Determining scheduling for measurement occasions in case no reference signal is available for measurement

Abstract

This disclosure relates to determining a scheduling for a measurement timing when no reference signal is available for measurement. The disclosure provides an apparatus, method, and computer program product for receiving a first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement timings, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement timings, the at least one measurement timing not overlapping with all reference signals in one or more reference signals to be measured; and, based on the configuration information, determining the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement timing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments generally relate to cellular communication networks in which scheduling processes associated with measurement timing can be employed. Background Technology

[0002] As cellular systems become increasingly prevalent across industries and geographic regions, network efficiency is crucial for handling more advanced services and applications that require high data rates. User equipment (UE) can communicate with the network via terrestrial or non-terrestrial networks. In some cases, the UE may be configured to measure reference signals during measurement periods when no overlapping reference signals are available for measurement. Due to current scheduling constraints and measurement gaps, in such scenarios, the UE cannot measure any reference signals and does not need to transmit or receive with the corresponding serving cell during that measurement period. This results in wasted time resources used for scheduling. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided for scheduling a UE during a measurement timing that does not overlap with any reference signal to be measured, according to the example embodiments described herein.

[0004] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities, the at least one measurement opportunity not overlapping with all of the one or more reference signals to be measured; and, based on the configuration information, determine the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity.

[0005] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block measurement timing configuration (SMTC), where the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of the one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. According to some embodiments, the one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or Mobility Reference Signal.

[0006] The apparatus of some embodiments is further configured to perform: truncate one or more scheduling restrictions to enable determination of scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information during at least one measurement opportunity. The apparatus of some embodiments is further configured to perform: send a second signaling to a network node indicating at least one of the following: (i) scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information, or (ii) truncation of one or more scheduling restrictions. The first signaling of some embodiments includes a measurement object. At least one measurement opportunity of some embodiments is indicated via a bitmap. At least one measurement opportunity of some embodiments is indicated via an integer sequence. In some embodiments, the first signaling also indicates a reference frame number from which the configuration information is applicable. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the apparatus is a user equipment (UE) apparatus, and the network node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0007] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided, the method comprising: receiving a first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities, the at least one measurement opportunity not overlapping with all reference signals of one or more reference signals to be measured; and determining, based on the configuration information, the scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity.

[0008] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block measurement timing configuration (SMTC), where the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of the one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. According to some embodiments, the one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or Mobility Reference Signal.

[0009] Some embodiments of the method further include: truncating one or more scheduling restrictions to improve scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during at least one measurement opportunity. Some embodiments of the method further include: sending a second signaling to a network node, the second signaling indicating at least one of: (i) the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information, or (ii) the truncation of one or more scheduling restrictions. The first signaling in some embodiments includes a measurement object. At least one measurement opportunity in some embodiments is indicated via a bitmap. At least one measurement opportunity in some embodiments is indicated via an integer sequence. In some embodiments, the first signaling also indicates a reference frame number from which the configuration information is applicable. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the method is performed by a user equipment (UE) device, and the network node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0010] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a portion of computer-executable program code stored therein, the portion of computer-executable program code including program code instructions configured to: receive a first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement times, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement times, the at least one measurement time not overlapping with all of one or more reference signals to be measured; and, based on the configuration information, determine the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement time.

[0011] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block measurement timing configuration (SMTC), where the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of the one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. According to some embodiments, the one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or Mobility Reference Signal.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the computer-executable program code portion includes program code instructions configured to: truncate one or more scheduling restrictions to enable determination of scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during at least one measurement opportunity. According to some embodiments, the computer-executable program code portion includes program code instructions configured to: send a second signaling to a network node indicating at least one of the following: (i) scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information, or (ii) truncation of one or more scheduling restrictions. The first signaling in some embodiments includes a measurement object. At least one measurement opportunity in some embodiments is indicated via a bitmap. At least one measurement opportunity in some embodiments is indicated via an integer sequence. In some embodiments, the first signaling also indicates a reference frame number from which the configuration information is applicable. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the operation of the computer program product is performed by a user equipment (UE) device, and the network node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0013] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for: receiving a first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement times, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement times, the at least one measurement time not overlapping with all of one or more reference signals to be measured; and determining, based on the configuration information, the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement time.

[0014] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block measurement timing configuration (SMTC), where the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of the one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. According to some embodiments, the one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or Mobility Reference Signal.

[0015] Some embodiments of the apparatus further include: means for truncating one or more scheduling restrictions to enable determining the scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information during at least one measurement opportunity. Some embodiments of the apparatus further include: means for sending a second signaling to a network node, the second signaling indicating at least one of: (i) the scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information, or (ii) the truncation of one or more scheduling restrictions. The first signaling in some embodiments includes a measurement object. At least one measurement opportunity in some embodiments is indicated via a bitmap. At least one measurement opportunity in some embodiments is indicated via an integer sequence. In some embodiments, the first signaling also indicates a reference frame number from which the configuration information is applicable. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the apparatus is performed by a user equipment (UE) device, and the network node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0016] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: send signaling to a user equipment (UE) device indicating: (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement times, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement times, the at least one measurement time not overlapping with all of one or more reference signals to be measured; and send to the UE device scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement time.

[0017] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one SMTC, the period of which is equal to or less than the shortest period of one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), or a mobility reference signal. In some embodiments, signaling includes the object to be measured. In some embodiments, at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via a bitmap. In some embodiments, at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via an integer sequence.

[0018] According to some embodiments, the signaling also indicates a reference frame number from which the configuration information is applicable. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with one or more corresponding cells, which include at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. According to some embodiments, the apparatus is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0019] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: sending signaling to a user equipment (UE) device indicating: (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement times, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement times, the at least one measurement time not overlapping with all reference signals of one or more reference signals to be measured; and sending to the UE device scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement time.

[0020] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, configuration information includes at least one SMTC, the period of which is equal to or less than the shortest period of one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), or a mobility reference signal. In some embodiments, signaling includes the object to be measured. At least one measurement opportunity in some embodiments is indicated via a bitmap. At least one measurement opportunity in some embodiments is indicated via an integer sequence.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the signaling also indicates a reference frame number from which the configuration information is applicable. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with one or more corresponding cells, which include at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. According to some embodiments, the method is performed by a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0022] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a portion of computer-executable program code stored therein, the portion of computer-executable program code including program code instructions configured to: send signaling to a user equipment (UE) device indicating: (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement times, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement times, the at least one measurement time not overlapping with all of one or more reference signals to be measured; and send to the UE device scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement time.

[0023] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one SMTC, the period of which is equal to or less than the shortest period of one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), or a mobility reference signal. In some embodiments, signaling includes the object to be measured. In some embodiments, at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via a bitmap. In some embodiments, at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via an integer sequence.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the signaling also indicates a reference frame number from which the configuration information is applicable. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with one or more corresponding cells, which include at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. According to some embodiments, the operation of the computer program product is performed by a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0025] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for: sending signaling to a user equipment (UE) device indicating: (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement times, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement times, the at least one measurement time not overlapping with all of one or more reference signals to be measured; and sending to the UE device the scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement time.

[0026] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, configuration information includes at least one SMTC, the period of which is equal to or less than the shortest period of one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), or a mobility reference signal. In some embodiments, signaling includes the object to be measured. At least one measurement opportunity in some embodiments is indicated via a bitmap. At least one measurement opportunity in some embodiments is indicated via an integer sequence.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the signaling also indicates a reference frame number from which the configuration information is applicable. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with one or more corresponding cells, which include at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. According to some embodiments, the apparatus is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0028] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least: receiving a first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities; determining at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities, the at least one measurement opportunity not overlapping with all reference signals of one or more reference signals to be measured; and, based on the configuration information, determining the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity.

