Coordination and tracking management in telecommunications systems

Abstract

A method is provided that includes receiving a request to activate a tracking session, the request including a value of a tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). The method includes mapping the value of the tracking reference to a value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of the PLMN. The method also includes activating the functionality of at least one device (UE) to perform measurements in one or more cells of the PLMN's Radio Access Network (RAN), and reporting the measurements using the value of the other tracking reference.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to telecommunications, and more particularly to subscriber and equipment tracking in telecommunications systems. Background Technology

[0002] A telecommunications system can be viewed as a facility that enables communication between two or more entities, such as between two user equipments (UEs), between a UE and a base station, between two base stations, between a UE and a communication network, and / or between a base station and other network functions of other nodes. A telecommunications system may include a communication network and one or more UEs. A communication session may include, for example, communication using data to carry communications such as voice, video, email, text messages, multimedia, and / or content data. Non-limiting examples of the services provided include two-way or multiplexing, data communication or multimedia services, and access to data network systems such as the Internet.

[0003] In telecommunications systems that include wireless communication networks, at least a portion of a communication session between at least two stations occurs via a wireless link. Examples of wireless communication networks include Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs), satellite-based communication networks, and various wireless local area networks, such as Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). Some wireless communication networks can be divided into cells and are therefore often referred to as cellular networks.

[0004] Users can access telecommunications systems using appropriate communication equipment or terminals. A user's communication equipment may be referred to as user equipment (UE) or simply user equipment. The communication device has appropriate signal receiving and transmitting means for enabling communication, such as access to a communication network or direct communication with other users. The communication device can access a carrier provided by, for example, a base station in a cell, and transmit and / or receive communication on that carrier.

[0005] Telecommunications systems have evolved through multiple generations, each bringing advancements in speed, capacity, and functionality. Evolved Packet System (EPS) represents the 4G architecture, which includes Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Improved LTE (LTE-A) as its radio access technologies. 5G systems (5GS) are built on EPS, introducing 5G New Radio (5G NR) to enhance mobile broadband, massive machine-type communications, and ultra-reliable low-latency communications. The future 6G system (6GS) is expected to further revolutionize telecommunications with even more advanced capabilities. These systems are interconnected, with 5GS designed to interact with EPS for seamless service continuity. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) plays a crucial role in developing and maintaining standards for these telecommunications systems, ensuring global interoperability and evolution from Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) (3G) to the ongoing development of 6G technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The example implementations of this disclosure relate to telecommunications, and more specifically to subscriber and device tracking in telecommunications systems. This disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following example implementations.

[0007] Some example implementations provide an apparatus including: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to at least: receive a request to activate a tracking session, the request including a value of a tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a public land mobile network (PLMN); map the value of the tracking reference to a value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of the PLMN; and activate the functionality of at least one device (UE) to perform measurements in one or more cells of the radio access network (RAN) of the PLMN, and report the measurements using the value of the other tracking reference.

[0008] Some example implementations provide a method including: receiving a request to activate a tracking session, the request including a value of a tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a public land mobile network (PLMN); mapping the value of the tracking reference to a value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of the PLMN; and activating the functionality of at least one device (UE) to perform measurements in one or more cells of the radio access network (RAN) of the PLMN, and reporting the measurements using the value of the other tracking reference.

[0009] Some example implementations provide an apparatus including: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to at least: receive from at least one user equipment (UE) at least one report of measurements in one or more cells of a radio access network (RAN) for a tracking session, the at least one report including a value of a tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of a public land mobile network (PLMN); map the value of the tracking reference to a value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within the PLMN; and report a tracking record of the at least one report in which the value of the tracking reference is replaced by the value of the other tracking reference.

[0010] Some example implementations provide a method comprising: receiving from at least one user equipment (UE) at least one report of measurements in one or more cells of a radio access network (RAN) for a tracking session, the at least one report including a value of a tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of a public land mobile network (PLMN); mapping the value of the tracking reference to a value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within the PLMN; and reporting a tracking record of the at least one report in which the value of the tracking reference is replaced by the value of the other tracking reference.

[0011] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. This disclosure includes any combination of two, three, four, or more features or elements set forth herein, whether or not such features or elements are explicitly combined or otherwise described in the particular example implementation described herein. This disclosure is intended to be read holistically, such that any separable feature or element of this disclosure shall be considered composable in any aspect and example implementation thereof, unless the context of this disclosure expressly provides otherwise.

[0012] Therefore, it should be understood that the content of this invention is provided merely to summarize some exemplary implementations in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of this disclosure. Consequently, it should be understood that the above-described exemplary implementations are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope or spirit of this disclosure in any way. Other exemplary implementations, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the principles of some of the described exemplary implementations by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The exemplary implementation of this disclosure has been described in general terms. Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which: Figure 1 The present disclosure illustrates a telecommunications system comprising one or more Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs) coupled to one or more external data networks, according to some example implementations of this disclosure; Figure 2 This illustrates a PLMN based on some example implementations; Figure 3 It is a diagram of the coordination and tracking management process based on some example implementations; Figure 4 It is a diagram illustrating the process of coordinating tracking management in a scenario where a range of values ​​for the tracking references used for tracking sessions are assigned to a radio access network (RAN) node, based on some example implementations. Figure 5This is a diagram illustrating the coordinated tracking management process in a user equipment (UE) mobility scenario involving handover of at least one UE, based on some example implementations. Figure 6 It is a diagram of the coordinated tracking management process in a UE mobility scenario involving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) procedure, based on some example implementations, in which at least one UE establishes an RRC connection with another RAN node. Figure 7 It is a diagram illustrating the process of coordination tracking management involving coordination entities, based on some example implementations; Figure 8A and Figure 8B The diagram illustrates a process for coordinated tracking management of a coordinated entity in a UE mobility scenario involving the handover of at least one UE, based on some example implementations. Figure 9A and Figure 9B A diagram is shown illustrating the coordination tracking management process involving a coordination entity in a UE mobility scenario involving an RRC procedure, based on some example implementations, in which at least one UE establishes an RRC connection with another RAN node. Figure 10A , Figure 10B , Figure 10C , Figure 10D and Figure 10E This is a flowchart illustrating the steps in a method implemented according to various examples; Figure 11A , Figure 11B and Figure 11C It is a flowchart illustrating the steps in a method implemented according to various examples; and Figure 12 The apparatus is shown according to some example implementations.

[0014] Specific implementation method Some implementations of this disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some, but not all, implementations of this disclosure. In fact, various implementations of this disclosure may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein; rather, these exemplary implementations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals throughout refer to the same elements.

[0015] Unless otherwise stated or clear from the context, references to first, second, etc., should not be construed as implying a particular order. A feature described as above another feature (unless otherwise stated or clear from the context) may alternatively be below, and vice versa; and similarly, a feature described as to the left of another feature may alternatively be to the right, and vice versa. Furthermore, while references may be made herein to quantitative measurements, values, geometric relationships, etc., any one or more of these (if not all) may be absolute or approximate to account for acceptable variations that may occur, such as those due to engineering tolerances, etc.

[0016] As used herein, unless otherwise stated or clearly indicated from the context, "OR" in the operand set is "inclusive OR" and is therefore true if and only if one or more operands are true, not "XOR" which is false if all operands are true. Thus, for example, "[A] OR [B]" is true if [A] is true, or if [B] is true, or if both [A] and [B] are true. Furthermore, the articles "a" and "one" indicate "one or more" unless otherwise stated or clearly indicated from the context. Additionally, it should be understood that, unless otherwise stated, the terms "data," "content," "digital content," "information," and similar terms are sometimes used interchangeably. The term "network" can refer to a group of interconnected computers, including clients and servers; and within a network, these computers can be interconnected directly or indirectly by various means, including via one or more switches, routers, gateways, access points, etc.

[0017] This disclosure discusses telecommunications systems and mobile or cellular networks and their user equipment, and while specific terminology may be used, it is broadly applicable to a wide range of technologies. For example, while this disclosure may refer to radio access technologies such as 5G NR and 5G Advanced, it is equally relevant to next-generation radio access technologies such as 6G. The exemplary implementations of this disclosure described herein also refer to Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), but the exemplary implementations are similarly applicable to Standalone Non-Public Networks (SNPNs).

[0018] While some examples and figures focus on radio access networks (RANs), and particularly radio access networks operating according to 3GPP standards for 5G NR (often referred to as 3GPP access or 3GPP access network), the example implementations are applicable to any type of access network. This includes not only 3GPP access networks but also non-3GPP access networks, such as wired access, untrusted non-3GPP access networks, and trusted non-3GPP access networks using Radio Access Gateway Functions (W-AGF), Non-3GPP Interoperability Functions (N3IWF), or Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Functions (TNGF), to connect to a core network (e.g., a 5G core network (5GC) or a 6G core network (6GC) of a mobile or cellular network).

