Component carrier to be measured

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to determination of component carriers (CCs) to measure. In one aspect, an apparatus determines a first subset of CCs to measure from a set of CCs configured to be measured by the apparatus. The apparatus sends a first message to a network device indicating the first subset of CCs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to the field of communications, and in particular to methods, apparatuses, devices, and computer-readable storage media for determining a component carrier (CC) to be measured. Background Technology

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

[0003] Such communication networks operate according to standards such as those issued by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) or ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute). Examples of such standards include the so-called 5G (fifth generation) standard, the 6G (sixth generation) standard, or other standards issued by 3GPP. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In general, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution for determining the component carrier (CC) to be measured, such as in carrier aggregation. This solution reduces measurement burden and latency by performing CC measurement selection, thereby improving communication performance through measurement reporting.

[0005] In a first aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the apparatus to at least: determine a first subset of CCs to be measured from a set of CCs configured to be measured by the apparatus. The apparatus is also caused to: send a first message indicating the first subset of CCs to a network device.

[0006] In a second aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions cause the apparatus to at least: receive a first message from a terminal device, the first message indicating: a first subset of CCs of a set of CCs to be measured, determined by the terminal device, wherein the set of CCs is configured to be measured by the terminal device.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: determining a first subset of CCs to be measured from a set of CCs configured to be measured by a terminal device. The method further includes: sending a first message indicating the first subset of CCs to a network device.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving a first message from a terminal device, the first message indicating: a first subset of CCs of a set of CCs to be measured, determined by the terminal device, wherein the set of CCs is configured to be measured by the terminal device.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes components for determining a first subset of CCs to be measured from a set of CCs configured to be measured by the apparatus. The apparatus also includes components for sending a first message indicating the first subset of CCs to a network device.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a component for receiving a first message from a terminal device, the first message indicating: a first subset of CCs of a set of CCs to be measured, determined by the terminal device, wherein the set of CCs is configured to be measured by the terminal device.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions for causing a device to execute program instructions according to at least any one of the methods of the third and fourth aspects described above.

[0012] In an eighth aspect, a computer program is provided, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to any one of the third and fourth aspects described above.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a determining circuit system configured to determine a first subset of CCs to be measured from a set of CCs configured to be measured by the apparatus; and a transmitting circuit system configured to send a first message indicating the first subset of CCs to a network device.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a receiving circuitry system configured to receive a first message from a terminal device, the first message indicating: a first subset of CCs of a set of CCs to be measured, determined by the terminal device, wherein the set of CCs is configured to be measured by the terminal device.

[0015] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 An example communication network in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is illustrated;

[0018] Figure 2 A signaling diagram is illustrated, which illustrates an example of a process for selecting a CC for measurement according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 3 A flowchart is shown, illustrating an example of a process for selecting a CC for measurement according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4 A signaling diagram is illustrated, which illustrates an example of a process for selecting a CC for measurement according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 5 A signaling diagram is illustrated, which illustrates an example of a process for selecting a CC for measurement according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 6 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 7 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 8 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated; and

[0025] Figure 9 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0026] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0028] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0029] In this disclosure, references to "an embodiment," "embodiment," and "example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, those skilled in the art will understand that, whether explicitly described or not, combining it with other embodiments to affect such a feature, structure, or characteristic is within the scope of their knowledge.

[0030] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second”, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “containing,” and / or “comprise” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “<at least one of a list of two or more elements>” and similar wording (where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0032] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuit systems), and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor (including multiple digital signal processors), software, and memory (multiple processors) having software, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when operation is not required.

[0033] The definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors) or portions of hardware circuitry or a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0034] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth-generation (5G) and sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems that can be used to embody the present disclosure. This should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure to the systems described above.

[0035] As used herein, the terms "network device" and "access network device" refer to nodes in a communication network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Network devices can refer to base stations (BS) or access points (APs), such as Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), NR NB (also known as gNB), Transmit / Receive Point (TRP), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Header (RH), Remote Radio Header End (RRH), relay, low-power nodes (such as femtoseconds, picoseconds), depending on the terminology and technology used.

