Apparatus, apparatus and method for measuring offloading

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to equipment, a device and a method for measuring unloading. In an aspect, a terminal device stores system information including at least one condition for applying a measurement offload from a first type of radio to a second type of radio. Based on the system information, the terminal device evaluates whether at least one condition is satisfied according to at least one measurement performed in the first state. Based on determining that the at least one condition is satisfied, the terminal device applies measurement offloading in accordance with a state transition from the first state to the second state. Therefore, the power consumption of the terminal device is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to the field of communications, and more particularly to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for measuring unloading. Background Technology

[0002] A communication network can be viewed as a facility that enables communication between two or more communication devices or provides communication devices with access to a data network. Mobile or wireless communication networks are an example of communication networks.

[0003] Such communication networks operate according to standards, such as those issued by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) or the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Examples of such standards include the so-called fifth-generation (5G) standard or other standards issued by 3GPP. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Overall, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for measuring unloading (e.g., rapid measurement unloading).

[0005] In a first aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: store system information including: at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio; evaluate, based on the system information and according to at least one measurement performed in a first state, whether at least one condition is satisfied; and, based on determining that at least one condition is satisfied, apply measurement offloading according to a state transition from the first state to the second state.

[0006] In a second aspect, a method is provided at a terminal device. The method includes storing system information including: at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio; evaluating, based on the system information, whether at least one condition is satisfied according to at least one measurement performed in a first state; and applying measurement offloading according to a state transition from the first state to the second state based on determining that at least one condition is satisfied.

[0007] In a third aspect, an apparatus for a terminal device is provided. The apparatus includes: components for storing system information, the system information including: at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio; components for evaluating whether at least one condition is satisfied based on at least one measurement performed in a first state according to the system information; and components for applying measurement offloading based on a state transition from the first state to the second state based on determining that at least one condition is satisfied.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the method according to the third aspect.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a computer program is provided, including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to the third aspect.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes a storage circuit system configured to store system information including at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio; an evaluation circuit system configured to evaluate, based on the system information and according to at least one measurement performed in a first state, whether at least one condition is satisfied; and an application circuit system configured to apply measurement offloading based on a state transition from the first state to the second state, according to the determination that at least one condition is satisfied.

[0011] It should be understood that the summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1A An example network environment in which example embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented is shown;

[0014] Figure 1B An example of UE operation with LP-WUR associated with aspects of this disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figure 2 Example signaling diagrams illustrating example processes according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0016] Figure 3 A flowchart is shown illustrating an example method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 4 Example procedures for solutions proposed according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0018] Figure 5 A flowchart is shown illustrating a method implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 6A flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 7 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0021] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and are intended to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, without implying any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0024] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0025] References to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it should be assumed that in conjunction with other embodiments, such a feature, structure, or characteristic would affect such a feature, structure, or characteristic in the knowledge of those skilled in the art, whether or not it is explicitly described.

[0026] It should be understood that although terms such as “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0027] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” and / or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, wherein the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, indicates at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0028] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0029] (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., implementation using only analog and / or digital circuit systems) and

[0030] (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable):

[0031] (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0032] (ii) Any part of the hardware processor(s) having software (including the digital signal processor(s), software and memory(s) working together to enable the device(s) to perform various functions) and

[0033] (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when operation does not require software.

[0034] This definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" also covers only the implementation of hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors) or a portion thereof and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuit system" also covers, for example, if applicable to a particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or networking device.

[0035] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, future types of communication technologies and systems will naturally exist, and exemplary embodiments of these disclosed methods can be embodied. This should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure to the systems described above.

[0036] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Network devices can refer to base stations (BS) or access points (APs), such as Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), New Radio (NR) NB (also known as gNB), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Head (RH), Remote Radio Head (RRH), relay, low-power nodes (such as femtoseconds and picoseconds), depending on the terminology and technology used.

[0037] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device that may be capable of wireless communication. As an example and not a limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices can include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless client devices (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal equipment", "communication equipment", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0038] Figure 1A An example communication environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. Environment 100 may be part of a communication network, including terminal devices and network devices.

[0039] like Figure 1A As shown, the communication network 100 may include terminal device 110 (hereinafter also referred to as user equipment 110 or UE 110). The communication network 100 may also include network device 120. Network device 120 can manage cell 101. Terminal device 110 and network device 120 are able to communicate with each other within the coverage of cell 101 (i.e., the serving cell). The communication network 100 may also include some neighboring cells, such as neighboring cells 102 and 103. The number of neighboring cells is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. The link from terminal device 110 to network device 120 is referred to as an uplink (UL), and the link from network device 120 to terminal device 110 is referred to as a downlink (DL).

[0040] It should be understood that the number of devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. System 100 may include any suitable number of terminal devices or network devices suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. Although not shown, it will be understood that one or more terminal devices or network devices may be located in environment 100.

[0041] Communication in communication system 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), and fifth-generation (5G), wireless local area network communication protocols (such as IEEE 802.11), and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technologies currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0042] For version 18, a Low-Power Wake-Up Signal (WUS) and Receiver (WUR) for NR have been agreed upon. The use of an additional LP-WUR (LR) at the UE is evaluated to reduce overall UE power consumption. When no processing (e.g., traffic / measurement) is required, the UE's primary radio / receiver (MR) can enter sleep mode (or even be turned off) to conserve power. Upon receiving a newly defined WUS by the LP-WUR, the MR can be easily woken up by the network when needed. Essentially, the network triggers the UE to wake up the MR by sending a special WUS to the UE in an event-driven manner when needed. The WUS is monitored by a dedicated LP-WUR at the UE. When the UE receives the WUS, the LP-WUR can trigger the wake-up of the regular MR transceiver, and communication can be initiated. In other words, the ultra-low-power receiver wakes up the MR; otherwise, the MR can remain in a powered-off or deep sleep mode.

[0043] Figure 1B An example of UE operation with LP-WUR associated with aspects of this disclosure is shown. Figure 1B As shown, the UE may include a main radio 130 and an ultra-low power wake-up receiver 140 (i.e., LP-WUR). If the LP-WUR is in a "OFF" state, it cannot be activated by a wake-up signal, and the main radio 130 is in an "OFF" state or deep sleep mode. If the LP-WUR is in an "OFF" state, it can be activated by a wake-up signal, and the main radio 130 can be activated by the LP-WUR and transition to an "OFF" state.

[0044] Assume that the LP-WUR can be operated in an always-on manner with very low power consumption. By designing a simple signal (e.g., WUS) and using dedicated hardware for its monitoring, it is expected that the LP-WUR will consume significantly less power compared to an NR transceiver, and the LP-WUR will be able to receive WUS.

[0045] The power consumption of MR depends on the length of the configured wake-up period, such as the paging cycle. To meet battery life requirements, longer Extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycles may be used, but this introduces higher latency. Therefore, eDRX is not suitable for services requiring both long battery life and low latency. For example, in fire detection and suppression use cases, fire-resistant roller shutters should close within 1 to 2 seconds of a fire being detected by a sensor, and fire sprinkler heads should open by actuators; longer eDRX cycles cannot meet latency requirements. Therefore, eDRX is clearly unsuitable for latency-critical use cases.

