Radio interface measurements

Abstract

An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least: receive, at the user equipment, a measurement validity configuration from a network node, the measurement validity configuration specifying a radio interface measurement characteristic that needs to be satisfied by the user equipment to obtain a valid measurement; and determining, at the user equipment, whether a radio interface measurement by the user equipment satisfies the measurement validity configuration, and if so, providing an indication to the network node that a valid measurement has been obtained.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to telecommunication apparatus and methods. BACKGROUND

[0002] In wireless telecommunication networks, user equipment is configured to perform radio interface measurements, and can report these measurements to help perform reconfiguration of radio resources used to support communication between the user equipment and network nodes such as base stations. While this approach can be helpful, undesirable results can occur. SUMMARY

[0003] The scope of protection sought for various example embodiments of the present invention is set forth by the independent claims. The example embodiments and features that are not contained in the independent claims, if any, are to be interpreted as examples useful in understanding various embodiments of the present invention.

[0004] According to various, but not necessarily all, example embodiments of the invention there is provided an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform: receiving, at a user equipment from a network node, a measurement validity configuration specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that need to be satisfied by the user equipment to obtain a valid measurement; and determining, at the user equipment, whether a radio interface measurement made by the user equipment satisfies the measurement validity configuration, and if so, providing an indication to the network node that a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0005] The instructions can cause the apparatus at least to perform: adjusting a configuration of an existing radio interface measurement made by the user equipment to satisfy the measurement validity configuration.

[0006] The instructions can cause the apparatus at least to perform: determining that the apparatus has not changed location and / or orientation since a last valid measurement, and thus that the previous valid measurement can be used to satisfy the measurement validity configuration.

[0007] The instructions can cause the apparatus at least to perform: determining a location and orientation of the user equipment since a last valid measurement to re-use the last valid measurement to satisfy the measurement validity configuration.

[0008] The instructions can cause the apparatus at least to perform: making additional positioning measurements or using external sensors by determining a location and orientation of the UE.

[0009] The last valid measurement as indicated above can be an earlier measurement or a measurement previously made by the user equipment. The user equipment can record the position and orientation after determining the last valid measurement. The UE can re-evaluate the position and orientation when indicated to the network. The time of the indication to the network can be related to a RRC Setup request, a paging or a mobile originated service request.

[0010] The instructions can cause the apparatus to perform at least: performing additional radio interface measurements by the user equipment to satisfy the measurement validity configuration.

[0011] The measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics that need to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0012] The measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate target cell that need to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0013] The measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate PScell and / or SCell that need to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0014] The measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate PScell and / or SCell for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity that need to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0015] The measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate PScell and / or SCell in FR2 for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity that need to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0016] The measurement validity configuration can comprise: at least one specified cell that needs to be measured; at least one specified frequency band that needs to be measured; at least one specified carrier that needs to be measured; at least one specified signal strength of the measurement; at least one required periodicity of the measurement; and / or at least one required SSB periodicity of the measurement.

[0017] The instructions can cause the apparatus to perform at least: receiving at the user equipment from a network node a plurality of measurement validity configurations, each measurement validity configuration specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that need to be satisfied by the user equipment to obtain a valid measurement for that measurement validity configuration.

[0018] The measurement validity configuration can have an associated identifier.

[0019] The indication can indicate / indicate that one or more measurement validity configurations for which a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0020] The indication can indicate / indicate one or more identifiers of one or more measurement validity configurations for which a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0021] The indication can indicate / imply a time that has elapsed since a valid measurement has been obtained for the one or more measurement validity configurations.

[0022] The indication can indicate / imply that a radio interface measurement that is obtained satisfies the one or more measurement validity configurations.

[0023] The indication can indicate / imply which cell, frequency band and / or carrier satisfies the one or more measurement validity configurations.

[0024] Providing the indication can comprise signalling the indication in a Radio Resource Control message.

[0025] Providing the indication can comprise signalling the indication in a Radio Resource Control Setup Complete message.

[0026] According to various, but not necessarily all, example embodiments of the application there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for receiving, at a user equipment, a measurement validity configuration from a network node, wherein the measurement validity configuration specifies radio interface measurement characteristics that need to be satisfied by the user equipment in order to obtain a valid measurement; and means for determining, at the user equipment, whether a radio interface measurement made by the user equipment satisfies the measurement validity configuration, and if so, providing an indication to the network node that a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0027] The apparatus can perform optional features described with respect to the apparatus described above.

[0028] According to various, but not necessarily all, example embodiments of the application there is provided an apparatus comprising: circuitry configured to receive, at a user equipment, a measurement validity configuration from a network node, wherein the measurement validity configuration specifies radio interface measurement characteristics that need to be satisfied by the user equipment in order to obtain a valid measurement; and circuitry configured to determine, at the user equipment, whether a radio interface measurement made by the user equipment satisfies the measurement validity configuration, and if so, provide an indication to the network node that a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0029] The circuitry can be configured to perform optional features described with respect to the apparatus described above.