[0019] Furthermore, as used herein, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) implemented solely by hardware circuitry (such as by purely analog and / or digital circuitry); (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware, and (ii) any part of a hardware processor having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories that work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions); or (c) (multiple) hardware circuitry and / or (multiple) processors that require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, such as (multiple) microprocessors or parts thereof, but where the software may be absent when operation does not require it.

[0020] The above definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit" also encompasses only hardware circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion thereof and its accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. For example, and if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit" also encompasses baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for use in mobile devices or servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0021] Figure 1A telecommunications system 100 according to various example implementations of this disclosure is illustrated. Examples of suitable telecommunications systems include UMTS, EPS, and 5GS, as well as future 6GS. A telecommunications system (also referred to as a system) typically includes one or more mobile or cellular networks that can interoperate between telecommunications systems. As shown, for example, a system includes one or more PLMNs 102 coupled to one or more other external data networks 104—particularly including wide area networks (WANs), such as the Internet. As will be appreciated, the PLMN can be a standalone PLMN including a 5GC, or it can be a non-standalone PLMN including both an evolved packet core (EPC) and a 5GC connected to a RAN.

[0022] Each PLMN 102 includes a core network (CN) 106, such as an EPC, 5GC, or 6GC; and each CN is coupled to one or more RANs 108 implementing one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs). Examples of these RANs include the Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) for 4G LTE, the Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) for 5G NR, and the 6G RAN. As used herein, “network equipment” refers to any suitable equipment in the RAN or the core network of a telecommunications system. Examples of suitable network equipment are described in more detail below.

[0023] Examples of RATs include 3GPP radio access technologies such as GSM, CDMA2000 1x EV-DO (HRPD), CDMA2000 1x (1xRTT), UTRA, E-UTRA, 5G NR, 5G Advanced, and 6G. Other examples of RATs include IEEE 802 technologies such as IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.15 (including 802.15.1 (WPAN / Bluetooth), 802.15.4 (Zigbee), and 802.15.6 (WBAN)), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Ultra Wideband (UWB), etc. Generally, RAT can refer to any 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or higher generation RAT and its different versions, as well as any other RAT that can be configured to interact with such a RAT to provide access to CN 106 of the MNO.

[0024] Telecommunication system 100 also includes one or more communication devices, which may be referred to by various names such as User Equipment (UE) 110, terminal equipment, mobile station, etc. A UE is typically a device configured to communicate with network equipment (e.g., an access node of a RAN node such as RAN 108) or another UE in the telecommunications system. A UE may be a portable computer (e.g., a laptop computer, notebook computer, tablet computer), a mobile phone (e.g., a cellular phone, smartphone), a wearable computer (e.g., a smartwatch), etc. In other examples, a UE may be an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Industrial IoT (IIoT) device, a vehicle equipped with Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication technology, etc. In some examples, as referenced by 3GPP, a UE may be a Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) device, an enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) device, a RedCap device, an environmental IoT device, etc.

[0025] In operation, these UEs 110 can connect to one or more RAN nodes of RAN 108 according to their specific RAT, thereby accessing a specific CN 106 of PLMN 102, or accessing one or more external data networks 104 (e.g., the Internet) or services provided by the PLMN. External data networks can provide Internet access or third-party services. For example, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has classified 5G mobile network services (e.g., services provided by 5G mobile networks) into three categories: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC) or massive Internet of Things (MIoT).

[0026] In various examples, RAN 108 can be configured to provide one or more macro cells, micro cells, pico cells, femto cells, etc. RAN typically includes one or more RAN nodes that interact with UE 110. In various examples, RAN nodes can be referred to as base stations (BS), access points (AP), base transceivers (BTS). Examples of RAN nodes include node B (NB), evolved NB (eNB), macro BS, NB (MNB) or eNB (MeNB), home BS, NB (HNB) or eNB (HeNB), next-generation NB (gNB), enhanced gNB (en-gNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), 6G NB (6gNB), etc. The term 'gNB' in 5G NR can correspond to eNB in ​​4G LTE. In addition, NG RAN nodes can refer to gNB or ng-eNB. Unless otherwise stated, gNB in ​​5G NR or 6gNB in ​​6G can sometimes be more generally referred to as (6) gNB or more simply as gNB.

[0027] RAN 108 may include some type of network control / management entity responsible for controlling RAN nodes. The network control / management entity and RAN nodes may be separate or integrated into a single device. The network control / management entity may include processing circuitry configured to perform various management functions for controlling the RAN nodes. The processing circuitry may be associated with a memory, computer-readable storage medium, or data storage device that includes a database for maintaining the information required for the various management functions.

[0028] Figure 2 An example of a PLMN 102 (such as a 4G LTE, 5G NR, or 6G PLMN) communicating with a UE 110 of a telecommunications system 100 and an external data network 104 is shown. As illustrated, a RAN 108 (e.g., an E-UT RAN, NG-RAN, 6G RAN) includes one or more RAN nodes 202 configured to connect one or more UEs to the RAN, thereby accessing a CN 106 (e.g., an EPC, 5GC, 6GC). In 4G LTE, the UE, E-UT RAN, and EPC constitute the EPS. Similarly, in 5G NR, the UE, NG RAN, and 5GC constitute the 5GS. And in 6G, the UE, 6G RAN, and 6GC constitute the 6GS.

[0029] In some implementations, the operation of the gNB or other RAN node 202 can be distributed or functionally broken down into components including one or more Remote Radio Headers (RRHs) or Radio Units (RUs) and Baseband Units (BBUs); and in some implementations, the BBU can be broken down into Central Units (CUs) (central nodes) and Distributed Units (DUs) (distributed nodes). A CU can be, for example, a server, a host, or a node. In some implementations, the RRH / RU and DU can be co-located at a network device. The operation of the gNB or RAN node can also be distributed among multiple servers, hosts, or nodes.

[0030] It should also be understood that the distribution of work between core network operations and RAN node operations can vary depending on the implementation. For example, 5G or 6G network architectures can be based on so-called CU-DU splitting. One gNB-CU (CU) can control one or more gNB-DUs (DUs). A gNB-CU can control multiple spatially separated gNB-DUs, at least acting as transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) nodes. However, in some example implementations, a gNB-DU may include, for example, the Radio Link Control (RLC), Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, and Physical (PHY) layer, while the gNB-CU may include layers above the RLC layer, such as the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Resource Control (RRC), and Internet Protocol (IP) layer. Other functional splitting is also possible. It is assumed that those skilled in the art are familiar with the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model and the functions within each layer.

[0031] In some example implementations, the server or CU can generate a virtual network through which the server communicates with the radio nodes. Typically, virtual networking can involve the process of combining hardware and software network resources and functions into a single software-based management entity (virtual network). Such a virtual network can provide flexible operational distribution between the server and the radio heads / nodes. In practice, any digital signal processing task can be performed in the CU or DU, and the boundaries of responsibility transferred between the CU and DU can be chosen depending on the implementation.

[0032] CN 106 may include multiple network functions (NFs) partitioned between the control plane (CP) and the user plane (UP). Specifically, for example, CN may include NFs for, for example, access and mobility management (MM) (sometimes referred to as MM NF) and session management (SM) (sometimes referred to as SM NF). MM NF may be, for example, a mobility management entity (MME) in EPS, a 5G MM or access and mobility management function (AMF) in 5GS, or a 6G MM in 6GS. Similarly, SM NF may be, for example, a Serving Gateway (SGW) control plane function (SGW-C) and / or a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) control plane function (PGW-C) in EPS, a 5G SM or session management function (SMF) in 5GS, or a 6G SM in 6GS. NFs may also include, for example, NFs for receiving and transmitting traffic (e.g., data), such as SGW user plane functions (SGW-U) and / or PGW user plane functions (PGW-U) in EPS, or user plane functions (UPF) in 5GS.

[0033] In version 15, 3GPP introduced a Service-Based Management Architecture (SBMA), in which Management Services (MnS) are exposed by MnS producers for consumption by MnS consumers. The resource model exposed by the MnS producers can be accessed by the MnS producers using Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations.

[0034] The resource model disclosed by the MnS producer is a management representation of network functions (e.g., RAN node 202, MM NF), management functions, jobs, and activities that can be managed by the MnS producer. Therefore, managed objects can represent network functions and specific management tasks. A managed object instance (MOI) is a specific instance of a managed object, and the structure of an MOI is described by its managed object class (MOC), also known as an information object class (IOC). Managed objects representing management tasks can include, for example, data collection jobs such as "PerfMetricJob," "QMCJob," and "TraceJob."

[0035] The number of automated functions and consequently, the number of MnS consumers, is increasing, especially in the context of artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML). Within the O-RAN Alliance, these MnS consumers are referred to as rApps or xApps. These MnS consumers may need to collect measurement data from network functions. Subscriber and device tracing, initially introduced as a troubleshooting feature, is now widely used as a data source for detailed (and automated) analysis, debugging, and optimization of network functions or features. It allows for the receipt of detailed information about individual network functions or UEs.

