Quality of Experience measurements in an inactive state

Abstract

A method for quality of experience (QoE) measurement and reporting includes receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a radio resource control (RRC) message including configuration parameters for one or more QoE configurations; receiving an RRC release message indicating that the UE will transition from an RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state; performing QoE measurements for at least a first QoE configuration of the one or more QoE configurations while the UE is in the RRC inactive state; determining to transition from the RRC inactive state to an RRC connected state; and transmitting one or more QoE measurement reports in response to determining to transition.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 191,762, filed May 21, 2021 (the "Provisional Application"), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] The present invention relates to 5G, the fifth generation mobile network. It is the new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G networks. 5G enables a network designed to connect machines, objects and devices.

[0003] The present invention more particularly relates to Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement and reporting, i.e. to a QoE mechanism that supports QoE measurement during RRC inactive states, i.e. that enables and enhances the process of QoE measurement during RRC inactive states. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for quality of experience (QoE) measurement and reporting, the method comprising: receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a radio resource control (RRC) message including configuration parameters of one or more QoE configurations; receiving an RRC release message indicating that the UE transitions from an RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state; performing QoE measurements for at least a first QoE configuration of the one or more QoE configurations while the UE is in the RRC inactive state; determining to transition from the RRC inactive state to an RRC connected state; and transmitting one or more QoE measurement reports in response to determining to transition.

[0005] The method may include transitioning from a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to an RRC inactive state in response to receiving an RRC release message, where the Radio Resource Control (RRC) release message includes a suspendconfig information element (IE), where the suspendconfig IE includes configuration parameters for operation of the user equipment (UE) in the RRC inactive state. Each Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration of the one or more QoE configurations may be associated with an identifier, where the configuration parameters of the one or more QoE configurations indicate the identifier associated with the at least one first Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration. Each Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration of the one or more QoE configurations includes a parameter indicating an associated identifier for the QoE configuration.

[0006] Preferably, the radio resource control (RRC) release message indicates at least one first identifier of one or more identifiers associated with at least one first quality of experience (QoE) configuration. The radio resource control (RRC) release message may include a suspendconfig information element (IE) indicating a transition of the user equipment (UE) to an RRC inactive state. The suspendconfig information element (IE) may indicate at least one first identifier associated with the at least one first quality of experience (QoE) configuration. The suspendconfig information element (IE) may include a parameter indicating a list of at least one first quality of experience (QoE) measurement configuration. Preferably, the configuration parameters of the one or more quality of experience (QoE) configurations include a first parameter for QoE measurement and a second parameter for QoE reporting.

[0007] The first parameter may indicate one or more applications for quality of experience (QoE) measurement. The second parameter indicates one or more periodicities for quality of experience (QoE) reporting. In the method, the step of transitioning from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to an RRC connected state includes initiating a random access process, and the step of transmitting one or more quality of experience (QoE) measurement reports is via a random access message of the random access process. The random access message may be a Msg3 message if the random access process is a four-step random access process. If the random access process is a two-step random access process, the random access message is a MsgA message. The step of transmitting one or more quality of experience (QoE) measurement reports may be based on an uplink grant after transitioning from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to an RRC connected state. Preferably, the uplink grant is received after transitioning from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to an RRC connected state.

[0008] Preferably, a first configuration parameter of at least one first quality of experience (QoE) configuration of the one or more first QoE configurations is mapped to a first value while the user equipment (UE) is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state and to a second value while the UE is in an RRC inactive state. The step of transmitting the one or more quality of experience (QoE) measurement reports may be performed via one or more radio resource control (RRC) messages. The one or more radio resource control (RRC) messages may be associated with a signaling radio bearer 4 (SRB4). The one or more radio resource control (RRC) messages include a MeasurementReportAppLayer message. At least some configuration parameters of the configuration parameters of the one or more quality of experience (QoE) configurations may be the same.

[0009] In the method, the measurement report of one or more quality of experience (QoE) measurement reports includes a measurement identifier, and the measurement identifier indicates a QoE configuration of one or more QoE configurations with which the QoE measurement report is associated. The measurement identifier is used by a radio access network (RAN) to forward the quality of experience (QoE) measurement report to a corresponding recipient. The method may further include receiving a pause indicator indicating that the quality of experience (QoE) measurement report is paused after transitioning to an RRC connected state. The pause indicator may be a physical layer message. The physical layer message may be received via a downlink control channel or via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). The pause indicator may be received via a radio resource control (RRC) message. The quality of experience (QoE) measurement may be performed while pausing the QoE measurement report.

[0010] The method may also include receiving a resume indicator indicating a resume of quality of experience (QoE) measurement reporting after transitioning to a radio resource control (RRC) connected state. Here, the resume indicator may be a physical layer message. The physical layer message may be received via a downlink control channel. Preferably, the resume indication message is received via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). The resume indication may be received via a radio resource control (RRC) message. The at least one first quality of experience (QoE) configuration is preferably selected from one or more QoE configurations based on a requirement of QoE measurement during a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state. Alternatively, the at least one first quality of experience (QoE) configuration may be selected from one or more QoE configurations based on a requirement of QoE reporting in response to a transition from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to an RRC connected state. The transmitting one or more quality of experience (QoE) measurement reports may be based on the one or more first QoE configurations. Preferably, the radio resource control (RRC) message may be an RRC reconfiguration message. The method may further include storing, by the user equipment (UE), one or more quality of experience (QoE) measurement reports while the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example of a mobile communication system according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B illustrate example radio protocol stacks for the user plane and control plane, respectively, in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3]3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate example mappings between logical channels and transport channels in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink, respectively, in accordance with some aspects of various example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 4A, 4B, and 4C illustrate example mappings between transport channels and physical channels in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink, respectively, according to some aspects of various example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D illustrate example radio protocol stacks for NR sidelink communications in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates examples of physical signals in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink in accordance with some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates examples of Radio Resource Control (RRC) states and transitions between different RRC states in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates an example frame structure and physical resources in accordance with some aspects of various example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates example component carrier configurations in different carrier aggregation scenarios according to some aspects of various example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 1 illustrates examples of bandwidth portion configuration and switching according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 1 illustrates an example of a four-step contention-based and contention-free random access process in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 12]1 illustrates an example of a two-step contention-based contention-free random access process in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] 1 illustrates an example of a time and frequency structure of a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] 1 illustrates an example of an SSB burst transmission according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] 1 illustrates example components of a user equipment and a base station for transmission and / or reception in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] 1 illustrates examples of information elements according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] 1 illustrates examples of information elements according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] 1 illustrates an example process according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] 1 illustrates an example process according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] 1 illustrates an example process according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] 1 illustrates an example of a mobile communication system 100 according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The mobile communication system 100 may be operated by a wireless communication system operator, such as a Mobile Network Operator (MNO), a private network operator, a Multiple System Operator (MSO), an Internet of Things (IOT) network operator, etc., and may provide services such as voice, data (e.g., wireless Internet access), messaging, vehicular communication services such as Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication services, safety services, mission critical services, residential services, services in a commercial or industrial environment such as IoT, Industrial IOT (IIOT), etc.

[0013] The mobile communication system (100) may enable various types of applications with different requirements in terms of latency, reliability, throughput, etc. Examples of supported applications include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine type communications (mMTC). eMBB may support stable connections with high peak data rates as well as moderate rates for cell edge users. URLLC may support applications with stringent requirements in terms of latency and reliability and moderate requirements in terms of data rates. Examples of mMTC applications include networks of vast numbers of IoT devices that are only sporadically active and transmit small data payloads.

[0014] The mobile communication system (100) may include a radio access network (RAN) portion and a core network portion. The example shown in FIG. 1 illustrates a Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN) (105) and a 5G Core Network (5GC) (110) as examples of the RAN and the core network, respectively. Other examples of the RAN and the core network may be implemented without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Other examples of the RAN include an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN), a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), and the like. Other examples of the core network include an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a UMTS Core Network (UCN), and the like. The RAN implements a radio access technology (RAT) and exists between a user equipment (UE) (125) and the core network. Examples of such RATs include New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), also known as Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), and the like. The RAT of the exemplary system (100) for mobile communication may be NR. The core network exists between the RAN and one or more external networks (e.g., data networks) and is responsible for functions such as mobility management, authentication, session management, bearer setup, and application of different Quality of Service (QoS). The functional layer between the UE (125) and the RAN (e.g., NG-RAN (105)) may be referred to as the Access Stratum (AS), and the functional layer between the UE (125) and the core network (e.g., 5GC (110)) may be referred to as the Non-Access Stratum (NAS).

[0015] The UE (125) may include wireless transmission and reception means for communication with one or more nodes in the RAN, one or more relay nodes, or one or more other UEs, etc. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, wireless transmitting and / or receiving units in vehicles, V2X or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) devices, wireless sensors, IoT devices IIOT devices, etc. Other names may be used for a UE, such as Mobile Station (MS), terminal equipment, terminal node, client device, mobile device, etc.

[0016] The RAN may include nodes (e.g., base stations) for communication with UEs. For example, the NG-RAN (105) of the mobile communication system (100) may comprise nodes for communication with the UEs (125). Different names may be used for the RAN nodes depending, for example, on the RAT used for the RAN. The RAN nodes may be referred to as Node Bs (NBs) in a RAN using the UMTS RAT. The RAN nodes may be referred to as Evolved Node Bs (eNBs) in a RAN using the LTE / EUTRA RAT. In the illustrative example of the mobile communication system (100) of FIG. 1, the nodes of the NG-RAN (105) may be either Next Generation Node Bs (gNBs) (115) or Next Generation Evolved Node Bs (Ng-eNBs) (120). In this specification, the terms base station, RAN node, gNB, and ng-eNB may be used interchangeably. The gNB (115) may provide NR user plane protocol termination and control plane protocol termination to the UE (125). The ng-eNB (120) may provide E-UTRA user plane protocol termination and control plane protocol termination towards the UE (125). The interface between the gNB (115) and the UE (125), or the interface between the ng-eNB (120) and the UE (125), may be referred to as a Uu interface. The Uu interface may be established with a user plane protocol stack and a control plane protocol stack. For the Uu interface, the direction from the base station (e.g., the gNB (115) or the ng-eNB (120)) to the UE (125) may be referred to as a downlink, and the direction from the UE (125) to the base station (e.g., the gNB (115) or the ng-eNB (120)) may be referred to as an uplink.

