Improved radio resource profile handling

Abstract

The invention relates to a device, and particularly provides a device and a method for processing a radio resource configuration file. The apparatus may comprise means for receiving an indication of at least one radio resource profile from a network node, at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile to be retained by the apparatus in the apparatus inactive radio state. Alternatively or in addition, the apparatus may include means for determining the at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile to be retained by the apparatus in an inactive radio state of the apparatus. The apparatus may also include means for retaining at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile in an inactive radio state of the apparatus. The apparatus may also include means for discarding at least a portion of the at least one further radio resource profile.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to wireless communication networks, and more particularly to processing radio resource profiles in such networks. Background Technology

[0002] In wireless communication networks, one or more protocols can be used, for example, to control data transmission between a user equipment (UE) and the wireless communication network. Profiles for such protocols may include, for example, one or more configurations, parameters, and / or settings for controlling data transmission. Examples of wireless communication networks include cellular networks, such as those operating under Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G, or 6G radio access technologies. 5G radio access technology can also be referred to as New Radio (NR) access technology. An example of a protocol used in UMTS / LTE / NR to control radio resources in said networks is the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has developed standards for LTE, 5G / NR, and 6G. One of the topics discussed within 3GPP is how to further improve profile processing, particularly radio resource profile processing. Summary of the Invention

[0003] A user equipment (UE) may be in different states regarding its radio link with the wireless communication network. Examples of these radio states include idle, inactive, and connected radio states, respectively. The connected radio state is characterized by relatively higher UE activity, such as regarding signaling and measurement, compared to the idle or inactive radio state. Such relatively high UE activity can negatively impact its overall operating time due to the amount of energy consumed by the UE. Therefore, it may seem appropriate for the UE to occasionally switch to other radio states (e.g., idle or inactive radio states) when there is no active data exchange.

[0004] However, the relatively frequent transitions between connected radio states and other radio states can introduce several drawbacks, such as increased signaling overhead, increased time consumption, and increased latency (e.g., due to the need to reconfigure the radio link between the UE and the wireless communication network). While keeping the UE in a connected radio state can mitigate some of these issues, it is not always desirable, for example, when there is no active data exchange, such as over relatively long periods. Specifically, keeping the UE in a connected radio state can result in lower energy efficiency for both the UE and the wireless communication network.

[0005] Given the above, it may be desirable to handle one or more radio resource profiles in an advantageous manner when switching between different radio states.

[0006] In view of this, certain embodiments of the present disclosure can have the effect of improving radio resource profile processing (e.g., in 6G), such as when switching between different radio states. Specifically, certain embodiments of the present disclosure enable a device (e.g., a UE) to retain (e.g., store) at least a portion of certain radio resource profiles and discard (e.g., delete) at least a portion of certain other radio resource profiles during the device's inactive radio state, thereby saving storage, radio, and / or power resources at the device and / or wireless communication network, while reducing signaling overhead, time consumption, and / or latency when exchanging data between the device and the network, thereby achieving improved radio resource profile processing.

[0007] According to a first example aspect, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include components for receiving an indication of at least one radio resource profile from a network node, at least a portion of which will be retained by the apparatus during its inactive radio state. The apparatus may also include components for retaining at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile during the apparatus's inactive radio state. The apparatus may further include components for discarding at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile.

[0008] Alternatively, in addition to components for receiving at least one radio resource profile indication from a network node, the apparatus may include components for determining at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the apparatus in the inactive radio state of the apparatus.

[0009] The apparatus according to the first example aspect may be or may include a user equipment (UE). Furthermore, the network node from which the indication can be received may be or may be included by the apparatus according to the second example aspect, as further described herein.

[0010] According to a second example aspect, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include components for instructing a user equipment (UE) at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the UE during its inactive radio state, wherein at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile will be discarded by the UE.

[0011] The apparatus according to the second example aspect may be or may include network entities, such as, for example, network nodes. Furthermore, at least one radio resource profile to which the user equipment may be indicated may be or may be included by the apparatus according to the first example aspect.

[0012] According to a third example aspect, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include components for receiving an indication from a network node of at least one reserved radio resource profile, at least a portion of which has been reserved by a user equipment during its inactive radio state. The apparatus may further include components for determining at least one still-valid radio resource profile based on the at least one reserved radio resource profile and at least one radio resource profile stored by the apparatus. The apparatus may also include components for indicating the at least one still-valid radio resource profile to the network node.

[0013] The apparatus according to the third example aspect may be or may include (e.g., additional) network entities, such as (e.g., additional) network nodes. Furthermore, the indication of at least one reserved radio resource profile from which it can be received by the network node may be or may be included by the apparatus according to the second example aspect. Furthermore, at least a portion of at least one reserved radio resource profile already held by the user equipment to which it is held may be or may be included by the apparatus according to the first example aspect.

[0014] Any disclosed device (e.g., the device according to the first example aspect, the device according to the second example aspect, and / or the device according to the third example aspect) may be a stationary device or a mobile device.

[0015] A user equipment (an example of a device according to the first example aspect) may specifically be a terminal device, such as a mobile device, like a smartphone, tablet, wearable device, smartwatch, low-power device, IoT device, IIoT device, vehicle, truck, drone, aircraft, etc. The user equipment may in particular be capable of communicating (sending and / or receiving signals and / or data to / from) one or more other user equipments and / or one or more network nodes (such as base stations of a wireless communication network). Typically, the user equipment can be any device capable of communicating with a wireless communication network and / or another user equipment.

[0016] A network node (examples of the apparatus according to the second example aspect and examples of the apparatus according to the third example aspect) can be understood as a wireless communication station installed in a fixed or mobile location, and in particular, can be or include an entity of a radio access network of a wireless communication system. For example, a network node can be, include, or be part of a base station (e.g., gNB, eNodeB, NodeB, BTS, etc.) of a wireless communication network of any generation of 3GPP standards. Typically, a network node can be or include hardware or software components that implement a specific function. In one example, a network node can be an entity defined by the 3GPP 5G or NR standards (also referred to as a gNB). Thus, while a network node can be understood as implemented in a single device or module, or as a single device or module, a network node can also be implemented across multiple devices or modules, or include multiple devices or modules. Therefore, a network node can be implemented in a static device, or as a static device, in particular. Multiple network nodes can establish a wireless communication system or network, which can be, in particular, an NR or 5G system (5GS), or any other wireless communication system defined by past or future standards (especially subsequent standards of the current 3GPP standards). A network node can be able to communicate directly and / or indirectly with user equipment.

[0017] For each of the example aspects, the corresponding methods are also exposed.

[0018] Therefore, according to the first example aspect, a method performed by a device is disclosed. The method may include receiving an indication from a network node that at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile will be retained by the device in the device's inactive radio state. The method may further include retaining at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile in the device's inactive radio state. The method may also include discarding at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile.

[0019] Alternatively, or in addition to receiving an indication of at least one radio resource profile from a network node, the method may further include determining at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the device in the inactive radio state of the device.

[0020] The apparatus that performs the method according to the first example aspect may be or may include a user equipment (UE).

[0021] According to a second example aspect, a method performed by an apparatus is disclosed. The method may include instructing a user equipment (UE) to at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the UE during its inactive radio state, wherein at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile will be discarded by the UE.

[0022] The method according to the second example aspect, performed by the apparatus, may be or may include network entities, such as, for example, network nodes.

[0023] According to a third example aspect, a method performed by an apparatus is disclosed. The method may include receiving an indication from a network node of at least one reserved radio resource profile, at least a portion of which has been reserved by a user equipment during its inactive radio state. The method may further include determining at least one still valid radio resource profile based on the at least one reserved radio resource profile and at least one radio resource profile stored by the apparatus. The method may also include indicating the at least one still valid radio resource profile to the network node.

[0024] The method according to the third example aspect, performed by the apparatus, may be or may include (e.g., additional) network entities, such as (additional) network nodes.

[0025] According to an example aspect of this disclosure, in each case a computer program is also disclosed, including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method of the corresponding aspect.

[0026] The computer program can be stored on a computer-readable storage medium in every case, particularly on a tangible and / or non-transitory medium. Computer-readable storage media can be, for example, a disk, a memory, etc. The computer program can be stored in the computer-readable storage medium in the form of instructions encoding the computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be intended for use in the operation of a device, such as the internal or external memory of a computer, such as read-only memory (ROM) or a hard disk, or intended for the distribution of programs, such as an optical disc.

[0027] Therefore, according to the exemplary aspects of this disclosure, in each case a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program of the corresponding aspect stored thereon is also disclosed.

[0028] Any disclosure relating to any example aspect herein should be understood as equivalent to any subject matter (e.g., subject matter relating to apparatus, method, computer program, and computer-readable storage medium) according to the corresponding example aspect. For example, disclosure of components for performing and / or causing performance of a method or method step should also be considered as disclosure of the method or method step itself. Similarly, disclosure of a method or method step should also be considered as disclosure of components for performing and / or causing performance of the corresponding method or method step. Furthermore, any paragraph describing a method or method step should be understood as disclosing 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 the method or method step. Conversely, any paragraph describing 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 one step should be understood as disclosing that step itself as a method step.

[0029] Specifically, an apparatus (e.g., an apparatus according to the first example aspect, an apparatus according to the second example aspect, and / or an apparatus according to the third example aspect) is disclosed, configured to perform, execute, and / or control, or include corresponding components for performing and / or controlling the method according to any of the foregoing example aspects. Furthermore, an apparatus (e.g., an apparatus according to the first example aspect, an apparatus according to the second example aspect, and / or an apparatus according to the third example aspect) is disclosed, comprising at least one processor; at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the method according to any one aspect.

[0030] The apparatus according to any aspect may include components for performing the specified method or steps.

[0031] Generally, any component or function of the disclosed device or apparatus (e.g., the apparatus according to the first example aspect, the apparatus according to the second example aspect, and / or the apparatus according to the third example aspect) can be implemented in hardware and / or software. They may include one or more modules or units providing the corresponding functions. They may, for example, include at least one processor for executing computer program code to perform the desired function, at least one memory for storing the program code, or both. They can include, for example, circuit systems designed to perform the desired function, implemented in a chipset or chip, such as integrated circuits. Generally, the device component may include, for example, one or more processors.

[0032] Specific means may be used to implement specific functions / features, such as receiving device components for receiving an indication of at least one radio resource profile from a network node, at least a portion of which will be retained by the device in the inactive radio state of the device; retention components for retaining at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile in the inactive radio state of the device; and / or discarding components for discarding at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile (these components may, for example, be included by a device according to the first example aspect).

[0033] Further examples of a particular component may include, for example, an indication component for instructing a user equipment to at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the user equipment in the user equipment’s inactive radio state, wherein at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile will be discarded by the user equipment (the component may, for example, be included by means according to the second exemplary aspect).

