Method, apparatus, and computer program for optimizing the configuration of inter-frequency layer measurements for lower layer mobility

Abstract

A method for optimizing a configuration of inter-frequency measurements for LTM of a UE may be performed at least in part by a serving gNB DU and may include receiving intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs; determining whether at least one intra-frequency target cell above a predetermined threshold is available for LTM; based on determining that at least the intra-frequency target cell for LTM is not available, transmitting a first signal to a gNB centralized unit control plane (CU CP), the first signal indicating to the gNB CU CP to configure the user equipment (UE) with inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with the one or more inter-frequency target cells; and receiving an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to a second gNB DU that has been prepared as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM by the serving gNB DU.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to inter- and intra-frequency mobility of user devices in telecommunications and / or wireless networks. In particular, the present disclosure relates to methods, apparatus, and systems for optimizing the configuration of inter-frequency measurements for lower layer mobility (L1 / L2) of user equipment in telecommunications networks. [Background technology]

[0002] In telecommunications networks, such as 5G networks, inter- and intra-frequency mobility events (e.g., handovers) associated with L3 may be prepared and executed by a gNodeB centralized unit control plane (gNB CU CP). However, the methods and processes of the related art are inappropriate in the context of lower layer-triggered mobility events (e.g., L1 / L2-centric mobility) because the gNodeB distributed unit (gNB DU) hosts lower layer protocols of the 5G protocol stack. Therefore, using the gNB CU CP to both prepare and execute mobility events associated with lower layers, such as L1 / L2, can increase latency, reduce efficiency, decrease accuracy, and result in non-optimal use of network resources.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for a method and system that optimizes the preparation and execution of mobility events related to lower layers, and in particular, there is a need for a method and process that shifts some of the processing from the gNB CU CP to the gNB DU. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] According to an embodiment, there is provided a method for optimizing inter-frequency measurement configuration for L1 / L2 centered inter-frequency mobility management (LLM) or L1 / L2 triggered mobility management (LTM) of a user equipment (UE), the method being executed by at least one processor, the method comprising: receiving, by a serving gNodeB distributed unit (serving gNB DU), intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs, the one or more neighboring gNB DUs including DUs expected to interact with the serving gNB DU for LTM; determining, by the serving gNB DU, whether at least one intra-frequency target cell exceeding a predetermined threshold is available for LTM; and based on determining that at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is not available, sending, by the serving gNB DU, a first signal to a gNB centralized unit control plane (CU CP), the first signal indicating to the gNB CU CP to configure the user equipment (UE) with inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with the one or more inter-frequency target cells; and receiving, by the DU, an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to a second gNB DU that has been prepared as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM.

[0005] According to an embodiment, an apparatus may be provided for optimizing inter-frequency measurement configuration for L1 / L2 center inter-frequency mobility management (LTM) of a user equipment (UE). The apparatus may include at least one memory configured to store program code and at least one processor configured to access the program code and operate as instructed by the program code. The program code includes: first receiving code configured to cause at least one processor of a first serving gNB DU to receive intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs, the one or more neighboring gNB DUs including DUs expected to interact with the serving gNB DU for LTM; first determining code configured to cause the at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to determine whether at least one intra-frequency target cell exceeding a predetermined threshold is available for LTM; and transmitting code configured to cause the at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to transmit a first signal to a gNB centralized unit control plane (CU CP) based on determining that the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is not available, the first signal indicating to the gNB CU CP to configure a user equipment (UE) with inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with the one or more inter-frequency target cells; and and a second receiving code configured to cause at least one processor of the DU to receive an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to the second gNB DU that is prepared as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM.

[0006] According to an embodiment, a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions may be provided. The instructions may include one or more instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a plurality of gNodeB distributed units (serving gNB DUs) to optimize configuration of inter-frequency measurements for L1 / L2 central inter-frequency mobility management (LTM) of a user equipment (UE), cause the one or more processors to receive, at a first serving gNB DU, intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs, the one or more neighboring gNB DUs including DUs expected to interact with the first serving gNB DU for LTM, determine, by the first serving gNB DU, whether at least one intra-frequency target cell exceeding a predetermined threshold is available for LTM, and based on determining that the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is not available, send, by the first serving gNB DU, a first signal to a gNB centralized unit control plane (CU CP), the first signal instructing the gNB CU CP to configure the user equipment (UE) with inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with the one or more inter-frequency target cells. and indicates to the CP that the first serving gNB DU receives an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to the second gNB DU that is prepared as a target cell among one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM.

[0007] The features, advantages, and importance of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an example schematic diagram of a network disaggregated architecture in which the systems and / or methods described in this disclosure may be implemented.

[0009] [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is an exemplary schematic diagram of components of the network architecture of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exemplary schematic diagram of components of the network architecture of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an example workflow diagram illustrating an example process for optimizing the configuration of inter-frequency measurements for LTM of a user equipment (UE), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an example workflow diagram illustrating an example signaling process for reporting lower level mobility (LTM) load between neighboring gNodeB distributed units (gNB DUs), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] [Figure 6] 10 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating an example process for optimizing an inter-frequency measurement configuration for LTM of a UE, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0015] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the embodiments.

[0016] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in various forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code, and it will be understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0017] As is conventional in the art, the embodiments may be described and illustrated in terms of blocks that perform described functions. These blocks, which may be referred to herein as units, modules, or the like, may be physically implemented by analog or digital circuits such as logic gates, integrated circuits, microprocessors, microcontrollers, memory circuits, passive electronic components, active electronic components, optical components, or hardwired circuitry, or may be driven by firmware and software. The circuits may be embodied, for example, in one or more semiconductor chips or on a substrate support such as a printed circuit board. The circuits included in the blocks may be implemented by dedicated hardware, by a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuitry), or by a combination of dedicated hardware that performs some of the block's functions and a processor that performs other of the block's functions. Each block of the embodiments may be physically separated into two or more interacting individual blocks. Similarly, the blocks of the embodiments may be physically combined into more complex blocks.

[0018] Although particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and / or disclosed herein, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of possible embodiments. Indeed, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and / or disclosed herein. Although each dependent claim listed below may depend directly on only one claim, the disclosure of possible embodiments includes each dependent claim in combination with all other claims in the claim set.