[0017] The gNB (115) and the ng-eNB (120) may be interconnected with each other by an Xn interface. The Xn interface may comprise an Xn User Plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn Control Plane (Xn-C) interface. The transport network layer of the Xn-U interface may be built on Internet Protocol (IP) transport, and GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) may be used on top of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) / IP to carry user plane protocol data units (PDUs). Xn-U may provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and may support data forwarding and flow control. The transport network layer of the Xn-C interface may be built on Stream Control Transport Protocol (SCTP) over IP. The application layer signaling protocol may be referred to as Xn Application Protocol (XnAP). The SCTP layer may provide guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. At the transport IP layer, point-to-point transmission may be used to deliver the signaling PDUs. The Xn-C interface may support Xn interface management, UE mobility management including context transfer and RAN paging, and dual connectivity.

[0018] The gNB (115) and ng-eNB (120) may also be connected to the 5GC (110) by an NG interface, more specifically to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (130) of the 5GC (110) by an NG-C interface, and to the User Plane Function (UPF) (135) of the 5GC (110) by an NG-U interface. The transport network layer of the NG-U interface may be built on IP transport, and the GTP protocol may be used on UDP / IP to carry user plane PDUs between the NG-RAN node (e.g., the gNB (115) or the ng-eNB (120)) and the UPF (135). The NG-U may provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs between the NG-RAN node and the UPF. The transport network layer of the NG-C interface may be built on IP transport. SCTP may be added on top of IP for reliable transport of signaling messages. The application layer signaling protocol may be called NGAP (NG Application Protocol). The SCTP layer may provide guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. For transport, IP layer point-to-point transmission may be used to deliver signaling PDUs. The NG-C interface may provide the following functions: NG interface management, UE context management, UE mobility management, transmission of NAS messages, paging, PDU session management, configuration transfer, and alert messaging.

[0019] The gNB (115) or ng-eNB (120) may host one or more of the following functions - Radio resource management functions such as radio bearer control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, dynamic allocation of resources to UEs in both uplink and downlink (e.g., scheduling); IP and Ethernet header compression, data encryption and integrity protection; selection of the AMF at UE attachment when routing to the AMF is not determined from information provided by the UE; routing of user plane data towards the UPF; routing of control plane information towards the AMF; connection setup and release; scheduling and transmission of paging messages; scheduling and transmission of system broadcast information (e.g., originating from the AMF); measurement and measurement reporting configuration for mobility and scheduling; transport level packet marking in the uplink; session management, support for network slicing, QoS flow management, and mapping to data radio bearers; support for UEs in RRC inactive state; distribution function for NAS messages; radio access network sharing; dual connectivity; close interaction between NR and E-UTRA; and maintaining security and radio configuration for user plane 5G System (5GS) Cellular IoT (CIoT) optimization.

[0020] The AMF (130) may host one or more of the following functions - NAS signaling termination, NAS signaling security, AS security control, CN inter-node signaling for mobility between 3GPP access networks, idle mode UE reachability (including control and execution of paging retransmissions), registration area management, support for intra-system and inter-system mobility, access authentication, access authorization including checking roaming rights, mobility management control (subscription and policy), support for network slicing, Session Management Function (SMF) selection, 5GS CIoT optimization selection.

[0021] The UPF (135) may host one or more of the following functions - anchor point for intra / inter-RAT mobility (if applicable), external PDU session point for interconnection to data network, packet routing and forwarding, user plane part of packet inspection and policy rule enforcement, traffic usage reporting, uplink classifier supporting routing of traffic flows to data network, branching point to support multi-homed PDU sessions, QoS processing for user plane such as packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement, uplink traffic validation (mapping of Service Data Flows (SDF) to QoS flows), downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the NG-RAN (105) may support a PC5 interface between two UEs (125) (e.g., UE (125A) and UE (125B). In the PC5 interface, the direction of communication between the two UEs (e.g., from UE (125A) to UE (125B) or vice versa) may be referred to as a sidelink. Sidelink transmission and reception over the PC5 interface may be supported when the UE (125) is inside the NG-RAN (105) coverage and when the UE (125) is outside the NG-RAN (105) coverage, regardless of which RRC state the UE is in. Support for V2X services over the PC5 interface may be provided by NR sidelink communication and / or V2X sidelink communication.

[0023] PC5-S signaling may be used for unicast link establishment with Direct Communication Request / Accept messages. A UE may self-assign its source Layer-2 ID for a PC5 unicast link, for example, based on the V2X service type. During the unicast link establishment procedure, a UE may transmit its source Layer-2 ID for a PC5 unicast link to a peer UE, for example, a UE for which a destination ID was received from a higher layer. The pair of source Layer-2 ID and destination Layer-2 ID may uniquely identify a unicast link. The receiving UE may verify that the destination ID belongs to it and may accept the unicast link establishment request from the source UE. During the PC5 unicast link establishment procedure, PC5-RRC procedures on the access stratum may be invoked for the purpose of UE sidelink context establishment as well as for AS layer configuration, capability exchange, etc. PC5-RRC signaling may enable the exchange of UE capabilities and AS layer configuration, such as sidelink radio bearer configuration, between a pair of UEs between which a PC5 unicast link is established.

[0024] NR sidelink communication may support one of three types of transmission modes (e.g., unicast transmission, groupcast transmission, and broadcast transmission) for a pair of source Layer-2 ID and destination Layer-2 ID in an AS. The unicast transmission mode may be characterized by the support of one PC5-RRC connection between peer UEs for the pair, transmission and reception of control information and user traffic between peer UEs in the sidelink, support of sidelink HARQ feedback, support of sidelink transmit power control, support of RLC acknowledged mode (AM), and detection of radio link failure for the PC5-RRC connection. The groupcast transmission may be characterized by the transmission and reception of user traffic between UEs belonging to a group in the sidelink, and support of sidelink HARQ feedback. The broadcast transmission may be characterized by the transmission and reception of user traffic between UEs in the sidelink.

[0025] The Source Layer-2 ID, Destination Layer-2 ID, and PC5 Link Identifier may be used for NR sidelink communications. The Source Layer-2 ID may be a link layer identity that identifies a device or group of devices that is the recipient of the sidelink communication frame. The Destination Layer-2 ID may be a link layer identity that identifies a device that originates the sidelink communication frame. In some examples, the Source Layer-2 ID and the Destination Layer-2 ID may be assigned by a management function in the core network. The Source Layer-2 ID may identify the sender of data in NR sidelink communications. The Source Layer-2 ID may be 24 bits long and may be split into two bit strings at the MAC layer, one bit string may be the LSB portion (8 bits) of the Source Layer-2 ID and may be forwarded to the sender's physical layer. This may allow the source of the intended data to be identified in the sidelink control information and may be used for packet filtering at the receiver's physical layer, and the second bit string may be the MSB portion (16 bits) of the Source Layer-2 ID and may be carried in the medium access control (MAC) header. This can be used for packet filtering at the receiver's MAC layer. The Destination Layer-2 ID can identify the target of the data in NR sidelink communication. In NR sidelink communication, the Destination Layer-2 ID can be 24 bits long and can be split into two bit strings at the MAC layer, one bit string can be the LSB part (16 bits) of the Destination Layer-2 ID and can be forwarded to the sender's physical layer. This can identify the target of the data intended in the sidelink control information and can be used for packet filtering at the receiver's physical layer, and the second bit string can be the MSB part (8 bits) of the Destination Layer-2 ID and can be carried in the MAC header.This may be used for packet filtering at the receiver's MAC layer. The PC5 link identifier may uniquely identify a PC5 unicast link at the UE for the lifetime of the PC5 unicast link. The PC5 link identifier may be used to indicate the PC5 unicast link for which a sidelink Radio Link Failure (RLF) declaration has been made and the PC5-RRC connection has been released.

[0026] 2A and 2B show examples of radio protocol stacks for the user plane and control plane, respectively, according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2A, the protocol stack for the user plane of the Uu interface (between the UE (125) and the gNB (115)) includes a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) (201) and a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) (202) and a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) (212), a Radio Link Control (RLC) (203) and a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) (213), a Layer-2 MAC (204) and a Layer-2 MAC (214) sublayer, and a Physical (PHY) layer (205) and a Layer-2 PHY layer (215) (Layer 1 is also referred to as L1).

[0027] The PHY (205) and PHY (215) provide transport channels (244) to the MAC (204) and MAC (214) sublayers. The MAC (204) and MAC (214) sublayers provide logical channels (243) to the RLC (203) and RLC (213) sublayers. The RLC (203) and RLC (213) sublayers provide RLC channels (242) to the PDCP (202) and PCP (212) sublayers. The PDCP (202) and PDCP (212) sublayers provide radio bearers (241) to the SDAP (201) and SDAP (211) sublayers. The radio bearers can be classified into two groups: Data Radio Bearers (DRBs) for user plane data and Signaling Radio Bearers (SRBs) for control plane data. The SDAP (201) sub-layer and the SDAP (211) sub-layer provide QoS flows (240) to the 5GC.

