Handling QoE measurement configurations

Abstract

Embodiments include a method (200) performed by a User Equipment, UE (600), the UE (600) configured with a Quality of Experience, QoE, measurement configuration, where the QoE measurement configuration is associated with a first network. Such a method (200) comprises, after the UE (600) registers or initiates camping in the second network, releasing (202) the QoE measurement configuration and discarding (202) any measurement reports associated with the QoE measurement configuration obtained before the UE (600) registers or camps in the second network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to methods performed by user equipment, methods performed by radio access network nodes, and methods involving user equipment and radio access network nodes. Background Technology

[0002] QoE Framework Overview Traditional QoE measurement —Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement, also known as "application layer measurement," has been specified for LTE, UMTS, and recently for 5G NR in 3GPP Rel-17. The purpose of QoE measurement is to measure the end-user experience when using certain applications. Currently, QoE measurement is specified and supported for DASH streaming, MTSI (IMS Mobile Services) services, and VR.

[0003] The solutions in LTE and UMTS are similar, with the general principles as follows. QoE Measurement Collection (QMC) enables the configuration of application-layer measurements in the UE and transmits the QoE measurement result file (often referred to as a "QoE report") to the network via RRC signaling. The application-layer measurement configuration (also known as QoE measurement configuration or QoE configuration) received by the RAN from the OAM system or CN is encapsulated in a transparent container, which is forwarded to the UE in a downlink RRCReconfiguration message. The application-layer measurement report (also known as a QoE report) received by the UE Access Layer (UEAS) or UE RRC layer from the higher layer (application layer) of the UE is encapsulated in a transparent container and sent to the network in an uplink RRC message MeasurementAppLayerReport. The RAN then forwards the QoE report to the Measurement Collection Entity (MCE).

[0004] In 3GPP Rel-17, the study "Study on NR QoE management and optimizations for diverse services," aimed at investigating solutions for QoE measurement in NR, has been completed and concluded. According to this project, QoE management in NR will not only collect QoE parameters for streaming services but also consider the typical performance requirements of different services (e.g., AR / VR and URLLC, with VR being covered in at least 3GPP Rel-17). Based on service requirements, the NR study also includes more adaptive QoE management schemes, enabling network optimization to meet the user experience needs of different services.

[0005] Configuration data related to QoE measurements (often referred to as application layer measurements in standard specifications) consists of the following: a service type indication, an indication of the area to be measured (denoted as the area range), the IP address of the entity to which the collected measurement results (i.e., QoE reports) should be sent (often called the MCE, short for Measurement Collector Entity or Measurement Collection Entity), and a set of instructions detailing what type of measurement should be performed and how to perform those measurements. These instructions are intended for use at the application layer within the UE and are placed in a “container” that the network entity handling the container (e.g., forwarding it to the UE) and the UE access layer cannot read or interpret. Currently specified service types are MTSI and Streaming Service (DASH), and VR was added in 3GPPRel-17. The area range is defined based on the cell or network-related area. In UMTS, the area range is defined as one of a cell list, a routing area list, or a tracking area list. In LTE, the area range is defined as one of a cell list, a tracking area list, or a PLMN list. In NR, the area is defined as one of the cell list (NCGI list), tracking area list (TAC list), or PLMN list, and measurements can be taken in these areas.

[0006] QoE, and specifically QoE configuration, comes in two types: management-based (m-based) QoE configuration and signaling-based (s-based) QoE configuration. In both cases, the QoE configuration originates from the OAM system or some other management entity, such as a management entity that handles customer satisfaction. All of these entities are referred to as the OAM system in this document (where the OAM system also includes other entities).

[0007] For m-based QoE, the OAM system is typically interested in general QoE statistics from a region (configured as a region-wide area). The m-based QoE configuration is sent directly from the OAM system to the RAN nodes that control the cells within that region. Each RAN node then selects UEs located within that region (and also meeting any other relevant conditions, such as supporting relevant application / service types) and sends the m-based QoE configuration to those UEs.

[0008] For s-based QoE, the OAM system is interested in collecting QoE measurements from a specific UE, for example, because a user of that UE has submitted a complaint. The OAM system sends the s-based QoE configuration to the HSS (in EPS / LTE) or UDM (in 5GS / NR), which forwards the QoE configuration to the UE's current core network node (CN), such as the MME in EPS / LTE or the AMF in 5G / NR. The CN then forwards the s-based QoE configuration to the RAN node serving the UE, and the RAN forwards it to that UE.

[0009] What is forwarded to the UE is a service type indication and a container with measurement instructions. The UE is unaware whether the received QoE configuration is m-based or s-based. In legacy systems, the QoE framework is integrated with the tracking functionality, and the tracking ID is associated with each QoE configuration. In NR, the QoE functionality is logically separated from the tracking functionality, but it still partially reuses the tracking signaling mechanism. In NR, and possibly in LTE, a globally unique QoE reference (formed by MCC+MNC+QMC ID, where the QMC ID is a 24-bit string) is associated with each QoE configuration. The QoE reference is included in a container with measurement instructions and is also sent to the RAN (i.e., the gNB in ​​NR). For communication between the gNB and the UE, the QoE reference is replaced with a shorter identifier, denoted as measConfigAppLayerId, which is locally unique within the UE (i.e., there is a one-to-one mapping between measConfigAppLayerId and the QoE reference for each QoE configuration provided to the UE). The measConfigAppLayerId is stored in the UE access layer and is forwarded in AT commands (which are the type of commands used in communication between the UE's modem part and the UE's application layer) along with the service type indicator and a container with measurement instructions.

[0010] Reports containing collected QoE data are sent from the UE application layer to the UE access layer, which forwards them to the RAN, which in turn forwards them to the MCE. These QoE reports are placed in a "container" that neither the UE access layer nor the RAN can interpret. QoE reports can be configured to be sent periodically or only at the end of the application session. Furthermore, the RAN can instruct the UE to suspend QoE reporting, for example, when the cell / gNB is under overload.

[0011] The RAN does not automatically know when an application session and its associated QoE measurement session are in progress, nor does the UE access layer. To mitigate this, session “start” / “stop” indications are introduced, sent from the application layer in the UE to the UE AS and from the UE AS to the RAN. The session “stop” indication can be explicit or implicit, taking the form of a QoE report sent at the end of the application session and its associated QoE measurement session.

[0012] As an implementation-based decision, the RAN can decide to release the QoE configuration in the UE at any time. Typically, this is done when the UE has moved out of the configured area range.

[0013] One opportunity offered by traditional solutions is the ability to maintain QoE measurements for the entire session, even during handover. It has also been discussed that the UE can continue to perform QoE measurements for the ongoing application session until the application session ends, even if the UE simultaneously moves out of the configured area range.

[0014] RRC status in 5G / NR —In 5G / NR, a UE can be in one of three different RRC states: RRC_CONNECTED, RRC_INACTIVE, and RRC_IDLE. The RRC_CONNECTED state is the state typically used when the UE initiates communication. The RRC_INACTIVE and RRC_IDLE states are designed to allow the UE to conserve energy compared to when it is in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0015] The RRC_IDLE state is the state in which the UE consumes the least amount of energy. When the UE is transitioned to RRC_IDLE, both the UE and the gNB delete information associated with the UE, also known as the UE context, and the gNB thus saves resources, but at the cost of a relatively long network access time (e.g., transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state).

[0016] The RRC_INACTIVE state has the property of placing it between the RRC_CONNECTED and RRC_IDLE states. The purpose of the RRC_INACTIVE state is to reduce signaling overhead on the radio and network interfaces and improve UE access latency (compared to the RRC_IDLE state) and UE power consumption. In this state, the core network (CN) still considers the UE connected, so although the RRC connection between the gNB and the UE is suspended, the UE's CN-RAN connection remains active. The gNB maintaining the connection with the CN while the UE is in the RRC_INACTIVE state is called the anchor gNB. To reduce radio interface signaling during connection establishment, UE context information is maintained between the UE and the anchor gNB, allowing the UE to resume its RRC connection when it is paged or has UL data or signaling to send. When the CN has user data or control data to send to the UE, the data is sent to the anchor gNB, which then initiates a paging of the UE (also known as a RAN-initiated paging).

