Priority handling during cell reselection based on ue mobility state

Abstract

There is provided a method of operating a communication device for cell reselection to a cell among a plurality of cells associated with different frequencies. The method includes receiving a configuration of a plurality of frequencies. The method further includes receiving an indication of a priority associated with each frequency of the plurality of frequencies. Furthermore, the method includes selecting a first frequency that have a higher priority than the serving frequency based on a mobility state of the communication device and performing cell reselection to a cell associated with the first frequency. Related communication devices, computer programs, computer program products and non-transitory computer-readable mediums are also disclosed.

Description

PRIORITY HANDLING DURING CELL RESELECTION BASED ON UE MOBILITY STATETECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure relates to wireless communication systems, and in particular, to carrier frequency prioritization based on UE mobility state / condition during cell selection.BACKGROUND

[0001] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a new radio (“NR”) network (e.g., a 5th Generation (“5G”) network) including a 5G core (“5GC”) network 130, network nodes 120a-b (e.g., 5G base station (“gNB”)), multiple communication devices 110 (also referred to as user equipment (“UE”)). However, the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to a NR network. Other communications networks used within the embodiments include a 6G network (i.e. a 6th Generation network).

[0002] In 5G NR or 4thgeneration (“4G”) Long Term Evolution (“LTE”), a UE in a radio resource control ((“RRC”) Idle state or a RRC inactive state can perform cell reselection, which may be characterized as a UE based mobility scheme in which the UE tries to camp in the best possible cell, in order to be paged (i.e. reached by the network) and / or to access the system (when it needs to transmit control signaling and / or UL data). During cell reselection the UE performs measurements of attributes of the serving and neighbour cells to enable the reselection process. Intra-frequency reselection is based on ranking of cells, while inter-frequency reselection is based on absolute priorities where a UE tries to camp on the highest priority frequency available. While the UE is in a serving cell which is good enough, there is no need to perform intra-frequency cell reselection measurements.

[0003] Inter-frequency and / or inter-radio access technology (“RAT”) cell reselection is assisted by the network by the provision of cell reselection priorities per carrier, so the UE camps on a frequency as the network prefers (to distribute the traffic over different frequency layers). Absolute priorities of different NR frequencies or inter-RAT frequencies may be provided to the UE in the system information, in the RRCRelease message, or by inheriting from another RAT at inter-RAT cell (re)selection.

[0004] The UE can perform cell reselection evaluation for NR frequencies and inter-RAT frequencies that are given in system information and for which the UE has a priority provided.

[0005] In some examples, for a NR inter-frequency or inter-RAT frequency with a reselection priority higher than the reselection priority of the current NR frequency, the UE shall perform measurements of higher priority NR inter-frequency or inter-RAT frequencies.

[0006] In other examples, for a NR inter-frequency with an equal or lower reselection priority than the reselection priority of the current NR frequency and for inter-RAT frequency with lower reselection priority than the reselection priority of the current NR frequency, the UE only perform measurements when the serving cell is not good enough (according to specified criteria).

[0007] Therefore, regardless of the quality of the cell in which the UE is camping on, on a given frequency, the UE always evaluates for cell reselection the cells in frequencies which have higher priority than the frequency of the cell in which the UE is currently camping.

[0008] Based on these performed inter-frequency cell reselection measurements on frequencies with higher priority than the frequency of the UE current cell the UE is camping on, the UE evaluates these measurements and, if cell reselection criteria are fulfilled the UE performs inter-frequency cell reselection. And, if more than one cell from the measured cells on the measured frequencies meet the above criteria, the UE can reselect a cell as follows: 1) If the highest-priority frequency is an NR frequency, the highest ranked cell among the cells on the highest priority frequency(ies) meeting the criteria according to clause 3GPP TS 38.304, § 5.2.4.6; or 2) If the highest-priority frequency is from another RAT, the strongest cell among the cells on the highest priority frequency(ies) meeting the criteria of that RAT.

[0009] Therefore, the UE is required to perform inter-frequency cell reselection measurements on frequencies with higher priority than the frequency of the current cell the UE is camping on. And, based on further criteria, the UE reselects to a cell in the highest priority frequency when that cell fulfills the cell reselection criteria.

[0010] According to TS 38.304, “The prioritization among the frequencies which UE considers to be the highest priority frequency is left to UE implementation unless otherwise stated.” Further details are provided for cell reselection, including the evaluation process, measurement, and execution of cell reselection, which are defined as in Appendix A associated with TS38.304.

[0011] Mobile networks have been deployed all over the world in the past decades: starting with providing voice as the only service and evolved gradually over the years with advanced technologies to support mobile broadband and other use cases.

[0012] The increasing demand to support more and more users (UEs) with different use cases have pushed the operators and the technology to increase the capacity in the mobile networks.

[0013] The increased capacity in the Radio Access Network (“RAN”) part is mainly achieved by additional spectrum, i.e. larger portions of radio frequencies. However, due to different restrictions, most network operators have only access to limited part of the spectrum,usually scattered on different frequency bands. This is the reason why the current LTE / NR networks are deployed with multiple overlaid carriers.

[0014] The supported frequency ranges for mobile network deployment have increased in every new generation. With 5G, even high band spectrums (e.g., mmW) are possible to be used. The sixth generation (“6G”) will most probably introduce even further higher frequency ranges.

[0015] There are different techniques regarding how to distribute the users among the overlaid carriers and how to combine them when serving the UE in connected mode.SUMMARY

[0016] There currently exist certain challenges. A UE can be required to perform interfrequency cell reselection measurements on frequencies with higher priority than the frequency of the current cell the UE is camping on. Based on further criteria, the UE reselects to a cell in the highest priority frequency when that cell fulfills the cell reselection criteria. However, it is not clear how the UE determines what is the highest priority frequency, as TS 38.304 simply says that the prioritization among the frequencies which UE considers to be the highest priority frequency is left to UE implementation unless otherwise stated. In some examples, in particular when the UE is highly mobile, considering high frequencies as the ones with highest priorities may lead to unnecessary measurements which may drain the UE battery. Thus, a smart prioritization at the UE implementation is necessary.

[0017] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. In some embodiments, the UE performs cell reselection and camps on a cell of a first frequency as one of the multiple configured frequencies. The priorities of the configured frequencies indicated to the UE can be higher than the UE’s serving frequency. The frequency among the frequencies which UE considers to be the highest priority frequency is dependent on a UE mobility condition / state.

[0018] Some embodiments a provide a method of operating a communication device for cell reselection to a cell among a plurality of cells associated with different frequencies. The method includes receiving a configuration of a plurality of frequencies. The method further includes receiving an indication of a priority associated with each frequency of the plurality of frequencies. Furthermore, the method includes selecting a first frequency that have a higher priority than the serving frequency based on a mobility state of the communication device and performing cell reselection to a cell associated with the first frequency.

[0019] Some embodiments provide a communication device. The communication device including processing circuitry and a memory coupled to the processing circuitry and having instructions stored therein that are executable by the processing circuitry to cause thecommunication device to perform operations comprising any operations of the methods in the communication device.

[0020] Some embodiments provide computer program comprising program code to be executed by the processing circuitry of a communication device, whereby execution of the program code causes the communication device to perform operations comprising any operations of the methods in the communication device.

[0021] Some embodiments provide a computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium including program code to be executed by processing circuitry of a communication device, whereby execution of the program code causes the communication device to perform operations comprising any operations of the methods in the communication device.

[0022] Some embodiments provide a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein that are executable by processing circuitry (1402) of a communication device (1400) to cause the communication device to perform operations comprising any of the operations of the methods in the communications device.

[0023] In some embodiments the method the serving frequency has a first priority, the first frequency has a second priority that has a higher priority than the first priority, a second frequency of the plurality of frequencies has a third priority that is higher than the first priority. Selecting the first frequency of the plurality of frequencies includes selecting the first frequency based on the mobility state.

[0024] In some embodiments the third priority is higher than the second priority.

[0025] In some embodiments the second priority is higher than the third priority.

[0026] In some the first frequency is a higher frequency than the second frequency.

[0027] In some embodiments the first frequency is a lower frequency than the second frequency.

[0028] In some embodiments the mobility state of the communication device comprises at least one of: an indication that the communication device is stationary; an indication that the communication device is mobile; and an indication of a speed that the communication device is moving.