[0019] No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as essential or required unless expressly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more things and may be used interchangeably with "one or more." Where only one thing is intended, the term "one" or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms "has," "have," "having," "include," "including," etc. are intended to be open-ended terms. Furthermore, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part on," unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0020] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for L1 / L2-based inter-cell mobility that reduce mobility latency. It may be understood that L1 / L2-based cell mobility may be referred to herein as "lower layer mobility (LTM)."

[0021] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and system for determining an optimal time to configure inter-frequency L3 and L1 measurements while lower level mobility management is enabled for a UE. In the related art, to support L1 / L2 central inter-cell changes (e.g., serving cell changes) in a disaggregated gNB architecture 100, the gNB CU CP receives all cell measurements and processes all mobility events, so the gNB CU CP can easily determine when to configure inter-frequency L3 measurements. However, all intra-gNB lower level mobility events, including inter-DU and intra-DU events, are performed using L1 measurements in the gNB DU. Therefore, the gNB DU, rather than the gNB CU CP, has more information and can more accurately and efficiently determine the optimal time to configure a UE using inter-frequency L3 and L1 measurements. Therefore, to improve processing efficiency, reduce latency, and increase accuracy, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, apparatus, and system for determining an optimal time to configure inter-frequency L3 and L1 measurements for lower level mobility when lower level mobility is enabled for a UE. One embodiment of the present disclosure provides that this determination of the optimal time is performed at the gNB DU (e.g., the serving gNB DU) to improve efficiency, increase accuracy, and reduce overhead and latency.

[0022] As described above, mobility events in 5G networks can be prepared and executed by a gNB CU CP (e.g., a serving gNB CU CP). However, having a gNB CU CP prepare and execute an LTM event is not an optimal approach. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to LTM (e.g., L1 / L2 inter-center cell change) with fundamental changes including configuration and preparation of an LTM event performed by a gNB CU CP, with determination of the exact and optimal time to execute the serving cell change performed by a gNB DU without interaction from higher layers of the 5G protocol stack.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the configuration and preparation of an LTM event may include preparing a target cell configuration, including communication with a target node or cell (e.g., a target gNB DU), and communicating the target cell or node configuration to the UE in preparation for handover, all performed by the gNB CU CP. However, unlike the related art, the execution of an LTM event, including determining when to send a handover command, may be performed by the gNB DU. For the gNB DU to perform a handover and / or send a handover command, the gNB DU requires appropriate L1 measurements, since the gNB DU hosts the lower layers of the 5G protocol, while the gNB CU CP hosts the higher layers (e.g., L3). L1 measurements are transmitted and received using the PHY layer / MAC layer (L1 / L2), and L3 measurements are transmitted and received using the RRC protocol.

[0024] When performing inter-frequency LTM, there may be two aspects or parts. First, the gNB CU CP may configure the UE with inter-frequency L3 measurements to the gNB CU CP and prepare the target DU. Next, the gNB may configure the UE to report inter-frequency L1 measurements to the gNB DU for performing inter-frequency LTM. In an L3 mobility and / or handover event, the gNB CU CP may receive all cell measurements and perform the handover. Thus, in an L3 mobility event, the gNB CU CP knows whether the intra-frequency target cell is available and therefore easily determines when to configure inter-frequency L3 measurements. However, in LTM, all intra-gNB mobility events (including intra-DU and inter-DU mobility events or handovers) may be performed using L1 measurements at the gNB DU, so the gNB DU may perform the LTM mobility event, and therefore the gNB CU CP may not know the ideal time to configure the UE with inter-frequency L3 and L1 measurements. Configuring seamless L1 / L2 triggered mobility (LTM) is one of the objectives of the feature, and therefore, an inter-frequency target cell should be configured without delay whenever an intra-frequency target cell is not available.

[0025] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a gNB-DU may be configured with intra-frequency and inter-frequency information of all cells of neighboring DUs during F1 interface setup. This may include all neighboring gNB-DUs with which a given DU is expected to interact for LTM. In one embodiment, based on radio conditions, e.g., intra-frequency L1 measurement reports received at the serving DU, the cell location of the UE at the serving gNB-DU, etc., the serving DU may determine whether there are enough intra-frequency cells (in the same DU or neighboring DUs) that can be potential target cells for LTM. This threshold may be predetermined or dynamically determined based on network conditions and requirements.

[0026] In another or the same embodiment, the serving DU may also use the cell's LTM load to dynamically determine the availability of intra-frequency target cells for LTM within the same or neighboring DUs. LTM load information (available or consumed resources) between DUs may be periodically reported from all DUs to the CU CP and from the CU CP to associated neighboring DUs. LTM load information may include the percentage availability or unavailability of intra-frequency and inter-frequency target cells within neighboring DUs. In some embodiments, if there is no intra-frequency cell availability, inter-frequency measurements may need to be initiated. When the serving DU determines that there are no feasible intra-frequency targets, it notifies the gNB-CU-CP via the F1 interface to configure inter-frequency L3 measurements and prepare the corresponding target cells. Once the inter-frequency target cells are prepared, inter-frequency L1 measurements can be configured for those prepared cells while sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE. In some embodiments, when it may be determined that the LTM load in an intra-frequency cell is high or the cell is unavailable, the serving DU may configure the UE with inter-frequency measurements and indicate to the CU-CP to also configure inter-frequency measurements for its own cell.

[0027] According to an embodiment, determining the optimal time to configure inter-frequency measurements at the serving gNB-DU using radio conditions (e.g., intra-frequency L1 measurement reports received at the serving DU, the cell location of the UE at the serving gNB-DU, etc.) improves efficiency and reduces overhead and latency in the mobility process. Furthermore, using the dynamic load availability of the LTM target cell to determine the optimal time to configure inter-frequency measurements reduces interruptions to user data transmissions of the UE in the network and also provides an efficient way of using the network's computing resources.

[0028] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, by optimizing the time for configuring inter-frequency measurements, the UE is not configured with inter-frequency measurements earlier than necessary, thus avoiding the associated overhead. Because inter-frequency measurements are configured only when necessary, disruption of user data for the UE is kept to a minimum.