[0036] When requesting information from UE 110, the concept of Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurements is applicable, and the collection of MDT data utilizes tracking features and their reporting mechanisms. In 3GPP, the MDT framework is a feature widely used by MNOs that want feedback on coverage in a specific area of ​​their network (managed MDT) or feedback on the radio conditions experienced by a particular(s) of some UE(s) in a given coverage area of ​​PLMN 102 (signaling-based MDT). Figure 2 As shown, for example, an MDT framework may include a management system 204 and a trace collection entity (TCE) 206. The management system and TCE may be components of operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM).

[0037] There are two types of MDT: Instant MDT and Recorded MDT. Instant MDT is applied to UE110 in RRC connected state. For Instant MDT, the selected UE can perform measurements and immediately report the measurement results to RAN node 202. Recorded MDT is applied to UEs in RRC IDLE state and RRC INACTIVE state. For Recorded MDT, the selected UE can perform periodic or event-based measurements and report the measurement results at a later time point when the UE is in RRC connected state.

[0038] In the case of recording an MDT, the selected UE 110 can be given a "task" to collect certain measurements. That is, the recorded MDT tracing job can be activated on the UE. The RAN node can send a unique tracing session identifier to the UE, and the UE can include this unique tracing session identifier in its measurement result report for proper assignment to the MnS consumer. Because the measurement report is sent when the UE transitions to the RRC connected state, the RAN node 202 that receives the measurement report from the UE can be different from the RAN node that triggered the measurement.

[0039] As a tracking session identifier, the tracking reference is a globally unique identifier generated in the management system 204 to identify the tracking session. Logically, the tracking reference is constructed as a combination of country, operator, and tracking ID. More specifically, the tracking reference includes the Mobile Country Code (MCC), the operator's Mobile Network Code (MNC), and the tracking ID. The MCC and MNC can be provided along with the tracking activation request from the management system to identify a PLMN 102 containing the management system, and the tracking ID is a 3-byte octet string. In the case of recording the MDT, the tracking reference can be sent via the RAN interface (especially the air interface).

[0040] The number of potential consumers of tracking and MDT data has increased significantly due to the recent increase in automation capabilities and the use of AI / ML for data collection and analysis. In a typical management system 204, there are several AI agents that can act autonomously, identify their need for tracking / MDT / measurement data for a specific (set) of UEs 110, and activate the corresponding data collection (including tracking) jobs. As defined, a tracking reference is a 3-byte octet string. An octet is 8 bits, meaning a tracking reference is 24 bits, which can represent 16,777,215 unique values. Although a tracking reference can represent a large number of unique values, this number is becoming increasingly insufficient.

[0041] In a typical management system deployment, a portion of the globally unique trace reference (TR) "space" can be allocated to each MnS consumer. Therefore, an increase in the number of autonomous consumers may lead to an increase in the number of "subspaces" into which the space is divided. This increase in the number of "subspaces" results in a corresponding decrease in the size of each "subspace" (the number of unique trace references within it), which can potentially lead to problems such as trace reference overflow and duplication.

[0042] In 3GPP research, two solutions have been proposed to increase the potential number of unique tracking session identifiers. The first solution proposes enhancing existing tracking references by adding an additional consumer ID to identify the MnS consumer, thus creating a new identity known as a globally unique set ID. This solution may not require changes to the behavior of individual autonomous AI-enabled management agents (consumers). However, the drawback of set IDs is that they increase size (number of bits) relative to existing tracking references, and set IDs may not be backward compatible, potentially leading to cascading update reactions in signaling interfaces (including air interfaces) and impacting UE implementation.

[0043] The second solution proposes removing the task of assigning unique IDs from the autonomous agent / consumer to a new entity (device) that operates an identity generator (sometimes called an ID generator). This new functionality can be introduced into the network responsible for generating globally unique IDs. In one option, all data collection requests can be sent to the ID generator, which can generate a globally unique ID upon receiving a request. In another option, the consumer can send a request to the ID generator before sending a data collection request that includes the received globally unique ID. In this solution, the "freedom" of unique ID allocation is handed over to a centralized entity that keeps track of ID allocations for the agent / consumer. The second solution may not affect existing signaling interfaces (including air interfaces and UE implementations), but it creates additional signaling (and corresponding complexity / latency / potential points of failure) and additional architectural constraints affecting the management system implementation.

[0044] In light of the foregoing, the exemplary implementations of this disclosure provide (multiple) solutions to the problem of how to allow enhanced tracking references in the management space but with limited impact in RAN 108, particularly on the air interface and UE implementation. (Multiple) solutions propose an enhanced tracking reference used in management system 204 to uniquely identify tracking sessions within PLMN 102, and another tracking reference to uniquely identify tracking sessions within a subset of the PLMN (such as within the RAN). The enhanced tracking reference may be the same as or similar to the collection ID. And as described below, the other tracking reference may be the same as or similar to the regular tracking reference (also more simply referred to as a “tracking reference”).

[0045] In the example implementation(s) of the solution(s), a coordination entity within the RAN can map between the enhanced tracking reference used in management system 204 and the tracking reference used in RAN 108, and coordinate the use of the tracking reference among different RAN nodes. This coordination entity can be integrated with RAN node 202 in the RAN, or it can be separate from the RAN node. In some examples, the value of the enhanced tracking reference can be mapped to the value of the tracking reference in a mapping table, which can be maintained by the RAN node / coordination entity. The solution(s) can allow for enhancement of the tracking reference in the management system due to an increasing number of consumers, with limited impact on the RAN, particularly the air interface. The solution(s) enables the use of existing tracking references in the RAN without enhancement or size increase, ensuring backward compatibility. The solution(s) also facilitates maintaining limited capacity on the RAN interface, particularly the air interface.

[0046] Because multiple RAN nodes 202 may trigger and process recorded MDTs, some example implementations may include coordination of mappings between RAN nodes. Some example implementations may provide coordination between RAN nodes regarding the trace references used and their mappings. Other example implementations may provide allocation of trace reference ranges for each RAN node 202, and additional coordination between RAN nodes when receiving a recorded MDT report from a UE 110 that has been configured for MDTs recorded by different RAN nodes. Other example implementations may provide a more centralized approach, where a coordination entity performs mappings for RAN nodes checked against the coordination entity before assigning trace references and potentially upon receiving a recorded MDT report.

[0047] A coordinating entity (e.g., within RAN node 202) can enhance the number of supported tracking sessions by providing additional distinguishers for tracking references at management system 204, without any changes to the tracking references used by RAN 108. The coordinating entity can ensure the correct mapping between enhanced tracking references from management system and tracking references passed to the RAN. The coordinating entity can also coordinate across multiple RAN nodes to ensure that mappings do not conflict with mappings on other RAN nodes. In the case of UE mobility, the coordinating entity can also coordinate the transmission of mappings to other RAN nodes.

[0048] Figure 3This is a diagram illustrating the process for coordinating trace management based on some example implementations. As shown, the process involves coordinating the use of trace references and their mappings to enhanced trace references (such as via the Xn / X2 interface) between RAN nodes 202A and 202B. The mapping table of activity maps can be stored by the RAN nodes. This process is illustrated in the context of management-based MDT activation in RAN 108 in the case of a non-split RAN node architecture and recorded MDTs. However, it should be understood that the same or similar process can be used for signaling-based MDT activation. Similarly, this process also applies in the case of a CU-DU split architecture.

[0049] As shown in the figure, the management system 204 for PLMN 102 can send a tracking session activation request to RAN node 202 A of the RAN in step 301. This request may include one or more parameters for configuring UE measurements, and the parameters(s) may include values ​​for an enhanced tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within the PLMN. The RAN node can receive the tracking session activation request from the management system in step 302, start the tracking session, and save the parameters(s) associated with the tracking session. The RAN node can select one or more UEs 110 for MDT data collection in step 303.

[0050] RAN node 202 A can associate the value of the enhanced tracking reference with the value of a tracking reference (e.g., an existing tracking reference) that uniquely identifies a tracking session within a subset of PLMN 102 (such as within RAN 108). The RAN node can then coordinate the association between the enhanced tracking reference value and the tracking reference value among RAN nodes.

[0051] As shown in the figure, RAN node 202 A can notify at least one other RAN node 202 B in step 304 A of the association between the value of the enhanced tracking reference (used in the management system) and the value of the tracking reference (used in the RAN). The RAN node can receive a response confirming the association from the other(s) RAN nodes(s) in step 304 B, or indicate a conflict between the association and another association between the enhanced tracking reference value and another tracking reference value. In the event of a conflict, the RAN node can associate the value of the enhanced tracking reference with the other tracking reference value and repeat steps 304 A and 304 B until the association is confirmed by the other(s) RAN nodes(s). The RAN node and the other(s) RAN nodes(s) can update the corresponding tracking reference mapping table in step 304 C to include the association.

[0052] RAN node 202 A can activate the MDT function for the selected(s) UE(s) 110 in step 305 to perform measurements in one or more cells of RAN 108 and report the measurements using the values ​​of the tracking reference (used in the RAN). At this point, the RAN node can send configuration information to the(s) UE(s), and the configuration information may include the values ​​of the tracking reference associated with the enhanced tracking reference in the tracking reference mapping table.

