Conditional inclusion of feature combinations in RA reports

Abstract

Methods and systems for RA optimization are described, such as by improving the RA report as a basis for RA configuration optimization. Some proposed embodiments include applying the principle that some information can be inferred without explicit inclusion in the RA report IE to new feature combination information agreed to be included in the RA report. One aspect is to omit one of the triggering feature combination information and the used feature combination information in the RA report when the two feature combinations are identical. Some embodiments may also include an efficient way to capture in the RA report cases where the triggering feature combination has changed during the course of the random access procedure. Some embodiments allow more information covering new features to be included in the RA report in a data-efficient manner.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Cross-references to related information This application claims the benefit of U.S. Priority Application No. 63 / 422,276, filed November 3, 2022, entitled "Conditional inclusion of feature combination in RA report."

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to the technical field of wireless communications, and more particularly to cell reselection techniques. [Background technology]

[0003] RACH configuration in NR SIB1 (System Information Block 1), which is part of the system information broadcast in the cell, contains configuration parameters that inform the UE about relevant aspects of RA (Random Access) related resources and the expected behavior of the UE (User Equipment) in the context of the random access procedure. The RA related configuration mainly includes: PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) opportunity configuration in time and frequency domain. Msg1 / MsgA subcarrier spacing. RA preamble range. · SSB (Synchronization Signal Block) to RACH (Random Access Channel) opportunity and preamble set mapping. Any optional RA preamble segment information. · Various parameters related to the UE behavior during the random access procedure, such as RA type (i.e. 4-step RA or 2-step RA), RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) threshold for RA type selection, SSB selection RSRP threshold, RA response window, MsgB response window, contention resolution timer, power ramping step, number of MsgA transmissions before switching to 4-step RA, maximum number of RA preamble transmissions before abandoning the RA procedure, etc. PUSCH configuration for the PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel) part of MsgA in 2-step RA.

[0004] The most relevant IEs for NR (New Radio) RACH configuration are RACH-ConfigGeneric, RACH-ConfigCommon, RACH-ConfigGenericTwoStep-r16, and RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStep-r16. The former two configure the four-step RA mode, and the latter two configure the two-step RA mode. For two-step RA, the IEs (information elements) MsgA-ConfigCommon-r16 and MsgA-PUSCH-Config-r16 are also relevant. All these IEs are included in SIB1 in the broadcasted system information (if the RA type in question is supported in the cell). Furthermore, in connection with handover (reconfiguration with synchronization), the UE can receive the RACH configuration for the target cell via dedicated signaling (in the handover command (i.e., RRCReconfiguration) from the target gNB). This RACH configuration is then conveyed in the RACH-ConfigDedicated IE.

[0005] The ASN.1 (Abstract Syntax Notation 1) definitions of these IEs, along with their respective associated field descriptions and conditional existence descriptions, are copied from 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0 and are shown in Figures 1-19. Figure 1 shows the RACH-ConfigGeneric information element. Figure 2 shows the RACH-ConfigGeneric field description. Figure 3 shows the RACH-ConfigCommon information element. Figures 4 and 5 show the RACH-ConfigCommon field description. Figure 6 shows the RACH-ConfigGenericTwoStepRA information element. Figures 7 and 8 show the RACH-ConfigGenericTwoStepRA field description. Figure 9 shows the RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA information element. Figures 10 and 11 show the RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA field description. Figure 12 shows the MsgA-ConfigCommon information element and the MsgA-ConfigCommon field description. Figure 13 shows the MsgA-PUSCH-Config information element. Figure 14 shows the MsgA-PUSCH-Config field description. Figure 15 shows the MsgA-PUSCH-Resource field description. Figure 16 shows the MsgA-DMRS-Config (MsgA Demodulation Reference Signal Configuration) field description. Figure 17 shows the RACH-ConfigDedicated information element. Figure 18 shows the CFRA-CSIRS-Resource (Contention-Free Random Access Channel State Information Reference Signal Resource) field description, the CFRA field description, and the CFRA-SSB-Resource (CFRA Synchronization Signal Block Resource) field description. Figure 19 shows the CFRA-TwoStep field description and the RACH-ConfigDedicated field description.

[0006] 4-step RA procedure in NR A four-step approach is used for the random access procedure in NR. See Figure 20. In this approach, the UE detects the synchronization signal (SS) and decodes the broadcasted system information, then transmits a PRACH preamble (message 1) in the uplink. The gNB (base station in NR) replies with a RAR (random access response, message 2). The UE then transmits UE identity (message 3) on the PUSCH (physical uplink shared channel).

[0007] The UE transmits the PUSCH (message 3) after receiving the timing advance command in the RAR, which allows the PUSCH to be received with timing accuracy within the cyclic prefix. Without this timing advance, a very large CP (cyclic prefix) would be required to be able to demodulate and detect the PUSCH unless the system is applied in cells with very small distances between the UE and the eNB (evolved Node B, or base station in LTE (Long Term Evolution)). Because NR also supports larger cells, which entails the need to provide timing advance to the UE, a four-step approach is required for the random access procedure.

[0008] NR Rel-15 PRACH settings In NR, the time and frequency resource in which the PRACH preamble is transmitted is defined as a PRACH opportunity.

[0009] In this disclosure, a PRACH opportunity is also referred to as a RACH opportunity, or an RA opportunity, or simply as an RO. Also, an RO used for transmitting a preamble in a 2-step RA is referred to as a 2-step RO, and an RO used for transmitting a preamble in a 4-step RA is referred to as a 4-step RO.

[0010] The time resources and preamble format for PRACH transmission are configured by the PRACH configuration index, which indicates a row in the PRACH configuration table specified in TS38.211 Tables 6.3.3.2-2, 6.3.3.2-3, 6.3.3.2-4 for FR1 (frequency range 1) paired spectrum, FR1 unpaired spectrum, and FR2 (frequency range 2) with unpaired spectrum, respectively.

[0011] A portion of Table 6.3.3.2-3 for FR1 unpaired spectrum for PRACH preamble format 0 is copied in Figure 21, where the value of x indicates the PRACH configuration period in number of system frames. The value of y indicates the system frame within each PRACH configuration period in which the PRACH opportunity is configured. For example, if y is set to 0, it means the PRACH opportunity is configured only in the first frame of each PRACH configuration period. The value in the column "Subframe Number" tells in which subframe the PRACH opportunity is configured. The value in the column "Start Symbol" is the symbol index.

[0012] In the case of TDD (Time Division Duplex), the semi-statically configured DL (Downlink) part and / or the actually transmitted SSB can override and disable some time-domain PRACH opportunities specified in the PRACH configuration table. More specifically, PRACH opportunities in the UL (Uplink) part are always valid, and PRACH opportunities within the X part are valid as long as they do not precede or collide with an SSB in the RACH slot and are at least N symbols after the last symbol of the DL part and SSB, where N is 0 or 2 depending on the PRACH format and subcarrier spacing.

[0013] In the frequency domain, NR supports multiple frequency-multiplexed PRACH opportunities on the same time-domain PRACH opportunity. This is primarily motivated by the support of analog beam sweeping in NR, where PRACH opportunities associated with one SSB are configured at the same time instance but different frequency locations. The number of FDMed PRACH opportunities in one time-domain PRACH opportunity can be 1, 2, 4, or 8. Figure 22 provides an example of PRACH opportunity configuration in NR.

[0014] In NR Rel-15, there are up to 64 sequences that can be used as random access preambles per PRACH opportunity in each cell. The RRC parameter totalNumberOfRA-Preambles determines how many of these 64 sequences are used as random access preambles per PRACH opportunity in each cell. The 64 sequences are configured, first, by including all available cyclic shifts of the root Zadoff-Chu sequence, and second, in order of increasing root index until 64 preambles are generated for the PRACH opportunity.

[0015] NR Rel-15 association between SSB and PRACH opportunities NR Rel-15 supports one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-one association between SSBs and PRACH opportunities, as shown in Figures 23 and 24.

[0016] When a UE detects one best SSB beam, a preamble in a set of one or more preambles mapped to this SSB will be selected for random access, and then when a gNB detects that preamble, the best SSB beam for this UE is known indirectly so that the best beam can be used to transmit signals to or receive signals from this UE.

[0017] The preambles associated with each SSB are configured by two RRC parameters in RACH-ConfigCommon: ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB and totalNumberOfRA-Preambles.

[0018] The detailed mapping rules are specified in TS38.213 Section 8.1 as follows: The UE is provided with the number N of SS / PBCH (Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel) blocks associated with one PRACH opportunity and the number R of contention-based preambles per SS / PBCH block per valid PRACH opportunity via ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB. If N<1, one SS / PBCH block is mapped to 1 / N consecutive valid PRACH opportunities, and R contention-based preambles with consecutive indices associated with SS / PBCH blocks per valid PRACH opportunity, starting with preamble index 0. If N≥1, R contention-based preambles with consecutive indices associated with SS / PBCH block n, 0≤n≤N-1, per valid PRACH opportunity are provided. TIFF2025539008000002.tif7170totalNumberOfRA-Preambles, which is an integer multiple of N.

[0019] In other words, the mapping between SSBs and preambles is performed by consecutively associating M preambles with each SSB, where M= / , and as shown in Figure 25, the preambles are taken in the following order: First, in increasing order of preamble index within a single PRACH opportunity, Second, in increasing order of frequency resource index for frequency multiplexed PRACH opportunities, and Third, in increasing order of time.

[0020] For each SSB, the associated preambles per PRACH opportunity are further divided into two sets: one for CBRA (Contention-Based Random Access) and one for CFRA. The number of CB (Code Block) preambles per SSB per PRACH opportunity is signaled by the RRC (Radio Resource Control) parameter #CB-preambles-per-SSB. The preamble indices for CBRA and CFRA are mapped consecutively for one SSB in one PRACH opportunity, as shown in Figure 26.