[0029] Certain aspects of these embodiments may provide technical advantages. Some embodiments described herein increase the use of higher frequency bands (e.g., mmW spectrum and Tera Hertz (“THz”) spectrum), and the achievable downlink (“DL”) and uplink (“UL”) throughput of the device since it enables steering of suitable UE:s to higher frequency bands(e.g., mmW or THz) for standalone operation already in idle or inactive mode. For example, by camping on FR2 cells, the UE spares some FR1 spectrum which provides more capacity to others UEs that require FR1 PCell. Furthermore, the chances of the UE camping on FR2 increases, which can provide more spectrum and higher throughput when the situation is suitable (e.g., when the UE is not highly mobile and is able to have a stable connectivity in FR2).

[0030] In some embodiments, the UE only spends energy and battery on scanning / searching for cells in this higher frequency bands, such as when these higher frequency bands are configured with priority higher than the priority of the frequency of the cell the UE is currently camping, when the UE is stationary or not highly mobile, i.e., when the UE has better chances to stay in these high frequency cells in a stable connectivity. This can reduce the overall number of measurements performed by the UE, as it can prevent an unnecessary scanning of larger bandwidths and long beam sweeping procedures, reducing the overall delay for performing cell reselection and improving the energy consumption at the UE.

[0031] In additional or alternative embodiments, a clear UE implementation on how to prioritize the frequencies with higher cell reselection priorities than the current one that the UE camped on is provided, which can give a better chance for the UE to be cell reselected to these higher frequency cells with a stable connectivity.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of inventive concepts. In the drawings:

[0033] FIG. l is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a 5thgeneration (“5G”) network;

[0034] FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating an example of a spectrum range for current and future radio access;

[0035] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a synchronization signal block (“SSB”) in accordance with some embodiments;

[0036] FIG. 4 is a table illustrating an example of frequency ranges in which NR can operate in accordance with some embodiments;

[0037] FIG. 5 is a table illustrating an example of frequency bands in accordance with some embodiments;

[0038] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a UE performing cell selection and camping on a cell according to some embodiments;

[0039] FIG. 7 illustrates an example deployment scenario with multiple overlaid frequency layers;

[0040] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example of operations performed by a communication device to provide priority handling during cell reselection based on a mobility state of the communication device in accordance with some embodiments;

[0041] Figure 9 is a block diagram of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments;

[0042] Figure 10 is a block diagram of a user equipment in accordance with some embodiments;

[0043] Figure 11 is a block diagram of a network node in accordance with some embodiments;

[0044] Figure 12 is a block diagram of a host, which may be an embodiment of the host of Figure QQ1, in accordance with some embodiments;

[0045] Figure 13 is a block diagram of a virtualization environment in accordance with some embodiments; and

[0046] Figure 14 shows a communication diagram of a host communicating via a network node with a user equipment over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art, in which examples of embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. Components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present / used in another embodiment.

[0048] The latest generation of cellular networks allows support of higher frequency ranges (e.g., frequency range 2 (“FR2”) in 5G). Today these frequency ranges are mainly utilized via dual connectivity techniques (e.g., EN-DC and NR-DC) and / or carrier aggregation (“CA”) due to challenges of supporting primary cells (“PCells”) on FR2 (also referred to as mmW standalone operation).

[0049] Thus, currently cells defined in FR2 are either considered as Secondary Cells (“SCells”), for carrier aggregation and / or primary secondary cell (“PSCell”) or SCells of a Secondary Cell Group (“SCG”) for UEs in EN-DC and / or NR-DC (e.g., they are used only for UEs that are in a RRC CONNECTED state and are configured / added via dedicated signaling while the UE is in a RRC CONNECTED state.

[0050] One challenge related to the usage of cells in FR2 frequencies is mobility, as with higher frequencies the signal strength may fluctuate very quickly due to small changes in the environment, which may lead to frequent handovers and / or link failures such as Radio Link Failure (as defined in TS 38.331) and / or Beam Failure Detection (as defined in TS 38.321). Another challenge is battery, where support of PCell on FR2 may require more power.

[0051] As the radio base stations and UE / devices gets more mature, using PCells on FR2 becomes more attractive, for example due to improved beamforming, antennas, and power saving. In addition, the higher demand for resources, capacity and improved service performance calls for a better usage of higher frequencies and the overall spectrum, such as the frequencies defined within FR2, so that there needs to be means to use higher frequency cells (e.g., with bands defined in FR2) also for UEs in power saving / sleeping states, such as RRC IDLE and / or RRC INACTIVE state (as in TS 38.331) defined for 5G New Radio, or future technologies such as 5G Advanced and the Sixth Generation of Radio Access Networks. Since in 6G it is expected an even higher traffic demand, a better utilization of the available spectrum, including the bands in higher frequencies will be very important. In addition, considering that in 6G even higher frequencies are being considered (e.g., in the range of sub THz or even THz), the challenges presented for mmWave would be even higher.

[0052] Thus, in current systems (e.g., 5G NR) and in future mobile systems (e.g., 6G), there are specific devices / use cases which could benefit to use PCells on FR2 or even in higher frequencies (e.g., THz), to increase the overall system capacity and improve the performance per UE. However, it would not be wise for a UE to camp on cells on FR2 frequencies or higher in all scenarios. It might be possible that some FR2 cells are indeed very strong and have much better capacity (partially due to their smaller coverage area, with fewer UEs and the fact that more spectrum is available in these higher frequency bands). However, if the UE is highly mobile, the time the UE would spend in such a cell would be very limited anyways, and the risk of failure is higher, considering the lower reliability of the links in FR2 cells.

[0053] To give an idea, 6G systems would probably have a radio access technology that should be able to operate in spectrum ranges beyond 100 GHz, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0054] When the UE obtains information about multiple frequencies, indicated to the UE with higher cell reselection priority that the frequency of the cell in which the UE is currentlycamping, it’s unclear how the UE prioritizes which frequency to be the highest priority. In the particular case in which the UE is mobile or highly mobile, prioritizing cells in high frequencies may lead to unnecessary measurements, which may drain the UE battery and lead to further cell reselection evaluation(s).

[0055] In some embodiments, a UE can perform cell reselection and camp on a cell of a first frequency depending on a UE mobility condition / state. The first frequency can be one of multiple configured frequencies. Each configured frequency can have an associated priority provided by the network. The priorities of these frequencies indicated to the UE are higher than the frequency of the cell in which the UE is currently camping.

[0056] In some examples, the UE is configured with a set of frequencies having higher cell reselection priorities than the frequency of cell in which the UE is currently camping, and the UE selects one of the frequencies in the set based on UE mobility condition / state and camps on a cell on that selected frequency. For example, when the UE is camping on a cell of a frequency Fl with priority 2 and has been configured with: Frequency F2 (e.g., lower frequency in FR1) with priority 4; Frequency F3 (e.g., high frequency in FR2) with priority 5. The UE may possibly perform measurements on frequencies F2 and F3 but prioritizes between frequencies F2 and F3 for cell reselection based on the UE mobility condition / state.

[0057] In additional or alternative examples, the UE reselects to a cell in F2 when the UE is mobile (even though F2 had a lower priority than F3).

[0058] In additional or alternative examples, the UE reselects to a cell in F3 when the UE is stationary.

[0059] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE receives priority information of multiple frequencies for cell reselection. The priorities of these multiple frequencies can be higher than the priority of the UE’s serving frequency (e.g., frequency of the cell in which the UE is camping). In some examples, the UE performs cell reselection and camps on a cell of a first carrier frequency (e.g., high frequency) among multiple configured frequencies, when the UE is on a first UE mobility condition / state and performs cell reselection and camps on a cell of a second carrier frequency (e.g., lower frequency) among the multiple configured frequencies, when the UE is on a second UE mobility condition / state. In this example, the first carrier frequency is higher than the second carrier frequency and the first UE mobility condition is slower than the second mobility condition.

[0060] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE receives priority information of multiple frequencies for cell reselection. The priorities of these multiple frequencies can be higher than the priority of the UE’s serving frequency, In some examples, the UE performs cell reselection and camps on a cell of a first carrier frequency when the UE is stationary and the UEperforms cell reselection and camps on a second cell of a second carrier frequency when the UE is mobile. In this example, the first carrier frequency is higher than the second carrier frequency.