[0036] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not a limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices can include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEE), laptop mounted devices (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms “terminal equipment”, “communication equipment”, “terminal”, “user equipment”, and “UE” are used interchangeably.

[0037] In telecommunications technology, one of the objectives is to reduce measurement delay (e.g., frequency range (FR) 2-1 (synchronization signal and PBCH block) based on SSB layer (L3) measurement delay reduction), and for UEs not in multi-Rx simultaneous reception mode, carrier-specific scaling factor (CSSF) optimization will be considered.

[0038] When optimizing the external gap of CSSF in carrier aggregation (CA) / dual connectivity (DC) to reduce L3 measurement latency, if multiple serving CCs are in the same frequency band, the user equipment (UE) may only need to measure one serving CC for each frequency band.

[0039] Two options can be considered to enable the UE to measure a single serving CC for each frequency band. Option 1 allows the UE to select one CC for measurement when multiple measurement objects (MOs) are configured in the frequency band, i.e., based on the UE's selection method. Option 2 can be based on network indication, i.e., the network instructs which CC to measure among multiple MOs. The MO can at least indicate the frequency location or carrier frequency of the reference signal to be measured. In SSB-based measurements, the MO can refer to the center frequency of the SSB.

[0040] For Option 1, the UE has the best understanding of the measurement status of all configured CCs, thus enabling it to determine which CCs need to be measured and which can be skipped. However, the selection of CCs is unknown to the network. From the network's perspective, it would be misleading if the UE automatically skipped measurements of some CCs that are configured for measurement. UE measurement behavior needs to be consistent with the network configuration or understanding. For Option 1, one issue that may need to be addressed is how to ensure that the network has the same understanding of the UE's measurement behavior (i.e., which CCs the UE measures and which CCs it omits).

[0041] For Option 2, UE measurements for a single CC per frequency band depend on network indications. However, when the network controller (NW) configures the UE with the CCs to be measured, the NW may not have any information about how to measure different CCs at the UE and which CCs might measure RSRP values ​​similar to other CCs. To provide the network with a clear overview of the CCs to be measured or not measured, the UE needs to indicate the preferred or recommended CCs to be measured. For Option 2, a potential issue is how to enable the UE to assist the NW in configuring which CCs to measure and which CCs to omit.

[0042] In addition to enhancing mobility performance, UEs can also initiate measurement reports for carriers that are not currently being measured or configured with an MO. This is because handover decisions often rely on UE measurement reports. UE measurement reports can include potential target cells. Ensuring that UEs report from MOs, regardless of whether they are currently being measured, provides additional network advantages. Enabling UE-triggered reporting from such unmeasured MOs minimizes the impact on the network because it eliminates the need to modify existing handover algorithms and procedures to accommodate handovers to cells that have not received measurement reports.

[0043] Therefore, for the scenarios involving in-band co-location of MOs discussed, regardless of whether service is active, it is essential to reduce the measurement burden and requirements on the UE. This approach aims to minimize the impact on network implementation and maintain system performance, particularly in terms of handover interruption latency.

[0044] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, a solution is provided for determining a component carrier (CC) to be measured. This solution allows the UE to indicate (multiple) CCs / (multiple) cells / (multiple) MOs so that its measurement results can be used for other CCs / cells / MOs in the same frequency band. The proposed solution enables the UE to report the measured CC (for option 1) or suggested CC (for option 2) to the NW. The proposed solution can be used in intra-band CA scenarios or inter-band CA scenarios. With this solution, measurement latency is reduced by selecting measurements of multiple CCs, thereby improving communication performance through measurement reporting for the selected CCs. The principles and embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] Figure 1 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an example communication network 100 in which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the communication network 100 may include terminal device 110 and network device 120.

[0046] It should be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. System 100 may include any suitable number of terminal devices and network devices having any suitable number of cells suitable for implementing embodiments of this disclosure.