[0028] The main services and functions of the MAC (204) or MAC (214) sublayer include: mapping between logical channels and transport channels; multiplexing / demultiplexing MAC Service Data Units (SDUs) belonging to one or different logical channels to / from Transport Blocks (TBs) delivered to / from the physical layer on transport channels; scheduling information reporting; error correction with Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) (one HARQ entity per cell in case of Carrier Aggregation (CA)); priority handling between UEs with dynamic scheduling; priority handling between logical channels of one UE with Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP); priority handling between overlapped resources of one UE; and padding. A single MAC entity may support multiple numerologies, transmission timings, and cells. Mapping constraints in logical channel prioritization control which numerology, cell, and transmission timing a logical channel can use (all of them can be multiple).

[0029] The HARQ function can ensure delivery between peer entities at Layer 1. When the physical layer is not configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, a single HARQ process may support one TB, and when the physical layer is configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, a single HARQ process may support one or multiple TBs.

[0030] The RLC (203) sublayer or the RLC (213) sublayer may support three transmission modes, Transparent Mode (TM), Unacknowledged Mode (UM), and Acknowledged Mode (AM). The RLC configuration may be per logical channel, independent of numerology and / or transmission duration, and Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) may operate for any of the numerologies and / or transmission durations for which the logical channel is configured.

[0031] The main services and functions of the RLC (203) or RLC (213) sublayer depend on the transmission mode (e.g., TM, UM, or AM) and may include: transfer of higher layer PDUs, sequence numbering independent of that in PDCP (UM and AM), error correction with ARQ (AM only), segmentation (AM and UM) and resegmentation (AM only) of RLC SDUs, reassembly of SDUs (AM and UM), duplicate detection (AM only), RLC SDU discard (AM and UM), RLC re-establishment, and protocol error detection (AM only).

[0032] The automatic repeat request in the RLC (203) or RLC (213) sublayer may have the following features: ARQ retransmits an RLC SDU segment or RLC SDU segments based on an RLC status report; it may be used when polling for an RLC status report is required by the RLC; the RLC receiver may also trigger an RLC status report after detecting a missing RLC SDU segment or RLC SDU segments.

[0033] The main services and functions of the PDCP (202) sublayer or the PDCP (212) sublayer may include: forwarding of data (user plane or control plane), maintenance of the PDCP sequence number (SN), header compression and decompression using the Robust Header Compression (ROHC) protocol, header compression and decompression using the EHC protocol, encryption and decryption, integrity protection and integrity verification, timer based SDU discard, routing for split bearers, duplication, reordering and in-order delivery, out-of-order delivery, and duplicate discard.

[0034] The main services and functions of the SDAP (201) or SDAP (211) include mapping between QoS flows and data radio bearers, and marking of QoS Flow ID (QFI) in both downlink and uplink packets. A single protocol entity of the SDAP can be configured for each individual PDU session.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2B, the control plane protocol stack of the Uu interface (between the UE (125) and the gNB (115)) includes a PHY layer (Layer-1), Layer-2 MAC, RLC, and PDCP sublayers as described above, plus an RRC (206) sublayer and an RRC (216) sublayer. The main services and functions of the RRC (206) and RRC (216) sublayers on the Uu interface include: broadcasting system information about AS and NAS, paging initiated by 5GC or NG-RAN, establishment, maintenance, and release of RRC connection between UE and NG-RAN (including adding, modifying, and releasing carrier aggregation, and adding, modifying, and releasing dual connectivity in NR or between E-UTRA and NR), security functions including key management, establishment, configuration, maintenance, and release of SRB and DRB, mobility functions (including handover and context transfer, UE cell selection and reselection and control of cell selection and reselection, and inter-RAT mobility), QoS management functions, UE measurement reporting and reporting control, detection and recovery of radio link failure, and forwarding of NAS messages from / to the UE to / from the NAS. The NAS (207) and NAS (227) layers are control protocols (terminated in the AMF on the network side) that perform functions such as authentication, mobility management, and security control.

[0036] Sidelink specific services and functions of the RRC sublayer over the Uu interface include - configuration of sidelink resource allocation via system information or dedicated signalling, reporting of UE sidelink information, sidelink related measurement configuration and reporting, reporting of UE assistance information about SL traffic pattern(s).

[0037] 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate example mappings between logical channels and transport channels in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink, respectively, according to some aspects of some of the various example embodiments of the present disclosure. Different types of data transfer services may be provided by the MAC. Each logical channel type may be defined by what type of information is transferred. The logical channels may be classified into two groups - control channels and traffic channels. The control channels may be used only for the transfer of control plane information. The Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) is a downlink channel for broadcasting system control information. The Paging Control Channel (PCCH) is a downlink channel that carries paging messages. The Common Control Channel (CCCH) is a channel for transmitting control information between the UE and the network. This channel may be used for UEs that do not have an RRC connection with the network. The Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH) is a point-to-point bidirectional channel that transmits dedicated control information between the UE and the network and may be used by UEs that have an RRC connection. The traffic channels may be used only for the transfer of user plane information. A Dedicated Traffic Channel (DTCH) is a point-to-point channel dedicated to one UE for the transfer of user information. A DTCH can exist in both uplink and downlink. A Sidelink Control Channel (SCCH) is a sidelink channel for transmitting control information (e.g., PC5-RRC and PC5-S messages) from one UE to other UEs. A Sidelink Traffic Channel (STCH) is a sidelink channel for transmitting user information from one UE to other UEs. A Sidelink Broadcast Control Channel (SBCCH) is a sidelink channel for broadcasting sidelink system information from one UE to other UEs.

[0038] Downlink transport channel types include Broadcast Channel (BCH), Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH), and Paging Channel (PCH). The BCH may be characterized by a fixed predefined transport format and by requiring broadcasting in the entire coverage area of ​​a cell, either as a single message or by beamforming different BCH instances. The DL-SCH may be characterized by: support for HARQ; support for dynamic link adaptation by varying modulation, coding, and transmit power; possibility of being broadcasted in the entire cell; possibility of using beamforming; support for both dynamic and semi-static resource allocation; and support for UE Discontinuous Reception (DRX) to enable UE power savings. The DL-SCH may be characterized by: support for HARQ; support for dynamic link adaptation by varying modulation, coding, and transmit power; possibility of being broadcasted in the entire cell; possibility of using beamforming; support for both dynamic and semi-static resource allocation; and support for UE Discontinuous Reception (DRX) to enable UE power savings. The PCH may be characterized by: support for UE Discontinuous Reception (DRX) to enable UE power saving (DRX cycle is indicated to the UE by the network); the need to be broadcast throughout the coverage area of ​​the cell, either as a single message or by beamforming different BCH instances; being mapped to physical resources that may also be dynamically used for traffic / other control channels.

[0039] In the downlink, the following connections between logical channels and transport channels may exist: BCCH may be mapped to BCH; BCCH may be mapped to DL-SCH; PCCH may be mapped to PCH; CCCH may be mapped to DL-SCH; DCCH may be mapped to DL-SCH; and DTCH may be mapped to DL-SCH.

[0040] Uplink transport channel types include the Uplink Shared Channel (UL-SCH) and the Random Access Channel (RACH). The UL-SCH may be characterized by the possibility of using beamforming, support for dynamic link adaptation by avoiding transmit power and potentially modulation and coding, support for HARQ, and support for both dynamic and semi-static resource allocation. The RACH may be characterized by limited control information and risk of collisions.

[0041] In the uplink, the following connections may exist between logical channels and transport channels: CCCH may be mapped to UL-SCH; DCCH may be mapped to UL-SCH; and DTCH may be mapped to UL-SCH.

[0042] Sidelink transport channel types include a Sidelink Broadcast Channel (SL-BCH) and a Sidelink Shared Channel (SL-SCH). The SL-BCH may be characterized by a predefined transport format. The SL-SCH may be characterized by support for unicast transmission; groupcast transmission; broadcast transmission; support for both UE autonomous resource selection and scheduled resource allocation by the NG-RAN; support for both dynamic and semi-static resource allocation by the NG-RAN when the UE is assigned resources; support for HARQ, dynamic link adaptation by changing transmit power, modulation, and coding.

[0043] In the sidelink, the following connections may exist between logical channels and transport channels: SCCH may be mapped to SL-SCH; STCH may be mapped to SL-SCH; and SBCCH may be mapped to SL-BCH.

[0044] 4A, 4B, and 4C illustrate example mappings between transport channels and physical channels in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink, respectively, according to some aspects of some of the various example embodiments of the present disclosure. The physical channels in the downlink include PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel). PCH, DL-SCH transport channels are mapped to the PDSCH. BCH transport channel is mapped to the PBCH. No transport channel is mapped to the PDCCH, and DCI (Downlink Control Information) is transmitted via the PDCCH.

[0045] The uplink physical channels include PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel). The UL-SCH transport channel may be mapped to the PUSCH, and the RACH transport channel may be mapped to the PRACH. No transport channel is mapped to the PUCCH, and UCI (Uplink Control Information) is transmitted via the PUCCH.

[0046] The physical channels in the sidelink include the Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), the Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH), and the Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH). The Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) may indicate resources and other transmission parameters used by the UE for the PSSCH. The Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) may transmit TBs of the data itself, as well as control information for HARQ procedures and CSI feedback triggers, etc. At least six OFDM symbols in a slot may be used for PSSCH transmission. The Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH) may carry HARQ feedback over the sidelink from UEs that are intended recipients of the PSSCH transmission to the UE that performed the transmission. The PSFCH sequence may be transmitted in one PRB repeated across two OFDM symbols near the end of the sidelink resources in a slot. The SL-SCH transport channel may be mapped to the PSSCH. The SL-BCH may be mapped to the PSBCH. No transport channel may be mapped to the PSFCH, but SFCI (Sidelink Feedback Control Information) may be mapped to the PSFCH. No transport channel may be mapped to the PSCCH, but SCI (Sidelink Control Information) may be mapped to the PSCCH.

