Support for network connection options

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and a UE for supporting network connection selection. A method in a second UE having multiple network connections for network connection selection includes receiving, from a first UE, a first message indicating a weak signal strength event for a first network connection of the first UE, the second network connection of the second UE corresponding to the first network connection of the first UE, and determining whether one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a method and user equipment (UE) for supporting network connection selection. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) is a new generation of wireless communication technology that enables data exchange between vehicles and everything around them. V2X supports integrated connectivity between connected entities in a V2X environment, such as vehicles, roadside equipment, and mobile devices, enabling them to transmit information such as their current speed, location, and direction and make intelligent decisions. This technology enables intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and transforms the experience of drivers, pedestrians, and transit riders by providing a more comfortable and safer traffic environment. The technology also has many benefits in improving traffic efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and accident rates.

[0003] In general, V2X supports several types of communication. - V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle) covers communication between two or more vehicles, - V2P (Vehicle-to-Pedestrian) covers the connection between vehicles and roadside users, - V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure) is the communication between road entities and infrastructure units, - V2N (Vehicle-to-Network) is communication between vehicles and communication networks.

[0004] An autonomous or driverless vehicle is a vehicle that, through its ability to sense its surroundings, is capable of operating on its own and performing necessary functions without human intervention. Autonomous vehicles utilize fully automated driving systems to enable the vehicle to respond to external conditions managed by a human driver. Therefore, in a typical scenario, an autonomous vehicle requires a large amount of data about its surroundings (such as video data, LiDAR data, navigation data, map data, data about traffic accidents, data about road conditions, etc.) to ensure that the vehicle can operate safely and efficiently. While some of the data can be sensed or generated locally at the vehicle, other data needs to be received in real time from a communication network. This network requirement is even more stringent for other scenarios, such as remotely operated vehicles, because in such cases data transmission in both directions is required, and such data transmission should be highly reliable and achieve extremely low network latency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, it is extremely important for vehicles to receive and transmit data robustly and efficiently. However, a single network connection may sometimes experience degraded network conditions, such as low throughput, high latency, or even worse, disconnection. Therefore, redundant network connections are needed in such cases, and a solution for network connection selection is needed.

[0006] To address or at least partially alleviate the above problems, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide support for network connection selection.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method in a second UE having multiple network connections for network connection selection, the method including receiving, from a first UE, a first message indicating a weak signal strength event for a first network connection of the first UE, the second network connection of the second UE corresponding to the first network connection of the first UE, and determining whether one of the multiple network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first message is broadcast by the first UE via V2V messaging on the PC5. In some embodiments, determining whether one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication includes at least one of determining whether a location associated with the weak signal strength event is associated with a route that the second UE is traveling and determining whether the second network connection is currently in use by the second UE.

[0009] In some embodiments, the step of determining whether one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication further includes at least one of: determining that one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should not be selected for communication in response to determining that the location is not relevant to the route; determining that one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should not be selected for communication in response to determining that the second network connection is not currently in use by the second UE; and determining that one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication in response to determining that the location is relevant to the route and that the second network connection is currently in use by the second UE.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further includes, in response to determining that one of the plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication, determining a distance between a current location of the second UE and a location indicated by the weak signal strength event. In some embodiments, the method further includes determining an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the second UE to reach the location indicated by the weak signal strength event based at least on the determined distance. In some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of determining a first start time for initiating a procedure to prepare the selected network connection for communication based at least on the determined ETA, and determining a second start time for starting using the selected network connection for communication based at least on the determined ETA. In some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of initiating the procedure at the first start time and starting using the selected network connection at the second start time.

[0011] In some embodiments, the procedure includes at least one of requesting quality of service (QoS) for the selected network connection and steering traffic associated with the second UE to an edge application server (EAS). In some embodiments, receiving the first message includes at least one of receiving the first message from the first UE via the second network connection, receiving the first message from the first UE via the selected network connection, and receiving the first message from the first UE via at least one of a plurality of network connections other than the second network connection and the selected network connection. In some embodiments, the weak signal strength event indicates one or more weak signal areas. In some embodiments, for each of the one or more weak signal areas, the weak signal strength event indicates at least one of a location or location area where a weak signal was detected, an identification (ID) of a communication service provider (CSP) where the weak signal was detected, a radio access type (RAT) associated with the detected weak signal, and a signal strength of the detected weak signal. In some embodiments, the first UE and the second UE are vehicles.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method in a first UE for weak signal strength detection and reporting, the method including: detecting whether the first UE has a first network connection having a signal strength below or equal to a threshold; and, in response to the first UE detecting that the first network connection has a signal strength below or equal to the threshold, transmitting a first message to a second UE indicating a weak signal strength event for the first network connection.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second UE has multiple network connections, including a second network connection corresponding to the first network connection of the first UE. In some embodiments, transmitting the first message includes broadcasting the first message via V2V messaging on the PC5. In some embodiments, the first message is broadcast periodically. In some embodiments, the method further includes continuing to detect whether the first network connection has a signal strength less than or equal to a threshold until it is detected that the first network connection has a signal strength greater than the threshold.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining a distance between a first location and a second location, where the first location is a location where the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength below or equal to a threshold and the second location is a location where the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength above the threshold after detection at the first location. In some embodiments, the first location is a location where the first network connection is first detected to have a signal strength below or equal to the threshold.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second location is the location where the first network connection is first detected to have a signal strength greater than a threshold after detection at the first location. In some embodiments, the method further includes comparing the distance to a maximum broadcasting distance associated with the first UE, and wherein transmitting the first message is performed only if the distance is less than or equal to a maximum broadcasting distance associated with the first UE.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first network connection is the only network connection that the first UE has. In some embodiments, the step of transmitting the first message is not performed until the first network connection has a signal strength greater than a threshold. In some embodiments, the method further includes caching one or more weak signal strength events in response to detecting one or more times that the first network connection has a signal strength less than or equal to the threshold until the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength greater than the threshold. In some embodiments, the first UE has multiple network connections comprising at least the first network connection and a third network connection, and the second UE has a fourth network connection corresponding to the third network connection.

[0017] In some embodiments, the step of transmitting the first message includes at least one of: transmitting the first message to the second UE via a third network connection when the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength lower than or equal to a threshold; and transmitting the first message to the second UE via both the first network connection and the third network connection when the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength higher than the threshold. In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting a second message to a server indicating the weak signal strength event for analysis purposes. In some embodiments, the weak signal strength event indicates one or more weak signal areas.

