Entering the Radio Resource Control Connected State

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a device, method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for initiating an RRC connected state. The method includes receiving, from a second device, information regarding a threshold associated with a configuration of application layer measurements to be performed by a first device, performing the application layer measurements based on the configuration during an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state, and initiating a process for transitioning to an RRC connected state according to a determination that the measurement values exceed the threshold. In this manner, the UE can report the measurement values by switching to the RRC connected state, during which transmissions can be adjusted / optimized by a gNB without directing the UE to the RRC connected state.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to a device, method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for initiating a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state. [Background technology]

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) has been studying New Radio (NR) application layer measurement (e.g., Quality of Experience (QoE)) management and service optimization, identifying a framework for collecting and reporting NR QoE measurements and investigating the potential impact on associated radio access network (RAN) interfaces. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally, the example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for initiating an RRC connected state.

[0004] In a first aspect, a first device is provided, the first device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to at least receive, from a second device, information regarding thresholds associated with configurations of application layer measurements to be performed by the first device, perform application layer measurements based on the configurations while in an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state, and initiate a process for transitioning to an RRC connected state according to a determination that the measurements exceed the thresholds.

[0005] In a second aspect, a second device is provided, the second device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to generate information relating to at least thresholds associated with configurations of application layer measurements performed by the first device and to transmit the information to the first device.

[0006] In a third aspect, a method is provided, the method including: receiving, from a second device, information regarding a threshold associated with a configuration of application layer measurements to be performed by a first device; performing the application layer measurements based on the configuration during an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state; and initiating a process for transitioning to an RRC connected state according to a determination that the measurement values exceed the threshold.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided, the method including generating information related to thresholds associated with a configuration of application layer measurements performed by a first device and transmitting the information to the first device.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: means for receiving, from a second device, information regarding a threshold associated with a configuration of an application layer measurement to be performed by a first device; means for performing the application layer measurement based on the configuration during an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state; and means for initiating a process to transition to an RRC connected state according to a determination that the measurement exceeds the threshold.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided comprising: means for generating information related to a threshold associated with a setting of an application layer measurement performed by a first device; and means for transmitting the information to the first device.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform a method according to the third or fourth aspect.

[0011] Other features and preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following description of specific embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, in illustrative embodiments, the principles of the presently disclosed embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are presented by way of example and are preferably described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an environment in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a signaling chart illustrating a process for initiating an RRC connected state in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of an example of a method for initiating an RRC connected state, according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example of a method for initiating an RRC connected state, according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for practicing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 6 is a block diagram of a computer-readable medium in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may represent the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes to help those skilled in the art understand and practice the present disclosure, and are not intended to imply any limitations on the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein may be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0014] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0015] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not all embodiments need include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is understood that it is within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly stated.

[0016] Although terms such as "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, it should be understood that these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0017] As used herein, "at least one of: ", "at least one of ", and similar expressions where a list of two or more elements is joined by "and" or "or" mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0018] As used herein, unless expressly stated, performing a step "in response to A" does not indicate performing the step immediately after "A" occurs, which may include one or more intervening steps.

[0019] The terminology in the examples is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that as used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," and / or "including" specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0020] As used in this application, the term "circuit" means (a) hardware-only circuit implementations (e.g., analog and / or digital-only implementations); (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software (if applicable); (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware; (ii) software (including digital signal processors), hardware processor portions with software and memory that cooperate to cause a device, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions; (c) A hardware circuit or processor, such as a microprocessor or part of a microprocessor, that requires software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may be absent when not required for operation; It may refer to one or more, or all, of the following:

[0021] This definition of circuit applies to all uses of the term in this application, including any claims. As a further example, as used herein, the term circuit also covers simply a hardware circuit or processor (or processors) or part of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. The term circuit also covers, for example, a baseband or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network equipment, or other computing device or network equipment, if applicable to a particular claim element.

[0022] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network conforming to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), or Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Furthermore, communications between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network may be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including, but not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or other protocols currently known or developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will, of course, be future communication technologies and systems in which the present disclosure may be embodied. The scope of the present disclosure should not be considered limited to only the aforementioned systems.