[0047] 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D illustrate examples of radio protocol stacks for NR sidelink communications according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The AS protocol stack for the user plane (i.e., for STCH) in the PC5 interface may consist of SDAP, PDCP, RLC, and MAC sublayers, and a physical layer. The user plane protocol stack is shown in FIG. 5A. The AS protocol stack for the SBCCH in the PC5 interface may consist of RRC, RLC, MAC sublayers, and a physical layer, as shown below in FIG. 5B. To support the PC5-S protocol, PC5-S is placed above the PDCP, RLC and MAC sublayers, and a physical layer in the control plane protocol stack for SCCH for PC5-S, as shown in FIG. 5C. The control plane AS protocol stack for SCCH for RRC in the PC5 interface consists of RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC sublayers, and a physical layer. The control plane protocol stack for SCCH for RRC is shown in FIG. 5D.

[0048] Sidelink Radio Bearers (SLRBs) may be classified into two groups: Sidelink Data Radio Bearers (SL DRBs) for user plane data and Sidelink Signaling Radio Bearers (SL SRBs) for control plane data. Separate SL SRBs using different SCCHs may be configured for PC5-RRC and PC5-S signaling, respectively.

[0049] The MAC sublayer may provide the following services and functions over the PC5 interface - radio resource selection, packet filtering, priority handling between uplink and sidelink transmissions for a given UE, and sidelink CSI reporting. Due to logical channel prioritization constraints in the MAC, only sidelink logical channels belonging to the same destination may be multiplexed into the MAC PDU for each unicast, groupcast, and broadcast transmission that may be associated with the destination. For packet filtering, a SL-SCH MAC header may be added to the MAC PDU, which includes both the source Layer-2 ID and the destination Layer-2 ID parts. A logical channel identifier (LCID) included within the MAC subheader may uniquely identify a logical channel within the scope of the source Layer-2 ID and destination Layer-2 ID combination.

[0050] The services and functions of the RLC sublayer may be supported for the sidelink. Both RLC UM (Unacknowledged Mode) and AM (Acknowledged Mode) may be used in unicast transmission, and only UM may be used in groupcast or broadcast transmission. In the case of UM, only unidirectional transmission may be supported for groupcast and broadcast.

[0051] The PDCP sub-layer services and functions for the Uu interface may be supported for the sidelink with some restrictions (out-of-order delivery may only be supported for unicast transmission and duplication may not be supported on the PC5 interface).

[0052] The SDAP sublayer may provide the following services and functions over the PC5 interface: - Mapping between QoS flows and sidelink data radio bearers. There may be one SDAP entity per destination for one of unicast, groupcast, and broadcast associated with the destination.

[0053] The RRC sublayer may provide the following services and functions over the PC5 interface - forwarding of PC5-RRC messages between peer UEs, maintaining and releasing PC5-RRC connections between two UEs, and detecting sidelink radio link failure for a PC5-RRC connection based on an indication from MAC or RLC. A PC5-RRC connection may be a logical connection between two UEs for a pair of source Layer-2 ID and destination Layer-2 ID and may be considered to be established after a corresponding PC5 unicast link is established. There may be a one-to-one correspondence between PC5-RRC connections and PC5 unicast links. A UE may have multiple PC5-RRC connections with one or more UEs with different source Layer-2 ID and destination Layer-2 ID pairs. Separate PC5-RRC procedures and messages may be used for a UE to forward sidelink configuration, including UE capabilities and SL-DRB configuration, to a peer UE. Both peer UEs may exchange their own UE capabilities and sidelink configuration using separate bidirectional procedures in both sidelink directions.

[0054] FIG. 6 illustrates example physical signals in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink according to some aspects of some of the various example embodiments of the present disclosure. Demodulation Reference Signal (DM-RS) may be used in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink, and may be used for channel estimation. DM-RS is a UE-specific reference signal that may be transmitted along with a physical channel in the downlink, uplink, or sidelink, and may be used for channel estimation and coherent detection of the physical channel. Phase Tracking Reference Signal (PT-RS) may be used in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink, and may be used to track phase and mitigate performance loss due to phase noise. PT-RS may be primarily used to estimate and minimize the impact of Common Phase Error (CPE) on system performance. Due to phase noise characteristics, PT-RS signals may have low density in the frequency domain and high density in the time domain. PT-RS may occur in combination with DM-RS and when the network configures PT-RS to be present. Positioning Reference Signals (PRS) may be used in the downlink for positioning using different positioning techniques. PRS may be used to measure the delay of downlink transmission by correlating the received signal from the base station with a local replica in the receiver. Channel State Information Reference Signals (CSI-RS) may be used in the downlink and sidelink. CSI-RS may be used for channel state estimation, Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) measurement for mobility and beam management, time / frequency tracking for demodulation, among other uses. CSI-RS may be configured UE-specific, but multiple users may share the same CSI-RS resource. The UE may determine CSI reports and transmit them in the uplink to the base station using PUCCH or PUSCH. CSI reports may be carried in the sidelink MAC CE.The Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) and the Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) may be used for radio frame synchronization. The PSS and SSS may be used for cell search procedure during initial attach or for mobility purposes. The Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) may be used in the uplink for uplink channel estimation. Similar to the CSI-RS, the SRS may act as a QCL reference for other physical channels so that they may be configured and transmitted quasi-colocated with the SRS. The Sidelink PSS (S-PSS) and Sidelink SSS (S-SSS) may be used in the sidelink for sidelink synchronization.

[0055] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of radio resource control (RRC) states and transitions between different RRC states according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. A UE may be in one of three RRC states - RRC connected state (710), RRC idle state (720), and RRC inactive state (730). After powering on, the UE may be in the RRC idle state (720), and the UE may establish a connection with the network using initial access and via an RRC connection establishment procedure, perform data transfer, and / or make / receive voice calls. As soon as an RRC connection is established, the UE may be in the RRC connected state (710). The UE may transition from the RRC idle state (720) to the RRC connected state (710) or from the RRC connected state (710) to the RRC idle state (720) using an RRC connection establishment / release procedure (740).

[0056] The RRC inactive state (730) may be used to reduce signaling load and latency due to frequent transitions from the RRC connected state (710) to the RRC idle state (720) when the UE transmits small data frequently. In the RRC inactive state (730), the AS context may be stored by both the UE and the gNB. This may result in a faster state transition from the RRC inactive state (730) to the RRC connected state (710). The UE may transition from the RRC inactive state (730) to the RRC connected state (710) or from the RRC connected state (710) to the RRC inactive state (730) using an RRC connection resume / deactivation procedure (760). The UE may transition from the RRC inactive state (730) to the RRC idle state (720) using an RRC connection release procedure (750).

[0057] FIG. 8 illustrates an example frame structure and physical resources according to some aspects of some of the various example embodiments of the present disclosure. Downlink or uplink or sidelink transmissions may be organized into frames with a duration of 10 ms consisting of 10 1 ms subframes. Each subframe may consist of 1, 2, 4, ... slots, and the number of slots per subframe may depend on the subcarrier spacing of the carrier on which the transmission takes place. The slot duration may be 14 symbols with normal cyclic prefix (CP) and 12 symbols with extended CP, and may scale in time as a function of the subcarrier spacing used such that there are an integer number of slots in one subframe. FIG. 8 illustrates a resource grid in the time and frequency domains. Each element of the resource grid comprises one symbol in time and one subcarrier in frequency and is called a resource element (RE). A resource block (RB) may be defined as 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain.

[0058] In some examples, and with non-slot-based scheduling, the transmission of a packet may occur over a portion of a slot, e.g., two, four, or seven OFDM symbols, sometimes referred to as a minislot. Minislots may be used for low latency applications such as URLLC and operation in unlicensed bands. In some embodiments, minislots may also be used for fast flexible scheduling of services (e.g., preemption of URLLC over eMBB).

[0059] FIG. 9 illustrates example component carrier configurations in different carrier aggregation scenarios according to some aspects of some of the various example embodiments of the present disclosure. In carrier aggregation (CA), two or more component carriers (CCs) may be aggregated. A UE may receive or transmit simultaneously on one or more CCs depending on its capabilities. CA may be supported for both contiguous and non-contiguous CCs in the same band or different bands as shown in FIG. 9. The gNB and the UE may communicate using a serving cell. The serving cell may be associated with at least one downlink CC (e.g., may be associated with only one downlink CC or may be associated with a downlink CC and an uplink CC). The serving cell may be a Primary Cell (PCell) or a Secondary Cell (SCell).

[0060] The UE may adjust the timing of its uplink transmission using an uplink timing control procedure. A timing advance (TA) may be used to adjust the uplink frame timing relative to the downlink frame timing. The gNB may determine a desired timing advance setting and provide it to the UE. The UE may use the given TA to determine its uplink transmission timing relative to its observed downlink receive timing.

[0061] In the RRC connected state, the gNB may be responsible for maintaining the timing advance to keep L1 synchronized. Serving cells with uplinks to which the same timing advance is applied and using the same timing reference cell are grouped in a Timing Advance Group (TAG). A TAG may contain at least one serving cell with a configured uplink. The mapping of serving cells to TAGs may be configured by RRC. For a primary TAG, the UE may use the PCell as a timing reference cell, except for shared spectrum channel access, in which case the SCell may also be used as a timing reference cell in some cases. In a secondary TAG, the UE may use any of the activated SCells of this TAG as a timing reference cell and may not have to change it unless necessary.

[0062] Timing advance updates may be signaled by the gNB to the UE via a MAC CE command. Such a command may restart a TAG-specific timer that may indicate whether L1 may be synchronized or not; when the timer is running, L1 may be considered to be synchronized, otherwise L1 may be considered to be unsynchronized (uplink transmissions may only be made on the PRACH in this case).

[0063] A UE with a single timing advance capability for CA can simultaneously receive and / or transmit on multiple CCs corresponding to multiple serving cells (multiple serving cells grouped into one TAG) sharing the same timing advance. A UE with multiple timing advance capability for CA can simultaneously receive and / or transmit on multiple CCs corresponding to multiple serving cells (multiple serving cells grouped into multiple TAGs) with different timing advances. NG-RAN may ensure that each TAG contains at least one serving cell. A non-CA capable UE can receive on a single CC and transmit on a single CC corresponding to only one serving cell (one serving cell in one TAG).

