QoE continuity during inter-RAT handover within 5GC

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to terminal equipment, a method, a device and a computer readable storage medium for QoE (Quality of Experience) continuity in an inter-RAT (Radio Access Technology) switching process within 5GC. In some embodiments, a first layer of a terminal device may receive a mobility command from a source terminal device. The first layer may provide an AT command to an upper second layer of the terminal device to notify the second layer to release at least one configuration QoE measurement and a related RRC ID. Thus, the second layer may release at least one configuration QoE measurement and a related RRC ID. Therefore, QoE continuity can be maintained in RAT handover from NR to LTE, and thus communication between the terminal device and the target network device can be ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the telecommunications field, and particularly to terminal devices, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for quality of experience (QoE) continuity during handover between radio access technologies (RATs) within a fifth-generation core (5GC). Background Technology

[0002] A work item on QoE enhancement is underway in 3GPP Release 18 (Rel-18). One of the objectives of this work item is to “investigate the continuity of legacy QoE measurement operations for streaming media and multimedia telephony services of Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (MTSI) services during RAT handover within 5GC.”

[0003] However, the supported QoE configurations differ across different RATs. Therefore, further research is needed on how to support configuration adaptation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Overall, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for QoE continuity during inter-RAT handover within a 5GC.

[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, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive a mobility command from a first network device at a first layer of the terminal device; provide an Attention (AT) command associated with the mobility command from the first layer of the terminal device to a second layer of the terminal device, the AT command instructing the second layer to release at least one Configured Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement and associated Radio Resource Control (RRC) identifier (ID), the second layer being an upper layer of the first layer; and release at least one Configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID at the second layer of the terminal device based on the AT command.

[0006] In a second aspect, a method performed by a terminal device is provided. The method includes: receiving a mobility command from a first network device at a first layer of the terminal device; providing an AT command associated with the mobility command from the first layer of the terminal device to a second layer of the terminal device, the AT command instructing the second layer to release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID, the second layer being an upper layer of the first layer; and releasing at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID at the second layer of the terminal device based on the AT command.

[0007] In a third aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: components for receiving a mobility command from a first network device at a first layer of a terminal device; components for providing an AT command associated with the mobility command from the first layer of the terminal device to a second layer of the terminal device, the AT command instructing the second layer to release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID, the second layer being an upper layer of the first layer; and components for releasing at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID at the second layer of the terminal device based on the AT command.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes: a receiving circuitry configured to receive a mobility command from a first network device; a providing circuitry configured to provide an AT command associated with the mobility command from a first layer of the terminal device to a second layer of the terminal device, the AT command instructing the second layer to release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID, the second layer being an upper layer of the first layer; and a releasing circuitry configured to release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID at the second layer of the terminal device based on the AT command.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the medium including program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the method of the second aspect.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a computer program including instructions is provided that, when executed by a device, causes the device to perform at least the method of the second aspect.

[0011] It should be understood that the summary portion 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 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 1 The diagram illustrates a sample handover process from NR to LTE;

[0014] Figure 2 The illustration shows an example of a network environment in which some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented;

[0015] Figure 3 The illustration shows examples of processing flows according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4 The illustration shows an example of a handover process from NR to LTE according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 5 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 6 The illustration shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing some example embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0019] Figure 7 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0021] 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 to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various other ways besides those described below.

[0022] 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.

[0023] In this disclosure, references to "an embodiment," "embodiment," and "example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, those skilled in the art will understand that, whether explicitly described or not, combining it with other embodiments to affect such a feature, structure, or characteristic is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0024] It is 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, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0025] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further understanding, 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 a list of two or more elements>” and similar wording (where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0026] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementation using only analog and / or digital circuit systems), and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of one or more analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including one or more digital signal processors), software, and one or more memories, which work together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and (c) One or more hardware circuits and / or one or more processors, such as one or more microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may not exist when operation is not required.

[0027] The definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors) or a portion of hardware circuitry or a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0028] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communications within a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems embodying this disclosure. This should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure to the systems described above.