[0029] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, multiple candidate cells may be pre-configured and provided to the UE to enable fast application of configurations for candidate or target cells to the UE. The UE may continue to periodically provide L1 / L2 measurements for all or a portion of the multiple candidate cells to a gNB DU (e.g., the UE's serving gNB DU). The gNB DU may provide the UE with a target cell from among the already configured candidate cells, making the process more efficient and partially reducing latency by excluding higher layers of the 5G protocol stack. In some embodiments, the UE may be configured to perform LTM, including a dynamic switching mechanism between candidate cells, for up to eight candidate cells. This dynamic switching may include specific or custom messages and signaling.

[0030] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the LTM process as disclosed herein may be used when the source cell and target cell may be synchronized or asynchronous. The LTM process may be used for serving cell changes in the context of standalone, carrier aggregation, and dual connectivity modes. The LTM process may be used for intra-DU and intra-CU inter-DU cell changes. In some embodiments, the process may be used for both inter-frequency and intra-frequency transfers, and for both FR1 and FR2. In some embodiments, the process may be limited to cell transfer and / or handover with a single gNB.

[0031] According to one embodiment, in 6G, a DU-to-DU (DU-DU) interface may be introduced, and in such a scenario, there may be an alternative way to provide a given DU with LTM load information reports of neighboring DUs, for example, directly via the DU-DU interface instead of the CU-CP aggregating them and distributing them to each DU (as proposed for 5G where there is no DU-DU interface).

[0032] Furthermore, in contrast to 5G, in 6G, the LTM load status report received at the CU-CP can be used directly (without forwarding to the DU) to determine the unavailability of an intra-frequency target cell (e.g., to configure an inter-frequency target cell and measurements). In such situations, intra-frequency L3 measurements may need to be configured in LTM-less deployments. However, this involves an increase in the periodicity of LTM load information reports from the DU to the CU-CP, as decisions must be made closer to real-time load availability.

[0033] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a gNB CU CP may send a resource status request to a serving gNB DU and other DUs associated with the gNB. In response to the resource status request, the gNB CU CP may receive a status response from each gNB DU. By way of example, the received status response may include an LTM load status report. In some embodiments, the gNB CU CP may send the received LTM load status report to each DU associated with the gNB. In some embodiments, the gNB CU CP may send the received LTM load status report to the serving gNB DU or the target gNB DU. In some embodiments, the resource status request may be sent periodically. In some embodiments, the resource status response may be sent periodically. It will be appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure disclose, by way of example only, methods and systems for L1 / L2-based inter-cell mobility using a gNodeB architecture to reduce mobility latency. It will be appreciated that L1 / L2 based cell mobility as disclosed herein may be performed in any Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) node, including a gNodeB or an eNodeB.

[0034] FIG. 1 is an example diagram of a disaggregated gNB architecture 100 in which the systems and / or methods described in this disclosure may be implemented.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, the disaggregated gNB architecture 100 may include one or more logical components or entities.

[0036] A gNB in ​​a 5G or 6G architecture may be divided into two physical entities: a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The gNB CU provides support for higher-level 5G protocols, including, but not limited to, Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and Radio Resource Control (RRC), along with L3 Radio Resource Management (RRM) algorithms. The gNB DU provides support for lower-level 5G protocols, including, but not limited to, Radio Link Control (RLC), Medium Access Control (MAC), and Physical Layer (PHY). In some embodiments, each gNB DU is associated with only one gNB CU, although each gNB CU may be associated with multiple gNB DUs. Scheduling operations associated with handovers occur within the gNB DU.

[0037] In one embodiment, the disaggregated gNB architecture 100 may include a gNB 110, which may have one or more gNB DUs (115-1 and 115-2), at least one gNB CU CP 120 (gNB centralized unit control plane), and more than one gNB CU UP 125 (gNB centralized unit user plane). The gNB DU 115-1 or the gNB DU 115-2 may communicate with the gNB CU CP 120 using an F1 interface (e.g., an F1-C interface / protocol). The gNB DU 115-1 or the gNB DU 115-2 may communicate with the gNB CU UP 125 using an F1 interface (e.g., an F1-U interface / protocol). In some embodiments, the gNB CU CP 120 may communicate with more than one gNB CU UP 125 using an E1 interface / protocol. In some embodiments, a single gNB DU (e.g., gNB DU 115-1) may host multiple cells, e.g., 512 cells. A cell may include an area covered and / or served by a base station transmitter having multiple RF channels.

[0038] In the related art, to support L1 / L2 inter-center cell changes (e.g., serving cell changes) in the disaggregated gNB architecture 100, the gNB CU CP receives all cell measurements and processes all mobility events, allowing the gNB CU CP to easily determine when to configure inter-frequency L3 measurements. However, all intra-gNB lower level mobility events, including inter-DU and intra-DU events, are performed using L1 measurements in the gNB DU. Therefore, the gNB DU, rather than the gNB CU CP, has more information and can more accurately and efficiently determine the optimal time to configure a UE using inter-frequency L3 and L1 measurements. Therefore, to improve processing efficiency, reduce latency, and increase accuracy, embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, devices, and systems for determining the optimal time to configure inter-frequency L3 and L1 measurements for lower level mobility when lower level mobility is enabled for the UE. One embodiment of the present disclosure provides that this determination of the optimal time is performed in the gNB DU (e.g., the serving gNB DU) to improve efficiency, increase accuracy, and reduce latency.

[0039] 2 is a diagram of an example environment 200 in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented. As shown in FIG. 2, environment 200 may include a device 210, a platform 220, and a network 230. The devices of environment 200 may be interconnected by wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. In an embodiment, any of the functions of the elements included in telecommunications network 100 may be performed by any combination of the elements shown in FIG. 2.

[0040] Device 210 includes one or more devices that can receive, generate, store, process, and / or provide information associated with platform 220. For example, device 210 may include a network element (e.g., a gNB DU, a gNB CU CP, a gNB CU UP, an eNodeB, etc.), a computing device (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a handheld computer, a smart speaker, a server, etc.), a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone, a wireless phone, etc.), a wearable device (e.g., smart glasses or a smart watch), or a similar device. In some embodiments, device 210 may receive information from and / or transmit information to platform 220. In some embodiments, device 210 may include network element 101, user equipment, or a user device.