[0053] When (multiple) UEs 110 receive MDT activation, (multiple) UEs can initiate MDT functionality based on the received configuration information. (Multiple) UEs can perform measurements in (multiple) cells of RAN 108, and (multiple) UEs can send (multiple) MDT reports of the measurements to RAN node 202 A, such as via RRC, at step 306. The (multiple) MDT reports may include the value of a tracking reference (used in the RAN). The RAN node can save the measurements to (multiple) MDT tracking records at step 307. The RAN node can map the value of the tracking reference in the (multiple) MDT reports to the value of an enhanced tracking reference associated with a tracking reference mapping table. The RAN node can then forward (multiple) MDT tracking records to TCE 206 at step 308. In the (multiple) MDT tracking records, the value of the tracking reference can be replaced with the value of the enhanced tracking reference (used in management system 204). In some examples, when the tracking session is complete, the mapping table can be updated to remove the association between the value of the tracking reference and other tracking reference values ​​and / or clear the entries in the mapping table.

[0054] Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the process for coordinating tracing management based on some example implementations, where RAN nodes 202A and 202B are assigned corresponding value ranges for the tracing reference (used in RAN 108) for the tracing session. The process is shown in the context of management-based MDT activation in the RAN in the case of a non-split RAN node architecture and recorded MDT. However, it should be understood that the same or similar process can be used for signaling-based MDT activation. As shown, in step 400, when the network is established or modified, a range for the tracing reference space can be assigned to each RAN node. Similarly, this process also applies in the case of a CU-DU split architecture.

[0055] Similar to the previous method, the management system 204 for PLMN 102 may send a tracking session activation request to RAN node 202 A of the RAN in step 301. This request may include one or more parameters for configuring UE measurements, and these parameters(s) may include values ​​for an enhanced tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within the PLMN. The RAN node may receive the tracking session activation request from the management system in step 302, initiate the tracking session, and save the parameters(s) associated with the tracking session. The RAN node may select one or more UEs 110 for MDT data collection in step 303.

[0056] RAN node 202 A can associate the value of the enhanced tracking reference with the value of a tracking reference (e.g., an existing tracking reference) that uniquely identifies a tracking session within a subset of PLMN 102 (such as within RAN 108). The RAN node can then update its tracking reference mapping table in step 404 to include the association.

[0057] exist Figure 4 In the process shown, similar to before, RAN node 202 A can activate the MDT function for the selected UE(s) 110 in step 305 to perform measurements in one or more cells of RAN 108 and report the measurements using the value of the tracking reference (used in the RAN). At this point, the RAN node can send configuration information to the UE(s), and the configuration information can include the value of the tracking reference associated with the enhanced tracking reference in the tracking reference mapping table.

[0058] When (multiple) UEs 110 receive MDT activation, (multiple) UEs can initiate MDT functionality based on the received configuration information. (Multiple) UEs can perform measurements in (multiple) cells of RAN 108, and (multiple) UEs can send (multiple) MDT reports of the measurements to RAN node 202 A, such as via RRC, at step 306. The (multiple) MDT reports may include the value of a tracking reference (used in the RAN). The RAN node can save the measurements to (multiple) MDT tracking records at step 307. The RAN node can map the value of the tracking reference in the (multiple) MDT reports to the value of an enhanced tracking reference associated with a tracking reference mapping table. The RAN node can then forward (multiple) MDT tracking records to TCE 206 at step 308. In the (multiple) MDT tracking records, the value of the tracking reference can be replaced with the value of the enhanced tracking reference (used in management system 204). In some examples, when the tracking session is complete, the mapping table can be updated to remove the association between the value of the tracking reference and other tracking reference values ​​and / or clear the entries in the mapping table.

[0059] exist Figure 4In the illustrated process, the RAN node 202A that activates the MDT function for (multiple) UEs 110 is the same RAN node that receives (multiple) MDT reports from (multiple) UEs and forwards (multiple) MDT traces to TCE 206. Other scenarios involve UE mobility, where one or more UEs can move from the RAN node that activates the MDT function to another RAN node 202B that receives (multiple) MDT reports from (multiple) UEs and forwards (multiple) MDT traces to TCE 206. These mobility scenarios can include those involving handovers from (multiple) UEs to another RAN node, and those involving RRC procedures in which (multiple) UEs establish RRC connections with another RAN node.

[0060] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the coordinated tracking management process in a UE mobility scenario involving the handover of at least one UE, based on some example implementations. In the context of the handover of (multiple) UEs, the RAN node 202 A serving the UE is referred to as the source RAN node, and the RAN node 202 B is referred to as the target RAN node. As described above, the process includes steps 400, 301 through 303 and 404. Also as described above, the source RAN node may activate the MDT function for the selected (multiple) UEs 110 in step 305 to perform measurements in one or more cells of RAN 108 and report the measurements using the values ​​of the tracking reference (used in the RAN).

[0061] At some point after activating the MDT for the selected UE(s) 110, the source RAN node 202 A may send a handover request message to the target RAN node in step 506 to prepare for the handover of the UE(s) to the target RAN node 202 B. The handover request message includes information indicating a mapping between the enhanced tracking reference value (used in management system 204) and the tracking reference value (used in RAN 108), which may come from the tracking reference mapping table of the source RAN node. The mapping indicates the association between the enhanced tracking reference value and the tracking reference value, and the target RAN node may then update its tracking reference mapping table in step 507 to include the association.

[0062] The handover of (multiple) UEs 110 from source RAN node 202 A to target RAN node 202 B can be successfully performed, and then the target RAN node becomes the new serving RAN node for (multiple) UEs.

[0063] When (multiple) UEs 110 receive MDT activation in step 305, (multiple) UEs can initiate MDT functionality based on the received configuration information. (Multiple) UEs can perform measurements in (multiple) cells of RAN 108, and at some point after handover, (multiple) UEs can send (multiple) MDT reports of the measurements to the target RAN node 202 B, such as via RRC, at step 508. The (multiple) MDT reports can include the value of a tracking reference (used in the RAN). The target RAN node can save the measurements to (multiple) MDT tracking records in step 509. The target RAN node can map the value of the tracking reference in the (multiple) MDT reports to the value of an enhanced tracking reference associated with a tracking reference mapping table. The RAN node can then forward (multiple) MDT tracking records to TCE 206 in step 510. In the (multiple) MDT tracking records, the value of the tracking reference can be replaced with the value of the enhanced tracking reference (used in the management system 204). In some examples, when a tracing session is complete, the mapping table can be updated to remove associations between the values ​​of tracing references and other tracing references and / or clear entries in the mapping table.

[0064] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating a process for coordinated tracking management in a UE mobility scenario involving an RRC procedure to establish an RRC connection for at least one UE, based on some example implementations. In this context, RAN node 202 A serving the UE is referred to as the first RAN node, and RAN node 202 B is referred to as the second RAN node. As shown in the diagram, and as described above, the process includes steps 400, 301 through 303, and 404. Also as described above, the first RAN node may activate the MDT function for the selected(multiple) UEs 110(s) in step 305 to perform measurements in one or more cells of RAN 108 and report the measurements using the value of the tracking reference (used in the RAN).

[0065] At some point after activating the MDT for the selected UE(s) 110, one or more UEs may transition from an RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state in step 606A. Then, the UE(s) may later perform an RRC procedure to establish an RRC connection with the second RAN node 202B. As shown, the UE(s) may send a request to the second RAN node in step 606B to establish an RRC connection. At step 606C, the second RAN node may send a UE context retrieval request to the first RAN node 202A to prepare for establishing an RRC connection between the UE(s) and the second RAN node.

[0066] First RAN node 202 A may receive a UE context retrieval request, and may send a UE context retrieval response to second RAN node 202 B in step 606D. In some examples, the UE context retrieval response includes information indicating a mapping from the enhanced tracking reference value (used in management system 204) to the tracking reference value (used in RAN 108), which may come from the tracking reference mapping table of the first RAN node. In some other examples, the second RAN node may perform steps 704A to 704D to retrieve information indicating the mapping from the coordination entity. In either case, the mapping indicates the association between the enhanced tracking reference value and the tracking reference value, and then the target RAN node may update its tracking reference mapping table in step 507 to include the association.

[0067] RRC connections between (multiple) UEs 110 and the second RAN node 220 B can be successfully established, whereby the second RAN node then becomes the new serving RAN node for (multiple) UEs. This process can then proceed in a manner similar to... Figure 5 The process shown continues in the manner described.