[0029] 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. A network device can refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a New Radio (NR) NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Header (RH), a Remote Radio Header End (RRH), an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, a relay, or low-power nodes such as femtoseconds or picoseconds, depending on the terminology and technology used.

[0030] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not 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 may 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 (LEE), laptop mounted devices (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, machine-type communication (MTC) 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 industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), 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.

[0031] In this disclosure, the term "configure QoE measurement" may also be referred to as QoE configuration container, QoE configuration, configuration QoE container, etc., and this disclosure does not limit this aspect.

[0032] As described above, the continuity of QoE measurements during inter-RAT handover within the 5GC was investigated. However, the supported QoE configurations in E-UTRAN and NR are different. Therefore, configuration adaptation should be supported to ensure the continuity of QoE measurements during inter-RAT handover within the 5GC.

[0033] For example, the configuration for LTE application layer measurements is specified as follows:

[0034] LTE QoE configuration can support two service types: 'qoe' for streaming and 'qoemtsi' for MTSI. The field " measConfigAppLayerContainer "It can include configurations for application-layer measurements, however, regardless..." serviceType However, the maximum number of application layer measurement configurations supported by the UE is always 1. In other words, only one QoE configuration can be configured in LTE.

[0035] For example, the configuration for NR's application layer measurements is specified as follows:

[0036] NR QoE configuration can support three different service types: 'streaming', 'mtsi', and 'vr', and up to 16 QoE configurations can be configured in NR.

[0037] It has been agreed that for handovers (HO) between LTE / 5GC and NR, QoE continuity will be performed at the Access Layer (AS) layer rather than the Application Layer (AL). This means that QoE measurement continuity at the Application Layer may not be guaranteed. Two further principles for QoE continuity have been agreed upon: - For HO from NR to LTE / 5GC, the UE can retain and continue to measure only one configuration for the service types supported in LTE; - For HO from LTE / 5GC to NR, the UE can maintain and continue to measure the ongoing configuration for the service types supported in NR.

[0038] LTE is based on the E-UTRAN RAT, and NR is based on the NR RAT. In the case of handover between NR and LTE RATs: - Source RAT configuration target RAT measurement and reporting. - The source RAT decides to prepare to initiate and provides the target RAT with the necessary information in the format required by the target RAT. - Prepare radio resources in the target RAT before switching. - RRC reconfiguration messages from the target RAT are passed to the source RAT via a transparent container and then passed to the UE by the source RAT in a handover command. - Sequential and lossless switching is not supported. - The security procedures for switching to E-UTRA / EPC should follow the E-UTRA switching procedures.

[0039] Figure 1 The illustration shows an example handover process 100 from NR to LTE. At 110, the source gNB can configure multiple QoE configuration containers and associated RRC IDs. For example, an RRC reconfiguration message can be sent from the source gNB to the UE's NR AS layer, where the RRC reconfiguration message may include: a QoE 1 configuration container and its associated RRC ID 1, and a QoE 2 configuration container and its associated RRC ID 2.

[0040] At position 120, each NR QoE configuration container has an associated short RRC ID ( measConfigAppLayerId They can be sent together from the UE NR AS layer to the UE AL.

[0041] For NR QoE reports, each QoE report data, along with the RRC ID (used to identify each NR QoE configuration in the UE AS), will be sent back from the UE AL to the UE AS for further transmission to the network.

[0042] At point 130, a measurement report can be sent from the UE to the source gNB to trigger an inter-RAT handover.

[0043] At position 140, the source gNB selects a QoE measurement configured for the UE and sends it to the 5GC via LTE handover preparation information, which includes the selected QoE configuration. For example, the selection of a QoE measurement is performed according to the network implementation.

[0044] At position 150, the 5GC sends a handover request to the target eNB, and at position 160, the target eNB sends a handover request ACK to the 5GC. Therefore, the selected QoE configuration (chosen by the source gNB) can be sent to the target eNB.

[0045] At position 170, the 5GC sends a handover command to the source gNB because an LTE RRC reconfiguration with QoE configuration (selected by the source gNB) from the target eNB can be provided to the source gNB.