[0018] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more weak signal areas, the weak signal strength event indicates at least one of: a location or location area where the weak signal was detected, an ID of the CSP where the weak signal was detected, a RAT associated with the detected weak signal, and a signal strength of the detected weak signal. In some embodiments, the first UE and the second UE are vehicles.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a UE comprising: a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform any of the methods according to any of the first and / or second aspects.

[0020] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a second UE having multiple network connections for network connection selection. The second UE comprises: a receiving module configured to receive, from the first UE, a first message indicating a weak signal strength event for a first network connection of the first UE, the second network connection of the second UE corresponding to the first network connection of the first UE; and a determining module configured to determine whether one of the multiple network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication. In some embodiments, the second UE comprises one or more additional modules, each of which may perform any of the steps of any of the methods described in the first aspect.

[0021] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a first UE for weak signal strength detection and reporting is provided. The first UE comprises: a detection module configured to detect whether the first UE has a first network connection having a signal strength lower than or equal to a threshold; and a transmission module configured to transmit a first message to a second UE in response to detecting that the first UE has the first network connection having a signal strength lower than or equal to the threshold, the first message indicating a weak signal strength event for the first network connection. In some embodiments, the first UE comprises one or more additional modules, each of which may perform any of the steps of any of the methods described in the second aspect.

[0022] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform any of the methods described in the first and / or second aspects.

[0023] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a carrier comprising the computer program according to the sixth aspect, in some embodiments the carrier is one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, or a computer-readable storage medium.

[0024] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a communication system comprising: one or more first UEs, each comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform any of the methods described in the second aspect; and one or more second UEs, each comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform any of the methods described in the first aspect.

[0025] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may ensure service continuity for critical vehicles, such as autonomous and remotely operated vehicles, which means that driving safety may also be ensured.

[0026] The above and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: The present disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, with the understanding that these drawings illustrate only some embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered limiting of its scope. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary interaction between a vehicle and a network node where support for network connection selection is applicable, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary communication system in which support for network connection selection is applicable, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a cellular-to-V2X (C-V2X) communication network in which support for network connection selection is applicable, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary scenario in which a sending vehicle detects a weak signal event and reports the event to a receiving vehicle for the receiving vehicle's network connection selection, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for the example dispatch vehicle shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 illustrates another exemplary scenario in which a sending vehicle detects a weak signal event and reports the event to a receiving vehicle for network connection selection by the receiving vehicle, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for the example delivery vehicle shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary scenario in which a receiving vehicle makes a network connection selection based on a weak signal event received from a sending vehicle, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for the example receiving vehicle shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10A] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary scenario in which network connection selection is supported, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10B] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary scenario in which network connection selection is supported, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example method in a second UE having multiple network connections for network connection selection, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example method in a first UE for weak signal strength detection and reporting, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a configuration that may be used in a UE, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary second UE, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary first UE, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are provided for illustrative purposes only and not to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the following, descriptions of known structures and techniques are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0029] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the term "exemplary" is used herein to mean "illustrative" or "serving as an example," and does not imply that a particular embodiment is preferred over another, or that a particular feature is essential. Similarly, the terms "first" and "second," and similar terms, are used merely to distinguish one particular instance of an item or feature from another, and do not dictate a particular order or configuration unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, the term "step," as used herein, is intended to be synonymous with "operation" or "action." The description herein of a sequence of steps does not imply that these operations must be performed in a particular order, or even that these operations be performed in any order, unless the context or details of the described operations clearly dictate otherwise.

[0030] Conditional language used herein, such as "can," "might," "may," "for example," and the like, unless expressly stated otherwise or understood otherwise within the context in which it is used, is intended to generally convey that some embodiments include certain features, elements, and / or conditions, but not others. Thus, such conditional language generally does not imply that features, elements, and / or conditions are in any way required for one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for determining, with or without author input or prompts, whether these features, elements, and / or conditions are included or should be implemented in any particular embodiment. Additionally, the term "or," when used to connect, for example, a list of elements, is used in its inclusive sense (and not its exclusive sense), such that "or" refers to one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Furthermore, the term "each," as used herein, in addition to having its ordinary meaning, can refer to any subset of the set of elements to which the term "each" applies.

[0031] The term "based on" should be read as "based at least in part on." The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" should be read as "at least one embodiment." The term "another embodiment" should be read as "at least one other embodiment." Other provisions, both explicit and implicit, may be included below. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, phrases such as "at least one of X, Y, and Z" should generally be understood with the context in which they are used to convey that the item, term, etc. can be either X, Y, or Z, or a combination thereof.

[0032] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 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. It will also be understood that the terms "connect(s)," "connecting," "connected," and the like, as used herein, only mean that there is an electrical or communication connection between two elements, and that they may be connected either directly or indirectly, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0033] Of course, the present disclosure may be carried out in other specific ways than those described herein without departing from the scope and essential characteristics of the present disclosure. One or more of the specific processes described below may be carried out in any electronic device including one or more appropriately configured processing circuits, which may, in some embodiments, be incorporated into one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). In some embodiments, these processing circuits may comprise one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, and / or digital signal processors, or variations thereof, programmed with appropriate software and / or firmware to perform one or more of the above-described operations. In some embodiments, these processing circuits may comprise customized hardware to perform one or more of the above-described functions. The present embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0034] Although several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following detailed description, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but instead is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the present disclosure as set forth and defined in the claims.

[0035] Furthermore, while the following description of some embodiments of the present disclosure is provided in the context of 5G New Radio (5G NR), it should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Indeed, as long as network connection selection is involved, the inventive concepts of the present disclosure may be applicable to any suitable communication architecture, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), CDMA2000, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc. Accordingly, those skilled in the art can readily understand that terms used herein may also refer to their equivalents in any other infrastructure. For example, the term “UE” as used herein may refer to a terminal device, a mobile device, a mobile terminal, a mobile station, a user device, a user terminal, a wireless device, a wireless terminal, an IoT device, a vehicle, or any other equivalent. In another example, the term "gNB" as used herein may refer to a base station, base transceiver station, access point, hotspot, Node B (NB), evolved Node B (eNB), network element, network node, or any other equivalent.

[0036] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example interaction between a vehicle and a network node where support for network connection selection is applicable, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1 , a vehicle 100, such as an autonomous vehicle or a remotely operated vehicle, may communicate with an application server and / or control station 110. For example, when vehicle 100 is a remotely operated vehicle, vehicle 100 can provide high-definition (HD) video captured by vehicle 100, sensor data (such as LiDAR data, vehicle speed, vehicle location, etc.) to control station 110, which can provide its control commands and / or other data (such as updated vehicle settings, upgraded vehicle firmware, etc.), so that an operator / driver can be enabled to remotely control vehicle 100 as if the operator / driver were in the vehicle while driving. Therefore, a highly robust and efficient network connection between vehicle 100 and application server / control station 110 is required.