[0068] When (multiple) UEs 110 receive MDT activation in step 305, (multiple) UEs can initiate MDT functionality based on the received configuration information. (Multiple) UEs can perform measurements in (multiple) cells of RAN 108, and at some point after handover, (multiple) UEs can send (multiple) MDT reports of the measurements to the target RAN node 202 B, such as via RRC, at step 508. The (multiple) MDT reports can include the value of a tracking reference (used in the RAN). The target RAN node can save the measurements to (multiple) MDT tracking records in step 509. The target RAN node can map the value of the tracking reference in the (multiple) MDT reports to the value of an enhanced tracking reference associated with a tracking reference mapping table. The RAN node can then forward (multiple) MDT tracking records to TCE 206 in step 510. In the (multiple) MDT tracking records, the value of the tracking reference can be replaced with the value of the enhanced tracking reference (used in the management system 204). In some examples, when a tracing session is complete, the mapping table can be updated to remove associations between the values ​​of tracing references and other tracing references and / or clear entries in the mapping table.

[0069] Figure 7 , Figure 8A , Figure 8B , Figure 9A and Figure 9BThis is a diagram illustrating the process for coordinating trace management, where a more centralized coordinating entity 710 performs mapping for RAN node 202, which checks with the coordinating entity before assigning trace references and potentially upon receiving recorded MDT reports. In some examples, the coordinating entity may be separate from the RAN nodes. In other examples, the coordinating entity may be integrated with one of the RAN nodes, such as the primary RAN node. The process is shown in the context of management-based MDT activation in the RAN in the case of a non-split RAN node architecture and recorded MDTs. However, it should be understood that the same or similar process can be used for signaling-based MDT activation. Similarly, the process applies in the case of a CU-DU split architecture.

[0070] As described above, the management system 204 for PLMN 102 may send a tracking session activation request to the RAN node 202 of the RAN in step 301. This request may include one or more parameters for configuring UE measurements, and these parameters(s) may include values ​​that uniquely identify an enhanced tracking reference within the PLMN. The RAN node may receive the tracking session activation request from the management system in step 302, initiate a tracking session, and save the parameters(s) associated with the tracking session. The RAN node may select one or more UEs 110 for MDT data collection in step 303.

[0071] RAN node 202 can map the value of the enhanced tracking reference (used in management system 204) to the value of the tracking reference (used in RAN 108). The RAN node can send a request to coordination entity 710 in step 704A to map the value of the enhanced tracking reference. The coordination entity can associate the value of the enhanced tracking reference with the value of the tracking reference, and the coordination entity can update its tracking reference mapping table in step 704B to include the association between the value of the enhanced tracking reference and the value of the tracking reference. The coordination entity can then provide the tracking reference mapping to the RAN node in step 704C. At this point, the RAN node can receive a response to the request from the coordination entity, which includes the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of another tracking reference. The RAN node can then update its tracking reference mapping table in step 704D to include the association.

[0072] Similar to before, RAN node 202 can activate the MDT function for the selected UE(s) 110 in step 305 to perform measurements in one or more cells of RAN 108 and report the measurements using the value of the tracking reference (used in the RAN). The RAN node can send configuration information to the UE(s), and the configuration information may include the value of the tracking reference associated with the enhanced tracking reference in the tracking reference mapping table.

[0073] When (multiple) UEs 110 receive MDT activation in step 305, (multiple) UEs can initiate MDT functionality based on the received configuration information. (Multiple) UEs can perform measurements in (multiple) cells of RAN 108, and at some point after handover, (multiple) UEs can send (multiple) MDT reports of the measurements to the target RAN node 202 B, such as via RRC, at step 508. The (multiple) MDT reports can include the value of a tracking reference (used in the RAN). The target RAN node can save the measurements to (multiple) MDT tracking records in step 509. The target RAN node can map the value of the tracking reference in the (multiple) MDT reports to the value of an enhanced tracking reference associated with a tracking reference mapping table. The RAN node can then forward (multiple) MDT tracking records to TCE 206 in step 510. In the (multiple) MDT tracking records, the value of the tracking reference can be replaced with the value of the enhanced tracking reference (used in the management system 204). In some examples, when a tracing session is complete, the mapping table can be updated to remove associations between the values ​​of tracing references and other tracing references and / or clear entries in the mapping table.

[0074] Similar to Figure 4 ,exist Figure 7 In the process shown, the RAN node 202A that activates the MDT function for (multiple) UEs 110 is the same RAN node that receives (multiple) MDT reports from (multiple) UEs and forwards (multiple) MDT trace records to TCE 206. Figure 8A and 8B A diagram illustrates a process for coordinating tracking management of coordination entity 710 in a UE mobility scenario involving handover of (multiple) UEs, based on some example implementations. As previously stated, RAN node 202 A serving the UE is referred to as the source RAN node, and RAN node 202 B is referred to as the target RAN node. As described above, as Figure 8A As shown, the process includes steps 301 to 303 and steps 704A to 704D. Also as described above, the source RAN node can activate the MDT function for the selected(multiple) UE(s) 110 in step 305 to perform measurements in one or more cells of RAN 108 and report the measurements using the value of the tracking reference (used in the RAN).

[0075] like Figure 8BAs shown, at some point after activating the MDT for the selected UE(s) 110, the source RAN node 202 A may send a handover request message to the target RAN node in step 506 to prepare for the handover of the UE(s) to the target RAN node 202 B. In some examples, the handover request message may include information indicating a mapping between the value of the enhanced tracking reference (used in management system 204) and the value of the tracking reference (used in RAN 108), which may come from the tracking reference mapping table of the source RAN node. In some other examples, the target RAN node may perform steps 704A to 704D to retrieve information indicating the mapping from the coordination entity. In either case, the mapping indicates the association between the value of the enhanced tracking reference and the value of the tracking reference, and then the target RAN node may update its tracking reference mapping table in step 507 to include the association.

[0076] The handover of (multiple) UEs 110 from source RAN node 202 A to target RAN node 202 B can be successfully performed, and then the target RAN node becomes the new serving RAN node for (multiple) UEs.

[0077] When (multiple) UEs 110 receive MDT activation in step 305, (multiple) UEs can initiate MDT functionality based on the received configuration information. (Multiple) UEs can perform measurements in (multiple) cells of RAN 108, and at some point after handover, (multiple) UEs can send (multiple) MDT reports of the measurements to the target RAN node 202 B, such as via RRC, at step 508. The (multiple) MDT reports can include the value of a tracking reference (used in the RAN). The target RAN node can save the measurements to (multiple) MDT tracking records in step 509. The target RAN node can map the value of the tracking reference in the (multiple) MDT reports to the value of an enhanced tracking reference associated with a tracking reference mapping table. The RAN node can then forward (multiple) MDT tracking records to TCE 206 in step 510. In the (multiple) MDT tracking records, the value of the tracking reference can be replaced with the value of the enhanced tracking reference (used in the management system 204). In some examples, when a tracing session is complete, the mapping table can be updated to remove associations between the values ​​of tracing references and other tracing references and / or clear entries in the mapping table.

[0078] Figure 9A and Figure 9BA diagram illustrating a process for coordinating tracking management involving coordinating entity 710 in a UE mobility scenario involving an RRC procedure to establish an RRC connection for at least one UE, according to some example implementations. In this context, RAN node 202 A serving the UE is referred to as the first RAN node, and RAN node 202 B is referred to as the second RAN node. Figure 9A As shown and as described above, the process includes steps 301 to 303 and steps 704A to 704D. Also as described above, the first RAN node can activate the MDT function for the selected(multiple) UE(s) 110 in step 305 to perform measurements in one or more cells of RAN 108 and report the measurements using the value of the tracking reference (used in the RAN).

[0079] At some point after activating the MDT for the selected UE(s) 110, one or more UEs may transition from an RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state in step 606A. Then, the UE(s) may later perform an RRC procedure to establish an RRC connection with the second RAN node 202B. As shown, the UE(s) may send a request to the second RAN node in step 606B to establish an RRC connection. At step 606C, the second RAN node may send a UE context retrieval request to the first RAN node 202A to prepare for establishing an RRC connection between the UE(s) and the second RAN node.

[0080] The first RAN node 202 A can receive a UE context retrieval request, and the first RAN node can send a UE context retrieval response to the second RAN node 202 B in step 606D. The UE context retrieval response includes information indicating a mapping from the enhanced tracking reference value (used in management system 204) to the tracking reference value (used in RAN 108), which can come from the tracking reference mapping table of the first RAN node. The mapping indicates the association between the enhanced tracking reference value and the tracking reference value, and then the second RAN node can update its tracking reference mapping table in step 507 to include the association.

[0081] RRC connections between (multiple) UEs 110 and the second RAN node 220 B can be successfully established, whereby the second RAN node then becomes the new serving RAN node for (multiple) UEs. This process can then proceed in a manner similar to... Figure 5 The process shown continues in the manner described.

[0082] When (multiple) UEs 110 receive MDT activation in step 305, (multiple) UEs can initiate MDT functionality based on the received configuration information. (Multiple) UEs can perform measurements in (multiple) cells of RAN 108, and at some point after handover, (multiple) UEs can send (multiple) MDT reports of the measurements to the target RAN node 202 B, such as via RRC, at step 508. The (multiple) MDT reports can include the value of a tracking reference (used in the RAN). The target RAN node can save the measurements to (multiple) MDT tracking records in step 509. The target RAN node can map the value of the tracking reference in the (multiple) MDT reports to the value of an enhanced tracking reference associated with a tracking reference mapping table. The RAN node can then forward (multiple) MDT tracking records to TCE 206 in step 510. In the (multiple) MDT tracking records, the value of the tracking reference can be replaced with the value of the enhanced tracking reference (used in the management system 204). In some examples, when a tracing session is complete, the mapping table can be updated to remove associations between the values ​​of tracing references and other tracing references and / or clear entries in the mapping table.