[0023] As used herein, the term "network equipment" refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services therefrom. Network equipment may refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), e.g., a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also referred to as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio header (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, an integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node such as a femto or pico node, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or non-terrestrial network equipment such as a satellite network equipment, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, an airborne network, or a variety of other nodes depending on the terminology and technology applied. A Radio Access Network (RAN) split architecture in some exemplary embodiments includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) in an IAB donor node. An IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that acts like a UE towards a parent node, and a DU portion of the IAB node that acts like a base station towards a next-hop IAB node.

[0024] The term "terminal equipment" refers to any terminal equipment capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal equipment may also be referred to as a communication device, a user equipment (UE), a subscriber station (SS), a mobile subscriber station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT). Terminal equipment includes, but is not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearables such as watches, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices, applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics devices, devices operating in commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. Terminal equipment may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). In the following description, the terms "terminal equipment", "communication equipment", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0025] In this embodiment, the terms "resource," "transmission resource," "resource block," "physical resource block" (PRB), "uplink resource," or "downlink resource" may refer to any resource for performing communication, for example, any resource for performing communication between a terminal device and a network device, such as a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a space domain resource, a code domain resource, or any other resource that enables communication. Hereinafter, unless explicitly stated, both frequency domain and time domain resources are used as examples of transmission resources to describe exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0026] Example Environment 1 illustrates an exemplary communication network 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication network 100 may include a terminal device 110. Hereinafter, the terminal device 110 may also be referred to as a UE 110 or a first device 110.

[0027] The communication network 100 may further include network devices 120-1 and 120-2. Hereinafter, the network device 120-1 may also be referred to as a gNB 120-1 or a second device 120, and the network device 120-2 may also be referred to as a gNB 120-2 or a third device 120-2. In addition, the network devices 120-1 and 120-2 may also be collectively referred to as a network device 120 or a gNB 120.

[0028] The terminal device 110 can communicate with network device 120-1 and network device 120-2. For example, the serving cell of the terminal device 110 is managed by network device 120-1, and the terminal device 110 can communicate with network device 120-1 in an RRC connected state. Thereafter, the terminal device 110 can transition to an RRC idle / inactive state. When the terminal device 110 attempts to transition to the RRC connected state, the terminal device 110 can initiate an RRCResumeRequest to network device 120-1, or, if the serving cell of the terminal device 110 has changed, can initiate an RRCSetupRequest to network device 120-2.

[0029] 1 is given for illustrative purposes, without implying any limitation, and communication network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices.

[0030] In some exemplary embodiments, the link from network device 120 to terminal device 110 may be referred to as the downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 110 to network device 120 may be referred to as the uplink (UL). In the DL, network device 120 is the transmit (TX) device (or transmitter) and terminal device 110 is the receive (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, terminal device 110 is the TX device (or transmitter) and network device 120 is the RX device (or receiver).

[0031] Communications in communication environment 100 may be conducted according to any suitable communications protocol(s), including, but not limited to, cellular communications protocols such as first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), wireless local network communications protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or any other protocols now known or developed in the future. Further, communications may utilize any suitable wireless communications technology, including, but not limited to, code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or other technologies now known or developed in the future.

[0032] As mentioned above, a framework for collecting and reporting NR application layer measurements (e.g., QoE measurements) has been researched and developed. The QoE Measurement Collection (QMC) activation procedure can be used to initiate one or more QMC jobs in a UE. A "QoE Reference ID" is used to uniquely identify one QMC job.

[0033] To support application layer measurement collection, NR QoE or RAN visible (RV) QoE may be applied in the RRC connected state. The scenarios for applying NR QoE in the RRC idle / inactive state may still need to be discussed. For example, NR QoE may be applied in the RRC idle / inactive state to support application layer measurement collection for multicast broadcast services (MBS) received in the RRC idle / inactive state.

[0034] The MBS may be used by UEs in RRC idle or RRC inactive states while QMC is activated. When a UE transitions from an RRC connected state to an RRC idle or RRC inactive state, the UE may be configured to perform QoE and / or RV-QoE measurements. However, the UE may not be able to report the results of the QoE measurements to the network. If the results of the QoE measurements are unavailable, the network may perform transmissions only with default patterns, for example, using predefined static parameters, and therefore cannot guarantee quality of service (QoS) and / or QoE for all UEs.