[0037] However, cellular network connectivity is inherently dynamic for several reasons. - Network design: Due to the specific design and deployment, such as antenna locations, density, and transmission technology used, good coverage for all locations all the time is nearly impossible. Cellular networks rely on radio waves for transmission, which can be blocked or weakened by obstacles such as buildings and even cars and trucks. Modern cellular networks are designed to overcome such barriers and provide coverage without line of sight in most locations, but the problem is that signal strength fluctuates and coverage is dynamic. When moving, the connection to the network is occasionally handed over from one base station to another, and such handovers may involve a degradation in the level of connectivity. Essentially, a moving vehicle experiences frequent cell handovers as it moves in and out of the areas of coverage of different base stations. Other factors that affect available bandwidth capacity include distance from the tower (antenna), the number of connections in a particular cell at a given time, and overall congestion in the backhaul. Finally, network operators are continually making tweaks and changes to their networks, which means that capacity can change unexpectedly, even in locations known to have good connectivity.

[0038] For all the reasons explained above, it is extremely difficult to guarantee consistent, high-quality, and low-latency connectivity using a single network. Even if the desired level of connectivity is currently available, changes can occur—tall buildings, cell handovers, more users—and suddenly connectivity becomes insufficient. Sudden degradation can cause gaps in reception, leading to delayed or even lost data packets. Therefore, relying on one modem / one mobile network, even with 5G, is unsafe.

[0039] Therefore, a best practice for an autonomous / remotely operated vehicle is to equip the vehicle with two communication modules (CMs) that connect to two mobile networks for redundancy, as shown, for example, in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary communication system in which support for network connection selection is applicable, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, vehicle 100 may have two or more CMs, such as CM A211 served by CSP A210 and CM B221 served by another CSP B220. As also shown in FIG. 2, CSP A210 may have a radio access network (RAN) 213 and a core network 215, which, together with CM A211, may provide a user plane 217; therefore, vehicle 100 may communicate with application server 110 through user plane 217 via CM A211, RAN 213, and core network 215. Similarly, CSP B 220 may have a RAN 223 and a core network 225, which, together with CM B 221, may provide a user plane 227, and thus vehicle 100 may communicate with application server 110 through user plane 227 via CM B 221, RAN 223, and core network 225. In the communication system shown in Figure 2, vehicle 100 may have two or more network connections, and more robust network connections may be achieved.

[0040] It may be too late if the connection selection is based on weak signal strength detected by the vehicle 100 itself. For example, the following scenario may be considered: If the vehicle 100 needs to apply additional QoS to a connection, the vehicle 100 may also need to apply that QoS to the redundant connection, which will take time. If the vehicle 100 needs to connect to an edge application server, the vehicle 100 may need to discover / select a new edge application server using a redundant connection and trigger application context relocation, or may need to affect traffic to the same edge application server based on the redundant connection, which also takes time.

[0041] In such a scenario, being aware of weak signal strength areas in advance will help a vehicle 100 with network redundancy to select the correct connection to ensure service continuity and further driving safety.

[0042] However, currently, there is no prior art for sharing weak signal information in real time through V2V. V2V messaging specifications such as DENM (Distributed Environmental Notification Message) only specify events about weather, road, and traffic conditions. However, as network conditions become a critical part of vehicle operations, it also becomes important to share network condition information between vehicles in real time.

[0043] Therefore, some embodiments of the present disclosure introduce a method for vehicles to share weak signal strength information through V2V in real time. In some embodiments, when a vehicle with network redundancy receives weak signal strength information, the vehicle can determine potential connection choices to ensure service continuity and driving safety.

[0044] In some embodiments, vehicles may share detected weak signal strength information through V2V messaging on PC 5. In some embodiments, when a vehicle with network redundancy receives weak signal strength information through V2V messaging on PC 5, the vehicle may use the information to make connection selection decisions.

[0045] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may ensure service continuity for critical vehicles, such as autonomous and remotely operated vehicles, which means that driving safety may also be ensured.

[0046] As mentioned above, V2X is a technology that allows vehicles to communicate with any entity that may affect the vehicle, and vice versa. V2X can consist of more specific types of communication, such as V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure), V2N (Vehicle-to-Network), V2V (Vehicle-to-Vehicle), V2P (Vehicle-to-Pedestrian), etc.

[0047] C-V2X allows C-V2X devices to use cellular network connectivity in a traditional manner over the Uu interface. Uu refers to the logical interface between the UE and the base station. This is commonly referred to as "V2N."

[0048] However, due to the huge amount of message exchange, especially for V2V communications, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is also introducing the PC5 interface (also known as "slidelink" in the 3GPP RAN specifications) to support direct communication between C-V2X devices to improve C-V2X efficiency.

[0049] V2X is also essential for safe and efficient autonomous driving. For example, V2X communication can alert an autonomous vehicle about objects that it cannot see directly (non-line of sight).

[0050] FIG. 3 illustrates an example C-V2X communication network 30 in which support for network connection selection is applicable, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3 , network 30 may include at least one of one or more vehicles 100-1 and 100-2 (collectively, vehicles 100), pedestrians (and UEs attached to or carried by the pedestrians) 301, roadside units (RSUs) 303, RAN 305, a core network (e.g., Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or 5G Core (5GC)) 310, and a V2X application server 110. Note that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, a different number and / or different types of entities may be present in network 30. For example, network 30 may include one or more of drones, lane markings, road signs, traffic signals, and the like. Furthermore, the term “UE” as used herein may also refer to any of the vehicles, pedestrians (or devices associated with the pedestrians), and RSUs, or any other similar entities, shown in FIG. 3 .