[0029] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, configuration information includes at least one Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block measurement timing configuration (SMTC), where the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or Mobility Reference Signal.

[0030] The apparatus in some embodiments is further configured to perform: sending a second signaling to a network node, the second signaling indicating at least one measurement opportunity. According to some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via a bitmap. According to some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via an integer sequence. In some embodiments, determining that the at least one measurement opportunity does not overlap with all reference signals in one or more reference signals includes: comparing the reference signal received power (RSRP) associated with the at least one measurement opportunity with a predetermined threshold.

[0031] The apparatus in some embodiments is further configured to perform: truncation of one or more scheduling restrictions to enable determination of scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information during at least one measurement time. The apparatus in some embodiments is further configured to perform sending third signaling indicating at least one of the following: (i) scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information, or (ii) truncation of one or more scheduling restrictions. The first signaling in some embodiments includes a measurement object. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the apparatus is a user equipment (UE) apparatus, and the network node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0032] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided, the method comprising: receiving a first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities; determining at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities, the at least one measurement opportunity not overlapping with all reference signals of one or more reference signals to be measured; and determining, based on the configuration information, scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity.

[0033] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, configuration information includes at least one Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block measurement timing configuration (SMTC), where the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or Mobility Reference Signal.

[0034] Some embodiments of the method further include sending a second signaling to a network node, the second signaling indicating at least one measurement opportunity. According to some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via a bitmap. In some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via an integer sequence. In some embodiments, determining that the at least one measurement opportunity does not overlap with all reference signals in one or more reference signals includes comparing the reference signal received power (RSRP) associated with the at least one measurement opportunity with a predetermined threshold.

[0035] Some embodiments of the method further include: truncating one or more scheduling restrictions to determine scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity. Some embodiments of the method further include sending a third signaling indicating at least one of: (i) scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information, or (ii) truncation of one or more scheduling restrictions. The first signaling in some embodiments includes a measurement object. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the method is performed by a user equipment (UE) device, and the network node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0036] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a portion of computer-executable program code stored therein, the portion of computer-executable program code including program code instructions configured to: receive a first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities; determine at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities, the at least one measurement opportunity not overlapping with all of one or more reference signals to be measured; and, based on the configuration information, determine the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity.

[0037] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, configuration information includes at least one Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block measurement timing configuration (SMTC), where the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of the one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. In some embodiments, the one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or Mobility Reference Signal.

[0038] According to some embodiments, the computer-executable program code portion includes program code instructions configured to: send a second signaling to a network node, the second signaling indicating at least one measurement opportunity. According to some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via a bitmap. In some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via an integer sequence. In some embodiments, determining that the at least one measurement opportunity does not overlap with all reference signals in one or more reference signals includes: comparing the reference signal received power (RSRP) associated with the at least one measurement opportunity with a predetermined threshold.

[0039] According to some embodiments, the computer-executable program code portion includes program code instructions configured to: truncate one or more scheduling restrictions to enable determination of scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity. The computer-executable program code portion includes program code instructions configured to: send third signaling indicating at least one of the following: (i) scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information, or (ii) truncation of one or more scheduling restrictions. The first signaling in some embodiments includes a measurement object. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the operation of the computer program product is performed by a user equipment (UE) device, and the network node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0040] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for: receiving a first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities; determining at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities, the at least one measurement opportunity not overlapping with all of one or more reference signals to be measured; and, based on the configuration information, determining the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity.

[0041] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, configuration information includes at least one Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block measurement timing configuration (SMTC), where the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of the one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. In some embodiments, the one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS), or Mobility Reference Signal.

[0042] Some embodiments of the apparatus further include a component for sending a second signaling to a network node, the second signaling indicating at least one measurement opportunity. According to some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via a bitmap. In some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via an integer sequence. In some embodiments, determining that the at least one measurement opportunity does not overlap with all reference signals in one or more reference signals includes comparing the reference signal received power (RSRP) associated with the at least one measurement opportunity with a predetermined threshold.

[0043] Some embodiments of the apparatus further include: means for truncating one or more scheduling restrictions to enable determination of scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity. Some embodiments of the apparatus further include means for transmitting third signaling indicating at least one of: (i) scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information, or (ii) truncation of one or more scheduling restrictions. The first signaling in some embodiments includes a measurement object. In some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the apparatus is a user equipment (UE) apparatus, and the network node is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0044] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: send a first signaling to a user equipment (UE) device, the first signaling indicating configuration information associated with one or more measurement times, wherein at least one of the one or more measurement times does not overlap with all reference signals of one or more reference signals to be measured; and send to the UE device a scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement time.

[0045] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one SMTC configuration, wherein the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. According to some embodiments, one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), or a mobility reference signal.

[0046] In some embodiments, the apparatus is further configured to: receive a second signaling from a UE device, the second signaling indicating at least one measurement opportunity. In some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via a bitmap. In some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via an integer sequence. According to some embodiments, the first signaling includes a measurement object. According to some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the apparatus is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0047] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided, the method comprising: sending a first signaling to a user equipment (UE) device, the first signaling indicating configuration information associated with one or more measurement timings, wherein at least one of the one or more measurement timings does not overlap with all reference signals of one or more reference signals to be measured; and sending to the UE device scheduling availability for transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement timing.

[0048] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one SMTC configuration, wherein the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. According to some embodiments, one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: synchronization signal block (SSB), channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), or mobility reference signal.

[0049] Some embodiments of the method further include receiving a second signaling from a UE device, the second signaling indicating at least one measurement opportunity. In some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via a bitmap. In some embodiments, the at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via an integer sequence. According to some embodiments, the first signaling includes a measurement object. According to some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the method is performed by a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0050] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a portion of computer-executable program code stored therein, the portion of computer-executable program code including program code instructions configured to: send a first signaling to a user equipment (UE) device, the first signaling indicating configuration information associated with one or more measurement times, wherein at least one of the one or more measurement times does not overlap with any of the one or more reference signals to be measured; and send to the UE device a scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement time.

[0051] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one SMTC configuration, wherein the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. According to some embodiments, one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), or a mobility reference signal.

[0052] According to some embodiments, the computer-executable program code portion includes program code instructions configured to: receive second signaling from a UE device, the second signaling indicating at least one measurement opportunity. In some embodiments, at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via a bitmap. In some embodiments, at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via an integer sequence. According to some embodiments, the first signaling includes a measurement object. According to some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with one or more corresponding cells, the one or more corresponding cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the operation of this computer program product is performed by a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node.

[0053] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for: sending a first signaling to a user equipment (UE) device, the first signaling indicating configuration information associated with one or more measurement timings, wherein at least one of the one or more measurement timings does not overlap with all reference signals in one or more reference signals to be measured; and sending to the UE device a scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement timing.

[0054] According to some embodiments, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps. According to some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one SMTC configuration, wherein the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of one or more reference signals to be measured. In this embodiment, one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities. According to some embodiments, one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), or a mobility reference signal.