[0046] At position 180, the source gNB sends a message to the UE. MobilityFromNRCommand The message has an embedded container that includes LTE RRC connection reconfiguration.

[0047] However, LTE QoE does not have the concept of a short RRC ID; that is, when received from the LTE network, only one QoE configuration container will be sent from the UE LTE AS to the UE AL. Furthermore, the UE AL will use the QoE configuration container regardless of what it receives from either the UE LTE AS or the UE NR AS.

[0048] 180 MobilityFromNRCommand The message carries a target RAT message container (LTE RRC Connection Reconfiguration), which includes LTE to UE information. measConfigAppLayer ,in measConfigAppLayer-r15 "NeedON" is specified as:

[0049] "Need ON" is used only in the downlink and indicates that the field is optional. If the UE receives this message and the field does not exist, the UE will not take any action and will continue to use the existing value (and / or related functions) where applicable.

[0050] For specific scenarios involving handover between RATs from NR to LTE, more than one QoE measurement (e.g., QoE1 and QoE2) is run in the UE AL before the HO.

[0051] If the source gNB selects the QoE1 configuration for the target eNB and the target eNB accepts the selection (see [link]). Figure 1 The target eNB can use LTE. measConfigAppLayer-r15 The “Choice-setup” via NR MobilityFromNRComman The d message configures the QoE1 settings for the UE. The UE's LTE AS considers the service type when decoding QoE1. measConfigAppLayerContainer And forward it to the UE AL. However, the QoE2 measurements previously configured by NR will still run in the UE AL, especially if the relevant service is in progress after the handover. As a result, the UE AL may send the NR's QoE2 report data and the relevant QoE2 RRC ID to the UE LTEAS (the relevant service may still be running on the LTE side), which may lead to ambiguous UE behavior in the LTE AS.

[0052] If the source gNB selects a QoE1 configuration for the target eNB and the target eNB rejects that selection (e.g., it's not the target eNB's preference), the target eNB can use LTE. measConfigAppLayer-r15 The LTE specification uses a "Choice-release" function to notify the UE AL to clear stored AL QoE measurement configurations. However, there is an ambiguity in the LTE specification that it is unclear which QoE measurement should be released in the UE AL.

[0053] If the source gNB selects a QoE1 configuration for the target eNB and the target eNB does not support QoE1 configuration (e.g., does not understand parts of the configuration), the target eNB may not be present in the UE's LTE RRC connection reconfiguration container. measConfigAppLayer-r15 Based on the definition of "Need ON", the UE LTE AS will not do anything to the UE AL. Since the UE LTE AS does not notify the UE AL, both QoE1 and QoE2 previously configured by NR will continue to run in the UE AL, especially if the relevant services are still in operation after the handover.

[0054] Therefore, the behavior during the switching process between RATs needs further investigation.

[0055] This disclosure provides an example embodiment of a solution for QoE continuity during inter-RAT handover within 5GC. In some embodiments, a first layer of the terminal device can receive a mobility command from a source terminal device. The first layer can provide an AT command to a second layer above the terminal device to notify the second layer to release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRCID. Therefore, the second layer can release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRCID. Thus, QoE continuity can be maintained during inter-RAT handover from NR to LTE, thereby ensuring communication between the terminal device and the target network device. The principles of this disclosure and some example embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0056] Figure 2 An example of a network environment 200 in which some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is illustrated. Environment 200 may be part of a communication network, including terminal device 210, first network device 220, second network device 230, and core network device 240. Network environment 200 may also be referred to as network system, communication environment, communication network, communication system, etc., and the present disclosure is not limiting in this respect.

[0057] Environment 200 may include any suitable number of devices and cells. In environment 200, first network device 220 may provide services to terminal device 210, and first network device 220 and terminal device 210 may transmit data and control information to each other. In some embodiments, first network device 220 and terminal device 210 may communicate via a direct link / channel.