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 100-2) may communicate with another vehicle (e.g., vehicle 100-1) via V2V over a PC5 interface or reference point. Also shown in FIG. 3, a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 100-2) may communicate with a pedestrian (e.g., pedestrian 301) via V2P over a PC5 interface or reference point. Further shown in FIG. 3, a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 100-2) may communicate with an RSU (e.g., RSU 303) via V2I over a PC5 interface or reference point. Also shown in FIG. 3, an RSU (e.g., RSU 303) may communicate with a RAN (e.g., RAN 305) via V2N over a Uu interface or reference point. Furthermore, other entities may communicate with each other in a manner similar to that described above. 3 (e.g., vehicle 100, pedestrian 301, and / or RSU 303) may communicate with each other via V2X over the PC5 / Uu interface. In this manner, a UE (e.g., vehicle #1 100-1) may communicate with the V2X application server 110 in the network 30, for example, via vehicle #2 100-2, RSU 303, RAN 305, and EPC / 5GC 310, and information such as vehicle information (e.g., speed, location, vehicle type, etc.), navigation information, traffic information, control commands, entertainment information, etc. may be exchanged therebetween.

[0053] Some embodiments of the present disclosure introduce two main procedures. - The sending vehicle detects the weak signal strength information and broadcasts the weak signal strength information on PC5 through V2V messaging, which will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 4 to 7. - Receiving vehicles with network redundancy make connection selection decisions based on received weak signal strength information through V2V messaging on PC5, which will be explained in more detail with reference to Figures 8 and 9.

[0054] Broadcasting weak signal strength information via V2V There are two scenarios in which a vehicle can detect and broadcast weak signal strength information. Scenario A: This may be a scenario without network redundancy, which is explained in more detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Scenario B: This may be a scenario with network redundancy, which is explained in more detail with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

[0055] Dispatched vehicles without network redundancy 4 illustrates an exemplary scenario in which a sending vehicle detects a weak signal event and reports the event to a receiving vehicle for network connection selection by the receiving vehicle, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for the exemplary sending vehicle shown in FIG.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, a vehicle (or hereinafter known as a "dispatch vehicle") 100-1 may have only one network connection provided by CSP A through an associated CM A211-1 installed on the vehicle 100-1. As the dispatch vehicle 100-1 travels along its route, it may enter a weak signal area of ​​CSP A. An exemplary method in the dispatch vehicle 100-1 will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0057] The method may begin in step S510, where vehicle 100-1 is i and location loc i 4, dispatch vehicle 100-1 may detect weak signal strength at time t1 and location loc1, for example, upon entering a weak signal area. Because the network signal strength is weak, dispatch vehicle 100-1 may not be able to immediately broadcast the weak signal event. Thus, in some embodiments, dispatch vehicle 100-1 may cache the event and continue driving in step S520.

[0058] In step S530, the sending vehicle 100-1 may continue to detect signal strength while driving, and the sending vehicle 100-1 may cache more weak signal events until the signal strength returns to normal. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the sending vehicle 100-1 may reach the center of the weak signal area at time t i and location loc i detects a weak signal strength at time t n-1 and location loc n-1 A weak signal strength can be detected at

[0059] In step S540, the sending vehicle 100-1 determines whether the signal strength has increased by a time t n and location loc n It can be detected that the system has returned to normal.

[0060] In some embodiments, loc i and loc n If the distance between loc and i is longer than a preset PC5 broadcasting distance (e.g., maxBcDist), this means that the surrounding vehicles may not be related to the previously detected weak signal strength event, and the sending vehicle 100-1 will only send the event to the server side for data analysis purposes. Therefore, in step S550, the sending vehicle 100-1 sends the event to the server side for data analysis purposes. i and loc n If the distance is greater than the preset PC5 broadcasting distance ("YES" in step S550), the method may proceed to step S570, where a weak signal event may be reported to the server side. Otherwise, the method may proceed to step S560, where the dispatch vehicle 100-1 may determine whether the distance between its current location and loc iA weak signal strength event may be periodically broadcast through V2V messaging on PC5 until the distance between is greater than maxBcDist. Furthermore, in some embodiments, even under the condition of step S560, dispatching vehicle 100-1 may also send an event to the server side in step S570 for data analysis purposes.

[0061] 4, when sending vehicle 100-1 broadcasts a weak signal event, vehicles that have a network connection provided by CSP A (also known hereinafter as "receiving vehicles") may receive the weak signal event. For example, receiving vehicle #1 100-2, which has only CM A 211-2, and receiving vehicle #2 100-3, which has both CM A 211-3 and CM B 221-3, may receive the weak signal event. However, vehicles that do not have a network connection provided by CSP A (e.g., receiving vehicle #3 100-4, which has only CM B 221-4) cannot receive such an event.

[0062] Dispatch vehicles with network redundancy 6 illustrates another exemplary scenario in which a sending vehicle detects a weak signal event and reports the event to a receiving vehicle for network connection selection by the receiving vehicle, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for the exemplary sending vehicle shown in FIG.

[0063] As shown in Figure 6, dispatch vehicle 100-1 may have two or more network connections provided by CSP A and CSP B through associated CM A 211-1 and CM B 221-1 installed on vehicle 100-1. Similar to Figure 4, dispatch vehicle 100-1 may travel along its route and enter a weak signal area of ​​CSP A. An exemplary method in dispatch vehicle 100-1 will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

[0064] The method may begin in step S710, where vehicle 100-1 isi and location loc i 6, dispatch vehicle 100-1 may, for example, upon entering a weak signal area, detect weak signal strength for its network connection provided by CSP A at time t1 and location loc1.

[0065] Due to weak network signal strength, the sending vehicle 100-1 may not currently be able to broadcast the weak signal event using CSP A's network. However, in step S720, the sending vehicle 100-1 can still broadcast the event using CSP B's network, i.e., through CM B 221-1. For example, the sending vehicle may broadcast a weak signal event detected at time t1 to receiving vehicle #2 100-3 and receive the weak signal event at time t2. i 1. The weak signal event detected at CSP B may be broadcast to receiving vehicle #3 100-4. Meanwhile, receiving vehicles that do not have a network connection provided by CSP B (e.g., receiving vehicle #1 100-2 with only CM A 211-2) will not be able to receive the event reported by sending vehicle 100-1 while sending vehicle 100-1's network connection provided by CSP A is not operational. Furthermore, in some embodiments, sending vehicle 100-1 may or may not cache the event since it has already been reported to some other UE.

[0066] In step S730, the sending vehicle 100-1 may continue to drive.

[0067] In step S740, the dispatch vehicle 100-1 may continue to detect the signal strength of CSP A's network while driving. In some embodiments, the dispatch vehicle 100-1 may detect more weak signal events until the signal strength of CSP A returns to normal. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the dispatch vehicle 100-1 may detect a weak signal event at time t iand location loc i detects a weak signal strength at time t n-1 and location loc n-1 Additionally, in some embodiments, dispatch vehicle 100-1 may cache more weak signal events until the signal strength of CSP A's network returns to normal.