[0061] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE camps on the selected cell / frequency selected based on the UE mobility state / condition and responds to a paging message in that cell. In response to the paging message, the UE transmits a random-access preamble to that cell, an RRC Setup Request, an RRC Resume Request, transitions from an IDLE state to a CONNECTED state in that cell, and / or transitions from INACTIVE state to a CONNECTED state.

[0062] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE camps on a first cell of the first carrier frequency in FR2 as PCell during cell reselection when the UE is stationary in NR SA operation, and then the UE can be configured to be connected to the same first cell of the first carrier frequency in FR2 as SCell when the UE is mobile.

[0063] In some embodiments, a first carrier frequency (e.g. high frequency) and a second carrier frequency are described. A carrier frequency in this context may be characterized by one or more of: 1) an absolute frequency number; 2) a sync raster (e.g., as defined in TS 38.133); 3) an SSB frequency; 4) a Point A frequency; 5) a physical frequency with or without bandwidth information in Hz; and 6) a frequency band number;.

[0064] An absolute frequency number, such as an ARFCN, can characterize the frequency position of a reference signal and / or a synchronization signal (e.g., a SSB), which the UE needs to search in order to find a cell. For example, such a signal (e.g., a SSB) encodes a cell identity (e.g., a Physical Cell ID) so that when the UE searches for a cell in that frequency position defined by the ARFCN the UE is searching for that cell identity.

[0065] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of an SSB frequency, which can refer to an indication of the frequency position of one of the subcarriers that includes an SSB and / or the frequency position in which one of the signal(s) in the SSB (e.g., PSS, SSS, and / or DRMS) are included.

[0066] A Point A frequency can refer to the Absolute frequency position of the reference resource block (Common RB 0). Its lowest subcarrier is also known as Point A (see TS 38.211, clause 4.4.4.2).

[0067] A frequency band number can be defined by an integer (e.g., “nx”, with x being an integer, such as nl) to refer to an FFD band on FR1 between 1920 MHz - 1980 MHz in the UL, and 2110 MHz - 2170 MHz in the DL. For example, the frequency ranges in which NR can operate (according to TS 38.101) are within frequency range(s) as illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 illustrates further examples of frequency bands.

[0068] The UE performing cell reselection and camping on a cell can include one or more of: 1) The UE evaluating Srxlev and Squal of cells on an SSB frequency; 2) The UE searching for a more suitable cell based on cell reselection criterion, i.e. a cell whose quality (e.g. radio signal strength or RSRP) is above a threshold; 3) The UE performing measurements needed to support cell reselection; 4) The UE finding a cell which satisfies cell reselection criteria and camp on that cell; 5) The UE detecting and synchronizing to a broadcast channel of a cell; 6) The UE receiving and handling broadcast information; 7) The UE camping on a cell and regularly searching for a better cell according to the cell reselection criteria; 8) The UE forwarding NAS system information to NAS; 9) The UE NAS layer informing if the cell reselection result in changes in the received system information relevant for NAS.

[0069] In some embodiments, the UE camps on a cell and responds to a paging message in that cell. In response to the paging message the UE transmits a random-access preamble to that cell, transmits an RRC Setup Request, transitions from an IDLE state to a CONNECTED state in that cell, transmits an RRC Resume Request, and / or transitions from an INACTIVE state to a CONNECTED state in that cell.

[0070] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE receives a set of absolute priorities of different NR frequencies or inter-RAT frequencies (which may be provided to the UE in the system information, in an RRCRelease message (e.g. including a suspend configuration to indicate a transition to RRC INACTIVE or not including a suspend configuration to indicate a transition to RRC IDLE), or by inheriting from another RAT at inter-RAT cell (re) sei ection) and when more than one frequency has a priority higher than the frequency of the cell in which the UE is currently camping, the UE prioritizes among them for cell reselection related actions (e.g. cell reselection evaluations) based on the UE mobility condition / state.

[0071] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE performs cell reselection and camps based on UE mobility state / condition (e.g., selects a cell on a higher frequency when UE is stationary and selects a cell on a lower frequency when UE is mobile) when inter-frequency cell reselection related actions are triggered. In some examples, inter-frequency cell reselection related action are triggered by the reception of a message (e.g., a RRC Release message) while the UE is in RRC CONNECTED indicating one or more frequencies having higher priority than the UE’s current PCell frequency. That would lead the UE to first perform cell selection.

[0072] In additional or alternative examples, the UE selects the same cell which was the UE’s PCell. Then, the UE performs cell reselection by selecting a cell in one of the indicated frequencies, based on the UE mobility state / condition.

[0073] In additional or alternative examples, the UE selects another cell that was not the UE’s PCell, but in the same frequency as the PCell. As above, the UE would also perform cellreselection by selecting a cell in one of the indicated frequencies, based on the UE mobility state / condition.

[0074] In additional or alternative examples, the UE selects a cell in another frequency different than the latest PCell’s frequency. The UE would also perform cell reselection (when there are frequencies with higher priority than the UE’s selected frequency) by selecting a cell in one of the indicated frequencies, based on the UE mobility state / condition.

[0075] In additional or alternative embodiments, the UE performs cell reselection based on cell defined SSBs located on the synchronization raster. For example, the UE camps on a CD- SSB of a higher frequency (e.g., FR2 cell) when it is stationary and camps on a CD-SSB of a lower frequency (e.g. FR1 cell) when it is mobile.

[0076] There may be other scenarios in which the UE perform cell selection, as specified in TS 38.304. ]

[0077] In some embodiments, the above UE operations associated with performing cell reselection and camping on a cell can be applied to scenarios as illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0001] As one of the embodiments, for examples, the UE performing cell selection and camping on a cell can be applied to the scenarios as shown in Fig. 4 from TS 38.304, as a UE implementation step to select a cell by considering the UE mobility state / condition (e.g., speed) and the frequency, as the following list:- Initial Cell Selection (block 400) -> suitable cell found (operation 401)-> camped normally (block 402)-> leave idle / inactive model-(operation 403) > Connected mode (block 404)Stored information Cell Selection (block 406)-> suitable cell found (operation 405) -> camped normally (block 402) -> leave idle / inactive model- (operation 403) > Connected mode (block 404)- Cell Selection upon leaving connected mode (block 408)-> suitable cell found (operation 407) -> camped normally (block 402) -> leave idle / inactive model (operation 403) -> Connected mode (block 404)- Any Cell Selection-(block 410) > suitable cell found (operation 409) -> camped normally (block 402) (via 2)-> leave idle / inactive model-(operation 403) > Connected mode (block 404)

[0002] Other scenarios in Fig. 4 include:- Cell Selection upon leaving connected mode (block 408)-> suitable cell not found (operation 411) -> Stored information Cell Selection (block 406)-> suitable cell found (operation 405) -> camped normally (block 402) -> leave idle / inactive model- (operation 403) > Connected mode (block 404)- Cell Selection upon leaving connected mode (block 408)-> suitable cell not found (operation 411) -> Stored information Cell Selection (block 406)-> suitable cell not found (operation 413) - Initial Cell Selection (block 400) suitable cell found (operation 401)-> camped normally (block 402)-> leave idle / inactive model-(operation 403) > Connected mode (block 404)- Cell Selection upon leaving connected mode (block 408)-> suitable cell not found (operation 411) -> Stored information Cell Selection (block 406)-> suitable cell not found (operation 413) -> Initial Cell Selection (block 400) -> suitable cell not found (operation 415)- Camped normally (block 402)-> NAS indicates that registration on selected PLMN or selection NSPN is rejected (operation 417) -> any cell selection (block 410)- Any cell selection (block 410) -> acceptable cell found - move to idle mode (operation 419) -> camped on any cell (block 412)- Camped on any cell (block 412) -> leave idle mode (operation 421) ->connected mode (emergency calls only) (block 414) -> return to idle mode (operation 423) -> Cell Selection when leaving connected mode (block 416) -> acceptable cell found (operation 425) -> camped on any cell (block 412)- Camped on any cell (block 412) -> leave idle mode (operation 421) ->connected mode (emergency calls only) (block 414) -> return to idle mode (operation 423) -> Cell Selection when leaving connected mode (block 416) ->no acceptable cell found (operation 427) -> any cell selection (block 410)- Camped on any cell (block 412) -> suitable cell found (operation 429) -> camped normally (block 402) (via 2)-> leave idle / inactive model-(operation 403) > Connected mode (block 404)- Go here when no USIM in UE and no subscription for an SNPN (operation 43 l)->any cell selection (block 410) -> USIM inserted or SNPN subscription added (operation 433) ->cell information stored for the PLMN or the SNPM (operation 435) -> stored information cell selection (block 406)- Go here when no USIM in UE and no subscription for an SNPN (operation 43 l)->any cell selection (block 410) -> USIM inserted or SNPN subscription added (operation 433) ->no cell information stored for the PLMN or the SNPM (operation 437) -> initial cell selection (block 400)- Camped normally (block 402) -> trigger for cell reselection (operation 439) -> cell reselection evaluation process (block 418) -> suitable cell found (operation 441) -> camped normally (block 402)- Camped normally (block 402) -> trigger for cell reselection (operation 439) -> cell reselection evaluation process (block 418) -> no suitable cell found (operation 443) -> any cell selection (block 410)- Camped on any cell (block 412) -> trigger for cell reselection (operation 445) -> cell reselection evaluation process (block 420) -> suitable cell found (operation 447) -> camped on any cell (block 412)- Camped normally (block 402) -> trigger for cell reselection (operation 445) -> cell reselection evaluation process (block 420) -> no suitable cell found (operation 449) -> any cell selection (block 410)