[0058] In environment 200, the link from the first network device 220 to the terminal device 210 is referred to as the downlink (DL), and the link from the terminal device 210 to the first network device 220 is referred to as the uplink (UL). In the downlink, the first network device 220 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and the terminal device 210 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the uplink, the terminal device 210 is a transmitting TX device (or transmitter), and the first network device 220 is an RX device (or receiver). It should be understood that the first network device 220 can provide one or more serving cells. In some embodiments, the first network device 220 can provide multiple cells.

[0059] In the event of a handover, terminal device 210 may switch from first network device 220 to second network device 230. In some examples, the handover process may be triggered by the mobility of terminal device 210, but this disclosure does not limit this aspect.

[0060] The core network device 240 can be implemented as any function in the core network. For ease of description, the core network device 240 can also be referred to as 5GC.

[0061] Communication in network environment 200 can be implemented according to any suitable one or more communication protocols, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols of the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G) and sixth generation (6G), 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 Multiplexing (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Spread Spectrum OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technologies currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0062] In one particular example, the first network device 220 may be associated with NR or a future RAT; for example, the first network device 220 may be a gNB. In one particular example, the second network device 230 may be associated with LTE or an earlier RAT; for example, the second network device 230 may be an eNB. For ease of description, some embodiments in the following examples are described using gNBs and eNBs as examples; however, these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and the first network device 220 and the second network device 230 may be in other forms.

[0063] It should be understood that Figure 2 The number, connection relationships, and types of the devices shown (i.e., terminal device 210, first network device 220, and second network device 230) are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent any limitation. For example, environment 200 may include any suitable number of devices suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. For example, although Figure 2 Terminal device 210 is described as a mobile phone; however, terminal device 210 can be any type of user equipment.

[0064] Figure 3 An example of a processing flow 300 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 2 The processing flow 300 is described. Processing flow 300 involves terminal device 210 and first network device 220. It should be understood that, although already... Figure 2 The processing flow 300 is described in the network environment 200, but this processing flow can also be applied to other communication scenarios.

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown, terminal device 210 may include a first layer 211 and a second layer 212, wherein the second layer 212 is the upper layer of the first layer 211. In some examples, the first layer 211 of terminal device 210 is an access layer (AS) layer, and the second layer 212 of terminal device 210 is an application layer (AL). In some other examples, the first layer 211 and the second layer 212 may be implemented as other layers, and this disclosure does not limit this aspect.

[0066] In some example embodiments, the first network device 220 may be a network device associated with an NR (such as a gNB). In some other example embodiments, the first network device 220 may be associated with a future network, which is not limited in this disclosure.

[0067] The first network device 220 sends a mobility command 312 to the terminal device 210. On the other side of the communication, the terminal device 210 receives the mobility command 312. Specifically, the first layer 211 can receive the mobility command 312.

[0068] In some examples, mobility command 312 is sent during handover, for example, from first network device 220 to second network device 230. For example, first network device 220 may be referred to as the source network device, and second network device 230 may be referred to as the target network device. In some example embodiments, the second network device may be a network device associated with LTE (such as an eNB).

[0069] In some example embodiments, if the first network device 220 is associated with an NR (such as a gNB), then the mobility command 312 may be MobilityFromNRCommand In some examples, mobility command 312 may include a QoE configuration container supported by the second network device (i.e., the target network device). In some examples, mobility command 312 may include RRC connection reconfiguration information associated with the second network device (i.e., the target network device).

[0070] The first layer 211 of the terminal device 210 provides AT command 320 to the second layer 212. Therefore, the second layer 212 receives AT command 324. In some examples, AT command 322 may be associated with mobility command 312.

[0071] In some examples, AT command 322 can be used to instruct Layer 212 to release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID. For example, if multiple QoE measurements and associated RRC IDs are configured by, for instance, a first network device 220, then AT command 322 can instruct Layer 212 to release multiple QoE measurements and associated RRC IDs. In some other examples, AT command 322 can instruct Layer 2 to release all configured QoE measurements and associated RRC IDs. In some other examples, AT command 322 can instruct Layer 2 to release all RRC IDs and configured QoE measurements (except for one QoE measurement) belonging to a QoE container and / or a service type.