[0064] The multi-carrier nature of the physical layer in case of CA may be exposed to the MAC layer, and one HARQ entity per serving cell may be required. If CA is configured, the UE may have one RRC connection with the network. At RRC connection establishment / re-establishment / handover, one serving cell (e.g., PCell) may provide NAS mobility information. Depending on the UE capabilities, the SCell may be configured to form a set of serving cells together with the PCell. The configured set of serving cells for a UE may consist of one PCell and one or multiple SCells. Reconfiguration, addition, and removal of SCells may be done by RRC.

[0065] In a dual connectivity scenario, a UE may be configured with a master cell group (MCG) for communication with a master base station, a secondary cell group (SCG) for communication with secondary base stations, and multiple cells with two MAC entities - one MAC entity for the MCG for communication with the master base station and one MAC entity for the SCG for communication with the secondary base stations.

[0066] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of bandwidth part configuration and switching according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. A UE may be configured with one or more Bandwidth Parts (BWP) (1010) on a given component carrier. In some examples, one of the one or more bandwidth parts may be active at a time. The active bandwidth part may define the UE's operating bandwidth within the operating bandwidth of the cell. For initial access and until the UE's configuration in the cell is received, an initial bandwidth part (1020) determined from system information may be used. With Bandwidth Adaptation (BA), for example, through BWP switching (1040), the UE's receiving and transmitting bandwidths may not be as large as the cell's bandwidth and may be adjusted. For example, the width may be instructed to change (e.g., shrink during periods of low activity to save power), the location may move in the frequency domain (e.g., to increase scheduling flexibility), and the subcarrier spacing may be instructed to change (e.g., to enable different services). The first active BWP (1020) may be an active BWP at the time of RRC (re)configuration for a PCell or activation of an SCell.

[0067] For a downlink BWP or an uplink BWP in a set of downlink or uplink BWPs, respectively, the UE may be given the following configuration parameters: subcarrier spacing (SCS), cyclic prefix, common RBs and a number of consecutive RBs, an index in the set of downlink or uplink BWPs by the respective BWP-Id, a set of BWP common parameters, and a set of BWP-specific parameters. A BWP may be associated with an OFDM numerology according to the subcarrier spacing and cyclic prefix configured for the BWP. In the serving cell, the UE may be provided with a default downlink BWP among the configured downlink BWPs. If the UE is not provided with a default downlink BWP, the default downlink BWP may be the initial downlink BWP.

[0068] A downlink BWP may be associated with a BWP inactivity timer. If a BWP inactivity timer associated with an active downlink BWP expires and a default downlink BWP is configured, the UE may perform BWP switching to the default BWP. If a BWP inactivity timer associated with an active downlink BWP expires and a default downlink BWP is not configured, the UE may perform BWP switching to the initial downlink BWP.

[0069] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a four-step contention-based and contention-free random access process according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a two-step contention-based and contention-free random access process according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The random access procedure may be triggered by some events, such as initial access from an RRC stopped state, an RRC connection re-establishment procedure, downlink or uplink data arrival during an RRC connected state with an uplink synchronization status of "unsynchronized", uplink data arrival during an RRC connected state when there are no PUCCH resources for a Scheduling Request (SR), failure of an SR, a request by RRC upon synchronization reconfiguration (e.g., handover), transition from an RRC inactive state, establishing time alignment of the secondary TAG, a request for other system information (SI), Beam Failure Recovery (BFR), consistent uplink listen-before-talk (LBT) failure on the PCell, etc.

[0070] Two types of Random Access (RA) procedures may be supported: a 4-step RA type with MSG1 and a 2-step RA type with MSGA. Both types of RA procedures may support Contention-Based Random Access (CBRA) and Contention-Free Random Access (CFRA), as shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0071] The UE may select the type of random access at the start of the random access procedure based on the network configuration. When the CFRA resource is not configured, the RSRP threshold may be used by the UE to select between the 2-step RA type and the 4-step RA type. If the CFRA resource for the 4-step RA type is configured, the UE may perform random access with the 4-step RA type. If the CFRA resource for the 2-step RA type is configured, the UE may perform random access with the 2-step RA type.

[0072] MSG1 for the four-step RA type may consist of a preamble on the PRACH. After MSG1 transmission, the UE may monitor for a response from the network within a configured window. In the case of CFRA, a dedicated preamble for MSG1 transmission may be assigned by the network, and upon receiving a random access response (RAR) from the network, the UE may terminate the random access procedure as shown in FIG. 11. In the case of CBRA, upon receiving a random access response, the UE may transmit MSG3 using the uplink grant scheduled in the random access response and may monitor contention resolution as shown in FIG. 11. If contention resolution is not successful after MSG3 (re)transmission, the UE may return to MSG1 transmission.

[0073] The MSGA of the two-step RA type may include a preamble on the PRACH and a payload on the PUSCH. After the MSGA transmission, the UE may monitor for a response from the network within a configured window. In CFRA, a dedicated preamble and PUSCH resources may be configured for MSGA transmission, and upon receiving a network response, the UE may terminate the random access procedure as shown in FIG. 12. In CBRA, if the contention resolution is successful upon receiving the network response, the UE may terminate the random access procedure as shown in FIG. 12, while if a fallback indication is received in MSGB, the UE may perform MSG3 transmission using the uplink grant scheduled during the fallback indication and monitor the contention resolution. If the contention resolution is not successful after MSG3 (re)transmission, the UE may return to MSGA transmission.

[0074] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a time and frequency structure of a Synchronization Signal and Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) block (SSB) according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The SS / PBCH block (SSB) may consist of a Primary Synchronization Signal and a Secondary Synchronization Signal (PSS, SSS), each occupying one symbol and 127 subcarriers (e.g., subcarrier numbers 56-182 in FIG. 13), and a PBCH (spanning three OFDM symbols and 240 subcarriers but leaving an unused portion for SSS in the middle on one symbol as shown in FIG. 13). The possible time positions of the SSBs within a half frame may be determined by the subcarrier spacing, and the periodicity of the half frame during which the SSBs are transmitted may be configured by the network. During a half frame, different SSBs may be transmitted in different spatial directions (i.e., using different beams across the coverage area of ​​the cell).

[0075] The PBCH may be used to carry a Master Information Block (MIB) used by the UE during cell search and initial access procedures. The UE may first decode the PBCH / MIB to receive other system information. The MIB may provide the terminal with parameters required for acquiring System Information Block 1 (SIB1), more specifically, information required for monitoring the PDCCH for scheduling the PDSCH carrying SIB1. In addition, the MIB may indicate cell closed status information. The MIB and SIB1 may be collectively referred to as minimum system information (SI), and SIB1 may be referred to as remaining minimum system information (RM SI). The other system information blocks (SIBs) (e.g., SIB2, SIB3, ..., SIB10, and SIBpos) may be referred to as Other SI. Other SI may be broadcast periodically on the DL-SCH, broadcast on demand on the DL-SCH (e.g., upon request from a UE in RRC idle, RRC inactive, or RRC connected state), or transmitted in a dedicated manner to UEs in RRC connected state on the DL-SCH (e.g., when configured by the network, upon request from a UE in RRC connected state, or if the UE has an active BWP that does not configure a common search space).

[0076] FIG. 14 illustrates an example of an SSB burst transmission according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The SSB burst may include N SSBs, and each SSB of the N SSBs may correspond to a beam. The SSB burst may be transmitted according to a periodicity (e.g., an SSB burst period). During a contention-based random access process, the UE may perform a random access resource selection process, and the UE may first select an SSB before selecting an RA preamble. The UE may select an SSB with an RSRP above a configured threshold. In some embodiments, the UE may select any SSB if an SSB with an RSRP above a configured threshold is not available. A set of random access preambles may be associated with the SSB. After selecting the SSB, the UE may select a random access preamble from a set of random access preambles associated with the SSB, and may transmit the selected random access preamble to initiate the random access process.

[0077] In some embodiments, a beam out of the N beams may be associated with a CSI-RS resource. The UE may measure the CSI-RS resource and may select a CSI-RS having an RSRP above a configured threshold. The UE may select a random access preamble corresponding to the selected CSI-RS and transmit the selected random access process to initiate the random access process. If there is no random access preamble associated with the selected CSI-RS, the UE may select a random access preamble corresponding to a quasi-collocated SSB with the selected CSI-RS.

[0078] In some embodiments, based on the UE measurements of CSI-RS resources and the UE CSI report, the base station can determine a Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) state and can indicate the TCI state to the UE, where the UE can use the indicated TCI state for reception of downlink control information (e.g., via PDCCH) or data (e.g., via PDSCH). The UE may use the indicated TCI state to use an appropriate beam for reception of data or control information. The indication of the TCI state can be using an RRC configuration or a combination of RRC and dynamic signaling (e.g., via MAC Control Element (MAC CE) and / or based on the value of a field in the downlink control information that schedules the downlink transmission). The TCI state can indicate a quasi-co-location (QCL) relationship between a downlink reference signal, such as a CSI-RS, and a DM-RS associated with a downlink control or data channel (e.g., PDCCH or PDSCH, respectively).

[0079] In some embodiments, the UE may be configured with a list of up to M TCI-State configurations, where M may depend on the UE's capabilities, using physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) configuration parameters to decode the PDSCH according to a detected PDCCH with DCI intended for the UE and a given serving cell. Each TCI-State may include parameters for configuring a QCL relationship between one or two downlink reference signals and a DM-RS port of the PDSCH, a DM-RS port of the PDCCH, or a CSI-RS port of a CSI-RS resource. The quasi-collocation relationship may be configured by one or more RRC parameters. The type of quasi-collocation corresponding to each DL RS may take one of the following values ​​- "QCL-Type A": {Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, delay spread}, "QCL-Type B": {Doppler shift, Doppler spread}, "QCL-Type C": {Doppler shift, average delay}, "QCL-Type D": {Spatial Rx parameters}. The UE may receive an activation command (eg, MAC CE) used to map the TCI state to a codepoint of the DCI field.