[0034] Further examples of specific components may include, for example, a receiving component for receiving from a network node an indication of at least one reserved radio resource profile, at least a portion of which has been reserved by a user equipment in the user equipment's inactive radio state; a determining component for determining at least one still valid radio resource profile based on the at least one reserved radio resource profile and at least one radio resource profile stored by the device; and / or an indicating component for indicating to the network node an indication of at least one still valid radio resource profile (these components may be included, for example, by a device according to the third example aspect).

[0035] Therefore, according to the corresponding exemplary aspects of this disclosure, in each case, a corresponding apparatus including components for performing the method according to the corresponding aspect of this disclosure is also disclosed.

[0036] Any of the exemplary aspects disclosed above can typically be performed by a device, which may be a module or component for a device, such as a chip. Alternatively, as described above, the device may be a terminal device or a network node.

[0037] The apparatus according to any aspect may include only the disclosed components (i.e., consist of the disclosed components), such as parts, processors, memory, circuit systems, or may also include one or more additional components.

[0038] The aforementioned aspects are advantageous in at least one of speed, efficiency (especially with respect to storage and / or radio resources), or power consumption. More specifically, by retaining (e.g., storing) at least a portion of some radio resource profiles in an inactive radio state, and / or by discarding (e.g., deleting) at least a portion of some other radio resource profiles, various resources (e.g., storage, radio, and / or power consumption) can be saved at the device and / or at the wireless communication network, while reducing signaling overhead, time consumption, and / or latency when exchanging data between the device and the network, thereby improving the processing of radio resource profiles.

[0039] The aforementioned advantages can be achieved, in particular, by having the device (e.g., UE) retain at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile indicated by a network node during inactive radio states, and / or discard at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile (e.g., not indicated by a network node). In this way, for example, radio resource profiles not indicated by the network can be removed from the storage of the device and / or network entity (e.g., network node), thereby advantageously saving storage resources.

[0040] For example, certain profiles may be intended to be temporarily valid by the wireless communication network and / or only for use with the radio state of the connection, and / or may only be valid in certain cells. Therefore, this aspect may particularly allow for the alignment of profiles stored by the device with those stored by the wireless communication network, thereby saving UE and / or network resources.

[0041] Meanwhile, by retaining at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile in an inactive radio state, signaling overhead, time consumption, and / or delays when exchanging data between the device and the wireless communication network (e.g., at a later point in time) can be advantageously reduced, for example, by (re)using the retained radio resource profile.

[0042] Regarding the second aspect (e.g., on the network side), the above advantages can be achieved in particular by instructing the user equipment to at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the user equipment in the user equipment's inactive radio state, wherein at least a portion of at least one other radio resource profile will be discarded by the user equipment.

[0043] Regarding the third aspect, the aforementioned advantages can be achieved, in particular, by having a device (e.g., a network node already connected to the user equipment) indicate to a network node (e.g., a network node now connected to the user equipment) at least one still valid radio resource profile, which is determined in particular based on at least one reserved radio resource profile already retained by the user equipment during its inactive radio state. In this way, for example, a network node previously connected to the UE can indicate to a network node now connected to the UE which profiles are still stored by the UE, thereby allowing resource savings (e.g., storage, radio, and / or power) at the network node, for example, by discarding profiles that are no longer valid.

[0044] The apparatus, method, computer program, and / or storage medium according to the aforementioned aspects may, for example, correspond to apparatus, method, computer program, and / or storage medium for 6G (e.g., standardized in 3GPP Rel-21 or later).

[0045] An indication of at least one radio resource profile may, for example, include or correspond to information indicating at least one radio resource profile, such as information identifying a corresponding one of the at least one radio resource profile. For example, the indication may include or correspond to a list of corresponding identifiers (e.g., IDs) used to identify a corresponding one of the at least one radio resource profile. Each of the at least one radio resource profile may include a corresponding identifier, and / or may be identified by a corresponding identifier. For example, at least one radio resource profile may include... n A radio resource configuration file.

[0046] At least one radio resource profile may be, or may have been, selected by a network entity (e.g., a network node) from a plurality of radio resource profiles of the device (e.g., stored on the device). Therefore, the at least one radio resource profile may in particular be a subset of the plurality of radio resource profiles of the device. The at least one radio resource profile may be referred to as at least one radio resource profile indicated to be reserved.

[0047] A radio resource profile may include, for example, include, based on, and / or indicate one or more radio resource configurations, one or more radio resource parameters, and / or one or more radio resource settings. In other words, one or more radio resource configurations, radio resource parameters, and / or radio resource settings may be collectively referred to as a radio resource profile. A radio resource profile (e.g., each of at least one radio resource profile) may include or be composed of one or more radio resource profile components (e.g., The radio resource profile consists of components. Alternatively or additionally, the radio resource profile can be modular. Each of the radio resource configuration, radio resource parameters, and / or radio resource settings can be configured to control radio resources (e.g., those of a wireless communication network).

[0048] As described herein, a radio resource profile may specifically include or correspond to a radio resource control (RRC) profile. Similarly, as described herein, a radio resource configuration may specifically include or correspond to an RRC configuration. Therefore, at least one radio resource profile, at least one additional radio resource profile, at least one reserved radio resource profile, at least one past radio resource profile, and / or at least one still valid radio resource profile may, for example, accordingly include or correspond to at least one RRC profile, at least one additional RRC profile, at least one reserved RRC profile, at least one past RRC profile, and / or at least one still valid RRC profile. Therefore, the corresponding radio resource profile may, for example, include, based on, and / or indicate one or more RRC configurations, RRC parameters, and / or RRC settings. Alternatively or additionally, the corresponding radio resource profile may, for example, include, based on, and / or indicate one or more configurations, parameters, and / or settings of at least one additional radio layer (or protocol), such as the MAC (Media Access Control) layer / protocol and / or the PHY (Physical) layer / protocol. In other words, while the corresponding radio resource profile may, for example, configure one or more RRC parameters and / or RRC settings, alternatively or additionally, the corresponding radio resource profile may configure one or more parameters and / or settings of the MAC layer / protocol and / or one or more parameters and / or settings of the PHY layer / protocol.

[0049] However, it should be understood that the RRC profile represents only one example of a radio resource profile as used herein. Typically, as used herein, a radio resource profile may include or correspond to a profile for configuring radio resources (e.g., a specific radio access technology). Alternatively or additionally, a radio resource profile may configure (e.g., to have one or more radio measurements performed by the device). In other words, alternatively or additionally, a radio resource profile may include, be based on, and / or indicate the device's measurement configuration. The measurement configuration may include or correspond to a set of parameters or settings that define one or more types of radio measurements the device may need to perform (e.g., signal strength measurements, signal quality measurements, reporting criteria, and / or measurement objects, such as neighboring cells or carriers), one or more measurement frequencies (e.g., how frequently the measurements are to be performed), and / or one or more radio signal quantities to be measured. Configuring radio measurements can allow configuring the desired operating mode of the device (e.g., UE), for example, to improve its energy efficiency.

[0050] An indication of at least one radio resource profile may be included by radio resource control messages (e.g., RRC recovery messages or RRC release messages) received from a network node and / or by suspend configuration information (e.g., SuspendConfig information element (IE)). Correspondingly, the apparatus may include components for receiving radio resource control messages and / or components for receiving suspend configuration information. For example, the suspend configuration information may be received in conjunction with radio resource control messages.

[0051] As described above, alternatively, or in addition to indicating receipt of at least one radio resource profile from a network node, the device may also include components for (e.g., itself) determining at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the device during its inactive radio state. Therefore, while at least one radio resource profile may be indicated to the device by a network node to be retained, alternatively or additionally, at least one radio resource profile may also be determined by the device itself. The at least one radio resource profile determined by the device may differ from the at least one radio resource profile indicated to the device by the network node. For example, the corresponding radio resource profile may be determined by the device based on the (e.g., previous) usage pattern of the radio resource profile, based on the (e.g., future) applicability of the radio resource profile, and / or based on the characteristics (e.g., capabilities) of the device.

[0052] As described above, at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile may be required to be retained by the device during the device's inactive radio state. Therefore, for example, at least one radio resource profile (e.g., each) may be partially or entirely required to be retained by the device during the inactive radio state. In other words, at least one radio resource profile (e.g., each) may be required to be at least partially retained by the device during the inactive radio state.

[0053] Retaining a radio resource profile may, for example, include or correspond to storing the radio resource profile (e.g., continuously and / or at least temporarily) in the device's (e.g., internal) memory. Components for retaining at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile can therefore be configured, for example, to store at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile in an inactive radio state (e.g., continuously and / or at least temporarily). For this purpose, components for retaining at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile may, for example, include at least one memory. Retaining a radio resource profile may also be referred to as maintaining, saving, and / or keeping a radio resource profile.

[0054] Retaining a radio resource profile (e.g., a portion thereof) in an inactive radio state may, for example, include or correspond to retaining a radio resource profile (e.g., a portion thereof) during and / or while in an inactive radio state. Alternatively or additionally, retaining a radio resource profile (e.g., a portion thereof) in an inactive radio state may, for example, include or correspond to retaining a radio resource profile (e.g., a portion thereof) based on, in response to, or after (e.g., by means of a device) a transition to an inactive radio state (e.g., from a connected radio state).

[0055] Correspondingly, the component for retaining at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile can be configured to retain at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile after the device transitions from a connected radio state to an inactive radio state.

[0056] Therefore, the apparatus may further include components for receiving an indication from a network node to transition to an inactive radio state (e.g., from a connected radio state). The indication to transition to an inactive radio state may, for example, instruct the apparatus to transition to an inactive radio state. The indication to transition to an inactive radio state may be received, for example, in conjunction with or separately from an indication of at least one radio resource profile. The indication to transition to an inactive radio state may, for example, be included by a radio resource control message and / or by pause configuration information, as further described herein. The apparatus may also include components for transitioning to (e.g., entering or re-entering) an inactive radio state, for example, from a connected radio state, based, for example, on the indication to transition to an inactive radio state (e.g., in response to and / or after receiving the indication to transition to an inactive radio state).

[0057] As used herein, an inactive radio state may also be referred to as an inactive radio mode. Inactive radio states / modes may also be denoted using uppercase letters, i.e., , inactive radio state / mode. An inactive radio state / mode may, for example, correspond to an RRC inactive state or an RRC inactive mode. An inactive radio state may also be referred to as an RRC_INACTIVE state / mode. An inactive radio state can be understood as an inactive state of radio connection between a device and a wireless communication network including network nodes, specifically, where the context associated with the device is stored and / or where the radio bearer is inactive. In an inactive state, the device may, for example, be inactive with respect to the radio connection between the device and the wireless communication network.

[0058] As described above, the apparatus may further include components for discarding at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile. Thus, for example, a portion or all of at least one additional radio resource profile (e.g., each of at least one additional radio resource profile) may be discarded. In other words, at least one additional radio resource profile may be discarded at least partially. This at least one additional radio resource profile (e.g., each of at least one additional radio resource profile) may, in particular, differ from at least one radio resource profile (e.g., each of) indicated by a network node. In other words, at least one additional radio resource profile discarded by the apparatus may not be indicated to be retained by a network node. In other words, at least one radio resource profile may not have been selected from among the multiple radio resource profiles of the apparatus, for example, by a network entity (e.g., a network node).