[0055] Some embodiments of the apparatus further include: a component for receiving second signaling from a UE device, the second signaling indicating at least one measurement opportunity. In some embodiments, at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via a bitmap. In some embodiments, at least one measurement opportunity is indicated via an integer sequence. According to some embodiments, the first signaling includes a measurement object. According to some embodiments, one or more reference signals are associated with corresponding one or more cells, the corresponding one or more cells including at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell. In some embodiments, the apparatus is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) node. Attached Figure Description

[0056] Therefore, some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described in general terms. The following will refer to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0057] Figure 1 This is a diagram of an example communication network according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0058] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of an apparatus that can be specifically configured according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0059] Figure 3 Examples of sparse activity patterns of cells served by the same satellites according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown;

[0060] Figure 4 An excerpt from TS 38.331 is shown, which describes how the SMTC4 list is used by the UE;

[0061] Figure 5 Examples of some exemplary embodiments according to this disclosure are shown, in which all SSBs from the serving cell and neighboring cells have the same period but different time offsets;

[0062] Figure 6 Example flowcharts are shown according to some example embodiments of this disclosure;

[0063] Figure 7Example signaling diagrams are shown according to some example embodiments of this disclosure;

[0064] Figure 8 Examples of embodiments, such as those described in this disclosure, are shown. Figure 2 The operation performed by the device;

[0065] Figure 9 Examples of embodiments, such as those described in this disclosure, are shown. Figure 2 The operation performed by the device;

[0066] Figure 10 Examples of embodiments, such as those described in this disclosure, are shown. Figure 2 The operation performed by the device; and

[0067] Figure 11 Examples of embodiments, such as those described in this disclosure, are shown. Figure 2 The operation performed by the device. Detailed Implementation

[0068] The following embodiments are exemplary. Although the specification may refer to "a," "an," or "some" embodiments in several places throughout the text, this does not necessarily mean that each reference refers to the same embodiment(s), or that a particular feature applies only to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in combination with some embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that, whether explicitly described or not, applying such a feature, structure, or characteristic in combination with other embodiments is within their knowledge. It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another.

[0069] For the purposes of this disclosure, the phrases “at least one of A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” and “A and / or B” all refer to (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of this disclosure, the phrases “A, B, and / or C” refer to (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B, and C).

[0070] Some of the described embodiments can be implemented in a communication network, such as any of the following radio access technologies (RATs): Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMAX), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM, 2G), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), General Packet Radio Service (GRPS), Universal Telecommunications System based on Basic Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) (UMTS, 3G), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE and Enhanced LTE (eLTE), 5G (also known as NR), or any future RAT, such as 6G. Furthermore, communication within the communication network can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), and / or Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM).

[0071] As used herein, the term "network device" or "network node" refers to a node in a communication network through which user equipment can access the network and / or control radio communications and manage radio resources within a cell. A network node or network device may be referred to as a base station (BS), access point (AP), or access node. Depending on the technology applied, a network device may be, for example, a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Head (RH), a Remote Radio Head (RRH), a relay, an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or non-terrestrial network device (such as satellite network equipment, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites), or an aircraft network device.

[0072] Furthermore, in a split radio access network (RAN) connection, network equipment can refer to a centralized unit (CU) and / or a distributed unit (DU) of a base station. The interface between the CU and DU may be referred to as the F1 interface in NR. In a split RAN architecture, node operations can be performed at least partially in a central / centralized unit (CU) (e.g., a server, host, or node) that is operatively coupled to a DU (e.g., a radio head / node). A CU can control one or more DUs, at least acting as a transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) node. In some embodiments, a DU may include, for example, a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, a Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and a Physical (PHY) layer, while a CU may include layers above the RLC layer, such as a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, and Internet Protocol (IP) layer. Other functional divisions are also possible. In fact, any processing task can be performed in a CU or a DU, and the boundary where responsibilities are transferred between the CU and DU may depend on the implementation applied.

[0073] The term "terminal device" can refer to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By example, a terminal device can be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), or mobile station (MS). Terminal devices can include mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, USB dongles, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, and so on.

[0074] As used herein, the term "resource" can refer to radio resources in the time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, and / or code domain. Some examples of resources include, for example, physical resource blocks (PRBs), radio frames, subframes, time slots, subbands, frequency domains, subcarriers, beams, etc. The terms "transmission" and / or "reception" can refer to wireless transmission and / or reception on radio resources via a radio propagation channel.

[0075] As used herein, “computer-readable medium” refers to signals, non-transitory computer-readable media, etc. The term “non-transitory computer-readable medium” refers to non-transitory storage hardware, non-transitory storage devices, or non-transitory computer system memory that can be accessed by a controller, microcontroller, computing system, or module of a computing system to encode computer-executable instructions or software programs thereon. Non-transitory “computer-readable medium” can be accessed by a computing system or module of a computing system to retrieve and / or execute computer-executable instructions or software programs encoded on that medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, one or more types of hardware memory, non-transitory tangible media (e.g., one or more magnetic storage disks, one or more optical disks, one or more USB flash drives), computer system memory, or random access memory (such as DRAM, SRAM, EDORAM), etc.

[0076] User equipment (UE) can communicate via a non-terrestrial network with a radio network including terrestrial network nodes (such as base stations, e.g., gNBs or other types of access points). This non-terrestrial network can operate in a transparent architecture to relay signals between the UE and a terrestrial base station in at least certain cases (such as when the UE is far from the terrestrial network node and cannot reliably communicate with it). Similarly, the UE can communicate with network nodes (such as base stations) carried by satellites of a non-terrestrial network that also communicate with the terrestrial radio network, enabling communication between the UE and the terrestrial radio network in a regenerative architecture. UE refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication and can also be referred to as a terminal device, communication device, subscriber station (SS), or mobile station (MS). UEs may include mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, VoIP phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image acquisition terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, USB dongles, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. Network nodes include base stations (BS), access points (APs), or access nodes. Depending on the technology applied, network nodes may be Node Bs (NodeBs or NBs), evolved Node Bs (eNodeBs or eNBs), NR NBs (also known as gNBs), remote radio units (RRUs), radio heads (RHs), remote radio heads (RRHs), relay or integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes. By way of example, but not limitation, a non-terrestrial network may include one or more aerial platforms, such as satellites, drones, etc. In some embodiments described below, the non-terrestrial network includes one or more satellites, such as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, described by way of example, but not limitation. These satellites orbit the Earth and may relay signals between the UE and a terrestrial base station in a transparent architecture; or they may carry a base station in a regenerative architecture that communicates with both the UE and the terrestrial radio network, thereby providing coverage and service to the UE even if the UE is far from the terrestrial base station or the terrestrial radio network. Therefore, network nodes may include satellites, or the network may be hosted on one of the following: a satellite carrying a base station (regenerative mode), an aircraft, a floating balloon, a flying drone, a sailboat, or a moving vehicle; or the network node may be a stationary terrestrial network node, such as a fixed base station on land.

[0077] An example of a radio network that includes or communicates with non-terrestrial networks is in Figure 1 The network 100 is depicted as follows. The communication network 100 may include network nodes 110 providing one or more cells (such as cell 101), and network nodes 112 providing one or more other cells (such as cell 102). Each cell may be, for example, a macrocell, microcell, femtocell, or picocell; for example, a cell may define the coverage area or service area of ​​the corresponding network node. Furthermore... Figure 1 As shown, the communication network also includes an additional network node 113, which the UE 120 cannot communicate with via a non-terrestrial network including satellite 114. In a transparent architecture, the additional network node 113 may be a terrestrial network node, such that satellite 114 relays signals transmitted between the UE 120 and the additional network node 113. Alternatively, in a regenerative architecture, satellite 114 may include or carry the additional network node 113.