[0080] FIG. 15 illustrates an example of components of a user equipment and a base station for transmission and / or reception according to some aspects of some of the various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. All or a subset of the blocks and functions of FIG. 15 may be within and performed by the base station (1505) and the user equipment (1500). The antenna (1510) may be used for transmission or reception of electromagnetic signals. The antenna (1510) may comprise one or more antenna elements and may enable different input / output antenna configurations including multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configurations, multiple-input single-output (MISO) configurations, and single-input multiple-output (SIMO) configurations. In some embodiments, the antenna (150) may enable massive MIMO configurations with tens of thousands of antenna elements. The antenna (1510) may enable other multi-antenna techniques such as beamforming. In some examples, the UE (1500) may support only a single antenna, depending on the capabilities of the UE (1500) or the type of the UE (1500) (e.g., a low complexity UE).

[0081] The transceiver (1520) may communicate bidirectionally via the antenna (1510) or a wireless link, as described herein. For example, the transceiver (1520) may represent a wireless transceiver in a UE and may communicate bidirectionally with a wireless transceiver in a base station, or vice versa. The transceiver (1520) may include a modem for modulating packets and providing the modulated packets to the antenna (1510) for transmission, and for demodulating packets received from the antenna (1510).

[0082] The memory (1530) may include RAM and ROM. The memory (1530) may store computer-readable, computer-executable code (1535) that includes instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein. In some examples, the memory (1530) may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices, among other things.

[0083] The processor (1540) may include a hardware device having processing capabilities (e.g., a general purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some examples, the processor (1540) may be configured to operate a memory using a memory controller. In other examples, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor (1540). The processor (1540) may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory (1530)) to cause the UE (1500) or the base station (1505) to perform various functions.

[0084] The central processing unit (CPU) (1550) may perform basic arithmetic, logical, control, and input / output (I / O) operations specified by computer instructions in the memory (1530). The user equipment (1500) and / or base station (1505) may include additional peripheral components such as a graphics processing unit (GPU) (1560) and a global positioning system (GPS) (1570). The GPU (1560) is dedicated circuitry for rapid manipulation and modification of the memory (1530) to accelerate processing performance of the user equipment (1500) and / or base station (1505). The GPS (1570) may be used to enable location-based services or other services, for example, based on the geographic location of the user equipment (1500).

[0085] Exemplary embodiments may enable Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement collection for different services, including streaming services. Exemplary QoE management may collect experience parameters of streaming services, as well as Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality (AR / VR) and URLLC.

[0086] In some example embodiments, the QoE measurements may enable collection of user KPI information, such as end-to-end (E2E) reliability statistical indicators.

[0087] In some examples, different types of UEs may have different QoE requirements. In some examples, QoE parameters may be defined as UE-specific and service-related. In some examples, QoE may be used as a criterion for evaluating network quality. Traditionally, metrics such as throughput, capacity, and coverage are typically used for performance evaluation of network solutions. Exemplary embodiments may enable triggering, configuration, and reporting mechanisms for QoE measurement collection, including related entities (e.g., UEs, network entities).

[0088] In some examples, signaling-based or management-based mechanisms may be used for QoE-related signaling. In some examples, application layer measurement configurations received from the OAM or CN may be encapsulated in a transparent container, and the transparent container may be forwarded to the UE in a downlink RRC message. Application layer measurements received from higher layers in the UE may be encapsulated in a transparent container and sent to the network in an uplink RRC message.

[0089] In some examples, the RAN may release an ongoing QoE measurement / reporting configuration, for example, when handing over to a network that does not support it.

[0090] In some examples, areas may be defined and / or configured for QoE measurement and / or reporting. In some examples, for area handling, the network may track if the UE is inside or outside the area and configure / release the configuration accordingly. In some examples, the network may track if the UE is inside or outside the area and the UE may manage starting / stopping QoE accordingly. In some examples, the UE may perform area checks (the UE may have area configuration) and manage starting / stopping QoE accordingly.

[0091] In some examples, QoE measurements in an RRC inactive state may be supported for an MBS. In some examples, QoE measurements in an RRC idle state may be supported for an MBS.

[0092] In some examples, the management-based QoE configuration may not override the signaling-based QoE configuration.

[0093] In some examples, the QoE report may be transmitted over a separate SRB (separate from the current SRB) in NR since this report may be of lower priority than other SRB transmissions.

[0094] In some examples, configuration and reporting for multiple simultaneous QoE measurements for a UE may be supported.

[0095] In some examples, RRC signaling may be used by the gNB to indicate that the UE should suspend or resume QoE reporting.

[0096] In some examples, the pause / resume may be for all QoE reporting or may be per QoE configuration.

[0097] In some examples, the QoE measurements may be configured in an RRCReconfiguration message.

[0098] In some examples, the configuration of the QoE measurements may be in an OtherConfig information element in the RRCReconfiguration message.

[0099] In some examples, the configuration of QoE measurements may be by list (eg, RRC list parameter) to allow configuration of multiple simultaneous measurements.

[0100] In some examples, an ID may be used in the RRC to identify the measurement. In some examples, this ID may be a QoE Reference ID.

[0101] In some examples, SRB4 may be used for transmission of QoE reports in NR.

[0102] In some examples, the RRC message MeasReportAppLayer may be used for transmission of QoE reports in NR.

[0103] In some examples, QoE support for NR may include: Activation by Trace Function, both signaling-based and management-based configuration, and RRC procedures supporting AppLayer config and report.

[0104] In some examples, the UE may follow the gNB commands and the NG-RAN may release application layer measurement configurations towards the UE via RRC at any time, e.g., if required due to loading or other reasons.

[0105] In some examples, the UE Inactive access stratum (AS) context may include UE AS configuration for QoE (eg, may not be released when the UE becomes inactive).

[0106] In some examples, a "QoE paused" indication from the network may be used to temporarily stop QoE reports from being sent from the UE to the network.

[0107] In some examples, for QoE reporting handling during RAN overload via "QoE Reporting Pause Indication", the application layer may be responsible for storing the QoE report when the UE receives the QoE pause indication.

[0108] In some examples, for QoE reporting processing during RAN overload via "QoE reporting pause indication", the AS layer may be responsible for storing the QoE report when the UE receives the QoE pause indication.

[0109] In some examples, for QoE reporting processing during RAN overload via "QoE reporting pause indication", the QoE container received from the application layer may be discarded during the pause.

[0110] In some examples, the application layer measurement collection function may enable collecting application layer measurements from a UE. An exemplary supported service type may be QoE measurement collection for a service such as a streaming service. Both signaling-based and management-based initiation cases may be used. In the signaling-based case, the Application Layer Measurement Collection may be initiated from the CN node toward a specific UE, and in the management-based case, the Application Layer Measurement Collection may be initiated from the OAM targeting an area (e.g., without targeting a specific UE).

[0111] The application layer measurement configuration received from the OAM or CN may be encapsulated in a transparent container, and the transparent container may be forwarded to the UE in a downlink RRC message. The application layer measurement values ​​received from the upper layers of the UE may be encapsulated in a transparent container and sent to the network in an uplink RRC message. The network may release the application layer measurement configuration towards the UE at any time.

[0112] In some examples, for URLLC services, E2E delay may be important and operators may monitor and guarantee delay measurements.

[0113] In some examples, the QoE management framework may exist as two types: signaling-based QoE and management-based QoE. In signaling-based QoE, a QoE measurement configuration (QMC) may be distributed to RAN nodes. The QMC may specify an area range for measurement, which may be defined via a list of cells / TAs / TAIs / PLMNs. In management-based QoE, an OAM may distribute the QMC to RAN nodes.

[0114] In some examples, a threshold-based mechanism may be used to trigger the start and stop of QoE measurement collection. In some examples, a time-based event may be used for activation of QoE measurements, allowing flexibility in activation of QoE measurements within a specific period of time.

[0115] In some examples, upon receiving a "pause" indication from the network, the UE may stop QoE reporting but continue QoE measurements.

[0116] In some examples, a "QoE paused" indication from the network may be used to temporarily stop QoE reports from being sent to the network, but may not affect the collection of QoE measurements at the UE. For example, the UE may continue ongoing QoE measurements and may trigger new QoE measurements at the application layer (e.g., via a QoE configuration stored in the UE).

[0117] In some examples, in case of overload in the RAN, the base station may temporarily stop reporting from the UE by sending an RRC message (e.g., an RRCConnectionReconfiguration message) to the associated UE. The RRCConnectionReconfiguration message may include measConfigAppLayer configured in otherConfig to temporarily stop application layer measurement reporting. In some examples, the access layer may send a command to the application with a temporary stop request. The application may stop reporting and may stop recording further information when the data in the reporting container is used. The recorded data may then be kept until it is reported or when the UE request session ends.

[0118] In some examples, when the overload situation in the RAN ends, the base station may resume reporting from the UE by sending an RRC message (e.g., an RRCConnectionReconfiguration message) to the associated UE. The RRCConnectionReconfiguration message may include measConfigAppLayer configured to resume application layer measurement reporting in otherConfig. The access layer may send a command to the application with a resume request. The application may resume reporting and recording if it was stopped.

[0119] In some examples, QoE measurement handling in RRC_INACTIVE may be based on measuring the same configuration upon transition from RRC_INACTIVE to RRC_CONNECTED and maintaining the QoE measurement configuration without reuse.

[0120] In some examples, RRC segmentation may be required for transmission of QoE reports.