[0017] Support for QoE measurement when the UE is in RRC_IDLE state —In Rel-18, the following agreement has been reached regarding QoE measurement when the UE is in the RRC_IDLE state: ********************************************************************* In Rel-18, both signaling-based and management-based QoE measurements should be supported in RRC INACTIVE / IDLE mode. UE handles area range checks for QoE measurements in RRC INACTIVE / IDLE mode. The scope of the processing area, whether it is the UE AS layer or the UE APP layer, will be discussed based on the progress of RAN2. First, support for MBS broadcast service INACTIVE / IDLE QoE. Even if the UE switches to RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE, the UE should still retain the QoE configuration for MBS broadcast services configured in RRC_CONNECTED. If the UE receives the configuration in the RRC connected state, a common QoE configuration mechanism is used to support QoE measurement configuration related to MBS broadcast service for all RRC states, with the Rel-17 QoE configuration mechanism used as the baseline. Whether a UE can only report an INACTIVE / IDLEQoE report to the gNB when it has entered RRC_CONNECTED for other reasons is a matter for discussion in RAN2. RAN3 discusses the alignment between the recording MDT and MBS QoE when the basic solution for MBS QoE has been defined. RAN3 continues to discuss how to handle QoE reports sent by the new gNB when the UE is in RRC_IDLE mode. Paging will not be enhanced for the purpose of configuring the UE with conventional QoE measurements for RRC_IDLE / INACTIVE UEs. Traditional paging for conventional QoE purposes is implementation-dependent. For all RRC states, use the same set of parameters from the QMC configuration. RAN3 assumes that QoE measurements are not required based on the UE RRC status. WA: The MBS service area can be represented by a QoE-range IE, and further research is needed on whether any enhancements are required for this IE. For MBS BC, the RRC status information when the UE collects uploaded QoE data should not be reported in the QoE report. MBS MC can be discussed later. MBS BC QoE measurements can continue after the UE switches from RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE to RRC_CONNECTED. RAN3 will discuss which configuration information related to QoE measurements needs to be available in the new gNB. At least the following QoE configuration information for MBS broadcast services should be available in the new gNB: - QoE Reference - Measurements collect entity information; further details can be discussed. RAN3 should discuss which of the other QoE configuration information used for MBS BC QoE should be available in the new gNB. - Measurement configuration application layer ID (RRC level ID) - Service Type - A container for application-layer measurement configuration (configuration container) - MDT alignment information - QMC's geographical scope (regional area) - S-NSSAI information (slice information) - RVQoE Information - QoE measurement types (signaling-based, management-based) Whether to support RVQoE measurements under RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE requires further investigation. Whether the new gNB can be reconfigured with MBS BC QoE requires further investigation. ********************************************************************. Summary of the Invention

[0018] There are currently some challenges. The RAN3 working group in 3GPP is currently discussing support for QoE measurements for MBS services when the UE is in RRC IDLE or INACTIVE state. If the UE is configured to perform QoE measurements in IDLE state, 3GPP has agreed that the UE will retain its QoE measurement configuration during measurement execution. On the other hand, one issue that 3GPP is addressing is that when the UE transitions to RRC_IDLE, according to the current specification, the gNB serving the UE should delete the UE context (i.e., information associated with the UE) before transitioning to IDLE state. This means that the gNB deletes all information it has about the UE's QoE measurement configuration. Then, when the UE returns from IDLE to CONNECTED state, it may connect to another gNB that will not have information about the UE's QoE measurement configuration.

[0019] To overcome this issue, 3GPP has agreed that when a UE transitions to IDLE, instances of the QoE measurement configuration for that UE in the network will not be deleted, but will be stored elsewhere besides the gNB. Discussions are ongoing regarding where to store these instances of the QoE measurement configuration in the network. The basic principle of the discussion is that the stored information provided to the new gNB will ensure the continuity of ongoing QoE measurements for MBS services, even if the UE transitions between RRC states during the application session (i.e., during measurement). Restoring instances of the QoE measurement configuration for that UE in the network will also enable the gNB to forward QoE measurement results received from the UE to the correct MCE.

[0020] In certain scenarios, a UE in RRC IDLE, Inactive, or Connected state may move / register to a new PLMN that is not included in the home PLMN, registered PLMN, or equivalent PLMN where the UE has received QoE configuration. The basic attributes of this scenario are given below. • A new PLMN can be a non-equivalent PLMN. • The UE application layer can continue to perform and record QoE measurements in a non-equivalent PLMN. • When a UE returns to its origin network (the home PLMN, the registered PLMN, or the equivalent PLMN to which the UE has received QoE configuration from the registered PLMN), it can report the QoE measurements collected in the non-equivalent PLMN to the origin network.

[0021] It is unclear how to ensure that the UE does not collect measurements collected in a non-equivalent PLMN and does not report them to the network configured with QoE.

[0022] Certain aspects of this disclosure and its embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. A method is provided that is performed by a UE when moving from a first network (broadcasting one or more PLMNs) to a second network (broadcasting a non-equivalent PLMN), or when deregistering from a first network, while having at least one QoE configuration received from the first network.

[0023] Some embodiments provide methods for processing stored QoE configurations and associated reports (if stored at the UE). • In the first embodiment, when entering the second network, the UE can release all QoE configurations and reports received from the first network. • In another embodiment, the UE can release all QoE configurations but store the QoE reports, allowing the UE to report them back to the first network. • In another embodiment, the UE can stop / pause the execution and collection of QoE measurements, but save / store the QoE report until it is returned to the original network.

[0024] Some embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, some embodiments may ensure that the UE does not collect QoE measurements from a non-equivalent PLMN and does not report them to another non-equivalent PLMN.

[0025] Some embodiments of this disclosure include methods (e.g., procedures) performed by a user equipment (UE) configured with a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement configuration. This QoE measurement configuration is associated with a first network. These exemplary methods may include: after the UE registers or initiates camping in a second network: releasing the QoE measurement configuration and discarding any measurement reports associated with the QoE measurement configuration obtained prior to the UE registering or camping in the second network.

[0026] Other embodiments include exemplary methods (e.g., procedures) performed by a radio access network (RAN) node. These exemplary methods may include sending one or more of the following to a user equipment (UE) configured with a quality of experience (QoE) measurement configuration associated with a first network: (i) an indication whether to release the QoE measurement configuration after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network; and / or (ii) an indication whether to discard any measurement reports obtained before the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network.

[0027] Other embodiments include UEs and RAN nodes configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the exemplary methods described herein.

[0028] Other embodiments include a UE that includes a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor, thereby enabling the UE to perform operations corresponding to any exemplary methods performed by the UE as described herein.

[0029] Other embodiments include a RAN node that includes a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor, thereby enabling the RAN node to perform operations corresponding to any exemplary methods performed by the RAN node described herein.

[0030] Other embodiments also include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry associated with such a UE and RAN, configure the processing circuitry to perform operations corresponding to any of the exemplary methods described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Some embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a method performed by a UE or a wireless device according to some embodiments; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of another method performed by a UE or wireless device according to some embodiments; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method performed by a RAN network node according to some embodiments; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of another method performed by a RAN network node according to some embodiments; Figure 5 Examples of communication systems according to some embodiments are shown; Figure 6 A UE according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 7A RAN network node according to some embodiments is shown; Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment in which functionality implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized; and Figure 9 This is a signaling diagram showing the application layer measurement report. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Some embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. Additional information may also be found in one or more documents provided in the appendix.

[0033] • In the context of this disclosure, a network node can be a RAN node, gNB, eNB, en-gNB, ng-eNB, gNB-CU, gNB-DU, gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU-UP, eNB-CU, eNB-CU-CP, eNB-CU-UP, IAB-node, IAB-donorDU, IAB-donor-CU, IAB-DU, IAB-MT, O-CU, O-CU-CP, O-CU-UP, O-DU, O-RU, O-eNB, Non-RT RAN Intelligent Controller (Non-RT RIC), or Real-time RAN Intelligent Controller (RT-RIC).

[0034] • In the context of this disclosure, the terms “application layer measurement configuration,” “application measurement configuration,” “QoE measurement configuration,” “QoE configuration,” “QoE measurement and reporting configuration,” and “QMC configuration” are used interchangeably. However, note that “QMC configuration file” is not an equivalent term but refers to a portion of the QoE configuration that consists of an XML file containing instructions for collecting QoE metrics, etc.

[0035] • In the context of this disclosure, the terms “QoE report” and “QoE measurement report” are used interchangeably.

[0036] • In the context of this disclosure, the terms “QoE configuration” and “QoE measurement configuration” are used interchangeably.

[0037] • In the context of this disclosure, the term "instance of QoE configuration in the network" refers to gNB information when the UE is in RRC_CONNECTED mode, which refers to those QoE measurement configurations eligible to be executed in RRC_IDLE mode. According to the 3GPP protocol, the network's QoE configuration instance will be stored when the UE is in RRC_IDLE mode.

[0038] • In the context of this disclosure, the terms “access stratum”, “UE AS” and “radio layer” are used interchangeably when referring to a UE.

[0039] • The embodiments described herein are applicable to NR and future RATs, such as 6G, where IAB-MT is the parent backhaul link termination function of the relay node and IAB-DU is the access service provision function of the relay node.

[0040] • “Sending a report to a node” may or may not mean that the node is a consumer, i.e., the final destination of the report.

[0041] • In the context of this disclosure, the terms “node,” “network node,” “gNB,” and “RAN node” are used interchangeably herein.

[0042] • In the context of this disclosure, the terms “session” and “application session” are used interchangeably.

[0043] • The embodiments described herein are based on examples of QoE measurements for MBS, but are equally applicable to QoE measurements for any service type that can be collected in the IDLE state.

[0044] • The embodiments described herein are based on an example in which the session is in progress when the UE transitions from RRC_CONNECTED to RRC_IDLE and back to RRC_CONNECTED, but it applies even if the measurement has already started when the UE is in RRC_IDLE.

[0045] • In the description of some embodiments, it is sometimes mentioned that the UE is not allowed to send QoE reports in a PLMN (e.g., a new PLMN). This also means that the UE is not allowed to indicate the availability of stored QoE reports(one or more) in that PLMN. Conversely, if the UE is allowed to send QoE reports in a PLMN, it means that the UE is also allowed to indicate the availability of QoE reports(one or more) in that PLMN.

[0046] • In some embodiments, the description refers to sending a PLMN or a list of PLMNs to the UE, or indicating a PLMN. In this expression, "PLMN" refers to a PLMN ID, which consists of an MCC and an MNC.