[0021] Two-step RA procedure in 3GPP Release 16 The two-step RACH work item was approved at the RAN1#82 General Meeting. Completing initial access in only two steps is shown in Figure 27. Step 1: The UE sends Message A (abbreviated as "MsgA" or "msgA"; these two abbreviations may be used interchangeably in this disclosure) containing a random access preamble along with higher layer data such as an RRC connection request, possibly with some small payload on the PUSCH. Step 2: The gNB sends a RAR (Random Access Response) (actually called Message B (abbreviated as "MsgB" or "msgB"; these two abbreviations are used interchangeably herein)) containing, among other things, a UE identifier allocation, timing advance information, and a contention resolution message.

[0022] MsgA preamble settings The RACH opportunities for the 2-step RACH can either be configured separately (also known as Type 2 random access procedure with separate configuration of PRACH opportunities with Type 1 random access procedure) or shared with the 4-step RACH (also known as Type 2 random access procedure with common configuration of PRACH opportunities with Type 1 random access procedure), in which case a different set of preamble IDs will be used.

[0023] For a Type 2 random access procedure involving a common configuration of PRACH opportunities with a Type 1 random access procedure, the UE is provided with the number N of SS / PBCH blocks associated with one PRACH opportunity via ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB and the number Q of contention-based preambles per SS / PBCH block per enabled PRACH opportunity via MsgA-CB-PreamblesPerSSB. PRACH transmissions may be on a subset of PRACH opportunities associated with the same SS / PBCH block index for UEs provided with a PRACH mask index via MsgA-ssb-sharedRO-MaskIndex. An example of SSB-to-RO mapping and preamble allocation is provided in Figure 28. Note that only one preamble group is assumed in this example.

[0024] For a Type 2 random access procedure with separate configuration of PRACH occasions from the Type 1 random access procedure, the UE is provided with the number N of SS / PBCH blocks associated with one PRACH occasion and the number R of contention-based preambles per SS / PBCH block per enabled PRACH occasion by ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB-MsgA when provided, and by ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB otherwise. Since the SSB-to-RO mapping and preamble allocation are configured independently, the example provided for the 4-step RACH in Figure 28 is also valid for this case of 2-step RACH, except that the parameters are configured separately for 2-step RACH.

[0025] MsgA PUSCH setting A PUSCH opportunity (PO) is defined as a time-frequency resource used for one PUSCH transmission. For one MsgA PUSCH opportunity, one or more DMRS resources may be configured, one of which will be selected for each PUSCH transmission within the PUSCH opportunity. In this IvD, the term PUSCH resource unit (PRU) is used to define a PUSCH opportunity with one DMRS resource.

[0026] A set of PUSCH opportunities for and mapped to a group of preambles in a set of ROs in one PRACH slot is configured for each MsgA PUSCH configuration. The mapping between one or more PRACH preambles and PUSCH opportunities associated with a DMRS resource follows the mapping order described below.

[0027] N out of valid PRACH opportunities in a PRACH slot preamble Each successive number of preamble indices may be constructed as follows: First, in increasing order of preamble index within a single PRACH opportunity, Second, in increasing order of frequency resource index for frequency multiplexed PRACH opportunities, Third, in increasing order of time resource index for time multiplexed PRACH opportunities within a PRACH slot.

[0028] These are then mapped to valid PUSCH opportunities and associated DMRS resources as follows: First, the frequency resource index f for the frequency multiplexed PUSCH opportunity id In increasing order of Second, in increasing order of DMRS resource index within the PUSCH opportunity, where DMRS resource index DMRS id are determined first in ascending order of DMRS port index, and second in ascending order of DMRS sequence index, Third, the time resource index t for the time-multiplexed PUSCH opportunities within the PUSCH slot id In increasing order of Fourth, N s In increasing order of index for PUSCH slots.

[0029] where N preamble =ceil(T preamble / T PUSCH ) and T preamble is the total number of valid PRACH opportunities per association pattern period multiplied by the number of preambles per valid PRACH opportunity provided by the MsgA-PUSCH-PreambleGroup, and T PUSCH is the total number of valid PUSCH opportunities per PUSCH configuration per association pattern period multiplied by the number of DMRS resource indices per valid PUSCH opportunity provided by MsgA-DMRS-Config.

[0030] RA partitioning to support feature signaling Some features require that the UE has already provided an indication to the network during the random access procedure. For example, the UE may need to indicate that it is of a certain type or that it wishes to apply a feature. For example, 3GPP has concluded that a reduced capability UE (sometimes called a RedCap UE) can benefit from indicating to the network during the random access procedure that it is a RedCap UE rather than a non-RedCap UE. Another example of such a feature is an indication from the UE of whether it wishes to use the Small Data Transmission (SDT) feature.

[0031] In order to provide such indication during the random access procedure, it is explained that the random access resources should be partitioned such that one partition may be dedicated to RedCap UEs and another partition may be dedicated to non-RedCap UEs.

[0032] The system may support several features that require indication during the random access procedure. For example, both support RedCap (reduced capability) and SDT (small data transmission). That means there will be several divisions for indicating feature combinations, for example: One segment for non-RedCap UE who do not wish to apply SDT, One segment for non-RedCap UE who wish to apply SDT, One segment for RedCap UEs who do not wish to apply SDT, One section for RedCap UEs who wish to apply SDT.

[0033] A partitioning of RA resources may be realized as a partitioning of the range of preambles available in a cell. Furthermore, such preamble partitioning may be valid for only a subset of the RA opportunities. That is, one set of preambles may be dedicated to one feature (or combination of features), optionally limited to a subset of the RA opportunities. Similarly, another set of preambles may be dedicated to another feature (or another combination of features), optionally limited to a subset of the RA opportunities.

[0034] If a network supports such preamble-based signaling of feature combinations (where a feature combination can consist of one or more features) in a cell, the configuration of these mechanisms is indicated in SIB1 in the system information broadcasted in the cell (in the FeatureCombinationPreambles-r17 IE in the RACH-ConfigCommon IE and in the RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA-r16 IE, if present). The FeatureCombinationPreambles-r17 IE configures one feature combination preamble segment, and Figure 29 shows its ASN.1 code in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0 (in Figure 30, the field description).

[0035] As seen above, FeatureCombinationPreambles-r17 includes a FeatureCombination-r17 IE, which indicates the feature combination to which FeatureCombinationPreambles-r17 applies. The ASN.1 code of the FeatureCombination-r17 IE in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0 is shown in Figure 31 (field descriptions are shown in Figures 32A to 32C).

[0036] SIB1 also contains priorities (in the form of FeaturePriority-r17 IEs) for each feature that maps to at least one FeatureCombinationPreambles-r17 IE. These priorities are used to determine which RA preamble segments (i.e., which FeatureCombinationPreambles-r17 IEs) the UE shall use when a triggering feature maps to more than one RA preamble segment (i.e., more than one FeatureCombinationPreambles-r17 IE) or when no configured RA preamble segment (i.e., no FeatureCombinationPreambles-r17 IE) is associated with a feature combination (i.e., a FeatureCombination-r17 IE) that includes all features of the feature combination that triggered the RA procedure in the UE.

[0037] If a UE intending to initiate a random access procedure needs to (or would benefit from) signaling to the network the feature or feature combination that triggered the random access, the UE selects a preamble from the RA preamble partition associated with the feature combination that includes the triggering feature (or triggering feature combination) (if such RA preamble range partition is configured in the cell). If a feature combination triggers a random access procedure in the UE and there is no configured RA partition associated with the feature combination that includes all of the UE's triggering features, or if the feature or feature combination that triggered the random access procedure in the UE maps to more than one configured RA partition, the UE checks the priorities associated with the triggering features and selects an RA preamble partition based on these priorities.

[0038] RA Optimization The RACH configuration has a significant impact on user experience and overall network performance. RACH collision probability, and therefore access setup delay, data resumption delay from UL asynchronous state, handover delay, transition delay from RRC_INACTIVE, and beam failure recovery delay, are all affected by the RA configuration, including the RACH setting and preamble index setting. Furthermore, it is also important to perform RA on the most favorable downlink beam, which will avoid unnecessary power ramping and failed RA attempts. This is beneficial both to the network and to the attempting device, as it allows avoiding unnecessary interference in the network and also reducing the experienced delay and UE energy consumption. In NR, new features allow the UE to use dedicated RA resources depending on several factors, such as the service that triggered the RA procedure, which leads to more complex behavior.

[0039] The setting of the RA parameters depends on a number of factors, for example: Uplink inter-cell interference from the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), RACH load (call arrival rate, HO rate, tracking area updates, RRC_INACTIVE / RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED state transition rate, frequency of requests for other SIs, beam failure recovery rate, inactivity timer setting, UL synchronization state, and therefore traffic pattern and density under cell coverage, as this affects the need to use random access); Imbalance between uplink (UL) and auxiliary uplink (SUL), · PUSCH load, Cubic metric of the preamble assigned to the cell, Whether the cell is in high speed mode or not, · Imbalance between uplink (UL) and downlink (DL).

[0040] The target for RA optimization is indicated as follows: Minimizing access delay for UEs under widespread SSB coverage; Minimizing the delay for the UE to request other SI, Minimizing the imbalance between the access delay of a UE on the uplink (UL) channel and the access delay of a UE on the supplemental uplink (SUL) channel; Minimize beam failure recovery delay for UEs in RRC_CONNECTED state; Minimize failed / unnecessary RA attempts (which consume RA resources) before a success.

[0041] Therefore, the RA optimization function will attempt to automatically set some parameters related to RA performance. Automatic RA parameter setting can be enabled by collecting RA reports from UEs and by PRACH parameter exchange between gNBs.

[0042] The RA parameter settings that can be optimized are, for example: RACH configuration (resource unit allocation), RA preamble splitting (between dedicated, Group A, and Group B), RA backoff parameter value, RA transmit power control parameters.