[0035] It is therefore desirable for the UE to be able to report the QoE measurement results to the network when it returns to the RRC connected state, and the specific RV-QoE contained in the QoE measurement results can be used by the RAN to adjust the MBS transmission settings.

[0036] Principle of operation and example of signaling for communication According to some example embodiments of the present disclosure, a solution for initiating an RRC connected state is provided. In this example solution, the UE obtains a threshold associated with an application layer measurement collection configuration (e.g., a QMC configuration) and performs corresponding measurements in an RRC idle / inactive state. If the UE determines that the measurement exceeds the threshold, the UE initiates a process for transitioning to an RRC connected state. In this manner, the UE transitions to the RRC connected state to report the measurement, during which transmission adjustment / optimization can be performed by the gNB without directing the UE to the RRC connected state.

[0037] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which illustrates a signaling chart 200 for communication in some example embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, signaling chart 200 includes UE 110, gNB 120-1, and gNB 120-2. For purposes of explanation, reference is made to FIG. 1 to describe signaling chart 200. While a single UE 110 is illustrated in FIG. 2, it will be understood that there may be multiple UEs that perform similar operations as described with respect to UE 110 below.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, UE 110 may be served by gNB 120-1 and may be in an RRC connected state. gNB 120-1 may configure application layer measurement collection configuration 205 for UE 110. As used herein, application layer measurement collection may be referred to as QMC or the like. As used herein, application layer measurements may be referred to as one or more QoE measurements and / or one or more (RV)-QoE measurements. For example, the QMC configuration may be configured by gNB 120-1 to instruct UE 110 to perform RV-QoE measurements of MBSs at the application layer.

[0040] The gNB 120-1 also sets respective thresholds for one or more QoE parameters / metrics in the application layer measurement collection, i.e., QMC. For example, the one or more QoE parameters / metrics may include application (e.g., video) buffer level, average throughput, playback delay, etc.

[0041] The gNB120-1 then sends the application layer measurement collection configuration 210, including the corresponding thresholds, to the UE110.

[0042] Optionally, gNB120-1 may send a configuration along with corresponding threshold(s) before UE110 transitions to an RRC idle / inactive state, for example, during an RRC release process or an RRC reconfiguration process.

[0043] As another option, gNB 120-1 may transmit the corresponding threshold(s), for example, broadcast via the system information (SIB) or the MBS control channel (sometimes referred to as MCCH in the MBS framework). Providing the threshold(s) corresponding to UE 110 in the RRC idle / inactive state allows the network side to adjust one or more thresholds associated with application layer measurements, providing greater flexibility in controlling UEs in the RRC idle / inactive state. In some embodiments, the corresponding threshold(s) may be transmitted from gNB 120-2 to UE 110, for example, broadcast via the system information (SIB) or the MCCH.

[0044] When UE 110 transitions to an RRC idle / inactive state, UE 110 may perform application layer measurements based on configuration received, for example, at application layer 110-1 of UE 110. Measurement results, for example, QoE measurement reports or RV-QoE measurement reports, may be transmitted from application layer 110-1 to RRC layer 110-2 of UE 110.

[0045] If the measured values of the parameters / metrics associated with the application layer measurements do not exceed the corresponding thresholds, the measurement results may be stored in a buffer of UE 110. UE 110 may report the measurement results to serving gNB 120 at an appropriate opportunity, for example, when UE 110 returns to an RRC connected state. Furthermore, if the measured values of the parameters / metrics associated with the application layer measurements do not exceed the corresponding thresholds, UE 110 may also continue to perform the application layer measurements for a certain period of time.

[0046] If the measurement of the parameter / metric associated with the application layer measurement exceeds the corresponding threshold, the UE 110 initiates the process to transition to an RRC connected state.

[0047] It should be understood that a measurement exceeds a predetermined value if the measurement exceeds the corresponding threshold, or the measurement is below a predetermined value, and it is also possible for a measurement to exceed a corresponding threshold if the measurement is equal to the predetermined value.