[0047] • In the context of this disclosure, “sending a report / configuration to the PLMN” means sending this information to the gNB in ​​the PLMN where the cell of its serving UE is located.

[0048] • In the context of this disclosure, sending a network QoE configuration instance from a UE (which the UE has stored on behalf of the network while the UE is in RRC_IDLE state) may include a prior indication (from the UE to the network) of the availability of the network's QoE configuration instance at the UE. Upon receiving such an indication, the network may or may not request the UE to send the network's QoE configuration instance. If sending the network's QoE configuration instance is done in this manner, then if the UE is not permitted to send the network's QoE configuration instance in a PLMN (e.g., a new PLMN), this also means that the UE is not permitted to indicate the availability of stored QoE configuration instances of such networks. Conversely, if the UE is permitted to send the network's QoE configuration instance in a PLMN, this means that the UE is also permitted to indicate the availability of the network's QoE configuration instance to the network in that PLMN. It should also be noted that it is possible for sending a network's QoE configuration instance to the network to involve only sending the network's QoE configuration instance, without prior indication of the availability of that network's QoE configuration instance.

[0049] In this document, the following terms are considered equivalent: RRC_IDLE, IDLE, RRC_IDLE state, IDLE state, RRC_IDLE mode, IDLE mode, idle state, idle mode. Additionally, the following terms are considered equivalent: RRC_INACTIVE, INACTIVE, RRC_INACTIVE state, INACTIVE state, RRC_INACTIVE mode, INACTIVE mode, inactive state, inactive mode. Similarly, the following terms are considered equivalent: RRC_CONNECTED, CONNECTED, RRC_CONNECTED state, CONNECTED state, RRC_CONNECTED mode, CONNECTED mode, connected state, connected mode.

[0050] Figure 1 A method 100 according to a specific embodiment is depicted. Method 100 can be performed by a user equipment (UE) or a wireless device (e.g., referred to below). Figure 5 and Figure 6 The method is executed by UE 512 or UE 600, as described respectively. The user equipment (UE) or wireless device may execute method 100 in response to the execution of appropriately written computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be implemented on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, optical disc, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product.

[0051] In these embodiments, the UE is configured with a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement configuration. The QoE measurement configuration is associated with a first network (e.g., a first PLMN). After the UE deregisters from the first network, and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping on a second network (e.g., a second PLMN), method 100 begins at step 102, where the UE releases the QoE measurement configuration; and / or suspends / stops obtaining measurements according to the QoE measurement configuration. The second network may not be equivalent to the first network (e.g., the second network may be a non-equivalent PLMN relative to the first network). Method 100 therefore prevents the UE from collecting measurements from networks where the QoE measurement configuration is not applicable.

[0052] A QoE measurement configuration can be released based on an instruction provided by a network node, and / or measurements can be paused / stopped based on the QoE measurement configuration. This instruction can be part of the QoE measurement configuration or included within it.

[0053] Method 100 may further include, after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network: storing one or more measurement reports associated with the QoE measurement configuration, obtained before the UE deregisters from the first network and / or before the UE registers or camps in the second network; or discarding the one or more measurement reports. The storage or discarding of the one or more measurement reports may be based on an instruction provided by a network node. This instruction may be part of or included in the QoE measurement configuration.

[0054] For example, in some embodiments, the UE releases the QoE measurement configuration and discards the one or more measurement reports associated with the first network. In these embodiments, method 100 thus prevents the UE from collecting measurements from networks where the QoE measurement configuration is not applicable, and from reporting these measurement reports to those networks.

[0055] In some embodiments, the UE releases the QoE measurement configuration and stores the one or more measurement reports associated with the first network. The UE can then report these one or more measurement reports to the first network at a later time without obtaining any further measurements associated with the second network (to which the QoE measurement configuration is not applicable).

[0056] In some embodiments, method 100 may further include, after storing the one or more measurement reports, and after the UE re-registers or initiates camping on the first network: sending one or more measurement reports to the first network.

[0057] In some embodiments, the UE suspends / stops obtaining measurements according to the QoE measurement configuration and stores the one or more measurement reports associated with the first network. The UE can then report these one or more measurement reports to the first network at a later time without obtaining any further reports based on measurements performed in a second network (to which the QoE measurement configuration is not applicable), and can additionally resume obtaining measurements in the first network according to the QoE measurement configuration at a later time.

[0058] In some embodiments, method 100 may further include, after storing the one or more measurement reports, in response to pausing / stopping the acquisition of measurements according to the QoE measurement configuration, and after the UE re-registers or initiates camping in the first network: resuming the acquisition of measurements according to the QoE measurement configuration in the first network.

[0059] The one or more measurement reports can be stored or discarded during a period after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network. Additionally or alternatively, the QoE measurement configuration can be released or measurements obtained according to the QoE measurement configuration can be suspended / stopped during a period after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network. In other words, the triggering of these actions can be delayed from the time the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network. This delay prevents the unnecessary discarding of the QoE measurement configuration and / or measurements in the event of a relatively rapid handover back to the first network after the UE switches to the second network.

[0060] Figure 2 A method 200 according to a particular embodiment is depicted. Method 200 can be performed by a user equipment (UE) or a wireless device (e.g., referred to below). Figure 5 and Figure 6 The method is performed as described in UE 512 or UE 600 respectively. The user equipment (UE) or wireless device may perform method 200 in response to the execution of appropriately written computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be implemented on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, optical disc, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product.

[0061] In these embodiments, the UE is configured with a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement configuration. The QoE measurement configuration is associated with a first network (e.g., a first PLMN). After the UE registers or initiates camping in a second network (e.g., a second PLMN), method 200 begins at step 202, where the UE releases the QoE measurement configuration and discards any measurement reports associated with the QoE measurement configuration obtained before the UE registered or camped in the second network.

[0062] The second network may not be equivalent to the first network (e.g., the second network may be a non-equivalent PLMN relative to the first network).

[0063] The QoE measurement configuration can be released based on an instruction provided by the network node. This instruction can be part of the QoE measurement configuration or included within it.

[0064] Measurement reports can be discarded based on an instruction provided by the network node. This instruction can be part of the QoE measurement configuration or included within it.

[0065] In method 200, the UE releases the QoE measurement configuration and discards the one or more measurement reports associated with the first network. In these embodiments, method 200 thus prevents the UE from collecting (obtaining) measurements from networks where the QoE measurement configuration is not applicable, and from reporting these measurements to those networks.

[0066] Measurement reports can be discarded during a period following UE registration or initiation of camping in the second network. Additionally or alternatively, QoE measurement configurations can be released during a period following UE registration or initiation of camping in the second network. In other words, the triggering of these actions can be delayed from the point in time when the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network. This delay prevents unnecessary discarding of QoE measurement configurations and / or measurements in cases where the UE switches back to the first network relatively quickly after switching to the second network.

[0067] Figure 3 A method 300 according to a specific embodiment is described. Method 300 can be generated by RAN network nodes (e.g., referred to later). Figure 5 and Figure 7 The method is executed by either RAN network node 510 or RAN network node 700, as described respectively. The RAN network node can execute method 300 in response to the execution of appropriately written computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be implemented on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, optical disc, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product.

[0068] Method 300 begins at step 302, wherein one or more of the following are sent to a user equipment (UE) configured with a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement configuration associated with the first network: (i) Whether to release the QoE measurement configuration after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network; and / or (ii) Whether to suspend / stop the indication of obtaining measurements according to the QoE measurement configuration after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network; and / or (iii) An indication of whether one or more measurement reports associated with a QoE measurement configuration are stored after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network, said one or more measurement reports being obtained before the UE registers or camps in the second network; and / or (iv) An indication of whether to discard the one or more measurement reports after the UE has deregistered from the first network and / or after the UE has registered or initiated camping in the second network.

[0069] Figure 4 A method 400 according to a particular embodiment is described. Method 400 can be generated by RAN network nodes (e.g., referred to later). Figure 5 and Figure 7 The method is executed by either RAN network node 510 or RAN network node 700, as described respectively. The RAN network node can execute method 400 in response to the execution of appropriately written computer-readable code. The computer-readable code may be implemented on or stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a memory chip, optical disc, or other storage medium. The computer-readable medium may be part of a computer program product.

[0070] Method 400 begins at step 402, wherein one or more of the following are sent to a user equipment (UE) configured with a quality of experience (QoE) measurement configuration associated with a first network (e.g., a first PLMN): (i) An indication of whether to release the QoE measurement configuration after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network; and / or (ii) An indication of whether to discard measurement reports obtained before the UE registration or camping in the second network (e.g., the second PLMN) after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network.

[0071] This instruction may be part of or included in the QoE measurement configuration. The second network may not be equivalent to the first network (e.g., the second network may be a non-equivalent PLMN relative to the first network).

[0072] Further embodiments executed by the UE are described below. These embodiments should be discussed in relation to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 Read and understand the methods 100 and 200 in the context of their description.

[0073] Further embodiments executed by network nodes are also described below. These embodiments should be considered in relation to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 Read and understand the methods described in the context of method 300 and method 400.

[0074] Specifically, steps 1-4 described below should be in relation to... Figures 1 to 4 Read and understand the methods described within their context.