[0043] At a minimum, RA optimization is achieved by the UE providing RA-related information to NG-RAN (Next Generation Radio Access Network) nodes, and by exchanging PRACH configurations for regular UL and SUL carriers between NG-RAN nodes.

[0044] In a CU-DU (Control Unit-Distributed Unit) architecture, the gNB-DU should be enabled to report its RA configuration to the gNB-CU on a cell-by-cell basis, and the gNB-CU should be enabled to signal the RA configuration for each served cell to neighboring NG-RAN nodes. This allows the NG-RAN nodes to identify whether the RA configuration of neighboring cells can be optimized or whether changes are needed to achieve better RA coordination between neighboring cells.

[0045] Upon receiving a polling message requesting an RA report, e.g., a UEInformationRequest RRC message, from an NG-RAN node (potentially the gNB-CU of the current serving cell), the UE reports the RA information in a UEInformationResponse RRC message. The gNB-CU and gNB-DU take the RA report and other node information into account to achieve an optimized RA configuration.

[0046] The contents of the RA report include: Cell ID, · The purpose of the RA; Various RA configuration parameters (including 4-step RA configuration parameters and / or 2-step RA configuration parameters); the index of the SSB and the number of RA preambles sent on each attempted SSB, listed in the order in which the attempts occurred; Attempted SSB frequency (NR ARFCN (Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number)), Beam quality of each attempted SSB (e.g., beam level measurements during RA attempts, such as BRSRP (Beam Reference Signal Received Power), BRSRQ (Beam Reference Signal Received Quality), BSINR (Beam Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio)); An indication of whether the selected SSB is above or below the rsrp-ThresholdSSB threshold; The time elapsed since the last measurement prior to the beam selection time, the number of RA preambles sent on the SUL, the number of RA preambles sent over NUL, The total number of contention-free random access (CFRA) attempts and contention-based random access (CBRA) attempts; 4-step RA trial and 2-step RA trial, Fallback from 2-step RA to 4-step RA, · Whether a conflict was detected for each RA attempt.

[0047] Furthermore, at the RAN2#119bis meeting it was agreed to further include the following information in the RA report: The feature or combination of features that triggered the RA in the UE (applicable if the UE used an RA preamble signaling support for certain features); Used feature combination (i.e., the feature combination associated with the RA preamble segment for which the UE selected the RA preamble. Applicable if the UE used an RA preamble signaling certain feature support).

[0048] The above RA reporting should also be applied to the secondary node (SN) for the MR-DC (Multi-RAT Dual Connectivity) case.

[0049] The RA report may be requested by the network via the UE information procedure in the RRC in case of a successful RA procedure (TS38.331 version 17.2.0 section 5.7.10.3). Furthermore, what information is included in the RA report by the UE is specified in TS38.331 version 17.2.0 section 5.7.10.5.

[0050] In 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0, the RA report is specified in ASN.1 code in the form of the RA-Report-r16 IE, which is part of the ASN.1 code for the UEInformationResponse message. The portion of this ASN.1 code (and associated field descriptions) that is relevant to the RA report is shown in Figures 32A-32C (note that most of the ASN.1 code and field descriptions have been omitted because they are not relevant in the context of this disclosure). Figure 33 shows the UEInformationResponse-IEs field descriptions and the RA-InformationCommon field descriptions. Figures 34A and 34B show the RA-Report field descriptions. Summary of the Invention

[0051] An embodiment under the present disclosure includes a method, implemented by a UE, for optimizing RA configuration. The method includes: detecting a trigger condition for initiating an RA procedure, the trigger condition being based on a triggering feature combination including a first one or more features; and selecting an RA preamble from an RA preamble segment, the RA preamble segment being associated with a used feature combination including a second one or more features. The method further includes transmitting an RA report to a network node, where when the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination are the same, one of them is omitted from the RA report, and when the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination are different, both of them are included in the RA report.

[0052] Another embodiment of the method under the present disclosure is a method, implemented by a network node, for optimizing RA configuration, including receiving an RA report from a UE upon occurrence of a triggering condition, where the triggering condition is based on a triggering feature combination including a first one or more features, and the RA report includes an RA preamble segment associated with a used feature combination including a second one or more features, where when the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination are the same, one of them is omitted from the RA report, and when the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination are different, they are both included in the RA report.

[0053] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an indication of the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0054] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0055] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the RACH-ConfigGeneric information element. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the RACH-ConfigGeneric field description. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the RACH-ConfigCommon information element. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating RACH-ConfigCommon field description. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating RACH-ConfigCommon field description. [Figure 6] A diagram showing the RACH-ConfigGenericTwoStepRA information element. [Figure 7]A diagram showing RACH-ConfigGenericTwoStepRA field description. [Figure 8] A diagram showing RACH-ConfigGenericTwoStepRA field description. [Figure 9] A diagram showing the RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA information element. [Figure 10] A diagram showing RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA field description. [Figure 11] A diagram showing RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA field description. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 illustrates the MsgA-ConfigCommon information element and MsgA-ConfigCommon field descriptions. [Figure 13] A diagram showing the MsgA-PUSCH-Config information element. [Figure 14] A diagram showing MsgA-PUSCH-Config field description. [Figure 15] A diagram showing the MsgA-PUSCH-Resource field description. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a description of the MsgA-DMRS-Config (MsgA demodulation reference signal configuration) field. [Figure 17] A diagram showing the RACH-ConfigDedicated information element. [Figure 18] 1 is a diagram illustrating a CFRA-CSIRS-Resource (Contention Free Random Access Channel State Information Reference Signal Resource) field description, a CFRA field description, and a CFRA-SSB-Resource (CFRA Synchronization Signal Block Resource) field description. [Figure 19] A figure showing CFRA-TwoStep field description and RACH-ConfigDedicated field description. [Figure 20]FIG. 1 illustrates a four-step approach for random access procedure in NR. [Figure 21] FIG. 6 shows a portion of Table 6.3.3.2-3 for FR1 unpaired spectrum for PRACH preamble format 0. [Figure 22] FIG. 1 provides an example of PRACH opportunity configuration in NR. [Figure 23] FIG. 1 illustrates one-to-one association between SSB and PRACH opportunities under NR Rel-15. [Figure 24] FIG. 1 illustrates a many-to-one association between SSBs and PRACH opportunities under NR Rel-15. [Figure 25] FIG. 1 illustrates a mapping between SSBs and preambles by consecutively associating M preambles with each SSB. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 illustrates preamble indices for CBRA and CFRA mapped consecutively for one SSB in one PRACH opportunity. [Figure 27] A diagram showing two-step RACH initial access from RAN1#82 general assembly. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of SSB-to-RO mapping and preamble allocation. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the ASN.1 code for the FeatureCombinationPreambles-r17 IE that sets one feature combination preamble section in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a field description for the FeatureCombinationPreambles-r17 IE that sets one feature combination preamble section in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0. [Figure 31] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the ASN.1 code for the FeatureCombination-r17 IE in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0. [Figure 32] A diagram showing the field description for the FeatureCombination-r17 IE in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0. [Figure 33] A diagram showing UEInformationResponse-IEs field descriptions and RA-InformationCommon field descriptions. [Figure 34A-34B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating RA-Report field descriptions. [Figure 35] FIG. 10 illustrates an example under the present disclosure of inclusion of feature combination information at the top level of RA-Report-r16 IE based on ASN.1 code in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0. [Figure 36] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of inclusion of feature combination information in RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE based on ASN.1 code in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0 under the present disclosure. [Figure 37] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of inclusion of feature combination information in PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE based on ASN.1 code in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0 under the present disclosure. [Figure 38] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method embodiment under the present disclosure. [Figure 39] 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system embodiment under the present disclosure. [Figure 40] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a user equipment embodiment under the present disclosure. [Figure 41] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network node embodiment under the present disclosure. [Figure 42] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a host embodiment under the present disclosure. [Figure 43] 1 is a schematic diagram of a virtualization environment embodiment under the present disclosure. [Figure 44] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of one embodiment of communication between a node, a host, and user equipment under the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0056] Before describing various embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the parameters of the particularly exemplified systems, methods, apparatus, products, processes, and / or kits, which parameters may, of course, vary. Thus, while some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to particular settings, parameters, components, elements, etc., the description is illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed embodiments. Moreover, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claimed embodiments.

[0057] Currently, there are several problems in the prior art. As mentioned above with respect to RA optimization, in order to further improve the RA report (e.g., the RA-Report-r16 IE) as a basis for RA configuration optimization, 3GPP (at the RAN2#119bis meeting) agreed that a UE that used an RA preamble from a feature combination RA preamble segment should include, in the corresponding RA report, an indication of both the feature combination (which may be one or more features) that triggered the UE to initiate a random access procedure (denoted as the "triggering feature combination") and the feature combination (which may be one or more features) associated with the RA preamble segment from which the UE selected the RA preamble it used (denoted as the "used feature combination"). The RA-Report-r16 IE can potentially contain a large amount of data, and when new features are introduced in the network, more information (such as the feature combination information described above) will be included in the RA-Report-r16 IE, which means that the signaling overhead may become undesirably large.

[0058] Some aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other problems. Some proposed embodiments may address the problems described above by applying the principle that some information can be inferred without explicit inclusion in the RA report IE to new feature combination information agreed to be included in the RA report.

[0059] To this end, one aspect of some proposed embodiments described herein is to omit one of the triggering feature combination information and the used feature combination information in the RA report when the two feature combinations are identical. Some embodiments may also include an economical way to capture in the RA report cases where the triggering feature combination changes during the course of the random access procedure.

[0060] Some embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages: Some embodiments allow more information covering new features to be included in the RA report in a data-efficient manner. In some embodiments proposed in the present disclosure, the amount of data bits to be logged by the UE will be half that of an RA reporting method that does not utilize the embodiments described herein, especially when the set of triggering features and the set of feature combinations used are the same.

