Methods and apparatus relating to dual connectivity measurements

Abstract

A method is disclosed at a master node for dual connectivity user equipment that includes receiving, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, and transmitting, from the master node to the secondary node, an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Exemplary embodiments relate to apparatus, methods, and computer programs, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to apparatus, methods, and computer programs related to dual connectivity measurements. [Background technology]

[0002] A user equipment having a dual connection to a master node and a secondary node is configured to make and report measurements by both the master node and the secondary node. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The method includes receiving, at a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, and transmitting from the master node to the secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0004] The method may further include receiving, at the master node, from the secondary node, an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies, and determining, at the master node, whether to accept use of the one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters by the secondary node.

[0005] The method includes transmitting, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, and receiving, at the secondary node, from the master node, an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0006] The method may further include determining, at the secondary node, whether to accept use of the one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters.

[0007] The method may further include, if determining that use of the one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters is not acceptable, transmitting to the master node an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0008] The method includes transmitting, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting to the master node measurement results or availability of measurement results for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report the measurement results to the secondary node.

[0009] The method includes, at a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, receiving from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, and transmitting one or more reporting messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules.

[0010] The one or more rules may include one or more of a rule for sending a report message to the master node in response to an event at the secondary node or a rule for periodically sending a report message to the master node.

[0011] The event at the secondary node may include receiving measurements from the dual connectivity user equipment.

[0012] The method includes transmitting one or more messages from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment to the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to a secondary node, the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report measurements to the master node for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment.

[0013] The one or more messages may indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node.

[0014] The method includes receiving, at the dual connectivity user equipment, one or more messages from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node, by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, measurements for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured to report measurements to the secondary node.

[0015] The one or more messages may indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node, and the method may further include, in response to generating measurement results to report to the master node for measurements configured by the master node and indicated by the master node to be linked to measurements configured by the secondary node, reporting to the master node both the measurement results for the measurements configured by the master node and the measurement results for the linked measurements configured by the secondary node.

[0016] A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising: means for receiving, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; and means for transmitting to the secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0017] The master node may further comprise means for receiving from the secondary node an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies, and means for determining whether to accept use of the one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters by the secondary node.

[0018] A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node comprising means for sending to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, and means for receiving from the master node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0019] The secondary node may further comprise means for whether to accept the use of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters.

[0020] The secondary node may further comprise means for, if it determines that use of the one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters is not acceptable, transmitting to the master node an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0021] A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising means for transmitting, to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node.

[0022] A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node comprising: means for receiving, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; and means for transmitting one or more reporting messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules.

[0023] The one or more rules may include one or more of a rule for sending a report message to the master node in response to an event at the secondary node or a rule for periodically sending a report message to the master node.

[0024] The event at the secondary node may include receiving measurements from the dual connectivity user equipment.

[0025] A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising means for transmitting one or more messages to the dual connectivity user equipment configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report measurement results to the master node for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node.

[0026] The one or more messages may indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node.

[0027] The dual connectivity user equipment comprises means for receiving one or more messages from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment that configures the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurement results for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node.

[0028] The one or more messages may indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node, and the dual connectivity user equipment may further comprise means for reporting to the master node both the measurement result for the measurement configured by the master node and the measurement result for the linked measurement configured by the secondary node in response to generating a measurement result to report to the master node for a measurement configured by the master node and indicated by the master node to be linked to a measurement configured by the secondary node.

[0029] A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to cause the master node, with the at least one processor, to receive, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, and send, to the secondary node, an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0030] The at least one memory and computer program code may be configured to cause the master node, with the at least one processor, to receive from the secondary node an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies, and determine whether to accept use of the one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters by the secondary node.

[0031] A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to cause the secondary node, with the at least one processor, to send to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, and receive from the master node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0032] The at least one memory and computer program code may be configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the secondary node to determine whether to accept use of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters at the secondary node.

[0033] The at least one memory and computer program code may be configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the secondary node, if it determines that use of the one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters is unacceptable, to send to the master node an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0034] A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to cause the master node, using the at least one processor, to transmit to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting to the master node measurement results or availability of measurement results for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node.

[0035] A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the secondary node to: receive, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; and send one or more reporting messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules.

[0036] The one or more rules may include one or more of a rule for sending a report message to the master node in response to an event at the secondary node or a rule for periodically sending a report message to the master node.

[0037] The event at the secondary node may include receiving measurements from the dual connectivity user equipment.

[0038] A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to cause the master node, with the at least one processor, to send one or more messages to the dual connectivity user equipment configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurements for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node.

[0039] The one or more messages may indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node.

[0040] The dual connectivity user equipment comprises at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to cause, with the at least one processor, to cause the dual connectivity user equipment to receive, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, one or more messages that configure the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurements for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node.

[0041] The one or more messages may indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node, and the at least one memory and computer program code may be configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the dual connectivity user equipment to report to the master node both the measurement result for the measurement configured by the master node and the measurement result for the linked measurement configured by the secondary node in response to generating measurement results to report to the master node for measurements configured by the master node and indicated by the master node to be linked to measurements configured by the secondary node.