[0083] To further illustrate some example implementations, the following is an example trace reference mapping table. As shown, the trace reference mapping table includes the association between the values ​​of the enhanced trace reference used in management system 204 and the values ​​of the trace reference used in RAN 108. In both the enhanced trace reference and the trace reference, the first three digits can indicate the MCC (262 Germany), and the fourth and fifth digits can indicate the MNC (01 for T-Mobile). In the enhanced trace reference, the sixth and seventh digits can indicate that the consumer ID (21, 31) of a specific MnS consumer not included in the trace reference does not have a consumer ID. The last six digits in both the enhanced trace reference and the trace reference indicate the corresponding trace ID.

[0084]

[0085] Figures 10A to 10E This is a flowchart illustrating the various steps in method 1000 according to various example implementations. The method includes receiving a request to activate a tracking session, the request including a value of a tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), such as... Figure 10AAs shown in box 1002. The method includes mapping the value of the tracking reference to the value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of the PLMN, as shown in box 1004. And the method includes activating the functionality of at least one device (UE) to perform a measurement in one or more cells of the radio access network (RAN) of the PLMN, and reporting the measurement using the value of the other tracking reference, as shown in box 1006.

[0086] In some examples, the subset of the PLMN that uniquely identifies the tracing session within the other tracing reference is the RAN.

[0087] In some examples, the tracking reference includes the Mobile Country Code (MCC), Mobile Network Code (MNC), Management Service (MnS) Consumer Identifier (ID), and Tracking ID, and in another example, the tracking reference includes the MCC, the MNC, and the Tracking ID, but does not include the MnS Consumer ID.

[0088] In some examples, the method is executed by a RAN node within the RAN, and the value of the tracking reference is mapped to the value of the other tracking reference in a mapping table maintained by that RAN node.

[0089] In some examples, method 1000 also includes updating the mapping table to include the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

[0090] In some examples, method 1000 also includes updating the mapping table to remove the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference when the tracking session is completed.

[0091] In some examples, method 1000 further includes: coordinating the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference among the RAN nodes of the RAN.

[0092] In some examples, method 1000 is performed by a RAN node within the RAN nodes, and the coordination mapping includes: notifying at least one other RAN node within the RAN nodes of the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference, such as... Figure 10B As shown in box 1008. In some of these examples, the coordination mapping also includes receiving a response from the at least one other RAN node that confirms the association, or indicates a conflict between the association and another association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference, as shown in box 1010.

[0093] In some examples, method 1000 is performed by a RAN node of the RAN, and the value of the other tracking reference is selected from a range of values ​​assigned to that RAN node, and at least one other range of the value of the other tracking reference is assigned to at least one other RAN node of the RAN.

[0094] In some examples, method 1000 is executed by the RAN node within the RAN, and mapping the value of the tracking reference at box 1004 includes sending a request to the coordination entity to map the value of the tracking reference, such as... Figure 10C As shown in box 1012. In some of these examples, the mapping value also includes a response to the request received from the coordinating entity, which includes the association of the value of the tracking reference with the value of the other tracking reference, as shown in box 1014.

[0095] In some examples, method 1000 also includes receiving at least one report of a measurement from at least one UE, the at least one report including a value of another tracking reference, such as Figure 10D As shown in box 1016. In some of these examples, the method further includes reporting at least one tracking record in at least one report, in which the value of the other tracking reference is replaced by the value of the tracking reference, as shown in box 1018.

[0096] In some examples, method 1000 further includes sending a handover request message to a target RAN node to prepare for a handover of the at least one UE to the target RAN node. In some of these examples, the handover request message includes information indicating the mapping from the value of the tracking reference to the value of the other tracking reference.

[0097] In some examples, method 1000 also includes receiving a UE context retrieval request from the RAN node to prepare for the at least one UE to establish a connection with the RAN node, such as... Figure 10E As shown in box 1020. In some of these examples, the method further includes sending a retrieve UE context response to the RAN node, the retrieve UE context response including UE context information for the UE, and the retrieve UE context response including information indicating the mapping from the value of the tracking reference to the value of the other tracking reference, as shown in box 1022.

[0098] Figures 11A to 11CThis is a flowchart illustrating various steps in method 1100 according to various example embodiments. The method includes receiving from at least one user equipment (UE) at least one report of measurements in one or more cells of a radio access network (RAN) for a tracking session, the at least one report including a value that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of the public land mobile network (PLMN), such as... Figure 11A As shown in box 1102. The method includes mapping the value of the tracking reference to the value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within the PLMN, as shown in box 1104. And the method includes reporting at least one tracking record of the at least one report, in which the value of the tracking reference is replaced by the value of the other tracking reference, as shown in box 1106.

[0099] In some examples, the subset of the tracing reference within the PLMN that uniquely identifies the tracing session is the RAN.

[0100] In some examples, the tracking reference includes a Mobile Country Code (MCC), a Mobile Network Code (MNC), and a Tracking ID, and in other examples, the tracking reference includes the MCC, the MNC, the Tracking ID, and the Management Service (MnS) Consumer ID.

[0101] In some examples, method 1100 is executed by a RAN node within the RAN, and the value of the trace reference is mapped to the value of the other trace reference in a mapping table maintained by the RAN node.

[0102] In some examples, method 1100 also includes receiving information indicating the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference, such as... Figure 11B As shown in box 1108. In some of these examples, the method also includes updating the mapping table to include the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference, as shown in box 1110.

[0103] In some examples, the RAN node is the target RAN node, and the information indicating the mapping is received in a handover request message from the source RAN node to prepare for the handover of at least one UE from the source RAN node to the target RAN node.

[0104] In some examples, the information indicating the mapping is received in a UE context retrieval response, which includes UE context information for the UE in preparation for the at least one UE to establish a connection with the RAN node.

[0105] In some examples, receiving information indicating association in box 1108 includes sending a request to the coordinating entity to map the value of the tracking reference, such as... Figure 11C As shown in box 1112. In some of these examples, receiving information also includes receiving a response to the request from the coordinating entity, the response including information indicating the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference, as shown in box 1114.

[0106] In some examples, method 1100 also includes updating the mapping table to remove the association between the value of a tracking reference and the value of another tracking reference when the tracking session is complete.

[0107] According to the example implementations of this disclosure, the telecommunications system 100 or PLMN 102 and its components (such as UE 110, CN 106, RAN 108, RAN node 202, CU and / or DU) can be implemented by various means. The means for implementing the system and its components can include hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In some examples, one or more means can be configured to serve as or otherwise implement the system and its components shown and described herein. In examples involving more than one means, the respective means can be connected to or otherwise communicate with each other in a variety of different ways, such as directly or indirectly via wired or wireless networks.

[0108] Based on some example implementations, regarding Figures 10A to 10E At least some of the described methods 1000 can be performed by means including components for performing functions corresponding to the steps of the method. Similarly, regarding Figures 11A to 11C At least some of the methods described in 1100 can be performed by means including components for performing functions corresponding to the steps of the method. Examples of suitable means may include RAN nodes (e.g., ng-eNB, gNB, gNB-DU, gNB-CU) or any suitable means such as a server, host, or node.

[0109] Figure 12 An apparatus 1200 according to some example implementations of the present disclosure is shown, wherein components for performing various operations are individually or, under the guidance of one or more computer programs from a computer-readable storage medium or other memory, such as computer memory, comprise hardware. The apparatus may include one or more of each of a plurality of components, such as, for example, processing circuitry 1202 connected to a computer-readable storage medium or other memory 1204.

[0110] Processing circuitry 1202 may comprise one or more processors individually or in combination with one or more computer-readable storage media. Processing circuitry is typically any computer hardware capable of processing information (e.g., data, computer programs, computer code, and / or other suitable electronic information). Processing circuitry consists of a collection of electronic circuits, some of which may be packaged as integrated circuits or multiple interconnected integrated circuits (sometimes more commonly referred to as "chips"). Processing circuitry may be configured to execute computer programs, which may be stored on the processing circuitry or otherwise stored in memory 1204 (of the same or another device).

[0111] Depending on the specific implementation, the processing circuit 1202 may include multiple processors, a multi-core processor, or some other type of processor, such as a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a tensor processing unit, or an accelerator. Furthermore, the processing circuit may be implemented using multiple heterogeneous processor systems, where the main processor resides on a single chip along with one or more auxiliary processors. As another illustrative example, the processing circuit may be a symmetric multiprocessor system containing multiple processors of the same type. In yet another example, the processing circuit may be embodied as or otherwise include one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc. Therefore, while the processing circuit is capable of executing a computer program to perform one or more functions, the various examples of processing circuits are capable of performing one or more functions without the assistance of a computer program. In any case, the processing circuit may be appropriately programmed to perform functions or operations according to the exemplary implementations of this disclosure.