[0078] Network nodes 110, 112, and 113 can provide user equipment UE 120 (one or more UEs) with radio access to the communication network. This radio access may include downlink (DL) communication from the network nodes to UE 120 and uplink (UL) communication from UE 120 to network nodes 110, 112, and 113. Examples of uplink channels include the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) for transmitting control information and the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) for transmitting data toward the network. Examples of downlink channels include the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) for transmitting control information and the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) for transmitting data toward user equipment 120.

[0079] Multiple UEs 120 and 122 can exist in the system. Each of them can be served by the same or different network nodes 110, 112, and 113. In the case of multiple network nodes 110, 112, and 113 in the communication network, at least some of the network nodes (e.g., network nodes 110 and 112) can be interconnected via an interface. The interface between an LTE node and a 5G node, or between two 5G nodes, can be referred to as the Xn interface.

[0080] Network nodes 110, 112, and 113 can also connect to the core network 116 of the communication network via another interface. The LTE specification designates the core network as the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), which may include, for example, a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and gateway nodes. The MME can handle the mobility of terminal devices in a tracking area containing multiple cells 101 and 102, and handle signaling connections between UEs 120 and 122 and the core network 116. The gateway node can handle data routing within the core network 116 and to / from UEs 120 and 122. The 5G specification designates the core network 116 as the 5G Core (5GC). The 5G Core may include, for example, Access and Mobility Management Functions (AMF) and User Plane Functions / Gateways (UPF), as well as other functions. The AMF can handle the termination of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling, NAS encryption and integrity protection, registration management, connection management, mobility management, access authentication and authorization, and security context management. For example, UPF nodes can support packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, and Quality of Service (QoS) processing.

[0081] Figure 2 A block diagram of device 10 is shown by way of example. For example, device 10 may be a UE, or may include or be embodied by a UE, for example, as a chipset configured to control the UE. As another example, the device may be a network node, or may include or be embodied by such a network node, for example, as a chipset configured to control the network node.

[0082] In any example, the device 10 includes, for instance, at least one processor 12 and at least one memory 14 storing instructions 15 that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device 10 to perform at least one or more methods and any embodiments thereof disclosed herein. In one example, at least one memory and instructions (e.g., computer program code, software) are configured together with at least one processor to cause the device 10 to perform one or more methods and any embodiments thereof disclosed herein.

[0083] Processor 12 may include, or be configured as, one or more circuit systems configured to perform stages of the method according to the example embodiments described herein. As used herein, the term “circuit system” may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) a hardware circuit implementation only (such as an implementation only in analog and / or digital circuit systems); and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuitry having software / firmware; and (ii) any portion of (multiple) hardware processors having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories that work together to enable a device (such as a user equipment) to perform various functions); and (c) (multiple) hardware circuitry and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when operation is not required. This definition of circuit system applies to all uses of the term herein (including in any claim). As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" also encompasses only the implementation of hardware circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors) or portions thereof, and their accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, and if applicable to specific claim elements, the term "circuit system" also encompasses baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0084] The memory 14 can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology. The memory may include a database for storing data. The memory 14 is at least partially located outside the device 10, but is accessible to the device 10.

[0085] Instruction 15 may be included in a computer-readable medium or a non-transitory computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term “non-transitory” refers to a limitation on the medium itself (e.g., a tangible medium, rather than a signal), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM).

[0086] Device 10 includes a radio interface 16. Radio interface 16 provides communication capabilities to device 10. Radio interface 16 may include a receiver configured to receive information according to at least one cellular or non-cellular standard. Radio interface 16 may include a transmitter configured to transmit information according to at least one cellular or non-cellular standard. Receivers may include more than one receiver. Transmitters may include more than one transmitter. Radio interface 16 may include a transceiver configured to receive and transmit information according to at least one cellular or non-cellular standard. Transceivers may include more than one transceiver.

[0087] Device 10 may optionally include a user interface 18, which may include at least one of, for example, a keyboard, microphone, touch screen, display screen, speaker, etc. User interface 18 can be used to control the device by a user. User interface 18 may be located outside device 10. For example, device 10 may be connected to another device (such as a computer) via a wireless or wired connection, and device 10 may be controlled by a user through that computer.

[0088] In one embodiment, at least some of the processes described herein may be performed by an apparatus that may include components for performing at least some of the processes. Components for performing the method steps disclosed herein may include software and / or hardware components of apparatus 10. For example, at least one processor 12, memory 14, and computer program code form components for performing one or more methods disclosed herein and any embodiments thereof. As used herein, the term “component” should be interpreted as either singular (i.e., referring to a single element) or plural (i.e., referring to a combination of single elements). Thus, the term “component for [performing A, B, C]” should be interpreted to encompass means in which only one component is used to perform A, B, and C, or in which separate components are used to perform A, B, and C, or in which components partially or completely overlap for performing A, B, and C. Furthermore, the terms "component for performing A, component for performing B, component for performing C" should be interpreted as encompassing an apparatus in which only one component is used to perform A, B, and C, or in which separate components are used to perform A, B, and C, or in which some or all components are overlapped in performing A, B, and C.

[0089] In Section 9.2C.5.3 of 3GPP TS 38.133, “Scheduling Availability of UE During Intra-Frequency Measurements”: There are restrictions on scheduling availability when any of the following conditions are met; otherwise, there are no scheduling restrictions. Note that if configured, the SSB symbols indicated by the union of SSB-ToMeasure of all configured measurement objects on the same serving carrier can be merged[2]; otherwise, all SSB symbols within the duration of the SMTC window defined in Clause 4.1 of TS 38.213[3] are merged. L SSB symbols are included. For UL, scheduling restrictions apply to UL symbols that fully or partially overlap with restricted symbols as defined below.

[0090] In the Rel-19 NR_NTN_Ph3 work item (WI) described in RP-243300, one of the objectives is DL coverage enhancement, as follows: 1) Specify downlink coverage enhancement with the objective of supporting additional reference satellite payload parameters for both geostationary orbit (GSO) and non-GSO (NGSO) constellations operating in frequency range 1–NTN (FR1-NTN) or frequency range 2–NTN (FR2-NTN) [RAN1, RAN2, RAN4]: (i) Define additional reference satellite payload parameters assuming power sharing across satellite coverage between satellite beams or different satellite beam patterns / sizes (i.e., wide or narrow), such that due to limited power and limited feeder link bandwidth, satellite beams may not be activated simultaneously, or may be below the nominal effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) density of each satellite beam ( See section 6.1.1 in TR38.821. (i) be activated under the following conditions; (ii) define the corresponding power sharing assumptions, necessary link level and system level assessment methods, and relevant KPIs for coverage assessment to allow for the identification of physical channel / signal and system level aspects requiring enhancement, and the corresponding required improvements; (iii) specify solutions, including link level enhancements for FR1-NTN and system level enhancements for FR1-NTN and FR2-NTN, to allow dynamic and flexible power sharing across satellite coverage between satellite beams or between different satellite beam patterns / sizes (e.g., wide or narrow); (a) link level enhancements will be performed for the following channels: PDCCH, at least for the common search space (CSS) (except for type 3), via PDCCH repetition; PDSCH with Msg4, via PDSCH repetition; PDSCH with System Information Block Type 1 (SIB1), via 20 (b) System-level enhancements should be specified for the following: support for extended periods of half-frames with synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel (SS / PBCH) blocks assumed by the UE during initial access; the maximum value of the additional default value (in addition to the existing 20ms value) is 160ms. (iv) Notes for this objective: Synchronization signal block (SSB) channel enhancements other than SSB period extensions are not considered; RAN1 should consider issues such as the UE's cell search complexity and impact on initial cell selection, latency, and success rate for the above extensions; SSB period enhancements that may be defined in this WI description (WID) are only applicable to NTN operations; in the case of smartphones in FR1-NTN, the UE's antenna gain should be assumed to be -5.5dBi, the UE is assumed to be a full-duplex UE, and at least 2Rx is considered at the UE; NGSO should be given priority: LEO Set-1 @ 600 km.