[0046] The Rel-18 research project, "study on low-power wake-up signal and receiver for NR," includes research on the following:

[0047] - Low-power wake-up signals and receivers, including power saving benefits, coverage, system overhead impact, network power consumption impact, and other related aspects.

[0048] - Receiver architecture for low-power wake-up receivers, and provides analysis of power consumption, noise figure, etc.

[0049] - Supports L1 design and process changes required for low-power wake-up signals, as well as evaluation of link performance.

[0050] - Higher-level protocol changes required to support low-power wake-up signals.

[0051] -Related RAN4 impact.

[0052] In order to achieve UE power saving gains through LP-WUS and / or LP-WUR, when the UE is in deep sleep using LP-WUS or MR, radio resource management (RRM) measurements of the serving cell and neighboring cells via the UE's MR are relaxed or can be stopped.

[0053] For version 19, in order to properly define and standardize WUS and support the operation of UEs with LP-WUR, a work project with the following objectives was approved.

[0054] - For idle / inactive modes, specify the LP-WUS procedure and configuration for paging monitoring triggered by LP-WUS, including at least the configuration, sub-packets, and entry / exit conditions (RAN2, RAN1, RAN3, RAN4) for LP-WUS monitoring; specify additional RRM relaxations for UE MR measurements of serving cell and neighboring cells, and offload UE serving cell RRM measurements from MR to LP-WUS, including necessary conditions (RAN4, RAN2). - Investigate corresponding base station requirements, such as the dynamic range for LP-WUS / LP-SS, and specify or support them by declaration as necessary.

[0055] ■ Current NR base station requirements serve as a baseline;

[0056] ■ Specify the necessary RRM requirements.

[0057] The following agreement was reached: Measurement requirements for LP-WUR serving cell measurements based on existing PSS / SSS in idle / inactive states.

[0058] However, the procedures for LP-WUR measurement and activation are not covered. The focus of LP-WUR-based measurement requirements is on idle and inactive modes, while connected modes are not a primary concern.

[0059] For idle mode, the measurement configuration for LP-WUR is expected to be provided at least in the system information. According to 38.331, UEs in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states should ensure that they have (at least) valid versions of MIB, SIB1 to SIB4, SIB5 (if the UE supports E-UTRA), SIB11 (if the UE is configured for idle / inactive measurements), SIB12 (if the UE can support NR sidelink communication and is configured by a higher layer to receive or transmit NR sidelink communication), and SIB13 and SIB14 (if the UE can support V2X sidelink communication and is configured by a higher layer to receive or transmit V2X sidelink communication).

[0060] The UE can store certain system information for a limited time. However, some or all of the system information may need to be retrieved. LP-WUS-related configuration for idle / inactive states is provided via system information. Whether a dedicated configuration (FFS) is required requires further investigation. Assume that the LP-WUS configuration in the SIB includes at least the following information: LP-SS configuration, LP-WUS configuration, and an FFS regarding entry / exit conditions for LP-WUS monitoring.

[0061] Once the UE enters idle mode, if it has not stored valid system information, it needs to read some or all of the system information and obtain any LP-WUR / WUS information and necessary configurations. This process takes time in idle mode, and the UE needs to use MR while receiving the necessary system information. Additionally, evaluating the LP-WUS detection entry conditions may also take time.

[0062] During this period, UE behavior regarding the use of measurement offloading to the LP-WUR has not been discussed or agreed upon. During this acquisition time and LP-WUS monitoring entry condition assessment time, the UE performs idle / inactive mode measurements using either MR or LP-WUR. To facilitate and maximize the benefits of active offloading from MR to LP-WUR for UE power savings, it is beneficial to allow for rapid UE offloading by defining effective offloading assessment conditions.

[0063] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, a solution for measurement offloading is provided. In one aspect of this solution, based on a state transition from a first state to a second state, a terminal device evaluates whether at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio is met based on at least one measurement performed in the first state. Based on determining that the at least one condition is met, the terminal device applies measurement offloading by entering the second state.

[0064] In another aspect of this solution, the terminal device stores system information including at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio. Based on this system information, the terminal device evaluates whether the at least one condition is met based on at least one measurement performed in a first state. Based on determining that the at least one condition is met, the terminal device applies measurement offloading according to the state transition from the first state to the second state. Therefore, the power consumption of the terminal device is reduced. The principles and implementation of embodiments of this disclosure will be referenced below. Figures 2 to 8 It is described in detail.

[0065] Figure 2 Signaling diagrams of example processes 200 according to some embodiments of this disclosure are shown. For discussion purposes, process 200 will be referenced. Figure 1A The process 200 may involve terminal device 110 and network device 120. It should be understood that although process 200 has already been described... Figure 1A The communication environment 100 is described, but the process can also be applied to other communication scenarios with similar problems.

[0066] In process 200, network device 120 sends configuration 215 210 to terminal device 110. Configuration 215 includes at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio based on a state transition from a first state to a second state. At the other end of the communication, terminal device 110 can receive configuration 215 220 from network device 120.

[0067] In some embodiments, the first type of radio may include MR, and the second type of radio may include LP-WUR. In other words, MR can offload measurements to LP-WUR, and LP-WUR can also offload measurements to MR.

[0068] Alternatively or otherwise, configuration 215 may be sent via system information, RRC messages, or a combination of the above. For example, an RRC message may be an RRC establishment message, an RRC reconfiguration message, an RRC release message, or an RRC recovery message.

[0069] In one example, configuration 215 could be a serving cell measurement configuration in connected mode. In another example, configuration 215 could be an RRCRelease configuration. In yet another example, configuration 215 could be an SIB-based configuration. In yet another example, configuration 215 could be an RRCSetup configuration. In yet another example, configuration 215 could be an RRCResume configuration.

[0070] In some embodiments, network device 120 may send configuration 215 to terminal device 110 in a first state or a second state. In one example, network device 120 may send configuration 215 to terminal device 110 in the first state via system information, an RRC message, or a combination of the above. In yet another example, network device 120 may send configuration 215 to terminal device 110 in the second state via an RRC setting message, an RRC recovery message, or a combination of both.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first state may include a connected state (hereinafter also referred to as a connected mode), and the second state may include one of an idle state or an inactive state (hereinafter also referred to as an idle mode or an inactive mode). For example, when terminal device 110 transitions from a connected state to an idle state or an inactive state, the MR may offload measurements to the LP-WUR. Alternatively, the first state may include one of an idle state or an inactive state, and the second state may include a connected state. For example, when terminal device 110 transitions from an idle state or an inactive state to a connected state, the LP-WUR may offload measurements to the MR.

[0072] In some embodiments, at least one condition may be predefined. In some embodiments, at least one condition may be indicated in broadcast system information stored by the terminal device. In some embodiments, at least one condition may be indicated in configuration 215 received via an RRC message. For example, the at least one condition may be indicated in configuration 215 received via an RRC establishment message, an RRC reconfiguration message, an RRC release message, an RRC recovery message, or any combination of two or more of the above.