[0048] Optionally, the application layer 110-1 may determine that the measurement exceeds a threshold 215. The application layer 110-1 may send an indication 220 that the measurement exceeds the threshold to the RRC layer 110-2, for example, via an attention (AT) command.

[0049] As another option, the RRC layer 110-2 may determine (225) that the measurement exceeds a threshold, for example, based on a measurement report sent from the application layer 110-1.

[0050] After determining that the measurement value exceeds the corresponding threshold, a request to transition to an RRC connected state may be initiated from the UE 110 to the currently camped gNB via an RRCSetupRequest, an RRCResumeRequest, an RRCSetupRequestComplete, or an RRCResumeRequestComplete. Alternatively or optionally, the request to transition to an RRC connected state may include a cause for initiating the request, such as an indication that the measurement value of the parameter exceeds the corresponding threshold. The request may also include more detailed values, such as the measurement value, the corresponding value, or the difference between the measurement value and the corresponding value.

[0051] For example, if gNB 120-1 still serves as UE 110's connected gNB, UE 110 may send 230 an RRC Resume Request to gNB 120-1 to resume the RRC connection between UE 110 and gNB 120-1. gNB 120-1 may resume or establish 235 the RRC connection with UE 110. gNB 120-1 may also adjust MBS transmission parameters according to the request, e.g., the cause that initiated the request and / or further details of that cause.

[0052] Similarly, if the connected gNB is changed, for example, switched to gNB 120-2, UE 110 may send an RRC Setup Request to gNB 120-2 to establish an RRC connection between UE 110 and gNB 120-2. gNB 120-2 may establish an RRC connection with UE 110 and may adjust MBS transmission parameters according to the request and the corresponding cause included in the request.

[0053] The solution of the present disclosure allows the UE to report measurements by switching to an RRC connected state, while allowing transmissions to be adjusted / optimized by the gNB without directing the UE to an RRC connected state.

[0054] 3 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 300 of initiation for an RRC connected state, in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 300 may be implemented in first device 110, as shown in FIG. 1. For illustrative purposes, method 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0055] At 310, the first device 110 receives, from the second device, information regarding thresholds associated with a configuration of application layer measurements performed by the first device.

[0056] In some example embodiments, the application layer measurements may include QoE measurements or RV QoE measurements.

[0057] In some example embodiments, the threshold may be related to at least one of the application's buffer level, average throughput, or playout delay.

[0058] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device may receive the information before the first device transitions to an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state.

[0059] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device may receive the information via an RRC release process or an RRC reconfiguration process.

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment, the first device may receive the information via a system information block or a broadcast control channel signal.

[0061] At 320, the first device performs application layer measurements based on the configuration while in an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state.

[0062] If the first device determines at 330 that the measurement exceeds the threshold, then at 340 the first device initiates a process to transition to an RRC connected state.

[0063] In some exemplary embodiments, if the RRC layer of the first device determines that the measurement exceeds a threshold, the first device may cause the first device to send a request to transition to an RRC connected state.

[0064] In some example embodiments, if the application layer of the first device determines that the measurement exceeds a threshold and an indication of the exceedance is sent from the application layer to the RRC layer of the first device, the first device may cause the first device to send a request to transition to an RRC connected state.

[0065] In some exemplary embodiments, the request is sent to the second device to resume an RRC connection state with the second device or to the third device to establish an RRC connection state with the third device.

[0066] In some exemplary embodiments, the request may include an indication that the measurement exceeds a threshold.

[0067] In some exemplary embodiments, if UE 110 determines at 330 that the measurements do not exceed the threshold, UE 110 may perform application layer measurements, eg, similar to the measurements at 320 .

[0068] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device may comprise a terminal device and the second device may comprise a network device.

[0069] In some exemplary embodiments, the third device may comprise a network appliance.

[0070] 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 400 of initiation for an RRC connected state, in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 400 may be implemented in second device 120, as shown in FIG. 1. For purposes of explanation, method 400 will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0071] At 410, the second device generates information regarding thresholds associated with a configuration of application layer measurements performed by the first device.