[0068] In step S750, the sending vehicle 100-1 determines whether the signal strength of the network of CSP A has increased by a time t n and location loc n It can be detected that the system has returned to normal.

[0069] In some embodiments, loc i and loc n If the distance between loc and i is longer than a preset PC5 broadcasting distance (e.g., maxBcDist), this means that the surrounding vehicles may not be related to the previously detected weak signal strength event, and the sending vehicle 100-1 will only send the event to the server side for data analysis purposes. Therefore, in step S760, the sending vehicle 100-1 sends the event to the server side for i=1,...,n-1. i and loc n If the distance is greater than the preset PC5 broadcasting distance ("YES" in step S760), the method may proceed to step S780, where a weak signal event may be reported to the server side. Otherwise, the method may proceed to step S770, where the dispatch vehicle 100-1 may determine whether the distance between its current location and loc iA weak signal strength event may be periodically broadcast through V2V messaging on PC5 using both CSP A's network and CSP B's network until the distance between CSP A and CSP B is greater than maxBcDist. Furthermore, in some embodiments, even under the condition of step S770, dispatching vehicle 100-1 may also dispatch an event to the server side in step S780 for data analysis purposes.

[0070] 7, when sending vehicle 100-1 broadcasts a weak signal event by using CSP A's network, receiving vehicles that have a network connection provided by CSP A may receive the weak signal event. Furthermore, when sending vehicle 100-1 broadcasts a weak signal event by using CSP B's network, receiving vehicles that have a network connection provided by CSP B may receive the weak signal event. For example, receiving vehicle #4 100-5 that has only CM B 221-5, receiving vehicle #5 100-6 that has only CM A 211-6, and receiving vehicle #6 100-7 that has both CM A 211-7 and CM B 221-7 may receive the weak signal event. However, vehicles that do not have a network connection provided by CSP A or CSP B cannot receive such an event.

[0071] While an embodiment involving two CSPs is described above, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, more than two CSPs may be involved, and sending vehicle 100-1 and receiving vehicles 100-2 through 100-7 may have one or more network connections provided by more than two CSPs.

[0072] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the weak signal event may continue to be broadcast periodically until the sending vehicle 100-1 is more than a threshold distance away from the location where the weak signal event was detected. For example, an event detected at loc1 may be broadcast periodically multiple times until the sending vehicle is a threshold distance (e.g., a maximum PC5 broadcasting distance) away from loc1. That is, the sending vehicle 100-1 may broadcast multiple weak signal events at the same time (e.g., t n In the i ,...loc n-1 ) detected in the event.

[0073] Connection selection based on weak signal strength information 8 illustrates an exemplary scenario in which a receiving vehicle 100-2 makes a network connection selection based on a weak signal event received from a sending vehicle 100-1, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for the exemplary receiving vehicle 100-2 shown in FIG.

[0074] The method may begin in step S910, where receiving vehicle 100-2 may receive a weak signal strength event from sending vehicle 100-1 at time t1.

[0075] In step S920, the receiving vehicle 100-2 may verify whether a location within the event is relevant to its driving route. If not, the receiving vehicle 100-2 may discard the event in step S930. If relevant, the receiving vehicle 100-2 may further verify in step S940 whether a connection relevant to the CSP network reported by the event is currently in use. If not relevant, no action is required in step S950. If relevant, the receiving vehicle 100-2 may calculate the distance between the current location and the weak signal strength area and may further calculate an ETA for reaching the weak signal strength area in step S960.

[0076] In step S970, the receiving vehicle 100-2 may determine, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the time t2 at which the receiving vehicle 100-2 starts preparing the redundant connection and the time t3 at which the receiving vehicle 100-2 starts using the redundant connection.

[0077] In step S980, the receiving vehicle 100-2 may begin preparing a redundant connection at time t2. For example, the receiving vehicle 100-2 may request a certain QoS or steer traffic toward a certain edge application server.

[0078] In step S990, receiving vehicle 100-2 may begin using the redundant connection at time t3.

[0079] The embodiments described with reference to Figures 4 to 9 can ensure service continuity for critical vehicles such as autonomous vehicles and remotely operated vehicles, which means that driving safety can also be ensured.

[0080] In some embodiments, exemplary weak signal strength events are provided in Table 1 below. TIFF2026504875000002.tif47170

[0081] However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, more, fewer, and / or different information elements (IEs) may be included in an event.

[0082] 10A and 10B illustrate an example scenario in which network connection selection is supported, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 10A , vehicle 100-1 is driving along a road covered by multiple cells 1000-1 through 1000-6, all of which are served by CSP A. However, due to some unexpected condition, such as a base station down or power outage, cells 1000-2 and 1000-3 are unable to provide good network connectivity to UEs therein. In such a case, as vehicle 100-1 is driving through cells 1000-2 and 1000-3, vehicle 100-1 may detect one or more weak signal strength events. Because vehicle 100-1 only has a network connection to CSP A, vehicle 100-1 is unable to report the events while vehicle 100-1 is in cells 1000-2 and 1000-3. When vehicle 100-1 leaves the weak signal area (including cells 1000-2 and 1000-3), vehicle 100-1 may detect that the signal strength has returned to normal, and vehicle 100-1 may then broadcast one or more weak signal strength events to nearby vehicles, such as vehicle 100-2 traveling in the same direction as vehicle 100-1 and vehicle 100-3 traveling in the opposite direction to vehicle 100-1.

[0083] When vehicle 100-2 receives the event, vehicle 100-2 may determine that the event is relevant to vehicle 100-2's route because vehicle 100-2 is traveling toward a weak signal area, and that the affected network connection is in use because vehicle 100-2 is currently using CSP A's network. Thus, vehicle 100-2 may determine a time to prepare a network connection to CSP B and another time to use the network connection to CSP B, as described with reference to Figures 8 and 9.

[0084] On the other hand, when vehicle 100-3 receives the event, vehicle 100-3 may determine that the event is not relevant to vehicle 100-3's route because vehicle 100-3 is traveling away from the weak signal area, as described with reference to Figures 8 and 9, and vehicle 100-3 may discard the event.

[0085] 10B is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10A, except that vehicle 100-1 has two or more network connections. For example, vehicle 100-1 may have a network connection to CSP A and another network connection to CSP B. In such a case, when vehicle 100-1 detects a weak signal strength event for CSP A, vehicle 100-1 may immediately broadcast the event to nearby vehicles by using CSP B's network. In such a case, nearby vehicles may become aware of the weak signal area early, as long as they have a network connection to CSP B's network.