[0073] Continue to refer to Figure 2 Based on the state transition from the first state to the second state, the terminal device 110 evaluates whether at least one condition for applying the measurement offloading from the first type of radio to the second type of radio is met, based on at least one measurement performed in the first state.

[0074] In one example, terminal device 110 can evaluate LP-WUR offloading conditions (i.e., at least one condition), such as PSS / SSS-based LP-WUR, based on information from serving cell measurements (i.e., at least one measurement performed in the first state). Additionally, based on the serving cell measurements, terminal device 110 can also activate the LP-WUR if the conditions associated with LP-WUR activation are met. Terminal device 110 can compare the serving cell measurements performed with respect to MR with predefined relaxation conditions (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) points). If the measurement results meet the criteria associated with the predefined relaxation conditions, terminal device 110 can be permitted to offload the serving cell measurements to the LP-WUR.

[0075] Alternatively or additionally, the at least one measurement can be performed by a first type of radio. For example, an MR can perform the measurement in connected mode. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one measurement can be performed by a second type of radio. For example, an LP-WUR can perform the measurement in connected mode.

[0076] Additionally, the at least one measurement can be performed based on at least one of PSS or SSS. For example, the measurement result can be based on PSS / SSS. Alternatively or additionally, at least one measurement can be performed based on LP-SS. For example, the measurement result can be based on LP-SS.

[0077] In some embodiments, to assess whether at least one condition is met, terminal device 110 may compare at least one value of at least one measurement with one or more thresholds associated with the at least one condition. Alternatively or additionally, one or more thresholds may be the same. Alternatively, one or more thresholds may be different.

[0078] For example, if terminal device 110 receives configuration 215 from network device 120, and configuration 215 is a dedicated configuration, the dedicated configuration includes the conditions under which terminal device 110 is allowed to offload measurements. Terminal device 110 compares the serving cell measurements performed in connected mode (performed by MR or LP-WUR) with the thresholds provided in the dedicated configuration. These thresholds may be different or the same, and may be defined based on RAN1 and RAN4 requirements. In one example, the dedicated configuration may be an RRCReconfiguration message during connected mode. In another example, the configuration may be a dedicated configuration provided in an RRCRelease message.

[0079] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine whether at least one condition is met after switching from a connected mode to an idle or inactive mode or switching from an idle or inactive mode to a connected mode.

[0080] Continue to refer to Figure 2 Based on the determination that at least one condition is met, terminal device 110 applies measurement offloading 230 upon entering the second state. In some examples, the result of activating LP-WUR offloading is that terminal device 110 offloads MR measurements to LP-WUR, and once terminal device 110 enters idle / inactive mode, MR relaxation applies. In other words, the result is that terminal device 110 “turns off” some or all MR measurements (the relaxations specified in the LP-WUR requirements are applied).

[0081] For example, terminal device 110 may be allowed to enable LP-WUR based on serving cell measurements and an evaluation using measurements performed in connected mode. These conditions may have already been met, but the actual MR offload occurs from the RRCConnectionRelease message or the corresponding signal that transfers the UE to idle / inactive mode.

[0082] The RRC release message may or may not contain a dedicated configuration. In the case of a dedicated configuration, terminal device 110 can read and decode the dedicated configuration and perform an evaluation based on the content contained in the release message. Terminal device 110 can compare the serving cell measurement performed in connected mode with the entry threshold provided in the dedicated RRC Release configuration. If the serving cell measurement or neighboring cell measurement in connected mode meets the threshold, the UE can be allowed to offload from the start of the RRC Release message, for example, after terminal device 110 has processed the RRC Release configuration and performed the evaluation.

[0083] For scenarios requiring no dedicated configuration, terminal device 110 can obtain information about the conditions in advance and can directly evaluate the MR offload conditions upon receiving the RRCConnectionRelease message. Terminal device 110 can perform activation autonomously without explicit instructions from network device 120.

[0084] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may apply measurement offloading after receiving an RRC message from network device for the terminal device to transition from a connected mode to an idle or inactive mode. For example, the MR may offload measurements to the LP-WUR after receiving an RRCConnectionRelease message. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may apply measurement offloading after receiving an RRC message from network device for the terminal device to transition from an idle or inactive mode to a connected mode. For example, the LP-WUR may also offload measurements to the MR after receiving an RRC set message or an RRC resume message.

[0085] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may apply measurement offloading after receiving a first indication of a state transition from a network device. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may perform activation based on an indication from network device 120 (e.g., network device 120) including an indication of which cell begins performing LP-WUR measurements. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may apply measurement offloading after a state transition initiated by the terminal device. In one example, activation is performed when an "entry" condition is met on the terminal device 110 side.

[0086] Activation is considered different from configuration 215. In other words, configuring LP-WUR does not mean that LP-WUR is activated immediately. Activation can occur on a provided trigger or be associated with a condition that enables the UE to activate MR offloading to facilitate idle mode. For example, based on measurements, terminal device 110 can activate LP-WUR based on serving cell measurement configuration.

[0087] In some embodiments, at least one condition may be at least one first condition, and the terminal device 110 may also evaluate whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met based on at least one measurement performed in the first state. If at least one second condition is met, the terminal device 110 may activate the second type of radio.

[0088] For example, once the relaxed conditions are met, the LP-WUR can be activated directly. (For example, the LP-WUR may already be in connected mode). In one example, terminal device 110 can activate the LP-WUR once the conditions are met, regardless of whether these conditions are met in idle mode or inactive mode.

[0089] Alternatively or additionally, in order to assess whether at least one second condition is met, terminal device 110 may determine whether the first power of the second type of radio performing at least one measurement is lower than a first threshold, and determine whether the second power of both the second type of radio and the first type of radio performing at least one measurement is lower than a second threshold. Furthermore, if the first power is lower than the first threshold and the second power is lower than the second threshold, terminal device 110 may activate the second type of radio.

[0090] For example, if the power of the LP-WUR is very low and the effort to maintain parallel measurements of the LP-WUR and MR on the serving cell is low, this may be advantageous for the terminal device 110 to start it once the conditions are met.

[0091] Additionally, the first and second thresholds can be predefined or stored by the terminal device 110, or configured by the network device 120. The terminal device 110 can perform serving cell measurements in connected mode and evaluate the serving cell measurements against a specified LP-WUS entry threshold. If the accuracy requirements mandated by the LP-WUS entry conditions are met, the terminal device 110 activates the LP-WUS upon receiving the RRRCrease message.

[0092] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may periodically evaluate whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met. In other words, the condition evaluation may be periodic; for example, terminal device 110 may perform repeated evaluations on the serving cell.

[0093] In some embodiments, at least one second condition and at least one first condition may be the same. For example, the condition for LP-WUR activation may (re)use the condition defined for offloading when the terminal device 110 is in idle / inactive mode, but use the measurement obtained simultaneously in connected mode.