[0041] Platform 220 includes one or more devices capable of providing network services, as described elsewhere herein. In some embodiments, platform 220 may include a cloud server or a collection of cloud servers. In some embodiments, platform 220 may be designed to be modular, such that particular software components can be swapped in or out depending on particular needs. Thus, platform 220 may be easily and / or quickly reconfigured for a variety of uses.

[0042] In some embodiments, as shown, platform 220 may be hosted in a cloud computing environment 222. Notably, although the embodiments described herein describe platform 220 as being hosted in a cloud computing environment 222, in some embodiments, platform 220 may not be cloud-based (i.e., may be implemented outside of a cloud computing environment) or may be partially cloud-based.

[0043] Cloud computing environment 222 includes an environment that hosts platform 220. Cloud computing environment 222 may provide services such as computation, software, data access, and storage that do not require end-user (e.g., device 210) knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the systems and / or devices that host platform 220. As shown, cloud computing environment 222 may include a collection of computing resources 224 (collectively referred to as “computing resources 224” and individually referred to as “computing resource 224”).

[0044] Computing resources 224 include one or more personal computers, workstation computers, server devices, or other types of computing and / or communication devices. In some embodiments, computing resources 224 may host platform 220. Cloud resources may include compute instances running on computing resources 224, storage devices provided on computing resources 224, data transfer devices provided by computing resources 224, etc. In some embodiments, computing resources 224 may communicate with other computing resources 224 via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0045] 2, computing resources 224 include a collection of cloud resources, such as one or more applications (“APP”) 224-1, one or more virtual machines (“VM”) 224-2, virtualized storage (“VS”) 224-3, or one or more hypervisors (“HYP”) 224-4. Application 224-1 includes one or more software applications that can be provided to or accessed by device 210. Application 224-1 may eliminate the need to install and run a software application on device 210. For example, application 224-1 may include software associated with platform 220 and / or any other software that can be provided via cloud computing environment 222. In some embodiments, one application 224-1 may send or receive information to one or more other applications 224-1 via virtual machine 224-2.

[0046] Virtual machine 224-2 comprises a software implementation of a machine (e.g., a computer) that executes programs like a physical machine. Virtual machine 224-2 can be either a system virtual machine or a process virtual machine, depending on the application and the virtual machine's correspondence to a real machine. A system virtual machine may provide a complete system platform that supports the execution of a complete operating system ("OS"). A process virtual machine may execute a single program and support a single process. In some embodiments, virtual machine 224-2 may act on behalf of a user (e.g., device 210) and manage the infrastructure of cloud computing environment 222, such as data management, synchronization, or long-term data transfer.

[0047] Virtualized storage 224-3 includes one or more storage systems and / or one or more devices that use virtualization technology within the storage systems or devices of computing resources 224. In some embodiments, in the context of storage systems, types of virtualization may include block virtualization and file virtualization. Block virtualization may refer to the abstraction (or separation) of logical storage from physical storage so that the storage system may be accessed regardless of the physical storage or heterogeneous structure. The separation may allow storage system administrators flexibility in how they manage storage for end users. File virtualization may eliminate the dependency between data accessed at the file level and where the file is physically stored. This may enable performance optimization of storage usage, server consolidation, and / or non-disruptive file migration.

[0048] Hypervisor 224-4 may provide hardware virtualization technology that allows multiple operating systems (e.g., "guest operating systems") to run simultaneously on a host computer, such as computing resource 224. Hypervisor 224-4 may present a virtual operating platform to the guest operating systems and may manage the execution of the guest operating systems. Multiple instances of different operating systems may share virtualized hardware resources.

[0049] Network 230 may include one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, network 230 may include a cellular network (e.g., a fifth-generation (5G) network, a long-term evolution (LTE) network, a third-generation (3G) network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, etc.), a public land mobile network (PLMN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a telephone network (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN)), a private network, an ad hoc network, an intranet, the Internet, or an optical fiber-based network, etc., and / or combinations of these or other types of networks.

[0050] The number and arrangement of devices and networks shown in Figure 2 are provided as an example. In practice, there may be additional devices and / or networks, fewer devices and / or networks, different devices and / or networks, or devices and / or networks arranged differently than those shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, two or more devices shown in Figure 2 may be implemented within a single device, or a single device shown in Figure 2 may be implemented as multiple distributed devices. Additionally or alternatively, a set of devices (e.g., one or more devices) of environment 200 may perform one or more functions that are described as being performed by another set of devices of environment 200.

[0051] 3 is a diagram of example components of device 300. Device 300 may correspond to device 210 and / or platform 220. As shown in FIG. 3, device 300 may include a bus 310, a processor 320, a memory 330, a storage component 340, an input component 350, an output component 360, and a communication interface 370.

[0052] Bus 310 includes components that enable communication between components of device 300. Processor 320 is implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. Processor 320 is a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), accelerated processing unit (APU), microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or another type of processing component. In some embodiments, processor 320 includes one or more processors that can be programmed to perform functions. Memory 330 includes random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, and / or optical memory) that stores information and / or instructions for use by processor 320.

[0053] Storage component 340 stores information and / or software related to the operation and use of device 300. For example, storage component 340 may include a hard disk (e.g., a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, and / or solid-state disk), a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a floppy disk, a cartridge, magnetic tape, and / or another type of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, along with a corresponding drive. Input component 350 includes components that enable device 300 to receive information, such as via user input (e.g., a touchscreen display, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, buttons, switches, and / or a microphone). Additionally or alternatively, input component 350 may include sensors for detecting information (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) component, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or an actuator). Output component 360 includes components that provide output information from device 300 (e.g., a display, a speaker, and / or one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs)).

[0054] Communication interface 370 includes transceiver-like components (e.g., a transceiver and / or a separate receiver and transmitter) that enable device 300 to communicate with other devices via wired connections, wireless connections, a combination of wired and wireless connections, etc. Communication interface 370 may enable device 300 to receive information from and / or provide information to another device. For example, communication interface 370 may include an Ethernet interface, an optical interface, a coaxial interface, an infrared interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a Wi-Fi interface, a cellular network interface, etc.

