Method, apparatus, and computer program

Abstract

A user equipment is provided that comprises means for performing one or more measurements relating to at least one resource; determining at least one verified measurement, the at least one verified measurement being at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more verification criteria; and, based on the determining, sending a message to a network that includes information indicative of the at least one verified measurement.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates to methods, apparatus, systems, and computer programs, particularly but not exclusively, for reporting verified measurements. [Background technology]

[0002] A communication system can be viewed as a facility that enables communication sessions between two or more entities, such as user terminals, base stations, and / or other nodes, by providing carrier waves between the various entities involved in the communication path. A communication system may be provided, for example, by a communication network and one or more compatible communication devices. A communication session may include, for example, communication of data to carry communications such as voice, video, electronic mail (email), text messages, multimedia, and / or content data. Non-limiting examples of services provided include two-way or multi-way calls, data communication or multimedia services, and access to a data network system such as the Internet.

[0003] In a wireless communication system, at least a portion of a communication session between at least two stations is conducted over a wireless link. Examples of wireless systems include public land mobile networks (PLMNs), satellite-based communication systems, and various wireless local networks, e.g., wireless local area networks (WLANs). Some wireless systems are divided into cells and are therefore often referred to as cellular systems.

[0004] A user may access a communication system by means of an appropriate communication device or terminal. A user's communication device may be referred to as user equipment (UE) or user device. A communication device comprises appropriate signal receiving and transmitting equipment to enable communication, e.g., to enable access to a communication network or direct communication with other users. A communication device may access a carrier provided by a station, e.g., a base station of a cell, and transmit and / or receive communications on the carrier.

[0005] Communication systems and associated devices typically operate according to a given standard or specification that describes what various entities associated with the system are permitted to do and how that should be accomplished. The communication protocols and / or parameters used for connectivity are also typically defined. One example of a communication system is UTRAN (3G radio). Another example of a communication system is the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) radio access technology, and the so-called 5G or new radio (NR) network. NR is standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect, a user equipment is provided that comprises means for performing one or more measurements relating to at least one resource; determining at least one verified measurement, the at least one verified measurement being at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more verification criteria; and, based on the determining, sending a message to a network that includes information indicative of the at least one verified measurement.

[0007] The means may be further configured to receive information associated with the at least one resource from the network.

[0008] The means may be further configured to store the received information associated with the at least one resource at the user equipment.

[0009] The information associated with the at least one resource may be received from the network via an access node that provides a primary cell connection for the user equipment, and the information associated with the at least one resource may include information associated with a secondary cell that is different from the primary cell.

[0010] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell configuration information for one or more cells in the network; and / or carrier measurement configuration information for one or more carriers of one or more cells in the network.

[0011] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information indicating at least one cell having the verified measurement, the at least one cell being associated with the cell configuration information.

[0012] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell carrier measurement configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information identifying at least one carrier having the verified measurement, the at least one carrier being associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

[0013] The information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include one or more of: identification information of one or more cells having a verified measurement; a bitmap indicating one or more cells having a verified measurement; identification information of the cell having the highest verified measurement; and / or carrier identification information.

[0014] The means may be further configured to: determine that a trigger condition is satisfied; and send a message in response to determining that the trigger condition is satisfied.

[0015] Determining that a trigger condition is satisfied may include determining that a mobile originated or mobile terminated call associated with the user equipment is initiated.

[0016] The means may be further configured to receive an indication from the network to perform additional measurement verification; and to perform the additional measurement verification in response to the indication.

[0017] According to one aspect, a network is provided comprising means for receiving a message from a user equipment including information indicating at least one verified measurement, the at least one verified measurement being at least one measurement relating to at least one resource that satisfies one or more verification criteria.

[0018] The means may be further configured to send information associated with the at least one resource to the user equipment.

[0019] The information associated with the at least one resource may be sent by the network via an access node that provides a primary cell connection for the user equipment, and the information associated with the at least one resource may include information associated with a secondary cell that is different from the primary cell.