[0042] A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising: a receiving circuit for receiving, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; and a transmitting circuit for transmitting, to the secondary node, an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0043] A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node comprising: a transmitting circuit for transmitting to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; and a receiving circuit for receiving from the master node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0044] The master node for the dual connectivity user equipment comprises a transmitting circuit for transmitting, to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting to the master node measurement results or availability of measurement results for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node.

[0045] A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment comprises receiving circuitry for receiving, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, and transmitting circuitry for transmitting one or more reporting messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules.

[0046] The master node for the dual connectivity user equipment comprises a transmitting circuit for transmitting one or more messages to the dual connectivity user equipment to configure the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurement results for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node.

[0047] The dual connectivity user equipment comprises receiving circuitry for receiving one or more messages from the master node for the dual connectivity user equipment configuring the dual connectivity user equipment by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node and to also report measurement results for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured to the master node.

[0048] The computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for performing, at a master node for dual connectivity user equipment, receiving from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, and transmitting from the master node to the secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0049] The computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for transmitting, from a secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, and receiving, at the secondary node, from the master node, an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0050] The computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for executing transmitting, from a master node for dual connectivity user equipment, to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, instructions of one or more rules for reporting to the master node measurement results or availability of measurement results for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node.

[0051] The computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for performing, at a secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, receiving from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, and transmitting one or more reporting messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules.

[0052] The computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for executing transmitting one or more messages from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment to the dual connectivity user equipment, the message configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurement results for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to a secondary node.

[0053] The computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for executing, at the dual connectivity user equipment, receiving, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, one or more messages configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node, by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to a secondary node, for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured.

[0054] The non-transitory computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for performing, at a master node for dual connectivity user equipment, receiving from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, and transmitting from the master node to the secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0055] The non-transitory computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for transmitting, from a secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, and receiving, at the secondary node, from the master node, an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0056] The non-transitory computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for executing transmitting, from a master node for dual connectivity user equipment, to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, instructions of one or more rules for reporting to the master node measurement results or availability of measurement results for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node.

[0057] The non-transitory computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for performing, at a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, receiving from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, and transmitting one or more reporting messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules.

[0058] The non-transitory computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for executing transmitting one or more messages from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment to the dual connectivity user equipment, the message configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurement results for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to a secondary node.

[0059] The non-transitory computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for executing, at a dual connectivity user equipment, receiving one or more messages from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurement results for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured to report measurements to a secondary node.

[0060] The computer program includes computer-executable code configured, when executed on at least one processor, to cause a master node for dual connectivity user equipment to at least receive, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, and send, to the secondary node, an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0061] The computer program includes computer-executable code configured, when executed on at least one processor, to cause a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to at least send to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, and receive from the master node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

[0062] The computer program includes computer-executable code configured, when executed on at least one processor, to cause a master node for dual connectivity user equipment to transmit to the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment at least an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node.

[0063] The computer program includes computer-executable code configured, when executed on at least one processor, to cause a secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment to at least receive from the master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, and to send one or more reporting messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules.

[0064] The computer program includes computer-executable code configured, when executed on at least one processor, to cause a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment to send one or more messages to the dual connectivity user equipment that configure the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurement results for at least one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node.

[0065] The computer program includes computer-executable code configured, when executed on at least one processor, to cause a dual connectivity user equipment to at least receive from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment one or more messages that configure the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurements for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node.

[0066] Many different aspects have been described above, and it should be understood that further aspects may be provided by combining any two or more of the above-described aspects.

[0067] Various other aspects are also set forth in the following detailed description and appended claims.

[0068] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the following examples and accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0069] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an exemplary mobile communication system in which some exemplary embodiments may be applied. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of some elements of FIG. 1 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of some elements of FIG. 1 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of some elements of FIG. 1 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 5] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of some elements of FIG. 1 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of some elements of FIG. 1 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 7] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of some elements of FIG. 1 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 8] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of some elements of FIG. 1 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 9] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of some elements of FIG. 1 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 10-1] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of some elements of FIG. 1 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 10-2] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of some elements of FIG. 1 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an apparatus for performing user equipment or access node functions, according to some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a nonvolatile memory medium. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0070] By way of example, the following description focuses on an example involving a master node operating in accordance with 3GPP's 5G radio access technology, although the underlying techniques may be applicable to other examples involving master nodes operating in accordance with other radio access technologies, such as more advanced 3GPP radio access technologies.

[0071] By way of example, the following description also focuses on the example of a secondary node that is a node operating according to the same radio access technology as the master node, although the underlying techniques are also applicable to examples in which the master node and secondary node operate according to different radio access technologies.

[0072] Figure 1 is a simplified representation of an example of a 5G system architecture, showing some elements that have a role in the exemplary embodiments described below. All units shown in Figure 1 are logical units. The connections shown in Figure 1 are logical connections, and the actual physical connections may be different. A 5G system may have other functions and structures in addition to those shown in Figure 1.

[0073] A 5G Core Network (CN) can provide connectivity between devices implementing user equipment functions (UE) and one or more data networks (DN) via a radio access network, such as a New Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) comprising a network of devices implementing instances of gNB (gNodeB) functions.