[0086] 11 is a flowchart of an example method 1100 in a second UE having multiple network connections for network connection selection, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. Method 1100 may be implemented in a UE (e.g., vehicle 100-2 shown in FIG. 8). Method 1100 may include steps S1110 and S1120. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, method 1100 may include more steps, fewer steps, different steps, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the steps of method 1100 may be implemented in a different order than described herein. Furthermore, in some embodiments, steps in method 1100 may be split into multiple substeps and implemented by different entities, and / or multiple steps in method 1100 may be combined into a single step.

[0087] The method 1100 may begin at step S1110, where a first message may be received from the first UE indicating a weak signal strength event for a first network connection of the first UE. In some embodiments, the second network connection of the second UE may correspond to the first network connection of the first UE.

[0088] In step S1120, it may be determined whether one of the plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first message may be broadcast by the first UE via V2V messaging over PC5. In some embodiments, determining whether one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication may include at least one of determining whether a location associated with the weak signal strength event is associated with a route that the second UE is traveling and determining whether the second network connection is currently in use by the second UE.

[0090] In some embodiments, the step of determining whether one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication may further include at least one of: determining that one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should not be selected for communication in response to determining that the location is not relevant to the route; determining that one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should not be selected for communication in response to determining that the second network connection is not currently in use by the second UE; and determining that one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication in response to determining that the location is relevant to the route and that the second network connection is currently in use by the second UE.

[0091] In some embodiments, method 1100 may further include, in response to determining that one of the plurality of network connections, different from the second network connection, should be selected for communication, determining a distance between the current location of the second UE and the location indicated by the weak signal strength event. In some embodiments, method 1100 may further include determining an ETA for the second UE to reach the location indicated by the weak signal strength event based at least on the determined distance. In some embodiments, method 1100 may further include at least one of determining, based at least on the determined ETA, a first start time for a procedure to start preparing the selected network connection for communication, and determining a second start time for starting using the selected network connection for communication, based at least on the determined ETA. In some embodiments, method 1100 may further include at least one of starting the procedure at the first start time and starting using the selected network connection at the second start time.

[0092] In some embodiments, the procedure may include at least one of requesting QoS for the selected network connection and steering traffic associated with the second UE to the EAS. In some embodiments, receiving the first message may include at least one of receiving the first message from the first UE via the second network connection, receiving the first message from the first UE via the selected network connection, and receiving the first message from the first UE via at least one of a plurality of network connections other than the second network connection and the selected network connection. In some embodiments, the weak signal strength event may indicate one or more weak signal areas. In some embodiments, for each of the one or more weak signal areas, the weak signal strength event may indicate at least one of a location or location area where a weak signal was detected, an ID of the CSP where the weak signal was detected, a RAT associated with the detected weak signal, and a signal strength of the detected weak signal. In some embodiments, the first UE and the second UE are vehicles.

[0093] 12 is a flowchart of an example method 1200 in a first UE for weak signal strength detection and reporting, in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. Method 1200 may be implemented in a UE (e.g., vehicle 100-1 shown in FIG. 4 and / or FIG. 6). Method 1200 may include steps S1210 and S1220. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some other embodiments, method 1200 may include more steps, fewer steps, different steps, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the steps of method 1200 may be implemented in a different order than described herein. Furthermore, in some embodiments, steps in method 1200 may be split into multiple substeps and implemented by different entities, and / or multiple steps in method 1200 may be combined into a single step.

[0094] The method 1200 may begin in step S1210, where it may be detected whether a first UE has a first network connection with a signal strength less than or equal to a threshold.

[0095] In step S1220, in response to the first UE detecting that it has a first network connection having a signal strength less than or equal to a threshold, a first message may be transmitted to the second UE indicating a weak signal strength event for the first network connection.

[0096] In some embodiments, the second UE may have multiple network connections, including a second network connection corresponding to the first network connection of the first UE. In some embodiments, transmitting the first message may include broadcasting the first message via V2V messaging on the PC5. In some embodiments, the first message may be broadcast periodically. In some embodiments, method 1200 may further include continuing to detect whether the first network connection has a signal strength less than or equal to the threshold until it is detected that the first network connection has a signal strength greater than the threshold.

[0097] In some embodiments, method 1200 may further include determining a distance between the first location and the second location, where the first location may be a location where the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength below or equal to a threshold, and the second location may be a location where the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength above the threshold after detection at the first location. In some embodiments, the first location may be a location where the first network connection is first detected to have a signal strength below or equal to the threshold.

[0098] In some embodiments, the second location may be a location where the first network connection is first detected to have a signal strength greater than a threshold after detection at the first location. In some embodiments, method 1200 may further include comparing the distance to a maximum broadcasting distance associated with the first UE, and transmitting the first message may be performed only if the distance is less than or equal to the maximum broadcasting distance associated with the first UE.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first network connection may be the only network connection that the first UE has. In some embodiments, the step of transmitting the first message may not be performed until the first network connection has a signal strength greater than a threshold. In some embodiments, the method 1200 may further include caching one or more weak signal strength events in response to detecting one or more times that the first network connection has a signal strength less than or equal to the threshold until the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength greater than the threshold. In some embodiments, the first UE may have multiple network connections comprising at least the first network connection and a third network connection, and the second UE has a fourth network connection corresponding to the third network connection.

[0100] In some embodiments, the step of transmitting the first message may include at least one of: transmitting the first message to the second UE via a third network connection when the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength lower than or equal to a threshold; and transmitting the first message to the second UE via both the first network connection and the third network connection when the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength higher than the threshold. In some embodiments, method 1200 may further include transmitting a second message to a server indicating the weak signal strength event for analysis purposes. In some embodiments, the weak signal strength event may indicate one or more weak signal areas.

[0101] In some embodiments, for each of the one or more weak signal areas, the weak signal strength event may indicate at least one of: a location or location area where the weak signal was detected, an ID of the CSP where the weak signal was detected, a RAT associated with the detected weak signal, and a signal strength of the detected weak signal. In some embodiments, the first UE and the second UE may be vehicles.

[0102] 13 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a configuration that may be used in a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A processing unit 1306 is provided in the configuration 1300, e.g., with a digital signal processor (DSP) or a central processing unit (CPU). The processing unit 1306 may be a single unit or multiple units for performing different actions of the procedures described herein. The configuration 1300 may also include an input unit 1302 for receiving signals from other entities and an output unit 1304 for providing signal(s) to other entities. The input unit 1302 and the output unit 1304 may be configured as an integrated entity or as separate entities.