[0094] Additionally, if the second type of radio is activated in the first state, the terminal device 110 can maintain the second type of radio activation after transitioning to the second state. For example, if the terminal device 110 uses LP-WUR in connected mode, it can continue to use LP-WUR after connecting to the idle / inactive mode transition or while selecting the same cell.

[0095] In some embodiments, the RRC message may also include a second indication that the terminal device 110 is permitted to perform at least one measurement by a second type of radio. For example, network device 120 may need to include an indication in the RRC Release message that indicates that the terminal device 110 is permitted to directly switch to LP-WUR.

[0096] In some embodiments, network device 120 may send a third instruction for application measurement offloading to terminal device 110 after receiving an RRC message. Correspondingly, terminal device 110 may receive the third instruction for application measurement offloading after receiving an RRC message from the network device. For example, network device 120 may instruct terminal device 110 to perform an evaluation of MR offloading upon receiving an RRCRelease message.

[0097] Additionally, the RRC message may include a fourth indication of whether the terminal device 110 is permitted to perform at least one measurement via a second type of radio after transitioning from the first state to the second state. For example, network device 120 indicates in the RRCConnectionRelease message whether the UE is permitted to immediately use LP-WUR in idle / inactive mode. If network device 120 indicates that terminal device 110 is permitted to immediately use LP-WUR in idle / inactive mode, then terminal device 110 begins LP-WUS monitoring immediately after the connection is released.

[0098] In one example, the fourth instruction may instruct the terminal device 110 not to perform at least one measurement via the second type of radio after a state transition from the first state to the second state, and the terminal device 110 may evaluate whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met in the second state, and maintain at least one measurement of the first type of radio.

[0099] For example, if network device 120 instructs terminal device 110 in a dedicated configuration that it is not allowed to immediately begin LP-WUS monitoring, terminal device 110 can begin evaluating LP-WUS monitoring entry conditions in idle mode (without immediately unloading). Terminal device 110 may need to continue maintaining MR measurements for, for example, neighboring cells and serving cells.

[0100] Additionally, if terminal device 110 uses LP-WUR in connected mode, it continues to use LP-WUR in idle / inactive mode. If terminal device 110 does not use LP-WUR in connected mode, it begins to evaluate LP-WUS monitoring entry conditions (if any).

[0101] Alternatively or additionally, terminal device 110 may also send the following to network device 120: a fifth indication of whether measurement offloading is applied, the enabled status of the first type of radio, the enabled status of the second type of radio, measurement information of the first type of radio, measurement information of the second type of radio, maintenance configuration of the first type of radio, maintenance configuration of the second type of radio, or any combination of two or more of the above.

[0102] For example, terminal device 110 may or may not indicate to network device 120 whether LP-WUR offloading has been applied. That is, there may be new indications / flags that terminal device 110 needs to send. In addition, terminal device 110 may transmit the status of MR and / or LP-WUR (e.g., enabled / disabled), measurement-related information of MR and / or LP-WUR, and information associated with LP-WUR or MR (e.g., status flags, maintenance configuration, etc.).

[0103] On the other side of the communication, network device 120 may receive from terminal device 110 the following: a fifth indication of whether measurement offload is applied, the enabled state of the first type of radio, the enabled state of the second type of radio, measurement information of the first type of radio, measurement information of the second type of radio, maintenance configuration of the first type of radio, maintenance configuration of the second type of radio, or any combination of two or more of the above.

[0104] Based on process 200, a method and solution are proposed to enable terminal device 110 to immediately offload measurements from MR to LP-WUR after entering an idle or inactive state. Therefore, the use of early activation of LP-WUR is facilitated based on measurements performed simultaneously with the UE in connected mode. Based on serving cell measurements performed simultaneously in connected mode, along with the necessary information provided for the evaluation used for LP-WUR offloading, terminal device 110 can benefit from immediately offloading applications to LP-WUR after the connection has been released.

[0105] Table 1 shows the different options for configuring 215.

[0106] Table 1 shows the different options for configuring 215.

[0107]

[0108]

[0109] Figure 3 A flowchart of an example method 300 implemented at a terminal device 110 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, method 300 will be referred to Figure 1A This is described from the perspective of terminal device 110. It should be understood that some embodiments described in conjunction with process 200 are also applicable to method 300, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0110] At block 310, terminal device 110 stores system information, including at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio. For example, terminal device 110 may store SIBs. Terminal device 110 may store at least the SIB configuration associated with the serving cell. If the SIBs of neighboring cells are included in the SIB configuration provided by the cell, terminal device 110 may also store the SIBs of neighboring cells.

[0111] Alternatively or additionally, the first type of radio may include MR, and the second type of radio may include LP-WUR. In some embodiments, the first type of radio may include LP-WUR, and the second type of radio may include MR.

[0112] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may store system information in a first state. Additionally, the terminal device 110 may maintain the system information from a second state back to the first state.

[0113] Additionally, based on system information, terminal device 110 can obtain at least one parameter for the second type of radio, and then terminal device 110 can store the at least one parameter. For example, terminal device 110 can read and decode the SIB and store the corresponding LP-WUR parameter in memory, making it usable.

[0114] In addition, the system information may be first system information associated with the serving cell of the terminal device, and the terminal device may also store second system information associated with at least one neighboring cell of the terminal device.

[0115] At block 320, based on system information, terminal device 110 evaluates whether at least one condition is met based on at least one measurement performed in the first state. For example, terminal device 110 can maintain the SIB from idle mode to connected mode. For example, terminal device 110 can perform LP-WUR evaluation based on SIB configuration. Terminal device 110 can evaluate LP-WUR offloading conditions based on serving cell measurements (e.g., LP-WUR based on PSS / SSS). Terminal device 110 can use measurements taken in connected mode after reading the SIB.

[0116] Alternatively or additionally, the first state may include a connected state, and the second state may include either an idle state or an inactive state. Alternatively, the first state may include either an idle state or an inactive state, and the second state may include a connected state.

[0117] In some embodiments, in order to assess whether at least one condition is met, terminal device 110 may compare at least one measurement with at least one condition. For example, terminal device 110 may compare a serving cell measurement performed on MR with a predefined (e.g., SNR point) relaxed condition.

[0118] Additionally, terminal device 110 can determine whether at least one condition is met after transitioning from a connected state to an idle or inactive state, or vice versa. For example, terminal device 110 can perform an LP-WUR evaluation during RCRelease.

[0119] Additionally, terminal device 110 can determine whether at least one condition is met in the first state. For example, terminal device 110 can perform an LP-WUR evaluation during connected mode. Terminal device 110 can read SIB information in connected mode or idle / inactive mode.

[0120] At block 330, based on the determination that at least one condition is met, terminal device 110 applies measurement unloading according to the state transition from the first state to the second state.

[0121] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may apply measurement offload after receiving an RRC message from network device indicating that the terminal device is transitioning from a connected state to an idle or inactive state. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may apply measurement offload after receiving an RRC message from network device indicating that the terminal device is transitioning from an idle or inactive state to a connected state. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may apply measurement offload after receiving an indication of a state transition from network device. In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may apply measurement offload after a state transition is initiated by the terminal device.