[0003] In some examples, a UE implementation operation for selecting a cell by considering the UE mobility status / speed and the physical frequency can be defined by: Cell Reselection Evaluation Process-> suitable cell found -> camped normally -> leave idle / inactive mode-> Connected mode. In other examples, a UE implementation operation for selecting a cell by considering the UE mobility status / speed and the physical frequency can be defined by: Cell Reselection Evaluation Process-> acceptable cell found -> camp on any cell -> camped normally -> suitable cell found -> leave idle / inactive mode-> Connected mode

[0004] In additional or alternative embodiments, camping on a cell refers to the “camped normally” or “Camped on Any Cell state” status which is defined in TS38.304.

[0005] In additional or alternative embodiments, camping on a cell can include the “camped normally” status which is applicable for RRC IDLE and RRC INACTIVE state and in which the UE performs one or more of the following tasks: monitor the paging channel of the cell as specified in clause 7 according to information broadcast in SIB1 monitor Short Messages transmitted with P-RNTI over DCI as specified in clause 6.5 in TS 38.331; monitor relevant System Information as specified in TS 38.331; and perform necessary measurements for the cell reselection evaluation procedure; execute the cell reselection evaluation process on the following occasions / triggers: 1) UE internal triggers, so as to meet performance as specified in TS 38.133; 2) When information on the BCCH used for the cell reselection evaluation procedure has been modified; and 3) When the network slice(s) and / or NSAG information received from NAS changes.

[0006] In additional or alternative embodiments, camping on a cell includes the “camped on any cell state” status which is applicable for RRC IDLE and RRC INACTIVE state and in which the UE performs one or more of the following tasks: monitor Short Messages transmitted with P-RNTI over DCI as specified in clause 6.5 in TS 38.331; monitor relevant System Information as specified in TS 38.331; perform necessary measurements for the cell reselection evaluation procedure; execute the cell reselection evaluation process on the followingoccasions / triggers: 1) UE internal triggers, so as to meet performance as specified in TS 38.133; and 2) When information on the BCCH used for the cell reselection evaluation procedure has been modified; regularly attempt to find a suitable cell trying all frequencies of all RATs that are supported by the UE. If a suitable cell is found, UE shall move to camped normally state; if the UE supports voice services, the UE is not in SNPN access mode, and the current cell does not support IMS emergency calls as indicated by the field ims-EmergencySupport in SIB1 as specified in TS 38.331, the UE shall perform cell selection / reselection to an acceptable cell that supports emergency calls in any supported RAT regardless of priorities provided in system information from current cell, if no suitable cell is found; and if the UE supports voice services, the UE is in SNPN access mode, and the current cell does not support IMS emergency calls for any SNPN(s) as indicated by the field imsEmergencySupportForSNPN in SIB1 as specified in TS 38.331, the UE shall perform cell selection / reselection to an acceptable cell of any available SNPN that supports emergency calls, if no suitable cell is found.

[0007] In additional or alternative embodiments, when multiple frequencies are provided to the UE in either system information or dedicated signalling, it is left for UE implementation to decide the prioritization among the frequencies with higher priorities than the current frequency the UE camps on and decide the highest priority frequency, wherein the prioritization is based on the UE mobility status together with the physical frequency info, so the higher priorities frequencies are measured according with the cell from the frequencies fulfilling the criteria for cell reselection is reselected to and camped on.

[0008] In additional or alternative embodiments, based on the network provided cell reselection priorities, each frequency has a "relative priority" comparing to the frequency of the UE where the UE has camped on. i.e., either equal priority, lower priority, or higher priority. For example, if current frequency fO has CRP=3 but there are 3 other frequencies fl, f2, f3 with CRP 4,5,7 respectively, all of them have higher priority comparing to fO, so it is up to the UE implementation to prioritize between fl, f2, f3. By considering the UE mobility status and physical frequency. In some examples, if the UE is stationary and fl is the mmwave band while f2 and f3 are mid band, the UE could prioritize the fl band as the highest priority for cell reselection measurement and execution. In additional or alternative examples, if the UE is mobile and fl is the mmwave band while f2 and f3 are mid band, the UE could prioritize the f2 and f3 as the highest priority frequency for cell reselection measurement and execution, e.g., by taking the CRP value of f2 and f3.

[0009] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of testing the standalone (“SA”) operation with UE mobility. Further examples of test scenarios are described in Appendix B.

[0010] Operations of the communication device QQ200 (implemented using the structure of Figure 10) will now be discussed with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 8 according to some embodiments of inventive concepts. For example, modules may be stored in memory QQ210 of Figure 10, and these modules may provide instructions so that when the instructions of a module are executed by respective communication device processing circuitry QQ202, communication device QQ200 performs respective operations of the flow chart.

[0011] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of operations performed by a communication device. In some embodiments, the communication device is camped on a first cell with a serving frequency.

[0012] At block 810, processing circuitry QQ202 receives, via communication interface QQ212, a configuration of a plurality of frequencies. In some embodiments, the plurality of frequencies are a plurality of carrier frequencies each characterized by at least one of: an absolute frequency number; a sync raster; a synchronization signal frequency; a Point A frequency; a physical frequency; and a frequency band number.

[0013] At block 820, processing circuitry QQ202 receives, via communication interface QQ212, an indication of a priority associated with each frequency of a plurality of frequencies.

[0014] At block 830, processing circuitry QQ202 selects a first frequency of the plurality of frequencies based on a mobility state of the communication device. In some embodiments, the serving frequency has a first priority, the first frequency has a second priority that has a higher priority than the first priority, and a second frequency of the plurality of frequencies has a third priority that is higher than the first priority. Selecting the first frequency of the plurality of frequencies includes selecting the first frequency based on the mobility state.

[0015] In some embodiments the processing circuitry QQ202 selects the first frequency of the plurality of frequencies based on the mobility state relative to a threshold mobility.

[0016] In some examples, the first frequency is a higher frequency than the second frequency and selecting the first frequency based on the mobility state. In some embodiments this includes the mobility state being slower than the threshold mobility.

[0017] In other examples, the first frequency is a lower frequency than the second frequency and selecting the first frequency based on the mobility state. In some embodiments this includes the mobility state being faster than the threshold mobility.

[0018] In additional or alternative examples, the third priority is higher than the second priority.

[0019] In additional or alternative examples, the second priority is higher than the third priority.

[0020] In additional or alternative embodiments, the mobility state of the communication device includes at least one of: an indication that the communication device is stationary; an indication that the communication device is mobile; and an indication of a speed that the communication device is moving.

[0021] In some embodiments the mobility state is defined according to the 3GPP standard, see for example section 5.2.4.3 “Mobility states of a UE” in TS 38.304 (v.17.4.0).