[0072] At 420, the second device transmits the information to the first device.

[0073] In some example embodiments, the application layer measurements may include QoE measurements or RV QoE measurements.

[0074] In some example embodiments, the threshold may be related to at least one of the application's buffer level, average throughput, or playout delay.

[0075] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device may transmit the information before the first device transitions to an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state.

[0076] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device may send the information via an RRC release process or an RRC reconfiguration process.

[0077] In an exemplary embodiment, the second device may transmit the information via a system information block or a multicast broadcast control channel.

[0078] In some example embodiments, if the second device determines that a request to transition to an RRC connected state has been received from the first device, the second device may resume the RRC connected state between the first device and the second device.

[0079] In some exemplary embodiments, if the second device determines that the request indicates that the measurement exceeds a threshold, it adjusts the threshold or one or more transmission parameters.

[0080] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

[0081] Examples of equipment, devices, and media In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 300 (e.g., implemented in first device 110) may include means for performing each step of method 300. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0082] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for receiving, from a second device, information regarding a threshold associated with a configuration of an application layer measurement to be performed by the first device; means for performing the application layer measurement based on the configuration while in an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state; and means for initiating a process of transitioning to an RRC connected state according to a determination that the measurement exceeds the threshold.

[0083] In some example embodiments, the application layer measurements may include QoE measurements or RV QoE measurements.

[0084] In some example embodiments, the threshold may be related to at least one of the application's buffer level, average throughput, or playout delay.

[0085] In some exemplary embodiments, the means for receiving the information may further comprise means for receiving the information before the first device transitions to an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state.

[0086] In some exemplary embodiments, the means for receiving the information may further comprise means for receiving the information via an RRC release process or an RRC reconfiguration process.

[0087] In some exemplary embodiments, the means for receiving information may further comprise means for receiving the information via a system information block or a broadcast control channel signal.

[0088] In some exemplary embodiments, the means for initiating the process of transitioning to an RRC connected state may further comprise means for causing the first device to transmit a request to transition to an RRC connected state pursuant to an RRC layer of the first device determining that the measurement value exceeds a threshold.

[0089] In some example embodiments, the means for initiating the process of transitioning to the RRC connected state may further comprise means for determining that the application layer measurement of the first device exceeds a threshold and causing a request to transition to the RRC connected state to be sent by the first device pursuant to an indication of the exceedance being sent from the application layer to the RRC layer of the first device.

[0090] In some exemplary embodiments, the request may include indicating that the measurement exceeds a threshold.

[0091] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus may further include means for performing application layer measurements in accordance with a determination that the measurements do not exceed the threshold.

[0092] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device may comprise a terminal device and the second device may comprise a network device.

[0093] In some exemplary embodiments, the third device may comprise a network appliance.

[0094] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 400 (e.g., implemented in second device 120) may include means for performing each step of method 400. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0095] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for generating information regarding a threshold associated with a configuration of an application layer measurement performed by a first device, and means for transmitting the information to the first device.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the application layer measurements may include QoE measurements or RV QoE measurements.

[0097] In some example embodiments, the threshold may be related to at least one of the application's buffer level, average throughput, or playout delay.

[0098] In some exemplary embodiments, the means for transmitting the information may further comprise means for transmitting the information before the first device transitions to an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state.

[0099] In some exemplary embodiments, the means for transmitting the information may further comprise means for transmitting the information via an RRC release process or an RRC reconfiguration process.

[0100] In some exemplary embodiments, the means for transmitting the information may further comprise means for transmitting the information via a system information block or a multicast broadcast control channel.

[0101] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise means for resuming an RRC connected state between the first device and the second device according to a determination that a request to transition to an RRC connected state is received from the first device.

[0102] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus may further include means for adjusting the threshold or one or more transmission parameters in accordance with a determination that the request indicates that the measurement exceeds the threshold.

[0103] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

[0104] 5 is a simplified block diagram of a device 500 suitable for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Device 500 may be provided to implement a communication device such as terminal equipment 110 or network equipment 120 as shown in FIG. 1. As shown, device 500 includes one or more processors 510, one or more memories 520 coupled to processors 510, and one or more communication modules 540 coupled to processors 510.