[0047] Communication in communication system 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to cellular communication protocols of the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), and sixth generation (6G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Spread Spectrum OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technology currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0048] Figure 2 A signaling diagram is illustrated, which shows an example of a process 200 for measurement reporting according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Reference will be made to this diagram for discussion purposes. Figure 1 Describe process 200. Process 200 may involve, for example, Figure 1 The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown.

[0049] exist Figure 2In this context, terminal device 110 can determine 210 a first subset of CCs to be measured from a set of CCs configured to be measured by terminal device 110. Terminal device 110 can then send 220 a first message indicating the first subset of CCs to the network device.

[0050] In some embodiments, the selection of a measured CC or a recommended measured CC by the terminal device 110 may be based on previous RSRP measurements of the CC, the correlation between measurement samples, or the CC recommended by the network. After the terminal device 110 sends an indication of the selected CC / cell / MO(multiple) selected CC ...

[0051] Therefore, this disclosure proposes that terminal device 110 can determine and instruct network device 120 which CCs (Complex Cells) it proposes to measure. In this way, it can reduce the number of measurements that terminal device 110 needs to perform, leading to more efficient use of UE resources, such as battery life and processing power. Network device 120 can make more informed decisions about which CCs to configure for measurement based on feedback from terminal device 110. Furthermore, measurement latency can be minimized, resulting in faster, more responsive network operation, especially in dynamic environments, and better allocation of network resources, improving overall network performance.

[0052] Figure 3 A flowchart is illustrated, which shows an example of a process 300 for selecting a CC for measurement according to some embodiments of this disclosure. Reference will be made for discussion purposes. Figure 1 Describe process 300. Process 300 may involve, for example, Figure 1 The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown. For option 1, process 300 may include operations or steps 301-306 and 309. For option 2, process 300 may include operations or steps 301-304 and 307-309.

[0053] exist Figure 3 In step 301, terminal device 110 can receive a message configuring a CC set or an MO set from network device 120. The UE can be configured with a CC set or an MO set. This CC set or MO set can be configured with CC or MO.

[0054] At 302, terminal device 110 can begin performing measurements on all configured CCs.

[0055] At point 303, terminal device 110 can send a measurement report about configuring MO to network device 120.

[0056] At point 304, after the measurement report for the MO is sent to network device 120, network device 120 may instruct terminal device 110 to grant permission for the selected or recommended CC(s) used for the measurement. The instruction from network device 120 may be based on the measurement report received by network device 120 and the analysis performed by network device 120 on the CC measurement results, or on the CSSF optimization capabilities of terminal device 110.

[0057] In some embodiments of Option 1, at 305, terminal device 110 can then evaluate the conditions for applying measurement selection based on previous or new measurements. Terminal device 110 can then notify network device 120 of its determination of the CC / cell / MO to be measured in the frequency band. Upon receiving this indication, network device 120 knows that terminal device 110 can begin measuring individual CCs for each frequency band, and which CCs terminal device 110 will measure.

[0058] At point 306, terminal device 110 can begin measuring the selected CC / cell / MO and report the measurement results to network device 120. Network device 120 can then apply the measurement results of the indicated CC to other CCs in the same frequency band.

[0059] In some embodiments for option 2, after operations 301-304, at 307, terminal device 110 can then evaluate the conditions for applying the measurement selection based on previous or new measurements. Terminal device 110 can then notify network device 120 of recommendations regarding the CCs that terminal device 110 wants to measure. Terminal device 110 can also continue measuring all configuration MOs.

[0060] At point 308, upon receiving this instruction, network device 120 can configure the corresponding MO for measurement based on the instruction. Alternatively, network device 120 can indicate which CCs to be measured in the frequency band and which CCs can be omitted.

[0061] Following steps 306 or 308, at step 309, to avoid losing measurement accuracy, network device 120 may also set a timer to perform measurements on a reference CC. Afterward, terminal device 110 may perform measurements on all configured MOs to refresh its evaluation of the conditions used to select or recommend a CC. Then, process 300 may return to step 302.

[0062] Combining Figure 4 and Figure 5 Let's discuss the solution in more detail. Figure 4 and Figure 5 It can be a message sequence diagram describing the signaling and processes involved in this disclosure.