[0022] At block 840, processing circuitry QQ202 performs cell reselection to a second cell associated with the first frequency. In some embodiments, performing the cell reselection to the second cell associated with the first frequency includes camping on the second cell as a primary cell, PCell, based on the mobility state being stationary. In additional or alternative embodiments, performing the cell reselection to the second cell associated with the first frequency includes connecting to the second cell as secondary cell based on the mobility state being mobile.

[0023] In additional or alternative embodiments, performing the cell reselection to the second cell includes at least one of: evaluating Srxley and Squal of cells on a synchronization signal frequency; searching for a more suitable cell based on cell reselection criterion; performing measurements used to support cell reselection; finding the second cell based on the second cell satisfying cell reselection criteria; camping on the second cell; detecting and synchronizing to a broadcast channel of the second cell; receiving and handling broadcast information; forwarding non-access stratum, NAS, system information to NAS; and informing whether the cell reselection result changes in the received system information.

[0024] In additional or alternative embodiments, the mobility state of the communication device is stationary. A message can be received while the communication device is camped on the first cell, the first cell being a primary cell, PCell, using a PCell frequency, the message indicating the plurality of frequencies. The communication device can further perform at least one of: selecting the second cell to be the PCell; selecting the second cell to be a cell that is separate from the PCell and uses the PCell frequency; and selecting the second cell to be a cell that is separate from the PCell and that uses a different frequency than the PCell frequency.

[0025] In additional or alternative embodiments, performing the cell reselection includes performing cell reselection according to a procedure based on cell defined synchronization signals located on a synchronization raster to cause the communication device to camp on a cell defining synchronization signal, CD-SS, of a higher frequency when the communication device is stationary and camp on a CD-SS of a lower frequency when the communication device is mobile.

[0026] At block 840, processing circuitry QQ202 receives, via communication interface QQ212, a paging message from the second cell.

[0027] At block 850, processing circuitry QQ202 performs an action in response to receiving the paging message. In some embodiments, performing the action includes performing at least one of: transmitting a random access, RA, preamble to the second cell; transmitting a setup message to the second cell; transmitting; a resume request to the second cell; transitioning from an idle state to a connected state; and transitioning from an inactive state to a connected state.

[0028] Various operations from the flow chart of FIG. 8 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of communication devices and related methods.

[0029] Figure 9 shows an example of a communication system QQ100 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0030] In the example, the communication system QQ100 includes a telecommunication network QQ102 that includes an access network QQ104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network QQ106, which includes one or more core network nodes QQ108. The access network QQ104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes QQ110a and QQ110b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes QQ110), or any other similar 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP access point. Moreover, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the network nodes QQ110 are not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it will be understood that the network nodes QQ110 may include disaggregated implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunication network QQ102 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network QQ102 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., a specification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in the telecommunication network QQ102, including one or more network nodes QQ110 and / or core network nodes QQ108.

[0031] Examples of an ORAN network node include an open radio unit (O-RU), an open distributed unit (O-DU), an open central unit (O-CU), including an O-CU control plane (O-CU- CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (near-real time or non-real time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near-real time RAN control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real time RAN automation application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designating support of an ORAN specification). The network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORANspecification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Intents and content-aware notifications described herein may be communicated from a 3 GPP network node or an ORAN network node over 3GPP-defined interfaces (e.g., N2, N3) and / or ORAN Alliance-defined interfaces (e.g., Al, 01). Moreover, an ORAN network node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an 0-2 interface defined by the 0-RAN Alliance. The network nodes QQ110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting wireless devices QQ112a, QQ112b, QQ112c, and QQ112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs QQ112) to the core network QQ106 over one or more wireless connections. The network nodes QQ110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs QQ112a, QQ112b, QQ112c, and QQ112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs QQ112) to the core network QQ106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0032] Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system QQ100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system QQ100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0033] The UEs QQ112 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes QQ110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes QQ110 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs QQ112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network QQ102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network QQ102.

[0034] In the depicted example, the core network QQ106 connects the network nodes QQ110 to one or more hosts, such as host QQ116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may bedirectly coupled to hosts. The core network QQ106 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node QQ108) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node QQ108. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-concealing function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0035] The host QQ116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network QQ104 and / or the telecommunication network QQ102, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host QQ116 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0036] As a whole, the communication system QQ100 of Figure 9 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G); wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low- power wide-area network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0037] In some examples, the telecommunication network QQ102 is a cellular network that implements 3 GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network QQ102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network QQ102. For example, the telecommunicationsnetwork QQ102 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / Massive loT services to yet further UEs.

[0038] In some examples, the UEs QQ112 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network QQ104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network QQ104. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0039] In the example, the hub QQ114 communicates with the access network QQ104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and network nodes (e.g., network node QQ110b). In some examples, the hub QQ114 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub QQ114 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network QQ106 for the UEs. As another example, the hub QQ114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes QQ110, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub QQ114. As another example, the hub QQ114 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub QQ114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub QQ114 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub QQ114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub QQ114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular in if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0040] The hub QQ114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node QQ110b. The hub QQ114 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub QQ114 and UEs (e.g., UE QQ112c and / or QQ112d), and between the hub QQ114 and the core network QQ106. In other examples, the hub QQ114 is connected to the core network QQ106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub QQ114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over theaccess network QQ104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes QQ110 while still connected via the hub QQ114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub QQ114 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node QQ110b. In other embodiments, the hub QQ114 may be a nondedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node QQ110b, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0041] Figure 10 shows a UE QQ200 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless cameras, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), smart device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0042] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3 GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle- to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller).Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0043] The UE QQ200 includes processing circuitry QQ202 that is operatively coupled via a bus QQ204 to an input / output interface QQ206, a power source QQ208, a memory QQ210, a communication interface QQ212, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 10. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEsmay contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0044] The processing circuitry QQ202 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory QQ210. The processing circuitry QQ202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry QQ202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0045] In the example, the input / output interface QQ206 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE QQ200. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0046] In some embodiments, the power source QQ208 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source QQ208 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source QQ208 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE QQ200 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source QQ208. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source QQ208 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE QQ200 to which power is supplied.

[0047] The memory QQ210 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable readonly memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory QQ210 includes one or more application programs QQ214, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data QQ216. The memory QQ210 may store, for use by the UE QQ200, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0048] The memory QQ210 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini-dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as tamper resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as ‘SIM card.’ The memory QQ210 may allow the UE QQ200 to access instructions, application programs and the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory QQ210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0049] The processing circuitry QQ202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface QQ212. The communication interface QQ212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna QQ222. The communication interface QQ212 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter QQ218 and / or a receiver QQ220 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter QQ218 and receiver QQ220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna QQ222) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0050] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface QQ212 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short- range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / intemet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0051] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface QQ212, via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0052] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch, related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0053] A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (loT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for AugmentedReality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE QQ200 shown in Figure 10.

[0054] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3 GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3 GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0055] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g. by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and / or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator, and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0056] Figure 11 shows a network node QQ300 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment, in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), NRNodeBs (gNBs)), 0-RAN nodes, or components of an 0-RAN node (e.g., intelligent controller, 0-RU, 0-DU, O-CU).

[0057] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio basestation such as centralized digital units and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0058] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi -standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0059] The network node QQ300 includes a processing circuitry QQ302, a memory QQ304, a communication interface QQ306, and a power source QQ308. The network node QQ300 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and a RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node QQ300 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node QQ300 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory QQ304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna QQ310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node QQ300 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node QQ300, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node QQ300.

[0060] The processing circuitry QQ302 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node QQ300 components, such as the memory QQ304, to provide network node QQ300 functionality.

[0061] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry QQ302 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry QQ302 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry QQ312 and baseband processing circuitry QQ314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry QQ312 and the baseband processing circuitry QQ314 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry QQ312 and baseband processing circuitry QQ314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0062] The memory QQ304 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer- readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry QQ302. The memory QQ304 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry QQ302 and utilized by the network node QQ300. The memory QQ304 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry QQ302 and / or any data received via the communication interface QQ306. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry QQ302 and memory QQ304 is integrated.

