a user equipment (UE) includes: receiving a target neighboring cell (TNC) configuration from a network, the TNC configuration including a discontinuous transmission (DTX) configuration and a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration, wherein the DTX configuration includes DTX cyclic periodicity and wherein the CSI-RS includes CSI-RS periodicity; determining a physical layer (PHY) sampling interval based at least on the DTX configuration or the CSI-RS configuration; and measuring the CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC during the PHY sampling interval.

[0076] In a second embodiment, the method according to the first embodiment further includes determining whether the serving cell is using discontinuous reception (DRX) mode.

[0077] In the third embodiment, the method according to the second embodiment further includes determining the number of CSI-RS sent by the TNC in the DTX window based at least on the DTX configuration and the CSI-RS configuration when the serving cell does not use the DRX mode.

[0078] In the fourth embodiment, according to the method of the third embodiment, wherein when the number of CSI-RS sent by the TNC in the DTX window is one, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the DTX cyclic periodicity.

[0079] In a fifth embodiment, according to the method of the third embodiment, wherein when the number of CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC in the DTX window is greater than one, the method further includes determining whether the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering.

[0080] In the sixth embodiment, according to the method of the fifth embodiment, the PHY sampling interval is the CSI-RS periodicity when the UE does not use cross-DTX window samples for filtering.

[0081] In the seventh embodiment, according to the method of the fifth embodiment, wherein when the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the DTX cyclic periodicity.

[0082] In the eighth embodiment, the method according to the third embodiment further includes determining to use a measurement gap (MG) to measure the CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC, wherein the MG has a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP).

[0083] In the ninth embodiment, according to the method of the eighth embodiment, wherein when the number of CSI-RS sent by the TNC in the DTX window is one, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the periodicity of the CSI-RS, the periodicity of the DTX cycle, or the maximum value of the MGRP.

[0084] In the tenth embodiment, according to the method of the eighth embodiment, wherein when the number of CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC in the DTX window is greater than one, the method further includes determining whether the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering.

[0085] In the eleventh embodiment, according to the method of the tenth embodiment, wherein when the UE does not use cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the CSI-RS periodicity or the MGRP.

[0086] In the twelfth embodiment, according to the method of the tenth embodiment, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cyclic periodicity, or the MGRP when the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering.

[0087] In the thirteenth embodiment, the method according to the second embodiment further includes, when the serving cell is not using the DRX mode, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the DTX cyclic periodicity.

[0088] In the fourteenth embodiment, according to the method of the second embodiment, wherein when the serving cell is not using the DRX mode, the method further includes determining to use a measurement gap (MG) to measure the CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC, wherein the MG has a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP), wherein the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the periodicity of the CSI-RS, the periodicity of the DTX cycle, or the maximum value of the MGRP.

[0089] In the fifteenth embodiment, according to the method of the second embodiment, wherein when the serving cell is using the DRX mode, the method further includes: determining the number of CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC in the DTX window based at least on the DTX configuration and the CSI-RS configuration; and determining the DRX cycle time for the DRX mode of the serving cell.

[0090] In the sixteenth embodiment, according to the method of the fifteenth embodiment, wherein when the number of CSI-RS sent by the TNC in the DTX window is one, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cycle periodicity, or the DRX cycle time.

[0091] In the seventeenth embodiment, according to the method of the fifteenth embodiment, wherein when the number of CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC in the DTX window is greater than one, the method further includes determining whether the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering.

[0092] In the eighteenth embodiment, according to the method of the seventeenth embodiment, wherein when the UE does not use cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the CSI-RS periodicity or the DRX cycle time.

[0093] In the nineteenth embodiment, according to the method of the seventeenth embodiment, wherein when the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cycle periodicity, or the DRX cycle time.

[0094] In the twentieth embodiment, the method according to the fifteenth embodiment further includes determining to use a measurement gap (MG) to measure the CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC, wherein the MG has a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP).

[0095] In the twenty-first embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-first embodiment, wherein when the number of CSI-RS sent by the TNC in the DTX window is one, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cycle periodicity, the DRX cycle time, or the MGRP.

[0096] In the twenty-second embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-tenth embodiment, wherein when the number of CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC in the DTX window is greater than one, the method further includes determining whether the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering.

[0097] In the twenty-third embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-second embodiment, wherein when the UE does not use cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is (a) the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DRX cycle time, or the MGRP, or (b) the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the MGRP.

[0098] In the twenty-fourth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-second embodiment, wherein when the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cycle periodicity, the DRX cycle time, or the MGRP.

[0099] In the twenty-fifth embodiment, the method according to the second embodiment further includes, when the serving cell is using the DRX mode, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DRX cycle time, or the DTX cycle periodicity.

[0100] In the twenty-sixth embodiment, according to the method of the second embodiment, wherein when the serving cell is using the DRX mode, the method further includes determining to use a measurement gap (MG) to measure the CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC, wherein the MG has a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP), wherein the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cycle periodicity, the DRX cycle time, or the MGRP.

[0101] In the twenty-seventh embodiment, one or more processors are configured to perform any one of the methods described according to the first to twenty-sixth embodiments.

[0102] In the twenty-eighth embodiment, a user equipment (UE) includes: a transceiver configured to communicate with a network; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform any one of the methods described according to the first to the twenty-sixth embodiments.