[0061] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0062] In this disclosure, the terms "random access preamble," "RA preamble," and "preamble" are used interchangeably. As used herein, the term "feature combination" refers to a set of features that includes one or more features. This disclosure includes some description related to NR and the RA-Report-r16 IE in the 3GPP standard for NR. However, the principles of the described embodiments are equally applicable to LTE (or other RATs or standards), the RACH-Report-r16 IE, or later versions of this IE, e.g., the RACH-Report-r18 IE or the RACH-Report-r19 IE.

[0063] An approach to addressing the above-described problem is to attempt to identify ways in which some information in the RA-Report-r16 IE can be inferred without the inclusion of one or more parameters that explicitly provide that information. Modifying the existing content of the RA-Report-r16 IE to achieve this may cause backward compatibility issues, and therefore it is preferable to target new information that is planned for inclusion in the RA-Report-r16 IE, but for which the inclusion has not yet been specified.

[0064] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include applying such principles to feature combination information, such as the following two information items, agreed to be included in the RA-Report-r16 IE in Release 18 of the 3GPP standard: · The feature or feature combination that triggered the RA in the UE, i.e., the "triggering feature combination" (applicable if the UE used an RA preamble signaling certain feature support). Used feature combination, i.e. the feature combination associated with the RA preamble segment for which the UE selected the RA preamble, e.g. "Used feature combination" (applicable if the UE used an RA preamble signaling certain feature support).

[0065] The first observation is that these information items are only applicable if the UE used an RA preamble from the RA preamble section used to signal feature combination support (i.e., associated with the feature combination). Therefore, in order not to unnecessarily increase the size of the RA-Report-r16 IE, both these information items should be optional in the RA-Report-r16 IE.

[0066] A second relevant observation in this context is that the feature combination that triggered the RA procedure in the UE may or may not exactly match (i.e., be identical to) the feature combination used. The two above-mentioned information items may be identical in some cases, and in other cases, they may be different. This observation can be exploited to make the presence of one of the information items in the RA-Report-r16 IE not only optional based on the use of the RA preamble section associated with the feature combination, but also dependent on the presence of the other of the two information items. For this purpose, if the UE selects an RA preamble from the RA preamble section associated with the feature combination and one of the two related information items is present in the RA-Report-r16 IE, then if the other of the two related information items is identical to the one present, then the other of the two related information items may be omitted in this RA-Report-r16 IE, but if the two information items are not identical, then both of the information items should be included in the RA-Report-r16 IE.

[0067] For example, if triggering feature combination information is present in an RA-Report-r16 IE and the used feature combination information is identical, the used feature combination information may be omitted, and a receiver of the RA-Report-r16 IE (e.g., a gNB) can thereby infer that the used feature combination is identical to the triggering feature combination. Similarly, as another example, if used feature combination information is present in an RA-Report-r16 IE and the triggering feature combination information is identical, the used feature combination information may be omitted, and a receiver of the RA-Report-r16 IE (e.g., a gNB) can thereby infer that the triggering feature combination is identical to the used feature combination.

[0068] It should be noted that the UE preferably already applies the above method for optional and conditional reporting of triggering feature combinations and / or used feature combinations when the UE logs information related to the RA procedure (with the intention of later sending said information to the network in the form of one or more RA reports), e.g. in the UE internal variable VarRA-Report-r16 specified in section 7.4 of 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0.

[0069] The triggering feature combinations and used feature combinations may be included once in the RA-Report-r16 IE, i.e., once per RA procedure, e.g., in the top level of the RA-Report-r16 IE or in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE. Alternatively, the triggering feature combinations and used feature combinations may be included in the RA-Report-r16 IE for each RA attempt, e.g., in the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE. As another alternative, the triggering feature combinations and used feature combinations may be included in a manner that they correspond to a subset of the RA attempts in the RA procedure, e.g., by including them in either the PerRAInfo-r16 IE or the PerRASSBInfo-r16 IE and the PerRACSI-RSInfo-r16 IE (or in new IEs that correspond to these IEs with respect to which RA attempt the information pertains, since these three IEs do not provide for extension).

[0070] Since the general case can be assumed to be that the triggering feature combination remains the same (and therefore the used feature combinations also remain the same) across all RA attempts during the RA procedure, the most data-efficient alternative is to include the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination only once per RA procedure, i.e., once per RA-Report-r16 IE. However, even if this is fine in the general case, it would mean that information would be lost in the uncommon case where the triggering feature combination (and therefore potentially the used feature combination) changes during the course of the RA procedure. Therefore, including the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination in the RA-Report-r16 IE per RA attempt, i.e., in the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE, also has its merits.

[0071] However, it should be noted that regardless of where and how many times a feature combination is included in an RA report, some proposed methods apply to include only one of the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination when they are identical (in each pair of triggering feature combination and used feature combination).

[0072] The inclusion of feature combination information at the top level of the RA-Report-r16 IE can be realized, for example, based on the ASN.1 code in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0, as shown in the highlighted text in FIG.

[0073] The inclusion of feature combination information in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE can be realized, for example, based on the ASN.1 code in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0, as shown in the highlighted text in FIG.

[0074] A non-limiting example implementation of the proposed method in the procedural text of TS38.331 version 17.1.0 is shown highlighted and underlined in the following excerpt: RA Information Decision for RA Reports and RLF Reports The UE shall set the content in ra-InformationCommon as follows: 1> setting absoluteFrequencyPointA to indicate the absolute frequency of the reference resource block associated with the random access resource used in the random access procedure; 1> Set the locationAndBandwidth and subcarrierSpacing associated with the UL BWP of the random access resource used in the random access procedure; 1> If a contention-based random access resource is used in the random access procedure, 2> Set msgA_RO-FrequencyStart, msgA-RO-FDM and msgA-SubcarrierSpacing associated with the two-step random access resource when used in the random access procedure; 2> If the msgA-SubcarrierSpacing associated with the two-step random access resource used in the random access procedure is available, 3> Set the msgA-SubcarrierSpacing associated with the two-step random access resource used in the random access procedure; 2> Otherwise, if only two-step random access resources are available in the UL BWP used in the random access procedure, 3> Set msgA-SCS-From-prach-ConfigurationIndex to the subcarrier spacing as derived from msgA-PRACH-ConfigurationIndex used in the two-step random access procedure; 2> In other cases, 3> Set the msg1-SubcarrierSpacing associated with the 4-step random access resource used in the random access procedure; 2> Set the msg1-FrequencyStart associated with a 4-step random access resource if it is used in the random access procedure and if its value differs from the value of msgA-RO-FrequencyStart if included in ra-InformationCommon; 2> Set the msg1-FDM associated with the 4-step random access resource if it is used in the random access procedure and if its value is different from the value of msgA-RO-FDMCFRA if included in ra-InformationCommon; 2> If the msg1-SubcarrierSpacing associated with the 4-step random access resource used in the random access procedure is available and its value is different from the value of msgA-SubcarrierSpacing if included in ra-InformationCommon, 3> Set the msg1-SubcarrierSpacing associated with the 4-step random access resource used in the random access procedure; 2> In other cases, 3> set msg1-SCS-From-prach-ConfigurationIndex to the subcarrier spacing as derived from the prach-ConfigurationIndex used in the 4-step random access procedure and if its value differs from the value of msgA-SCS-From-prach-ConfigurationIndex as included in ra-InformationCommon; 1> If a contention-free random access resource is used in the random access procedure, 2> setting msg1-FrequencyStartCFRA and msg1-FDMCFRA associated with the 4-step random access resource when used in the random access procedure; 2> If the msg1-SubcarrierSpacing associated with the 4-step random access resource used in the random access procedure is available, 3> Set msg1-SubcarrierSpacingCFRA associated with the 4-step random access resource used in the random access procedure; 2> In other cases, 3> Set msg1-SCS-From-prach-ConfigurationIndexCFRA to the subcarrier spacing as derived from the prach-ConfigurationIndex used in the 4-step random access procedure; 2> setting the msgA-RO-FrequencyStartCFRA and msgA-RO-FDMCFRA associated with the two-step contention-free random access resource when used in the random access procedure; 2> Set the msgA-MCS, nrofPRBs-PerMsgA-PO, msgA-PUSCH-TimeDomainAllocation, frequencyStartMsgA-PUSCH, nrofMsgA-PO-FDM associated with the two-step random access resource when used in the random access procedure; 2> If the msgA-SubcarrierSpacing associated with the two-step random access resource used in the random access procedure is available, 3> Set the msgA-SubcarrierSpacing associated with the two-step random access resource used in the random access procedure; 2> Otherwise, if only two-step random access resources are available in the UL BWP used in the random access procedure, 3> Set msgA-SCS-From-prach-ConfigurationIndex to the subcarrier spacing as derived from msgA-PRACH-ConfigurationIndex used in the two-step random access procedure; 2> In other cases, 3> Set the msg1-SubcarrierSpacing associated with the 4-step random access resource used in the random access procedure; 1> If the random access procedure is initialized with RA_TYPE set to 2-stepRA, as described in TS38.321 [3], 2> Set dlPathlossRSRP to the measured RSRP of the DL pathloss reference obtained at the time of the RA_Type selection phase of the RA procedure initialization, as captured in TS38.321 [3]; 2> If the setting for random access msgA-TransMax is set in RACH-ConfigDedicated for this random access procedure and ra-Purpose is set to reconfigurationWithSync, 3> Set msgA-TransMax to the value of msgA-TransMax in RACH-ConfigDedicated; 2> Otherwise, if msgA-TransMax is set during RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA, 3> Set msgA-TransMax to the value of msgA-TransMax in RACH-ConfigCommonTwoStepRA; 2> Set msgA-PUSCH-PayloadSize to the size of the total payload available in the UE buffer at the time of initiating the two-step RA procedure; 1> If the purpose of the random access procedure is to request on-demand system information (i.e., raPurpose is set to requestForOtherSI or msg3RequestForOtherSI), 2> Set intendedSIB to indicate the SIB(s) that the UE wishes to receive as a result of the SI request; 2> Set ssbsForSI-Acquisition to indicate the SSB(s) to be used to receive SI messages; 2> If on-demand system information acquisition is successful, 3> Set onDemandSISuccess to true, 1> Set the parameters associated with each random access attempt in the perRAInfoList in the order in which the attempts occur, as follows: 2> if the random access resource used is associated with an SS / PBCH block, set the associated random access parameters for successive random access attempts associated with the same SS / PBCH block for one or more random access attempts as follows: 3> Set ssb-Index to contain the SS / PBCH block index associated with the random access resource to be used; 3> Set numberOfPreamblesSentOnSSB to indicate the number of consecutive random access attempts associated with the SS / PBCH block; 3> For each random access attempt made on the random access resource, include the following parameters in the order in which the random access attempts occur: 4> If the random access attempt was made on a contention-based random access resource, and raPurpose is not equal to "requestForOtherSI", include contentionDetected as follows: 5> If contention resolution is not successful for the transmitted preamble as specified in TS38.321[6], 6> set contentionDetected to true, 5> In other cases, 6> set contentionDetected to false, 4> If the random access attempt is a two-step random access attempt, 5> If a fallback from 2-step random access to 4-step random access occurs during a random access attempt, 6> Set fallbackToFourStepRA to true, 4> The random access attempt is performed on a contention-based random access resource, or 4> If the random access attempt is performed on a contention-free random access resource and the random access procedure is triggered by PDCCH ordering, 5> The random access attempt is a 4-step random access attempt and the SS / PBCH block RSRP of the SS / PBCH block corresponding to the random access resource used in the random access attempt is greater than rsrp-ThresholdSSB, or 5> If the random access attempt is a two-step random access attempt and the SS / PBCH block RSRP of the SS / PBCH block corresponding to the random access resource used in the random access attempt is greater than msgA-RSRP-ThresholdSSB, 6> Set dlRSRPAboveThreshold to true, 5> In other cases, 6> Set dlRSRPAboveThreshold to false, 2> otherwise, if the random access resource used is associated with a CSI-RS, set the associated random access parameters for successive random access attempts associated with the same CSI-RS for one or more random access attempts as follows: 3> Set csi-RS-Index to contain the CSI-RS index associated with the random access resource to be used; 3> setting numberOfPreamblesSentOnCSI-RS to indicate the number of consecutive random access attempts associated with the CSI-RS; 1 If a random access procedure is triggered for a set of features, 2. Include triggeringFeatureCombination in RA report. 1. The UE selects / uses a feature combination different from the triggeringFeatureCombination to select the random access resource for this random access procedure, or 1 If the triggeringFeatureCombination and the used feature combination (usedFeatureCombination) are not identical, 2. Include usedFeatureCombination in the RA report. Note 1: Disabled.