[0063] Figure 4 A signaling diagram is illustrated, which shows an example of a process 400 for selecting a CC for measurement according to some embodiments of Option 1 of this disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1 Describe process 400. Process 400 may involve, for example, Figure 1 The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown.

[0064] At point 401, terminal device 110 may indicate to network device 120 whether terminal device 110 supports a new feature for selecting the CC to be measured. If terminal device 110 supports the feature, then network device 120 may request terminal device 110 to indicate to network device 120 the CC that terminal device 110 will propose to be measured.

[0065] At 402, network device 120 may send a message to terminal device 110 configuring MO for measurement by terminal device 110. In some embodiments, the configured MO includes a set of CCs to be measured.

[0066] At 403, terminal device 110 can perform measurements on the CC set configured at 402.

[0067] At 404, terminal device 110 can send a measurement report with CC set measurements to network device 120.

[0068] At 405, network device 120 can send a "Request for Selected CC" message to terminal device 110. The "Request for Selected CC" message can request terminal device 110 to submit multiple CCs that reflect measurement results of other configured CCs in the same frequency band. Using the selected CCs, terminal device 110 can deliver measurement results for all configured CCs while only measuring the selected CCs (a subset of the configured CC set).

[0069] At 406, terminal device 110 can evaluate measurements from all configured CCs and determine some CCs (a first subset of CCs) proposed for measurement.

[0070] In some embodiments, the evaluation may be based on layer 3 (L3) or layer 1 (L1) measurements of all configuration CCs, CSI measurements of all configuration CCs, at least one difference between measurements of all configuration CCs, at least one correlation between measurement samples of all configuration CCs, or configuration information of all configuration CCs.

[0071] In some embodiments, at 405, the "Request for Selected CCs" message may include a third subset of CCs from the configured CC set suggested by network device 120, which will be measured by terminal device 110. At 406, terminal device 110 may evaluate the measurements from the configured CC set or the third subset of CCs (if configured) and determine some CCs proposed for measurement (a first subset of CCs).

[0072] In some embodiments, the "Request for Selected CCs" message may include an RSRP threshold for determining a first subset of CCs.

[0073] At 407, terminal device 110 can indicate to network device 120 the CCs that terminal device 110 can measure (a first subset of CCs). The first subset of CCs can be regarded as a reference CC.

[0074] At 408, terminal device 110 can perform measurements on a first subset of CC selected by terminal device 110.

[0075] At 409, terminal device 110 can send a measurement report to network device 120, which contains measurements of a first subset of CC.

[0076] In some embodiments, after receiving the measurement report, the network device 120 may apply at least one measurement of a first subset of CCs to at least one other CC in the same frequency band.

[0077] Figure 5 A signaling diagram is illustrated, which shows an example of a process 500 for selecting a CC for measurement according to some embodiments of Option 2 of this disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1 Describe process 500. Process 500 may involve, for example, Figure 1 The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown.

[0078] At point 501, terminal device 110 may indicate to network device 120 whether terminal device 110 supports a new feature for selecting the CC to be measured. If terminal device 110 supports the feature, then network device 120 may request terminal device 110 to indicate to network device 120 the CC that terminal device 110 will propose to be measured.

[0079] At 502, network device 120 may send a message to terminal device 110 configuring an MO for measurement by terminal device 110. In some embodiments, the configured MO includes a set of CCs to be measured.

[0080] At 503, terminal device 110 can perform a measurement on the CC set at 502.

[0081] At 504, terminal device 110 can send a measurement report with CC set measurements to network device 120.

[0082] At point 505, network device 120 can send a "Request for Selected CC" message to terminal device 110. The "Request for Selected CC" message can request terminal device 110 to submit multiple CCs that reflect the measurement results of other configured CCs in the same frequency band. Using the selected CCs, terminal device 110 can deliver the measurement results of all configured CCs while only measuring the selected CCs (a subset of the configured CC set).

[0083] At 506, terminal device 110 can evaluate measurements from all configured CCs and determine some CCs (a first subset of CCs) proposed for measurement.