[0103] In a twenty-ninth embodiment, a method performed by a serving cell includes: determining that a target neighboring cell (TNC) for a user equipment (UE) is operating in a network power saving (NES) mode; and configuring the UE to perform a mobility measurement based on a synchronization signal block (SSB) based on the TNC operating in the NES mode.

[0104] In the thirtieth embodiment, one or more processors are configured to perform the method according to the twenty-ninth embodiment.

[0105] In the thirty-first embodiment, a base station includes: a transceiver configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE); and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform the method according to the twenty-ninth embodiment.

[0106] In the thirty-second embodiment, a method performed by a user equipment (UE) includes: determining whether a target neighboring cell (TNC) for the UE is operating in network power saving (NES) mode; and receiving a mobility configuration from a network, the mobility configuration instructing the UE to perform channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) mobility measurement on the TNC.

[0107] In the thirty-third embodiment, the method according to the thirty-second embodiment further includes performing a mobility measurement based on a synchronization signal block (SSB) on the TNC and skipping the CSI-RS mobility measurement on the TNC.

[0108] In the thirty-fourth embodiment, the method according to the thirty-second embodiment further includes performing a mobility measurement based on a synchronization signal block (SSB) on the TNC while the TNC is operating in the NES mode, and skipping the CSI-RS mobility measurement on the TNC.

[0109] In the thirty-fifth embodiment, the method according to the thirty-second embodiment further includes performing CSI-RS mobility measurement on the TNC based on the mobility configuration when the TNC is not operating in the NES mode.

[0110] In the thirty-sixth embodiment, one or more processors are configured to perform any one of the methods described according to the thirty-second to thirty-fifth embodiments.

[0111] In the twenty-eighth embodiment, a user equipment (UE) includes: a transceiver configured to communicate with a network; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform any one of the methods described according to the thirty-second to thirty-fifth embodiments.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments described above can be implemented with any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof. Exemplary hardware platforms for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, Intel x86-based platforms with compatible operating systems, Windows OS, Mac platforms and MAC OS, and mobile devices with operating systems such as iOS, Android, etc. Exemplary embodiments of the methods described above may be embodied as programs containing lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when compiled, can be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

[0113] Although this application describes various embodiments that have different features in various combinations, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of one embodiment can be combined with features of other embodiments in any way that is not expressly denied or that is not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation of the device or the specified function of the disclosed embodiment.

[0114] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0115] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to this disclosure without departing from its spirit or scope. Therefore, this disclosure is intended to cover modifications and variations thereof, provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising: Receive target neighboring cell (TNC) configuration from the network, the TNC configuration including discontinuous transmission (DTX) configuration and channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration, wherein the DTX configuration includes DTX cyclic periodicity, and wherein the CSI-RS includes CSI-RS periodicity; The physical layer (PHY) sampling interval is determined at least based on the DTX configuration or the CSI-RS configuration; and The CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC is measured during the PHY sampling interval.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determine whether the serving cell is using Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: When the serving cell does not use the DRX mode, the number of CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC in the DTX window is determined based at least on the DTX configuration and the CSI-RS configuration.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when the number of CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC in the DTX window is one, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the DTX cyclic periodicity.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein when the number of CSI-RS sent by the TNC in the DTX window is greater than one, the method further comprises: Determine whether the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein when the UE does not use cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is the periodicity of the CSI-RS.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein when the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the DTX cyclic periodicity.

8. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: It is determined that the measurement gap (MG) is used to measure the CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC, wherein the MG has a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the number of CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC in the DTX window is one, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the periodicity of the CSI-RS, the periodicity of the DTX cycle, or the maximum value of the MGRP.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein when the number of CSI-RS sent by the TNC in the DTX window is greater than one, the method further comprises: Determine whether the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when the UE does not use cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the CSI-RS periodicity or the MGRP.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein when the UE is filtering using cross-DTX window samples, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cyclic periodicity, or the MGRP.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein when the serving cell is using the DRX mode, the method further comprises: The number of CSI-RS sent by the TNC in the DTX window is determined based at least on the DTX configuration and the CSI-RS configuration. as well as Determine the DRX cycle time for the DRX mode used in the serving cell.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when the number of CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC in the DTX window is one, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cycle periodicity, or the DRX cycle time.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein when the number of CSI-RS sent by the TNC in the DTX window is greater than one, the method further comprises: Determine whether the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein when the UE does not use cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the CSI-RS periodicity or the DRX cycle time.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein when the UE is filtering using cross-DTX window samples, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cycle periodicity, or the DRX cycle time.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising: It is determined that the measurement gap (MG) is used to measure the CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC, wherein the MG has a measurement gap repetition period (MGRP).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein when the number of CSI-RS transmitted by the TNC in the DTX window is one, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cycle periodicity, the DRX cycle time, or the MGRP.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein when the number of CSI-RS sent by the TNC in the DTX window is greater than one, the method further comprises: Determine whether the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein when the UE does not use cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is (a) the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DRX cycle time, or the MGRP, or (b) the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity or the MGRP.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein when the UE is using cross-DTX window samples for filtering, the PHY sampling interval is determined based on the maximum value of the CSI-RS periodicity, the DTX cycle periodicity, the DRX cycle time, or the MGRP.

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