[0059] Discarding a radio resource profile may include, for example, deleting and / or removing a radio resource profile from, for example, the device's (e.g., internal) memory. Components for discarding at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile can therefore be configured, for example, to delete and / or remove at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile in an inactive radio state. Discarding a radio resource profile may also be referred to as rejecting and / or releasing a radio resource profile.

[0060] The component for retaining at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile can be configured to retain only at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile that is instructed to be retained. In other words, the at least one radio resource profile that is instructed to be retained can be retained by the device at least partially. Specifically, in this way, radio resource profiles not instructed by the network can be advantageously removed from the device's storage, thereby saving the device's storage resources.

[0061] The device may also include: A component for receiving an indication of at least one retention duration from a network node, wherein a corresponding one of the at least one radio resource profiles will be retained for a corresponding one of the at least one retention duration; The component for retaining at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile is configured to retain at least a portion of a corresponding one of the at least one radio resource profiles for a corresponding one of the at least one retention durations.

[0062] Therefore, a corresponding one (e.g., each) in the at least one radio resource profile can be associated with a corresponding one in at least one retention duration. In other words, a corresponding one (e.g., each) in the at least one radio resource profile that is indicated to be retained can be retained for the corresponding one of the at least one retention duration. In other words, the indication of at least one retention duration can indicate the duration (e.g., how long) for which a corresponding one (e.g., each) in the at least one radio resource profile should be retained (e.g., stored).

[0063] Therefore, the device may also include: A component used to monitor the duration of at least one retention period.

[0064] A component for monitoring at least one retention duration may, for example, include or correspond to one or more timers for monitoring at least one retention duration. One or more timers may be included in, be part of, and / or built into the device. The device may be configured to start and / or monitor one or more timers, for example, simultaneously.

[0065] Multiple available timers can be used to determine at least one retention duration and / or can be used to determine at least one radio resource profile to be retained by the device. Correspondingly, the component for determining at least one radio resource profile can be configured to determine at least one radio resource profile based on the number of components for monitoring at least one retention duration, and / or the component for determining at least one retention duration can be configured to determine at least one retention duration based on the number of components for monitoring at least one retention duration.

[0066] For example, if only a limited number of timers are available, the device may, for instance, decide to retain some radio resource profiles (e.g., profiles determined to be highly relevant and / or useful) indefinitely and allocate the available timers to some other radio resource profiles (e.g., profiles determined to be less relevant and / or less useful than those determined to be highly relevant and / or useful).

[0067] In this way, a limited number of available timers can be used to release profiles that are determined to be less relevant and / or less useful after their respective retention periods have expired (thus saving storage resources), while allowing highly relevant and / or useful profiles to be retained indefinitely (thus reducing signaling overhead, time delays, etc.).

[0068] An indication of at least one reservation duration may be received in particular in conjunction with an indication of at least one radio resource profile. For example, an indication of at least one reservation duration may (e.g., also) be included by a radio resource control message and / or by a pause configuration information, as further described herein. Alternatively, an indication of at least one reservation duration may be received separately from an indication of at least one radio resource profile.

[0069] As used herein, the retention duration of a radio resource profile may also be referred to as the expiration time or expiration timer for that radio resource profile. The retention duration of a radio resource profile may be determined, for example, based on the time (e.g., expected) of the validity of the radio resource profile being determined (e.g., by a network entity) and / or may indicate the time (e.g., expected) of the validity of the radio resource profile.

[0070] Alternatively, in addition to the components for receiving an indication of at least one retention duration from a network node, the device may also include components (e.g., itself) for determining at least one retention duration. Thus, while at least one retention duration may be indicated to the device by a network node, alternatively or additionally, at least one retention duration may also be determined by the device (e.g., itself). The at least one retention duration determined by the device may differ from the at least one retention duration indicated to the device by the network node. For example, the device may retain one or more radio resource profiles for a longer duration than the corresponding retention duration for one or more radio resource profiles already indicated to the device by the network node. In other words, the device may, for example, continue to store one or more radio resource profiles even beyond their (e.g., actual) expiration time.

[0071] For example, the corresponding retention duration can be determined by the device based on the (e.g., previous) usage pattern of the radio resource profile associated with the corresponding retention duration (e.g., the corresponding retention duration is determined by its own radio resource profile), the (e.g., future) applicability of the radio resource profile associated with the corresponding retention duration, and / or based on the characteristics (e.g., capabilities) of the device.

[0072] Alternatively or additionally, for example, the corresponding retention duration can be determined by the device based on the device's mobility in an inactive radio state. Correspondingly, the component for determining at least one retention duration can be configured to determine at least one retention duration based on the device's mobility in an inactive radio state.

[0073] For example, at least one retention duration may be determined by the device based on the device's residence in an inactive radio state (e.g., camping) in a cell (e.g., the last serving cell) where the device transitions from a connected radio state to an inactive radio state. Alternatively or additionally, at least one retention duration may be determined by the device based on the device's residence in an notification area of ​​the radio access network of the wireless communication network (e.g., based on the notification area (RNA) of the radio access network (RAN)) and / or in an area, for example, where at least one radio resource profile can be processed (e.g., managed). Alternatively or additionally, at least one retention duration may be determined by the device based on the device's movement from a first cell (e.g., the last serving cell) to a second cell (e.g., within the same notification area of ​​the radio access network of the wireless communication network, or across different notification areas) while in an inactive radio state. Retention durations determined based on the device's movement from a first cell to a second cell, the device's residence in an RNA, and / or the device's residence in the last serving cell may, for example, be at least partially different (e.g., in pairs). In other words, based on determining whether the device remains in the last serving cell, whether it (e.g., only) remains in an RNA cell, and / or moves between two cells (an example of device mobility in an inactive radio state), the corresponding radio resource profile can be determined to be retained by the device for at least partially different retention durations.

[0074] Specifically, this approach enables a more efficient, less complex, and less resource-intensive mechanism in which both the device and the wireless communication network retain the corresponding retention duration of the radio resource profile, which is advantageous for the device's mobility during inactive radio states.

[0075] The device may also include: A component for performing at least one action in response to the expiration of at least one reservation duration of at least one radio resource profile.

[0076] Therefore, at least one action can be performed in response to the expiration of one or more reservation durations for one or more corresponding radio resource profiles. For example, at least one action can be performed in response to the expiration of a single reservation duration for a single radio resource profile, or in response to the expiration of multiple or all reservation durations for multiple or all radio resource profiles. Alternatively, in addition to performing the action(s) in response to the expiration of at least one reservation duration, the action(s) can be performed based on the expiration of at least one reservation duration and / or after the expiration of at least one reservation duration.

[0077] At least one action that can be performed by the device in response to the expiration of one or more retention periods can be indicated to the device by a network node. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one action can be determined by the device (e.g., itself). Correspondingly, the device may also include: A component for determining at least one action to be performed by the device in response to the expiration of at least one reservation duration of at least one radio resource profile.

[0078] The at least one action may include at least one of the following: Discard at least a portion of at least one of at least one radio resource profiles, wherein the corresponding retention duration of at least one of the at least one radio resource profiles has expired; Indicate to network nodes that at least one retention period has expired; Determine at least one reselection frequency, which is different from at least one currently selected frequency; Determine the reselection priority of at least one modification, wherein the reselection priority of the at least one modification is different from the current reselection priority; or Modify the measurement configuration of the device.

[0079] For example, at least a portion of at least one of at least one radio resource profiles may be discarded based on, in response to, and / or after the respective retention duration of at least one of at least one radio resource profiles has expired. Therefore, among the at least one radio resource profiles indicated for retention, there may be at least one radio resource profile whose respective retention duration has expired, and at least a portion of it will be discarded based on, in response to, and / or after its respective retention duration has expired. In other words, if the respective retention duration of one of the at least one radio resource profiles has expired, the radio resource profile can be discarded (e.g., released). In this way, one or more radio resource profiles whose respective retention durations have expired can be removed from the storage of the device and / or network entity (e.g., network node), thereby advantageously saving storage resources.

[0080] Alternatively or additionally, the network node may be indicated that at least one retention period has expired, for example, so that the wireless communication network may decide on additional steps (e.g., determine at least one action to be performed).

[0081] Alternatively or additionally, at least one reselected frequency can be determined, wherein the at least one reselected frequency is different from at least one currently selected frequency. In other words, at least one carrier frequency of the radio link between the device and the wireless communication network can be reselected such that the at least one reselected carrier frequency is different from at least one currently selected carrier frequency of the radio link.

[0082] Alternatively or additionally, at least one modified reselection priority may be determined, wherein the modified reselection priority differs from the current reselection priority. In other words, at least one current reselection priority may be modified. Based on the modified reselection priority, the device may, for example, automatically (e.g., without indication from a network node) switch to the reselected carrier frequency. The reselection priority may include or correspond to a relative priority level associated with one or more cells of the device and / or with the radio link of the wireless communication network.

[0083] Alternatively or additionally, the measurement configuration of the device can be modified. The measurement configuration may include or correspond to a set of parameters or settings that define one or more types of radio measurements the device may need to perform (e.g., signal strength measurements, signal quality measurements, reporting standards and / or measurement objects, such as neighboring cells or carriers), one or more measurement frequencies (e.g., how frequently the measurements are to be performed), and / or one or more radio signal quantities to be measured, said set of parameters or settings, for example, provided to or provided to the device by a wireless communication network.

[0084] The device may also include: A component for indicating to a network node at least one reserved radio resource profile, at least a portion of which has been reserved by the device during inactive radio states.

[0085] Indicating at least one reserved radio resource profile to a network node may, for example, include or correspond to providing the network node with information indicating at least one reserved radio resource profile, such as information identifying a corresponding one of the at least one reserved radio resource profile. Alternatively or additionally, indicating at least one reserved radio resource profile to a network node may include or correspond to sending an indication of at least one reserved radio resource profile to the network node. For example, the indication may include or correspond to a list of corresponding identifiers (e.g., IDs) for identifying a corresponding one of the at least one reserved radio resource profile. Each of the at least one reserved radio resource profile may include a corresponding identifier and / or be identifiable by a corresponding identifier. At least one reserved radio resource profile may be a plurality of radio resource profiles of the device and / or a subset of at least one radio resource profile indicated as reserved. Therefore, at least one reserved radio resource profile may, for example, include One radio resource configuration file, in which .

[0086] By indicating to network nodes the radio resource profile(s) retained by the device, the wireless communication network can use the information advantageously, for example, to perform one or more actions (e.g., retaining the radio resource profile(s) retained by the device) and / or to instruct the device to perform one or more actions (e.g., continuing to retain the retained radio resource profile(s) or releasing the retained radio resource profile(s)), thereby allowing signaling overhead, time consumption, and / or latency when the device exchanges data with the wireless communication network to be advantageously reduced (e.g., by (re)using the retained radio resource profiles) and / or storage resources of the device and / or the wireless communication network to be saved (e.g., by releasing profiles that are no longer needed).