[0075] The inclusion of feature combination information in the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE can be realized, for example, based on the ASN.1 code in 3GPP TS38.331 version 17.2.0, as shown in the highlighted text in FIG.

[0076] In a separate embodiment, the conditionally inclusive RA-related information is not limited to feature combination RA information. The RA-related information of new introduced features in later releases may also be conditionally included in the RA report.

[0077] In some embodiments, the conditional feature-related RA information may be independently requested via an instruction by the network in an RRC message, e.g., a UEInformationRequest message. Upon receiving this instruction, the UE includes only the RA-related information associated with the requested feature. In other words, the UE reports only a portion of the RA-related information upon network request, i.e., only the information that the network is interested in collecting at this moment. For example, the UE includes RA-related information associated with a particular feature upon explicit instruction by the network.

[0078] Triggering feature combination changes Some embodiments may include triggering feature combinations that change during a series of RA attempts. If the set of features that triggered the RA procedure changes during the course of the RA procedure, for example, between two RA attempts, it may be beneficial for this to be captured in the RA report. To this end, proposed embodiments may include several alternatives, which are described below. In these descriptions, the term "feature combination information" refers to both the triggering feature combination and the feature combination used (although if they are identical, one of them may be omitted).

[0079] Indicating feature combination changes at the RA trial level In some embodiments, feature combination information (i.e., triggering feature combination information and used feature combination information; if they are identical, one of them may be omitted) is indicated in the RA-Report-r16 IE for each RA attempt level, for example, in the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE. However, if the feature combination information has not changed since the preceding RA attempt, it is omitted in the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE corresponding to the subsequent RA attempt. Thus, feature combination information is included in the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE representing the first RA attempt in an RA procedure, and then included in further PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IEs in the same RA procedure (i.e., in the same RA-Report-r16 IE) only if the feature combination information changed during the RA attempt represented by the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE.

[0080] Indication of initial feature combination information at the RA procedure level and indication of change at the RA attempt level during RA reporting In some embodiments, the initial feature combination information is indicated at the top level in the RA-Report-r16 IE or in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE. Subsequent changes in the feature combination information in subsequent RA attempts are then indicated in the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE representing the RA attempt in which the change occurred.

[0081] Conditional indication of feature combination information changes In other embodiments, a change in feature combination information is indicated only if both the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination have changed, e.g., only if a change in the triggering feature combination results in a change in the used feature combination. As in the previous two examples, the initial feature combination information is indicated at the top level of the RA-Report-r16 IE, or in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE, or in the first PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE, and then the changed feature combination information is included in the subsequent PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE only if the changed triggering feature combination has resulted in a change in the used feature combination (i.e., only if both the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination have changed).

[0082] Only initial feature combination information is indicated In another embodiment, changes in feature combination information during the RA procedure are ignored in the RA report. Only initial feature combination information is reported. The motivation for this alternative is that the case where the feature combination changes between two RA attempts in the RA procedure can be considered a corner case that is too rare to justify the increased specification complexity (and slightly increased signaling overhead). The initial feature combination information can be included at the top level of the RA-Report-r16 IE or in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE. Of these two, inclusion in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE has the advantage that when a random access procedure is involved in RLF, for example, when the RLF cause is a random access failure, i.e., when the rlf-Cause-r16 IE is set to "randomAccessProblem", the information will also be automatically included in the RLF report, i.e., in the RLF-Report-r16 IE.

[0083] Only the last feature combination information is displayed In another alternative embodiment, changes in feature combination information during the RA procedure are ignored in the RA report. Only the final feature combination information is reported. As in the alternative where only the initial feature combination is reported, as described in the previous example, the motivation for this alternative is that the case where the feature combination changes between two RA attempts in the RA procedure can be considered a corner case that is too rare to justify the increased specification complexity (and slightly increased signaling overhead). The final feature combination information can be included at the top level of the RA-Report-r16 IE or in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE. As explained in the previous example, as in the alternative where only the initial feature combination is reported, of these two, the inclusion in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE has the advantage that when a random access procedure is involved in RLF, e.g. when the RLF cause is a random access failure, i.e. when the rlf-Cause-r16 IE is set to "randomAccessProblem", the information will also be automatically included in the RLF report, i.e. in the RLF-Report-r16 IE.

[0084] Note that in the general case, ie, when the feature combination information remains the same during the RA procedure, the final feature combination information is the same as the initial feature combination information.

[0085] Additional Embodiments A possible method embodiment under the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 38. Method 2000 includes a method implemented by a UE 2010, a network 2020, or a network node 2020 for optimizing RA configuration. Step 2050 (optional) is for the UE to receive a request for RA-related information (or for the network / node to send the request). Step 2060 is for the UE to detect a trigger condition for initiating an RA procedure. The trigger condition may be based on a triggering feature combination including a first one or more features. Step 2070 is for the UE to select an RA preamble from an RA preamble segment. The RA preamble segment may be associated with a used feature combination including a second one or more features. Step 2080 is for the UE to send an RA report (or for the network / node to receive an RA report), where if the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination are the same, one of them is omitted from the RA report, and if the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination are different, they are both included in the RA report. Method 2000 may include multiple variations and embodiments, including those described above and below, and / or additional and / or alternative steps.

[0086] 39 illustrates an example of a communications system 2100 according to some embodiments. In this example, the communications system 2100 includes a communications network 2102 including an access network 2104, such as a RAN, and a core network 2106 including one or more core network nodes 2108. The access network 2104 includes one or more access network nodes (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 2110), such as network nodes 2110a and 2110b, or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. The network nodes 2110 facilitate direct or indirect connectivity of UEs 2112a, 2112b, 2112c, and 2112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 2112) to the core network 2106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0087] Exemplary wireless communication over a wireless connection includes sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, communication system 1100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections. Communication system 2100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, wireless network, and / or other similar type systems.

[0088] The UE 2112 may be any of a wide variety of communications devices, including a wireless device configured, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network node 2110 and other communications devices. Similarly, the network node 2110 is configured, capable of, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with the UE 2112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the communications network 2102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration, in the communications network 2102.

[0089] In the illustrated example, the core network 2106 connects the network node 2110 to one or more hosts, such as the host 2116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network node may be directly coupled to the host. The core network 2106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., the core network node 2108) structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, and therefore, those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 2108. Exemplary core network nodes include one or more of the following functions: a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a Session Management Function (SMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Subscription Identifier Deciphering Function (SIDF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), a Network Publishing Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0090] The host 2116 may be owned or under the control of, and operated by or on behalf of, a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network 2104 and / or the communications network 2102. The host 2116 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data about various ambient conditions detected by multiple UEs, analytics functions, social media, functions for controlling or possibly interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0091] 39 enables connectivity between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as a particular standard, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G), a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi), and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communications (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low power wide area network (LPWAN) standard such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0092] In some examples, the communication network 2102 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Thus, the communication network 2102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the communication network 2102. For example, the communication network 2102 may provide Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs and / or providing Massive Machine-Based Communications (mMTC) / Massive IoT services to still further UEs.