[0091] In Section 9.2C.5.3.1 of 3GPP TS 38.133, the scheduling availability of UEs performing measurements on FR1 using a different subcarrier spacing than PDSCH / PDCCH is as follows: For UEs that do not support simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology

[14] , the following restrictions apply due to SS-RSRP / RSRQ / SINR measurements. - If derivedSSB-IndexFromCell is enabled, the UE is not expected to transmit PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS or receive PDCCH / PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS for CQI on the SSB symbol to be measured and on the 1 data symbol before each consecutive SSB symbol to be measured and on the 1 data symbol after each consecutive SSB symbol to be measured during the SMTC window duration. If the higher-layer signaling for smtc2 is configured (in TS 38.331[2]), the SMTC cycle follows smtc2; otherwise, the SMTC cycle follows smtc1. - If deriveSSB-IndexFromCell is not enabled, the UE is not expected to transmit PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS or receive PDCCH / PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS for CQI on all symbols during the SMTC window duration. If the higher-layer signaling for smtc2 is configured in TS 38.331[2], the SMTC cycle follows smtc2; otherwise, the SMTC cycle follows smtc1. The UE is expected to receive the PDCCH and / or corresponding PDSCH monitored by the UE in the Type 0-PDCCH CSS set on the SSB symbol to be measured. If the following conditions are met: - The UE has been notified of system information updates via paging, - The interval between the reception of the PDCCH of the UE that notifies the system information update monitored in the Type 2-PDCCH CSS set and the PDCCH monitored by the UE in the Type 0-PDCCH CSS set is greater than 2 time slots.

[0092] In Section 9.2C.5.3.2 of 3GPP TS 38.133, scheduling availability when a UE performs measurements on neighboring cells served by different satellites in LEO: For UEs that do not support the capability parallelMeasurementWithoutRestriction, the following restrictions apply due to SS-RSRP / RSRQ / SINR measurements on neighboring cells served by different satellites in LEO. - If derivedSSB-IndexFromCell is enabled, the UE is not expected to transmit PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS or receive PDCCH / PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS for CQI on the SSB symbol to be measured and on the 1 data symbol before each consecutive SSB symbol to be measured, and on the 1 data symbol after each consecutive SSB symbol to be measured, during the duration of the SMTC window. If the higher-layer signaling for SMTC2 is configured (see TS 38.331[2]), the SMTC cycle follows SMTC2; otherwise, the SMTC cycle follows SMTC1. - If deriveSSB-IndexFromCell is not enabled, the UE is not expected to transmit PUCCH / PUSCH / SRS or receive PDCCH / PDSCH / TRS / CSI-RS for CQI on all symbols during the SMTC window duration. If the higher-layer signaling for SMTC2 is configured in TS 38.331[2], the SMTC cycle follows SMTC2; otherwise, the SMTC cycle follows SMTC1. - If the following conditions are met: - The UE has been notified of system information updates via paging; - The interval between the reception of the PDCCH of the UE that is notified of system information updates and the PDCCH of the UE that is monitored in the Type 2-PDCCH CSS set is greater than 2 time slots; - The UE should receive the PDCCH and / or the corresponding PDSCH monitored by the UE in the Type 0-PDCCHCSS set on the SSB symbol to be measured.

[0093] Regarding the coverage enhancement objectives for DL, satellites have power limitations (both transmit power and power consumption limitations), and satellites cannot simultaneously enable communication in all satellite beams (primarily due to the limited number of transmitter and receiver (TRX) chains). During the first meeting of the WI, assumptions and parameters used for coverage assessment were discussed. Three scenarios for operation in FR1 were defined in the WI of 3GPP RAN1 (Working Group 1 for RAN). The main differences between these three scenarios are the percentage of active beams (1% or 10% of the total beam coverage) and the aggregated EIRP from the satellites. Based on the aforementioned WID, the minimum power usage would be 3% if all beams transmit only SSB signals at a period of 160 ms within a half-frame (0.5 ms) window.

[0094] In RAN1#118b and RAN1#119, enhanced support for DL ​​common channels using wider beam coverage and DL / UL dedicated channels using narrower beam coverage was discussed, but no consensus has been reached. This topic was further discussed at RAN#106 (RAN Plenary) in December 2024 for a potential update to WID, but proponents of this configuration failed to successfully introduce this update, and therefore it will not be included in Rel-19. One of the main aspects to be discussed in WI is how the UE will perform measurements of the serving cell if different SSB periods and offsets are taken into account. For example, if the serving cell is a downlink channel estimation (DL-CE) cell with a default SSB period of 160ms, and the neighboring cell is a cell without DL-CE configured and has a default SSB period of 20ms. This is also assumed to be valid in RAN2#129; however, companies are concerned about whether it is possible to use the current measurement configuration.

[0095] The meeting reached a consensus that RAN2 would allow adjacent cells within the same frequency layer to have different SSB periods. Additionally, in RAN2#129, it was agreed that the activation patterns of cells served by the same satellites could be sparse, such as... Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the cell 310 of the active satellite 330 is sparse within the coverage 320 of the satellite 330. For example, satellite 330 and UE 340 can be included in a communication network, such as communication network 100 (similar to satellite 114 and UEs 120 and 122).

[0096] In NR, SSBs for the serving and neighboring cells are measured in the SS / PBCH Block Timing Configuration (SMTC), and only one measurement object should exist for each SSB frequency. In NTN (since Rel-17), due to the significant propagation delay between the serving and neighboring satellites and the UE, it may be impossible to measure SSBs within the same window. Therefore, in Rel-17, a new SMTC list was introduced, which periodically inherits from the SMTC, but allows for different offsets to be configured for different neighboring cells (potentially operating on the same frequency). This is configured in the SSB-MTC4 information element. Additionally, SSB-MTC2 has been defined, which can be configured within the same measurement object but has a shorter period than the SMTC. Figure 4 An excerpt from TS 38.331 is shown, which describes how the SMTC4 list is used by the UE.

[0097] The SSB-MTC “Field Description” is as follows: (i) Duration: The duration of the measurement window for receiving SS / PBCH blocks. The duration is given in terms of the number of subframes. See TS 38.213

[13] , Clause 4.1 (ii) periodicityAndOffset: where the period and offset of the measurement window receiving the SS / PBCH block are ( See TS 38.33, Article Section 5.5.2.10 The period and offset are given in terms of the number of subframes. (iii) smtc2: The auxiliary measurement timing configuration for SS corresponding to this MeasObjectNR, where the PCI is listed in the pci-List. For these SS, the period is indicated by the period in smtc2, and the timing offset is equal to the offset indicated in periodicityAndOffset modulo the period. The period in smtc2 can only be set to a value that is strictly shorter than the period indicated by periodicityAndOffset in smtc1. (For example, if periodicityAndOffset indicates sf10, then periodicity can only be set to sf5; if periodicityAndOffset indicates sf5, then smtc2 cannot be configured).