[0087] The device may also include: Components for determining at least a portion of at least one reserved radio resource profile to be discarded, wherein at least a portion of the at least one reserved radio resource profile has been retained by the device in an inactive radio state; and A component for discarding at least a portion of at least one retained radio resource profile that has been determined to be discarded.

[0088] In other words, at least one retained radio resource profile can be determined by the device to be (at least partially) discarded, and at least a portion of the at least one retained radio resource profile has been retained by the device in an inactive radio state. In other words, the device can, for example, decide to remove at least a portion of the at least one profile already retained by the device in an inactive radio state based on an internal algorithm of the device. The component for discarding at least a portion of the at least one retained radio resource profile determined to be discarded can, for example, be configured to delete and / or remove at least a portion of the at least one retained radio resource profile.

[0089] The at least one reserved radio resource profile can be determined based on the device's mobility in an inactive radio state. Correspondingly, the component for determining that at least a portion of the at least one reserved radio resource profile will be discarded can be configured to determine that at least a portion of the at least one reserved radio resource profile will be discarded based on the device's mobility in an inactive radio state.

[0090] For example, based on the device moving out of the cell (e.g., the last serving cell) from which the device transitioned from a connected radio state to an inactive radio state while in an inactive radio state, at least one reserved radio resource profile can be determined to be discarded by the device. Alternatively or additionally, based on the device moving out of the notification area of ​​the radio access network (RAN) of the wireless communication network (e.g., based on the notification area (RNA) of the RAN) while in an inactive radio state, and / or moving out of an area, for example, where at least one radio resource profile could be processed (e.g., managed), a reserved radio resource profile can be determined to be discarded by the device. Alternatively or additionally, based on the device moving from a first cell (e.g., the last serving cell) to a second cell (e.g., within the same notification area of ​​the RAN of the wireless communication network, or across different notification areas) while in an inactive radio state, a reserved radio resource profile can be determined to be discarded by the device. Reserved radio resource profiles determined to be discarded based on the device moving out of the last serving cell, the device moving out of the RNA, and / or the device moving from the first cell to the second cell can, for example, be (e.g., in pairs) at least partially different. In other words, based on determining whether the device has moved out of the last serving cell, out of the RNA, and / or moved from the first cell to the second cell (an example of the device's mobility in an inactive radio state), different reserved radio resource profiles (e.g., profiles that are no longer valid when moving out of the last serving cell, out of the RNA, and / or moved from the first cell to the second cell) can be determined accordingly to be discarded.

[0091] Specifically, this method enables a more efficient, less complex, and less resource-intensive mechanism to allow the device and the wireless communication network to retain (e.g., still) radio resource profiles that are only related to the mobility aspects of user equipment in inactive radio states.

[0092] The device may also include: A component for indicating to a network node at least one reserved radio resource profile, at least a portion of which has been retained by the device in an inactive radio state and is also retained during events associated with the device's mobility.

[0093] As described above, indicating at least one reserved radio resource profile to a network node may, for example, include or correspond to providing the network node with information indicating at least one reserved radio resource profile, such as information identifying a corresponding one of the at least one reserved radio resource profile. Alternatively or additionally, indicating at least one reserved radio resource profile to a network node may include or correspond to sending an indication to the network node of at least one reserved radio resource profile. The indication may, for example, include or correspond to a list of corresponding identifiers (e.g., IDs) for identifying a corresponding one of the at least one reserved radio resource profile. Each of the at least one reserved radio resource profile may include a corresponding identifier and / or may be identifiable by a corresponding identifier. At least one reserved radio resource profile (at least a portion of which has been retained by the device in an inactive radio state and also during events associated with the device's mobility) may be a subset of a plurality of radio resource profiles of the device, a subset of at least one radio resource profile indicated as reserved, and / or particularly a subset of at least one radio resource profile retained by the device in an inactive radio state.

[0094] Events associated with device mobility may include, for example, the device moving out of a cell in which the device transitions from a connected radio state to an inactive radio state, moving out of a notification area of ​​the radio access network of a wireless communication network (e.g., a notification area (RNA) based on the radio access network (RAN), moving out of an area, for example, where at least one radio resource profile can be processed (e.g., managed), and / or moving from a first cell (e.g., the last serving cell) to a second cell, for example, within the same notification area of ​​the radio access network of the wireless communication network, or across different notification areas.

[0095] By indicating the retention of radio resource profiles (at least a portion of which have been retained by the device in an inactive radio state and during events associated with the device's mobility), the wireless communication network can use the information advantageously, for example, to perform one or more actions (e.g., retaining (multiple) radio resource profiles retained by the device) and / or to instruct the device to perform one or more actions (e.g., continuing to retain (multiple) retained radio resource profiles or releasing (multiple) retained radio resource profiles)), thereby allowing signaling overhead, time consumption, and / or latency when the device exchanges data with the wireless communication network to be advantageously reduced (e.g., by (re)using the retained radio resource profiles) and / or storage resources of the device and / or the wireless communication network to be saved (e.g., by releasing profiles that are no longer needed).

[0096] Instructing a user equipment (UE) to at least one radio resource profile by means of the apparatus according to the second example aspect may, for example, include or correspond to providing the UE with information indicating the at least one radio resource profile. Alternatively or additionally, instructing the UE to at least one radio resource profile may include or correspond to sending an instruction to the UE to the at least one radio resource profile. The instruction may, for example, include or correspond to a list of corresponding identifiers (e.g., IDs) for identifying corresponding profiles among the at least one radio resource profile. Thus, the at least one radio resource profile may in particular be a subset of multiple radio resource profiles of the UE (e.g., stored on the UE).

[0097] As described above, at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile may need to be discarded by the user equipment. Correspondingly, the apparatus according to the second example aspect may further include: A component used to indicate to a user equipment that at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile will be discarded by the user equipment.

[0098] The apparatus according to the second example aspect may (e.g., similarly) include components for retaining at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile in the inactive radio state of the apparatus, and / or components for discarding at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile.

[0099] At least one additional radio resource profile (e.g., each of at least one additional radio resource profile) may be different from at least one radio resource profile (e.g., each of) that is indicated to the user equipment as to be retained. In other words, at least one additional radio resource profile that will be discarded by the user equipment may not be indicated to the user equipment as to be retained by the means according to the second example aspect.

[0100] The apparatus according to the second example may also include: Components for determining at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the user equipment in an inactive radio state.

[0101] As described above, at least one radio resource profile can be selected from multiple radio resource profiles of the user equipment by means according to the second example aspect. Correspondingly, determining at least one radio resource profile may, for example, include selecting at least one radio resource profile from multiple radio resource profiles of the user equipment (e.g., stored on the user equipment).

[0102] The component for determining at least one radio resource profile (at least a portion of which will be retained by the user equipment in an inactive radio state) (the component being included in the apparatus according to the second example aspect) can be configured to determine at least one radio resource profile based on the mobility of the user equipment in an inactive radio state. Alternatively or additionally, the component for determining at least one radio resource profile included in the apparatus according to the first example aspect can be configured to determine at least one radio resource profile based on the mobility of the apparatus according to the first example aspect in an inactive radio state. In other words, at least one radio resource profile (at least a portion of which will be retained) can be determined, for example, based on the mobility of the apparatus according to the first example aspect (e.g., user equipment) in an inactive radio state.

[0103] For example, at least one radio resource profile (to be at least partially retained) may be determined based on the user equipment's inactivity in a radio state (e.g., camped in) the cell in which the user equipment transitioned from a connected radio state to an inactive radio state (e.g., the last serving cell). Alternatively or additionally, at least one radio resource profile (to be at least partially retained) may be determined based on the user equipment's inactivity in a radio state (e.g., camped in) the notification area of ​​the radio access network (RAN) of the wireless communication network (e.g., based on the notification area (RNA) of the radio access network (RAN)) and / or in the area where at least one radio resource profile may be processed (e.g., managed). Alternatively or additionally, at least one radio resource profile (to be at least partially retained) may be determined based on the user equipment's inactivity in a radio state moving from a first cell (e.g., the last serving cell) to a second cell (e.g., within the same notification area of ​​the radio access network of the wireless communication network, or across different notification areas). Multiple radio resource profiles, determined based on whether a user equipment (UE) moves from a first cell to a second cell, remains in the RNA, and / or remains in the last serving cell, may, for example, be at least partially (e.g., in pairs) different. In other words, at least partially different radio resource profiles can be determined to be retained by the UE based on whether the UE remains in the last serving cell, whether it remains (e.g., only) in the RNA, and / or moves between two cells (an example of UE mobility in an inactive radio state).

[0104] Specifically, this approach enables a more efficient, less complex, and less resource-intensive mechanism to allow both the user equipment and the wireless communication network to retain (e.g., for the appropriate retention period) radio resource configuration profiles related to the mobility of the user equipment in an inactive radio state.

[0105] The apparatus according to the second example may also include: A component for receiving an indication of at least one past radio resource profile from a network node connected to a user equipment, wherein the at least one past radio resource profile has been determined by the network node to be still valid for the user equipment; The component for determining at least one radio resource profile (at least a portion of which will be retained by the user equipment in an inactive radio state) is configured to determine the at least one radio resource profile based at least in part on the at least one past radio resource profile.

[0106] Network nodes connected to a user equipment may include, for example, network nodes associated with a cell in which the user equipment transitions from a connected radio state to an inactive radio state (e.g., the user equipment's last serving cell).

[0107] The indication of the at least one past radio resource profile may include, for example, information indicating the at least one past radio resource profile, such as information identifying a corresponding one of the at least one past radio resource profiles. For example, the indication may include, for example, a list of corresponding identifiers (e.g., IDs) used to identify a corresponding one of the at least one past radio resource profiles. Each of the at least one past radio resource profiles may include a corresponding identifier and / or be identifiable by the corresponding identifier. The at least one past radio resource profile may, for example, include... A radio resource configuration file.

[0108] As described above, at least one past radio resource profile may have been determined by the network node to still be valid for the user equipment. A radio resource profile determined to still be valid for the user equipment may include, for example, a radio resource profile whose retention period has been determined to be unexpired (e.g., not yet expired). In other words, the corresponding retention period (e.g., the time of validity) of a resource profile determined to still be valid may have been determined to be unexpired (e.g., not yet expired).

[0109] Determining at least one radio resource profile (at least a portion of which will be retained by the user equipment in an inactive radio state) is based at least in part on at least one past radio resource profile. For example, it may include selecting one or more of the radio resource profiles from the past radio resource profiles.

[0110] Specifically, in this way, only the still-valid radio resource profiles can be retained by both the user equipment and the wireless communication network (e.g., for the corresponding retention duration), thereby advantageously saving resources at both the user equipment and the wireless communication network.