[0020] The information associated with the at least one resource may include: cell configuration information for one or more cells in the network; and / or cell carrier measurement configuration information for one or more carriers of one or more cells in the network.

[0021] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information indicating at least one cell having the verified measurement, the at least one cell being associated with the cell configuration information.

[0022] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell carrier measurement configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information identifying at least one carrier having the verified measurement, the at least one carrier being associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

[0023] The means may be further configured to: determine, based on the received message, that at least one cell associated with the cell configuration information and / or at least one carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration has verified measurements; and, based on the determining, activate, for the user equipment, the at least one cell associated with the cell configuration information and / or the at least one carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration.

[0024] The information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include one or more of: identification information of one or more cells having valid measurements; a bitmap indicating one or more cells having valid measurements; identification information of the cell having the highest valid measurement; and / or carrier identification information.

[0025] The means may be further configured to: send an indication to the user equipment to perform additional measurement verification.

[0026] According to one aspect, there is provided a user equipment comprising at least one processor and at least one memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to at least: perform one or more measurements relating to at least one resource; determine at least one verified measurement, wherein the at least one verified measurement is at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more verification criteria; and, based on the determining, send a message to a network that includes information indicating the at least one verified measurement.

[0027] The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the user equipment to receive information associated with the at least one resource from the network.

[0028] The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the user equipment to store the received information associated with the at least one resource at the user equipment.

[0029] The information associated with the at least one resource may be received from the network via an access node that provides a primary cell connection for the user equipment, and the information associated with the at least one resource may include information associated with a secondary cell that is different from the primary cell.

[0030] The information associated with the at least one resource may include: cell configuration information for one or more cells in the network; and / or carrier measurement configuration information for one or more carriers of one or more cells in the network.

[0031] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information indicating at least one cell having the verified measurement, the at least one cell being associated with the cell configuration information.

[0032] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell carrier measurement configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information identifying at least one carrier having the verified measurement, the at least one carrier being associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

[0033] The information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include one or more of: identification information of one or more cells having a verified measurement; a bitmap indicating one or more cells having a verified measurement; identification information of the cell having the highest verified measurement; and / or carrier identification information.

[0034] The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the user equipment to determine that a trigger condition is satisfied and to send a message in response to determining that the trigger condition is satisfied.

[0035] The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the user equipment to determine that a mobile-originated or mobile-terminated call associated with the user equipment is initiated.

[0036] The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the user equipment to: receive an indication from the network to perform additional measurement verification; and perform the additional measurement verification in response to the indication.

[0037] According to one aspect, there is provided a network comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network to at least: receive a message from a user equipment including information indicating at least one verified measurement, the at least one verified measurement being at least one measurement relating to at least one resource that satisfies one or more verification criteria.

[0038] The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the network to send information associated with the at least one resource to the user equipment.

[0039] The information associated with the at least one resource may be sent by the network via an access node that provides a primary cell connection for the user equipment, and the information associated with the at least one resource may include information associated with a secondary cell that is different from the primary cell.

[0040] The information associated with the at least one resource may include: cell configuration information for one or more cells in the network; and / or cell carrier measurement configuration information for one or more carriers of one or more cells in the network.

[0041] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information indicating at least one cell having the verified measurement, the at least one cell being associated with the cell configuration information.

[0042] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell carrier measurement configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information identifying at least one carrier having the verified measurement, the at least one carrier being associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

[0043] The at least one processor may be further configured to: cause the network to: determine, based on the received message, that at least one cell associated with the cell configuration information and / or at least one carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration has verified measurements; and, based on the determination, activate, for the user equipment, the at least one cell associated with the cell configuration information and / or the at least one carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration.

[0044] The information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include one or more of: identification information of one or more cells having valid measurements; a bitmap indicating one or more cells having valid measurements; identification information of the cell having the highest valid measurement; and / or carrier identification information.

[0045] The at least one processor may be further configured to cause the network to: send an indication to the user equipment to perform additional measurement verification.