[0063] The communication interface QQ306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between a network node, access network, and / or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface QQ306 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) QQ316 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface QQ306 also includes radio front-end circuitry QQ318 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna QQ310. Radio front-end circuitry QQ318 comprises filters QQ320 and amplifiers QQ322. The radio front-end circuitry QQ318 may be connected to an antenna QQ310 and processing circuitry QQ302. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna QQ310 and processing circuitry QQ302. The radio front-end circuitry QQ318 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry QQ318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters QQ320 and / or amplifiers QQ322. The radio signalmay then be transmitted via the antenna QQ310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna QQ310 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio frontend circuitry QQ318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry QQ302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0064] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node QQ300 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry QQ318, instead, the processing circuitry QQ302 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna QQ310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry QQ312 is part of the communication interface QQ306. In still other embodiments, the communication interface QQ306 includes one or more ports or terminals QQ316, the radio front-end circuitry QQ318, and the RF transceiver circuitry QQ312, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface QQ306 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry QQ314, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0065] The antenna QQ310 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna QQ310 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry QQ318 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna QQ310 is separate from the network node QQ300 and connectable to the network node QQ300 through an interface or port.

[0066] The antenna QQ310, communication interface QQ306, and / or the processing circuitry QQ302 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna QQ310, the communication interface QQ306, and / or the processing circuitry QQ302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[0067] The power source QQ308 provides power to the various components of network node QQ300 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source QQ308 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node QQ300 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node QQ300 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source QQ308. As a further example, thepower source QQ308 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0068] Embodiments of the network node QQ300 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 11 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node QQ300 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node QQ300 and to allow output of information from the network node QQ300. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node QQ300.

[0069] Figure 12 is a block diagram of a host QQ400, which may be an embodiment of the host QQ116 of Figure 9, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host QQ400 may be or comprise various combinations hardware and / or software, including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host QQ400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0070] The host QQ400 includes processing circuitry QQ402 that is operatively coupled via a bus QQ404 to an input / output interface QQ406, a network interface QQ408, a power source QQ410, and a memory QQ412. Other components may be included in other embodiments. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 10 and 11, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of host QQ400.

[0071] The memory QQ412 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs QQ414 and data QQ416, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by a UE for the host QQ400 or data generated by the host QQ400 for a UE.Embodiments of the host QQ400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs QQ414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application programs QQ414 may also provide for user authentication and licensing checks and may periodically report health, routes, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in or on the edge of a core network.Accordingly, the host QQ400 may select and / or indicate a different host for over-the-top services for a UE. The host application programs QQ414 may support various protocols, such as the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0072] Figure 13 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment QQ500 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments QQ500 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualization environment QQ500 includes components defined by the 0-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an 0-2 interface.

[0073] Applications QQ502 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0074] Hardware QQ504 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers QQ506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs QQ508a and QQ508b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs QQ508), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer QQ506 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs QQ508.

[0075] The VMs QQ508 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer QQ506. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance QQ502 may be implemented onone or more of VMs QQ508, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers, and customer premise equipment.

[0076] In the context of NFV, a VM QQ508 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs QQ508, and that part of hardware QQ504 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs QQ508 on top of the hardware QQ504 and corresponds to the application QQ502.

[0077] Hardware QQ504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware QQ504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware QQ504 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g. such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration QQ510, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications QQ502. In some embodiments, hardware QQ504 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system QQ512 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0078] Figure 14 shows a communication diagram of a host QQ602 communicating via a network node QQ604 with a UE QQ606 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as a UE QQ112a of Figure 9 and / or UE QQ200 of Figure 10), network node (such as network node QQ110a of Figure 9 and / or network node QQ300 of Figure 11), and host (such as host QQ116 of Figure 9 and / or host QQ400 of Figure 12) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 14.

[0079] Like host QQ400, embodiments of host QQ602 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host QQ602 also includes software, which is stored in or accessible by the host QQ602 and executable by the processingcircuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as the UE QQ606 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection QQ650 extending between the UE QQ606 and host QQ602. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection QQ650.

[0080] The network node QQ604 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host QQ602 and UE QQ606. The connection QQ660 may be direct or pass through a core network (like core network QQ106 of Figure 9) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0081] The UE QQ606 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by UE QQ606 and executable by the UE’s processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific “app” that may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via UE QQ606 with the support of the host QQ602. In the host QQ602, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection QQ650 terminating at the UE QQ606 and host QQ602. In providing the service to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host's host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection QQ650 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The UE's client application may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides to the host application through the OTT connection QQ650.

[0082] The OTT connection QQ650 may extend via a connection QQ660 between the host QQ602 and the network node QQ604 and via a wireless connection QQ670 between the network node QQ604 and the UE QQ606 to provide the connection between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606. The connection QQ660 and wireless connection QQ670, over which the OTT connection QQ650 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606 via the network node QQ604, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0083] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection QQ650, in step QQ608, the host QQ602 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE QQ606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE QQ606 that shares data with the host QQ602 without explicit human interaction. In step QQ610, the host QQ602 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE QQ606. The host QQ602 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE QQ606. The request maybe caused by human interaction with the UE QQ606 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE QQ606. The transmission may pass via the network node QQ604, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step QQ612, the network node QQ604 transmits to the UE QQ606 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host QQ602 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step QQ614, the UE QQ606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE QQ606 associated with the host application executed by the host QQ602.

[0084] In some examples, the UE QQ606 executes a client application which provides user data to the host QQ602. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host QQ602. Accordingly, in step QQ616, the UE QQ606 may provide user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via an input / output interface of the UE QQ606. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE QQ606 initiates, in step QQ618, transmission of the user data towards the host QQ602 via the network node QQ604. In step QQ620, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node QQ604 receives user data from the UE QQ606 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host QQ602. In step QQ622, the host QQ602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE QQ606.

[0085] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE QQ606 using the OTT connection QQ650, in which the wireless connection QQ670 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may enable the use of higher frequency bands and higher achievable DL and UL throughput of the device since it enables steering of suitable UEs to higher frequency bands for standalone operation already in idle or inactive mode.

[0086] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host QQ602. As another example, the host QQ602 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host QQ602 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host QQ602 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. As another example, the host QQ602 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR or AR which it can broadcast, multicast or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the host QQ602 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-timecritical electrical load to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing and / or transmitting data.