[0074] The gNB is connected to (i) a User Plane Function (UPF) of the core network (CN) for routing and forwarding user data packets and for providing connectivity of devices to one or more external packet data networks (DNs), and (ii) an Access Mobility Management Function (AMF) of the core network (CN) for controlling access and change of serving cell for the UE.

[0075] The term "user equipment" (UE) may refer to any device, apparatus, or component that implements at least 3GPP user equipment (UE) functionality.

[0076] A UE may be a mobile or stationary device (e.g., a portable or non-portable computing device), including, but not limited to, the following types of devices: mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handsets, devices using wireless modems (such as alarm devices or measurement devices), laptop and / or touchscreen computers, tablets, game consoles, notebooks, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that a UE device may also be almost exclusively an uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips onto a network. A UE device may also be a device capable of operating in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a scenario in which objects are provided with the ability to transfer data over a network without the need for human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction, such as those used in smart power grids and connected vehicles. The device may also utilize the cloud. In some applications, a UE device may include a user-portable device with wireless components (such as a watch, earphones, or glasses), with computations performed in the cloud.

[0077] 5G enables the use of multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antennas and may include multiple base stations (gNBs), including macro sites, that operate in coordination with smaller stations and employ various radio technologies depending on service needs, use cases, and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different methods of data sharing, and various forms of machine-type applications (such as (high-capacity) machine-type communications (mMTC) including road safety, different sensors, and real-time control). 5G can employ multiple frequency bands, e.g., below 6 GHz or above 24 GHz, cmWave, and mmWave, and may be integrated with other radio access technologies such as LTE. 5G can support both inter-RAT (e.g., LTE-5G) and inter-RI (operability between air interfaces such as below 6 GHz-cmWave, 6 GHz or above 24 GHz-cmWave, and mmWave). 5G networks may employ network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual sub-networks (network instances) may be created within the same infrastructure to operate services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0078] Low-latency applications and services may be facilitated by moving content closer to 5G systems, resulting in local breakout and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analytics and knowledge generation to occur at the source of data. This approach may involve leveraging resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for hosting applications and services. It also has the ability to store and process content in close proximity to cellular subscribers for faster response times. Edge computing covers a wide range of technologies, including wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative, distributed peer-to-peer ad hoc networking and processing (also classified as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing), dew computing, mobile edge computing, cloudlets, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, the Internet of Things (high-capacity connectivity and / or latency critical), and critical communications (autonomous vehicles, road safety, real-time analytics, time-critical control, and healthcare applications).

[0079] 5G can also utilize satellite communications to enhance or supplement 5G service coverage, for example, by providing backhauling. Possible use cases are providing service continuity to machine-to-machine (M2M) devices or Internet of Things (IoT) devices, or to vehicle passengers, mobile broadband (MBB), or ensuring service availability for critical communications and future rail, maritime, and aviation communications. Satellite communications utilize geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite systems, but can also utilize low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, especially megaconstellations (systems in which hundreds of (nano)satellites are deployed). Each satellite in a megaconstellation can cover several satellite-enabled network entities, creating ground cells. Ground cells may be created via terrestrial relay nodes or by gNBs located on the ground or within the satellites.

[0080] 5GC adopts a service-based architecture (SBA), according to which communication between network functions uses service-based interfaces (SBIs), and application programming interfaces (APIs) are used for SBIs.

[0081] A UE may be in dual connectivity with two or more access nodes, with one access node acting as a master node (MN) and one or more access nodes acting as secondary nodes (SNs). The control plane connection established for the dual connectivity UE between the core network (more specifically, an instance of the 5G Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) in the 5G CN) and the radio access network terminates at the master node, and there is no control plane connection established for the dual connectivity UE between the core network and a secondary node for the dual connectivity UE. User plane connections for the dual connectivity UE may be provided both between the MN and an instance of the 5G User Plan Function (UPF) and between the SN and a UPF instance. The MN provides primary radio resources to the dual connectivity UE via one or more cells (master cell group (MCG)). The SN provides additional radio resources to the dual connectivity UE via one or more additional cells (secondary cell group (SCG)).

[0082] The gNB acting as a master node for a dual connectivity UE and the gNB acting as a secondary node for the dual connectivity UE may exchange at least control plane information over the Xn interface between the two nodes.

[0083] According to one example, the node acting as the master node for the dual connectivity UE may be a macro base station having a relatively wide radio coverage, and the node acting as the secondary node for the dual connectivity UE may be a non-macro node having a narrower radio coverage.

[0084] Both the master node and the secondary node have their own RRC entities that can generate RRC messages for dual connectivity UEs. An RRC message generated by the SN may be sent directly to the UE via the SN cell via the signaling radio bearer (SIB3) established between the DC-UE and the SN. Alternatively, an RRC message generated by the SN for a dual connectivity UE may be sent from the SN to the MN via the Xn interface, then encapsulated in an RRC message generated by the MN and sent to the UE via the MN cell via the signaling radio bearer (SIB1) established between the MN and the UE. An RRC response message generated by the DC-UE in response to an RRC message from the SN may be sent directly to the SN via the SN cell. Alternatively, an RRC response message generated by the DC-UE in response to an RRC message from the SN may be encapsulated in an RRC response message generated by the DC-UE in response to an RRC message from the MN, and the encapsulated RRC response message for the SN is forwarded by the MN to the SN over the Xn interface.