[0122] For example, upon receiving the RRCRelease message, terminal device 110 can read the stored SIB, check the conditions, and if the conditions included in the SIB have been met, begin offloading the MR to the LP-WUR. There is no LP-WUR activation delay after entering idle mode, and the power of terminal device 110 can be immediately reduced after entering idle mode (after RRCRelease). Terminal device 110 directly stops performing measurements other than serving cell measurements after entering idle mode.

[0123] In some embodiments, at least one condition may be at least one first condition, and the terminal device 110 may also evaluate whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met based on at least one measurement performed in the first state. If at least one second condition is met, the terminal device may activate the second type of radio.

[0124] Alternatively or additionally, in order to assess whether at least one second condition is met, terminal device 110 may determine whether the first power of the second type of radio performing at least one measurement is lower than a first threshold, and determine whether the second power of the second type of radio and the first type of radio performing at least one measurement is lower than a second threshold.

[0125] Additionally, if the first power is below a first threshold and the second power is below a second threshold, the terminal device 110 may activate the second type of radio. Furthermore, the first and second thresholds may be predefined or stored by the terminal device 110, or configured by the network device 120.

[0126] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may periodically evaluate whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met. In some embodiments, at least one second condition and at least one first condition may be the same.

[0127] Additionally, if the second type of radio is activated in the first state, terminal device 110 can maintain the second type of radio activation after transitioning to the second state. Alternatively or additionally, terminal device 110 may also send an indication of whether measurement offload is applied to network device 120.

[0128] Given method 300, terminal device 110 can completely or partially reduce or stop MR neighbor cell measurements depending on the final requirements defined for LP-WUR. The total power consumption of terminal device 110 is reduced compared to the case where terminal device 110 does not use LP-WUR. The power consumption of terminal device 110 is reduced when using this feature compared to the case where the UE starts LP-WUR activation in idle mode. For example, after entering idle mode, terminal device 110 maintains MR measurements and LP-WUR measurements in parallel, which consumes more power than if terminal device 110 activates LP-WUR directly during connected mode or after entering idle mode. The measurement latency is longer when terminal device 110 has not yet performed measurements than when terminal device 110 has performed measurements. If LP-WUR and MR can be observed independently, MR activity is immediately reduced after entering idle mode.

[0129] Figure 4 Example procedures for a proposed solution according to some embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated. Procedure 400 may involve UE 401, serving cell 402, neighboring cell 1 403, and neighboring cell N 404. It should be understood that the number of neighboring cells is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. Procedure 400 may include any suitable number of neighboring cells suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. Procedure 400 can be considered as... Figure 2 In the process 200 or Figure 3 A more specific example of method 300. Therefore, Figure 4 UE 401 in the context can be Figure 1A Example of terminal device 110.

[0130] like Figure 4 As shown, at 410, UE 401 is in the RRC_CONNECTED state. At 415, UE 401 performs a measurement of serving cell 402, which can be a PSS / SSS-based measurement or an LP-SS measurement (e.g., synchronization signal and PBCH block SSB measurement). At 420, UE 401 performs a measurement of neighboring cell 1 403, which can be a PSS / SSS-based measurement or an LP-SS measurement (e.g., SSB measurement). At 425, UE 401 performs a measurement of neighboring cell N 404, which can be a PSS / SSS-based measurement or an LP-SS measurement (e.g., SSB measurement).

[0131] At 430, UE 401 performs the measurement, and the MR offload condition is met. The radio condition (i.e., the MR offload condition) is met, allowing UE 401 to begin measurement offload from the MR to the LP-WUR. It should be understood that this does not necessarily mean that the UE is initiating the action, but the condition is such that, for example, relaxation can be applied.

[0132] Alternatively or elsewhere, at 435, UE 401 can activate LP-WUR and begin serving cell assessment in parallel with MR. In other words, the UE activates measurement immediately after assessment conditions are met.

[0133] At 440, UE 401 receives an RRC connection release message from serving cell 402. Alternatively or additionally, the RRC connection release message may include a dedicated configuration for MR offload, an indication of whether to perform MR offload, or a trigger point for MR offload.

[0134] At 445, UE 401 is in an idle / inactive state. At 450, UE 401 can activate LP-WUR (if LP-WUR is not activated at 445) and perform measurement offloading from MR to LP-WUR.

[0135] At 455, UE 401 performs measurements of serving cell 302, and this measurement can be performed by the LP-WUR. At 460, UE 401 performs measurements of neighboring cell 1 303, and this measurement can be performed by the LP-WUR. At 465, UE 401 performs measurements of neighboring cell N304, and this measurement can be performed by the LP-WUR. Neighboring cell measurements at 460 and 465 can be disabled.

[0136] At 470, UE 401's LP-WUR is monitoring the serving cell and / or neighboring cells, and MR relaxation is applied.

[0137] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 implemented at a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, method 500 will be referred to Figure 1A It is described from the perspective of terminal device 110.

[0138] At block 510, based on the state transition from the first state to the second state, terminal device 110 evaluates whether at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from the first type of radio to the second type of radio is met, based on at least one measurement performed in the first state. At block 520, based on determining that at least one condition is met, terminal device 110 applies measurement offloading upon entering the second state.

[0139] In some embodiments, the first state may include a connected state, and the second state may include either an idle state or an inactive state.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first type of radio may include a master radio (MR) and the second type of radio may include a low-power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR), or the first type of radio may include an LP-WUR and the second type of radio may include an MR.

[0141] In some embodiments, at least one condition may be predefined, at least one condition may be indicated in broadcast system information stored by the terminal device, or at least one condition may be indicated in a configuration received via Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages.

[0142] In some embodiments, to assess whether at least one condition is met, terminal device 110 may compare at least one value of at least one measurement with one or more thresholds associated with at least one condition. In some embodiments, the one or more thresholds may be the same, or the one or more thresholds may be different.

[0143] In some embodiments, in order to assess whether at least one condition is met, the terminal device 110 may determine whether at least one condition is met after transitioning from a connected state to an idle or inactive state, or after transitioning from an idle or inactive state to a connected state.

[0144] In some embodiments, in order to apply measurement offload, the terminal device 110 may apply measurement offload after receiving an RRC message from the network device for the terminal device to transition from a connected state to an idle or inactive state, or after receiving an RRC message from the network device for the terminal device to transition from an idle or inactive state to a connected state, or after receiving a first indication of a state transition from the network device; or after a state transition initiated by the terminal device.

[0145] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may further evaluate whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met based on at least one measurement performed in the first state; and activate the second type of radio based on determining that at least one second condition is met.

[0146] In some embodiments, in order to assess whether at least one second condition is met, terminal device 110 may determine whether the first power of a second type of radio performing at least one measurement is lower than a first threshold; and determine whether the second power of the second type of radio and the first type of radio performing at least one measurement is lower than a second threshold.

[0147] In some embodiments, in order to activate the second type of radio, the terminal device 110 may activate the second type of radio based on determining that a first power is lower than a first threshold and a second power is lower than a second threshold.

[0148] In some embodiments, the first threshold and the second threshold may be predefined or stored by the terminal device, or configured by the network device.