[0084] In some embodiments, the evaluation may be based on layer 3 (L3) or layer 1 (L1) measurements of all configuration CCs, CSI measurements of all configuration CCs, at least one difference between measurements of all configuration CCs, at least one correlation between measurement samples of all configuration CCs, or configuration information of all configuration CCs.

[0085] In some embodiments, at 505, the "Request for Selected CCs" message may include a third subset of CCs from the configured CC set suggested by network device 120, which will be measured by terminal device 110. At 506, terminal device 110 may evaluate the measurements from the configured CC set or the third subset of CCs (if configured) and determine some CCs proposed for measurement (a first subset of CCs).

[0086] In some embodiments, the "Request for Selected CCs" message may include: an RSRP threshold for determining a first subset of CCs.

[0087] At 507, terminal device 110 may indicate to network device 120 that terminal device 110 may propose a CC (a first subset of CCs) for measurement. The first subset of CCs may be regarded as a reference CC.

[0088] At point 508, network device 120 can determine and configure the measurement of the selected CC (a second subset of CC). The second subset of CC measured by terminal device 110 can be based on feedback from terminal device 110 (a first subset of CC), but whether network device 120 uses the feedback from terminal device 110 is determined by network device 120. For example, the second subset of CC can be the same as the first subset of CC. Alternatively, the second subset of CC can be different from the first subset of CC.

[0089] Network device 120 may send a second message (e.g., the message "Measure selected CCs"), which indicates a second subset of CCs to be measured by terminal device 110.

[0090] At 509, terminal device 110 can perform measurements on a second subset of CC.

[0091] In some embodiments, at 508, the second message may include a timer. The timer may indicate a time period during which the terminal device 110 will perform at least one measurement on a second subset of the CCs. For example, the value of the timer may indicate a time period during which the terminal device 110 will perform at least one measurement on a second subset of the CCs. If the timer expires, the terminal device 110 may perform at least one measurement on all configured CCs.

[0092] In some embodiments, after indicating a first subset of CCs at 507, terminal device 110 may perform at least one measurement on all configured CCs at 508 before receiving a second message (message “Measure the selected CCs”).

[0093] At 510, terminal device 110 can send a measurement report to network device 120, which has measurements of a second subset of CC.

[0094] In some embodiments, after receiving the measurement report, the network device 120 may apply at least one measurement of a second subset of CCs to at least one other CC in the same frequency band.

[0095] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a method 600 implemented at an apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made for discussion purposes. Figure 1 Method 600 is described from the perspective of terminal device 110. The device can be implemented as terminal device 110.

[0096] At block 610, terminal device 110 can determine a first subset of CCs to be measured from a set of CCs configured to be measured by terminal device 110. At block 620, terminal device 110 can send a first message indicating the first subset of CCs to network device 120.

[0097] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may further: perform at least one measurement on a first subset of CC, and send a measurement report of at least one measurement on the first subset of CC to network device 120.

[0098] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may further: receive a second message from the network device 120, the second message indicating: to perform at least one measurement on the second subset of the CC set measured by the terminal device 110, and to send a measurement report of at least one measurement on the second subset of the CC to the network device 120.

[0099] In some embodiments, the second message also configures a timer that indicates a time period during which the terminal device 110 will perform at least one measurement on a second subset of CC.

[0100] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may also: perform at least one measurement on the CC set configured to be measured based on determining that a timer has expired.

[0101] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may further: perform at least one measurement on the CC set before receiving the second message.

[0102] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may further: send capability information to the network device 120, the capability information indicating whether the terminal device 110 supports the determination of a first subset of CCs from the CC set.

[0103] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may also: receive a request message from network device 120, the request message being used to request terminal device 110 to determine a first subset of CCs from the CC set.

[0104] In some embodiments, the request message indicates a third subset of the CCs of the CC set measured by the terminal device 110, as suggested by the network device 120.

[0105] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a first subset of CC by selecting a first subset of CC from a third subset of CC.

[0106] In some embodiments, the request message includes: a measurement threshold for determining a first subset of CC.