[0075] These embodiments can be applied to scenarios where a UE in a connected state in a first network with a registered PLMN receives at least one QoE configuration associated with a service that can operate in any RRC state; that is, the UE may need to record QoE measurements in any RRC state.

[0076] A UE with one or more QoE configurations can perform the following independent operations: • When a UE is in a connected state and is configured with QoE, the UE can deregister from the first network to move to the second network (a non-equivalent PLMN). • When a UE is configured with QoE, it can transition to the RRC IDLE state and then reside in a second network non-equivalent PLMN. Step 1 A UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state receives a QoE measurement configuration (e.g., for MBS service) from its legacy gNB, according to which it should perform QoE measurements in the RRC_CONNECTED, RRC_INACTIVE, and RRC_IDLE states. As part of the measurement configuration, the UE receives a list of PLMNs in which the UE should perform measurements and / or to which the UE can send QoE reports and / or store network QoE configuration instances. These PLMNs are referred to herein as equivalent PLMNs. (Note: The list of PLMNs in which the UE should perform measurements is referred to as PLMN targets in TS 28.405 v18.2.0) • In one variant, the UE receives a list of equivalent PLMNs in which the UE is permitted to perform QoE measurements and to send reports to these PLMNs. • In another variant, the UE receives two lists of PLMNs. The first list contains PLMNs to which the UE is permitted to perform measurements, and the second list contains PLMNs to which the UE is permitted to send reports. • In another variant, the UE receives two lists of PLMNs. The first list contains PLMNs to which the UE is permitted to perform measurements, and the second list contains PLMNs to which the UE is permitted to send reports and store QoE configuration instances of the network. • In another variant, the UE receives three lists of PLMNs. The first list contains PLMNs to which the UE is permitted to perform measurements, the second list contains PLMNs to which the UE is permitted to send reports, and the third list contains PLMNs to which the UE is permitted to send stored network QoE configuration instances. • In another variant, the UE receives two lists of PLMNs. The first list contains PLMNs to which the UE is permitted to send reports, and the second list contains PLMNs to which the UE is permitted to send QoE configuration instances of stored networks. • In one variant, the UE receives a list of PLMNs containing only the PLMNs in which the UE is allowed to send reports. • In one variant, the UE receives a list of PLMNs containing PLMNs in which the UE is only allowed to measure but not to send reports (i.e., it needs to store reports). • In one variant, the UE receives a list of PLMNs containing PLMNs in which the UE is only permitted to send QoE configuration instances of the stored network. • In one variant, the list(s) is the same as the list of PLMNs in the area scope received by the RAN node from the OAM (e.g., in Area Scope for QMC IE in TS 38.413 v17.4.0). In another variant, the “report list” is a subset of the list of PLMNs in the area scope. • In one variant, the UE receives an equivalent PLMN that is not included in the list of Area Scope for QMCIE in TS 38.413 v17.4.0, where the UE is allowed to continue performing measurements but is not allowed to send reports. • In one variant, the UE receives an equivalent PLMN that is not included in the list of Area Scope for QMCIE in TS 38.413 v17.4.0, in which case the UE is not allowed to continue performing measurements and is not allowed to send reports. • In one variant, the UE receives an instruction to continue measurement as it moves to any equivalent PLMN. • In one variant, the UE receives an instruction not to report any QoE / RVQoE measurements when moving to any non-equivalent PLMN. • In one variant, the UE is instructed not to report any QoE configuration information received by the RAN at any time to any equivalent PLMN (or, as an alternative, any QoE configuration information received by the RAN when it is released to RRC_IDLE). • In one variant, the UE is instructed not to report any QoE configuration information received by the RAN at any time to any non-equivalent PLMN (or, as an alternative, any QoE configuration information received by the RAN when it is released to RRC_IDLE). • In one variant, the UE is instructed not to report any QoE configuration information received by the RAN at any time to any equivalent PLMN that is not in the list of equivalent PLMNs included in the area scope (or, as an alternative, any QoE configuration information received by the RAN when it is released to RRC_IDLE). • In one variant, the UE receives a QoE measurement configuration instance from the network for storage while the UE is in RRC_IDLE mode. This can be alternatively performed in step 2 or step 3. • In one variant, the UE receives a list of PLMNs, which includes the PLMNs in which the UE is permitted to send QoE measurement configuration instances of the network after returning RRC_CONNECTED. This list can be the same as any of the lists described above, or it can be a separate list. • In one variant, for each entry in the list of PLMNs to which reports can be sent, the network also instructs the gNB to forward the report to a unique identifier of the MCE, such as the MCE ID, or the MCE URI or MCE IP address. • In one variant, a list of PLMNs (one or more) is received as part of, or together with, the network's QoE measurement configuration instance. • In one variant, instead of receiving a PLMN list, the UE receives a network or gNB identifier that identifies the network or gNB to which the UE is permitted to send QoE configuration instances and / or QoE reports. The network identifier can, for example, identify a specific operator or network provider.

[0077] Step 2 The UE begins an application session subject to the above measurement configuration constraints and initiates QoE measurements. This can occur when the UE is in the RRC_CONNECTED, RRC_INACTIVE, or RRC_IDLE state. Additionally, it may occur before or after the UE has moved to a new PLMN. Alternatively, the UE may move to a new PLMN, transition to the RRC_CONNECTED state within the new PLMN, then transition back to the RRC_INACTIVE or RRC_IDLE state, begin an application session subject to the above measurement configuration constraints and initiate QoE measurements, and then return to the RRC_CONNECTED state again within the new PLMN.

[0078] This step is optional. However, if it is not performed, it means that no stored QoE measurement reports will be sent (or not sent) to the new PLMN.

[0079] Step 3 Method-A (Resides on a non-equivalent PLMN in IDLE state)The UE performs a transition to the RRC_IDLE state (this step can be performed before step 2 in some cases). When the UE is released to the RRC_IDLE state, application sessions and QoE measurements may be in progress, but application sessions and QoE measurement sessions may also begin after the transition to the RRC_IDLE state (see also step 2). The UE stores the collected QoE reports.

[0080] When the UE is in IDLE state, it camps in a second network with a non-equivalent PLMN, and when camping on a non-equivalent PLMN, the UE can perform one of the following operations: • In one embodiment, the UE releases some / all of the QoE configurations and reports received from the first network. o UE can instruct higher layers (e.g., application layer) to release QoE configuration and reporting. • In another embodiment, the UE releases some / all of the QoE configurations but stores the QoE reports, allowing the UE to report them back to the first network. o UE can instruct higher layers (e.g., application layer) to release QoE configuration and save / store reports. • In another embodiment, the UE stops / pauses the execution and collection of QoE measurements, but saves / stores the QoE configuration until it returns to the original network so that it can resume QoE measurements in the first network. The UE can instruct higher layers (e.g., the application layer) to stop / pause QoE measurement collection.

[0081] In one embodiment, the UE can perform one of the above operations based on a configuration provided by the network node. Specifically, the network node can notify the UE to release or save the QoE configuration, allowing the UE to restore the QoE configuration when moving back to the first network. This configuration for handling QoE measurement configuration / reports can be provided as part of the QoE configuration.

[0082] Step 3 Method-B (Log off from the first network to move and register in the second, non-equivalent network) The UE performs deregistration in the first network via the NAS layer.

[0083] When performing a logout, the UE can perform one of the following operations. • In one embodiment, the UE releases all QoE configurations and reports received from the first network. o UE can instruct higher layers (e.g., application layer) to release QoE configuration and reporting. • In another embodiment, the UE releases all QoE configurations but stores QoE reports, allowing the UE to report them back to the first network. o UE can instruct higher layers (e.g., application layer) to release QoE configuration and save / store reports. • In another embodiment, the UE stops / pauses the execution and collection of QoE measurements, but saves / stores the QoE report until it is returned to the original network. The UE can instruct higher layers (e.g., the application layer) to stop / pause QoE measurement collection. • In one embodiment, the NAS layer notifies the AS layer of the deregistration in the first network node. Further UE actions can be triggered in the AS layer, such as the embodiment described in method A.

[0084] In one embodiment, the UE action can be performed based on a configuration provided by the network node. Specifically, the network node can notify the UE to release or save the QoE configuration, allowing the UE to restore the QoE configuration when moving back to the first network. This configuration for handling QoE measurement configuration / reporting can be provided as part of the QoE configuration.

[0085] Delayed triggering of actions in methods A and B Method-A and Method-B have been described above, in which different actions are triggered when the UE is camped on the second network or deregistered from the first network.

[0086] In one embodiment, the UE will trigger the actions described in methods A and B (e.g., releasing QoE configuration and / or discarding measurements) after entering the second network or at a time T after deregistering from the first network. For example, the UE may trigger the actions after having camped on the second network for at least T = 5 minutes. If the UE re-enters or re-registers with the first network before time T has elapsed, the UE will avoid performing these actions.

[0087] The time T can be configured in the UE, for example by the first network, or it can be pre-configured, for example on the SIM card.

[0088] This delayed triggering of the action has the following benefits: If a coverage hole exists in the first network, the UE may be forced to switch to the second network, but the coverage hole may be small, and the UE may quickly re-enter the coverage of the first network. If the action is triggered immediately when the UE enters the second network / deregisters from the first network, the UE may unnecessarily discard QoE measurements, etc.