[0030] According to various, but not all, exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a method is provided comprising: receiving at a user equipment (UE) a measurement validity configuration from a network node, the measurement validity configuration specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that the UE needs to satisfy to obtain valid measurements; and determining at the UE whether a radio interface measurement performed by the UE satisfies the measurement validity configuration, and if so, providing an indication to the network node that a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0031] The method may include adjusting the configuration of existing radio interface measurements performed by user equipment to meet measurement validity configurations.

[0032] The method may include determining that the device has not changed its position and / or orientation since the last valid measurement, so that the previous valid measurement can be used to satisfy the measurement validity configuration.

[0033] The method may include determining the location and orientation of the user equipment since the last valid measurement in order to reuse the last valid measurement to satisfy the measurement validity configuration.

[0034] This method may include performing additional positioning measurements or using external sensors by determining the location and orientation of the user equipment.

[0035] The last valid measurement, as indicated above, can be a measurement taken by the user equipment at some point in the past. The user equipment can record its location and orientation after determining the last valid measurement. The user equipment can reassess its location and orientation when instructing the network. The time of instructing the network can be related to an RRC setup request, paging, or mobile-initiated service request.

[0036] The method may include performing additional radio interface measurements by the user equipment to satisfy the measurement validity configuration.

[0037] This measurement validity configuration can specify the radio interface characteristics that user equipment needs to meet.

[0038] This measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate target cell that need to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0039] This measurement validity configuration can specify at least one radio interface characteristic of a candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell that needs to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0040] This measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics that the user equipment needs to meet for at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity.

[0041] This measurement validity configuration can specify the radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell in FR2 that need to be met by the user equipment for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity.

[0042] The measurement validity configuration may include: at least one specified cell to be measured; at least one specified frequency band to be measured; at least one specified carrier to be measured; at least one specified signal strength to be measured; at least one required period to be measured; and / or at least one required SSB period to be measured.

[0043] The method may include receiving multiple measurement validity configurations from a network node at a user equipment, each measurement validity configuration specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment needs to satisfy in order to obtain valid measurements for that measurement validity configuration.

[0044] This measurement validity configuration can have associated identifiers.

[0045] This instruction can indicate / show that one or more measurement validity configurations have been obtained for which valid measurements have been obtained.

[0046] This indication may indicate / signify one or more identifiers configured for the validity of one or more measurements for which a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0047] This indication can indicate / show the time elapsed since a valid measurement has been obtained after configuring one or more measurement validity settings.

[0048] This indication can indicate / signify that the obtained radio interface measurement meets one or more measurement validity configurations.

[0049] This indication can indicate which cell, frequency band, and / or carrier meets one or more measurement validity configurations.

[0050] Providing this instruction may include signaling the instruction in a radio resource control message.

[0051] Providing this instruction may include signaling the instruction in a radio resource control setup completion message.

[0052] According to various, but not necessarily all, exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions stored thereon for at least performing the following operations: receiving a measurement validity configuration at a user equipment from a network node, the measurement validity configuration specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment needs to satisfy to obtain a valid measurement; and determining at the user equipment whether a radio interface measurement performed by the user equipment satisfies the measurement validity configuration, and if so, providing an indication to the network node that a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0053] This instruction can be used to perform the optional features described in relation to the above method.

[0054] According to various, but not all, exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus is provided comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least: receiving an indication of at least one candidate target cell at a network node; determining a measurement validity configuration at the network node, the measurement validity configuration specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that a user equipment needs to satisfy to obtain valid measurements for at least one candidate target cell; and transmitting the measurement validity configuration to the user equipment.

[0055] This measurement validity configuration can specify the radio interface characteristics that user equipment needs to meet.

[0056] This measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate target cell that need to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0057] This measurement validity configuration can specify at least one radio interface characteristic of a candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell that needs to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0058] This measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics that the user equipment needs to meet for at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity.

[0059] This measurement validity configuration can specify the radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell in FR2 that need to be met by the user equipment for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity.

[0060] The measurement validity configuration may include: at least one specified cell to be measured; at least one specified frequency band to be measured; at least one specified carrier to be measured; at least one specified signal strength to be measured; at least one required period to be measured; and / or at least one required SSB period to be measured.

[0061] This instruction enables the device to perform at least the following actions: receiving indications for multiple candidate target cells, and sending multiple measurement validity configurations, each specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment must satisfy to obtain valid measurements for that measurement validity configuration.

[0062] This measurement validity configuration can have associated identifiers.

[0063] This instruction enables the device to perform at least the following: receive an indication from the user equipment that a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0064] This instruction enables the device to perform at least the following: in response to an indication that a valid measurement has been obtained, send a request for measurement.