[0121] In some examples, when a QoE measurement is configured, a configuration container may be sent from the CAM and sent to the UE as a transparent container in an RRC reconfiguration message. The container may be forwarded to the application layer in the UE by an AT command. When the application has a report to send, it may be communicated to the RRC layer in the UE by an AT command and sent to the network in an RRC message. The gNB may forward it to a measurement collection entity that may analyze the measurement.

[0122] In some examples, the core network (CN) can initiate activation of the QoE measurements configured by the OAM and can send the QoE measurement configuration to the NG-RAN node. The UE AS layer can send the QoE measurement configuration to the UE application layer.

[0123] In some examples, the UE application layer may generate a QoE report and send it to the UE AS layer. The UE AS layer may send the QoE report to the NG-RAN node via a separate signaling radio bearer (SRB). In some examples, this report may have a lower priority than other SRB transmissions. The NG-RAN node may send the QoE report to a configured final destination (e.g., TCE / MCE).

[0124] In some examples, the QoE measurements may be configured in an RRCReconfiguration message. In some examples, the configuration of the QoE measurements may be in OtherConfig in the RRCReconfiguration.

[0125] In some examples, it may be possible to configure several simultaneous QoE measurements at the UE. In some examples, the measurements may be RRC configured by list. In some examples, the configuration of QoE measurements by list may be used to take advantage of the configuration of multiple simultaneous measurements. An example of QoE configuration for RRCReconfiguration as part of OtherConfig is shown in FIG. 16.

[0126] In some examples, there may be assurance functions and other automated functions that use the QoE Measurement Collection (QMC) mechanism. To allow for multiple simultaneous measurements and temporary pause / resume QMC, a function that provides QoE references both inside and outside the container may be required. In some examples, multiple assurance and automation functions may need to have different QoE data from the same UE, so multiple simultaneous QMCs from each UE may be required. In some examples, when multiple QMCs are requested by different consumers, the reported data may need to be sent to different consumers. The base station may need to have a mapping of QoE references and consumer addresses. The base station may not need to open the reporting container and may decode the data to find the QoE reference.

[0127] In some examples, the QoE reference may be used to link the report to a specific configuration so that the gNB knows where to forward the report.

[0128] In some examples, the QoE Reference parameter may specify a network request session. The QoE Reference may be globally unique. In some examples, the MCC MNC QMC ID may be configured such that the MCC and MNC may accompany a trace activation request from a management system to identify one PLMN that contains the management system, and the QMC ID may be a 3-byte Octet String. In some examples, the QMC ID may be generated by the management system or operator. In some examples, it may be used to identify QoE measurement collection jobs at traffic nodes and measurement collection centers. In some examples, the QoE Reference may be configured with a QoE configuration.

[0129] In some examples, the RRC message containing the QoE file may be quite large. In some examples, there may be limitations on the QoE configuration.

[0130] In some examples, the QoE report may be sent in a separate RRC message, MeasReportAppLayer. The MeasReportAppLayer message may be used for measurement result indication. An example is shown in FIG. 17.

[0131] In some examples, for reporting, a QoE reference needs to be added because the purpose of the QoE reference can be used at the gNB for routing the report to the correct recipient. In some examples, the UE may send the QoE reference in an RRC message along with the QoE report.

[0132] Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement and reporting is an important functionality for various services and applications, including streaming, virtual / augmented reality (VR / AR), and URLLC applications. Multiple QoE configurations may be configured for a UE. A QoE configuration may include parameters for QoE measurement and / or QoE reporting. For certain application / QoE configurations, QoE measurements may be required to be performed by the UE during an RRC inactive state and may be required to be transmitted when the UE transitions to an RRC connected state. Existing QoE mechanisms may not support QoE measurements during an RRC inactive state. The exemplary embodiments enable and / or enhance a process for QoE measurements during an RRC inactive state.

[0133] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 18, the UE may receive one or more RRC messages (e.g., including one or more RRC reconfiguration messages) including configuration parameters of one or more QoE configurations. In some examples, some of the parameters of the one or more QoE configurations may be common among one or more configurations. In some examples, at least a portion of the parameters of the QoE configurations may be specific to that QoE configuration. In some examples, the QoE configurations in the one or more QoE configurations may be identified / associated with an identifier. In some examples, the configuration parameters of the one or more QoE configurations may comprise an identifier (e.g., a parameter indicative of the identifier) ​​associated with the one or more QoE configurations. The one or more QoE configuration parameters may include one or more first parameters used by the UE for QoE measurement and / or generation of a QoE report. For example, the one or more first parameters may indicate one or more applications for which QoE is to be measured and / or may indicate measurement parameters / KPIs to be used by the UE to perform the QoE measurement. The one or more QoE configuration parameters may include one or more second parameters (eg, periodicity, size of the QoE report, etc.) used by the UE to report the QoE report.

[0134] During the RRC connected state, the UE may receive an RRC release message. The RRC release message may indicate a transition of the UE from an RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state. For example, the RRC release message may include a suspend config IE indicating a transition of the UE from an RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state. The suspend config IE may include configuration parameters used by the UE for operation of the UE during the RRC inactive state. For example, the suspend config IE may include parameters for RAN Notification Area (RNA) Update (RNAU), one or more RNTIs (e.g., short RNTI and full RNTI) for operation during the RRC inactive state, a RAN paging cycle, one or more timer values ​​(e.g., timers related to the RNAU), etc. In response to receiving the RRC release message and based on the RRC release message including the suspend config IE, the UE may transition from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state.

[0135] The UE may perform QoE measurements while in the RRC inactive state. The UE may perform QoE measurements for one or more first QoE configurations of the one or more QoE configurations. In some examples, the one or more first QoE configurations may be selected (e.g., by the base station) from the one or more QoE configurations. The selection of the one or more first QoE configurations may be based on an application associated with the one or more first QoE configurations and / or may be based on whether QoE measurements are required for the corresponding configuration / application while in the RRC inactive state. In some examples, the UE may determine the one or more first QoE configurations in the one or more QoE configurations based on and / or in response to an RRC release message. For example, the RRC release message (e.g., a suspendconfig IE in the RRC release message) may indicate the one or more first QoE configurations, e.g., one or more parameters in the RRC release message may indicate one or more first identifiers of the one or more first QoE configurations. For example, the RRC release message may include a list parameter (e.g., a list-type RRC parameter) that indicates the one or more first QoE configurations (e.g., by indicating an identifier thereof). In some examples, the UE may perform QoE measurements for the one or more first QoE configurations and store the QoE measurements in a corresponding QoE report. The UE may transmit the corresponding QoE report after (e.g., in response to) transitioning from an RRC inactive state to an RRC connected state.

[0136] In some examples, the RRC release message may indicate an update / reconfiguration to one or more configuration parameters of the QoE configuration (e.g., one or more QoE configurations used for QoE measurement). For example, the parameter of the QoE configuration may have a first value (e.g., for QoE measurement) for the UE when the UE operates in an RRC connected state, and a second value (e.g., for QoE configuration) for the UE when the UE operates in an RRC inactive state. An example is shown in FIG. 20. In some examples, the RRC release message may include one or more offset parameters, and the UE may determine a second value of the parameter of the QoE configuration based on the first value of the parameter of the RRC connected state and the offset parameter. In some examples, the RRC release message may indicate at least one index, and the index may identify a new value of the one or more parameters of the QoE configuration while the UE is in an RRC inactive state.

[0137] The UE may determine to transition from an RRC inactive state to an RRC connected state. For example, the UE may receive application layer data that triggers a transition from an RRC inactive state to an RRC connected state. In response to determining to transition from an RRC inactive state to an RRC connected state, the UE may transmit one or more QoE measurement reports. In some examples, the one or more QoE measurement reports may be based on QoE measurements performed while the UE is in an RRC inactive state. The QoE measurement report may be associated with an identifier. In some examples, the QoE measurement report may include a parameter indicating an identifier associated with the QoE measurement / report. The identifier associated with the QoE report may be used by the RAN / gNB to forward the QoE report to a corresponding recipient. The UE may transmit one or more QoE reports based on one or more RRC messages (e.g., including a MeasrementReportAppLayer message). The one or more QoE reports may be associated with a first signaling radio bearer (e.g., SRB4). In some examples, the first SRB may have a lower priority compared to one or more second SRBs (e.g., SRBs associated with other indications / reports (e.g., RLF, etc.) transmitted by the UE via RRC signaling). The UE may multiplex one or more QoE reports in an uplink transport block, and the multiplexing of the one or more QoE reports may be based on the priority of the first SRB (e.g., using a logical channel prioritization procedure at the MAC layer). The one or more QoE measurement reports may be associated with one or more first QoE configurations. For example, the one or more QoE measurement reports may be based on measurements performed by the UE during an RRC inactive state. In some examples, the UE may store one or more QoE measurement reports while the UE is in an RRC inactive state and may transmit the one or more stored QoE measurement reports after transitioning to an RRC connected state. In some examples, the UE may transition from an RRC inactive state to an RRC connected state based on a random access process.In the example shown in Figure 19, the UE may send one or more QoE reports based on a random access message of a random access process, for example, based on Msg3 in a four-step random access process or based on MsgA in a two-step random access process. In some examples, the UE may send one or more QoE measurement reports based on an uplink grant (e.g., a configured grant or a dynamic grant) received by the UE after transitioning from an RRC inactive state to an RRC connected state.

[0138] In some examples, the UE may receive signaling (e.g., physical layer signaling received via a control channel, MAC CE, or RRC signaling) indicating pausing / resume of QoE measurement reporting and / or pausing / resume of performing QoE measurements. In some examples, the pause / resume signaling may be received by a UE in an RRC connected state (e.g., after the UE transitions from an RRC idle state to an RRC connected state or before the UE transitions to an RRC inactive state). In some examples, the pause / resume signaling may be received by a UE in both an RRC inactive state (e.g., a state in which measurements are paused / resume, via paging) and an RRC connected state.