[0149] In some embodiments, in order to assess whether at least one second condition is met, the terminal device 110 may periodically assess whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met. In some embodiments, at least one second condition and at least one first condition may be the same.

[0150] In some embodiments, based on the determination that the second type of radio has been activated in the first state, the terminal device 110 may also keep the second type of radio activated after transitioning to the second state.

[0151] In some embodiments, the RRC message may further include a second indication that the terminal device is permitted to perform at least one measurement via a second type of radio. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may also receive from the network device a third indication to apply measurement offloading upon receiving the RRC message.

[0152] In some embodiments, the RRC message may also include a fourth indication of whether the terminal device is permitted to perform at least one measurement via a second type of radio after a state transition from a first state to a second state.

[0153] In some embodiments, the fourth indication may specify that the terminal device is not permitted to perform at least one measurement via the second type of radio after a state transition from the first state to the second state. In some embodiments, in order to assess whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met, the terminal device 110 may assess whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met in the second state; and maintain at least one measurement of the first type of radio.

[0154] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may also send at least one of the following to the network device: a fifth indication of whether measurement offloading is applied; the enabled state of the first type of radio; the enabled state of the second type of radio; measurement information of the first type of radio; measurement information of the second type of radio; maintenance configuration of the first type of radio; or maintenance configuration of the second type of radio.

[0155] In some embodiments, the at least one measurement may be performed by a first type of radio; or the at least one measurement may be performed by a second type of radio.

[0156] In some embodiments, the at least one measurement may be performed based on at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), or the at least one measurement may be performed based on a low-power synchronization signal (LP-SS).

[0157] Figure 6 A flowchart of an example method 600 implemented at a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, method 600 will be referred to Figure 1A It is described from the perspective of network device 120.

[0158] At block 610, network device 120 sends a configuration to terminal device, the configuration including at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from type 1 radio to type 2 radio based on a state transition from a first state to a second state.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first state may include a connected state, and the second state may include either an idle state or an inactive state.

[0160] In some embodiments, the first type of radio may include a master radio (MR) and the second type of radio may include a low-power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR), or the first type of radio may include an LP-WUR and the second type of radio may include an MR.

[0161] In some embodiments, the configuration may be sent via at least one of the following: system information or radio resource control (RRC) messages. In some embodiments, in order to send the configuration, network device 120 may send the configuration to a terminal device in a first state or a second state.

[0162] In some embodiments, the at least one condition may be associated with one or more thresholds for at least one value of at least one measurement performed by the terminal device in a first state. In some embodiments, the one or more thresholds may be the same; or the one or more thresholds may be different.

[0163] In some embodiments, the RRC message may further include a second indication that the terminal device is permitted to perform at least one measurement via a second type of radio. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may also send a third indication to the terminal device after receiving the RRC message, indicating that the application measurement is offloaded.

[0164] In some embodiments, the RRC message may also include a fourth indication as to whether the terminal device is permitted to perform at least one measurement via a second type of radio after a state transition from a first state to a second state.

[0165] In some embodiments, network device 120 may also receive from terminal device one of the following: a fifth indication of whether measurement offload is applied, an enabled state of a first type of radio, an enabled state of a second type of radio, measurement information of the first type of radio, measurement information of the second type of radio, maintenance configuration of the first type of radio, or maintenance configuration of the second type of radio.

[0166] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., terminal device 110) capable of performing any of the methods 300 is provided. The apparatus may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 300. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented as a circuit system or a software module.

[0167] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes components for storing system information, including: at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio; components for evaluating whether the at least one condition is satisfied based on the system information according to at least one measurement performed in a first state; and components for applying measurement offloading based on a state transition from the first state to the second state based on determining that the at least one condition is satisfied.

[0168] In some embodiments, the first state may include a connected state, and the second state may include either an idle state or an inactive state.

[0169] In some embodiments, the first type of radio may include a master radio (MR) and the second type of radio may include a low-power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR), or the first type of radio may include an LP-WUR and the second type of radio may include an MR.

[0170] In some embodiments, the component for storing system information may include a component for storing system information in a first state. In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for maintaining the system information from a second state to a first state.

[0171] In some embodiments, the component for evaluating whether at least one condition is met may include a component for comparing at least one measurement with at least one condition.

[0172] In some embodiments, the component for evaluating whether at least one condition is met may include a component for determining whether at least one condition is met after transitioning from a connected state to an idle or inactive state, or after transitioning from an idle or inactive state to a connected state, or a component for determining whether at least one condition is met in a first state.

[0173] In some embodiments, the components for applying measurement offload may include: components for applying measurement offload after receiving an RRC message from a network device for a terminal device to transition from a connected state to an idle or inactive state; components for applying measurement offload after receiving an RRC message from a network device for a terminal device to transition from an idle or inactive state to a connected state; components for applying measurement offload after receiving a first indication about which cell begins to perform at least one measurement via a second type of radio; or components for applying measurement offload after a state transition is initiated by the terminal device.

[0174] In some embodiments, at least one condition may be at least one first condition, and the apparatus may further include: components for evaluating whether at least one second condition for activating a second type of radio is satisfied based on at least one measurement performed in a first state, and components for activating a second type of radio based on determining that at least one second condition is satisfied.

[0175] In some embodiments, the component for evaluating whether at least one second condition is met may include a component for determining whether the first power of a second type of radio for performing at least one measurement is lower than a first threshold, and a component for determining whether the second power of the second type of radio and the first type of radio for performing at least one measurement is lower than a second threshold.

[0176] In some embodiments, the components for activating the second type of radio may include components for activating the second type of radio based on determining that a first power is below a first threshold and a second power is below a second threshold.

[0177] In some embodiments, at least one of the first threshold or the second threshold may be predefined or stored by the terminal device, or configured by the network device. In some embodiments, the component for evaluating whether at least one condition is met may include a component for periodically evaluating whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met.

[0178] In some embodiments, at least one second condition and at least one first condition may be the same. In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for maintaining the second type of radio active after transitioning to the second state based on determining that the second type of radio is active in the first state.

[0179] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for sending a second indication to the network device as to whether a measurement offload has been applied. In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for obtaining at least one parameter for a second type of radio based on system information, and components for storing the at least one parameter.

[0180] In some embodiments, the system information may be first system information associated with the serving cell of the terminal device, and the apparatus may further include a component for storing second system information associated with at least one neighboring cell of the terminal device.

[0181] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 300. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to cause execution of the apparatus together with the at least one processor.

[0182] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., terminal device 110) capable of performing any of the methods 500 is provided. The apparatus may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 500. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented as a circuit system or a software module.

[0183] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes components for evaluating whether at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio is met based on at least one measurement performed in the first state during a state transition from a first state to a second state, and components for applying measurement offloading upon entering the second state based on determining that at least one condition is met.

[0184] In some embodiments, the first state may include a connected state, and the second state may include either an idle state or an inactive state.

[0185] In some embodiments, the first type of radio may include a master radio (MR) and the second type of radio may include a low-power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR), or the first type of radio may include an LP-WUR and the second type of radio may include an MR.