[0085] Both the MN and the SN configure the UE to perform measurements and report via RRC messages generated at the MN and the SN, respectively. Configuring the UE to perform and report measurements may include linking a Measurement Object (MO) for the UE and a Reporting Configuration (RC) for the UE using a Measurement ID. The MO configures the UE for measurements and may indicate, for example, one or more frequencies, one or more reference signals, one or more L3 filtering parameters, etc. The RC configures the UE to report the performed measurements and may, for example, configure the UE for periodic and / or event-triggered reporting.

[0086] 2-6 show examples of operations in the MN and SN according to some exemplary embodiments. In this example, the DC-UE is in a dual connectivity state with a gNB acting as the MN and a gNB acting as the SN.

[0087] The MN sends an SN modification request to the SN over the Xn interface. The SN modification request contains a CG-ConfigInfo message specified in clause 11 of 3GPP TS38.331 V17.1.0, which contains the CG-ConfigInfo information element (IE) shown below. The CG-ConfigInfo IE contains a measConfigMN IE that indicates the measurement configuration of the MN. The measConfigMN IE indicates the frequencies (measFrequenciesMN) on which the MN configures the DC-UE to perform and report measurements.

[0088]

number

[0089] In response to the SN modification request message from the MN, the SN sends an SN modification response to the MN over the Xn interface. The SN modification response contains a CG-Config message as specified in clause 11 of 3GPP TS38.331 V17.1.0, which contains the CG-Config IE shown below. The CG-Config IE contains a measConfigSN IE that indicates the measurement configuration of the SN. The measConfigSN IE indicates the frequencies (measFrequenciesSN) on which the SN configures the DC-UE to perform and report measurements.

[0090]

number

[0091] The SN and MN therefore exchange lists of frequencies on which they configure DC-UEs for measurement and reporting.

[0092] The MN determines a preference for the MO parameters and RC parameters for measFrequenciesSN. For example, the MN may determine a preference to align the MO parameters and RC parameters for one or more measFrequenciesSN with one of the MO parameters and RC parameters for one or more measFrequenciesMN.

[0093] The MN sends an SN modification request to the SN. The SN modification request includes a CG-ConfigInfo message. The CG-ConfigInfo message includes an information element (measFrequenciesSNConfigInfo) that indicates the MN's preferences for MO parameters and RC configuration for measFrequenciesSN.

[0094] The SN determines whether it can accept the MN's preferences for the MO parameters and RC settings for measFrequenciesSN.

[0095] In FIG. 2, the result of this determination at the SN is positive, and the SN responds to the SN modification request from the MN by sending an SN modification response indicating an acknowledgment (ACK).

[0096] 3 and 4, the result of the determination at the SN is negative, and the SN responds to the SN modification request from the MN by sending an SN modification response indicating the SN's preferences for the MO parameters and RC settings for measFrequenciesSN. The SN's preferences may be based in part on the MN's preferences indicated in the SN modification request from the MN.

[0097] The MN determines whether it can accept the SN's preferences for the MO parameters and RC settings for measFrequenciesSN.

[0098] In Figure 3, the result of this determination at the MN is positive. The MN responds to the SN accepting the SN's preferences. The SN configures the DC-UE for measurements according to the SN's preferences for the MO parameters and RC settings for measFrequenciesSN.

[0099] In Figure 4, the result of the decision at the MN is negative. The MN sends a new SN modification request to the SN via the Xn interface. The new SN modification request includes a CG-ConfigInfo message. The CG-ConfigInfo message includes an information element (measFrequenciesSNConfigInfo) indicating the new MN's preferences for MO parameters and RC settings for measFrequenciesSN. The MN's determination of the new MN's preferences may be based in part on the SN preferences indicated in the SN modification response from the SN.

[0100] This exchange of preferences for MO parameters and RC settings for measFrequenciesSN continues until either the SN accepts the MN's preferences for MO parameters and RC settings for measFrequenciesSN or the MN accepts the SNN's preferences for MO parameters and RC settings for measFrequenciesSN.

[0101] FIG. 5 shows the operation of the MN in the example of FIGS. 2 to 4, and FIG. 6 shows the operation of the SN in the example of FIGS.

[0102] These example techniques may facilitate improved coordination between the MN and SN, for example, for adjusting MO parameters and RC settings for MN-configured and SN-configured DC-UE measurements, which may facilitate reduction of duplicate measurements and may aid in efficient use of gaps in MN-configured measurements relative to SN-configured measurements.

[0103] For example, these example techniques can avoid the DC-UE being configured by the MN and SN with different measurement object and reporting configurations for the same measurement frequency. These example techniques can reduce the risk of downtime when any measurement gaps are needed and / or reduce the occurrence of the DC-UE not considering measurements of such frequencies as a single layer, resulting in inefficient use of processing power in the UE for measurements. These example techniques can be particularly useful, for example, when the MN does not want to measure the same frequencies as the SN, but wants to suggest and recommend parameter settings for measurement object and reporting configurations.