[0139] In an example embodiment, a user equipment (UE) may receive a radio resource control (RRC) message including configuration parameters for one or more QoE configurations. The UE may receive an RRC release message indicating that the UE transitions from an RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state. The UE may perform QoE measurements for at least one or more first QoE configurations of the one or more QoE configurations while the UE is in the RRC inactive state. The UE may determine to transition from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state. The UE may transmit one or more QoE measurement reports in response to determining to transition.

[0140] In some examples, the UE may transition from a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to an RRC inactive state in response to receiving an RRC release message.

[0141] In some examples, the RRC release message may include a suspendconfig information element (IE), which may include configuration parameters for operation of a user equipment (UE) in an RRC inactive state.

[0142] In some examples, each quality of experience (QoE) configuration in the one or more QoE configurations may be associated with an identifier. Configuration parameters of the one or more QoE configurations may indicate an identifier of the one or more quality of experience (QoE) configurations. In some examples, each QoE configuration of the one or more quality of experience (QoE) configurations may include a parameter indicating an identifier corresponding to the QoE configuration. In some examples, the RRC release message may indicate one or more first identifiers of the one or more identifiers associated with the one or more first QoE configurations.

[0143] In some examples, a radio resource control (RRC) release message may include a suspendconfig information element (IE) indicating a transition of a user equipment (UE) to an RRC inactive state. In some examples, the suspendconfig information element (IE) may indicate one or more first identifiers associated with one or more first quality of experience (QoE) configurations. In some examples, the suspendconfig information element (IE) may include a parameter indicating a list of one or more first quality of experience (QoE) measurement configurations.

[0144] In some examples, configuration parameters in a quality of experience (QoE) configuration may include a first parameter for QoE measurement and a second parameter for QoE reporting. In some examples, the first parameter may indicate one or more applications for the quality of experience (QoE) measurement. In some examples, the second parameter may indicate one or more periodicities for the quality of experience (QoE) reporting.

[0145] In some examples, the step of transitioning from a Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state to an RRC connected state may include initiating a random access process. The step of transmitting one or more quality of experience (QoE) measurement reports may be via a random access message of the random access process. In some examples, the random access message may be a Msg3 message if the random access process is a four-step random access process. In some examples, the random access message may be a MsgA message if the random access process is a two-step random access process.

[0146] In some examples, the sending of the one or more quality of experience (QoE) measurement reports may be based on an uplink grant after transitioning from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to an RRC connected state. In some examples, the UE may receive an uplink grant after transitioning from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to an RRC connected state.

[0147] In some examples, a first configuration parameter of a first QoE configuration configuration having one or more first qualities of experience (QoE) may be associated with a first value while a user equipment (UE) is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state and may be associated with a second value while the UE is in the RRC inactive state.

[0148] In some examples, the step of transmitting the one or more Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement reports may be performed via one or more Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages. In some examples, the one or more Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages may be associated with Signaling Radio Bearer 4 (SRB4). In some examples, the one or more Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages may include a MeasurementReportAppLayer message.

[0149] In some examples, at least some of the configuration parameters of one or more quality of experience (QoE) configurations may be the same.

[0150] In some examples, a measurement report in the one or more measurement reports may comprise a measurement identifier. The measurement identifier may indicate a quality of experience (QoE) configuration with which the measurement report may be associated in one or more QoE configurations. In some examples, the measurement identifier may be used by a radio access network (RAN) to forward the measurement report to a corresponding recipient.

[0151] In some examples, the UE may receive a pause indication indicating paused quality of experience (QoE) measurement reporting after transitioning to an RRC connected state. In some examples, the pause indication may be a physical layer message. In some examples, receiving the physical layer message may be via a downlink control channel. In some examples, the pause indication message may be via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some examples, the pause indication may be via a radio resource control (RRC) message. In some examples, quality of experience (QoE) measurements may be performed while pausing the QoE measurement reporting.

[0152] In some examples, the UE may receive a resume indication indicating a resumption of quality of experience (QoE) measurement reporting after transitioning to an RRC connected state. In some examples, the resume indication may be a physical layer message. In some examples, receiving the physical layer message may be via a downlink control channel. In some examples, the resume indication message may be via a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). In some examples, the resume indication may be via a radio resource control (RRC) message.

[0153] In some examples, the one or more first quality of experience (QoE) configurations may be selected from the one or more QoE configurations based on a requirement for QoE measurement during a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state.

[0154] In some examples, the one or more first quality of experience (QoE) configurations may be selected from one or more QoE configurations based on a requirement for QoE reporting in response to a transition from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to an RRC connected state.

[0155] In some examples, sending one or more quality of experience (QoE) measurement reports may be based on one or more first QoE configurations.

[0156] In some examples, the radio resource control (RRC) message may be an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0157] In some examples, the UE may store one or more quality of experience (QoE) measurement reports while the UE is in an RRC inactive state.

[0158] The example blocks and modules described in this disclosure with respect to various example embodiments may be implemented or performed using a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Examples of general purpose processors include, but are not limited to, a microprocessor, any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. In some examples, a processor may be implemented using a combination of devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0159] The functions described in this disclosure may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. Instructions or codes may be stored or transmitted on a computer-readable medium for implementation of the functions. Other examples for implementation of the functions disclosed herein are also within the scope of this disclosure. Implementation of the functions may be through physically co-located elements or distributed elements (e.g., in various locations), including distributed such that parts of the functions are implemented in different physical locations.

[0160] Computer-readable media includes, but is not limited to, non-transitory computer storage media. Non-transitory storage media can be accessed by general-purpose or special-purpose computers. Examples of non-transitory storage media include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, and the like. Non-transitory media can be used to carry or store desired program code means (e.g., instructions and / or data structures) and can be accessed by general-purpose or special-purpose computers or general-purpose or special-purpose processors. In some examples, the software / program code can be transmitted from a remote source (e.g., a website, a server, etc.) using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave. In such examples, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are within the definition of media. Combinations of the above examples are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0161] As used in this disclosure, the use of the term "or" in a list of items indicates an inclusive list. The list of items may be preceded by a phrase such as "at least one" or "one or more." For example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C includes A or B or C or AB (i.e., A and B) or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, as used in this disclosure, interfacing a list of conditions with the phrase "based on" should not be interpreted as "based only on" the set of conditions, but rather as "based at least in part on" the set of conditions. For example, a result described as "based on condition A" may be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0162] In this specification, the terms "comprise", "include", or "contain" may be used interchangeably and should be construed to have the same meaning and be inclusive and non-limiting. The terms "comprise", "include", or "contain" may be used before a list of elements to indicate that at least all of the recited elements in the list are present, but other elements not in the list may also be present. For example, if A contains B and C, then both {B,C} and {B,C,D} are within the scope of A.

[0163] The present disclosure describes exemplary configurations in connection with the accompanying drawings, which do not represent all examples that may be implemented or all configurations within the scope of the present disclosure. The term "exemplary" should not be interpreted as "preferred" or "advantageous compared to other examples", but rather as "an example, an instance, or an example". By reading the present disclosure, including the description of the embodiments and drawings, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the technology disclosed herein may be implemented using alternative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments, or certain features of the embodiments described herein, may be combined to arrive at yet other embodiments for practicing the technology described in the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for quality of experience (QoE) measurement and reporting, comprising: receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a radio resource control (RRC) message including configuration parameters for one or more QoE configurations; receiving an RRC release message indicating that the UE will transition from an RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state; performing a QoE measurement for at least a first QoE configuration of the one or more QoE configurations while the UE is in the RRC inactive state; the QoE measurements are application layer measurements associated with one or more service types; the at least one first QoE configuration being at least one configuration of one or more QoE configurations for which QoE measurements during the RRC inactive state are applicable; storing, during said RRC inactive state, one or more QoE measurement reports based on said QoE measurements; determining to transition from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state; after transitioning to the RRC connected state, transmitting the one or more QoE measurement reports stored during the RRC inactive state; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: transitioning from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to the RRC inactive state in response to receiving the RRC release message.

3. the radio resource control (RRC) release message includes a suspendconfig information element (IE); The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspendconfig IE includes configuration parameters for operation of the user equipment (UE) in the RRC inactive state.

4. each Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration of the one or more QoE configurations is associated with an identifier; The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration parameters of the one or more QoE configurations indicate the identifier associated with the at least one first Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein each Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration of the one or more QoE configurations includes a parameter indicative of the identifier associated with the QoE configuration.

6. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the Radio Resource Control (RRC) release message indicates at least a first identifier of one or more identifiers associated with the at least one first Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration.

7. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio resource control (RRC) release message includes a suspendconfig information element (IE) indicating a transition of the user equipment (UE) to the RRC inactive state.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the suspendconfig information element (IE) indicates at least one first identifier associated with the at least one first Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the suspendconfig information element (IE) includes a parameter indicating a list of at least one first Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement configuration.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration parameters of the one or more Quality of Experience (QoE) configurations include a first parameter for QoE measurement and a second parameter for QoE reporting.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first parameter is indicative of one or more applications for Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second parameter indicates one or more periodicities for Quality of Experience (QoE) reporting.

13. and transitioning from the radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state includes initiating a random access process. transmitting the one or more Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement reports via a random access message of the random access process. The method of claim 1.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein if the random access process is a four-step random access process, the random access message is an Msg3 message.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein if the random access process is a two-phase random access process, the random access message is a MsgA message.

16. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the one or more Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement reports is based on an uplink grant after transitioning from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the uplink grant is received after transitioning from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state.

18. A first configuration parameter of the at least one first Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration of one or more QoE configurations is: associated with a first value while the user equipment (UE) is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state; The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE is associated with a second value while in the RRC inactive state.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of transmitting the one or more Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement reports is via one or more Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages are associated with a Signaling Radio Bearer 4 (SRB4).

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