[0055] Device 300 may perform one or more processes described herein. Device 300 may perform these processes in response to processor 320 executing software instructions stored by a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as memory 330 and / or storage component 340. A computer-readable medium is defined herein as a non-transitory memory device. A memory device includes memory space within a single physical storage device or memory space spread across multiple physical storage devices.

[0056] The software instructions may be loaded into memory 330 and / or storage component 340 from another computer-readable medium or from another device via communications interface 370. The software instructions stored in memory 330 and / or storage component 340, when executed, may cause processor 320 to perform one or more of the processes described herein.

[0057] Additionally or alternatively, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement one or more of the processes described herein. Thus, the implementations described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0058] The number and arrangement of components shown in Figure 3 are provided as an example. In practice, device 300 may include additional, fewer, different, or differently arranged components than those shown in Figure 3. Additionally or alternatively, a set of components (e.g., one or more components) of device 300 may include: One or more of the functions described as being performed by different sets of components of device 300 may be performed.

[0059] In an embodiment, any one of the modules or components of FIG. 1 may be implemented by or using any one of the elements shown in FIGS.

[0060] FIG. 4 is an example workflow diagram illustrating an example signaling process 400 for optimizing the configuration of inter-frequency measurements for LTM of a user equipment (UE), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 4, the signaling process 400 may include a UE 405, a gNB DU 115-1, a gNB DU 115-2, and a gNB CU CP 120.

[0062] At 408, the UE 405 may be configured with LTM for one or more target cells within the gNB DU 115-1, which may also be referred to as the serving gNB DU 115-1. At 410, the UE 405 may send an intra-frequency L1 measurement report to the gNB DU 115-1 based on the UE being configured with LTM for one or more target cells within the gNB DU 115-1. At 415, target cell radio conditions may be met, and a serving cell change may be performed for the target cell within the serving gNB DU 115-1. At 420, the gNB DU 115-1 may send a serving cell change command to change the serving cell of the UE 405 to the target cell within the gNB DU 115-1. Then, at 425, the UE 405 may send an RRC reconfiguration message to the gNB CU CP 120.

[0063] At 430, the gNB CU CP 120 may transmit, and the serving gNB DU 115-1 may receive, LTM load information associated with the neighboring DUs. At 435, the UE 405 and other UEs may transmit their respective intra-frequency L1 measurement reports to the serving gNB DU 115-1.

[0064] At 440, the serving gNB DU 115-1 may determine that there is no ideal or candidate intra-frequency LTM target cell within the gNB DU 115-1 due to radio conditions and / or because the LTM load of neighboring DUs is too high. Based on determining that a candidate target cell is not available, or that the candidate target cell does not meet the handover criteria, or that a threshold number of candidate target cells are not available, the gNB DU 115-1 may send a UE context modification request message to the gNB CU CP 120 at 445 to configure an inter-frequency target cell for LTM. At 450, the gNB CU CP may respond with an acknowledgment and confirm the context modification.

[0065] At 455, gNB CU CP 120 may send an RRC reconfiguration message to UE 405 and other UEs to configure inter-frequency L3 measurements. In response to the gNB CU CP 120's RRC reconfiguration message, UE 405 and other UEs may perform measurements and send RRC measurement reports at 460.

[0066] At 465, the gNB CU CP 120 may send a UE context setup request to one or more target cells in the second gNB DU 115-2, and prepare the one or more target cells in the gNB DU 115-2 for inter-frequency LTM at 470. Once the setup is configured, at 475, the one or more target cells in the gNB DU 115-2 may send a response including the target cell configuration to the gNB CU CP 120.

[0067] At 480, an RRC configuration message including one or more inter-frequency LTM target cells and their inter-frequency L1 measurement configurations may be sent to the UE 405. At 485, the UE 405 may perform inter-frequency L1 measurements and send an inter-frequency L1 measurement report to the serving gNB DU 115-1, which may configure the UE 405 to associate with a cell in the gNB DU 115-2 as the serving cell.

[0068] FIG. 5 is an example workflow diagram illustrating an example signaling process 400 for reporting lower level mobility (LTM) load between neighboring gNodeB distributed units (gNB DUs) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 5, the signaling process 500 may include a gNB DU 115-1, a gNB DU 115-2, and a gNB CU CP 120.

[0070] At 505, during F1 interface and / or protocol setup, the gNB DU 115-1 may send a setup request to the gNB CU CP 120 requesting intra-frequency and inter-frequency information of all cells in the gNB DUs neighboring the gNB DU 115-1. At 510, the gNB CU CP 120 may send to the gNB DU 115-1 the intra-frequency and inter-frequency information of all cells in the gNB DUs neighboring the gNB DU 115-1, including, for example, the gNB DU 115-2.

[0071] At 515, the gNB CU CP 120 may request a resource status report or a load report associated with a cell in the gNB DU 115-2 from the gNB DU 115-2. Based on receiving the request from the gNB CU CP 120, the gNB DU 115-2 may transmit its LTM load report to the gNB CU CP 120. Similarly, at 525 to 530, the gNB CU CP may request a resource status report or an LTM load report from each gNB DU (e.g., gNB DU 115-3, etc.) in the gNB 110.

[0072] At 535, the gNB DU 115-2 may receive a resource status update or an LTM load report of a neighboring DU from the gNB CU CP 120. Similarly, at 540, the gNB DU 115-1 may receive a resource status update or an LTM load report of a neighboring DU from the gNB CU CP 120.

[0073] In some embodiments, for example in a 6G network, there may be a direct DU-DU interface, and based on the existence of such a gNB DU 115-1 and gNB DU 115-2 interface, at 545 to 550, the gNB DUs may communicate among themselves regarding their respective LTM loads.

[0074] FIG. 6 is an example flowchart illustrating an example process 600 for optimizing the configuration of inter-frequency measurements for LTM of a UE, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] At operation 610, the serving gNB DU may receive intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs. By way of example, gNB DU 115-1 may receive intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more of its neighboring gNB DUs.

[0076] The serving gNB DU may determine whether a threshold number of intra-frequency target cells are available for LTM. For example, the serving gNB DU 115-1 may determine whether a threshold number of intra-frequency target cells are available for LTM. The threshold here may have a minimum value of 1.