[0072] In some examples, each configured QoE measurement can have an associated RRC ID, and different configured QoE measurements can have different RRC IDs. In some examples, the RRC ID can be used to distinguish or identify multiple QoE measurements, i.e., multiple QoE configuration containers.

[0073] The second layer 212 of terminal device 210 releases at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID based on AT command 322. In some examples, at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID may include all QoE measurements and associated RRC IDs configured by the first network device 220. In some examples, the second layer 212 may terminate the provision of reporting data to the first layer 211. In some other examples, the second layer 212 of terminal device 210 may release all RRC IDs and configured QoE measurements (except for one QoE measurement) belonging to a QoE container and / or a service type. In other words, the second layer 212 may retain one QoE measurement and release all other QoE measurements and all RRC IDs.

[0074] The first layer 211 may include a first portion associated with the first network device 220 (i.e., the source network device) and a second portion associated with the second network device (i.e., the target network device). In some examples, the first portion of the first layer may be represented as an NR AS layer, and the second portion of the first layer may be represented as an LTE AS layer.

[0075] In some example embodiments, upon receiving mobility command 312, a first part of the first layer may provide AT command 322 to the second layer. Therefore, when the first part of the first layer (such as the NR AS layer) receives mobility command 312 from the first network device 220, it can trigger the release of QoE configuration in the second layer 212. For example, AT command 322 could be a newly defined attention command, such as a release command.

[0076] In some examples, the second layer 212 can stop reporting QoE measurements to the first layer 211 and can release all QoE measurements and associated RRC IDs running in the second layer 212.

[0077] In some examples, terminal device 210 can also perform a RAT handover process from first network device 220 to second network device 230. For example, terminal device 210 can be connected to second network device 230.

[0078] For example, if the handover is successful, the second part of Layer 1 211 can also forward the QoE configuration container associated with the second network device 230 to Layer 2 212, and Layer 2 212 can also start a new QoE measurement by following the QoE configuration container associated with the second network device 230. If the second part of Layer 1 211 does not forward the QoE configuration container, no QoE measurement will be running at Layer 2 of the terminal device 210.

[0079] For example, if the handover fails, terminal device 210 can revert to the first network device 220. It should be understood that when the handover fails, there is no remaining QoE configuration in Layer 2 212.

[0080] In some other example embodiments, after successfully decoding the RRC connection reconfiguration information associated with the second network device 230, or after connecting to the second network device 230, the second part of the first layer can provide AT command 322 to the second layer. For example, when the second part of the first layer (such as the LTE AS layer) receives an LTE-RC connection reconfiguration embedded in a mobility command, it can trigger the release of the QoE configuration in the second layer 212. For example, the second part of the first layer can obtain the RRC connection reconfiguration information associated with the second network device 230 by decoding the mobility command 312.

[0081] In some examples, the first layer 211 (e.g., comprising a first part and a second part) may discard QoE reporting data acquired from the second layer 212. Alternatively or alternatively, for example, upon receiving a mobility command 312, the first part of the first layer may instruct the second layer to stop QoE measurement and / or QoE reporting. For example, another newly defined AT command may be used to instruct the second layer to stop QoE measurement and / or QoE reporting. In some examples, the second layer 212 may terminate the provision of QoE reporting data to the first part of the first layer. In some examples, at least one QoE measurement and associated RRC ID may be retained in the second layer until the AT command 322 is acquired.

[0082] In some examples, AT command 322 is provided to the second network device 230 by the second part of the first layer (e.g., LTE AS) after decoding the RRC connection reconfiguration or after a successful RACH access procedure. Alternatively or additionally, the second part of the first layer 211 may also forward the QoE configuration container associated with the second network device 230 to the second layer 212.

[0083] In some examples, AT command 322 may be a newly defined attention command, such as a release command. In some other examples, AT command 322 may be an existing AT command. In some other examples, AT command 322 may be implicitly indicated by another message. For example, if the handover is successful, the second part of the first layer may provide an existing command including the QoE configuration associated with the second network device 230, and the existing command instructs the second layer to release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID. Therefore, a new AT command for release is not required, and the command for releasing at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID can be merged with the QoS configuration container associated with the second network device 230, for example, the second part of the first layer may know that a QoE configuration container exists in the received LTE RRC connection reconfiguration container via a "Choice-setup".