[0089] Time T can be defined as timeToTrigger, which is the time from when the UE enters the new PLMN until it considers itself fully registered to the new network in terms of QoE measurements. This is to avoid releasing and reconfiguring measurements at the PLMN area boundary.

[0090] Triggering actions in methods A and B based on region checks.In the existing process, the UE only checks the area for QoE measurement at the start of the measurement, and these checks continue until the session in the application layer is completed, i.e., no further checks on the area are performed. To utilize the actions described in Methods A and B, the UE can also perform area checks after the measurement has started. For example, the area check can be performed against the PLMN, allowing the UE to track when the PLMN changes. The UE can be configured or instructed to track PLMN changes. More detailed area checks may also occur during movement, such as during cell changes or TA (Tracking Area) changes, which can be used with the embodiments described herein.

[0091] UE capability signaling The UE may indicate to the network that it is capable of processing QoE configuration and reporting according to any of the embodiments and / or variations described herein. • UEs can indicate their capabilities using the ENUMERATED indication type, for example, "Supports two PLMN lists". • Alternatively, the ability to support the different variants described herein can be indicated in the form of a bitmap, where each bit corresponds to a variant. A bit value of "1" means that the variant is supported, and a value of "0" means that the variant is not supported, or vice versa.

[0092] Figure 5 An example of a communication system 500 according to some embodiments is shown.

[0093] In this example, the communication system 500 includes a telecommunications network 502, which includes an access network 504 (e.g., a radio access network (RAN)) and a core network 506, which includes one or more core network nodes 508. Access network 504 includes one or more access network nodes (e.g., access network nodes 510a and 510b, which are interchangeably referred to herein as RAN network node 510), or any other similar 3GPP access node or non-3GPP access point (AP). Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, RAN network nodes are not necessarily limited to implementations of radio and baseband components supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Therefore, it will be understood that network nodes include de-aggregated implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, telecommunications network 502 includes one or more Open RAN (ORAN) network nodes. ORAN network nodes are nodes in telecommunications network 502 that support ORAN specifications (e.g., specifications published by the O-RAN Alliance or any similar organization) and can operate independently or in conjunction with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in telecommunications network 502 (including one or more network nodes 510 and / or core network node 508).

[0094] Examples of ORAN network nodes include Open Radio Units (O-RUs), Open Distributed Units (O-DUs), Open Central Units (O-CUs) (including O-CU Control Plane (O-CU-CP) or O-CU User Plane (O-CU-UP)), RAN Intelligent Controllers (RICs) with managed software or software plug-ins (near real-time or non-real-time) (e.g., near real-time control applications (e.g., xApp) or non-real-time control applications (e.g., rApp)), or any combination thereof (the adjective "open" indicates support for the ORAN specification). Network nodes can support the specification by, for example, supporting interfaces defined by the ORAN specification, such as A1, F1, W1, E1, E2, X2, Xn interfaces, Open Fronthaul User Plane Interfaces, or Open Fronthaul Management Plane Interfaces. Furthermore, ORAN access nodes can be implemented in a virtualized environment (further described below) where one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualized environment may include an O-cloud platform orchestrated by a service management and orchestration framework via an O-2 interface or peering technology defined by the O-RAN Alliance.

[0095] Access network node 510 facilitates direct or indirect connections of radio devices (which may also be interchangeably referred to herein as user equipment (UE)), for example, connecting UE 512 a, 512b, 512c, and 512d (one or more of which may generally be referred to as UE 512) to core network 506 via one or more radio connections. Access network node 510 may be, for example, an access point (AP) (e.g., a radio access point), a base station (BS) (e.g., a radio base station, a node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), and a New Radio (NR) node B (gNB)).

[0096] Unless otherwise stated, the term 'network node' as used herein generally refers to access network node 510 and core network node 508.

[0097] Exemplary wireless communications via wireless connections include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information without the use of wires, cables, or other conductors. Furthermore, in various embodiments, communication system 500 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that can facilitate or participate in the transmission of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections. Communication system 500 may include any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar system and / or be connected to any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar system via an interface.

[0098] The wireless device / UE 512 can be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network node 510 and other communication devices. Similarly, the access network node 510 is arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE 512 and / or with other network nodes or devices in the telecommunications network 502 to enable and / or provide network access (e.g., wireless network access) and / or perform other functions (e.g., management in the telecommunications network 502).

[0099] In the depicted example, core network 506 connects access network node 510 to one or more hosts (e.g., host 516). These connections may be direct or indirect, via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. Core network 506 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 508) constructed from hardware and software components. The characteristics of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to radio devices / UEs, access network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the description generally applies to the corresponding components of core network node 508. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of the following: Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier Dehiding Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Secure Edge Protection Agent (SEPP), Network Open Function (NEF), and / or User Plane Function (UPF).

[0100] Host 516 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than the operator or provider of telecommunications network 502 and / or access network 504, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. Host 516 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include providing real-time and / or pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (e.g., retrieving and compiling data on various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analytics functionality, social media, functionality for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functionality for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functionality performed by a server.

[0101] on the whole, Figure 5The communication system 500 enables connectivity between wireless devices / UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards, including but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi); and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as WiMax, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0102] In some examples, telecommunications network 502 is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, telecommunications network 502 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to it. For example, telecommunications network 502 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or provide massive machine-type communication (mMTC) / massive Internet of Things (IoT) services to other remaining UEs.

[0103] In some examples, UE 512 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to transmit information to access network 504 on a predetermined schedule when triggered by internal or external events or in response to a request from access network 504. Additionally, the UE may be configured to operate in single-radio access technology (RAT) or multi-RAT or multi-standard modes. For example, the UE may operate with any or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved UTRA (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access) network) NR-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0104] exist Figure 5In the example shown, hub 514 communicates with access network 504 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 512c and / or 512d) and access network nodes (e.g., access network node 510b). In some examples, hub 514 may be a controller, router, content source, and analysis node, or any other communication device described herein with respect to the UE. For example, hub 514 may be a broadband router for enabling access core network 506 for the UE. As another example, hub 514 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. Commands or instructions may be received from the UE, network node 510, or may be received via executable code, scripts, procedures, or other instructions in hub 514. As another example, hub 514 may be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage device for UE data, and in some embodiments, data analysis or other processing may be performed. As another example, hub 514 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a virtual reality (VR) headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, hub 514 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node. Hub 514 then provides the VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In another example, hub 514 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UE, particularly if one or more of the UEs are low-power Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

[0105] Hub 514 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to network node 110b. Hub 514 may also accommodate different communication schemes and / or scheduling between hub 514 and UEs (e.g., UEs 512c and / or 512d) and between hub 514 and core network 506. In other examples, hub 514 is connected to core network 506 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Furthermore, hub 514 may be configured to connect to a machine-to-machine (M2M) service provider via access network 504 and / or to another UE via a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE can establish a wireless connection to network node 510 while still being connected via hub 514, either via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, hub 514 may be a dedicated hub, i.e., a hub whose primary function is to route communication from network node 510b to UE / to route communication from UE to network node 510b. In other embodiments, the central hub 514 may be a non-dedicated central hub, that is, a device capable of operating to route communication between the UE and the network node 510b, but also capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0106] Figure 6 A wireless device or UE 600 according to some embodiments is shown.

[0107] As used herein, UE refers to a device capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of wireless devices / UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cellular phones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptops, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), vehicles, vehicle-mounted or vehicle-embedded / integrated wireless devices, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, Machine Type Communication (MTC) UEs, and / or Enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0108] Wireless devices / UEs can support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for cut-through link communication, dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, the UE may not necessarily be a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Instead, the UE may represent a device intended for sale to or operated by a human user but which may not or can not initially be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, the UE may represent a device not intended for sale to or operated by an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter).

[0109] UE 600 includes processing circuitry 602, which is operatively coupled via bus 604 to input / output interface 606, power supply 608, memory 610, communication interface 612, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Some UEs may utilize... Figure 6 All or a subset of the components shown. The level of integration between components can vary from one UE to another. Furthermore, some UEs may contain multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0110] Processing circuitry 602 is configured to process instructions and data and can be configured to implement any sequential state machine that operates to execute instructions stored in memory 610 as a machine-readable computer program. Processing circuitry 602 can be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), a general-purpose processor together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, processing circuitry 602 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs). Processing circuitry 602 is operable to provide UE 600 functionality, either alone or in combination with other UE 600 components (e.g., memory 610). For example, processing circuitry 602 can be configured to cause UE 602 to perform as described in the reference. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Methods 100 and 200 are described.

[0111] In this example, the input / output interface 606 can be configured to provide interfaces or multiple interfaces to input devices, output devices, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, transmitters, smart cards, other output devices, or any combination thereof. Input devices can allow users to capture information into UE 600. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital camcorders, webcams, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, orientation pads, trackpads, scroll wheels, smart cards, and the like. Presence-sensitive displays may include capacitive or resistive touch sensors to sense input from the user. Sensors may be, for example, accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt sensors, force sensors, magnetometers, light sensors, proximity sensors, biosensors, etc., or any combination thereof. Output devices can use the same type of interface port as input devices. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port can be used to provide input and output devices.

[0112] In some embodiments, power source 608 is configured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as external power sources (e.g., electrical outlets), photovoltaic devices, or power cells, can be used. Power source 608 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from power source 608 itself and / or external power sources to various parts of UE 600 via an interface or input circuit, such as a power cable. The delivery of power may be used, for example, for charging power source 608. The power circuitry may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modifications on the power from power source 608 to suit the power for the respective components of the UE 600 being powered.