[0093] In some examples, the UE 2112 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 2104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the access network 2104. Furthermore, the UE may be configured to operate in a single or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE may operate on any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., configured for Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Enhanced UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0094] In this example, the hub 2114 communicates with the access network 2104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UEs 2112c and / or 2112d) and a network node (e.g., network node 2110b). In some examples, the hub 2114 may be a controller, a router, a content source, and content analysis, or any of the other communication devices described herein with respect to UEs. For example, the hub 2114 may be a broadband router that enables access to the core network 2106 for the UE. As another example, the hub 2114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The commands or instructions may be received from the UE, the network node 2110, or may be due to executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the hub 2114. As another example, the hub 2114 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 2114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker, or other media distribution device, the hub 2114 may retrieve, via a network node, VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information, which the hub 2114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, the hub 2114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, particularly in the case where one or more of the UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0095] The hub 2114 may have a constant / permanent or intermittent connection to the network node 2110b. The hub 2114 may also enable different communication schemes and / or schedules between the hub 2114 and the UEs (e.g., UEs 2112c and / or 2112d) and between the hub 2114 and the core network 2106. In other examples, the hub 2114 is connected to the core network 2106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 2114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 1104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection with the network node 2110 while still connected via a wired or wireless connection through the hub 2114. In some embodiments, the hub 2114 may be a dedicated hub, i.e., a hub whose primary function is to route communications from / to the UE to / from the network node 2110b. In other embodiments, the hub 2114 may be a non-dedicated hub, i.e., a device that is capable of operating to route communications between the UE and the network node 2110b, but that is further capable of operating as a communication initiation and / or termination point for some data channels.

[0096] Figure 40 illustrates a UE 2200, according to some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a cell phone, a voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless camera, a gaming console or device, a music storage device, a playback appliance, a wearable terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a tablet, a laptop computer, a laptop embedded equipment (LEE), a laptop mounted equipment (LME), a smart device, a wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), a vehicle-mounted or vehicle-embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, a Machine Type Communications (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0097] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller) that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may not be associated with or initially associated with a particular human user. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart power meter) that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the user's benefit.

[0098] The UE 2200 includes a processing circuit 2202 operably coupled to an input / output interface 2206, a power source 2208, a memory 2210, a communication interface 2212, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus 2204. Some UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in FIG. 40. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0099] The processing circuit 2202 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in memory 2210 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuit 2202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.), programmable logic together with appropriate firmware, one or more stored computer programs such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) together with appropriate software, a general-purpose processor, or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 2202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0100] In this example, the input / output interface 2206 may be configured to provide one or more interfaces to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 2200. Examples of input devices include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor for detecting input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port may be used to accommodate input and output devices.

[0101] In some embodiments, the power source 2208 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The power source 2208 may further include power circuitry for delivering power to various portions of the UE 2200 from the power source 2208 itself and / or from an external power source via an interface such as an input circuit or a power cable. Delivering power may be for charging the power source 2208, for example. The power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification on the power from the power source 2208 to make it suitable for the respective component of the UE 2200 being powered.

[0102] The memory 2210 may be or be configured to include memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory 2210 includes one or more application programs 2214, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other applications, and corresponding data 2216. The memory 2210 may store any of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 2200.

[0103] The memory 2210 may be configured to include several physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard disk drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, an internal hard disk drive, a Blu-ray optical disc drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory such as a tamper-resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC, commonly known as a "SIM card." The memory 2210 may enable the UE 2200 to access, offload, or upload data, instructions, application programs, etc. stored on a temporary or non-transitory memory medium. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 2210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0104] The processing circuit 2202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other networks using a communication interface 2212. The communication interface 2212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 2222. The communication interface 2212 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 2218 and / or a receiver 2220 suitable for providing network communication (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Moreover, the transmitter 2218 and receiver 2220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 2222) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0105] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication capabilities of communication interface 2212 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as use of a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in accordance with one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0106] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by the UE's sensors to a network node via a wireless connection through the UE's communications interface 2212. Data captured by the UE's sensors may be communicated to a network node via another UE over a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes when reporting sensed temperature), in response to a triggering event (e.g., an alert is sent when humidity is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0107] As another example, the UE may include an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communications interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch may change. For example, the UE may include a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight according to the received input, or a robotic arm that performs a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0108] When in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the UE may be a device for use in one or more application areas, including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, augmented industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are devices that are or are embedded in a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an energy meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice-controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a water / humidity sensor, an electric door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system such as a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), a wearable for haptic augmentation or sensory augmentation, a water sprinkler, an animal or product tracking device, a sensor for monitoring plants or animals, an industrial robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and any type of medical device such as a heart rate monitor or a remote-controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device comprises, in addition to the other components described with respect to UE2200 shown in Figure 40, circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0109] As yet another particular example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or network node. The UE, in this case, may be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in a 3GPP context. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane, or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operating status or other functionality associated with its operation.

[0110] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together for a single use case. For example, a first UE may be a drone or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller that operates the drone. When a user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust a throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and / or second UE may also include two or more of the functions described above. For example, a UE may include a sensor and an actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0111] 41 illustrates a network node 3300 according to some embodiments. As used herein, a network node refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with UEs and / or other network nodes or devices in a communication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

[0112] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated another way, their transmit power level) and may therefore be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna, as in an antenna-integrated radio. Portions of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0113] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, MSR equipment such as a multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmitting node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), and / or a minimized drive test (MDT).

[0114] The network node 3300 includes a processing circuit 3302, a memory 3304, a communication interface 3306, and a power source 3308. The network node 3300 may be assembled from multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In some scenarios in which the network node 3300 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., a BTS component and a BSC component), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such scenarios, each unique Node B and RNC pair may, in some instances, be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 3300 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 3304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 3310 may be shared by different RATs). Network node 3300 may also include multiple sets of the various shown components for different wireless technologies, e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into network node 1300. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within network node 1300.

[0115] The processing circuit 3302 may comprise one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide the network node 3300 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 3300 components such as memory 3304.

[0116] In some embodiments, the processing circuit 3302 comprises a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuit 3302 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit 3312 and a baseband processing circuit 3314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit 3312 and the baseband processing circuit 3314 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 3312 and the baseband processing circuit 3314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, board, or unit.

[0117] The memory 3304 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuit 3302. The memory 3304 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 3302 and utilized by the network node 3300. The memory 3304 may be used to store computations performed by the processing circuit 3302 and / or data received via the communications interface 3306. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 3302 and the memory 3304 are integrated.

[0118] The communications interface 3306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, and / or UEs. As shown, the communications interface 3306 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 3316 for sending and receiving data to and from a network, e.g., over a wired connection. The communications interface 3306 also includes radio front-end circuitry 3318, which is coupled to an antenna 3310 or, in some embodiments, may be part of the antenna 3310. The radio front-end circuitry 3318 comprises a filter 3320 and an amplifier 3322. The radio front-end circuitry 3318 may be connected to the antenna 3310 and the processing circuit 3302. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 3310 and the processing circuit 3302. The radio front-end circuitry 3318 may receive digital data to be sent to another network node or UE via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 3318 may convert the digital data into radio signals having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 3320 and / or amplifiers 3322. The radio signals may then be transmitted via the antenna 3310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 3310 may collect the radio signals, which are then converted to digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 3318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 3302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0119] In some alternative embodiments, the network node 3300 does not include a separate radio front-end circuit 3318; instead, the processing circuit 3302 includes the radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 3310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or a portion of the RF transceiver circuitry 3312 is part of the communications interface 3306. In still other embodiments, the communications interface 3306 includes one or more ports or terminals 3316, the radio front-end circuitry 3318, and the RF transceiver circuitry 3312 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communications interface 3306 communicates with baseband processing circuitry 3314 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0120] The antenna 3310 may include one or more antennas or an antenna array configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 3310 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 3318 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, the antenna 3310 is separate from the network node 3300 and connectable to the network node 3300 through an interface or port.

[0121] The antenna 3310, the communication interface 3306, and / or the processing circuit 3302 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or some obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 3310, the communication interface 3306, and / or the processing circuit 3302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0122] The power supply 3308 provides power to the various components of the network node 3300 in a form suitable for each component (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required for each respective component). The power supply 3308 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry for supplying power to the components of the network node 3300 for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node 3300 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source provides power to the power circuitry of the power supply 3308. As a further example, the power supply 3308 may comprise a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated in the power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power in the event that the external power source fails.

[0123] Embodiments of the network node 3300 may include additional components other than those shown in Figure 41 for providing certain aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 3300 may include user interface devices for enabling input of information into the network node 3300 and output of information from the network node 3300. This may enable a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 3300.

[0124] 42 is a block diagram of a host 4400, which may be an embodiment of the host 2116 of FIG. 39 in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 4400 may be or comprise various combinations of hardware and / or software, including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 4400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0125] The host 4400 includes a processing circuit 4402 operably coupled to an input / output interface 4406, a network interface 4408, a power supply 4410, and a memory 4412 via a bus 4404. In other embodiments, other components may be included. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 40 and 41, and therefore those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 4400.

[0126] The memory 4412 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host application programs 4414 and data 4416, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by the UE for the host 4400 or data generated by the host 4400 for the UE. An embodiment of the host 4400 may utilize only a subset or all of the shown components. The host application programs 4414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UE (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application program 4414 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health, route, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in the core network or a device on the edge of the core network. Thus, the host 4400 may select and / or direct different hosts for over-the-top services for the UE. The host application program 4414 may support various protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0127] FIG. 43 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 5500 in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualizing means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. Virtualization, as used herein, may apply to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to implementations in which at least a portion of functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 5500 hosted by one or more of the hardware nodes, such as a network node, a UE, a core network node, or a hardware computing device acting as a host. Furthermore, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require wireless connectivity (e.g., to a core network node or host), the node may be fully virtualized.