[0065] This instruction can indicate / show that one or more measurement validity configurations have been obtained for which valid measurements have been obtained.

[0066] This indication may indicate / signify one or more identifiers configured for the validity of one or more measurements for which a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0067] This indication can indicate / show the time elapsed since a valid measurement has been obtained after configuring one or more measurement validity settings.

[0068] This indication can indicate / signify that the obtained radio interface measurement meets one or more measurement validity configurations.

[0069] This indication can indicate which cell, frequency band, and / or carrier meets one or more measurement validity configurations.

[0070] This instruction enables the device to perform at least the following: identify candidate target cells from the instruction.

[0071] This instruction can be received in a radio resource control message.

[0072] This instruction can be received in the Radio Resource Control Setup Complete message.

[0073] According to various, but not all, exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus is provided comprising: components for receiving an indication of at least one candidate target cell at a network node; components for determining a measurement validity configuration at the network node, wherein the measurement validity configuration specifies radio interface measurement characteristics that a user equipment needs to satisfy to obtain valid measurements for at least one candidate target cell; and components for transmitting the measurement validity configuration to the user equipment.

[0074] The device can perform the optional features described above.

[0075] According to various, but not all, exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus is provided comprising: circuitry configured to receive an indication of at least one candidate target cell at a network node; circuitry configured to determine a measurement validity configuration at the network node, wherein the measurement validity configuration specifies radio interface measurement characteristics that a user equipment needs to satisfy to obtain valid measurements for at least one candidate target cell; and circuitry configured to transmit the measurement validity configuration to the user equipment.

[0076] The circuit can be configured to perform the optional features described with respect to the above-described device.

[0077] According to various, but not all, exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a method is provided comprising: receiving at a network node an indication of at least one candidate target cell; determining at the network node a measurement validity configuration specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that a user equipment must satisfy to obtain valid measurements for at least one candidate target cell; and transmitting the measurement validity configuration to the user equipment.

[0078] This measurement validity configuration can specify the radio interface characteristics that user equipment needs to meet.

[0079] This measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate target cell that need to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0080] This measurement validity configuration can specify at least one radio interface characteristic of a candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell that needs to be satisfied by the user equipment.

[0081] This measurement validity configuration can specify radio interface characteristics that the user equipment needs to meet for at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity.

[0082] This measurement validity configuration can specify the radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell in FR2 that need to be met by the user equipment for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity.

[0083] The measurement validity configuration may include: at least one specified cell to be measured; at least one specified frequency band to be measured; at least one specified carrier to be measured; at least one specified signal strength to be measured; at least one required period to be measured; and / or at least one required SSB period to be measured.

[0084] The method may include receiving indications for multiple candidate target cells and sending multiple measurement validity configurations, each measurement validity configuration specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment needs to meet to obtain valid measurements for that measurement validity configuration.

[0085] This measurement validity configuration can have associated identifiers.

[0086] The method may include receiving an indication from the user equipment that a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0087] The method may include sending a measurement request in response to an indication that a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0088] This instruction can indicate / show that one or more measurement validity configurations have been obtained for which valid measurements have been obtained.

[0089] This indication may indicate / signify one or more identifiers configured for the validity of one or more measurements for which a valid measurement has been obtained.

[0090] This indication can indicate / show the time elapsed since a valid measurement has been obtained after configuring one or more measurement validity settings.

[0091] This indication can indicate / signify that the obtained radio interface measurement meets one or more measurement validity configurations.

[0092] This indication can indicate which cell, frequency band, and / or carrier meets one or more measurement validity configurations.

[0093] The method may include identifying candidate target cells from the indication.

[0094] This instruction can be transmitted and received in a radio resource control message.

[0095] This instruction can be received in the Radio Resource Control Setup Complete message.

[0096] According to various, but not all, exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following operations: receiving an indication of at least one candidate target cell at a network node; determining a measurement validity configuration at the network node, the measurement validity configuration specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that a user equipment needs to satisfy to obtain valid measurements for at least one candidate target cell; and sending the measurement validity configuration to the user equipment.

[0097] This instruction can be used to perform the optional features described in relation to the above method.

[0098] Further specific and preferred aspects are set forth in the appended independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims, as appropriate, and may be combined with features other than those expressly listed in those claims.