[0107] In some embodiments, a first subset of CCs is determined based on at least one of the following: layer 3 (L3) or layer 1 (L1) measurements of the CC set, CSI measurements of the CC set, at least one difference between measurements of the CC set, at least one correlation between measurement samples of the CC set, or configuration information of the CC set.

[0108] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may further: perform at least one measurement on the set of CCs before determining a first subset of CCs, wherein determining a first subset of CCs is based on at least one measurement.

[0109] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may also receive a message configuring a CC set from network device 120.

[0110] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method 700 implemented at an apparatus according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Reference will be made for discussion purposes. Figure 1 Method 700 is described from the perspective of network device 120. The device can be implemented as network device 120.

[0111] At box 710, network device 120 can receive a first message from terminal device 110, the first message indicating: a first subset of CCs of a set of CCs to be measured, determined by the terminal device, wherein the set of CCs is configured to be measured by terminal device 110.

[0112] In some embodiments, network device 120 may further: receive a measurement report from terminal device 110 of at least one measurement of a first subset of CCs, and apply at least one measurement of the first subset of CCs to at least one other CC in the CC set.

[0113] In some embodiments, network device 120 may further: determine a second subset of the CCs of the set of CCs to be measured by terminal device 110 based on a first subset of CCs, and send a second message indicating the second subset of CCs to terminal device 110.

[0114] In some embodiments, network device 120 may also: receive a measurement report from terminal device 110 of at least one measurement of a second subset of CCs, and apply at least one measurement of the second subset of CCs to at least one other CC in the CC set.

[0115] In some embodiments, the second subset of CC may be the same as or different from the first subset of CC.

[0116] In some embodiments, the second message also configures a timer that indicates a time period for performing at least one measurement on a second subset of CC.

[0117] In some embodiments, network device 120 may also: receive capability information from terminal device 110, the capability information indicating whether terminal device 110 supports the determination of a first subset of CCs from the CC set.

[0118] In some embodiments, network device 120 may further: send a request message to terminal device 110, the request message being used to request terminal device 110 to determine a first subset of CCs from the CC set.

[0119] In some embodiments, the request message indicates a third subset of the CCs of the CC set measured by the terminal device 110, as suggested by the network device 120.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first subset of CC is derived from the third subset of CC.

[0121] In some embodiments, the request message includes: a measurement threshold for determining a first subset of CC.

[0122] In some embodiments, network device 120 may also send a message configuring CC set to terminal device 110.

[0123] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing any of the methods of method 600 (e.g., terminal device 110) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 600. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0124] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes components for determining a first subset of CCs to be measured from a set of CCs configured to be measured by terminal device 110. The apparatus also includes components for sending a first message indicating the first subset of CCs to network device 120.

[0125] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include: a component for performing at least one measurement on a first subset of CC, and a component for sending a measurement report of at least one measurement on the first subset of CC to the network device 120.

[0126] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include: a component for receiving a second message from network device 120, the second message indicating: a second subset of CCs of a set of CCs measured by terminal device 110; a component for performing at least one measurement on the second subset of CCs; and a component for sending a measurement report of at least one measurement on the second subset of CCs to network device 120.

[0127] In some embodiments, the second message also configures a timer that indicates a time period during which the terminal device 110 will perform at least one measurement on a second subset of CC.

[0128] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for performing at least one measurement on a set of CCs configured to be measured based on determining that a timer has expired.

[0129] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for performing at least one measurement on the CC set before receiving the second message.

[0130] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include: a component for sending capability information to network device 120, the capability information indicating whether terminal device 110 supports the determination of a first subset of CCs from a set of CCs.

[0131] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for receiving a request message from the network device 120, the request message being used to request the terminal device 110 to determine a first subset of CCs from the CC set.

[0132] In some embodiments, the request message indicates a third subset of the CCs of the CC set measured by the terminal device 110, as suggested by the network device 120.

[0133] In some embodiments, the components for determining a first subset of CC may include components for selecting a first subset of CC from a third subset of CC.

[0134] In some embodiments, the request message includes: a measurement threshold for determining a first subset of CC.