[0104] 7-9 illustrate operations at nodes acting as MN and SN for a DC-UE, according to some example embodiments.

[0105] The MN sends an SN modification request to the SN over the Xn interface. The SN modification request includes a CG-ConfigInfo message containing the CG-ConfigInfo information element (IE) described above. The CG-ConfigInfo IE includes a measConfigMN IE that indicates the measurement configuration of the MN. The measConfigMN IE indicates the frequencies (measFrequenciesMN) on which the MN configures the DC-UE to perform and report measurements.

[0106] In response to the SN modification request from the MN, the SN sends an SN modification response to the MN over the Xn interface. The SN modification response includes a CG-Config message that includes the CG-Config IE described above. The CG-Config IE includes a measConfigSN IE that indicates the measurement configuration of the SN. The measConfigSN IE indicates the frequencies (measFrequenciesSN) on which the SN configures the DC-UE to perform and report measurements.

[0107] The MN triggers a request to the SN for notification regarding measurements on measFrequenciesSN according to one or more rules.

[0108] In FIG. 7, upon receiving the measurement results for measFrequenciesSN from the DC-UE, the MN sends a request to the SN for the SN to share the measurement results for measFrequenciesSN. The SN modification request sent to the SN includes a CG-ConfigInfo IE including a notification request (NotificationReq) field populated with a value indicating the request for the SN to share the measurement results for measFrequenciesSN upon receiving the measurement results for measFrequenciesSN from the DC-UE. The SN responds to the SN notification request from the MN by sending an SN modification response indicating acceptance of the MN request. The SN generates an RRC message addressed to the DC-UE that configures the DC-UE for measuring measFrequenciesSN and reporting the measurement results for measFrequenciesSN. The RRC message may be sent directly to the DC-UE via a signaling radio bearer (SRB3) established between the SN and the DC-UE, or may be sent to the DC-UE via the MN and a signaling radio bearer (SRB1) established between the MN and the DC-UE. In response to receiving the measurement results for measFrequenciesSN from the DC-UE, the SN shares the measurement results with the MN according to the rules indicated in the SN modification request from the MN.

[0109] In Figure 8, the MN sends a request to the SN to notify the MN about the availability of new measurement results whenever the SN receives new measurement results for measFrequenciesSN from the DC-UE (without the SN automatically sending new measurement results to the MN). The SN modification request sent from the MN to the SN includes a CG-ConfigInfo IE containing a notification request (NotificationReq) field populated with a value indicating a request for the SN to notify the MN about the availability of new DC-UE measurements for measFrequenciesSN at the SN. The SN responds to the SN notification request from the MN by sending an SN modification response indicating acceptance of the MN request. The SN generates an RRC message directed to the DC-UE that configures the DC-UE for measuring measFrequenciesSN and reporting measurement results for measFrequenciesSN. The RRC message may be sent directly to the DC-UE via a signaling radio bearer (SRB3) established between the SN and the DC-UE, or may be sent to the DC-UE via a signaling radio bearer (SRB1) established between the MN and the DC-UE. In response to receiving the measurement results for measFrequenciesSN from the DC-UE, the SN sends a message to the MN indicating that new DC-UE measurement results for measFrequenciesSN can be fetched by the MN from the SN. The MN may decide to fetch the measurement results from the SN. The MN may fetch the measurement results using an SN modification request message.

[0110] In FIG. 9, the MN sends a request to the SN to periodically share the latest DC-UE measurement results for measFrequenciesSN with the MN. The SN modification request sent to the SN includes a CG-ConfigInfo IE with a Notification Request (NotificationReq) field populated with a value indicating a request for the SN to periodically share the latest DC-UE measurement results for measFrequenciesSN with the MN. The SN responds to the SN notification request from the MN by sending an SN modification response indicating acceptance of the MN request. The SN generates an RRC message addressed to the DC-UE that configures the DC-UE to measure measFrequenciesSN and report the measurement results for measFrequenciesSN. The RRC message may be sent directly to the DC-UE via a signaling radio bearer (SRB3) established between the SN and the DC-UE, or may be sent to the DC-UE via the MN and a signaling radio bearer (SRB1) established between the MN and the DC-UE. The SN periodically sends a message to the MN containing the latest DC-UE measurements for measFrequenciesSN.

[0111] According to some example variations, the rules regarding the SN reporting new DC-UE measurements (or the availability of new DC-UE measurements) to the MN may be qualified by one or more conditions. For example, the MN may request the SN to report new DC-UE measurements to the MN conditioned on determining that the DC-UE is moving at a speed greater than or equal to a threshold speed, or on the DC-UE being served by a particular radio beam for the SN.

[0112] These exemplary techniques can facilitate reporting of SN configuration measurements to the MN and can avoid the MN always having to individually fetch SN configuration measurements, which requires two messages (request and response) on the Xn interface for each individual fetching operation.

[0113] FIG. 10 (FIGS. 10-1, 10-2) illustrates examples of operations in a DC-UE, a MN, and a SN according to some exemplary embodiments.