[0099] If a device feature is described as operable to provide a function, it will be understood that this includes device features that provide the function or are adapted or configured to provide the function. Attached Figure Description

[0100] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0101] Figure 1 The main steps of the existing Early Measurement Reporting (EMR) behavior for RRC idle mode are shown;

[0102] Figure 2 This illustrates the main steps of existing EMR behavior for RRC activity patterns; and

[0103] Figure 3 A message sequence diagram is shown for Rel.18 EMR behavior for RRC idle mode according to an example embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0104] Before discussing any example embodiments in more detail, an overview will first be provided. Some example embodiments provide a technique for enhancing measurement reporting. Network nodes, such as user equipment (UE), are typically configured to perform measurements that are reported to another network node, such as a serving base station, to assist in cell selection. However, in certain situations, such as when the UE is in Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle or inactive mode, the UE's measurement mechanisms may not be stringent enough, and / or it may not report the measurements it has because the measurement timer has expired, and / or because a longer than expected period of time has elapsed before a suitable measurement is made and reported to the network. Therefore, some example embodiments provide the UE with one or more measurement validity configurations. If satisfied, these measurement validity configurations can indicate to the network that a cell is suitable for selection. For example, the measurement validity configuration may be associated with a specific cell. The measurement validity configuration may specify that cell, and optionally specify other characteristics that should be implemented for valid measurements. If the user equipment (UE) has measurements that satisfy the measurement validity configuration, this can be indicated to the network. When a measurement satisfies the measurement validity configuration, the UE may record its location and / or orientation and indicate this to the network. The network then learns that the cell is suitable for earlier selection because the measurements meet the measurement validity configuration, without having to provide the measurements themselves to the network. In some example embodiments, the existing measurement configuration is sufficient to provide suitable measurements that can be evaluated against the measurement validity configuration. However, if this is not the case, the UE can change its measurement configuration and / or add additional measurements to provide suitable measurements that can be evaluated against the measurement validity configuration.

[0105] In 3GPP Release 16, the Early Measurement Report (EMR) feature was introduced to ensure faster setup or reconfiguration of carrier aggregation (CA) / dual connectivity (DC). The Early Measurement feature enables the UE to perform frequency measurements to determine SCell availability even when the UE is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle or RRC inactive state. When transitioning from one of the RRC idle or RRC inactive states to an RRC connected state, the UE sends the generated Early Measurement Report to the base station associated with the primary cell (PCell) to reduce latency in setting up DC or CA. During Early Measurement, the UE is equipped with an validity timer (T331) and given the option to measure specific frequencies. The camped cell sends SIB2 and SIB11 to the UE, providing information on whether the cell is interested in EUTRA and / or NR measurements, and which cells and carrier frequencies the UE should measure. The UE performs measurements when in an idle or inactive state. If an RRC setup request is triggered while the validity timer is still running, the UE reports the availability of its measurements in the RRCSetupComplete message and provides them to the network as requested. If the UE is inactive, it sends the measurements to the network in the RRCResumeComplete message. However, it is important to note that measurements become invalid after the validity timer expires, and the network will no longer be able to use them.

[0106] Early Measurement Report (EMR) - Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode

[0107] Figure 1 The main steps of the existing EMR behavior for RRC idle mode are shown.

[0108] At steps S10, S20, and S30 during RRC release, UE 10 is configured with a measurement timer (T331) and an optional frequency for measurement, which constitutes the EMR settings.

[0109] In step S40, the UE may optionally receive SIB 11 from the camped cell to determine which cells and which carrier frequency to measure for early measurement.

[0110] At step S50, the UE may optionally receive SIB 2 from the camping cell to determine whether the camping cell is interested in New Radio (NR) and / or Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA) measurements.

[0111] In step S60, the UE performs a measurement according to the EMR settings.

[0112] At step S70, any UE procedure triggers an RRC setup request at step S80, and the network responds with an RRCSetup message at step S90. If this procedure is triggered for the validity timer indicated in step S20, the UE follows the procedure; otherwise, it does not report any measurements obtained during the connection setup procedure.

[0113] At step S100, the RRCSetupComplete message indicates (from UE to network): measurement availability; UE information request - requesting measurement; UE information response - providing measurement to the network.

[0114] At step S110, security keys are exchanged; at step S120, a UEInformationRequest message requesting measurement results is generated; and at step S130, a UEInformationResponse message containing the measurement results is generated.

[0115] Early Measurement Report (EMR) - Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive mode

[0116] Figure 2 The main steps of the existing EMR behavior for RRC activity mode are shown.

[0117] At steps S210, S220 and S230 during RRC release, UE 10 is configured with a measurement timer (T331) and an optional frequency for measurement, which constitutes the EMR settings.

[0118] At step S240, the UE may optionally receive SIB 11 from the camped cell to determine which cells and which carrier frequency to measure for early measurement.

[0119] At step S250, the UE may optionally receive SIB 2 from the camping cell to determine whether the camping cell is interested in New Radio (NR) and / or Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA) measurements.

[0120] In step S260, the UE performs a measurement according to the EMR settings.

[0121] At step S270, any UE procedure triggers the RRC setup request at step S280, and the network responds with an RRCResume message at step S290. If this procedure is triggered for the validity timer indicated in step S220, the UE follows the procedure below; otherwise, it does not report any acquired measurements during the connection setup procedure. The RRCResume message indicates (from the network to the UE): a measurement request; using RRCResumeComplete, the UE provides the measurement to the network.