[0135] In some embodiments, a first subset of CCs is determined based on at least one of the following: layer 3 (L3) or layer 1 (L1) measurements of the CC set, CSI measurements of the CC set, at least one difference between measurements of the CC set, at least one correlation between measurement samples of the CC set, or configuration information of the CC set.

[0136] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include: a component for performing at least one measurement on a set of CCs before determining a first subset of CCs, wherein determining a first subset of CCs is based on at least one measurement.

[0137] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a component for receiving a message configuring a CC set from the network device 120.

[0138] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing additional steps of some embodiments of method 600. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, implement the performance of the apparatus described above.

[0139] In some embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing any of the methods of method 700 (e.g., network device 120) may include components for performing the corresponding steps of method 700. These components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0140] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: a component for receiving a first message from a terminal device 110, the first message indicating: a first subset of CCs of a set of CCs to be measured, determined by the terminal device, wherein the set of CCs is configured to be measured by the terminal device 110.

[0141] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: a component for receiving a measurement report from a terminal device 110 of at least one measurement of a first subset of CCs, and a component for applying at least one measurement of the first subset of CCs to at least one other CC in the CC set.

[0142] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: components for determining a second subset of the CCs of the set of CCs to be measured by the terminal device 110 based on a first subset of CCs, and components for sending a second message to the terminal device 110 indicating the second subset of CCs.

[0143] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include: a component for receiving a measurement report from a terminal device 110 of at least one measurement of a second subset of CCs, and a component for applying at least one measurement of the second subset of CCs to at least one other CC in the CC set.

[0144] In some embodiments, the second subset of CC may be the same as or different from the first subset of CC.

[0145] In some embodiments, the second message also configures a timer that indicates a time period for performing at least one measurement on a second subset of CC.

[0146] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include a component for receiving capability information from a terminal device 110, the capability information indicating whether the terminal device 110 supports the determination of a first subset of CCs from a set of CCs.

[0147] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include a component for sending a request message to a terminal device 110, the request message being used to request the terminal device 110 to determine a first subset of CCs from the CC set.

[0148] In some embodiments, the request message indicates a third subset of the CCs of the CC set measured by the terminal device 110, as suggested by the network device 120.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first subset of CC is derived from the third subset of CC.

[0150] In some embodiments, the request message includes: a measurement threshold for determining a first subset of CC.

[0151] In some embodiments, the apparatus may include a component for sending a message configuring a CC set to a terminal device 110.

[0152] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes components for performing additional steps of some embodiments of method 700. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, implement the performance of the apparatus described above.

[0153] Figure 8 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 800 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 800 can be provided to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 1 The terminal device 110 and network device 120 are shown. As shown, device 800 includes one or more processors 810, one or more memories 820 coupled to processor 810, and one or more communication modules 840 coupled to processor 810.

[0154] Communication module 840 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 840 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements.

[0155] Processor 810 can be of any type suitable for a local technology network, and by way of non-limiting example, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 800 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0156] Memory 820 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 824, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disc (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 822 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0157] Computer program 830 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 810. Program 830 may be stored in ROM 824. Processor 810 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 830 into RAM 822.

[0158] The embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented via program 830, enabling device 800 to execute reference... Figures 2 to 5 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0159] In some embodiments, program 830 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 800 (such as memory 820) or other storage device accessible to device 800. Device 800 may load program 830 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 822 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.

[0160] Figure 9 An example of a computer-readable medium 900 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. A program 830 is stored on the computer-readable medium.