[0114] The UE is in a dual connectivity state with two gNBs acting as MN and SN.

[0115] The MN triggers the transmission of a request to the SN for an indication of which measFrequenciesSN (frequencies for which the SN configures the DC-UE for measurement reporting) are specific to the determination as to whether the conditions for Conditional PSCell Addition / Modification (CPAC) are met, where the PSCell is the primary SCG cell. The request from the MN to the SN includes a CG-ConfigInfo message containing a request for an indication of which measFrequenciesSN (measurement frequencies for which the SN configures the DC-UE for measurement reporting) are specific to the CPAC.

[0116] The SN sends an SN modification acknowledgement in response to the request from the MN. The SN modification acknowledgement indicates which measFrequenciesSN is specific to the CPAC (CPACMeasFrequenciesSN) and includes a CG-Config message indicating the measurement ID for the CPACMeasFrequenciesSN.

[0117] The MN maps the measurement ID for CPACMeasFrequenciesSN to one or more measurement IDs for MeasFrequenciesMN (measurement frequencies for which the MN configures the UE for measurement reports). For example, the MN maps the measurement ID for CPACMeasFrequenciesSN to one or more measurement IDs for MeasFrequenciesMN (measurement frequencies for which the MN configures the UE for measurements) in connection with detecting an A3 or A5 event. An A3 event is triggered when the RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) or RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality) for a neighboring cell becomes better than the RSRP or RSRQ for the serving cell by an offset. An A5 event is triggered when the RSRP or RSRQ of the serving cell becomes worse than a first threshold and the RSRP or RSRQ of a neighboring cell becomes better than a second threshold.

[0118] The MN sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the DC-UE, which includes information about the link between the MN measurement ID and the SN measurement ID, and the DC-UE stores this information.

[0119] When reporting measurement results for an MN configuration measurement ID, the DC-UE determines whether information received from the MN (and stored in the DC-UE) indicates a link between the MN configuration measurement ID and one or more SN configuration measurement IDs. If the result of the determination is positive, the DC-UE includes the latest measurement results for one or more SN configuration measurement IDs linked to the MN configuration measurement ID in a message to the MN reporting the measurement results for the MN configuration measurement ID. If measurement results for one or more linked SN configuration measurement IDs are not fully available (because the measurements are in a preliminary stage), the DC-UE nevertheless includes incomplete measurement results for one or more linked SN configuration measurement IDs along with an indication of their incomplete status (e.g., L3 filtering in progress, TTT (time to trigger) not expired) in the report message to the MN. If measurement results for one or more linked SN configuration measurement IDs are fully available but have not yet been reported to the SN, the DC-UE includes completed measurement results for one or more linked SN configuration measurement IDs in the report message to the MN. The DC-UE may or may not indicate in the message to the MN that the completed measurements have not yet been reported to the SN.

[0120] The MN may use these measurement results for one or more linked SN configured measurement IDs, for example, to narrow down the list of candidate nodes to be prepared as secondary nodes for DC conditional handover (CHO).

[0121] These example techniques allow the MN to receive CPAC-related SN configuration measurements directly from the DC-UE, avoiding the overhead associated with receiving CPAC-related SN configuration measurements via the SN.

[0122] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of an apparatus for implementing the functionality of a UE or access node (master node or secondary node) in the architecture of FIG. 1. The apparatus may include at least one processor 802 coupled to one or more interfaces 808. In the case of a UE, the one or more interfaces 808 may include, for example, one or more interfaces to other devices / components through which the UE function provides wireless communication. In the case of an access node, the one or more interfaces 808 may include, for example, one or more interfaces to a core network node that implements core network functions such as AMF, UPF, etc., and to other access nodes in a radio access network (RAN). The at least one processor 802 is also coupled to a radio unit 804 that includes, for example, one or more antennas for making and receiving wireless transmissions. The at least one processor 802 may also be coupled to at least one memory 806. The at least one processor 802 may be configured to execute appropriate software code to perform the operations described above. The software code may be stored in the memory 806.

[0123] FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of non-volatile memory media 1100a (e.g., a computer disk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD)) and 1100b (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick) that store instructions and / or parameters 1102 that, when executed by a processor, enable the processor to perform one or more of the steps of the methods described above.

[0124] It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments may be implemented as circuitry in software, hardware, application logic, or a combination of software, hardware, and application logic. In the exemplary embodiments, the application logic, software, or instruction set is carried on any computer-readable medium. In the context of this document, a "computer-readable medium" may be any medium or means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport instructions for use by or associated with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as the base station or user equipment of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0125] The term “circuitry” as used in this application refers to circuitry such as: (a) hardware-circuitry-only implementations (such as implementations with only analog and / or digital circuitry); and (b) (where applicable) (i) a combination of a processor or (ii) a combination of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as a processor / software portion (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory (that work together to cause a device, such as the user equipment or base station of the embodiments described above, to perform various functions); and (c) all of a microprocessor or portions of a microprocessor that require software or firmware for operation even when the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of “circuitry” applies to all uses of this term in this application, including any claims. As a further example, the term “circuitry” as used in this application also covers implementations of just a processor (or processors) or portions of a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term “circuitry” also covers, for example, and where applicable to a particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or an application processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone or similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other network device.