[0098] The SSB-MTC4 fields are described as follows: (i) pci-List: The PCI that follows this SMTC. (ii) Offset: The offset of the measurement window that receives the SS / PBCH block. See TS 38.331, Clause 5.5.2.10The offset is given in terms of the number of subframes. If smtc4list exists, for each cell indicated in the pci-List parameter of each SSB-MTC4 element in the same MeasObjectNR, the UE shall establish an additional SS / PBCH block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) based on the offset parameter received in each SSB-MTC4 configuration, and use the duration parameter and period (derived from the periodityAndOffset parameter) from the smtc1 configuration. The first subframe of each SMTC timing occurs at the SFN and subframe of the NR SpCell that meets the above conditions. (iii) smtc4list: A list of measurement timing configurations for NTN deployment ( See TS 38.331, Clause 5.5.2.10 The offset of each SSB-MTC4 in smtc4list is based on the assumption that the gNB-UE propagation delay difference between the serving cell and neighboring cells is equal to 0 ms. The UE can adjust the actual offset based on the actual propagation delay difference. For UEs that support fewer SMTCs than those included in this list, the UE can choose which SMTCs to consider.

[0099] For a serving cell in RRC_IDLE, the UE determines the SSB period by reading SIB1, which contains ServingCellConfigCommonSIB and has the ssb-Periodicity field. For neighboring cell measurements in RRC_IDLE, the UE receives information about the SMTC and SMTC4 lists from SIB2 (intra-frequency) or from SIB4 (inter-frequency).

[0100] One issue with the current SMTC4 list is that it does not support periods different from those defined in SMTC (SSB-MTC). In existing solutions, the UE will utilize the SMTC period to measure the SSB, which can lead to measurements being performed without a signal in cases where some SMTCs occur that do not overlap with the SSB transmission. Current measurement requirements are defined based on the assumption that the SSB is available for measurement during the SMTC.

[0101] The issue of SMTC4 not supporting different cycles than SMTC has been discussed in RAN2#129 submission. However, UE behavior regarding scheduling constraints and measurement gaps has not yet been discussed.

[0102] One purpose of defining scheduling constraints is to ensure clear UE behavior during intra-frequency measurements. Scheduling constraints are defined in TS38.133. Typically, RAN4 prioritizes serving cell and neighboring cell measurements within the SMTC over data transmission or reception, unless the UE has the capability to simultaneously measure and receive data. Scheduling constraints are also defined during measurement gaps (e.g., when the UE does not need to receive from / transmit to the corresponding serving cell).

[0103] Therefore, the UE is expected to measure the SSBs of the serving cell and neighboring cells within the SMTC (SSB Measurement Timing Configuration) window. Currently, for NTN, there are two scheduling constraints defined in TS 38.133 (clause 9.2C.5.3) in FR1 (frequency range 1, sometimes also referred to as FR1-NTN when considering NTN operation within the frequency band defined by FR1): 1) The PDCCH / PSDCH transmitted by the serving cell has a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the SSB to be measured, and the UE does not support the capability simultaneousRxDataSSB-DiffNumerology. 2) The UE is measuring the SSBs of neighboring cells from different satellite services in LEO.

[0104] The scheduling limit can be applied to the entire length of the SMTC in the following two cases: 1) if SSB-ToMeasure is not configured; or 2) if derivedSSB-IndexFromCell is not enabled. Otherwise, the scheduling limit applies only to the SSB symbol to be measured, and one data symbol preceding each consecutive SSB symbol to be measured, and one data symbol following each consecutive SSB symbol to be measured.

[0105] Measurement gaps apply to inter-frequency measurements. Similar to SMTC, measurement gaps are defined by repetition period (periodicity) and duration (measurement gap length). During each UE measurement gap, the UE is not required to receive or transmit from or to a Pcell, except for signals used for Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements and signals used for random access procedures. Measurement gaps for NTN are defined in Clause 9.1C of TS 38.133.

[0106] In NR, it is assumed that some signals (such as SSB) are always available in the cell at a configured periodicity. In DL-CE (for NTN systems), if simultaneously active cells are distributed (e.g. Figure 3 As shown in the diagram, even if the SSBs of neighboring cells have the same periodicity at the same frequency, the UE may still be unable to measure the SSBs of neighboring cells because the SSBs of neighboring cells may not be time-aligned. This scenario occurs in... Figure 5 The diagram illustrates that all SSBs from neighboring cells have the same periodicity, but the SSBs from neighboring cells have different time offsets (even though the propagation delay is the same). As shown, two neighboring cells 540 and 530 transmit their SSBs with the same period as the serving cell 520, but with different offsets.

[0107] Typically, SMTC is configured with a period longer than or equal to the SSB period, so that at each SMTC timing, the UE expects the SSB of the serving cell and / or neighboring cells to be available for measurement. This may not be the case in NTN DL-CE, as... Figure 5 As shown, the SMTC 510 configured for serving cell 520 is misaligned with the measurements of neighboring cell 540 or neighboring cell 530.

[0108] One option is to configure an additional SMTC 550 with a shorter period than the SSB, so that it overlaps with the SSBs of all neighboring cells. In NRs with SMTC 2, configuring an SMTC with a shorter period is possible. This SMTC applies to a set of cells, but it is always expected that within each SMTC timing, there will be available SSBs from all those configured cells. However, as shown at 560, there may be times where SMTC 550 does not overlap with any SSB. Using the current definition of scheduling constraints, the UE is not expected to be scheduled during the duration of the SMTC. Therefore, in Figure 5 In the scenario shown, even if SMTC 550 does not overlap with any SSB that might be available for measurement (such as at 560), the UE will not be measured and will also be unavailable for measurement for the duration of SMTC 550. This results in wasted time resources for scheduling. A similar problem can also be associated with situations where the UE is measuring SSBs in other frequencies and using measurement gaps. For example, if a measurement gap occurs that does not overlap with any SSBs in that frequency, time resources for scheduling will be wasted.

[0109] Therefore, some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide technical improvements to address these and other issues. For example, some exemplary embodiments described herein provide techniques that enable both the gNB and the UE to perceive the exact time when no reference signal (e.g., SSB) overlaps with a measurement timing (e.g., SMTC or measurement gap). Various exemplary embodiments described herein allow for the configuration of more intensive measurement timings (e.g., SMTC or measurement gaps with shorter periods) with a lower impact on UE scheduling constraints. For example, some embodiments enable truncation of gNB scheduling constraints due to measurement timing configuration (e.g., SMTC configuration). For example, in some embodiments, truncation of one or more scheduling constraints can enable the UE to determine the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during measurement timings when no SSB is available for measurement. In some embodiments, such truncation is enabled based on UE reports of available time slots without any reference signal (e.g., SSB), and / or the correlation between the gNB's measurement timing configuration (e.g., SMTC) and the measurement timing configurations (e.g., SSB configurations) of one or more neighboring cells.

[0110] In some embodiments, the network may configure the UE with at least one measurement object. In various embodiments, the measurement object may include configuration information associated with the timing of the measurement. For example, the measurement object may include one or more SMTCs. In some embodiments, the measurement object may include one or more SMTCs having a period shorter than any SSB measured at that frequency.

[0111] In some embodiments, the UE may identify at least one measurement opportunity that does not overlap with any reference signal to be measured. For example, the UE may receive the measurement object and identify at least one SMTC opportunity that does not overlap with any SSB opportunities from the serving cell and one or more neighboring cells being measured.

[0112] In some embodiments, identifying measurement opportunities that do not coincide with any reference signal to be measured can be done via explicit indication from the network. For example, the network can indicate to the UE measurement opportunities that are time-discoinciding, non-overlapping, and / or similar to any reference signal to be measured (as described herein). In other words, the network can indicate to the UE at least one SMTC opportunity that does not overlap with any reference signal to be measured. In one example, the network can indicate at least one measurement opportunity that does not coincide with any reference signal to be measured by configuring a new parameter with at least periodicity and offset. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the network can indicate to the UE measurement opportunities that coincide with at least one reference signal to be measured in time. For example, the network can indicate to the UE SMTC opportunities that overlap with at least one SSB to be measured, and the UE can use this information to determine SMTC opportunities that do not overlap with any SSB to be measured.