[0111] The apparatus according to the second example may also include: Components for determining at least one retention duration, wherein a corresponding one in at least one radio resource profile shall be retained for at least one retention duration; A component used to indicate at least one retention duration to user equipment.

[0112] At least one retention duration may be determined, for example, based on the mobility of the user equipment in an inactive radio state and / or based on the size of a corresponding one of at least one radio resource profile. For example, a smaller radio resource profile (e.g., a more basic radio resource profile) may be retained for a relatively longer period of time, and / or a larger radio resource profile (e.g., a more specific radio resource profile) may be retained relatively briefly.

[0113] Indicating at least one retention duration may, for example, include or correspond to providing information indicating at least one retention duration, such as information quantifying a corresponding one of the at least one retention duration. Alternatively or additionally, indicating at least one retention duration may include or correspond to sending an indication of at least one retention duration. The indication may, for example, include or correspond to a list of corresponding durations (e.g., provided in time units such as seconds or minutes) for quantifying a corresponding one of the at least one retention duration. Each of the at least one retention duration may include a corresponding duration, and / or may be quantized by the corresponding duration.

[0114] Specifically, in this manner, (multiple) favorable retention durations can be individually and / or indicated, for example, allowing the release of radio resource profiles whose corresponding retention durations have expired, thereby saving resources at the user equipment and wireless communication network.

[0115] The apparatus according to the second example may also include: A component for receiving an indication of at least one reserved radio resource profile from a user equipment, at least a portion of which has been reserved by the user equipment in an inactive radio state; A component used to indicate at least one reserved radio resource profile to a network node.

[0116] In other words, one or more radio resource profiles that are at least partially retained by the user equipment in an inactive radio state can be instructed (e.g., by another) network node by means of the second example aspect (e.g., a network node). In other words, means of the second example aspect can forward one or more radio resource profiles that have been at least partially retained by the user equipment to another network node, for example, to the network node associated with the cell in which the user equipment transitioned from a connected radio state to an inactive radio state (e.g., the user equipment's last serving cell).

[0117] This in particular allows the additional network node to use, in a favorable manner, one or more radio resource profiles that have been forwarded and at least partially retained by the user equipment in an inactive radio state, as further described below.

[0118] Specifically, as described above, the apparatus according to the third example aspect may include components for receiving an indication from a network node (e.g., the apparatus according to the second example aspect) of at least one reserved radio resource profile, at least a portion of which has been reserved by a user equipment in its inactive radio state. Therefore, the indication may particularly correspond to an indication provided by the apparatus according to the second example aspect.

[0119] As further described above, the apparatus according to the third example aspect may include: components for determining at least one still valid radio resource profile based on at least one reserved radio resource profile and at least one radio resource profile stored by the apparatus; and components for indicating the at least one still valid radio resource profile to a network node. The at least one radio resource profile stored by the apparatus according to the third example aspect may, for example, be stored by the apparatus in association with a user equipment.

[0120] Specifically, in this manner, the apparatus according to the third example aspect can indicate a still valid radio resource profile (e.g., a radio resource profile still stored by the user equipment) to a network node currently connected to the user equipment, which can then be used by the network node in an advantageous manner, for example, by determining at least one radio resource profile indicated to the user equipment to be retained (as further described herein), thereby allowing for the saving of resources (e.g., storage, wireless, and / or power resources), for example, by discarding profiles that are no longer valid (as described herein).

[0121] As used herein, “perform the second step based on the first step” can, for example, mean that the second step can be performed directly in response to the first step, for example, without any intermediate steps between the first and second steps. Alternatively, “perform the second step based on the first step” can mean that the second step can be performed (only) after the first step, for example, such that there can be at least one intermediate step between the first and second steps.

[0122] It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are presented by way of example only and not as limiting.

[0123] In this document, the disclosure of method steps should also be regarded as the disclosure of components used to perform the corresponding method steps. Similarly, the disclosure of components used to perform method steps should also be regarded as the disclosure of components used to perform the method steps themselves.

[0124] In some embodiments, the apparatus of the first example aspect may include at least one processor; and at least one memory, storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Determine at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the device in the inactive radio state of the device; Retain at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile during the inactive radio state of the device; and Discard at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile.

[0125] Other features of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to define any limitation on this disclosure, which should be referenced to the appended claims. It should also be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale and are intended only to conceptually illustrate the structures and processes described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0126] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0127] Figure 1 An example is shown of a user equipment and two network nodes in wireless communication;

[0128] Figure 2A Example embodiments of the method according to this disclosure are shown;

[0129] Figure 2B Further example embodiments of the method according to this disclosure are shown;

[0130] Figure 3 Further example embodiments of the method according to this disclosure are shown;

[0131] Figure 4 Further example embodiments of the method according to this disclosure are shown;

[0132] Figure 5 An example of a signaling flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0133] Figure 6 Further examples of signaling flowcharts according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown;

[0134] Figure 7Aand 7B Further examples of signaling flowcharts according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown;

[0135] Figure 8 A block diagram illustrating an example of a device according to the first aspect is shown;

[0136] Figure 9 A block diagram illustrating an example of a device according to the second and third aspects is shown;

[0137] Figure 10 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a tangible and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0138] The following description is intended to enhance understanding of the present disclosure and should be understood as supplementing and combining with the description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure as provided in the foregoing “Summary of the Invention” section of this specification.

[0139] The following describes example wireless communication systems in which this disclosure can be applied. Although the radio systems in the following examples are 5G / NR systems, they are considered to be non-limiting examples only.

[0140] Figure 1 An exemplary illustration shows UE 100 (an example of the apparatus according to the first aspect) wirelessly communicating with gNBs 110 and 120 (examples of the apparatus according to the second and third aspects) via radio links 10 and 20 respectively. gNBs 110 and 120 wirelessly communicate via radio link 30. Radio links 10, 20, and 30 can respectively enable the transmission / reception of information and / or signals between UE 100 and gNBs 110 and 120.

[0141] For example, UE 100 may receive an indication from gNB 110 (an example of a network node) of at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by UE 100 in its inactive radio state. Alternatively or additionally, UE 100 may (e.g., itself) determine that at least one radio resource profile will be retained by UE 100 in its inactive radio state. Furthermore, UE 100 may retain at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile in its inactive radio state. Additionally, UE 100 may discard at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile. Furthermore, gNB 110 may indicate to UE 100 at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by UE 100 in its inactive radio state, wherein at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile will be discarded by UE 100.

[0142] Specifically, by retaining some radio resource profiles and / or discarding others, various resources (e.g., storage, radio, and / or power resources) can be saved at UE 100 and / or gNB 110, while reducing signaling overhead, time consumption, and / or latency when exchanging data between UE 100 and gNB 110, thereby achieving improved radio resource profile processing.

[0143] Furthermore, gNB 120 can receive from gNB 110 an indication of at least one reserved radio resource profile, at least a portion of which has been retained by UE 100 in an inactive radio state. Additionally, gNB 120 can determine at least one still valid radio resource profile based on the at least one reserved radio resource profile and at least one radio resource profile stored by gNB 120. Furthermore, gNB 120 can indicate this at least one still valid radio resource profile to gNB 110.

[0144] Specifically, in this manner, gNB 120 (e.g., previously connected to UE 100) can advantageously indicate to gNB 110 (e.g., now connected to UE 100) which profiles are still stored by UE 100, thereby allowing resource savings (e.g., storage, radio and / or power resources) at gNB 110, for example, by discarding profiles that are no longer valid at gNB 110, thereby achieving improved processing of radio resource profiles.

[0145] Figure 2A An example embodiment 200a of the method according to the first aspect is shown. Method 200a can be performed, for example, by a device (e.g., a UE) according to the first aspect. First, an indication of at least one radio resource profile can be received from a network node, at least a portion of which will be retained by the device performing method 200a in the inactive radio state of the device performing method 200a (action 210a). Furthermore, at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile can be retained in the inactive radio state of the device performing method 200a (action 220a). In addition, at least a portion of at least one other radio resource profile can be discarded (action 230a).

[0146] An example implementation of method 200a will be described in further detail below.

[0147] Figure 2B Further example embodiment 200b of the method according to the first aspect is shown. Method 200b can be performed, for example, by a device (e.g., a UE) according to the first aspect. First, at least one radio resource profile is determined, at least a portion of which will be retained by the device performing method 200b in the inactive radio state of the device performing method 200b (action 210b). Furthermore, at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile can be retained in the inactive radio state of the device performing method 200b (action 220b). Additionally, at least a portion of at least one other radio resource profile can be discarded (action 230b).

[0148] An example implementation of method 200b will be described in further detail below.

[0149] Figure 3 An example embodiment 300 of the method according to the second aspect is shown. Method 300 can be performed, for example, by means of means according to the second aspect (e.g., a network node). At least one radio resource profile can be indicated to the user equipment, at least a portion of which will be retained by the user equipment in the user equipment's inactive radio state, wherein at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile will be discarded by the user equipment (action 310).

[0150] An example implementation of method 300 will be described in further detail below.

[0151] Figure 4An example embodiment 400 of the method according to the third aspect is shown. Method 400 can be performed, for example, by means of means according to the third aspect (e.g., a network node). First, an indication of at least one reserved radio resource profile can be received from the network node, at least a portion of which has been reserved by a user equipment in its inactive radio state (action 410). Furthermore, based on the at least one reserved radio resource profile and at least one radio resource profile stored by the means performing method 400, at least one still valid radio resource profile can be determined (action 420). Additionally, at least one still valid radio resource profile can be indicated to the network node (action 430).

[0152] An example implementation of method 400 will be described in further detail below.

[0153] Cellular mobile communication systems (examples of wireless communication networks) are built upon protocols that control how user equipment (UE) data is transmitted between the user and the network. These protocols can be divided into user plane (UP) and control plane (CP) components. The user plane can be dedicated to the actual task of transmitting user data between the user and the network, while the control plane can be dedicated to ensuring the user plane remains operational. In other words, the CP can be used to establish the UP, and ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the UP can be considered the task of the CP.

[0154] A key protocol used for the CP in UMTS / LTE / NR is the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol, whose specifications can be found in TS 25.331 (UMTS), TS 36.331 (LTE), and TS 38.331 (NR). The RRC specification defines the mechanisms used to establish connections, establish other (UP) protocol layers, and reconfigure their parameters, as well as various procedures designed to maintain UP and CP operation.

[0155] One goal of 3GPP discussions might be to identify shortcomings in 5G protocol design and pinpoint areas for improvement that could lay the foundation for 6G design. The concept of RRC profiles can be understood as RRC configurations that are built and maintained in a layered, scalable, and robust manner. RRC profiles can be considered natively generic, and each profile can be negotiated between the UE and the network to ensure that both UE capabilities and network characteristics are considered when defining one or more appropriate RRC profiles for a UE in a specific situation.