[0084] Furthermore, Layer 212 can also initiate new QoE measurements by following the QoE configuration container associated with the second network device 230. If the second part of Layer 1 211 does not forward the QoE configuration container, no QoE measurements will be running at Layer 2 of the end device 210.

[0085] In some other examples, if the handover fails, AT command 322 will not be provided by the second part of Layer 1. Terminal device 210 can reconnect to the first network device 220. In some examples, the first part of Layer 1 can instruct Layer 2 to resume previously stopped QoE measurements or QoE reporting. In other words, if the handover fails, the second part of Layer 1 does not need to provide AT command 322 to Layer 2, and at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID can be further used by Layer 2. In some examples, the command used to instruct Layer 2 to resume stopped QoE measurements or QoE reporting can be a newly defined recovery command.

[0086] In some specific implementations, upon receiving mobility command 312, Layer 1 211 may send a first AT command to Layer 2 212, wherein the first AT command is used to instruct Layer 2 212 to stop QoE measurement and stop QoE reporting. In the event of a successful handover, Layer 211 may send a second AT command to Layer 212 after connecting to the target network device, wherein the second AT command may instruct Layer 212 to release at least one (such as all) configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID. Layer 211 may also send a third AT command to Layer 212, wherein the third AT command includes the QoE configuration container associated with the target network device. In some examples, the second and third AT commands may be combined into a single AT command; for example, the third AT command may be used to instruct Layer 212 to release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID, and the third AT command may include the QoE configuration container associated with the target network device, without the second AT command. In the event of a failed switchover, Layer 1 211 may send a fourth AT command to Layer 2 212, which may instruct Layer 2 212 to resume previously stopped (stopped based on the first AT command) QoE measurements and QoE reports.

[0087] Figure 4 An example of a handover process 400 from NR to LTE according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure is illustrated. Figure 1 As shown, the processing flow 400 may include steps 110-180, which will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0088] There are two different solutions to release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID running in UE AL, as shown in 410 and 420 respectively.

[0089] In option 1, as shown in box 410, the UE NR AS (for example, upon receiving...) MobilityFromNRCommand At point 411, the UE can provide an AT command to the UE AL to release all configured QoE measurements and associated RRC IDs. Additionally, at point 412, the UE can perform a RACH procedure, such as RACH access to the target LTE eNB's LTE cell. At point 413, the UE LTE AS can provide another AT command including the QoE configuration container of the target LTE eNB.

[0090] The embodiments described above in this disclosure may have some impact on the current specification. For example, in view of the various embodiments described above in this disclosure, the current specification may be updated as follows (underlined). Regarding the UE's... MobilityFromNRCommand The received data can be updated as follows:

[0091] In option 1, as shown in box 420, upon receiving... MobilityFromNRCommand Subsequently, at step 421, the UE can perform a RACH procedure, such as RACH access to the LTE cell of the target LTE eNB. After receiving the LTE RRC connection reconfiguration message, the UE LTE AS can provide an AT command to the UE AL at step 422 to release all configured QoE measurements and associated RRCIDs. At step 423, the UE LTE AS can provide another AT command including the QoE configuration container of the target LTE eNB. In some examples, steps 422 and 423 can be combined into a single step, i.e., a single AT command.

[0092] The embodiments described above in this disclosure may have some impact on the current specification. For example, in view of the various embodiments described above in this disclosure, the current specification may be updated as follows (underlined). Regarding the UE's... RRCConnectionReconfiguration The received data can be updated as follows:

[0093] Regarding the other configurations in section 5.3.10.9 of TS 36.331, they can be updated as follows:

[0094] It should be understood that the AT command at 411 or 422 is used to release all QoE configuration containers and associated RRC IDs; however, this is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit anything. For example, the AT command at 411 could be used to release only a portion of all QoE configuration containers and associated RRC IDs, or for example, only one QoE configuration container and associated RRC ID would be released. This disclosure does not limit this aspect.