[0113] Memory 610 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable cassette tape, flash drive, etc. In one example, memory 610 includes one or more applications 614 (such as an operating system, web browser application, widget, gadget engine, or other application) and corresponding data 616. Memory 610 can store any operating system or combination of operating systems from a wide variety of different operating systems used by UE 600.

[0114] The memory 610 can be configured to include, for example, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital universal disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray disc drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro DIMM SDRAM, a tamper-proof smart card memory such as a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) (including one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) such as a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) and / or an Integrated SIM (ISIM)), other memories, or multiple physical drive units of any combination thereof. The UICC can be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC commonly referred to as a "SIM card." The memory 610 can allow the UE 600 to access instructions, applications, and such functions stored on temporary or non-temporary storage media for unloading or uploading data. For example, an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system may be tangibly implemented as or contained in a memory 610, which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0115] Processing circuitry 602 can be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using communication interface 612. Communication interface 612 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to antenna 622. Communication interface 612 may include one or more transceivers for communicating, for example, with one or more remote transceivers capable of wireless communication (e.g., a network node in the access network or another UE). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 618 and / or a receiver 620 adapted to provide network communication (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Furthermore, transmitter 618 and receiver 620 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 622) and may share circuitry, software, or firmware, or alternatively, transmitter 618 and receiver 620 may be implemented separately.

[0116] In some embodiments, the communication functions of the communication interface 612 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, such as Bluetooth, short-range communication via near-field communication, location-based communication such as using a Global Positioning System (GPS) or other Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to determine location, another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. Communication may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, NR, UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0117] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE can provide the output of data captured by its sensors via its communication interface 612, through a wireless connection to the network node. Data captured by the UE's sensors can be transmitted via another UE, through a wireless connection to the network node. The output can be periodic (e.g., every 14 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., balancing the load of reports from several sensors), responsive to a triggered event (e.g., sending an alarm when humidity is detected), responsive to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., real-time video feed of a patient).

[0118] As another example, the UE includes actuators, motors, or switches associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. The state of the actuator, motor, or switch can change in response to the received wireless input. For example, the UE may include motors for adjusting control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight based on received input, or for controlling a robotic arm performing medical procedures based on received input.

[0119] When a UE is in the form of an IoT device, it can be a device for use in one or more application domains, including but not limited to urban wearable technology, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are devices or devices embedded in the following: connected refrigerators or freezers, TVs, connected lighting devices, electricity meters, robotic vacuum cleaners, voice-controlled smart speakers, home security cameras, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detectors, door / window sensors, flood / humidity sensors, electric door locks, connected doorbells, heat pump-like air conditioning systems, autonomous vehicles, monitoring systems, weather monitoring devices, vehicle parking monitoring devices, electric vehicle charging stations, smartwatches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays for augmented reality (AR) or VR, wearable devices for haptic or sensory enhancement, sprinklers, animal or object tracking devices, sensors for monitoring plants or animals, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and any kind of medical device such as heart rate monitors or remotely controlled surgical robots. (Except as per the above...) Figure 6 In addition to the other components described in UE 600 shown, UEs in the form of IoT devices include circuitry and / or software that depend on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0120] As another specific example, in IoT scenarios, a UE can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another UE and / or network node. In this case, the UE can be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, the UE can implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, the UE can represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, or aircraft, or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0121] In practice, any number of UEs can be used together for a single use case. For example, the first UE can be an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or can be integrated into an UAV and provide the UAV's speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE, which acts as a remote controller for operating the UAV. When the user makes a change from the remote controller, the first UE can adjust a throttle valve on the UAV (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the UAV's speed. The first and / or second UEs can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, the UE can include sensors and actuators and handle the transmission of data from both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0122] Figure 7An access network node 700 or RAN network node 700 according to some embodiments is shown.

[0123] As used herein, an access network node or RAN network node refers to a device that is capable of, configured to, arranged to, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other RAN network nodes or devices or core network nodes in a telecommunications network. Examples of access network nodes include, but are not limited to, access network nodes (e.g., APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)), open RAN (O-RAN) nodes, or components of O-RAN nodes (e.g., O-RUs, O-DUs, O-CUs).

[0124] Base stations can be classified based on the coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmission power levels), and therefore, depending on the coverage provided, a base station can be referred to as a femtobase, picobase, microbase, or macrobase. A base station can be a relay node or a relay donor node for control relays. RAN network nodes can also include one or more (or all) portions of a distributed radio base station, such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in O-RAN access nodes), and / or remote radio units (RRUs) sometimes referred to as remote radio headends (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as antenna-integrated radio devices. A portion of a distributed radio base station can also be referred to as a node in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0125] Other examples of access network nodes include multi-transport point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, such as MSR BS multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment, such as network controllers (RNC or BSC), base transceiver stations (BTS), transport points, transport nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCE), operation and maintenance (O&M) nodes, operation support system (OSS) nodes, self-organizing network (SON) nodes, location nodes (such as evolved servicing mobile location centers (E-SMLC)), and / or minimized drive test (MDT).

[0126] RAN network node 700 includes processing circuitry 702, memory 704, communication interface 706, and power supply 708, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. RAN network node 700 may consist of multiple physically separate components (e.g., NodeB components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), each of which may have its own corresponding components. In some scenarios where RAN network node 700 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of these separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such scenarios, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may be considered a single independent network node in some instances. In some embodiments, RAN network node 700 may be configured to support multiple Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 704 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 710 may be shared by different RATs). RAN network node 700 may also include multiple sets of components, as shown, for integrating various wireless technologies such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, RFID, or Bluetooth wireless technologies into RAN network node 700. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within RAN network node 700.

[0127] The processing circuitry 702 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, controller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coding logic, operable to provide network node 700 functionality, either alone or in combination with other RAN network node 700 components, such as memory 704. For example, the processing circuitry 702 may be configured to cause the RAN network node to perform actions as described in the reference. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Methods 300 and 400 are described.

[0128] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 702 includes a system-on-a-chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 702 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 712 and a baseband processing circuitry 714. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 712 and the baseband processing circuitry 714 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 712 and the baseband processing circuitry 714 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0129] Memory 704 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to persistent storage devices, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drives, CDs, or DVDs), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by processing circuitry 702. Memory 704 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including computer programs, software, applications (including logic, rules, code, tables, or one or more), and / or other instructions that can be executed by processing circuitry 702 and utilized by RAN network node 700. Memory 704 may be used to store any calculations performed by processing circuitry 702 and / or any data received via communication interface 706. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 702 and memory 704 are integrated.

[0130] Communication interface 706 is used in the wired or wireless transmission of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, core networks and / or UEs. As shown, communication interface 706 includes one or more ports / terminals 716 for sending data to and receiving data from the network, for example, via a wired connection.

[0131] The communication interface 706 also includes a radio front-end circuitry 718 that can be coupled to or is part of the antenna 710 in some embodiments. The radio front-end circuitry 718 includes a filter 720 and an amplifier 722. The radio front-end circuitry 718 can be connected to the antenna 710 and the processing circuitry 702. The radio front-end circuitry can be configured to modulate the signal transmitted between the antenna 710 and the processing circuitry 702. The radio front-end circuitry 718 can receive digital data to be transmitted via a wireless connection to other network nodes or UEs. The radio front-end circuitry 718 can use a combination of the filter 720 and / or the amplifier 722 to convert the digital data into radio signals with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signals can then be transmitted via the antenna 710. Similarly, upon receiving data, the antenna 710 can collect radio signals and then convert the radio signals into digital data via the radio front-end circuitry 718. The digital data can then be transmitted to the processing circuitry 702. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0132] In some alternative embodiments, the access network node 700 does not include a separate radio front-end circuit 718; instead, the processing circuitry 702 includes the radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 710. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 712 is part of the communication interface 706. In other embodiments, the communication interface 706 includes one or more ports or terminals 716, the radio front-end circuitry 718, and the RF transceiver circuitry 712 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 706 communicates with a baseband processing circuitry 714, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0133] Antenna 710 may include one or more antennas or an antenna array configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 710 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry 718 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 710 is decoupled from network node 700 and may be connected to RAN network node 700 via an interface or port.

[0134] Antenna 710, communication interface 706, and / or processing circuitry 702 can be configured to perform any receive operation and / or certain acquire operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals can be received from the UE, another network node, and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 710, communication interface 706, and / or processing circuitry 702 can be configured to perform any transmit operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals can be transmitted to the UE, another network node, and / or any other network device.

[0135] Power source 708 provides power to the various components of RAN network node 700 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). Power source 708 may further include or be coupled to power management circuitry to power the components of network node 700 for performing the functionality described herein. For example, RAN network node 700 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, electrical outlet) via, for example, an input circuitry or interface of a cable, thereby supplying power to the power circuitry of power source 708. As another example, power source 708 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack, connected to or integrated into the power circuitry. The battery can provide backup power in the event of an external power source failure.

[0136] Implementations of RAN network node 700 may include, except Figure 7 Additional components beyond those shown herein are used to provide certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the topics described herein. For example, RAN network node 700 may include user interface devices for allowing information to be input to and output from RAN network node 700. This allows users to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for RAN network node 700.