[0105] The communication module 540 is for two-way communication. The communication module 540 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements. In some exemplary embodiments, the communication module 540 may include at least one antenna.

[0106] The processor 510 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. The device 500 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes a main processor.

[0107] The memory 520 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 524, electronically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), optical disks, laser disks, and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 522 and other volatile memories that do not persist on power down.

[0108] The computer program 530 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 510. The instructions of the program 530 may include instructions for performing the operations / acts of some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The program 530 may be stored in a memory, for example, the ROM 524. The processor 510 may perform any suitable operations and processes by loading the program 530 into the RAM 522.

[0109] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 530 such that the device 500 may execute any process of the present disclosure, such as those described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0110] In some exemplary embodiments, the program 530 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in the device 500 (such as in memory 520) or other storage accessible by the device 500. The device 500 may load the program 530 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 522 for execution. In some exemplary embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, Flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. The term "non-transitory" as used herein is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), as opposed to a limitation regarding the permanence of the data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0111] 6 shows an example of a computer readable medium 600, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disk. A computer readable medium 800 has the program 530 stored thereon.

[0112] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. One aspect may be implemented in hardware, while another aspect may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. While various aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or some other graphical representations, it should be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or a controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof, in non-limiting examples.

[0113] Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, that execute on a computing device on a target physical or virtual processor to perform any of the methods described above. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or split among program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In a distributed device, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0114] Program code for implementing the methods of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, and when executed by the processor or controller, the functions / acts identified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams are performed. The program code may run entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0115] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or associated data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, computing device, or processor to perform the various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0116] The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0117] Furthermore, although operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown, or sequentially, or that all of the operations depicted be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be preferred. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Conversely, unless explicitly stated, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0118] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims, is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. a first device, at least one processor; When executed by the at least one processor, the first device is configured to: receiving, from a second device, information regarding thresholds associated with a configuration of application layer measurements performed by the first device; performing the application layer measurements based on the configuration during a radio resource control (RRC) idle state or an RRC inactive state; initiating a process for transitioning to an RRC connected state in accordance with a determination that the measurement value exceeds the threshold; at least one memory storing instructions for executing the A first device comprising:

2. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the application layer measurements include Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements or radio access network visible QoE measurements.

3. The threshold value is a buffer level of an application on the first device; Average throughput, or Playout delay, 3. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is associated with at least one of the following:

4. The first device according to claim 1 , wherein the first device is configured to receive the information before the first device transitions to the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state.

5. The first device according to claim 1 , wherein the first device is adapted to receive the information via an RRC release process or an RRC reconfiguration process.

6. 4. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is adapted to receive the information via a system information block or a broadcast control channel signal.

7. The first device and causing the first device to send a request to transition to the RRC connected state in accordance with the RRC layer of the first device determining that the measurement value exceeds the threshold. A first device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. The first device an application layer of the first device determines that the measurement value exceeds a threshold, and an indication of the exceedance is sent from the application layer to an RRC layer of the first device; and the first device transmits a request to transition to the RRC connected state in accordance with the determination.

4. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is configured to:

9. The request is the second device to resume the RRC connection state with the second device; or a third device for establishing the RRC connection state with the third device; The first device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the first device transmits the signal to either one of the first and second devices.

10. The first device of claim 7 or 8, wherein the request includes the indication that the measurement value exceeds the threshold value.

11. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

12. The first device of claim 9 , wherein the third device comprises a network appliance.

13. a second device, at least one processor; When executed by the at least one processor, the second device receives at least: generating information regarding thresholds associated with a configuration of application layer measurements performed by the first device; Sending information to the first device; at least one memory storing instructions for executing the A second device comprising:

14. The second device of claim 13 , wherein the application layer measurements include Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements or radio access network visible QoE measurements.

15. The threshold value is a buffer level of an application on the first device; Average throughput, or Playout delays, 15. The second device according to claim 13 or 14, which is associated with at least one of:

16. The second device according to claim 13 , wherein the second device is configured to transmit the information before the first device transitions to an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state.