[0113] In some embodiments, identifying measurement opportunities that do not overlap with any reference signal to be measured can be performed via the UE. For example, the UE can perform measurements of the reference signal to be measured to identify which SMTC opportunities do not overlap with any reference signal to be measured. In some embodiments, if any measurement opportunities do not overlap with any reference signal to be measured exist, the UE can report back to the network. In some embodiments, the UE can also indicate whether there is a difference between the measurement opportunities that the UE has measured regarding those that do not overlap with any reference signal to be measured and those previously indicated by the NW (masking / censoring mode). The network can use this information to schedule the UE, and the UE can be expected to be scheduled to its identified measurement opportunities that do not overlap with any reference signal.

[0114] In some embodiments, if a measurement timing that does not overlap with any reference signal to be measured occurs within the active time of the serving cell, the UE may determine the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data and / or control information during such a measurement timing, and / or monitor scheduling information. For example, during a measurement timing that does not overlap with any reference signal to be measured, the UE may monitor paging and / or other configuration transmissions. In some embodiments, if a measurement timing that does not overlap with any reference signal to be measured does not occur within the active time of the serving cell, the UE may not be expected to be scheduled. In some embodiments, the UE may send signaling indicating a measurement timing that does not overlap with any reference signal to be measured, the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data and / or control information, or truncation of scheduling restrictions.

[0115] Figure 6 Flowcharts are shown according to some embodiments described herein. Figure 6The example flowchart illustrates a non-limiting contextual example of one or more operations that can be performed in association with SMTC timing and SSB. However, in some embodiments, similar operations may also be performed in association with other measurement timings (e.g., measurement gaps) and other reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS).

[0116] As shown in the figure, at 602, the network can configure the UE with a measurement object (represented as "measObject"). This measurement object can configure the UE with an SMTC having a shorter period than any period used for any SSB to be measured (as referenced). Figure 5 (as described).

[0117] In some embodiments, the network may indicate which SMTC timings do not overlap with any SSB to be measured, as shown at 604. 604 is shown in dashed lines, and indication 604 may optionally be included in or excluded from various embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, instead of the network indicating which SMTC timings do not overlap with any SSB to be measured, the UE may determine which SMTC timings do not overlap with any SSB to be measured based on one or more measurements performed by the UE.

[0118] At 606, if there is no SMTC timing that does not overlap with any SSB to be measured, the UE is not expected to be scheduled in any SMTC timing, as shown at 608. However, if there is at least one SMTC timing that does not overlap with any SSB to be measured, the flowchart proceeds to 610. At 610, if the UE is aware of SMTC timings that do not overlap with any SSB (e.g., the network provides an explicit indication of SMTC timings that do not overlap with any SSB), the flowchart proceeds to 612. At 612, if the SMTC timings that do not overlap with any SSB to be measured also do not overlap with the time during which the serving cell is available, the UE is not expected to be scheduled in any SMTC timing, as shown at 608. However, if the SMTC timings that do not overlap with any SSB to be measured also overlap with the time during which the serving cell is available, the UE is expected to be scheduled in these SMTC timings, as shown at 618.

[0119] Returning to 610, if the UE does not know the SMTC timings that do not overlap with any SSB to be measured, the UE identifies which SMTC periods do not overlap with the SSB to be measured, as shown at 614. For example, the UE can determine the SMTC timings that do not overlap with any SSB to be measured based on measurements taken at the UE. Optionally, in some embodiments, the UE can report back to the network which SMTC timings do not overlap with the SSB to be measured, as shown at 616. In either case, the flowchart proceeds to 612, where the UE is expected or not expected to be scheduled during such SMTC timings based on whether the SMTC timings that do not overlap with any SSB to be measured also overlap with the time during which the serving cell is available.

[0120] Figure 7 Example signaling diagrams are shown according to some embodiments described herein. Figure 6 Similarly, although Figure 7 The illustration shows a non-limiting context example of signaling that can be executed in association with SMTC timing and SSB, but in some embodiments, similar signaling may also be executed in association with other measurement timings (e.g., measurement gaps) and other reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS).

[0121] In some embodiments, the serving cell 730 may be configured with a measurement object comprising an SMTC period shorter than any SSB period from the cell, which the UE 740 may measure at a certain frequency (e.g., serving cell 730 and neighboring cell 750), and the measurement object is sent to the UE 740 as shown at 702. In some embodiments, using the same configured SMTC allows the UE 740 to measure cells with different SSB periods and offsets at the same frequency (as shown in reference 702). Figure 5 (as described).

[0122] In some embodiments, the serving cell 730 may explicitly indicate which SMTC opportunities do not overlap with any SSB, as shown at 704. 704 is shown in dashed lines, and indication 704 may optionally be included or excluded from various embodiments. In one example, the SSB period of each of a serving cell and two neighboring cells is equal to 80 ms, but the SSBs have different offsets (e.g., relative to system frame number (SFN) = 0) due to the sparse availability of cells served by the same network node (e.g., satellite). In this example, if the UE is configured with an SMTC period of 20 ms, the UE may be able to utilize the same SMTC to measure both the serving cell and the two neighboring cells. However, one of the four SMTC opportunities will be empty, where no SSB will be available for measurement. In this example, the network node may indicate these SMTC opportunities where no SSB is available for measurement. In one example, such indication may be made via a bitmap of size 160 ms / SMTC period, which uses 1 to indicate SMTC opportunities that do not overlap with any SSB. In another example, such an indication can be given via a sequence of N integers, where the first N-1 values ​​indicate SMTC timings that do not overlap with any SSB, and the Nth integer indicates the number of SMTC timings. For example, 0, 2, and 4 could indicate that in a sequence of four SMTC timings, timing 0 (first timing) and timing 2 (third timing) do not overlap with any SSB to be measured. In either case, some embodiments may configure a reference frame number (e.g., SFN) from which the configuration is applied. This reference frame number can be predetermined, for example, SFN 0.

[0123] In some embodiments, UE 740 assesses whether there is an SMTC period in which no SSB is available, as shown at 710. In some examples, this assessment may be based on explicit indications from the network (e.g., an indication received from serving cell 730 at 704) or by measurements performed by UE 740. In one example, UE 740 may perform measurements to measure SSBs 706 and 708 from serving cell 730 and neighboring cell 750, respectively. If no SSB is detected for a given SMTC period, UE 740 may determine that no SSB is available within the given SMTC period. In various embodiments, this detection may be based on a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) threshold implemented by the UE or configured / normalized by the network. In some embodiments, UE 740 may need to periodically reassess whether an SSB is available in identified SMTC periods.

[0124] In some embodiments, UE 740 may optionally report which SMTC timings do not overlap with any SSB to be measured, as shown at 712. For example, serving cell 730 may configure UE 740 to report back which SMTC timings do not overlap with any SSB to be measured. In some embodiments, this reporting may use the same indication used by the network to indicate to the UE which SMTC timings do not overlap with any SSB to be measured (e.g., as described with reference to 704). Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, UE may send signaling indicating scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data and / or control information. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, UE may send signaling indicating truncation of one or more scheduling restrictions. For example, in some embodiments, UE may truncate one or more scheduling restrictions in order to be scheduled during SMTC timings that do not overlap with the SSB to be measured.