[0112] Memory 1204 is typically any computer hardware capable of temporarily and / or permanently storing information (e.g., data, computer programs, instructions 1206 (e.g., computer-readable program code), and / or other suitable information). Memory may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory and may be fixed or removable. Examples of suitable memory include recording media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk drives, flash memory, thumb drives, removable computer disks, optical disks, or some combination thereof.

[0113] Memory 1204 is a non-transitory device capable of storing information. An example of a suitable memory is a computer-readable storage medium, distinguishable from a computer-readable transport medium capable of carrying information from one location to another. Examples of suitable computer-readable transport media include electronic carrier signals, telecommunication signals, or some combination thereof. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), not a limitation of the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM versus ROM). As used herein, a computer-readable medium generally refers to a computer-readable storage medium or a computer-readable transport medium. A computer-readable medium is any entity or device capable of storing and carrying information such as one or more computer programs or portions thereof.

[0114] In addition to memory 1204 (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium), processing circuitry 1202 may also be connected to one or more interfaces for displaying, sending, and / or receiving information. Interfaces may include communication interface 1208 and / or one or more user interfaces (e.g., a display, a user input interface). Communication interfaces may be configured to send and / or receive information to and / or from (multiple) other devices, (multiple) networks, etc. Communication interfaces may be configured to send and / or receive information via physical (wired) and / or wireless communication links. Examples of suitable communication interfaces include network interface controllers (NICs), wireless NICs (WNICs), etc.

[0115] The combination of operations supporting the implementation of the example implementation of this disclosure is supported by the processing circuitry 1202 executing the instructions 1206 or storing the instructions in the memory 1204. In this way, the apparatus 1200 may include at least one processing circuit and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing circuit, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute instructions stored in the at least one memory. It will also be understood that one or more functions, and combinations thereof, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system and / or processing circuitry, or a combination of dedicated hardware and program code instructions, performing the specified functions.

[0116] Some exemplary implementations of this disclosure can also be executed as a computer process defined by one or more computer programs or portions thereof. Exemplary implementations of this disclosure can be executed by executing at least a portion of a computer program including instructions. The computer program can be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form. The computer program can be stored on a computer-readable medium that can be read by a computer, processing circuitry, or other suitable means. As mentioned above, for example, the computer program can be stored in memory such as a computer-readable storage medium. Additionally or alternatively, for example, the computer program can be stored on a computer-readable transmission medium. The coding of software used to perform the exemplary implementations of this disclosure is entirely within the scope of those skilled in the art.

[0117] As will be understood, any suitable instructions can be loaded from memory or a computer-readable medium (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium, a computer-readable transmission medium) onto a computer, processing circuitry, or other programmable means to produce a particular machine, such that the particular machine becomes a component for implementing the functions specified herein. Instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer, processing circuitry, or other programmable means to function in a particular manner to produce a particular machine or a particular article of manufacture. In some examples, instructions stored in a computer-readable medium can produce an article of manufacture, wherein the article of manufacture becomes a means for implementing the functions described herein. Instructions can be retrieved from a computer-readable medium and loaded onto a computer, processing circuitry, or other programmable means to configure the computer, processing circuitry, or other programmable means to perform operations to be performed on or by the computer, processing circuitry, or other programmable means.

[0118] The retrieval, loading, and execution of instructions, including program code instructions, can be performed sequentially, such that one instruction is retrieved, loaded, and executed at a time. In some example implementations, retrieval, loading, and / or execution can be performed in parallel, such that multiple instructions are retrieved, loaded, and / or executed together. The execution of program code instructions can produce computer-implemented processes, such that the instructions, executed by a computer, processing circuitry, or other programmable device, provide operations for implementing the functions described herein.

[0119] As stated above and reiterated below, this disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following example implementations.

[0120] Clause 1. A method comprising: receiving a request to activate a tracking session, the request including a value of a tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a public land mobile network (PLMN); mapping the value of the tracking reference to a value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of the PLMN; and activating the functionality of at least one device (UE) to perform measurements in one or more cells of a radio access network (RAN) of the PLMN, and reporting the measurements using the value of the other tracking reference.

[0121] Clause 2. According to the method of Clause 1, wherein the subset of the PLMN in which the other tracking reference uniquely identifies the tracking session is the RAN.

[0122] Clause 3. The method pursuant to Clause 1 or Clause 2, wherein the tracking reference includes the Mobile Country Code (MCC), the Mobile Network Code (MNC), the Management Service (MnS) Consumer Identifier (ID), and the Tracking ID, and wherein the other tracking reference includes the MCC, the MNC, and the Tracking ID, but excludes the MnS Consumer ID.

[0123] Clause 4. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein the method is performed by a RAN node within the RAN, and the value of the tracking reference is mapped to the value of the other tracking reference in a mapping table maintained by the RAN node.

[0124] Clause 5. The method according to Clause 4, wherein the method further includes updating the mapping table to include the association between the value of a tracking reference and the value of another tracking reference.

[0125] Clause 6. The method according to Clause 5, wherein the method further comprises: updating the mapping table to include the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

[0126] Clause 7. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein the method further comprises: coordinating the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference among the RAN nodes of the RAN.

[0127] Clause 8. The method according to Clause 7, wherein the method is performed by a RAN node in a RAN node, and coordinating the mapping includes: notifying at least one other RAN node in the RAN node of the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference; and receiving a response from the at least one other RAN node that confirms the association, or indicates a conflict between the association and another association between the other value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

[0128] Clause 9. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 8, wherein the method is performed by a RAN node of the RAN, and the value of the other tracking reference is selected from a range of values ​​assigned to the RAN node, and at least one other range of the value of the other tracking reference is assigned to at least one other RAN node of the RAN.

[0129] Clause 10. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, wherein the method is performed by a RAN node within the RAN, and mapping the value of a tracking reference comprises: sending a request to a coordination entity to map the value of the tracking reference; and receiving a response from the coordination entity to the request, the response comprising the association of the value of the tracking reference with the value of the other tracking reference.

[0130] Clause 11. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 10, wherein the method further comprises: receiving from the at least one UE at least one report of the measurement, the at least one report including the value of the other tracking reference; and reporting at least one tracking record of the at least one report, in which the value of the other tracking reference is replaced by the value of the tracking reference.

[0131] Clause 12. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 11, wherein the method further comprises: the target RAN node sending a handover request message to prepare for a handover of the at least one UE to the target RAN node, and wherein the handover request message includes information indicating the mapping of the value of the tracking reference to the value of the other tracking reference.

[0132] Clause 13. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 12, wherein the method further comprises: receiving a UE context retrieval request from a RAN node to prepare for establishing a connection between the at least one UE and the RAN node; and sending a UE context retrieval response to the RAN node, the UE context retrieval response including UE context information for the UE, and the UE context retrieval response including information indicating the mapping of the value of the tracking reference to the value of the other tracking reference.

[0133] Clause 14. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuit configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13.

[0134] Clause 15. An apparatus comprising components for performing the method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13.

[0135] Clause 16. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuit, cause a device to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13.

[0136] Clause 17. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuit, cause a device to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13.

[0137] Clause 18. A computer program comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuit, cause a device to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13.

[0138] Clause 19. A method comprising: receiving from at least one user equipment (UE) at least one report of measurements in one or more cells of a radio access network (RAN) for a tracking session, the at least one report including a value of a tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of a public land mobile network (PLMN); mapping the value of the tracking reference to a value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within the PLMN; and reporting a tracking record of the at least one report in which the value of the tracking reference is replaced by the value of the other tracking reference.

[0139] Clause 20. The method of Clause 19, wherein the subset of the tracing reference within the PLMN that uniquely identifies the tracing session is the RAN.

[0140] Clause 21. The method pursuant to Clause 19 or Clause 20, wherein the tracking reference includes the Mobile Country Code (MCC), the Mobile Network Code (MNC), and the Tracking ID, and wherein the other tracking reference includes the MCC, the MNC, and the Tracking ID, as well as the Management Service (MnS) Consumer ID.

[0141] Clause 22. The method according to any one of Clauses 19 to 21, wherein the method is performed by a RAN node within the RAN, and the value of the tracking reference is mapped to the value of the other tracking reference in a mapping table maintained by the RAN node.

[0142] Clause 23. The method of Clause 22, wherein the method further comprises: receiving information indicating the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference; and updating the mapping table to include the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

[0143] Clause 24. The method according to Clause 23, wherein the RAN node is the target RAN node, and the information indicating the mapping is received in a handover request message from the source RAN node, in preparation for the handover of the at least one UE from the source RAN node to the target RAN node.

[0144] Clause 25. The information indicating the mapping is received in a UE context retrieval response, which includes UE context information for the UE in preparation for the at least one UE to establish a connection with the RAN node, in accordance with the method of Clause 23 or Clause 24.