[0156] Evolving from 5G, UE states in 6G may include IDLE, INACTIVE, and CONNECTED modes, each serving different purposes. Compared to IDLE / INACTIVE modes, CONNECTED mode is characterized by significantly higher UE activity (including signaling and measurement). This increased activity can impact the overall UE operating time. However, frequent switching between CONNECTED and IDLE / INACTIVE modes can introduce several drawbacks, such as increased signaling overhead, time consumption, and added latency. While continuously keeping the UE in CONNECTED mode can mitigate at least some of these issues, this may not always be desirable from a network perspective, especially when there is no active data exchange during extended UE periods. This can also lead to lower energy efficiency for both the UE and the network.

[0157] Modular RRC profiles may help mitigate the challenges associated with frequent UE state transitions and changes in UE operating modes (between low power / data rate and high data rate / low latency), which can be resource-intensive and cause latency.

[0158] One objective of this disclosure may be to alleviate or at least partially resolve the above-mentioned problems and / or at least one of the following problems:

[0159] • Question 1: When a UE’s connection is released from CONNECTED mode to INACTIVE mode, the NW may not always want to retain all RRC profiles (e.g., some profiles may be temporary and / or only applicable to CONNECTED mode, or the network may want to optimize the network-side storage space used to store profiles).

[0160] • Question 2: Some profiles may not be valid in all cells, and reserving network resources for all profiles may be expensive (e.g., resource-intensive). A mechanism that allows the network to conserve its resources could be desired, but in a way that aligns the profiles stored at the UE with those stored at the NW.

[0161] This disclosure can be understood to mean that, among other things, the network can instruct specific profiles and / or multiple expiration times (e.g., multiple validity periods) for profiles stored in inactive mode, and / or UE actions after the expiration of one or more profiles (e.g., instructing the network to reselect to another frequency and / or modify the reselection priority). This allows the UE and the network to maintain the same understanding of the stored profiles, while in particular allowing the network to conserve its resources in the long term.

[0162] More specifically, this disclosure can be understood as presenting one or more of the following features: 1) The network can initiate a transition of a UE from connected mode to inactive mode by sending an RRC message (e.g., RRC Lease) containing a stored configuration (e.g., “suspendConfig”) to the UE. This RRC message can instruct the UE to move to INACTIVE mode while preserving its context for quick recovery (example indicating a transition to inactive radio state). 2) The suspendConfig IE (example of suspend configuration information) may include parameters for paging and indicators for obtaining UE context information after reconnection. Additionally, the NW may indicate how long each profile should be stored by the UE (example of at least one retention duration indication), i.e., the validity period for each profile (e.g., some profiles may be released faster than others, or only applicable to specific cells or frequency sets), and whether there are any additional UE actions after the profile is released (e.g., sending an indication to the network using specific resources, triggering the UE to reselect a carrier for the stored profile, or simply modifying the reselection priority so that the UE will eventually move to that carrier) (example of at least one action performed in response to one or more retention durations expiring). 3) The retention of profiles or profile components may be related to INACTIVE mobility (an example of determining at least one radio resource profile based on the device’s mobility in an inactive radio state). That is, some profiles / profile components may only be retained when camped on the last serving cell (the cell where the UE moves to INACTIVE), while another set of profiles / profile components will be retained in the RNA (an example of the device’s mobility in an inactive radio state). 4) The UE may be notified which RRC profiles will be retained when it transitions to INACTIVE mode (example of an indication of at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which radio resource profile will be retained by the device in the inactive radio state of the device) and / or an expiration timer for each stored RRC profile (example of an indication of at least one retention duration). 5) The network can also instruct RNA update frequencies to ensure UE configuration aligns with NW assumptions. The UE can indicate details of its currently stored RRC profile when the cell changes, allowing NW changes (an example of instructing network nodes to have at least one reserved radio resource profile); or 6) The release of a configuration file (an example of discarding at least a portion of at least one radio resource configuration file) may cause the UE to perform other actions, such as cell reselection evaluation: this may be based on the current reselection priority of the stored configuration file, or change the reselection priority of the current frequency layer so that the reselection is prioritized for layers with more stored configuration files.

[0163] Alternatively, or in addition to the features described above, this disclosure may be understood to provide one or more of the following features, in particular referring to UE behavior: • Upon receiving “suspendConfig” (which may be sent to the UE along with an RRC message that can be used to switch the UE connection from CONNECTED mode to INACTIVE mode, such as RRCRelease), the UE may compare the RRC profile ID currently stored at the UE with the RRC profile ID indicated in the received RRC release message. The UE may release stored RRC configurations associated with profiles not mentioned in the message (example of discarding at least one additional radio resource profile, e.g., not indicated as being retained). Alternatively or additionally, the UE may, based on implementation decisions, retain certain profiles (example of the UE determining at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the device in the device's inactive radio state), which may be beneficial to the UE, for example, due to its specific capabilities or previous profile usage patterns (example of the UE determining the appropriate radio resource profile based on the radio resource profile usage pattern, the applicability of the radio resource profile, and / or the characteristics of the device). • The UE may retain the aforementioned RRC profiles that will be stored at the device. Even after the actual expiration time has passed, the UE may continue to store the profile (an example of the UE determining at least one retention duration). If the indicated expiration timer is the same for all profiles, the UE may decide to retain certain profiles for a longer duration based on previous usage patterns or, as determined by the UE based on an algorithm, the suitability of the profiles for future use (an example of the UE determining the corresponding retention duration based on the usage patterns of the radio resource profiles associated with the corresponding retention duration, the suitability of the radio resource profiles associated with the corresponding retention duration, and / or the characteristics of the device). • If the UE decides to retain the configuration file for a longer period of time, which contradicts the NW's instruction, the UE can indicate this to the NW during the next information exchange. • The UE may include built-in timers for monitoring specific expiration times. The UE may be configured to start and monitor multiple timers simultaneously and / or take action based on the expiration of each timer. The UE may determine the storage of RRC profiles based on timer availability (an example of determining at least one radio resource profile based on the number of components used to monitor at least one retention duration). If only a limited number of timers are available, the UE may decide to retain the most useful profile indefinitely, and / or may allocate timers (only) to the remaining profiles based on perceived availability (an example of determining at least one retention duration based on the number of components used to monitor at least one retention duration).

[0164] For illustrative purposes, this can be illustrated by the following example:

[0165] RRC configuration file stored at UE Configuration file ID 1 -> Start expiration timer t1 Configuration file ID 2 <- Configuration file configuration is released Configuration file ID 3 <- Configuration file configuration is released Configuration file ID 4 -> Start expiration timer t4 ... Configuration file ID n -> Start expiration timer tn • Once switched to INACTIVE mode, the UE can start expiration timers for each of the stored configuration files and can continue to monitor these timers. • After the timer expires, the UE can release the RRC configuration associated with the relevant RRC profile (example of discarding a radio resource profile whose retention period has expired). • The UE can, based on an internal algorithm, decide to reselect to a different frequency (an example of determining the reselection frequency) or modify the reselection priority (an example of determining at least one modified reselection priority) after a specific profile expires (an example of determining the reselection priority). • For example, the UE can reassess the list of profiles that should be removed when moving to (multiple) other cells in the RNA based on previous usage (an example of the UE determining radio resource profiles based on the pattern of previously used radio resource profiles). • Similarly, if the UE moves to a different RNA (an example of moving across different notification areas), it can re-evaluate the stored profiles based on the above, and can release the stored profiles for those that do not need to be retained.

[0166] Therefore, alternatively, or in addition to the UE complying with NW directives, the UE may also be authorized to perform this derivation based on its original UE capabilities for the relevant standards. For example, the original UE capabilities may be used to determine or understand (based on implementation characteristics) the most important profiles to retain in order to maximize its achievable throughput, energy efficiency, and / or latency, taking into account, for example, the importance of each attribute to its specific purpose. In this case, the derivation process may be the result of an internal UE algorithm that takes into account the characteristics of the UE itself.

[0167] This disclosure can be understood as, among other things, suggesting that the NW (Network Controller) informs the UE (UE) via a network-provided configuration (which may be referred to as "suspendConfig") which RRC profiles need to be retained when switching to INACTIVE mode. This network-provided configuration can be sent to the UE along with an RRC message, which can be used to switch the UE's connection from CONNECTED mode to INACTIVE mode (e.g., RRC Release). This allows the UE to retain only the RRC profiles that might (e.g., will) be stored at the NW. This can help reduce unnecessary storage of redundant information at the UE and in the network, as this redundant information may not be reusable upon reconnection to the NW.

[0168] Alternatively, or additionally, one could consider enabling the NW and UE to operate synchronously by providing an expiration timer for each RRC profile, which can be specified to be retained on the UE side. This helps the NW and UE remove RRC profiles that may no longer be needed or may have expired due to the extended duration the UE has been in INACTIVE mode. The delivery of the expiration timer along with the profile list in the suspendConfig IE allows the UE to release such profiles simultaneously with the NW while the NW is in INACTIVE mode. This allows the UE to retain only the basic RRC profile(s) that may be valid for a longer duration when the UE is in INACTIVE mode for an extended period.

[0169] In addition, the UE can be notified of the configuration file that should be retained when camped on the last serving cell (i.e., the cell released to the UE for INACTIVE). Cell-based instructions may have the following options: • A list of configuration files or configuration file components that the UE should retain while camped on its last serving cell. • A list of configuration files that should be removed when moving to (multiple) other cells in the RNA. This list can be applied to the entire RNA, or This list can be a microcell within each RNA.

[0170] The retention or removal of configuration files in RNA can be negotiated between gNBs and may be based on gNB capabilities (e.g., the number of supported carriers, MIMO configuration, TX power, etc.) or radio conditions, cell load, etc.

[0171] This enables a more efficient, simpler, and lower-cost mechanism that retains fewer configuration files (for both UE and NW) until the expected validity period of the RRC configuration encapsulated in the configuration file.

[0172] One or more aspects and / or features disclosed in this disclosure may allow one or more of the following: • Inform the UE which RRC profiles will continue to be stored when it transitions to INACTIVE mode, and the expiration timer for each stored RRC profile. This helps reduce unnecessary storage of redundant information at the UE, as this information may not be reused when reconnecting to the UE. • By providing an expiration timer for each RRC profile, the NW and UE can operate synchronously. This timer can be specified to be retained at the UE, allowing the UE to release outdated profiles simultaneously with the NW while the NW remains in INACTIVE mode. This helps the UE retain only the basic RRC profile, which remains valid for a longer duration if the NW remains in INACTIVE mode for an extended period. • Notifying the network of stored RRC profiles during RNA updates allows the NW to reassess the validity of stored RRC profiles at the UE if necessary, and to notify the UE of any modifications to the list of stored RRC profiles at the UE and the corresponding expiration timers.

[0173] In the following sections, example implementations of methods 200a, 200b, 300, and / or 400 are described in detail. These example implementations particularly relate to the actions of signaling flowcharts 500, 600, and 700.