[0128] An application 5502 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) is run in the virtualized environment 5500 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0129] The hardware 5504 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. Software is executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 5506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 5508a and 5508b (one or more of which may be referred to generically as VMs 5508), and / or implement any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described with respect to some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 5506 may present to the VMs 5508 a virtual operating platform that appears to be networking hardware.

[0130] The VMs 5508 may comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 5506. Different embodiments of the virtual appliance 5502 instance may be implemented on one or more of the VMs 5508, and the implementation may be done in different ways. Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as network functions virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0131] In the context of NFV, a VM 5508 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if those programs were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM 5508 and the portion of the hardware 5504 on which it runs, whether hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with other VMs, form a separate virtual network element. Further, in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling a particular network function running in one or more VMs 5508 on the hardware 5504 and corresponds to the application 5502.

[0132] The hardware 5504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware 5504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 5504 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes cooperate and are managed via a management and orchestration 5510 that, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of the application 5502. In some embodiments, the hardware 5504 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers, which may be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with wireless capabilities, such as a wireless access node or base station. In some embodiments, some signaling may be provided using a control system 5512, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes and the radio units.

[0133] 44 shows a communication diagram of a host 6602 communicating with a UE 6606 via a network node 6604 over a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments. Exemplary implementations according to various embodiments of a UE (such as the UE 2112a of FIG. 39 and / or the UE 2200 of FIG. 40), a network node (such as the network node 2110a of FIG. 39 and / or the network node 3300 of FIG. 41), and a host (such as the host 2116 of FIG. 39 and / or the host 4400 of FIG. 42) described in the previous paragraph will now be described with reference to FIG. 44.

[0134] Similar to the host 4400, an embodiment of the host 6602 includes hardware such as a communications interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 6602 also includes software stored on or accessible by the host 6602 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 6606 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 6650 extending between the UE 6606 and the host 6602. In providing services to the remote user, the host application may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection 6650.

[0135] The network node 6604 includes hardware that enables the network node 6604 to communicate with the host 6602 and the UE 6606. The connection 6660 may be direct or may pass through one or more other intermediate networks, such as a core network (similar to the core network 2106 of FIG. 39) and / or one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, the intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0136] The UE 6606 includes hardware and software stored on or accessible by the UE 6606 and executable by the UE's processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific "app," which, with the support of the host 6602, may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE 6606. An executing host application on the host 6602 may communicate with an executing client application via an OTT connection 6650 that terminates at the UE 6606 and the host 6602. In providing services to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host application on the host and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 6650 may transfer both request data and user data. The UE's client application may interact with the user to generate user data that the UE's client application provides to the host application through the OTT connection 6650.

[0137] The OTT connection 6650 may extend via a connection 6660 between the host 6602 and a network node 6604 and via a wireless connection 6670 between the network node 6604 and the UE 6606 to provide connectivity between the host 6602 and the UE 6606. The connections 6660 and wireless connections 6670 over which the OTT connection 6650 may be provided are depicted abstractly to show communication between the host 6602 and the UE 6606 via the network node 6604, without explicit reference to intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages through these devices.

[0138] As an example of transmitting data over the OTT connection 6650, in step 6608, the host 6602 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 6606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 6606 sharing data with the host 6602 without explicit human interaction. In step 6610, the host 6602 initiates a transmission carrying the user data toward the UE 6606. The host 6602 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by the UE 6606. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 6606 or by the operation of a client application executing on the UE 6606. The transmission may proceed via the network node 6604 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Thus, in step 6612, the network node 6604 transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host 6602 to the UE 6606, in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 6614, the UE 6606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on the UE 6606 associated with the host application executed by the host 6602.

[0139] In some examples, the UE 6606 executes a client application that provides user data to the host 6602. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to data received from the host 6602. Thus, in step 6616, the UE 6606 may provide the user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from a user via an input / output interface of the UE 6606. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, the UE 6606 initiates transmission of the user data towards the host 6602 via the network node 6604 in step 6618. In step 6620, the network node 6604 receives the user data from the UE 6606 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 6602, in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 6622, the host 6602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 6606.

[0140] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 6606 using the OTT connection 6650, of which the wireless connection 6670 forms the final segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve data rate, latency, and / or power consumption, thereby providing benefits such as reduced user latency, relaxed restrictions on file size, improved content resolution, increased responsiveness, and / or extended battery life.

[0141] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 6602. As another example, the host 6602 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from UEs for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 6602 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicular congestion (e.g., controlling traffic signals). As another example, the host 6602 may store surveillance video uploaded by UEs. As another example, the host 6602 may store or control access to media content, such as video, audio, VR or AR, that the host 6602 may broadcast, multicast, or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the host 6602 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical electrical loads to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams, etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or transmitting data.

[0142] In some examples, measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve upon. There may further be optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 6650 between the host 6602 and the UE 6606 in response to fluctuations in the measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 6602 and / or the UE 6606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 6650 passes, and the sensors may participate in the measurement procedures by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or other physical quantities from which software may calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 6650 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not directly change the operation of the network node 6604. Such procedures and functionality may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements by the host 6602 of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be implemented in software causing messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, to be sent using the OTT connection 6650 while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0143] While the computing devices (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) described herein may include the depicted combinations of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting obtained information to other information, comparing the obtained or converted information with information stored in a network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained or converted information and as a result of the processing making a decision. Moreover, while components are illustrated as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the computing device may comprise multiple different physical components that make up the single depicted component, and functionality may be partitioned among the separate components. For example, a communications interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of those components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communications interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functionality of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functionality may be implemented in hardware.

[0144] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by a processing circuit executing instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these particular embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functionality, regardless of whether or not it executes instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuit alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks generally.

[0145] It will be appreciated that computer systems take an increasingly wide variety of forms. In this description and in the claims, the terms “controller,” “computer system,” or “computing system” are broadly defined to include any device or system, or combination thereof, that includes at least one physical and tangible processor and physical and tangible memory capable of having computer-executable instructions thereon that can be executed by the processor. By way of example and not limitation, the term “computer system” or “computing system,” as used herein, is intended to include devices not traditionally considered computing systems, such as personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, handheld devices (e.g., cell phones, PDAs, pagers), microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, multiprocessor systems, network PCs, distributed computing systems, data centers, message processors, routers, switches, and even wearables (e.g., eyeglasses).

[0146] A computing system also has multiple structures thereon that are often referred to as “executable components.” For example, a computing system's memory can include executable components. The term “executable component” is a name for a structure well understood by those skilled in the art of computing as being a structure that may be software, hardware, or a combination thereof. For example, when implemented in software, those skilled in the art will understand that the structure of an executable component may include software objects, routines, methods, etc. that can be executed by one or more processors on a computing system, regardless of whether such executable component resides in the computing system's heap or whether the executable component resides on a computer-readable storage medium. The structure of an executable component resides on a computer-readable medium in a form that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, is operable to cause the computing system to perform one or more functions, such as the functions and methods described herein. Such a structure may be directly computer-readable by a processor, such as when the executable component is binary. Alternatively, the structure may be structured to be interpretable and / or compiled, whether in a single step or multiple steps, to generate a binary that is directly interpretable by a processor.

[0147] Terms such as "component," "service," "engine," "module," "control," "generator," etc. may also be used in this description. These terms, as used in this description and in the present case, whether expressed with or without a modifying clause, are also intended to be synonymous with the term "executable component," and thus have the same structure well understood by those of ordinary skill in the computing arts.

[0148] With respect to computer implementations, a computer will generally be understood to include one or more processors or one or more controllers, and the terms computer, processor, and controller may be employed interchangeably. When provided by a computer, processor, or controller, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated computer or processor or controller, by a single shared computer or processor or controller, or by multiple individual computers or processors or controllers, some of which may be shared or distributed. Moreover, the term "processor" or "controller" may refer to other hardware capable of performing such functions and / or running software, such as the exemplary hardware recited above.

[0149] In general, various exemplary embodiments may be implemented in hardware or special-purpose chips, circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects may be implemented in hardware, and other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although the present disclosure is not limited thereto. While various aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be appreciated that these blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in, by way of non-limiting example, hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0150] Although not all computing systems require a user interface, in some embodiments, a computing system includes a user interface for use in communicating information to and from a user. A user interface may include output mechanisms as well as input mechanisms. The principles described herein are not limited to the exact output or input mechanism and thus depend on the nature of the device. However, output mechanisms may include, for example, speakers, displays, haptic output, projections, holograms, etc. Examples of input mechanisms may include, for example, microphones, touchscreens, projections, holograms, cameras, keyboards, styluses, mouse or other pointer inputs, any type of sensor, etc.

[0151] Abbreviations and Specific Terms To aid in understanding the scope and content of the specification and appended claims, certain selected terms are defined directly below. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0152] As used herein, the terms "approximately," "about," and "substantially" refer to an amount or condition that is close to a particular stated amount or condition that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms "approximately," "about," and "substantially" can refer to an amount or condition that deviates from the specifically stated amount or condition by less than 10%, or by less than 5%, or by less than 1%, or by less than 0.1%, or by less than 0.01%.

[0153] Various aspects of the present disclosure, including devices, systems, and methods, may be presented with reference to one or more embodiments or implementations that are exemplary in nature. As used herein, the term "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments disclosed herein. Furthermore, reference to an "implementation" of the present disclosure or an embodiment includes specific reference to one or more embodiments thereof, and vice versa, and is intended to provide illustrative examples without limiting the scope of the disclosure, which is dictated by the appended claims rather than by this specification.