[0125] In some embodiments, UE 740 is expected to be scheduled if an SMTC timing that does not overlap with any SSB to be measured also overlaps with the availability time of serving cell 730. Accordingly, serving cell 730 may schedule UE 740 during an SMTC timing that does not overlap with any SSB to be measured, as shown at 714. For example, in some embodiments, network nodes perform scheduling availability for transmitting or receiving data and / or control information. Therefore, in some embodiments, UE may determine the scheduling availability for transmitting or receiving data or control information during an SMTC timing that does not overlap with any SSB to be measured.

[0126] In some embodiments, scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information may include, for example, the allocation of time slots or other resources for the transmission or reception of data or control information. In various embodiments, such scheduling availability can be used to ensure efficient and effective communication of data or control information between the UE and network nodes. In some embodiments, such data or control information may include, but is not limited to, communications associated with PUCCH, PUSCH, PDCCH, PDCSH, etc.

[0127] In some embodiments, scheduling the UE during an SMTC timing that does not overlap with any SSB to be measured will affect the scheduling restrictions defined in TS 38.133. These requirements can be modified as follows: Option 1: The scheduling restrictions apply to the SMTC timing or measurement gap in which the SSB is available, or otherwise no scheduling restrictions apply. Option 2: The UE is expected to be scheduled within an SMTC timing that does not overlap with any SSB. In some embodiments, existing scheduling restrictions may apply if all SMTC timings overlap with at least one SSB from the serving cell or neighboring cells. In some embodiments, truncated SMTC timings may also be used for UL operation in the case of a RedCap UE with reduced capability to operate in the NTN using half-duplex frequency division duplex (HD-FDD), or in the case of operation using dynamic TDD or subband non-overlapping full-duplex (SBFD).

[0128] Figures 8 to 11 This is a signaling diagram illustrating operations associated with scheduling the UE during measurement timing that does not overlap with any reference signal to be measured, according to some embodiments disclosed herein. Figure 8 and Figure 10 The flowchart shows, for example, by Figure 2 The operation performed by the device 10, as embodied by the UE device, is to support communication sessions with network nodes. Figure 9 and Figure 11 The flowchart shows, for example, by Figure 2 The operations performed by the device 10, such as those embodied by the network node, are used to support communication sessions with the UE device.

[0129] exist Figure 8 In example flowcharts, such as those by Figure 2 The user equipment embodied in device 10 (e.g., UE device 120, 122, or 340) includes components (such as processor 12, radio interface 16, etc.) for receiving first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating: (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities that does not overlap with all reference signals in one or more reference signals to be measured, as shown in block 802. This signaling may be acquired by processor 12 via radio interface 16 (e.g., by receiving the signaling directly or indirectly from a network node). The user equipment also includes components (such as processor 12) for determining, based on the configuration information, the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity, as shown in block 804.

[0130] exist Figure 9 In example flowcharts, such as those by Figure 2The network node embodied by device 10 (e.g., network node 110 or 112, or satellite 114 or 330) includes components (such as processor 12, radio interface 16, etc.) for sending signaling to a user equipment (UE) device, the signaling indicating: (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities that does not overlap with all reference signals in one or more reference signals to be measured, as shown in block 902. This signaling may be sent by processor 16 via radio interface 16 (e.g., directly or indirectly to the UE device). The network node also includes components (such as processor 12, radio interface 16, etc.) for sending to the UE device the scheduling availability of data or control information transmission or reception during the at least one measurement opportunity, as shown in block 904.

[0131] exist Figure 10 In example flowcharts, such as those by Figure 2 The user equipment embodied in the device 10 (e.g., UE device 120, 122, or 340) includes components (such as processor 12, radio interface 16, etc.) for receiving first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities, as shown in block 1002. This signaling may be acquired by processor 12 via radio interface 16 (e.g., by receiving the signaling directly or indirectly from a network node). The user equipment also includes components (such as processor 12) for determining that at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities does not overlap with all reference signals in one or more reference signals to be measured, as shown in block 1004. The user equipment also includes components (such as processor 12) for determining, based on the configuration information, the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during at least one measurement opportunity, as shown in block 1006.

[0132] exist Figure 11 In example flowcharts, such as those by Figure 2The network node embodied by device 10 (e.g., network node 110 or 112, or satellite 114 or 330) includes components (such as processor 12, radio interface 16, etc.) for sending a first signaling to a user equipment (UE) device. This first signaling indicates configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities, wherein at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities does not overlap with all reference signals in one or more reference signals to be measured, as shown in block 1102. This signaling may be sent by processor 16 via radio interface 16 (e.g., directly or indirectly to the UE device). The network node also includes components (such as processor 12, radio interface 16, etc.) for sending to the UE device the scheduling availability of data or control information transmission or reception during at least one measurement opportunity, as shown in block 1104.

[0133] Figures 8 to 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a method according to certain example embodiments. It should be understood that each block or signal, and combinations of blocks and signals, can be implemented by various components, such as hardware, firmware, processors, circuit systems, and / or other communication devices associated with the execution of software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, the above-described one or more processes can be embodied by instructions (such as, for example, computer program instructions). In this regard, instructions embodying the above-described processes can be stored in memory 14 of the apparatus 10 employing the example embodiment and executed by at least one processor 12. It should be understood that any such computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine, such that the resulting computer or other programmable device performs the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can instruct a computer or other programmable device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium thread a product whose execution performs the functions specified in the flowchart blocks. Computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable device to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable device, provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart blocks.

[0134] Therefore, flowchart blocks support combinations of components used to perform specified functions and combinations of operations used to perform specified functions. It should also be understood that one or more blocks in a flowchart, as well as combinations of blocks in a flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware computer system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions to perform the specified functions.

[0135] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples, it is apparent that this disclosure is not limited thereto, but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly, and are intended to illustrate rather than limit the embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways as technology advances. Furthermore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the described embodiments can (but are not required to) be combined with other embodiments in various ways.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: Receive first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities, the at least one measurement opportunity not overlapping with any of the one or more reference signals to be measured; and Based on the configuration information, the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement period is determined.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more measurement opportunities are one or more measurement gaps.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The configuration information includes at least one Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel (SS / PBCH) block measurement timing configuration (SMTC), wherein the period of the at least one SMTC is equal to or less than the shortest period of the one or more reference signals to be measured; as well as The one or more measurement opportunities are one or more SMTC opportunities.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more reference signals include at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block (SSB), a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS), or a mobility reference signal.

5. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform at least: truncate one or more scheduling restrictions to enable determination of the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement opportunity.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform at least: sending a second signaling to the network node, the second signaling indicating at least one of the following: (i) the availability of the scheduling for the transmission or reception of data or control information, or (ii) the truncation of the one or more scheduling restrictions.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first signaling includes a measurement object.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one measurement timing is indicated via a bitmap; The at least one measurement timing is indicated via an integer sequence; The first signaling also indicates a reference frame number, from which the configuration information is applicable; The one or more reference signals are associated with one or more corresponding cells, which include at least one serving cell and at least one neighboring cell; or The device is a User Equipment (UE) device, and the network node is a Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) node.

9. A method for communication, comprising: Receive a first signaling from a network node, the first signaling indicating (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities, the at least one measurement opportunity not overlapping with all reference signals in one or more reference signals to be measured; as well as Based on the configuration information, the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement period is determined.

10. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: A signaling message is sent to a User Equipment (UE) device, the signaling message indicating: (i) configuration information associated with one or more measurement opportunities, and (ii) at least one of the one or more measurement opportunities, wherein the at least one measurement opportunity does not overlap with any of the one or more reference signals to be measured; and Send the scheduling availability for the transmission or reception of data or control information during the at least one measurement timing to the UE device.

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