[0137] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment 800 in which functionality implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized.

[0138] In this context, virtualization means creating virtual versions of devices or apparatuses, which may include virtualized hardware platforms, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any apparatus or its components described herein and relates to the implementation of at least a portion of its functionality as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein can be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) in one or more virtual environments 800 hosted by one or more hardware nodes, such as hardware computing devices operating as access network nodes, wireless devices / UEs, core network nodes, or hosts. Furthermore, in embodiments where virtual nodes do not require radio connectivity (e.g., core network nodes or hosts), the nodes can be fully virtualized. In some embodiments, virtualization environment 800 includes components defined by the Open RAN (O-RAN) Alliance, such as an O-cloud environment orchestrated via an O-2 interface by a service management and orchestration framework.

[0139] Application 802 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, virtual device, network function, virtual node, virtual network function, etc.) is run in virtualization environment 800 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0140] Hardware 804 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. The processing circuitry can execute software to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 806 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 808a and 808b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VM 808), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described in relation to some embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer 806 can present a virtual operating platform to VM 808 that appears to be networked hardware.

[0141] VM 808 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage devices, and can run through a corresponding virtualization layer 806. Different embodiments of instances of virtual devices 802 can be implemented on one or more VMs within VM 808, and can be implemented in different ways. Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as Network Functions Virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many types of network devices into industry-standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices that can be located in data centers and customer premises.

[0142] In the context of NFV, a VM 808 can be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM in a VM 808, and the part of the hardware 804 that executes that VM, whether it is hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM and other VMs in the VM, forms an independent virtual network element. Still in the context of NFV, the virtual network function is responsible for handling the specific network functions running in one or more VMs 808 on top of the hardware 804 and corresponds to application 802.

[0143] Hardware 804 can be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware 804 can utilize virtualization to implement some functions. Alternatively, hardware 804 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (such as in a data center or CPE), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 810, which in particular also oversees the lifecycle management of application 802. In some embodiments, hardware 804 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that can be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units can communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more suitable network interfaces and can be combined with virtual components to provide radio capabilities to virtual nodes, such as radio access nodes or base stations. In some embodiments, a control system 812 can be used to provide signaling, which can alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0144] While the computing devices described herein (e.g., UE, RAN network node, core network node, host) may comprise combinations of the hardware components shown, other examples may include computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determination, calculation, acquisition, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry that processes information by, for example, converting acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored in a network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, and making a determination as a result of said processing. Furthermore, although components are depicted as individual boxes located within larger boxes or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, a computing device may comprise multiple different physical components constituting a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned among the individual components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of a component may be partitioned between processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0145] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry that executes instructions stored in memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, the processing circuitry may be configured to perform the described functionality regardless of whether instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to individual processing circuitry or other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or generally by the end user and wireless network.

[0146] The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of this disclosure. In light of the teachings herein, various modifications and variations to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to design numerous systems, arrangements, and processes that, while not expressly shown or described herein, implement the principles of this disclosure and are therefore within the scope of this disclosure. Various exemplary embodiments may be used together and interchangeably with each other, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0147] The embodiments of the technologies and devices described herein also include, but are not limited to, the following listed embodiments: 1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE is configured with a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement configuration, and wherein the QoE measurement configuration is associated with a first network, the method comprising: After the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network: Release the QoE measurement configuration; and / or Pause / stop measurements based on the QoE measurement configuration.

[0148] 2. The method as described in Embodiment 1 further includes, after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network: Store one or more measurement reports associated with the QoE measurement configuration, obtained before the UE registers or resides in the second network; or Discard the one or more measurement reports mentioned above.

[0149] 3. The method as described in Example 2, wherein the one or more measurement reports are stored or discarded during a period of time after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network.

[0150] 4. The method as described in Embodiment 2 or 3, wherein the method further comprises: After storing the one or more measurement reports, and after the UE re-registers or initiates camping on the first network: Send one or more measurement reports to the first network.

[0151] 5. The method as described in any one of Embodiments 2, 3 or 4, wherein the one or more measurement reports are stored or discarded based on instructions provided by the network node.

[0152] 6. The method as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein, based on an instruction provided by a network node, the QoE measurement configuration is released, and / or measurements are paused / stopped based on the QoE measurement configuration.

[0153] 7. The method as described in Example 5 or 6, wherein the indication provided by the network node is part of or included in the QoE measurement configuration.

[0154] 8. The method as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the first network is a first public land mobile network (PLMN), and / or the second network is a second PLMN.

[0155] 9. The method as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the second network is not equivalent to the first network.

[0156] 10. The method as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein, before the UE deregisters from the first network and / or before the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network, the method further comprises: Measurements are obtained in the first network according to the QoE measurement configuration.

[0157] 11. The method as described in any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the QoE measurement configuration is released or measurements are suspended / stopped based on the QoE measurement configuration during a period after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network.

[0158] 12. The method as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, wherein the method further comprises: In response to pausing / stopping measurement acquisition according to the QoE measurement configuration, and after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE re-registers or initiates camping on the first network: Restore measurements obtained in the first network according to the QoE measurement configuration.

[0159] 13. A method performed by a radio access network (RAN) node, the method comprising: Send one or more of the following to the user equipment (UE) configured with Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement settings associated with the first network: (i) An indication of whether to release the QoE measurement configuration after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network; and / or (ii) Whether to suspend / stop the indication of obtaining measurements according to the QoE measurement configuration after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network; and / or (iii) An indication of whether one or more measurement reports associated with the QoE measurement configuration are stored after the UE deregisters from the first network and / or after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network, said one or more measurement reports being obtained before the UE registers or camps in the second network; and / or (iv) An indication of whether to discard one or more measurement reports after the UE has deregistered from the first network and / or after the UE has registered or initiated camping in the second network.

[0160] 14. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code implemented therein, the computer-readable code being configured such that, when executed by a suitable computer or processor, the computer or processor performs the method as described in any one of Examples 1-13.

[0161] 15. A user equipment (UE) configured to perform the method as described in any one of Examples 1-12.

[0162] 16. A user equipment (UE) including a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor, thereby enabling the UE to perform a method as described in any one of Examples 1-12.

[0163] 17. A radio access network (RAN) node configured to perform the method as described in Example 13.

[0164] 18. A radio access network (RAN) node, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processor, thereby enabling the RAN node to perform the method as described in Example 13.

[0165] 19. A user equipment (UE), comprising: Processing circuitry, configured to cause the user equipment to perform any of the steps described in any of Embodiments 1-12; and A power supply circuit configured to supply power to the processing circuit.

[0166] 20. A radio access network (RAN) node, comprising: A processing circuit, configured to cause the RAN node to perform any of the steps described in Embodiment 13; A power supply circuit configured to supply power to the processing circuit.

[0167] 21. A user equipment (UE), comprising: An antenna configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; A radio front-end circuit, connected to the antenna and to the processing circuit, and configured to modulate the signal transmitted between the antenna and the processing circuit; The processing circuit is configured to perform any of the steps described in any of Embodiments 1-12; An input interface, which is connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow information to be input into the UE for processing by the processing circuitry; An output interface, connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information already processed by the processing circuit from the UE; and A battery, which is connected to the processing circuit and configured to supply power to the UE.

[0168] References 1. RAN3#117-e Chairman's Minutes (https: / / www.3gpp.org / ftp / TSG_RAN / WG3_Iu / TSGR3_117-e / Inbox / Drafts / Chairs_Notes / RAN3_117-e_agenda_20220825_EOM1.zip) 2. RAN3#117-bis-e Chairman's Minutes (https: / / www.3gpp.org / ftp / TSG_RAN / WG3_Iu / TSGR3_117bis-e / Inbox / Drafts / Chairs_Notes / RAN3_117bis-e_agenda_20221018_EOM1.zip) 3. RAN3#118 Chairman's Minutes (https: / / www.3gpp.org / ftp / TSG_RAN / WG3_Iu / TSGR3_118 / Inbox / Drafts / Chairs_Notes / RAN3_118_agenda_20221118_EOM.zip) 4. RAN3#119 Chairman's Minutes (https: / / www.3gpp.org / ftp / TSG_RAN / WG3_Iu / TSGR3_119 / Inbox / Drafts / Chairs_Notes / RAN3_119_agenda_20230303_EOM.zip) appendix A non-restrictive example implementation of handling QoE configuration and measurement is shown in the following excerpt from TS 38.331.

[0169] 5.7.16 Application Layer Measurement Processing (including reporting and release) 5.7.16.1 Overview The purpose of this process is to send application layer measurement reports to the network.

[0170] Figure 9 —— Figure 5 .7.16.1-1 shows the application layer measurement report.

[0171] 5.7.16.2 Initiate A UE capable of reporting application layer measurements under RRC_CONNECTED can do so when application layer measurements are configured (i.e., when they have been configured by the network). appLayerMeasConfig This process is initiated when SRB4 and / or SRB5 are involved.