[0122] At step S300, the security key is exchanged.

[0123] At step S310, the RRCResume message indicates the measurement to the network.

[0124] However, the UE indicating available measurements during the validity timer presents a limited use case for measurement, and therefore, it cannot be used or considered by the network after the validity timer expires. To prepare and establish primary / secondary cell groups (PScells) / semiconductor cells (Scells) in dual connectivity (DC) carrier aggregation (CA) (DCCA), the network needs to wait for EMR measurements, which are available after connection establishment (and the exchange of security keys, which includes several message exchanges between the UE and the network and processing time that may delay DCCA setup) is completed. This is particularly important for applications with high throughput and low latency requirements (such as Extended Reality (XR), Augmented Reality (AR)) or applications that require DCCA to enhance reliability (such as Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC)). The UE may perform measurements without network configuration. However, once the UE reports measurements, the network cannot know the settings used for these measurements, and therefore it cannot determine whether a PSCell or Scell ​​is good enough to be added immediately. Specifically, when the UE performs measurements without network configuration, the network cannot immediately determine whether to add a PScell ​​or Scell ​​once the UE reports measurements. This is because the network lacks information about the measurement settings, making it difficult to assess whether the PScell ​​or Scell ​​was suitable to be added to the network at that time.

[0125] Therefore, some example embodiments seek to provide a solution for accelerating connections (such as, for example, DCCA settings).

[0126] Some example embodiments provide a technique for obtaining effective measurements for faster dual connectivity or carrier aggregation (DCCA) setup. Some example embodiments are suitable for use in frequency range 2 (FR2).

[0127] This is achieved by configuring the UE with a validity configuration that includes a list of cells / carriers / bands to be measured, as well as cell / carrier / band-specific information that the UE should consider to obtain valid measurements for DCCA settings, such as the SSB period or measurement period.

[0128] The UE uses the information in the validity configuration and evaluates existing idle or connected mode measurements. If certain conditions are met, the UE performs additional measurements to determine if there are valid measurements to be used for DCCA settings.

[0129] The user equipment (UE) performs measurements according to the validity configuration and sends an indication to the network in an appropriate message. One such message is the RRC connection setup complete message. This indication can specify the available measurement, the valid measurement, and the duration of the measurement, and all indications can be cell / carrier / frequency band specific, as configured with the validity configuration. The network uses this indication to determine the correct SCell or PSCell for the UE to initiate the SCell and PSCell addition process.

[0130] Figure 3 A message sequence diagram of Rel. 18 EMR behavior for RRC idle mode is shown according to an example embodiment.

[0131] At step 1, RAN node 2 30 provides EMR settings to RAN node 1 20. In this example embodiment, the EMR settings are related to FR2 for DCCA, but it will be understood that this can also be related to other use cases. The EMR settings identify the list of cells, frequency bands, and / or carriers deemed suitable for DCCA.

[0132] In step 2, RAN node 1 20 determines one or more measurement validity configurations based on EMR settings. These validity configurations identify the cell list, frequency band list, carrier list, measurement period, SSB period of the cell, signal strength, and / or other characteristics required to obtain a valid measurement. Typically, each validity configuration is associated with a validity identifier. These validity configurations are then transmitted to UE 10, and UE 10 assumes that a definition of a valid measurement has been configured.

[0133] In one approach, UE 10 is configured with a measurement period or other characteristics as required by the 3GPP specification. UE 10 is informed that it should acquire L1 measurements each measurement period to forward these measurements to higher layers, or that it should generate L3 measurement samples within each measurement period.

[0134] In another approach, UE 10 is configured with measurement_period or other characteristics via dedicated signaling. Here, UE-specific parameters (such as network-known or estimated UE radio frequency (RF) chain knowledge) can be used to configure measurement_period for UE 10. If it is known that UE 10 can activate multiple RF chains to obtain measurements more quickly when needed, or if the candidate cell sends additional reference signals (RS) to accelerate measurements (measurement verification), the measurement_period can be set shorter.

[0135] In another approach, UE 10 is configured with a measurement_period via broadcast signaling. Here, cell-specific parameters (such as information about PSCells and SCells with overlapping coverage with the camped cell) can be used to fine-tune the measurement_period value. For example, the frequency band to be measured can be indicated to UE 10, and the SSB period (SSB_periodicity) of the measurement time period can be indicated to UE 10 to have different measurement time periods. With a higher SSB_periodicity, the measurement_period can be set lower. The measurement_period can be indicated to UE 10 for each frequency band that UE 10 is capable of measuring on the camped cell.

[0136] At step 3, UE 10 checks its existing measurements.