[0095] It should be understood that the processing flow 400 includes operations 110-180, in which the QoE configuration container selected by the source gNB is accepted by the target eNB; however, in some other cases, the target eNB may reject or ignore the QoE configuration container selected by the source gNB, and this disclosure does not limit this aspect.

[0096] According to some of the above embodiments, QoE continuity can be maintained during handover from NR to LTE RAT, and ambiguity in the current process can be eliminated by defining one or more new UE behaviors.

[0097] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a method 500 implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 2 Method 500 is described from the perspective of terminal device 210.

[0098] At block 510, the first layer of terminal device 210 receives a mobility command from the first network device. At block 520, the first layer of terminal device provides an AT command associated with the mobility command to the second layer of terminal device, wherein the AT command instructs the second layer to release at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID, and wherein the second layer is an upper layer of the first layer. At block 530, the second layer of terminal device releases at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID based on the AT command.

[0099] In some example embodiments, upon receiving a mobility command, a first portion of the first layer of the terminal device provides an AT command to the second layer of the terminal device, wherein the first portion of the first layer is associated with a first network device.

[0100] In some example embodiments, after successfully decoding the RRC connection reconfiguration information associated with the second network device or after connecting to the second network device, the second part of the first layer of the terminal device provides AT commands to the second layer of the terminal device, wherein the second part of the first layer is associated with the second network device.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the first layer of the terminal device discards the QoE report data obtained from the second layer.

[0102] In some example embodiments, upon receiving a mobility command, a first portion of the first layer of the terminal device notifies the second layer of the terminal device to stop at least one of the QoE measurement or QoE report.

[0103] In some example embodiments, the AT command includes a QoE configuration container configured by a second network device.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the terminal device (such as the second part of the first layer of the terminal device) obtains RRC connection reconfiguration information associated with the second network device by decoding mobility commands.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the second network device is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network device. In some example embodiments, the first network device is a New Radio (NR) network device.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the terminal device performs a handover process between a first network device and a second network device using Radio Access Technology (RAT).

[0107] In some example embodiments, at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID includes all configured QoE measurements and associated RRC IDs configured by the first network device.

[0108] In some example embodiments, the first layer of the terminal device is the access layer (AS) layer, and the second layer of the terminal device is the application layer.

[0109] In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 500 (e.g., terminal device 210) 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 in a circuit system or a software module.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for receiving a mobility command from a first network device at a first layer of the terminal device; components for providing an Attention (AT) command associated with the mobility command from the first layer of the terminal device to a second layer of the terminal device, the AT command instructing the second layer to release at least one Configuration Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement and associated Radio Resource Control (RRC) identifier (ID), the second layer being an upper layer of the first layer; and components for releasing at least one Configuration QoE measurement and associated RRC ID at the second layer of the terminal device based on the AT command.

[0111] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for providing AT commands from a first portion of a first layer to a second layer upon receiving a mobility command, wherein the first portion of the first layer is associated with a first network device.

[0112] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for providing AT commands from a second portion of the first layer to the second layer after successfully decoding RRC connection reconfiguration information associated with the second network device or after connecting to the second network device, wherein the second portion of the first layer is associated with the second network device.

[0113] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for discarding QoE reporting data acquired from a second layer at a first layer of the terminal device.

[0114] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for notifying a second layer to stop at least one of QoE measurement or QoE reporting from a first part of the first layer upon receiving a mobility command.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the AT command includes a QoE configuration container configured by a second network device.

[0116] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for obtaining RRC connection reconfiguration information associated with a second network device by decoding mobility commands.

[0117] In some example embodiments, the second network device is an LTE network device, such as an eNB. In some example embodiments, the first network device is an NR network device, such as a gNB.

[0118] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes components for performing a RAT handover process from a first network device to a second network device.

[0119] In some example embodiments, at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID includes all configured QoE measurements and associated RRC IDs configured by the first network device.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the first layer of the terminal device is the access layer (AS) layer, and the second layer of the terminal device is the application layer.