[0161] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented using hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented using hardware, while others can be implemented using firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0162] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which execute in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-mentioned... Figure 6 or Figure 7 The method described is 600-700. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of a program module can be executed locally or on a distributed device. In a distributed device, a program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0163] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that, when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0164] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0165] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The term "non-transient" as used herein is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0166] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring the operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or to perform all of the shown operations to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0167] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the means to at least: Determine a first subset of the CCs to be measured from the set of component carriers (CCs) configured to be measured by the device; as well as Send a first message to the network device indicating a first subset of the CC.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Perform at least one measurement on a first subset of the CC; and Send a measurement report to the network device for at least one measurement of a first subset of the CC.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Receive a second message from the network device, the second message indicating: a second subset of the CCs of the CC set measured by the device; Perform at least one measurement on a second subset of the CC; as well as Send a measurement report to the network device for at least one measurement of a second subset of the CC.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second message further configures a timer that indicates a time period during which the apparatus will perform the at least one measurement on a second subset of the CC.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Based on determining that the timer has expired, at least one measurement is performed on the CC set that is configured to be measured.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Before receiving the second message, at least one measurement is performed on the CC set.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: The network device sends capability information indicating whether the device supports the determination of a first subset of the CCs from the CC set.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: The device receives a request message, which requests the device to determine a first subset of the CCs from the CC set.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the request message indicates a third subset of the CCs of the CC set measured by the apparatus, suggested by the network device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine a first subset of the CC by: Select the first subset of CC from the third subset of CC.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the request message comprises: Measurement thresholds used to determine the first subset of the CC.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first subset of the CC is determined based on at least one of the following: Measurements are taken for layer 3 (L3) or layer 1 (L1) of the CC set. CSI measurements for the CC set, At least one difference between the measurements of the CC set, At least one correlation between the measured samples of the CC set, or The configuration information of the CC set.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Before determining a first subset of the CCs, at least one measurement is performed on the set of CCs, wherein the determination of the first subset of the CCs is based on the at least one measurement.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Receive a message from the network device configuring the CC set.

15. An apparatus for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the means to at least: A first message is received from the terminal device, the first message indicating: a first subset of the CCs of a set of component carriers (CCs) to be measured, determined by the terminal device, wherein the set of CCs is configured to be measured by the terminal device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Receive a measurement report from the terminal device for at least one measurement of a first subset of the CC; and The at least one measurement of the first subset of the CCs is applied to at least one other CC in the CC set.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Based on the first subset of the CCs, a second subset of the CCs in the set of CCs to be measured by the terminal device is determined; and Send a second message to the terminal device indicating a second subset of the CC.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Receive a measurement report from the terminal device for at least one measurement of a second subset of the CC; and The at least one measurement of the second subset of the CCs is applied to at least one other CC in the CC set.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second subset of the CC is the same as or different from the first subset of the CC.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second message further configures a timer that indicates a time period for performing the at least one measurement on a second subset of the CC.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: The terminal device receives capability information indicating whether it supports the determination of a first subset of the CCs from the CC set.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: A request message is sent to the terminal device, the request message being used to request the terminal device to determine a first subset of the CCs from the CC set.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the request message indicates a third subset of the CCs of the CC set to be measured by the terminal device, as suggested by the apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first subset of the CC is derived from the third subset of the CC.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the request message comprises: Measurement thresholds used to determine the first subset of the CC.

26. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the apparatus is further configured to: Send a message to the terminal device to configure the CC set.

27. A method for communication, comprising: Determine the first subset of CCs to be measured from the set of CCs configured to be measured by the device; as well as Send a first message to the network device indicating a first subset of the CC.

28. A method for communication, comprising: A first message is received from the terminal device, the first message indicating: a first subset of CCs of a set of CCs to be measured, determined by the terminal device, wherein the set of CCs is configured to be measured by the terminal device.

29. A device for communication, comprising: Components for determining a first subset of CCs to be measured from a set of CCs configured to be measured by the device; as well as A component for sending a first message to a network device indicating a first subset of the CC.

30. An apparatus for communication, comprising: A component for receiving a first message from a terminal device, the first message indicating: a first subset of CCs of a set of CCs to be measured, determined by the terminal device, wherein the set of CCs is configured to be measured by the terminal device.

31. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform: Determine a first subset of the CCs to be measured from the set of CCs configured to be measured by the device; and Send a first message to the network device indicating a first subset of the CC.

32. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform: A first message is received from the terminal device, the first message indicating: a first subset of CCs of a set of CCs to be measured, determined by the terminal device, wherein the set of CCs is configured to be measured by the terminal device.

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