[0154] As used herein, words appearing in the singular include their plural equivalents, and words appearing in the plural include their singular equivalents, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. Accordingly, it should be noted that, as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, a reference to a singular referent (e.g., "a widget") includes one, two, or more referents, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. Similarly, a reference to a plural referent should be interpreted as including a single referent and / or multiple referents, unless the content and / or context clearly dictate otherwise. For example, a reference to a plural referent (e.g., "widgets") does not necessarily require a plurality of such referents. Instead, unless otherwise stated, it will be appreciated that one or more referents are contemplated herein regardless of the inferred number of referents.

[0155] References herein to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described with respect to an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic with respect to other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0156] Although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, it will be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0157] It will be further understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," and / or "including," as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0158] conclusion The present disclosure includes either any novel feature or combination of features explicitly disclosed herein or any generalization thereof. Various modifications and adaptations to the above exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, any and all modifications will still fall within the scope of the non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0159] It should be understood that for a given component or embodiment described herein, any of the possible candidates or alternatives listed for that component may generally be used individually or in combination with one another, unless otherwise understood or stated, either implicitly or explicitly. It will further be understood that the listing of such candidates or alternatives is exemplary only and not limiting, unless otherwise understood or stated, either implicitly or explicitly.

[0160] Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated, numbers expressing quantities, components, distances, or other measurements used in the specification and claims should be understood to be modified by the term "about" as that term is defined herein. Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical parameters set forth in the specification and appended claims are approximations that may vary depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained by the subject matter presented herein. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the subject matter presented herein are approximations, the numerical values ​​set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. However, any numerical value inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.

[0161] Any headings and subheadings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present specification or the claims. The terms and expressions employed herein are used as terms of description, not terms of limitation, and the use of such terms and expressions is not intended to exclude equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, and it should be recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, although the present disclosure has been specifically disclosed in part by certain embodiments and optional features, it should be understood that modifications and variations of the concepts disclosed herein may be employed by those skilled in the art, and such modifications and variations are deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0162] It will also be appreciated that systems, devices, articles of manufacture, kits, methods, and / or processes according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include, incorporate, or otherwise comprise properties or features (e.g., components, members, elements, parts, and / or portions) described in other embodiments disclosed and / or described herein. Accordingly, various features of some embodiments may be compatible with, combinable with, included in, and / or incorporated into other embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure of some features for a particular embodiment of the present disclosure should not be construed as limiting the application or inclusion of said features to the particular embodiment. Rather, it will be appreciated that other embodiments can also include said features, members, elements, parts, and / or portions without necessarily departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0163] Moreover, unless a feature is described as requiring another feature in combination with it, any feature herein may be combined with any other feature of the same or different embodiments disclosed herein. Moreover, various well-known aspects of example systems, methods, apparatuses, etc. will not be described in particular detail herein to avoid obscuring aspects of the example embodiments. However, such aspects are also contemplated herein.

[0164] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that methods, devices, device elements, materials, procedures, and techniques other than those specifically described herein can be adapted to the practice of the described embodiments as broadly disclosed herein without resort to undue experimentation. All art-known functional equivalents of the methods, devices, device elements, materials, procedures, and techniques specifically described herein are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.

[0165] When a group of materials, compositions, components, or compounds is disclosed herein, it is understood that all individual members of that group and all subgroups thereof are separately disclosed. When a Markush group or other grouping is used herein, all individual members of that group, and all possible combinations and subcombinations of that group, are intended to be individually included in the disclosure.

[0166] The above-described embodiments are examples only. Alterations, modifications, and variations of the particular embodiments may be effected by those of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the description, which is defined solely by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a user equipment (UE) (2010) for optimizing a random access (RA) configuration, the method comprising: Detecting 2060 a trigger condition for initiating an RA procedure, the trigger condition being based on a triggering feature combination including a first one or more features; selecting 2070 an RA preamble from an RA preamble segment, the RA preamble segment being associated with a used feature combination including a second one or more features; sending (2080) an RA report to a network node (2020), where when the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination are the same, one of them is omitted from the RA report, and when the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination are different, they are both included in the RA report; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering feature combination is omitted.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the used feature combination is omitted.

4. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination is included in one of the following ways: once in an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE), once per RA procedure, in the top level of the RA-Report-r16 IE or in an RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE, in an RA-Report-r16 IE for each RA attempt, in a PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering feature combination is varied over multiple RA attempts.

6. The triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination are included in an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE) at a per RA attempt level; If the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination have not changed since the previous RA attempt, they are omitted in the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE corresponding to the subsequent RA attempt; If the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination changes during an RA attempt, the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination is included in a PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE representing a first RA attempt in an RA procedure, and then included in subsequent PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IEs in the same RA procedure.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination are included in at least one of an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE) or an RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE, and wherein subsequent changes in the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination in subsequent RA attempts are indicated in a PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE representing the RA attempt in which the subsequent change occurred.

8. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a change in the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination is indicated only if both the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination change.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a change in the triggering feature combination results in a change in the used feature combination.

10. the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination are indicated in at least one of an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE), an RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE, and a first PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE; The changed triggering feature combination and / or the changed used feature combination are included in the subsequent PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE only if said changed triggering feature combination results in a change in said used feature combination. The method of claim 8.

11. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein changes in the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination during an RA procedure are ignored in subsequent RA reports, and only the initial triggering feature combination and / or the initial used feature combination is reported in the RA report.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination is included in an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE) or in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE.

13. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein changes in the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination during an RA procedure are ignored in the RA report, and only the final triggering feature combination and / or the final used feature combination is reported in a subsequent RA report.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the final triggering feature combination and / or the final used feature combination is included in an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE) or in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein RA related information of new introduced features is included in the RA report or a subsequent RA report.

16. The method of any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising receiving (2050) a request for RA-related information from a network (2020).

17. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the request is sent via radio resource control (RRC) messaging.

18. 18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein the RA report includes only RA-related information associated with features indicated in the request.

19. A method implemented by a network node (2020) for optimizing a random access (RA) configuration, the method comprising: receiving (2080) an RA report from a user equipment (UE) (2010) upon occurrence of a trigger condition, the trigger condition being based on a triggering feature combination including a first one or more features, the RA report including an RA preamble segment associated with a used feature combination including a second one or more features, wherein when the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination are the same, one of them is omitted from the RA report, and when the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination are different, they are both included in the RA report; A method comprising:

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the triggering feature combination is omitted.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the used feature combination is omitted.

22. 22. The method of any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination is included in one of the following ways: once in an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE), once per RA procedure, in the top level of the RA-Report-r16 IE or in an RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE, in an RA-Report-r16 IE for each RA attempt, in a PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE.

23. 23. The method of any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein the triggering feature combination is varied over multiple RA attempts.

24. The triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination are included in an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE) at a per RA attempt level; If the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination have not changed since the previous RA attempt, they are omitted in the PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE corresponding to the subsequent RA attempt; If the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination changes during an RA attempt, the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination is included in a PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE representing a first RA attempt in an RA procedure, and then included in subsequent PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IEs in the same RA procedure.

24. The method of any one of claims 19 to 23.

25. 24. The method of claim 19, wherein the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination are included in at least one of an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE) or an RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE, and wherein subsequent changes in the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination in subsequent RA attempts are indicated in a PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE representing the RA attempt in which the subsequent change occurred.

26. 24. The method of any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein a change in the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination is indicated only if both the triggering feature combination and the used feature combination change.

27. 27. The method of any one of claims 19 to 26, wherein a change in the triggering feature combination results in a change in the used feature combination.

28. the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination are indicated in at least one of an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE), an RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE, and a first PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE; The changed triggering feature combination and / or the changed used feature combination are included in the subsequent PerRAAttemptInfo-r16 IE only if said changed triggering feature combination results in a change in said used feature combination.

27. The method of claim 26.

29. 24. The method of claim 19, wherein changes in the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination during an RA procedure are ignored in subsequent RA reports, and only the initial triggering feature combination and / or the initial used feature combination is reported in the RA report.

30. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination is included in an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE) or in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE.

31. 24. The method of claim 19, wherein changes in the triggering feature combination and / or the used feature combination during an RA procedure are ignored in the RA report, and only the final triggering feature combination and / or the final used feature combination is reported in a subsequent RA report.

32. 32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the final triggering feature combination and / or the final used feature combination is included in an RA-Report-r16 information element (IE) or in the RA-InformationCommon-r16 IE.

33. 33. The method of any one of claims 19 to 32, wherein RA related information of new introduced features is included in the RA report or a subsequent RA report.

34. 34. The method of any one of claims 19 to 33, further comprising sending (2050) to the UE a request for RA-related information.

35. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the request is sent via radio resource control (RRC) messaging.

36. 36. The method of claim 34 or 35, wherein the RA report includes only RA-related information associated with features indicated in the request.

37. A user equipment (UE) (2010) for optimizing random access (RA) configuration, comprising: a processing circuit (2202) configured to perform any of the steps of any one of claims 1 to 18; a power supply circuit (2208) configured to supply power to said processing circuit; A user equipment (UE) (2010) comprising:

38. A user equipment (UE) (2010) for optimizing a random access (RA) configuration, the UE comprising: an antenna (2222) configured to transmit and receive radio signals; a radio front-end circuit (2212) connected to the antenna and processing circuit and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuit; The processing circuit (2202) is configured to perform any of the steps of any one of claims 1 to 18; an input interface (2206) connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface (2206) connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information from the UE processed by the processing circuit; a battery (2208) connected to the processing circuit and configured to power the UE; A user equipment (UE) (2010) comprising:

39. A network node (2020) for optimizing a random access (RA) configuration, said network node comprising: a processing circuit (3302) configured to perform any of the steps of any one of claims 19 to 36; a power supply circuit (3308) configured to supply power to said processing circuit; A network node (2020) comprising:

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