[0186] In some embodiments, at least one condition may be predefined, at least one condition may be indicated in broadcast system information stored by the terminal device, or at least one condition may be indicated in a configuration received via Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages.

[0187] In some embodiments, the component for evaluating whether at least one condition is met may include a component for comparing at least one value of at least one measurement with one or more thresholds associated with at least one condition. In some embodiments, the one or more thresholds may be the same, or the one or more thresholds may be different.

[0188] In some embodiments, the component for evaluating whether at least one condition is met may include a component for determining whether at least one condition is met after transitioning from a connected state to an idle or inactive state, or after transitioning from an idle or inactive state to a connected state.

[0189] In some embodiments, the components for applying measurement offload may include components for: applying measurement offload after receiving an RRC message from the network device for the terminal device to transition from a connected state to an idle or inactive state; applying measurement offload after receiving an RRC message from the network device for the terminal device to transition from an idle or inactive state to a connected state; applying measurement offload after receiving a first indication of a state transition from the network device; or applying measurement offload after a state transition initiated by the terminal device.

[0190] In some embodiments, at least one condition may be at least one first condition, and the apparatus may include components for evaluating whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met based on at least one measurement performed in the first state, and components for activating the second type of radio based on determining that at least one second condition is met.

[0191] In some embodiments, the components for assessing whether at least one second condition is met may include components for determining whether the first power of a second type of radio for performing at least one measurement is lower than a first threshold, and components for determining whether the second power of the second type of radio and the first type of radio for performing at least one measurement is lower than a second threshold.

[0192] In some embodiments, the components for activating the second type of radio may include components for activating the second type of radio based on determining that a first power is below a first threshold and a second power is below a second threshold. In some embodiments, the first and second thresholds may be predefined or stored by the terminal device or configured by the network device.

[0193] In some embodiments, the component for evaluating whether at least one second condition is met may include a component for periodically evaluating whether at least one second condition for activating a second type of radio is met. In some embodiments, at least one second condition and at least one first condition may be the same.

[0194] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include components for maintaining the second type of radio active after transitioning to the second state, based on determining that the second type of radio is active in the first state. In some embodiments, the RRC message may also include a second indication that the terminal device is permitted to perform at least one measurement via the second type of radio.

[0195] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include components for receiving from a network device a third instruction to apply measurement offload after receiving an RRC message.

[0196] In some embodiments, the RRC message may also include a fourth indication as to whether the terminal device is permitted to perform at least one measurement via a second type of radio after a state transition from a first state to a second state.

[0197] In some embodiments, the fourth indication may indicate that the terminal device is not allowed to perform at least one measurement via the second type of radio after a state transition from the first state to the second state, and the component for assessing whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met may include a component for assessing whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met in the second state; and a component for maintaining at least one measurement of the first type of radio.

[0198] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include components for sending at least one of the following to a network device: a fifth indication of whether a measurement offload is applied, an enabled state of a first type of radio, an enabled state of a second type of radio, measurement information of the first type of radio, measurement information of the second type of radio, a maintenance configuration of the first type of radio, or a maintenance configuration of the second type of radio.

[0199] In some embodiments, at least one measurement may be performed by a first type of radio, or at least one measurement may be performed by a second type of radio. In some embodiments, at least one measurement may be performed based on at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), or at least one measurement may be performed based on a low-power synchronization signal (LP-SS).

[0200] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 500. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to cause execution of the apparatus together with the at least one processor.

[0201] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., network device 120) capable of performing any of the methods 600 is provided. The apparatus may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 600. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented as a circuit system or a software module.

[0202] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for transmitting a configuration to a terminal device, the configuration including at least one condition for applying a measurement offload from a first type of radio to a second type of radio based on a state transition from a first state to a second state.

[0203] In some embodiments, the first state may include a connected state, and the second state may include either an idle state or an inactive state.

[0204] In some embodiments, the first type of radio may include a master radio (MR) and the second type of radio may include a low-power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR), or the first type of radio may include an LP-WUR and the second type of radio may include an MR.

[0205] In some embodiments, the configuration may be sent via at least one of the following: system information or radio resource control (RRC) messages. In some embodiments, the components for sending the configuration may include components for sending the configuration to a terminal device in a first state or a second state.

[0206] In some embodiments, at least one condition may be associated with one or more thresholds for at least one value of at least one measurement performed by the terminal device in a first state. In some embodiments, the one or more thresholds may be the same; or the one or more thresholds may be different.

[0207] In some embodiments, the RRC message may also include a second indication that the terminal device is permitted to perform at least one measurement via a second type of radio.

[0208] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for sending a third instruction to the terminal device to unload the application measurement upon receiving an RRC message.

[0209] In some embodiments, the RRC message may also include a fourth indication as to whether the terminal device is permitted to perform at least one measurement via a second type of radio after a state transition from a first state to a second state.

[0210] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for receiving from a terminal device one of the following: a fifth indication of whether a measurement offload has been applied, an enabled state of a first type of radio, an enabled state of a second type of radio, measurement information of the first type of radio, measurement information of the second type of radio, a maintenance configuration of the first type of radio, or a maintenance configuration of the second type of radio.

[0211] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing other steps in some embodiments of method 600. In some embodiments, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to cause execution of the apparatus together with the at least one processor.

[0212] Figure 7 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 700 can be provided to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 1A The terminal device 110 or network device 120 shown is illustrated. As shown, device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to processor 710, and one or more communication modules 740 coupled to processor 710.

[0213] The communication module 740 is used for bidirectional communication. The communication module 740 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements.

[0214] Processor 710 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network, and by way of non-limiting example, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 700 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-subordinate to a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0215] Memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical memories. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that will not persist during power outages.

[0216] Computer program 730 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 710. Program 730 may be stored in ROM 724. Processor 710 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 730 into RAM 722.

[0217] The embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented via program 730, enabling device 700 to execute reference... Figures 2 to 6 Any process of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure discussed. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0218] In some embodiments, program 730 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 700 (such as in memory 720) or in other storage devices accessible by device 700. Device 700 may load program 730 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 722 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile storage, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 8 An example of a computer-readable medium 800 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. A program 830 is stored on the computer-readable medium.

[0219] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. While various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0220] Example embodiments of this disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced... Figures 4 to 5 Methods 400 and 500. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can be executed on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0221] Program code for performing the methods of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus such that, when executed by the processor or controller, the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams are implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a standalone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0222] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0223] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof. As used herein, the term “non-transient” is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation of data storage persistence (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0224] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the specific order or sequential order shown, or that all of the operations shown be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these details should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0225] Although exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that this disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

[0226] Some additional examples will be provided.

[0227] Example 1. A terminal device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: store system information, the system information including: at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio; based on the system information, evaluate whether at least one condition is satisfied according to at least one measurement performed in a first state; and based on determining that at least one condition is satisfied, apply measurement offloading according to a state transition from the first state to the second state.

[0228] Example 2. The terminal device according to Example 1, wherein the first state includes a connected state and the second state includes either an idle state or an inactive state.