[0174] Figure 5 An example signaling flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment of the described aspects is shown. Specifically, Figure 5 The signaling diagram in the image illustrates an example of the message sequence (or signaling) by which gNB 110 notifies UE 100 of the relevant RRC profile. In detail:

[0175] Action C-0: UE 100 is in (RRC) CONNECTED mode (e.g., with active data transmission).

[0176] Action C-1: UE 100 / gNB 110 sends UL / DL data.

[0177] Action C-2: Based on the activity of UE 100 / gNB 110, gNB 110 decides to suspend the RRC connection of UE 100 and switch UE 100 to INACTIVE mode.

[0178] Action C-3: gNB 110 determines the RRC profiles that will be retained at UE 100 after UE 100 switches to INACTIVE mode (an example of a device that determines at least one radio resource profile according to the second example aspect), for example: from the RRC profiles currently stored in UE 100 (an example of selecting at least one radio resource profile from a plurality of radio resource profiles in the device) and NW, and from each of these profiles an expiration timer based on their expected validity period (an example of determining the retention duration based on the (e.g., expected) validity period of the respective radio resource profile) (an example of a device that determines at least one retention duration according to the second example aspect).

[0179] Action C-4: gNB 110 sends an RRCRelease message (an example of a radio resource control message) and a SuspendConfig message (an example of sending suspension configuration information in conjunction with a radio resource control message) to UE 100. SuspendConfig will include the IDs of (multiple) RRC profiles to be stored on UE 100 and their corresponding expiration timers (an example of suspension configuration information including at least one radio resource profile and at least one indication of retention duration).

[0180] Action C-5: UE 100 enters INACTIVE mode (an example of the device transitioning from a connected radio state to an inactive radio state). It will retain only the indicated RRC profile in storage (an example of retaining only at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile indicating that it is to be retained), and release the remaining profiles it had stored while in CONNECTED mode (an example of discarding at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile). NW will similarly release the remaining RRC profiles for the relevant UE 100 (an example of a device discarding at least one additional radio resource profile according to the second aspect).

[0181] Action C-6: UE 100 will monitor the expiration time for each stored RRC profile as instructed (example of monitoring at least one retention duration), and if the expiration time has arrived (example of the corresponding retention duration having expired), UE 100 will release the configuration details associated with that RRC profile (example of discarding a radio resource profile where the retention duration of that radio resource profile has expired). Similarly, NW will also release the details associated with such outdated RRC profiles of UE 100 from its storage after the expiration time (example of the means of discarding a radio resource profile according to the second aspect, where the retention duration of that radio resource profile has expired).

[0182] Figure 6 Further examples of signaling flowcharts according to exemplary embodiments of the described aspects are shown. Specifically, Figure 6 The signaling diagram illustrates an example of an RRC message sequence (or signaling) used by the gNB 110 to notify the UE 100 of a (still) valid RRC profile during an RNA update. In detail:

[0183] Action D-0: UE 100 is in (RRC) INACTIVE mode (example of inactive radio state)

[0184] Action D-1: RRC recovery request from UE 100 for RNA update, which includes the RRC profile IDs of the RRC profiles (multiple) that were stored at that time (example of indicating at least one reserved radio resource profile to the network node).

[0185] Action D-2: gNB 110 will send a UE context request to the last serving gNB 120, which has multiple RRC profile IDs that UE 100 has stored at that time (examples of means of indicating at least one reserved radio resource profile to the network node according to the second aspect and means of receiving an indication of at least one reserved radio resource profile from the network node according to the third aspect).

[0186] Action D-3: The last serving gNB 120 will compare its stored available RRC profiles for UE 100 with the received information, and will take into account changes in the serving gNB to determine the remaining valid RRC profiles (multiple) (example of an apparatus that determines at least one remaining valid radio resource profile based on at least one reserved radio resource profile and at least one radio resource profile stored by the apparatus according to a third aspect).

[0187] Action D-4: The last serving gNB 120 sends an Get UE Context Response to the current gNB 110 to notify of the still valid (multiple) RRC profiles and their contents (as an example of a third-party device that indicates at least one still valid radio resource profile to a network node).

[0188] Action D-5: gNB 110 selects from the RRC profile and NW currently stored at UE 100 (an example of selecting at least one radio resource profile among multiple radio resource profiles of the device) and the expiration timer for each of these profiles based on their expected validity time (an example of determining the retention duration based on the (e.g., expected) validity time of the respective radio resource profile) (an example of a device that determines at least one retention duration according to the second example aspect).

[0189] Action D-6: gNB 110 sends an RRC recovery message (example of a radio resource control message), including the ID of the RRC profile to be stored at UE 100 (example of information used to identify the corresponding profile in at least one radio resource profile) and the corresponding expiration timer.

[0190] Action D-7: UE 100 re-enters INACTIVE mode (an example of re-entering an inactive radio state). It will retain only the indicated RRC profiles in storage (an example of retaining only at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile indicating that it is to be retained), and will release the remaining profiles already in storage (an example of discarding at least a portion of at least one other radio resource profile). NW will similarly release the remaining RRC profiles for the relevant UE 100 (an example of the means of discarding at least one other radio resource profile according to the second aspect).

[0191] Figure 7A and 7B Further examples of signaling flowcharts according to exemplary embodiments of the described aspects are shown. Specifically, Figure 7A and 7B The signaling diagram in the image illustrates an example of message sequences (or signaling) used to exchange RRC profiles stored in INACTIVE mode. In detail:

[0192] Action E-1: gNB 110 sends a UE Capability Enquiry to UE 100.

[0193] Action E-2: UE 100 sends UE Capability Information to gNB 110, such as the maximum number of timers available at the same time (an example of the number of available timers).

[0194] Action F-0–F-4: gNB 110 decides to suspend UE 100's RRC connection and switch it to INACTIVE mode. Action F-0–F-4 may correspond to Figure 5 The image shown and about Figure 5 The actions described are C-0–C-4.

[0195] Action F-5: UE 100 enters INACTIVE mode. UE 100 will remove RRC profiles based on its own algorithm (e.g., an example of a device that determines at least one radio resource profile according to a first aspect (e.g., itself), at least a portion of which will be retained by the device in the device's inactive radio state). UE 100 will retain only the profiles most advantageous to its use and will initiate expiration timers if deemed necessary (e.g., a device that determines at least one retention duration according to a first aspect (e.g., itself)). These timers may also be determined based on previous usage patterns or UE 100's own service needs (e.g., determining at least one retention duration based on previous usage patterns of the radio resource profile, the suitability of the radio resource profile, and / or the characteristics of the device).

[0196] Action F-6: UE 100 will monitor the expiration timers for each of the stored RRC profiles (for example, monitoring at least one retention duration).

[0197] Action F-7: If one of the stored RRC profiles becomes obsolete due to the expiration of a timer, UE 100 will remove the RRC configuration associated with that profile (an example of discarding an expired radio resource profile). Profile removal may also be due to a decision by UE 100's internal algorithm while the timer is still running (e.g., retaining a radio resource profile for a longer duration than the corresponding retention duration already indicated to the device by the network node, according to the first aspect). Additionally, this may trigger a cell reselection evaluation considering the remaining stored profiles (an example of determining at least one reselection frequency and / or determining at least one modified reselection priority).

[0198] Action F-8: UE 100 will continue to monitor the expiration timer for the profile for the remaining storage (monitoring at least one example of retention duration).

[0199] Action F-9: UE 100 may notify NW of the remaining RRC profiles (an example of indicating at least one reserved radio resource profile to a network node), enabling NW to synchronize its internal database with UE 100 (e.g., by retaining at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile and / or discarding at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile).

[0200] Action F-10: If UE 100 reselects to another cell within the same RNA or performs an RNA update (as in the corresponding example of a device moving from a first cell to a second cell in an inactive radio state within the same notification area and across different notification areas according to the first aspect), this may trigger UE 100 to remove stored profiles that it considers outdated after reselecting from the original cell (e.g., as in the example of a device discarding a reserved radio resource profile based on moving from a first cell to a second cell according to the first aspect). UE 100 may also determine to change and / or restart the expiration timer based on the priority of the updated profile (as in the example of a device determining at least one modified retention duration based on the modified reselection priority according to the first aspect).

[0201] Action F-11: UE 100 may notify NW of the remaining RRC profiles (e.g., indicate to network nodes at least one reserved radio resource profile, at least a portion of which has been retained by the device in an inactive radio state and is also retained during events associated with the device's mobility (e.g., reselection to another cell or execution of an RNA update), so that NW may synchronize its internal database with UE 100 (e.g., by retaining at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile and / or discarding at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile).

[0202] In addition, the release of the configuration file may cause the UE to perform other actions, such as cell reselection evaluation: this can be based on the current reselection priority based on the stored configuration file, or change the reselection priority of the current frequency layer so that the reselection can be prioritized for layers with more stored configuration files.

[0203] When the UE may need to transition from the RRC_INACTIVE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state, or when the RRC layer performs an RNA update, the restoration of the suspended RRC connection can be initiated by the upper layer.

[0204] The UE can indicate details of its currently stored RRC profiles when the cell changes or through explicit indication. This allows the NW to reassess the validity of the RRC profile(s) stored at the UE if necessary, and to notify the UE of any modifications to the list of the RRC profile(s) to be stored at the UE and their corresponding expiration timers.

[0205] The following is an example based on ASN.1 (Abstract Syntax Notation 1) of this disclosure, including a list of RRC configuration files that should continue to be stored at the UE during INACTIVE mode in the RRC Release message:

[0206] RRCRelease message (example) -- ASN1START -- TAG-RRCRELEASE-START RRCRelease ::= SEQUENCE { rrc-TransactionIdentifier RRC-TransactionIdentifier, criticalExtensions CHOICE { rrcRelease RRCRelease-IEs, criticalExtensionsFuture SEQUENCE {} } } RRCRelease-IEs ::= SEQUENCE { redirectedCarrierInfo RedirectedCarrierInfoOPTIONAL, -- Need N cellReselectionPriorities CellReselectionPrioritiesOPTIONAL, -- Need R suspendConfig SuspendConfigOPTIONAL, -- Need R ..., } SuspendConfig ::= SEQUENCE { fullI-RNTI I-RNTI-Value, shortI-RNTI ShortI-RNTI-Value, ran-PagingCycle PagingCycle, ran-NotificationAreaInfo RAN-NotificationAreaInfoOPTIONAL, -- Need M t380 PeriodicRNAU-TimerValueOPTIONAL, -- Need R nextHopChainingCount NextHopChainingCount, rrcProfilesStoreList SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..numberOfRrcProfilesStore)) OF RRC-ProfilesStore, numberOfRrcProfilesStore INTEGER (0..255), ..., } RRC-ProfilesStore ::= SEQUENCE { rrcProfilesStoreList RRC-ProfilesStoreListID storedRRC-ProfileID RRC-ProfileID, profileExpirationTimer ProfileExpiration-TimerValue ..., } End of RRCRelease message (example)

[0207] When a UE needs to transition from the RRC_INACTIVE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state, the resumption of the suspended RRC connection can be initiated by the upper layer or by an RNA update performed by the RRC layer. The network can also indicate the RNA update frequency to ensure that the UE configuration remains aligned with NW assumptions. The UE can indicate details of its previously stored RRC profiles after a cell change. This process allows the NW to reassess the validity of the RRC profile(s) stored at the UE if necessary and to notify the UE of any modifications to the list of RRC profile(s) to be stored at the UE and their corresponding expiration timers.