[0087] In some examples, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection QQ650 between the host QQ602 and UE QQ606, in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and / or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware of the host QQ602 and / or UE QQ606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection QQ650 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or supplying values of other physical quantities from which software may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of the OTT connection QQ650 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node QQ604. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency and the like, by the host QQ602. The measurements may be implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection QQ650 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0088] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, acommunication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0089] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and a wireless network generally.APPENDIX A5.2.4 Cell Reselection evaluation process5.2.4.1 Reselection priorities handlingAbsolute priorities of different NR frequencies or inter-RAT frequencies may be provided to the UE in the system information, in the RRCRelease message, or by inheriting from another RAT at inter-RAT cell (re)selection. [...][...]NOTE Oc: The prioritization among the frequencies which UE considers to be the highest priority frequency is left to UE implementation unless otherwise stated.[...]The UE shall only perform cell reselection evaluation for NR frequencies and inter-RAT frequencies that are given in system information and for which the UE has a priority provided. [...]5.2.4.2 Measurement rules for cell re-selectionFollowing rules are used by the UE to limit needed measurements:- If the Serving Cell fulfils Srxlev > SlntraSearchP and Squal > SlntraSearchQ:- If distanceThresh and referenceLocation are broadcasted in SIB 19, and if UE supports location-based measurement initiation and has obtained its location information:- If the distance between UE and the serving cell reference location referenceLocation is shorter than distanceThresh, the UE may not perform intra-frequency measurements;- Else, the UE shall perform intra-frequency measurements;- Else, the UE may not perform intra-frequency measurements;- Else, the UE shall perform intra-frequency measurements.- The UE shall apply the following rules for NR inter-frequencies and inter-RAT frequencies which are indicated in system information and for which the UE has priority provided as defined in 5.2.4.1 :- For a NR inter-frequency or inter-RAT frequency with a reselection priority higher than the reselection priority of the current NR frequency, the UE shall perform measurements of higher priority NR inter-frequency or inter-RAT frequencies according to TS 38.133 [8],- For a NR inter-frequency with an equal or lower reselection priority than the reselection priority of the current NR frequency and for inter-RAT frequency with lower reselection priority than the reselection priority of the current NR frequency:If the Serving cell fulfils Srxlev > SnonlntraSearchP and Squ l > SnonlntraSearchQ:- If distanceThresh and referenceLocation are broadcasted in SIB 19, and if UE supports location-based measurement initiation and has obtained its UE location information:- If the distance between UE and the serving cell reference location referenceLocation is shorter than distanceThresh, the UE may choose not to perform measurements of NR inter-frequency cells of equal or lower priority, or inter-RAT frequency cells of lower priority;- Else, the UE shall perform measurements of NR inter-frequency cells of equal or lower priority, or inter-RAT frequency cells of lower priority according to TS 38.133 [8];- Else, the UE may choose not to perform measurements of NR inter-frequency cells of equal or lower priority, or inter-RAT frequency cells of lower priority;- Else, the UE shall perform measurements of NR inter-frequency cells of equal or lower priority, or inter-RAT frequency cells of lower priority according to TS 38.133 [8],- If the UE supports relaxed measurement and relaxedMeasurement is present in SIB2, the UE may further relax the needed measurements, as specified in clause 5.2.4.9.[...]5.2.4.5 NR Inter-frequency and inter-RAT Cell Reselection criteriaIf threshServingLowQ is broadcast in system information and more than 1 second has elapsed since the UE camped on the current serving cell, cell reselection to a cell on a higher priority NR frequency or inter-RAT frequency than the serving frequency shall be performed if:- A cell of a higher priority NR or EUTRAN RAT / frequency fulfils Squal > Threshx, HighQ during a time interval TreselectionRATOtherwise, cell reselection to a cell on a higher priority NR frequency or inter-RAT frequency than the serving frequency shall be performed if:- A cell of a higher priority RAT / frequency fulfils Srxlev > Threshx, HighP during a time interval TreselectionRAT; and- More than 1 second has elapsed since the UE camped on the current serving cell.Cell reselection to a cell on an equal priority NR frequency shall be based on ranking for intrafrequency cell reselection as defined in clause 5.2.4.6.If threshServingLowQ is broadcast in system information and more than 1 second has elapsed since the UE camped on the current serving cell, cell reselection to a cell on a lower priority NR frequency or inter-RAT frequency than the serving frequency shall be performed if:The serving cell fulfils Squal < Threshserving, LowQ and a cell of a lower priority NR or E- UTRAN RAT / frequency fulfils Squal > Threshx,LowQ during a time interval TreselectionRAT.Otherwise, cell reselection to a cell on a lower priority NR frequency or inter-RAT frequency than the serving frequency shall be performed if:- The serving cell fulfils Srxlev < Threshserving, LOWP and a cell of a lower priority RAT / frequency fulfils Srxlev > Threshx, LowP during a time interval TreselectionRAT; and- More than 1 second has elapsed since the UE camped on the current serving cell.Cell reselection to a higher priority RAT / frequency shall take precedence over a lower priority RAT / frequency if multiple cells of different priorities fulfil the cell reselection criteria.If more than one cell meets the above criteria, the UE shall reselect a cell as follows:- If the highest-priority frequency is an NR frequency, the highest ranked cell among the cells on the highest priority frequency(ies) meeting the criteria according to clause 5.2.4.6;- If the highest-priority frequency is from another RAT, the strongest cell among the cells on the highest priority frequency(ies) meeting the criteria of that RAT.APPENDIX BExamples of test scenarios for testing the SA operation with UE mobility.In general, the UE performing cell reselection based on UE mobility state in the case the UE is configured with multiple frequencies with higher priority than the UE’s camping frequency may be tested by emulating for each test a UE mobility state and checking in which cell the UE is either trying to perform the initial access for establishing an RRC CONNECTED during initial attach, or in which cell the UE would be responding to a Paging message (transmitted in multiple cells). However, in addition to it, one needs to setup a priority of the UE’s current cell which is always lower.In a first possible test, one can keep the UE in RRC CONNECTED in a cell A of frequency FO and send an RRC Release message without frequencies for cell reselection with higher priority than the UE’s current PCell. We should observe the typical UE behavior of UE cell selection, which might be the UE selecting the UE’s current PCell to camp on, which may be tested by transmitting a paging right after the UE has been released and observing the UE responding to the paging in that same cell. In other words, in the lab setup the gNodeB node sends an RRC Release to the UE in RRC CONNECTED in cell A as PCell and, few instants later the same gNodeB sends in the same cell a Paging message and receives a random access preamble (transmits a random access response) and an RRC Setup Request (in case the UE comes from RRC IDLE). That shows that UE selects the same cell as ther PCell when released to RRC IDLE, in that lab setup environment with other frequencies e.g. Fl and F2.Now that we establish that the UE selects the same cell as the PCell when it transitions toRRC IDLE (a cell in FO frequency), we can test the UE cell reselection behavior when priorities are provided to the UE by, in a second test, transmitting in the RRC Release to the UE including cell reselection priorities with values higher than the priority for the current PCell frequency (higher than FO). Thus, as tested before, the UE would first select the previous PCell and, according to the specifications it performs inter-frequency cell reselection measurements and selects a cell either in Fl or F2.Then, we can test whether a UE is implementing the method in which it selects a cell in Fl (e.g. FR1, lower frequency band, etc.) when it is mobile and in F2 (e.g. in FR2, higher frequency band, etc.) when it is stationary by a lab set in which we provide two cells: cell X in Fl and cell Y in F2 (with overlapping coverage and the UE being under the coverage of both). Then, in the lab set we can perform one or more of the actions:- We can use a Paging message to verify that the UE implements the method. For example, the UE is in IDLE or INACTIVE state and, in principle, we are not certain in which of the two cells the UE is camping. Then, we can make the UE stationary, andsend a Paging message the UE in both FO, Fl and F2 cells (notice that we would need to configure the cells as part of the UE(s) tracking area information lists). We verify that the UE implements the method when the UE is mobile in the lab setup and the UE responds in the Fl cell and / or when the UE is stationary in the lab setup and the UE responds in the F2 cell. Responding to Paging in this context means that the UE transmits a Random access preamble, receives a random access response, transmits msg3, receives msg4 and transmits an RRC Setup Request (if it is in IDLE) or an RRC Resume Request (if it is in INACTIVE).- In another possible test, we could define an application at the UE which transmits UL data to a server. In other words, in the lab set we could force the UE to attempt to transition to RRC CONNECTED, for transmitting that UL data. For example, the UE is in IDLE or INACTIVE state and, in principle, we are not certain in which of the two cells the UE is camping. Then, we can make the UE stationary, force the UE to transmit the UL data (e.g. by trigger an app to transmit data) so verify that the UE implements the method when the UE is mobile in the lab setup and the UE responds in the Fl cell and / or when the UE is stationary in the lab setup and the UE responds in the F2 cell. Responding in this context means that the UE transmits a Random access preamble, receives a random access response, transmits msg3, receives msg4 and transmits an RRC Setup Request (if it is in IDLE) or an RRC Resume Request (if it is in INACTIVE). while the moving UE can only use frequency fe in FR2 as a PSCell or SCell.Another way to describe the SA operation is to say that the cell in FR2 is configured to the UE as a PCell , during the transition to RRC CONNECTED.Test scenarios for testing the SA operation with UE mobility.• If we assume a 5G UE supporting NR DC with FR1 n78 + FR2 n255 and NR CA with FR2 SA capability with n255 and n256.• It’s configurable to set up UE mobility with Doppler shift to model the UE speed. When the channel condition is configured by different UE speeds for example 5km / h, 30km / h, 70km / h, 120kHz as the mobile UE and stationary UE with Okm / h.• When the UE is mobile the cell reselection will only camp on FR1 n78 + FR2 n255 where n255 is the SCell. Only when the UE is stationary the UE will camp on n255 as the PCell after cell reselection.ABBREVIATIONSAt least some of the following abbreviations may be used in this disclosure. If there is an inconsistency between abbreviations, preference should be given to how it is used above. If listed multiple times below, the first listing should be preferred over any subsequent listing(s).5GC 5G Core NetworkAMF Access and Mobility Management Function lx RTT CDMA2000 lx Radio Transmission Technology3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project5G 5th Generation6G 6th GenerationABS Almost Blank SubframeARQ Automatic Repeat RequestAWGN Additive White Gaussian NoiseBCCH Broadcast Control ChannelBCH Broadcast ChannelCA Carrier AggregationCC Carrier ComponentCCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDUCDMA Code Division Multiplexing AccessCGI Cell Global IdentifierCIR Channel Impulse ResponseCP Cyclic PrefixCPICH Common Pilot ChannelCPICH Ec / No CPICH Received energy per chip divided by the power density in the bandCQI Channel Quality informationC-RNTI Cell RNTICSI Channel State InformationDCCH Dedicated Control ChannelDL DownlinkDM DemodulationDMRS Demodulation Reference SignalDRX Discontinuous ReceptionDTX Discontinuous TransmissionDTCH Dedicated Traffic ChannelDUT Device Under TestE-CID Enhanced Cell-ID (positioning method) eMBMS evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services E-SMLC Evolved- Serving Mobile Location CentreECGI Evolved CGI eNB E-UTRAN NodeB ePDCCH Enhanced Physical Downlink Control ChannelE-SMLC Evolved Serving Mobile Location CenterE-UTRA Evolved UTRAE-UTRAN Evolved UTRANFDD Frequency Division DuplexFFS For Further Study gNB Base station in NR GNSS Global Navigation Satellite SystemHARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat RequestHO HandoverHSPA High Speed Packet AccessHRPD High Rate Packet DataLOS Line of SightLPP LTE Positioning ProtocolLTE Long-Term EvolutionMAC Medium Access ControlMAC Message Authentication CodeMBSFN Multimedia Broadcast multicast service Single Frequency NetworkMBSFN ABS MBSFN Almost Blank SubframeMDT Minimization of Drive TestsMIB Master Information BlockMME Mobility Management EntityMSC Mobile Switching CenterNPDCCH Narrowband Physical Downlink Control ChannelNR New RadioOCNG OFDMA Channel Noise GeneratorOFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division MultiplexingOFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access OSS Operations Support SystemOTDOA Observed Time Difference of ArrivalO&M Operation and MaintenancePBCH Physical Broadcast ChannelP-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical Channel PCell Primary CellPCFICH Physical Control Format Indicator ChannelPDCCH Physical Downlink Control ChannelPDCP Packet Data Convergence ProtocolPDP Profile Delay Profile PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared ChannelPGW Packet GatewayPHICH Physical Hybrid-ARQ Indicator ChannelPLMN Public Land Mobile NetworkPMI Precoder Matrix Indicator PRACH Physical Random Access ChannelPRS Positioning Reference SignalPSS Primary Synchronization SignalPUCCH Physical Uplink Control ChannelPUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel RACH Random Access ChannelQAM Quadrature Amplitude ModulationRAN Radio Access NetworkRAT Radio Access TechnologyRLC Radio Link Control RLM Radio Link ManagementRNC Radio Network ControllerRNTI Radio Network Temporary IdentifierRRC Radio Resource ControlRRM Radio Resource Management RS Reference SignalRSCP Received Signal Code PowerRSRP Reference Symbol Received Power ORReference Signal Received PowerRSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality ORReference Symbol Received QualityRS SI Received Signal Strength IndicatorRSTD Reference Signal Time DifferenceSCH Synchronization ChannelSCell Secondary CellSDAP Service Data Adaptation ProtocolSDU Service Data UnitSFN System Frame NumberSGW Serving GatewaySI System InformationSIB System Information BlockSNR Signal to Noise RatioSON Self Optimized Network ss Synchronization Signal sss Secondary Synchronization SignalTDD Time Division DuplexTDOA Time Difference of ArrivalTOA Time of ArrivalTSS Tertiary Synchronization SignalTTI Transmission Time IntervalUE User EquipmentUL UplinkUSIM Universal Subscriber Identity ModuleUTDOA Uplink Time Difference of ArrivalWCDMA Wide CDMAWLAN Wide Local Area Network