[0077] In some embodiments, in operation 615, determining whether a threshold number of intra-frequency target cells for LTM are available may include determining, by the serving gNB DU, whether the threshold number of intra-frequency target cells for LTM are available based on one or more intra-frequency L1 measurement reports associated with each UE received by the serving gNB DU and a cell location associated with each UE. In some embodiments, the intra-frequency target cells available for LTM may include at least one cell in the serving gNB DU or one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

[0078] In some embodiments, in operation 620, determining whether a threshold number of intra-frequency target cells for LTM are available may include dynamically determining, by the serving gNB DU, whether the threshold number of intra-frequency target cells for LTM are available based on respective LTM loads associated with one or more cells within the serving gNB DU or one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs. In some embodiments, the threshold number of intra-frequency target cells for LTM may be one. In some embodiments, the respective LTM loads may include a percentage availability of cells for LTM among one or more cells within the serving gNB DU or one or more cells in one or more neighboring gNB DUs. The respective LTM loads may be periodically received by the serving gNB DU from a gNB CU CP via a DU-CU CP interface. In some embodiments, for example in a 6G network, the respective LTM loads may be received by the serving gNB DU from another gNB DU via a DU-DU interface.

[0079] In operation 625, the serving gNB DU may transmit a first signal to the gNB CU CP based on determining that a threshold number of intra-frequency target cells for LTM are not available. By way of example, the serving gNB DU 115-1 may transmit the first signal to the gNB CU CP 120. In some embodiments, the intra-frequency target cells available for LTM may include at least one cell in the serving gNB DU or one or more neighboring gNB DUs. In some embodiments, the threshold number of intra-frequency target cells for LTM may be one. In some embodiments, the first signal may include timing information, which may indicate to the gNB CU CP a time to configure inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with the one or more inter-frequency target cells.

[0080] In operation 630, the serving gNB DU may receive an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to a second serving gNB DU that is prepared as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM. As an example, the gNB DU 115-2 may receive an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE 405 based on the gNB DU 115-2 being prepared as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM.

[0081] 4-6 illustrate example blocks and / or operations of processes 400-600, in some embodiments, processes 400, 500, and 600 may include additional, fewer, different, or differently arranged blocks and / or operations than those shown in Figures 4-6. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of processes 400, 500, and 600 may be performed in parallel.

[0082] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the embodiments.

[0083] Some embodiments may relate to systems, methods, and / or computer-readable media at any possible level of technical detail of integration. Furthermore, one or more of the components described above may be implemented as instructions executable by at least one processor (and / or may include at least one processor) stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having computer-readable program instructions for causing a processor to perform operations.

[0084] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can hold and store instructions for use by an instruction-execution device. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), memory stick, floppy disk, mechanically encoded devices such as punch cards or ridge-in-groove structures having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Computer-readable storage medium, as used herein, should not be construed as a transitory signal itself, such as an electric wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., a light pulse passing through a fiber optic cable), or an electrical signal transmitted over an electrical wire.

[0085] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to each computing / processing device or to an external computer or external storage device over a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. The network may include copper transmission cables, optical transmission fiber, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium in the respective computing / processing device.

[0086] The computer-readable program code / instructions for carrying out operations may be either assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, configuration data for an integrated circuit, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk or C++, and procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or a connection may be made to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry, including, for example, a programmable logic circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA), may execute computer-readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry to perform aspects or operations.

[0087] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, form means for performing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram blocks. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored on a computer-readable storage medium capable of instructing a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to function in a particular manner, such that the computer-readable storage medium on which the instructions are stored comprises an article of manufacture containing instructions that implement aspects of the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram blocks.

[0088] The computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded into a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to perform a series of operational steps to create a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, executing on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device, perform the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram blocks.

[0089] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer-readable media according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, including one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). The methods, computer systems, and computer-readable media may include additional, fewer, different, or differently arranged blocks than those shown in the figures. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed concurrently or substantially concurrently, or the blocks may possibly be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or operations or executes a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0090] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in various forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code, and it will be understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0091] The above disclosure also encompasses the embodiments listed below.

[0092] (1) A method for optimizing inter-frequency measurement configuration for L1 / L2 triggered mobility (LTM) of a user equipment (UE), the method being executed by at least one processor, the method comprising: receiving, by a serving gNodeB distributed unit (serving gNB DU), intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs, the one or more neighboring gNB DUs including DUs expected to interact with the serving gNB DU for LTM; determining, by the serving gNB DU, whether at least one intra-frequency target cell exceeding a predetermined threshold is available for LTM; and based on determining that the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is not available, transmitting, by the serving gNB DU, a first signal to a gNB centralized unit control plane (CU CP), the first signal indicating to the gNB CU CP to configure the user equipment (UE) with inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with the one or more inter-frequency target cells; and receiving, by the DU, an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to a second gNB DU that has been prepared as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM.

[0093] (2) The method of feature (1), wherein the step of determining whether at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available includes a step of determining, by the serving gNB DU, whether at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available based on one or more intra-frequency L1 measurement reports associated with the UE received by the serving gNB DU and a cell location associated with the UE.

[0094] (3) A method according to any of the features from (1) to (2), wherein at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available based on one or more intra-frequency L1 measurement reports associated with the UE received by the serving gNB DU and a cell location associated with the UE.

[0095] (4) A method according to any of the features from (1) to (3), wherein the step of determining whether at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available includes a step of dynamically determining by the serving gNB DU whether at least one intra-frequency target cell is available for LTM based on respective LTM load reports associated with one or more cells within the serving gNB DU or one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

[0096] (5) A method according to any of the features from (1) to (4), wherein each LTM load report includes the percentage resource availability of cells that constitute LTM among one or more cells within the serving gNB DU or one or more cells within one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

[0097] (6) A method according to any of the features from (1) to (5), wherein each LTM load report associated with one or more cells in one or more neighboring gNB DUs is received by the serving gNB DU from the gNB CU CP via a DU-CU CP interface.

[0098] (7) A method according to any of the features from (1) to (6), wherein each LTM load report is periodically received by the serving gNB DU from the gNB CU CP.

[0099] (8) A method according to any of the features from (1) to (7), wherein each LTM load report is received by the serving gNB DU from one or more neighboring gNB DUs via a DU-DU interface.