[0229] Example 3. The terminal device according to Example 1, wherein the first state includes either an idle state or an inactive state, and the second state includes a connected state.

[0230] Example 4. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein one of the following is true: a first type of radio includes a master radio (MR) and a second type of radio includes a low-power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR); or the first type of radio includes an LP-WUR and the second type of radio includes an MR.

[0231] Example 5. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the terminal device is configured to store system information by: storing system information in a first state.

[0232] Example 6. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 5, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: maintain system information from a second state to a first state.

[0233] Example 7. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the terminal device is configured to evaluate whether at least one condition is satisfied by comparing at least one measurement with at least one condition.

[0234] Example 8. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 7, wherein the terminal device is configured to evaluate whether at least one condition is satisfied by: determining whether at least one condition is satisfied after transitioning from a connected state to an idle or inactive state, or from an idle or inactive state to a connected state; or determining whether at least one condition is satisfied in a first state.

[0235] Example 9. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the terminal device is configured to apply measurement offload by at least one of the following: applying measurement offload after receiving an RRC message from a network device for the terminal device to transition from a connected state to an idle or inactive state; applying measurement offload after receiving an RRC message from a network device for the terminal device to transition from an idle or inactive state to a connected state; applying measurement offload after receiving a first indication about which cell begins to perform at least one measurement via a second type of radio; or applying measurement offload after a state transition is initiated by the terminal device.

[0236] Example 10. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 9, wherein at least one condition is at least one first condition, and the terminal device is further configured to: evaluate whether at least one second condition for activating a second type of radio is satisfied based on at least one measurement performed in a first state; and activate the second type of radio based on determining that at least one second condition is satisfied.

[0237] Example 11. A terminal device according to Example 10, wherein the terminal device is configured to evaluate whether at least one second condition is satisfied by: determining whether a first power of a second type of radio for performing at least one measurement is lower than a first threshold; and determining whether a second power of the second type of radio and the first type of radio for performing at least one measurement is lower than a second threshold.

[0238] Example 12. A terminal device according to Example 10 or 11, wherein the terminal device is configured to activate a second type of radio by determining that a first power is below a first threshold and a second power is below a second threshold.

[0239] Example 13. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 10 to 12, wherein at least one of the first threshold or the second threshold is predefined or stored by the terminal device or configured by the network device.

[0240] Example 14. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 10 to 13, wherein the terminal device is configured to evaluate whether at least one condition is satisfied by periodically evaluating whether at least one second condition for activating a second type of radio is satisfied.

[0241] Example 15. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 10 to 14, wherein at least one second condition is the same as at least one first condition.

[0242] Example 16. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 15, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: based on determining that the second type of radio is activated in the first state, maintain the second type of radio being activated after transitioning to the second state.

[0243] Example 17. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 16, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: send a second instruction to the network device as to whether measurement offloading is applied.

[0244] Example 18. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 17, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: obtain at least one parameter for a second type of radio based on system information; and store at least one parameter.

[0245] Example 19. A terminal device according to any one of Examples 1 to 18, wherein the system information is first system information associated with the serving cell of the terminal device, and the terminal device is further configured to: store second system information associated with at least one neighboring cell of the terminal device.

[0246] Example 20. A method comprising: storing system information including: at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio; evaluating, based on the system information, whether at least one condition is satisfied according to at least one measurement performed in a first state; and applying measurement offloading according to a state transition from the first state to the second state based on determining that at least one condition is satisfied.

[0247] Example 21. An apparatus comprising: a component for storing system information, the system information including: at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio; a component for evaluating whether at least one condition is satisfied based on the system information and according to at least one measurement performed in a first state; and a component for applying measurement offloading according to a state transition from the first state to the second state based on determining that at least one condition is satisfied.

[0248] Example 22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to Example 20.

Claims

1. A terminal device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: The system information includes at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio. Based on the system information, and according to at least one measurement performed in the first state, it is evaluated whether the at least one condition is satisfied; and Based on the determination that at least one condition is met, the measurement unloading is applied according to the state transition from the first state to the second state.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the first state includes a connected state, and the second state includes one of an idle state or an inactive state; or The first state includes either an idle state or an inactive state, and the second state includes a connected state.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein one of the following: The first type of radio includes a master radio (MR), and the second type of radio includes a low-power wake-up receiver (LP-WUR); or The first type of radio includes LP-WUR, and the second type of radio includes MR.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the terminal device is configured to store the system information by: The system information is stored in the first state; and The terminal device is further configured to: The system information is maintained from the second state to the first state.

5. The terminal device of claim 4, wherein the terminal device is configured to evaluate whether the at least one condition is satisfied by: Compare the at least one measurement with the at least one condition; and / or The terminal device is configured to evaluate whether at least one of the following conditions is met: After transitioning from a connected state to an idle or inactive state, or from an idle or inactive state to a connected state, determine whether at least one of the conditions is met; or Determine whether the at least one condition is satisfied in the first state.

6. The terminal device of claim 5, wherein the terminal device is configured to apply the measurement offload by at least one of the following: After receiving an RRC message from the network device for the terminal device to transition from a connected state to an idle or inactive state, the measurement offload is applied; After receiving an RRC message from the network device for the terminal device to transition from an idle or inactive state to a connected state, the measurement offload is applied; Upon receiving a first indication regarding which cell begins to perform the at least one measurement via the second type of radio, the measurement offload is applied; or After the state transition is initiated by the terminal device, the measurement is unloaded.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the at least one condition is at least one first condition, and the terminal device is further configured such that: Based on at least one measurement performed in the first state, it is evaluated whether at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met; The second type of radio is activated based on the determination that at least one of the second conditions is met; as well as The terminal device is configured to evaluate whether at least one second condition is satisfied by: Determine whether the first power of the second type of radio for performing the at least one measurement is below a first threshold; as well as Determine whether the second power of the second type of radio and the first type of radio for performing the at least one measurement is below a second threshold.

8. The terminal device of claim 7, wherein the terminal device is configured to activate the second type of radio by: Based on the determination that the first power is lower than the first threshold and the second power is lower than the second threshold, the second type of radio is activated. At least one of the first threshold or the second threshold is predefined or stored by the terminal device or configured by the network device.

9. The terminal device of claim 8, wherein the terminal device is configured to evaluate whether the at least one condition is satisfied by: Periodically evaluate whether the at least one second condition for activating the second type of radio is met, wherein the at least one second condition is the same as the at least one first condition.

10. A method for communication, comprising: The system information includes at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio. Based on the system information, and according to at least one measurement performed in the first state, it is evaluated whether the at least one condition is satisfied; and Based on the determination that at least one condition is met, the measurement unloading is applied according to the state transition from the first state to the second state.

11. An apparatus for communication, comprising: A component for storing system information, the system information including at least one condition for applying measurement offloading from a first type of radio to a second type of radio; A component for evaluating whether at least one condition is satisfied based on the system information and according to at least one measurement performed in the first state; and A component for applying the measurement unloading based on the state transition from the first state to the second state, based on determining that at least one condition is met.

Images