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method of operating a communication device for cell reselection to a cell among a plurality of cells associated with different frequencies, the method comprising: receiving (810) a configuration of a plurality of frequencies; receiving (820) an indication of a priority associated with each frequency of the plurality of frequencies; selecting (830) a first frequency that have a higher priority than the serving frequency based on a mobility state of the communication device; and performing (840) cell reselection to a cell associated with the first frequency.

2. The method of Claim 1, wherein the serving frequency has a first priority, wherein the first frequency has a second priority that has a higher priority than the first priority, wherein a second frequency of the plurality of frequencies has a third priority that is higher than the first priority, and wherein selecting the first frequency of the plurality of frequencies comprises: selecting the first frequency based on the mobility state.

3. The method of any of Claims 2, wherein the third priority is higher than the second priority.

4. The method of any of Claims 2, wherein the second priority is higher than the third priority.

5. The method of any of Claims 2-4, wherein the first frequency is a higher frequency than the second frequency, and wherein selecting the first frequency based on the mobility state .

6. The method of any of Claims 2-4, wherein the first frequency is a lower frequency than the second frequency, and wherein selecting the first frequency based on the mobility state .

7. The method of any of Claims 1-6, wherein the mobility state of the communication device comprises at least one of:an indication that the communication device is stationary; an indication that the communication device is mobile; and an indication of a speed that the communication device is moving.

8. The method of any of Claims 1-7, further comprising: receiving (840) a paging message from the cell; and responsive to receiving the paging message, performing (850) at least one of: transmitting a random access, RA, preamble to the second cell; transmitting a setup message to the second cell; transmitting; a resume request to the second cell; transitioning from an idle state to a connected state; and transitioning from an inactive state to a connected state.

9. The method of any of Claims 1-8, wherein performing the cell reselection to the cell associated with the first frequency comprises camping on the second cell as a primary cell, PCell, based on the mobility state being stationary.

10. The method of any of Claims 1-8, wherein performing the cell reselection to the second cell associated with the first frequency comprises allowing the communication device to be configured to connect to the second cell as secondary cell based on the mobility state being mobile.

11. The method of any of Claims 1-10, wherein the plurality of frequencies are a plurality of carrier frequencies each characterized by at least one of: an absolute frequency number; a sync raster; a synchronization signal frequency; a Point A frequency; a physical frequency; and a frequency band number.

12. The method of any of Claims 1-11, wherein performing the cell reselection to the second cell comprises at least one of: evaluating Srxley and Squal of cells on a synchronization signal frequency; searching for a more suitable cell based on cell reselection criterion;performing measurements used to support cell reselection; finding the second cell based on the second cell satisfying cell reselection criteria; camping on the second cell; detecting and synchronizing to a broadcast channel of the second cell; receiving and handling broadcast information; forwarding non-access stratum, NAS, system information to NAS; and informing whether the cell reselection result changes in the received system information.

13. The method of any of Claims 1-12, wherein the mobility state of the communication device is stationary, the method further comprising: receiving (810) a message while the communication device is camped on the first cell, the first cell being a primary cell, PCell, using a PCell frequency, the message indicating the plurality of frequencies; and performing (830) at least one of: selecting the second cell to be the PCell; selecting the second cell to be a cell that is separate from the PCell and uses the PCell frequency; and selecting the second cell to be a cell that is separate from the PCell and that uses a different frequency than the PCell frequency.

14. The method of any of Claims 1-13, wherein performing the cell reselection comprises: performing cell reselection according to a procedure based on cell defined synchronization signals located on a synchronization raster to cause the communication device to camp on a cell defining synchronization signal, CD-SS, of a higher frequency when the communication device is stationary and camp on a CD-SS of a lower frequency when the communication device is mobile.

15. A communication device (QQ200), the communication device comprising: processing circuitry (QQ202); and memory (QQ210) coupled to the processing circuitry and having instructions stored therein that are executable by the processing circuitry to cause the communication device to perform operations comprising any of the operations of Claims 1-14.

16. A computer program comprising program code to be executed by processing circuitry(QQ202) of a communication device (QQ200), whereby execution of the program code causes the communication device to perform operations comprising any operations of Claims 1-14.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium (QQ210) including program code to be executed by processing circuitry (QQ202) of a communication device (QQ200), whereby execution of the program code causes the communication device to perform operations comprising any operations of Claims 1-14.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein that are executable by processing circuitry (QQ202) of a communication device (QQ200) to cause the communication device to perform operations comprising any of the operations of Claims 1-14.

19. A user equipment, UE, the UE comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Claim 1-14; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE.

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