[0208] Now go to Figure 8 , Figure 8 A block diagram illustrating an example of device 100 according to a first aspect (e.g., UE) is shown. For example, device 100 may be a smartphone, tablet, laptop, smartwatch, smart bracelet, IoT device, vehicle, or component thereof.

[0209] Device 100 includes processor 101. Processor 101 may represent a single processor or two or more processors, which are at least partially coupled, for example, via a bus. Processor 101 executes instructions, such as program code stored in program memory 102 (e.g., program code that, when executed on processor 101, causes device 100 to be coupled with devices 110, 120 according to the second and / or third aspects to perform one or more or portions thereof in exemplary embodiments of the methods according to this disclosure), and interfaces with main memory 103. Program memory 102 may also contain an operating system for processor 101. Some or all of memories 102 and 103 may also be included in processor 101.

[0210] One or both of the processor’s main memory and program memory (e.g., program memory 102 and main memory 103) may be fixedly connected to the processor (e.g., processor 101) or at least partially removable from the processor, for example in the form of a memory card or memory stick.

[0211] Program memory (e.g., program memory 102) may be, for example, non-volatile memory. For example, it may be any one of flash memory (or a portion thereof), ROM, PROM, EPROM, MRAM or FeRAM (or a portion thereof), or a hard disk (or a portion thereof), to name just a few. For example, program memory may include, for example, a first memory portion that is fixedly mounted therefrom and a second memory portion that is removable therefrom, for example, in the form of a removable SD memory card.

[0212] Main memory (e.g., main memory 103) may be volatile memory, for example. It may be DRAM memory, to give a non-limiting example. It may have instructions stored therein, for example, used as working memory for processor 101 when executing an operating system, application, program, etc.

[0213] Processor 101 also controls communication interface 104 (e.g., radio interface), which is configured to receive and / or transmit data and / or information. For example, communication interface 104 may be configured to transmit and / or receive radio signals from network nodes, as specifically described herein. It should be understood that any computer program code-based processing required for receiving and / or evaluating radio signals may be stored in the communication interface 104's own memory and executed by the communication interface 104's own processor, and / or it may be stored, for example, in memory 103 and executed by, for example, processor 101.

[0214] The communication interface 104 can be configured to communicate with cellular communication systems (e.g., 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G or future generation cellular communication systems, such as 6G). The device 100 can use the radio interface 104 to communicate with network nodes.

[0215] For example, communication interface 104 may also include BLE and / or Bluetooth radio interfaces, including a BLE transmitter, receiver, or transceiver. For example, radio interface 104 may additionally or alternatively include a WLAN radio interface that includes at least a WLAN transmitter, receiver, or transceiver.

[0216] Components 102 to 104 of device 100 can be connected to processor 101 via one or more serial and / or parallel buses.

[0217] It should be understood that device 100 may also include various other components. For example, device 100 may optionally include a user interface (e.g., a touch-sensitive display, keyboard, touchpad, display, etc.).

[0218] Now go to Figure 9 , Figure 9 A block diagram of an example of device 110 (e.g., a network node, such as a base station or gNB) according to the second and third aspects is shown. For example, as described above, device 110 can be configured to schedule and / or transmit signals to device 100.

[0219] Device 110 includes a processor 111. Processor 111 may represent a single processor or two or more processors, which are at least partially coupled, for example, via a bus. Processor 111 executes program code stored in program memory 112 (e.g., program code that causes device 110 to execute independently or together with device 100 and / or device 120 according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure or portions thereof), and interfaces with main memory 113.

[0220] Program memory 112 may also include an operating system for processor 111. Some or all of memories 112 and 113 may also be included in processor 111.

[0221] Additionally, the processor 111 controls the communication interface 114, which is configured, for example, to communicate with a cellular communication system (e.g., 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G) or a future generation cellular communication system (e.g., 6G). The communication interface 114 of the device 110 can be implemented, for example, via a wireless head, and can be provided for communication between network nodes and user equipment.

[0222] Components 112 to 114 of device 110 may be connected to processor 111, for example, via one or more serial and / or parallel buses.

[0223] The disclosure of the components of device 110 should be understood as the disclosure of the corresponding components of device 120.

[0224] It should also be understood that devices 100, 110, and 120 may include a variety of other components.

[0225] Figure 10 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a tangible and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to the present disclosure is shown, which, for example, can be used to implement... Figure 8 memory 102 or Figure 9 The memory 112. Therefore, Figure 10 The display shows a flash memory 1000 (e.g., which can be soldered or glued to a printed circuit board), a solid-state drive 1001 including multiple memory chips (e.g., flash memory chips), a magnetic hard disk drive 1002, a secure digital (SD) card 1003, a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick 1004, an optical storage medium 1005 (e.g., a CD-ROM or DVD), and a magnetic storage medium 1006.

[0226] Any connection presented in the embodiments should be understood as a form in which the components involved are operationally coupled. Therefore, connections can be direct or indirect, have any number or combination of intermediate elements, and there may be only a functional relationship between the components.

[0227] As used in this text, the term "circuit system" may refer to one, more, or all of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., implementation only in analog and / or digital circuit systems); (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware; (ii) Any part of a hardware processor(s) having software (including digital signal processor(s)), software, and memory, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions; and (c) Multiple hardware circuits and / or multiple processors, such as multiple microprocessors or a portion thereof, that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which may not exist when no software is required to operate.

[0228] The definition of “circuit system” applies to all uses of the term in this text, including any claim. As another example, as used in this text, the term “circuit system” also covers only the implementation of hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors) or portions thereof and their accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, and 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 networking devices.

[0229] Any processor mentioned herein, in particular but not limited to Figure 8 and Figure 9 Processors 101 and 111 can be any suitable type of processor. Any processor can include, but is not limited to, one or more microprocessors, one or more processors with accompanying digital signal processors(s), one or more processors without accompanying digital signal processors(s), one or more application-specific computer chips (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more controllers, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more computers. The associated architecture / hardware has been programmed in such a manner as to perform the described functions.

[0230] Furthermore, any action or step described or illustrated herein may be implemented using executable instructions in a general-purpose or special-purpose processor and stored in a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a disk, memory, etc.) for execution by such a processor. The reference to "computer-readable storage medium" should be understood to encompass special-purpose circuitry, such as FPGAs, ASICs, signal processing devices, and other devices.

[0231] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0232] The phrase “A, or B, or C, or a combination thereof” or “at least one of A, B and C” or “at least one of A, B or C” or “A, B and / or C” can be understood as non-exhaustive and includes at least the following: (i) A, or (ii) B, or (iii) C, or (iv) A and B, or (v) A and C, or (vi) B and C, or (vii) A and B and C.

[0233] As used in the specification and claims, the term "component" can refer to one or more individual elements configured to perform one or more corresponding functions, or it can refer to several elements performing one or more such functions. Furthermore, the several functions described in the claims can be performed by the same individual components or a combination of the same components. For example, performing one or more such functions can be caused by a processor in the device executing instructions stored in the device's memory.

[0234] It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are merely examples, and any feature presented for a particular example embodiment may be used alone in any aspect of this disclosure, or in combination with any feature presented for the same or another particular example embodiment, and / or in combination with any other feature not mentioned. It should also be understood that any feature presented for a particular category of example embodiments may also be used in a corresponding manner in any other category of example embodiments. List of abbreviations 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project ASN.1 Abstract Syntax Notation 1 CP control plane DL downlink gNB 5G Node B LTE Long Term Evolution MAC Media Access Control NR New Radio NW Network PHY physical layer RAN (Radio Access Network) RNA-based notification region RNTI (Radio Network Temporary Identifier) RRC Radio Resource Control UE User Equipment UL uplink UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunication System UP User Plane

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: Components for determining at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the device in the inactive radio state of the device; Components for retaining at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile during the inactive radio state of the device; as well as A component for discarding at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the component for retaining at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile is configured to retain only at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile indicated to be retained.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: Components for determining at least one retention duration, wherein a corresponding radio resource profile in the at least one radio resource profile will be retained for the corresponding retention duration of the at least one retention duration; The component for retaining at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile is configured to retain at least a portion of a corresponding radio resource profile in the at least one retention duration for a corresponding retention duration.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A component for determining at least one action to be performed by the device in response to the expiration of at least one retention duration of the at least one radio resource profile; as well as A component for performing the at least one action in response to the expiration of the at least one retention duration.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one action comprises at least one of the following: Discard at least a portion of at least one radio resource profile in the at least one radio resource profile, wherein the corresponding retention duration of the at least one radio resource profile in the at least one radio resource profile has expired; Indicate to network nodes that at least one retention period has expired; Determine at least one reselection frequency, the at least one reselection frequency being different from at least one currently selected frequency; Determine at least one modified reselection priority, wherein the reselection priority of the at least one modified priority is different from the current reselection priority; or Modify the measurement configuration of the device.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the component for determining the at least one retention duration is configured to determine the at least one retention duration based on the mobility of the apparatus in the inactive radio state.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising: A component used to monitor the at least one retention duration.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the component for determining at least one radio resource profile is configured to determine the at least one radio resource profile based on the number of components for monitoring the at least one retention duration, and / or wherein the component for determining the at least one retention duration is configured to determine the at least one retention duration based on the number of components for monitoring the at least one retention duration.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the component for retaining at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile is configured to retain at least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile after the apparatus transitions from a connected radio state to the inactive radio state.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: A component for indicating to a network node at least one reserved radio resource profile, at least a portion of which has been reserved by the device during the inactive radio state.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: A component for determining that at least a portion of at least one retained radio resource profile will be discarded, said at least one retained radio resource profile having been retained by the device in the inactive radio state; as well as A component for discarding at least a portion of the at least one retained radio resource profile that has been determined to be discarded.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one reserved radio resource profile is determined to be discarded based on the mobility of the apparatus in the inactive radio state.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: Used to indicate to network nodes at least a portion of a reserved radio resource profile, at least a portion of which has been reserved by the device during the inactive radio state and also during events associated with the device's mobility.

14. A method for communication performed by a device, the method comprising: Determine at least one radio resource profile, at least a portion of which will be retained by the device during the device's inactive radio state; At least a portion of the at least one radio resource profile is retained during the inactive radio state of the device; as well as Discard at least a portion of at least one additional radio resource profile.

15. A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method according to claim 14.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program product according to claim 15 stored thereon.

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