[0103] Additionally, configuration 1300 may comprise at least one computer program product 1308 in the form of non-volatile or volatile memory, e.g., Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), flash memory, and / or a hard drive. Computer program product 1308 comprises a computer program 1310 comprising code / computer-readable instructions that, when executed by processing unit 1306 in configuration 1300, cause configuration 1300 and / or a UE in which configuration 1300 is comprised to perform actions, e.g., of the procedures previously described in conjunction with FIGS. 4-12 or any other variations.

[0104] The computer program 1310 may be configured as computer program code structured in computer program modules 1310A-1310B. Thus, in an example embodiment when the configuration 1300 is used in a second UE having multiple network connections for network connection selection, the code in the computer program of the configuration 1300 includes a module 1310A configured to receive, from the first UE, a first message indicating a weak signal strength event for a first network connection of the first UE, where the second network connection of the second UE may correspond to the first network connection of the first UE, and a module 1310B configured to determine whether one of the multiple network connections, different from the second network connection, should be selected for communication.

[0105] Additionally or alternatively, computer program 1310 may be further configured as computer program code structured in computer program modules 1310C-1310D. Thus, in an example embodiment when configuration 1300 is used in a first UE for weak signal strength detection and reporting, the code in the computer program of configuration 1300 includes module 1310C configured to detect whether the first UE has a first network connection having a signal strength below or equal to a threshold, and module 1310D configured to send a first message to a second UE indicating a weak signal strength event for the first network connection in response to detecting that the first UE has a first network connection having a signal strength below or equal to the threshold.

[0106] The computer program modules may essentially perform the actions of the flows shown in Figures 4-12 to emulate a UE. In other words, when different computer program modules are executed in the processing unit 1306, they may correspond to different modules in the UE.

[0107] Although the code means in the embodiment disclosed above in conjunction with FIG. 13 are implemented as computer program modules that, when executed on a processing unit, cause the configuration to perform the actions described above in conjunction with the aforementioned figures, at least one of the code means may, in alternative embodiments, be implemented at least in part as a hardware circuit.

[0108] The processor may be a single CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also comprise two or more processing units. For example, the processor may include a general-purpose microprocessor, an instruction set processor, and / or a related chipset, and / or a special-purpose microprocessor such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor may also comprise on-board memory for caching purposes. The computer program may be carried by a computer program product connected to the processor. The computer program product may comprise a computer-readable medium on which the computer program is stored. For example, the computer program product may be a flash memory, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), or an EEPROM, and the computer program modules described above may, in alternative embodiments, be distributed over different computer program products in the form of memories within the UE.

[0109] Corresponding to the above-described method 1100, an exemplary second UE having multiple network connections for network connection selection is provided. Figure 14 is a block diagram of an exemplary second UE 1400 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The second UE 1400 may be, for example, a vehicle 100-2 in some embodiments.

[0110] The second UE 1400 may be configured to perform the method 1100 described above with respect to Figure 11. As shown in Figure 14, the second UE 1400 may comprise a receiving module 1410 configured to receive, from the first UE, a first message indicating a weak signal strength event for a first network connection of the first UE, where the second network connection of the second UE may correspond to the first network connection of the first UE, and a determining module 1420 configured to determine whether one of a plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication.

[0111] The above modules 1410 and / or 1420 may be implemented as a pure hardware solution or as a combination of software and hardware, e.g., by one or more of a processor or microprocessor and sufficient software and memory for storage of the software, a programmable logic device (PLD), or other electronic component(s) or processing circuitry configured to perform the actions described above and shown, e.g., in Figure 11. Additionally, the second UE 1400 may comprise one or more further modules, each of which may perform any of the steps of the method 1100 described with reference to Figure 11.

[0112] Corresponding to the above-described method 1200, an exemplary first UE for weak signal strength detection and reporting is provided. Figure 15 is a block diagram of an exemplary first UE 1500 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The first UE 1500 may be, for example, a vehicle 100-1 in some embodiments.

[0113] The first UE 1500 may be configured to perform the method 1200 described above with respect to Figure 12. As shown in Figure 15, the first UE 1500 may comprise a detection module 1510 configured to detect whether the first UE has a first network connection having a signal strength lower than or equal to a threshold, and a transmission module 1520 configured to transmit a first message indicating a weak signal strength event for the first network connection to the second UE in response to detecting that the first UE has the first network connection having a signal strength lower than or equal to the threshold.

[0114] The above modules 1510 and / or 1520 may be implemented as a pure hardware solution or as a combination of software and hardware, e.g., by one or more of a processor or microprocessor and sufficient software and memory for storage of the software, a PLD, or other electronic component(s) or processing circuitry configured to perform the actions described above and shown, e.g., in Figure 12. Furthermore, the first UE 1500 may comprise one or more further modules, each of which may perform any of the steps of the method 1200 described with reference to Figure 12.

[0115] The present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments of the present disclosure. However, these embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only, rather than limiting the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0116] Abbreviation Description C-V2X Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything CM Communication Module DENM Distributed Environment Notification Message ETA estimated time of arrival ITS Intelligent Transport Systems V2I Vehicle-to-Infrastructure V2N Vehicle-to-Network V2P Vehicle-to-Pedestrian V2V Vehicle-to-Vehicle V2X Vehicle-to-Everything UE User Equipment

Claims

1. A method (1100) in a second user equipment (UE) (100-2) having multiple network connections for network connection selection, the method (1100) comprising: receiving a first message from a first UE (100-1) indicating a weak signal strength event for a first network connection of the first UE (100-1) (S1110), wherein a second network connection of the second UE (100-2) corresponds to the first network connection of the first UE (100-1); determining whether one of the plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication (S1120); The method (1100) includes:

2. The method (1100) of claim 1, wherein the first message is broadcast by the first UE (100-1) via vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) messaging on a PC5.