[0100] (9) A method according to any of the features from (1) to (8), wherein the serving gNB DU receives intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs from the gNB CU CP, and the intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information are received using an F1 interface.

[0101] (10) An apparatus for optimizing an inter-frequency measurement configuration for L1 / L2 center frequency inter-mobility management (LTM) of a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: a plurality of gNodeB distributed units (serving gNB DUs), the plurality of gNodeB distributed units (serving gNB DUs) including: at least one memory configured to store program code; and at least one processor configured to access the program code and operate as instructed by the program code, the program code configured to cause the at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to receive intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs, the one or more neighboring gNB DUs including DUs expected to interact with the serving gNB DU for LTM. an apparatus comprising: at least one processor including: a first determination code configured to cause at least one processor of the DU to determine whether at least one intra-frequency target cell exceeding a predetermined threshold is available for LTM; a transmit code configured to cause at least one processor of a first serving gNB DU to transmit a first signal to a gNB centralized unit control plane (CU CP) based on determining that the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is not available, the first signal indicating to the gNB CU CP to configure a user equipment (UE) with inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with the one or more inter-frequency target cells; and a second receive code configured to cause the at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to receive an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to a second gNB DU that is prepared as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM.

[0102] (11) The apparatus according to the feature from (10), wherein the first decision code includes a second decision code configured to cause at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to determine whether at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available based on one or more intra-frequency L1 measurement reports associated with the UE received by the first serving gNB DU and a cell location associated with the UE.

[0103] (12) An apparatus according to any one of (10) to (11), wherein the intra-frequency target cells available for LTM include at least one cell within the first serving gNB DU or one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

[0104] (13) The device according to the features from (10) to (12), wherein the first decision code includes a third decision code configured to cause at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to dynamically determine whether at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available based on respective LTM load reports associated with one or more cells in the first serving gNB DU or one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

[0105] (14) The device according to any one of (10) to (13), wherein each LTM load report includes a percentage resource availability of cells that constitute the LTM among one or more cells within the serving gNB DU or one or more cells within one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

[0106] (15) A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions including one or more instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a plurality of gNodeB distributed units (serving gNB DUs) to optimize a configuration of inter-frequency measurements for L1 / L2 central inter-frequency mobility management (LTM) of a user equipment (UE), cause the one or more processors to receive, at a first serving gNB DU, intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs, the one or more neighboring gNB DUs including DUs expected to interact with the first serving gNB DU for LTM; determine, by the first serving gNB DU, whether at least one intra-frequency target cell exceeding a predetermined threshold is available for LTM; and, based on determining that the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is not available, transmit a first signal to a gNB centralized unit control plane (CU) based on the determination that the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is unavailable. a first signal indicating to a gNB CU CP to configure a user equipment (UE) with inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with one or more inter-frequency target cells; and receiving an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to a second gNB DU that has been prepared by the first serving gNB DU as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM.

[0107] (16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to the feature from (15), wherein determining whether at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available includes determining, by a first serving gNB DU, whether at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available based on one or more intra-frequency L1 measurement reports associated with the UE received by the serving gNB DU and a cell location associated with the UE.

[0108] (17) A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of (15) to (16), wherein the intra-frequency target cells available for LTM include at least one cell within the serving gNB DU or one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

[0109] (18) A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to the features from (15) to (17), wherein the step of determining whether at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available includes a step of dynamically determining by the serving gNB DU whether the at least one intra-frequency target cell is available for LTM based on respective LTM load reports associated with one or more cells within the serving gNB DU or one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

[0110] (19) A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of (15) to (18), wherein each LTM load report includes a percentage of resource availability for cells that constitute LTM among one or more cells within the serving gNB DU or one or more cells within one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

[0111] (20) A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to the features from (15) to (19), wherein each LTM load report associated with one or more cells in one or more neighboring gNB DUs is received by the serving gNB DU from the gNB CU CP via a DU-CU CP interface.

[0112] (21) A method according to the features from (1) to (9), wherein a gNB CU CP sends a resource status request to one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP, the one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP including a serving DU and one or more neighboring gNB DUs of the serving DU, and the gNB CU CP receives a resource status response from the one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP, the resource status response may include a periodic or event-based LTM load status report.

[0113] (22) The method according to the features from (1) to (9) and (21), wherein the gNB CU CP sends a neighboring gNB DU resource status response including a respective LTM load status report to each of one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP.

[0114] (23) A method according to the features from (1) to (9) and (21) to (22), wherein the target and / or serving gNB DU receives from the gNB CU CP a resource status response including an LTM load status report for each of one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP that are neighboring gNB DUs to the target or serving gNB DU.

[0115] (24) The device according to the features from (10) to (14), wherein the gNB CU CP sends a resource status request to one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP, the one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP including a serving DU and one or more neighboring gNB DUs, and the gNB CU CP receives a resource status response from the one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP, the resource status response may include a periodic or event-based LTM load status report.

[0116] (25) The device according to the features from (10) to (14) and (24), wherein the gNB CU CP sends a neighboring gNB DU resource status response including a respective LTM load status report to each of one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP.

[0117] (26) The apparatus according to the features from (10) to (14) and (24) to (25), wherein the target gNB DU receives a resource status response from the gNB CU CP, the resource status response including an LTM load status report for each of one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP.

[0118] (27) A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to the features from (15) to (20), wherein a gNB CU CP sends a resource status request to one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP, the one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP including a serving DU and one or more neighboring gNB DUs, and the gNB CU CP receives a resource status response from the one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP, the resource status response may include an LTM load status report.

[0119] (28) A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to the features of (15) to (20) and (27), wherein the gNB CU CP sends a resource status response to each of one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP, the resource status response including a respective LTM load status report.

[0120] (29) A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to the features from (15) to (20) and (26) to (27), wherein the target gNB DU receives a resource status response from the gNB CU CP, the resource status response including an LTM load status report for each of one or more DUs associated with the gNB CU CP.