17. The second device according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the second device is adapted to transmit the information via an RRC release process or an RRC reconfiguration process.

18. 16. The second device of any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the second device is adapted to transmit the information via a system information block or a multicast broadcast control channel.

19. The second device resuming the RRC connected state between the first device and the second device in accordance with determining that a request to transition to an RRC connected state has been received from the first device. The second device according to claim 13 .

20. The second device adjusting the threshold or one or more transmission parameters in accordance with a determination that the request indicates that the measurement exceeds the threshold.

20. The second device of claim 19, wherein:

21. The second device of any of claims 13 to 20, wherein the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

22. receiving, at a first device, from a second device, information regarding thresholds associated with a configuration of application layer measurements performed by the first device; performing the application layer measurements based on the configuration during a radio resource control (RRC) idle state or an RRC inactive state; initiating a process for transitioning to an RRC connected state in accordance with a determination that the measurement value exceeds the threshold; A method comprising:

23. the application layer measurements include Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements or radio access network visible QoE measurements; 23. The method of claim 22.

24. The threshold value is a buffer level of an application on the first device; Average throughput, or Playout delays, 24. The method of claim 22 or 23, wherein the method is associated with at least one of:

25. Receiving the information includes: receiving the information before the first device transitions to the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state; 25. The method of any of claims 22 to 24, comprising:

26. Receiving the information includes: receiving the information via an RRC release process or an RRC reconfiguration process; 25. The method of any of claims 22 to 24, comprising:

27. Receiving the information includes: receiving said information via a system information block or broadcast control channel signaling; 25. The method of any of claims 22 to 24, comprising:

28. Initiating the process includes: causing an RRC layer of the first device to send a request to transition to the RRC connected state according to determining that the measurement value exceeds the threshold; 25. The method of any of claims 22 to 24, comprising:

29. Initiating the process a request to transition to the RRC connected state is sent by the first device in accordance with a determination by an application layer of the first device that the measurement value exceeds the threshold and an indication of the exceedance is sent from the application layer to an RRC layer of the first device; 25. The method of any of claims 22 to 24, comprising:

30. The request is the second device to resume the RRC connection state with the second device; or a third device for establishing the RRC connection state with the third device; 30. The method of claim 28 or 29, wherein the method is transmitted to either

31. 30. The method of claim 28 or 29, wherein the request includes the indication that the measurement exceeds the threshold.

32. 32. The method of any of claims 22 to 31, wherein the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

33. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the third device comprises a network appliance.

34. generating, at the second device, information regarding thresholds associated with a configuration of application layer measurements performed by the first device; Sending information to the first device; A method comprising:

35. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the application layer measurements include Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements or radio access network visible QoE measurements.

36. The threshold value is a buffer level of an application on the first device; Average throughput, or Playout delays, 36. The method of claim 34 or 35, wherein the method is associated with at least one of:

37. Transmitting the information comprises: transmitting the information before the first device transitions to an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state; 37. The method of any of claims 34 to 36, comprising:

38. Transmitting the information comprises: transmitting the information via an RRC release process or an RRC reconfiguration process; 37. The method of any of claims 34 to 36, comprising:

39. Transmitting the information comprises: transmitting said information via a system information block or a multicast broadcast control channel; 37. The method of any of claims 34 to 36, comprising:

40. resuming the RRC connected state between the first device and the second device in response to determining that a request to transition to an RRC connected state has been received from the first device; 35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

41. adjusting the threshold or one or more transmission parameters in accordance with determining that the request indicates that the measurement exceeds the threshold; 35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

42. 42. A method according to any one of claims 34 to 41, wherein the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

43. means for receiving, from the second device, information regarding thresholds associated with a configuration of application layer measurements performed by the first device; means for performing the application layer measurements based on the configuration during a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle state or an RRC inactive state; means for initiating a process of transitioning to an RRC connected state in accordance with a determination that the measurement value exceeds the threshold; 1. An apparatus comprising:

44. means for generating information regarding thresholds associated with a configuration of application layer measurements performed by the first device; means for transmitting information to the first device; 1. An apparatus comprising:

45. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method of any of claims 22 to 33.

46. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method of any of claims 34 to 42.

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