[0126] The features, advantages, and characteristics described herein may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that such exemplary embodiments may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other examples, additional features and advantages may be recognized in some embodiments that may not be present in all exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the exemplary embodiments described above may be practiced in a different order of steps and / or with hardware elements in different configurations than those disclosed. Thus, while some embodiments have been described based on these exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will become apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. receiving, at a master node for a dual connectivity user equipment, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; transmitting from the master node to the secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; A method comprising:

2. receiving, at the master node, from the secondary node, an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; determining, at the master node, whether to accept use of the one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters by the secondary node; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

3. sending, from a secondary node for a dual connectivity user equipment to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; receiving, at the secondary node, from the master node, an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; A method comprising:

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising determining at the secondary node whether to accept use of the one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, comprising, if a determination is made that use of the one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters is not acceptable, transmitting to the master node an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

6. transmitting, from a master node for a dual connectivity user equipment to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node. A method comprising:

7. receiving, at a secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; sending one or more report messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules; A method comprising:

8. 8. The method of claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the one or more rules include one or more of a rule for sending a report message to the master node in response to an event at the secondary node or a rule for periodically sending a report message to the master node.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the event at the secondary node includes receiving measurements from the dual connectivity user equipment.

10. transmitting one or more messages from a master node for a dual connectivity user equipment to the dual connectivity user equipment to configure the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurements on one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; A method comprising:

11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more messages indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node.

12. receiving, at the dual connectivity user equipment, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, one or more messages configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node, by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured. A method comprising:

13. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more messages indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node, and the method further comprises, in response to generating measurement results to report to the master node for measurements configured by the master node and indicated by the master node to be linked to measurements configured by the secondary node, reporting to the master node both the measurement results for the measurements configured by the master node and the measurement results for the linked measurements configured by the secondary node.

14. A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising: means for receiving, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; means for transmitting to said secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of said one or more frequencies; A master node comprising:

15. means for receiving from the secondary node an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; means for determining whether to accept use of the one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters by the secondary node; 15. The master node of claim 14, comprising:

16. A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node comprising: means for transmitting, to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; means for receiving from the master node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; A secondary node comprising:

17. 17. The secondary node of claim 16, comprising means for accepting or rejecting the use of said one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters.

18. 18. The secondary node of claim 17, comprising: means for, if it determines that use of the one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters is not acceptable, transmitting to the master node an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

19. A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising: means for transmitting, to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; A master node comprising:

20. A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node comprising: means for receiving, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting to the master node measurements or availability of measurements for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; means for transmitting one or more report messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules; A secondary node comprising:

21. 21. A secondary node as described in claim 19 or claim 20, wherein the one or more rules include one or more of a rule for sending a report message to the master node in response to an event at the secondary node or a rule for periodically sending a report message to the master node.

22. 22. The secondary node of claim 21, wherein the event at the secondary node comprises receiving a measurement result from the dual connectivity user equipment.

23. A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising: means for transmitting one or more messages to the dual connectivity user equipment to configure the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurements on one or more of the one or more frequencies for which a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; A master node comprising:

24. 24. The master node of claim 23, wherein the one or more messages indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node.

25. A dual connectivity user equipment, comprising: means for receiving, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, one or more messages by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, the secondary node configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurements on one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured; A dual connectivity user equipment comprising:

26. 26. The dual connectivity user equipment of claim 25, further comprising: means for reporting to the master node both the measurement result for the measurement configured by the master node and the measurement result for the linked measurement configured by the secondary node in response to the dual connectivity user equipment generating measurement results to report to the master node for a measurement configured by the master node and indicated by the master node to be linked to a measurement configured by the secondary node, the one or more messages indicating one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node.

27. 1. A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, using the at least one processor, perform: receiving, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; transmitting to the secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; configured to cause the master node to execute Master node.

28. 28. The master node of claim 27, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to cause the master node, with the at least one processor, to: receive from the secondary node an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; and determine whether to accept use of the one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters by the secondary node.

29. 1. A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, using the at least one processor, perform: sending to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment so as to report measurements to the secondary node; receiving from the master node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; configured to cause the secondary node to execute Secondary node.

30. 30. The secondary node of claim 29, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to cause the secondary node, using the at least one processor, to determine whether to accept use of the one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters at the secondary node.

31. 31. The secondary node of claim 30, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to cause the secondary node, with the at least one processor, to, if it determines that use of the one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters is not acceptable, send to the master node an indication of one or more alternative measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies.

32. 1. A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, using the at least one processor, perform: sending, to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; configured to cause the master node to execute Master node.

33. 1. A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code performing, using the at least one processor: receiving, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting to the master node measurements or availability of measurements for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; sending one or more report messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules; configured to cause the secondary node to execute Secondary node.

34. 34. A secondary node as described in claim 32 or claim 33, wherein the one or more rules include one or more of a rule for sending a report message to the master node in response to an event at the secondary node or a rule for periodically sending a report message to the master node.