Claims

1. 1. A method for optimizing inter-frequency measurement configuration for L1 / L2 triggered mobility (LTM) of a user equipment (UE), the method being performed by at least one processor, the method comprising: receiving, by a serving gNodeB distributed unit (serving gNB DU), intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs, wherein the one or more neighboring gNB DUs include DUs expected to interact with the serving gNB DU for LTM; determining, by the serving gNB DU, whether at least one intra-frequency target cell exceeding a predetermined threshold is available for LTM; Based on determining that the at least one intra-frequency target cell is unavailable for LTM, sending, by the serving gNB DU, a first signal to a gNB centralized unit control plane (CU CP), wherein the first signal indicates to the gNB CU CP to configure a user equipment (UE) with inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with one or more inter-frequency target cells; and receiving, by the serving gNB DU, an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to a second gNB DU that is prepared as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM; method.

2. Determining whether at least one intra-frequency target cell is available for LTM includes: determining, by the serving gNB DU, whether the at least one intra-frequency target cell is available for LTM based on one or more intra-frequency L1 measurement reports associated with the UE received by the serving gNB DU and a cell location associated with the UE; The method of claim 1.

3. The intra-frequency target cells available for LTM include at least one cell within the serving gNB DU or the one or more neighboring gNB DUs; The method of claim 2.

4. Determining whether the at least one intra-frequency target cell is available for LTM includes: dynamically determining, by the serving gNB DU, whether the at least one intra-frequency target cell is in LTM mode based on respective LTM load reports associated with the one or more cells in the serving gNB DU or the one or more cells associated with the one or more neighboring gNB DUs; The method of claim 1.

5. Each of the LTM load reports includes a percentage resource availability of cells that constitute an LTM among the one or more cells in the serving gNB DU or the one or more cells in the one or more neighboring gNB DUs. The method of claim 4.

6. The respective LTM load reports associated with the one or more cells in the one or more neighboring gNB DUs are received by the serving gNB DU from the gNB CU CP via a DU-CU CP interface; The method of claim 5.

7. The respective LTM load reports are periodically received by the serving gNB DU from the gNB CU CP; The method of claim 7.

8. The respective LTM load reports are received by the serving gNB DU from the one or more neighboring gNB DUs via a DU-DU interface; The method of claim 4.

9. The serving gNB DU receives, from the gNB CU CP, the intra-frequency information and the inter-frequency information of the one or more cells associated with the one or more neighboring gNB DUs, wherein the intra-frequency information and the inter-frequency information are received using an F1 interface; The method of claim 1.

10. An apparatus for optimizing inter-frequency measurement configuration for L1 / L2 center inter-frequency mobility management (LTM) of a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: a plurality of gNodeB distributed units (serving gNB DUs); The gNodeB distributed units (serving gNB DUs) comprise: at least one memory configured to store program code; and at least one processor configured to access the program code and to operate as instructed by the program code; The program code: a first receiving code configured to cause the at least one processor of a first serving gNB DU to receive intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs, the one or more neighboring gNB DUs including DUs expected to interact with the serving gNB DU for LTM; a first determination code configured to cause the at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to determine whether at least one intra-frequency target cell exceeding a predetermined threshold is available for LTM; transmission code configured to cause the at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to transmit a first signal to a gNB centralized unit control plane (CU CP) based on determining that the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is unavailable, the first signal indicating to the gNB CU CP to configure a user equipment (UE) with inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with one or more inter-frequency target cells; and and a second receiving code configured to cause the at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to receive an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to a second gNB DU that is prepared as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM. Device.

11. The first decision code is and a second decision code configured to cause the at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to determine whether the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available based on one or more intra-frequency L1 measurement reports associated with the UE received by the first serving gNB DU and a cell location associated with the UE.

11. The apparatus of claim 10.

12. The intra-frequency target cells available for LTM include at least one cell in the first serving gNB DU or the one or more neighboring gNB DUs; 12. The apparatus of claim 11.

13. The first decision code is and a third decision code configured to cause the at least one processor of the first serving gNB DU to dynamically determine whether the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available based on respective LTM load reports associated with the one or more cells in the first serving gNB DU or the one or more cells associated with the one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

11. The apparatus of claim 10.

14. Each of the LTM load reports includes a percentage resource availability of cells that constitute an LTM among the one or more cells in the serving gNB DU or the one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

14. The apparatus of claim 13.

15. 1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions including one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a plurality of gNodeB distributed units (serving gNB DUs) to optimize inter-frequency measurement configuration for L1 / L2 center inter-frequency mobility management (LTM) of a user equipment (UE), cause the one or more processors to: receiving, in a first serving gNB DU, intra-frequency information and inter-frequency information of one or more cells associated with one or more neighboring gNB DUs, wherein the one or more neighboring gNB DUs include DUs expected to interact with the first serving gNB DU for LTM; determining, by the first serving gNB DU, whether at least one intra-frequency target cell exceeding a predetermined threshold is available for LTM; causing, by the first serving gNB DU, based on determining that the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is unavailable, a first signal to a gNB centralized unit control plane (CU CP), wherein the first signal indicates to the gNB CU CP to configure a user equipment (UE) with inter-frequency L3 measurements associated with one or more inter-frequency target cells; and and receiving, by the first serving gNB DU, an inter-frequency L1 measurement report from the UE based on an inter-frequency cell belonging to a second gNB DU that is prepared as a target cell among the one or more inter-frequency target cells for LTM. Non-transitory computer-readable medium.

16. Determining whether the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available includes: determining, by the first serving gNB DU, whether the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available based on one or more intra-frequency L1 measurement reports associated with the UE received by the serving gNB DU and a cell location associated with the UE; 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15.

17. The intra-frequency target cells available for LTM include at least one cell within the serving gNB DU or the one or more neighboring gNB DUs; 17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16.

18. Determining whether the at least one intra-frequency target cell for LTM is available includes: and dynamically determining by the serving gNB DU whether the at least one intra-frequency target cell is available in LTM based on respective LTM load reports associated with the one or more cells in the serving gNB DU or the one or more cells associated with the one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15.

19. Each of the LTM load reports includes a percentage resource availability of cells that constitute an LTM among the one or more cells in the serving gNB DU or the one or more neighboring gNB DUs.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18.

20. The respective LTM load reports associated with the one or more cells in the one or more neighboring gNB DUs are received by the serving gNB DU from the gNB CU CP via a DU-CU CP interface; 20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19.

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