[0121] Figure 6 A simplified block diagram of a device 600 suitable for implementing some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. The device 600 can be provided to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 2 The terminal device 210 is shown. As shown, device 600 includes one or more processors 610, one or more memories 620 coupled to processor 610, and one or more communication modules 640 coupled to processor 610.

[0122] Communication module 640 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 640 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements.

[0123] Processor 610 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 600 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0124] Memory 620 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) 624, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 622 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0125] Computer program 630 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 610. Program 630 may be stored in ROM 624. Processor 610 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 630 into RAM 622.

[0126] The embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented via program 630, enabling device 600 to execute reference... Figure 3-5 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0127] In some example embodiments, program 630 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 600 (such as memory 620) or other storage device accessible to device 600. Device 600 may load program 630 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 622 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0128] Figure 7 A block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium 700 according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. A program 630 is stored on the computer-readable medium 700. It should be noted that although the computer-readable medium 700... Figure 7 The program is depicted in the form of a CD or DVD, but the computer-readable medium 700 may be any other form suitable for carrying or storing the program 630.

[0129] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented using hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented using hardware, while others can be implemented using firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated 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 can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0130] This disclosure also provides 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 instructions included in a program module, which execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-mentioned... Figure 5Any of the methods described herein. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of a program module can execute on a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0131] Program code used to perform the methods 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 program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0132] 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.

[0133] 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 of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer floppy 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 of the foregoing. The term "non-transient" as used herein is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0134] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring the operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or to perform all of the shown operations to obtain 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 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 a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0135] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features or actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, 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 terminal device to at least: In the first layer of the terminal device, a mobility command is received from the first network device; An Attention (AT) command associated with the mobility command is provided from the first layer of the terminal device to the second layer of the terminal device, the AT command instructing the second layer to release at least one configured Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement and associated Radio Resource Control (RRC) identifier (ID), the second layer being the upper layer of the first layer; as well as In the second layer of the terminal device, the at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID are released based on the AT command.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is configured to: Upon receiving the mobility command, the AT command is provided from a first portion of the first layer to the second layer, wherein the first portion of the first layer is associated with the first network device.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is configured to: After successfully decoding the RRC connection reconfiguration information associated with the second network device or after connecting to the second network device, the AT command is provided from the second part of the first layer to the second layer, wherein the second part of the first layer is associated with the second network device.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: In the first layer of the terminal device, QoE report data obtained from the second layer is discarded.

5. The terminal device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: Upon receiving the mobility command, the first part of the first layer notifies the second layer to stop at least one of the following: QoE measurement or QoE reporting.

6. The terminal device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the AT command includes a QoE configuration container configured by the second network device.

7. The terminal device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: By decoding the mobility command, the RRC connection reconfiguration information associated with the second network device is obtained.

8. The terminal device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the second network device is a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network device.

9. The terminal device according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the first network device is a new radio (NR) network device.

10. The terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the terminal device is further configured to: Perform a handover process from the first network device to the second network device using Radio Access Technology (RAT).

11. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRC ID comprises: All configured QoE measurements and associated RRC IDs configured by the first network device.

12. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first layer of the terminal device is an access layer (AS) layer, and the second layer of the terminal device is an application layer.

13. A method comprising: At the first layer of the terminal device, a mobility command is received from the first network device; An Attention (AT) command associated with the mobility command is provided from the first layer of the terminal device to the second layer of the terminal device, the AT command instructing the second layer to release at least one configured Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement and associated Radio Resource Control (RRC) identifier (ID), the second layer being the upper layer of the first layer; as well as In the second layer of the terminal device, at least one configured QoE measurement and associated RRCID are released based on the AT command.

14. An apparatus comprising: Components for receiving mobility commands from a first network device at the first layer of a terminal device; Components for providing an Attention (AT) command associated with the mobility command from the first layer of the terminal device to the second layer of the terminal device, the AT command instructing the second layer to release at least one configured Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement and associated Radio Resource Control (RRC) identifier (ID), the second layer being the upper layer of the first layer; as well as The second layer of the terminal device is used to release at least one component that configures QoE measurement and associated RRC ID based on the AT command.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing a device to execute at least the method of claim 13.

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