[0137] At step 4, UE 10 evaluates validity conditions to determine whether the current or available measurements are valid and whether it needs to adjust these measurements or perform more measurements to obtain valid measurements. UE determines that verification can occur once it receives the validity configuration, or when it determines that it needs to indicate validity to the network. The need to indicate validity to the network may be related to connection setup / establishment requests, paging, or service requests. Optionally, when a valid measurement is obtained, the UE may record its location and / or orientation. Additional positioning measurements and / or the use of internal and / or external sensors can be used to determine location and / or orientation. The UE may determine whether its location and / or orientation has changed since a previous valid measurement, and if not, use that previous valid measurement that satisfies the validity configuration.

[0138] At step 5, if measurements satisfying the validity conditions have been obtained, these measurement signalings are transmitted to RAN node 1 20 at step 6. This signaling can occur immediately after verification, or it can occur in a subsequent stage. Typically, the message transmission provides one or more of the following: an availability indicator indicating that the measurement is available but does not satisfy the validity conditions; a validity indicator indicating that the measurement is available and satisfies the validity conditions; an age indicator indicating how much time has elapsed since UE 10 generated the measurement; and a cell / band / carrier-specific indicator indicating the cell / band / carrier where the measurement is available. UE 10 may also provide indications of the UE's location and / or orientation when performing measurements satisfying the validity conditions. These indicators may be provided with associated validity identifiers.

[0139] Specifically, before UE 10 initiates RRC connection setup / establishment, UE 10: Based on the validity configuration, determine whether the measurements of PSCell and / or SCell are valid. If UE 10 determines that the measurements of PSCell and / or SCell are valid, UE 10 sends validity indications or valid measurements for these cells. Based on the validity configuration, UE 10 determines whether the measurements of PSCell and / or SCell are valid. If UE 10 determines that the measurements of PSCell and / or SCell are valid, UE 10 uses a flag to indicate that the measurements of these cells are valid. Measurements of PSCell and / or SCell are indicated by the duration of the measurement (how much time has passed since the UE 10 generated an L1 measurement or obtained the last L1 sample). Validity or availability (i.e., availability indicates that relevant measurements have been performed, but these measurements do not meet the validity configuration) is indicated using the granularity of PSCell and / or SCell and / or by carrier frequency indication. This indication may include a list of the best beams measured by UE 10 for the target cell, so that the target node (RAN node 2 30) can use this information to prepare the random access configuration. After step 7, at step 8, the network can use this information to request measurements for a specific PSCell or SCell or carrier frequency. Alternatively, the network can skip the measurement report and use this information at step 6 to continue setting up the SCell or PSCell without requesting measurements.

[0140] If a measurement is requested, in step 9, the network uses this information to determine which PSCell or SCell can be added to UE 10 once UE 10 enters connected mode.

[0141] For example, the existing initial measurement configuration specifies which cell, which frequency (carrier), and which period UE 10 should measure. Once UE 10 receives the measurement configuration, UE 10 must follow this measurement configuration and report on it.

[0142] An example of an existing measurement configuration could be: measuring cell x for a time period of 100 ms. This sets the minimum requirement for UE 10, but UE 10 is capable of measuring more.

[0143] A validity configuration could be: measuring cell x for a time period of 50 ms, RSRP greater than z1, and a validity identifier of 1. In response to this validity configuration, UE 10 changes the measurement or performs an additional measurement to measure cell x for a time period of 50 ms. UE 10 can then respond to the network indicating that it has measured cell x for a time period of 50 ms and that this measurement is valid. Specifically, UE 10 can signal (typically with a validity identifier of 1) an availability indicator indicating that the measurement is available but does not meet the validity conditions; a validity indicator indicating that the measurement is available and meets the validity conditions; a duration indicator indicating how much time has elapsed since UE 10 generated the measurement; and a cell / band / carrier-specific indicator indicating the cell / band / carrier for which the measurement is available.

[0144] Another validity configuration could be: measuring cell y for a time period of 75 ms, RSRP greater than z2, and validity identifier 2. In response to this validity configuration, if UE 10 has not yet measured cell y, UE 10 changes the measurement or performs an additional measurement to measure cell y for a time period of 50 ms. UE 10 can then respond to the network indicating that it has measured cell y for a time period of 75 ms and that this is a valid measurement. Specifically, UE 10 can send signaling (typically with validity identifier 2) an availability indicator indicating that the measurement is available but does not meet the validity conditions; a validity indicator indicating that the measurement is available and meets the validity conditions; a duration indicator indicating how much time has elapsed since UE 10 generated the measurement; and a cell / band / carrier specific indicator indicating the cell / band / carrier for which the measurement is available.