[0172] When initiating this process, the UE should: 1> For each received from the higher layer measConfigAppLayerId : 2> If the UE AS has received an application layer measurement report container that has not yet been transmitted from the upper layer; and 2> If, according to Clause 5.3.5.13d, for applications associated with measurement reporting containers... measConfigAppLayerId Application layer measurement reports have not been suspended. 3> MeasurementReportAppLayer In the message measReportAppLayerContainer Set to the value received in the application layer measurement report container; 2> MeasurementReportAppLayer In the message measConfigAppLayerId Set to be received along with application layer measurement report information. measConfigAppLayerId The value; 2> If for this measConfigAppLayerId Session start or stop information has been received from the upper layer: 3> MeasurementReportAppLayer In the message appLayerSessionStatus Set to the value received when session start or stop information is sent; 2> If a RAN-visible application layer measurement report has been received from a higher layer: 3> For each of the received RAN visible application layer measurement reports appLayerBufferLevel value: 4> MeasurementReportAppLayer In the message appLayerBufferLevelList In appLayerBufferLevel The value is set to the buffer level value received from the upper layer, in the following order: first appLayerBufferLevel The value is set to the latest received buffer level value, the second appLayerBufferLevel The value is set to the second newly received buffer level value, and so on, until all buffer level values ​​received from the previous layer have been assigned, or have been determined according to... appLayerBufferLevel (If configured) A maximum number of values ​​is set; 3> MeasurementReportAppLayer In the message playoutDelayForMediaStartup Set to the received value (if any) of the media-initiated playback delay in the RAN-visible application layer measurement report; 3> For each PDU session ID value (if any) indicated in the received RAN visible application layer measurement report: 4> MeasurementReportAppLayer In the message pdu-SessionIdList In PDU-SessionID The field is set to the indicated PDU session ID value; 4> For each QoS flow ID value (if any) associated with the PDU session ID as indicated in the received RAN visible application layer measurement report: 5> Associated with PDU session ID QFI The field is set to the indicated QoS flow ID value.

[0173] 1> If the encoded RRC message is larger than the maximum supported size of a PDCP SDU as specified in TS 38.323 [5]: 2> If based on appLayerMeasConfig Fields received in rrc-SegAllowed Enable RRC message segmentation: 3> As specified in Clause 5.7.7, taking into account appLayerMeasConfig fields in reportingInstruction (If configured), initiate the UL message segmentation transmission process; 2> Otherwise: 3> Discard RRC messages; 1> Otherwise: 2> Considering appLayerMeasConfig fields in reportingInstruction (If configured) will MeasurementReportAppLayer The message is submitted to a lower layer for transmission, at which point the process ends.

[0174] 5.7.16.1 Release of Application Layer Measurement Configuration and Reporting 5.7.16.2 Overview The purpose of this process is to release the QoE measurement configuration and the recorded QoE measurement information.

[0175] 5.7.16.3 Initiate The UE should initiate this process when deregistering or residing / registering with a non-equivalent PLMN.

[0176] UE should: 1> If stored, discard the QoE measurement configuration and QoE measurement information. 1> If stored, notify the upper layer to discard the QoE measurement configuration and QoE measurement information. abbreviation explain 5G Fifth generation 5GCN 5G core network 5GS 5G system AF Application Functions AMF Access and mobility management functions AN Access network API Application Programming Interface AS Access layer ASN.1 Abstract syntax markup 1 CA Carrier aggregation CE Control elements CGI Community Global Identification CHO Conditional switching CN Core Network CP control plane CPC Conditional PSCell Change CU Central Unit DAPS Dual activation protocol stack DC Dual connectivity DRB Data radio bearer DU Distributed Unit eNB E-UTRAN NodeB EN-DC E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity EPC Evolutionary Grouping Core EPS Evolutionary Grouping System E-UTRA Evolution of UTRA E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN gNB Radio base stations in NR GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System GPS Global Positioning System HSS Home subscriber server ID Identifier / Identifier IE Information elements LTE Long-term evolution MAC Media access control MBS Multicast broadcasting service MCC Mobile country code MCE Measuring collector entity MCG Main community group MME Mobility Management Entity MN Master node MNC Mobile network code MR-DC Multi-radio dual connectivity NE-DC NR-E-UTRA Dual Connectivity NEF Network Open Functions NG Next generation NGEN-DC NG-RAN E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity NG-RAN NG Radio Access Network NR New air outlet OAM / O&M Operation and maintenance PCell Main Community PCF Policy control function PCI Physical community identifier PSCell Main and auxiliary communities PDU Protocol Data Unit PLMN Public Land Mobile Network PTM Point-to-multipoint PTP peer to peer QCI QoS class identifier QFI QoS Flow Identifier QMC QoE measurement collection QoE Experience quality QoS Service quality RACH Random Access Channel RAN Radio access network RAT Radio access technology RRC Radio Resource Control RSRP Reference signal received power RSRQ Reference signal reception quality RSSI Received signal strength indicator RV-QOE RAN visible QoE S1 The interface between RAN and CN in LTE. S1AP S1 Application Protocol Scell auxiliary community SCG auxiliary community groups SDT Small data transmission SINR Signal-to-interference-to-noise ratio SMF Session management function SMO Service Management and Orchestration SN auxiliary nodes SNR Signal-to-noise ratio SpCell Pcell in MCG or PSCell in SCG. TA Terminal adapter TCE Track collector entities TE terminal equipment TS Technical Specifications UDM User Data Management UE User equipment URI Uniform Resource Identifier URL Uniform Resource Locator URLLC Ultra-reliable low-latency communication USIM General subscriber identification module XML Extensible Markup Language Xn The interface between two gNBs in NR. XnAP Xn Application Protocol

Claims

1. A method (200) performed by a user equipment (UE), wherein, The UE is configured with a Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement configuration, wherein the QoE measurement configuration is associated with a first network, and the method (200) includes: After the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network: Release (202) the QoE measurement configuration; and Discard (202) any measurement reports associated with the QoE measurement configuration obtained before the UE registered or resided in the second network.

2. The method (200) as described in claim 1, wherein, The measurement report is discarded for a period of time after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network.

3. The method (200) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The measurement report is discarded based on instructions provided by the network node.

4. The method (200) as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The QoE measurement configuration is released based on an instruction provided by the network node.

5. The method (200) as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein, The indication provided by the network node is either part of the QoE measurement configuration or is included in the QoE measurement configuration.

6. The method (200) as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The first network is a first public land mobile network (PLMN), and / or the second network is a second PLMN.

7. The method (200) as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The second network is not equivalent to the first network.

8. The method (200) as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, Before the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network, the method (200) further includes: Measurements are obtained in the first network according to the QoE measurement configuration.

9. The method (200) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The QoE measurement configuration is released after the UE registers or initiates its stay in the second network for a period of time.

10. A method (400) performed by a radio access network (RAN) node, the method (400) comprising: Send (402) one or more of the following to the user equipment (UE) configured with Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement settings associated with the first network: (i) An indication of whether to release the QoE measurement configuration after the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network; (ii) An indication of whether any measurement reports obtained before the UE was registered or initiated to reside in the second network are discarded after the UE registers or resides in the second network.

11. The method (400) of claim 10, wherein, The indication is either part of the QoE measurement configuration or is included in the QoE measurement configuration.

12. The method (400) as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein, The first network is a first public land mobile network (PLMN), and / or the second network is a second PLMN.

13. The method (400) according to any one of claims 10-12, wherein, The second network is not equivalent to the first network.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code implemented therein, the computer-readable code being configured such that, when executed by a suitable computer or processor, the computer or processor performs the method (200, 400) as claimed in any one of claims 1-13.

15. A user equipment (UE) (600) configured with a quality of experience (QoE) measurement configuration, wherein, The QoE measurement configuration is associated with a first network, and the UE (600) includes a processor (602) and a memory (610), the memory (610) containing instructions executable by the processor (602), thereby enabling the UE (600) to operate as follows: After the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network: Release the QoE measurement configuration; and Discard any measurement reports associated with the QoE measurement configuration obtained before the UE registered or resided in the second network.

16. The UE (600) as claimed in claim 15, wherein, The UE (600) can also be operated to perform the method as described in any one of claims 2-9.

17. A user equipment (UE) (600) configured with a quality of experience (QoE) measurement configuration, wherein, The QoE measurement configuration is associated with a first network, and the UE (600) is configured to: After the UE registers or initiates camping in the second network: Release the QoE measurement configuration; and Discard any measurement reports associated with the QoE measurement configuration obtained before the UE registered or resided in the second network.

18. The UE (600) as claimed in claim 17, wherein, The UE (600) is also configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 2-9.

19. A radio access network (RAN) node (700) comprising a processor (702) and a memory (704), the memory (704) containing instructions executable by the processor (702), thereby enabling the RAN node (700) to: Send one or more of the following to the user equipment (600) that is configured with Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement settings associated with the first network: (i) Whether to release the QoE measurement configuration after the UE (600) registers or initiates camping in the second network; (ii) Indication on whether to discard any measurement reports obtained before the UE (600) registered or initiated camping in the second network after the UE (600) registers or camps in the second network.

20. The RAN node (700) as described in claim 19, wherein, The RAN node (700) can also be operated to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11-13.

21. A radio access network (RAN) node (700) configured to: Send one or more of the following to the user equipment (600) that is configured with Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement settings associated with the first network: (i) Whether to release the QoE measurement configuration after the UE (600) registers or initiates camping in the second network; (ii) Indication on whether to discard any measurement reports obtained before the UE (600) registered or initiated camping in the second network after the UE (600) registers or camps in the second network.

22. The RAN node (700) as described in claim 21, wherein, The RAN node (700) is also configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11-13.

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