3. The step of determining (S1120) whether one of the plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication includes: determining whether the location associated with the weak signal strength event is associated with a route that the second UE (100-2) is traveling; determining whether the second network connection is currently in use by the second UE (100-2); The method (1100) of claim 1 or 2, comprising at least one of:

4. The step of determining (S1120) whether one of the plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication includes: determining, in response to determining that the location is not associated with the route, that one of the plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should not be selected for communication; In response to determining that the second network connection is not currently being used by the second UE (100-2), determining that one of the plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should not be selected for communication; determining that one of the plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication in response to determining that the location is associated with the route and that the second network connection is currently in use by the second UE (100-2); and The method (1100) of claim 3, further comprising at least one of:

5. determining a distance between a current location of the second UE (100-2) and a location indicated by the weak signal strength event in response to determining that one of the plurality of network connections different from the second network connection should be selected for communication; The method (1100) of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

6. determining an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the second UE (100-2) to reach the location indicated by the weak signal strength event based at least on the determined distance; The method (1100) of claim 5, further comprising:

7. determining a first start time for a procedure to begin preparing the selected network connection for communication based at least on the determined ETA; determining a second start time for beginning to use the selected network connection for communication based at least on the determined ETA; and The method (1100) of claim 6, further comprising at least one of:

8. starting the procedure at the first start time; beginning to use the selected network connection at the second start time; The method (1100) of claim 7, further comprising at least one of:

9. The procedure comprises: - requesting a Quality of Service (QoS) for said selected network connection; steering traffic associated with said second UE (100-2) to an Edge Application Server (EAS); 9. The method (1100) of claim 7 or 8, comprising at least one of:

10. The step of receiving the first message (S1110) receiving the first message from the first UE (100-1) via the second network connection; receiving the first message from the first UE (100-1) via the selected network connection; receiving the first message from the first UE (100-1) via at least one of the plurality of network connections other than the second network connection and the selected network connection; The method (1100) of any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising at least one of:

11. The method (1100) of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the weak signal strength events indicate one or more weak signal areas.

12. For each of the one or more weak signal areas, the weak signal strength event comprises: - the location or location area where the weak signal was detected; - the identification (ID) of the communication service provider (CSP) where the weak signal was detected; the radio access type (RAT) associated with said detected weak signal; - the signal strength of the detected weak signal; The method (1100) of claim 11, wherein the method (1100) exhibits at least one of the following:

13. The method (1100) of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first UE (100-1) and the second UE (100-2) are vehicles.

14. 1. A method (1200) in a first UE for weak signal strength detection and reporting, the method (1200) comprising: Detecting whether the first UE (100-1) has a first network connection with a signal strength lower than or equal to a threshold (S1210); In response to detecting that the first UE (100-1) has the first network connection having a signal strength lower than or equal to the threshold, transmitting a first message to a second UE (100-2) indicating a weak signal strength event for the first network connection (S1220); The method (1200) includes:

15. The method (1200) of claim 14, wherein the second UE (100-2) has a plurality of network connections, the second network connection comprising a second network connection corresponding to the first network connection of the first UE (100-1).

16. The step of transmitting the first message (S1220) broadcasting said first message on PC5 via V2V messaging; 16. The method (1200) of claim 14 or 15, comprising:

17. 17. The method (1200) of claim 16, wherein the first message is broadcast periodically.

18. continuing to detect whether the first network connection has a signal strength less than or equal to the threshold until it is detected that the first network connection has a signal strength greater than the threshold.

18. The method (1200) of any one of claims 14 to 17, further comprising:

19. Determining a distance between a first location and a second location further comprising the first location is a location where the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength less than or equal to the threshold; the second location is a location where the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength greater than the threshold after the detection at the first location; 20. The method (1200) of claim 18.

20. 20. The method (1200) of claim 19, wherein the first location is the location where the first network connection is first detected to have a signal strength less than or equal to the threshold.

21. 21. The method (1200) of claim 19 or 20, wherein the second location is the location where the first network connection is first detected to have a signal strength higher than the threshold after the detection at the first location.

22. comparing said distance with a maximum broadcasting distance associated with said first UE (100-1); further comprising The step of transmitting the first message (S1220) is performed only when the distance is less than or equal to the maximum broadcasting distance associated with the first UE (100-1).

22. The method (1200) of any one of claims 19 to 21.

23. The method (1200) of any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein the first network connection is the only network connection that the first UE (100-1) has.

24. 24. The method (1200) of claim 23, wherein the step (S1220) of transmitting the first message is not performed until the first network connection has a signal strength greater than the threshold.

25. caching one or more weak signal strength events in response to detecting one or more times that the first network connection has a signal strength less than or equal to the threshold until the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength greater than the threshold.

25. The method (1200) of claim 23 or 24, further comprising:

26. the first UE (100-1) has a plurality of network connections including at least the first network connection and a third network connection; the second UE (100-2) has a fourth network connection corresponding to the third network connection; 23. The method (1200) of any one of claims 14 to 22.

27. The step of transmitting the first message (S1220) transmitting the first message to the second UE (100-2) via the third network connection when the first network connection is detected to have a signal strength less than or equal to the threshold; transmitting the first message to the second UE (100-2) via both the first network connection and the third network connection when it is detected that the first network connection has a signal strength higher than the threshold; 27. The method (1200) of claim 26, comprising at least one of:

28. sending a second message to a server indicating the weak signal strength event for analysis purposes; 28. The method (1200) of any one of claims 14 to 27, further comprising:

29. 29. The method (1200) of any one of claims 14 to 28, wherein the weak signal strength events indicate one or more weak signal areas.

30. For each of the one or more weak signal areas, the weak signal strength event comprises: - the location or location area where the weak signal was detected; - the ID of the CSP where the weak signal was detected; - a RAT associated with said detected weak signal; - the signal strength of the detected weak signal; 30. The method (1200) of claim 29, wherein the method (1200) exhibits at least one of the following:

31. The method (1200) of any one of claims 14 to 30, wherein the first UE (100-1) and the second UE (100-2) are vehicles.

32. UEs (100-1, 100-2, 1300, 1400, 1500), a processor (1306); a memory (1308) storing instructions that, when executed by the processor (1306), cause the processor (1306) to perform a method (1100, 1200) according to any one of claims 1 to 31; UEs (100-1, 100-2, 1300, 1400, 1500) equipped with:

33. 32. A computer program (1310) comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor (1306), cause the at least one processor (1306) to perform the method (1100, 1200) of any one of claims 1 to 31.

34. 34. A carrier (1308) containing the computer program (1310) of claim 33, wherein the carrier (1308) is one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, or a computer-readable storage medium.

35. A communication system (30, 10, 10', 10"), comprising: One or more first UEs (100-1), each of which: a processor (1306); a memory (1308) storing instructions that, when executed by the processor (1306), cause the processor (1306) to perform the method (1200) of any one of claims 14 to 31; One or more first UEs (100-1) comprising: one or more second UEs (100-2), each of which: a processor (1306); a memory (1308) storing instructions that, when executed by the processor (1306), cause the processor (1306) to perform the method (1100) of any one of claims 1 to 13; one or more second UEs (100-2) comprising: A communication system (30, 10, 10', 10") comprising:

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