[0145] Another validity configuration could be: if cell x has been measured (within the past 3 seconds) (RSRP greater than x) (Measurement Configuration 1) for 100 ms, then a new measurement is performed with a 20 ms period and validity identifier 3 to determine if cell x is still greater than the RSRP value Y (Measurement Configuration 2). UE 10 measures cell x again and finds that it is greater than the RSRP value Y. Then, UE 10 can respond to the network indicating that it has measured cell x for a period of 20 ms and that this is a valid measurement. Specifically, UE 10 can signal (usually with validity identifier 3) an availability indicator indicating that the measurement is available but does not meet the validity condition; a validity indicator indicating that the measurement is available and meets the validity condition; a duration indicator indicating how much time has passed since UE 10 generated the measurement; and a cell / band / carrier specific indicator indicating the cell / band / carrier for which the measurement is available. Therefore, it can be seen that UE 10 combines the existing measurement (Measurement Configuration 1) with the new measurement (Measurement Configuration 2) to satisfy the validity configuration.

[0146] In summary, the validity configuration checks and / or controls whether the UE has performed measurements on a specific cell and a specific carrier frequency at a specific period. In one example embodiment, once the UE receives the validity configuration, it compares its measurements with the validity configuration. In another example embodiment, once the UE receives the validity configuration, it performs additional measurements to meet the validity requirements. If the measurements meet the validity configuration, the UE reports the existence of valid measurements.

[0147] Therefore, it can be seen that in some example embodiments, the UE is configured with a validity configuration that includes a list of cells / carriers / bands to be measured, and specific information associated with each cell / carrier / band, such as the SSB period or measurement period that the UE should consider to obtain valid measurements for DCCA setup. In addition to existing idle or connected mode measurements, the UE performs additional measurements to determine if there are valid measurements to be used for DC / CA setup. Based on the validity configuration, the UE performs measurements and transmits the results to the network via an RRC connection setup / establishment completion message. These results can indicate available measurements, valid measurements, measurement duration, and can be specific to the cell / carrier / band configured in the validity configuration. The network then uses this information to identify the appropriate SCell or PSCell for the UE to initiate the SCell and PSCell addition process. Existing methods do not specifically address the verification measurement configuration that includes a list of cells / carriers / bands to be measured and cell / carrier / band specific information. Some example embodiments introduce additional indication options in the RRC setup / establishment completion message besides the validity indication, such as availability indication, measurement duration, and cell / carrier-specific validity / availability indication. Another difference is that the UE not only verifies the validity of existing measurements, but also performs additional measurements for verification.

[0148] An example implementation includes: receiving a validity configuration, a cell / band / carrier list, the cell's SSB time period, and a validity ID from the gNB in ​​an RRC release message or via SIB broadcast; performing measurements based on the validity configuration; determining whether the measurements are valid for the validity definition, or determining to perform further measurements for verification; and sending various indications for valid measurements, such as availability indications, validity indications, measurement duration, and cell / carrier-specific availability and validity indications, to the gNB in ​​an RRC setup / establishment completion message.

[0149] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the steps of the various methods described above can be performed by a programmed computer. In this document, some embodiments are also intended to cover program storage devices, such as digital data storage media, which are machine- or computer-readable and encoded with machine-executable or computer-executable instructions, wherein said instructions perform some or all of the steps of the methods described above. Program storage devices may be, for example, digital memories, magnetic storage media (such as disks and magnetic tapes), hard disk drives, or optically readable digital data storage media. These embodiments are also intended to cover computers programmed to perform the steps of the methods described above. The term "non-transitory" as used herein is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, non-signal), as opposed to a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM versus ROM).

[0150] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Pure hardware circuit implementations (such as implementations in purely analog and / or digital circuits), and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions, and (c) Hardware circuitry and / or processors, such as microprocessors or parts thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when no software is required to operate.

[0151] This definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claim). As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuit" also covers a purely hardware circuit or processor (or processors) or a portion thereof and its accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. The term "circuit" also covers, for example and 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.

[0152] Although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to various examples in the preceding paragraphs, it should be understood that modifications may be made to the given examples without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

[0153] The features described above can be used in combinations other than those explicitly described.

[0154] Although some features have been described with reference to certain characteristics, these functions can be performed by other features, whether or not they have been described.

[0155] Although features have been described with reference to certain embodiments, these features may also exist in other embodiments, whether or not they have been described.

[0156] Although every effort has been made in the foregoing description to draw attention to those features of the invention that are considered particularly important, it should be understood that the applicant claims protection for any patentable features or combinations thereof mentioned above and / or shown in the drawings, whether or not they have been specifically emphasized.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least the following: At the user equipment, a measurement validity configuration is received from a network node, the measurement validity configuration specifying the radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment needs to satisfy to obtain valid measurements; as well as At the user equipment, it is determined whether the radio interface measurement performed by the user equipment meets the measurement validity configuration, and if so, an indication is provided to the network node that a valid measurement has been obtained.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The instruction causes the device to perform at least the following: Adjust the configuration of existing radio interface measurements performed by the user equipment to meet the measurement validity configuration; Perform additional radio interface measurements by the user equipment to satisfy the measurement validity configuration; and / or It is determined that the device has not changed its position and / or orientation since the last valid measurement, therefore the previous valid measurement can be used to satisfy the measurement validity configuration.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The measurement validity configuration specifies: The radio interface characteristics that the user equipment needs to meet; The radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate target cell that the user equipment needs to satisfy; The user equipment must satisfy at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell radio interface characteristics. The user equipment needs to satisfy at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell radio interface characteristics for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity; and / or The radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity in FR2, which need to be met by the user equipment, are required.

4. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The measurement validity configuration includes: At least one designated cell that needs to be measured; At least one specified frequency band needs to be measured; At least one specified carrier that needs to be measured; The measurement includes at least one specified signal strength; At least one required cycle for the measurement; and / or At least one required SSB cycle for the measurement.

5. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The instruction causes the device to perform at least the following: At the user equipment, multiple measurement validity configurations are received from network nodes. Each measurement validity configuration specifies the radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment needs to meet to obtain valid measurements for that measurement validity configuration.

6. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The measurement validity configuration has an associated identifier.

7. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The instruction indicates that: One or more measurement validity settings have been configured for obtaining valid measurements; One or more identifiers have been configured for the validity of the one or more measurements for which they have been valid; The time elapsed since a valid measurement was obtained after configuring one or more measurement validity settings; The obtained radio interface measurements that satisfy one or more of the measurement validity configurations; and / or Which cell, frequency band, and / or carrier satisfies one or more of the measurement validity configurations.

8. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Providing the instructions includes: Send a signaling notification of the instruction in a radio resource control message; and / or The instruction is notified by signaling in the Radio Resource Control Setup Complete message.

9. A method comprising: At the user equipment, a measurement validity configuration is received from a network node, the measurement validity configuration specifying the radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment needs to satisfy to obtain valid measurements; as well as At the user equipment, it is determined whether the radio interface measurement performed by the user equipment meets the measurement validity configuration, and if so, an indication is provided to the network node that a valid measurement has been obtained.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions being configured to perform at least the following operations: At the user equipment, a measurement validity configuration is received from a network node, the measurement validity configuration specifying the radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment must satisfy to obtain valid measurements; and At the user equipment, it is determined whether the radio interface measurement performed by the user equipment meets the measurement validity configuration, and if so, an indication is provided to the network node that a valid measurement has been obtained.

11. An apparatus comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least the following: Receive an indication of at least one candidate target cell at the network node; At the network node, a measurement validity configuration is determined, which specifies the radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment needs to meet in order to obtain valid measurements for the at least one candidate target cell. as well as Send the measurement validity configuration to the user equipment.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The measurement validity configuration specifies: The radio interface characteristics that the user equipment needs to meet; The radio interface characteristics of the at least one candidate target cell that need to be satisfied by the user equipment; The user equipment must satisfy at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell radio interface characteristics. The user equipment needs to satisfy at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell radio interface characteristics for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity; and / or The radio interface characteristics of at least one candidate PScell ​​and / or SCell for carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity in FR2, which need to be met by the user equipment, are required.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, The measurement validity configuration includes: At least one designated cell that needs to be measured; At least one specified frequency band needs to be measured; At least one specified carrier that needs to be measured; The measurement includes at least one specified signal strength; At least one required cycle for the measurement; and / or At least one required SSB cycle for the measurement.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, The instruction causes the device to perform at least the following: The system receives indications for multiple candidate target cells and sends multiple measurement validity configurations, each specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment must meet to obtain valid measurements for that measurement validity configuration.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein, The measurement validity configuration has an associated identifier.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 15, comprising: Receive an indication from the user equipment that a valid measurement has been obtained.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein, The instruction causes the device to perform at least the following: In response to the indication that a valid measurement has been obtained, a request for measurement is sent.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein, The instruction indicates that: It has been configured to obtain the validity of one or more measurements. One or more identifiers have been configured for the validity of the one or more measurements for which they have been valid. The time elapsed since valid measurements were obtained after configuring one or more measurement validity settings The obtained radio interface measurements that satisfy one or more of the aforementioned measurement validity configurations, Which cell, frequency band, and / or carrier satisfies one or more of the measurement validity configurations.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein, The instruction causes the device to perform at least the following: Identify candidate target cells from the indicated information.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 19, wherein, The instruction is received in the following: In radio resource control messages; and / or In the radio resource control settings completion message.

21. A method comprising: Receive an indication of at least one candidate target cell at the network node; At the network node, a measurement validity configuration is determined, which specifies the radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment needs to meet in order to obtain valid measurements for the at least one candidate target cell. as well as Send the measurement validity configuration to the user equipment.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions being configured to perform at least the following operations: Receive an indication of at least one candidate target cell at the network node; At the network node, a measurement validity configuration is determined, specifying radio interface measurement characteristics that the user equipment must meet to obtain valid measurements for the at least one candidate target cell; and Send the measurement validity configuration to the user equipment.

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