35. 35. The secondary node of claim 34, wherein the event at the secondary node comprises receiving measurements from the dual connectivity user equipment.

36. 1. A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, using the at least one processor, perform: sending one or more messages to the dual connectivity user equipment to configure the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurement results for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; configured to cause the master node to execute Master node.

37. 37. The master node of claim 36, wherein the one or more messages indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node.

38. 1. A dual connectivity user equipment comprising at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, using the at least one processor, perform: receiving one or more messages from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, the secondary node configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurements on one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured; and causing the dual connectivity user equipment to execute the Dual connectivity user equipment.

39. 39. The dual connectivity user equipment of claim 38, wherein the one or more messages indicate one or more links between one or more measurements configured by the master node and one or more measurements configured by the secondary node, and the at least one memory and computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the dual connectivity user equipment to, in response to generating, with the at least one processor, measurement results to report to the master node for measurements configured by the master node and indicated by the master node as linked to measurements configured by the secondary node, report to the master node both the measurement results for the measurements configured by the master node and the measurement results for the linked measurements configured by the secondary node.

40. A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, the master node comprising: receiving circuitry for receiving, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; a transmitter circuit for transmitting to the secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; A master node comprising:

41. A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, the secondary node comprising: a transmitter circuit for transmitting to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; a receiving circuit for receiving from the master node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; A secondary node comprising:

42. 1. A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, comprising: a transmitting circuit for transmitting, to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; A master node comprising:

43. A secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, comprising: a receiving circuit for receiving, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; a transmitting circuit for transmitting one or more report messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules; A secondary node comprising:

44. 1. A master node for dual connectivity user equipment, comprising: a transmitting circuit for transmitting one or more messages to the dual connectivity user equipment that configures the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurement results for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; A master node comprising:

45. A dual connectivity user equipment, comprising: a receiving circuit for receiving, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, one or more messages by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, the message configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurement results for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured; A dual connectivity user equipment comprising:

46. receiving, at a master node for dual connectivity user equipment, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; transmitting from the master node to the secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; 10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

47. transmitting, from a secondary node for a dual connectivity user equipment to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; receiving, at the secondary node, from the master node, an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; 10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

48. transmitting, from a master node for a dual connectivity user equipment to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting to the master node measurement results or availability of measurement results for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; 10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

49. receiving, at a secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; sending one or more report messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules; 10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

50. sending one or more messages from a master node for a dual connectivity user equipment to the dual connectivity user equipment, configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurements on one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; 10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

51. receiving, at the dual connectivity user equipment, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, one or more messages configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node, by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured; 10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

52. receiving, at a master node for dual connectivity user equipment, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; transmitting from the master node to the secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

53. transmitting, from a secondary node for a dual connectivity user equipment to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; receiving, at the secondary node, from the master node, an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

54. transmitting, from a master node for a dual connectivity user equipment to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting to the master node measurement results or availability of measurement results for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

55. receiving, at a secondary node for dual connectivity user equipment, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; sending one or more report messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules; A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

56. sending one or more messages from a master node for a dual connectivity user equipment to the dual connectivity user equipment, configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurements on one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

57. receiving, at the dual connectivity user equipment, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, one or more messages configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node, by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node, for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured; A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions for executing

58. When executed on at least one processor, the method provides a master node for a dual connectivity user equipment with at least: receiving, from a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; transmitting to the secondary node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; 1. A computer program comprising computer executable code configured to cause a computer to execute:

59. When executed on at least one processor, the method provides a secondary node for a dual connectivity user equipment with at least: sending to a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment an indication of one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment so as to report measurements to the secondary node; receiving from the master node an indication of one or more measurement and / or reporting parameters for one or more of the one or more frequencies; 1. A computer program comprising computer executable code configured to cause a computer to execute:

60. When executed on at least one processor, the method provides a master node for a dual connectivity user equipment with at least: sending, to a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting measurement results or availability of measurement results to the master node for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; 1. A computer program comprising computer executable code configured to cause a computer to execute:

61. When executed on at least one processor, the method provides a secondary node for a dual connectivity user equipment with at least: receiving, from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment, an indication of one or more rules for reporting to the master node measurements or availability of measurements for one or more frequencies for which the secondary node configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node; sending one or more report messages to the master node in accordance with the one or more rules; 1. A computer program comprising computer executable code configured to cause a computer to execute:

62. When executed on at least one processor, the method provides a master node for a dual connectivity user equipment with at least: sending one or more messages to the dual connectivity user equipment to configure the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurement results for one or more of the one or more frequencies for which a secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment configures the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurement results to the secondary node; 1. A computer program comprising computer executable code configured to cause a computer to execute:

63. When executed on at least one processor, the method provides a dual connectivity user equipment with at least: receiving one or more messages from a master node for the dual connectivity user equipment by the secondary node for the dual connectivity user equipment to report measurements to the secondary node, the secondary node configuring the dual connectivity user equipment to also report to the master node measurements on one or more of the one or more frequencies for which the dual connectivity user equipment is configured; 1. A computer program comprising computer executable code configured to cause a computer to execute:

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