[0145] Clause 26. The method of any one of Clauses 23 to 25, wherein receiving the information indicating association comprises: sending a request to a coordinating entity to map the value of the tracking reference; and receiving a response from the coordinating entity to the request, the response comprising the information indicating the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

[0146] Clause 27. The method of any one of Clauses 23 to 26, wherein the method further includes updating the mapping table to remove the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference when the tracking session is completed.

[0147] Clause 28. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuit configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 19 to 27.

[0148] Clause 29. An apparatus comprising components for performing the method pursuant to any one of Clauses 19 to 27.

[0149] Clause 30. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuit, cause a device to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 19 to 27.

[0150] Clause 31. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuit, cause a device to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 19 to 27.

[0151] Clause 32. A computer program comprising instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processing circuit, cause a device to perform a method according to any one of Clauses 19 to 27.

[0152] Benefiting from the teachings presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings, those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains will conceive of numerous modifications and other implementations of the disclosure set forth herein. Therefore, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific implementations disclosed, and that modifications and other specific implementations are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, although the foregoing description and associated drawings describe exemplary implementations in the context of certain example combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be understood that different combinations of elements and / or functions can be provided by alternative implementations without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, combinations of elements and / or functions different from those explicitly described above are also contemplated as being set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terminology is used herein, it is used only in a general and descriptive sense and not for limiting purposes.

[0153] Furthermore, the various implementations of this disclosure can be described with reference to the following examples, and their features can be combined in any reasonable manner.

[0154] Example 1. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to at least: receive a request to activate a tracking session, the request including a value of a tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a public land mobile network (PLMN); map the value of the tracking reference to a value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of the PLMN; and activate the functionality of at least one device (UE) to perform measurements in one or more cells of the radio access network (RAN) of the PLMN, and report the measurements using the value of the other tracking reference.

[0155] Example 2. According to the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the subset of the tracking session uniquely identified by the other tracking reference within the PLMN is the RAN.

[0156] Example 3. The apparatus according to Example 1 or Example 2, wherein the tracking reference includes a Mobile Country Code (MCC), a Mobile Network Code (MNC), a Management Service (MnS) Consumer Identifier (ID), and a Tracking ID, and wherein the other tracking reference includes the MCC, the MNC, and the Tracking ID, but does not include the MnS Consumer ID.

[0157] Example 4. An apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the apparatus is used to implement a RAN node within the RAN, and the value of the tracking reference is mapped to the value of the other tracking reference in a mapping table maintained by the RAN node.

[0158] Example 5. The apparatus according to Example 4, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instruction to cause the apparatus to further update the mapping table to include the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

[0159] Example 6. The apparatus according to Example 5, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instruction to cause the apparatus to further update the mapping table to remove the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference when the tracking session is completed.

[0160] Example 7. An apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instruction to cause the apparatus to further coordinate the association of the value of the tracking reference with the value of the other tracking reference among the RAN nodes of the RAN.

[0161] Example 8. An apparatus according to Example 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to implement RAN nodes in the RAN node, and to coordinate the mapping by the apparatus includes causing the apparatus to: notify at least one other RAN node in the RAN node of the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference; and to receive a response from the at least one other RAN node, the response confirming the association, or indicating a conflict between the association and another association between the other value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

[0162] Example 9. An apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the apparatus is used to implement the RAN node of the RAN, and the value of the other tracking reference is selected from a range of values ​​assigned to the RAN node, and at least one other range of the value of the other tracking reference is assigned to at least one other RAN node of the RAN.

[0163] Example 10. An apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 9, wherein the apparatus is used to implement a RAN node within the RAN, and causing the apparatus to map the value of the tracking reference includes causing the apparatus to: send a request to a coordination entity to map the value of the tracking reference; and receive a response from the coordination entity to the request, the response including an association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

[0164] Example 11. An apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instruction to cause the apparatus to further at least: receive at least one report of the measurement from the at least one UE, the at least one report including the value of the other tracking reference; and report at least one tracking record of the at least one report, in which the value of the other tracking reference is replaced by the value of the tracking reference.

[0165] Example 12. An apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 11, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instruction to cause the apparatus to further send a handover request message to the target RAN node in preparation for a handover of the at least one UE to the target RAN node, and wherein the handover request message includes information indicating the mapping from the value of the tracking reference to the value of the other tracking reference.

[0166] Example 13. An apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 12, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instruction to cause the apparatus to further at least: receive a UE context retrieval request from a RAN node to prepare for the at least one UE to establish a connection with the RAN node; and send a UE context retrieval response to the RAN node, the UE context retrieval response including UE context information for the UE, and the UE context retrieval response including information indicating the mapping of the value of the tracking reference to the value of the other tracking reference.

[0167] Example 14. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processing circuitry configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to at least: receive from at least one user equipment (UE) at least one report of measurements in one or more cells of a radio access network (RAN) for a tracking session, the at least one report including a value of a tracking reference uniquely identifying the tracking session within a subset of a public land mobile network (PLMN); map the value of the tracking reference to a value of another tracking reference uniquely identifying the tracking session within the PLMN; and report at least one tracking record of the at least one report, in which the value of the tracking reference is replaced by the value of the other tracking reference.

[0168] Example 15. The apparatus according to Example 14, wherein the PLMN in which the tracking reference uniquely identifies the subset of the tracking session is the RAN.

[0169] Example 16. An apparatus according to Example 14 or Example 15, wherein the tracking reference includes a Mobile Country Code (MCC), a Mobile Network Code (MNC), and a Tracking ID, and wherein the other tracking reference includes the MCC, the MNC, and the Tracking ID, as well as a Management Service (MnS) Consumer ID.

[0170] Example 17. An apparatus according to any one of Examples 14 to 16, wherein the apparatus is used to implement a RAN node within the RAN, and the value of the tracking reference is mapped to the value of the other tracking reference in a mapping table maintained by the RAN node.

[0171] Example 18. An apparatus according to Example 17, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instruction to cause the apparatus to further at least: receive information indicating the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference; and update the mapping table to include the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

[0172] Example 19. An apparatus according to Example 18, wherein the RAN node is a target RAN node, and the information indicating the mapping is received in a handover request message from the source RAN node to prepare for a handover of the at least one UE from the source RAN node to the target RAN node.

[0173] Example 20. An apparatus according to Example 18 or Example 19, wherein the information indicating the mapping is received in a UE context retrieval response, the UE context retrieval response including UE context information for the UE in preparation for the at least one UE to establish a connection with the RAN node.

[0174] Example 21. An apparatus according to any one of Examples 18 to 20, wherein causing the apparatus to receive the information indicating the association includes causing the apparatus to: send a request to a coordinating entity to map the value of the tracking reference; and receive a response from the coordinating entity to the request, the response including the information indicating the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

[0175] Example 22. An apparatus according to any one of Examples 18 to 21, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instruction to cause the apparatus to further update the mapping table to remove the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference when the tracking session is completed.

Claims

1. A device for communication, comprising: At least one memory is configured to store instructions; as well as At least one processing circuit is configured to access the at least one memory and execute the instructions to cause the device to at least: Receive a request to activate a tracking session, the request including a value of a tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN); Map the value of the tracking reference to a value of another tracking reference that uniquely identifies the tracking session within a subset of the PLMN; as well as The functionality of at least one device (UE) is activated to perform measurements in one or more cells of the radio access network (RAN) of the PLMN, and the measurements are reported using the value of the other tracking reference.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subset of the tracking session uniquely identified by the other tracking reference within the PLMN is the RAN.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tracking reference includes a Mobile Country Code (MCC), a Mobile Network Code (MNC), a Management Service (MnS) Consumer Identifier (ID), and a Tracking ID, and The other tracking reference mentioned therein includes the MCC, the MNC, and the tracking ID, but does not include the MnS consumer ID.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to implement a RAN node within the RAN, and the value of the tracking reference is mapped to the value of the other tracking reference in a mapping table maintained by the RAN node.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to further update the mapping table to include the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to further update the mapping table to remove the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference when the tracking session is completed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one processing circuit is configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to further coordinate the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference among the RAN nodes of the RAN.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to implement the RAN nodes in the RAN nodes, and causing the apparatus to coordinate the mapping comprises causing the apparatus to: Notify at least one other RAN node among the RAN nodes of the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference; and Receive a response from the at least one other RAN node, the response confirming the association or indicating a conflict between the association and another association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to implement a RAN node of the RAN, and the value of the other tracking reference is selected from a range of values ​​assigned to the RAN node, and at least one other range of the value of the other tracking reference is assigned to at least one other RAN node of the RAN.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the apparatus is used to implement a RAN node within the RAN, and causing the apparatus to map the value of the tracking reference comprises causing the apparatus to: Send a request to the coordinating entity to map the value of the tracking reference; and Receive a response to the request from the coordinating entity, the response including the association between the value of the tracking reference and the value of the other tracking reference.

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