[0046] According to one aspect, a method is provided that includes: performing one or more measurements related to at least one resource; determining at least one verified measurement, where the at least one verified measurement is at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more verification criteria; and based on the determination, sending a message to a network that includes information indicative of the at least one verified measurement.

[0047] The method may include receiving information associated with at least one resource from a network.

[0048] The method may include storing the received information associated with the at least one resource at the user equipment.

[0049] The information associated with the at least one resource may be received from the network via an access node that provides a primary cell connection for the user equipment, and the information associated with the at least one resource may include information associated with a secondary cell that is different from the primary cell.

[0050] The information associated with the at least one resource may include: cell configuration information for one or more cells in the network; and / or carrier measurement configuration information for one or more carriers of one or more cells in the network.

[0051] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information indicating at least one cell having the verified measurement, the at least one cell being associated with the cell configuration information.

[0052] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell carrier measurement configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information identifying at least one carrier having the verified measurement, the at least one carrier being associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

[0053] The information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include one or more of: identification information of one or more cells having a verified measurement; a bitmap indicating one or more cells having a verified measurement; identification information of the cell having the highest verified measurement; and / or carrier identification information.

[0054] The method may include: determining that a trigger condition is met; determining that the trigger condition is satisfied; and sending a message in response to determining that the trigger condition is satisfied.

[0055] Determining that a trigger condition is satisfied may include determining that a mobile-originated or mobile-terminated call associated with the user equipment is initiated.

[0056] The method may include: receiving an indication from a network to perform additional measurement verification; and performing the additional measurement verification in response to the indication.

[0057] According to one aspect, a method is provided that includes receiving a message from a user equipment that includes information indicating at least one verified measurement, the at least one verified measurement being at least one measurement regarding at least one resource that satisfies one or more verification criteria.

[0058] The method may include sending information associated with the at least one resource to a user equipment.

[0059] Information associated with at least one resource may be sent by the network via an access node that provides a primary cell connection for the user equipment, and the information associated with the at least one resource may include information associated with a secondary cell that is different from the primary cell.

[0060] The information associated with the at least one resource may include: cell configuration information for one or more cells in the network; and / or cell carrier measurement configuration information for one or more carriers of one or more cells in the network.

[0061] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information indicating at least one cell having the verified measurement, the at least one cell being associated with the cell configuration information.

[0062] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell carrier measurement configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information identifying at least one carrier having the verified measurement, the at least one carrier being associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

[0063] The method may include: determining, based on the received message, that at least one cell associated with the cell configuration information and / or at least one carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration has verified measurements; and activating, for the user equipment, the at least one cell associated with the cell configuration information and / or the at least one carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration based on the determining.

[0064] The information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include one or more of: identification information of one or more cells having valid measurements; a bitmap indicating one or more cells having valid measurements; identification information of the cell having the highest valid measurement; and / or carrier identification information.

[0065] The method may include: sending an indication to the user equipment to perform additional measurement verification.

[0066] According to one aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided that includes instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least: perform one or more measurements related to at least one resource; determine at least one verified measurement, where the at least one verified measurement is at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more verification criteria; and, based on the determination, send a message to a network that includes information indicative of the at least one verified measurement.

[0067] The instructions, when executed by the apparatus, may further cause the apparatus to receive information associated with the at least one resource from a network.

[0068] The instructions, when executed by the apparatus, may further cause the apparatus to store the received information associated with the at least one resource at the user equipment.

[0069] The information associated with the at least one resource may be received from the network via an access node that provides a primary cell connection for the user equipment, and the information associated with the at least one resource may include information associated with a secondary cell that is different from the primary cell.

[0070] The information associated with the at least one resource may include: cell configuration information for one or more cells in the network; and / or carrier measurement configuration information for one or more carriers of one or more cells in the network.

[0071] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information indicating at least one cell having the verified measurement, the at least one cell being associated with the cell configuration information.

[0072] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell carrier measurement configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information identifying at least one carrier having the verified measurement, the at least one carrier being associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

[0073] The information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include one or more of: identification information of one or more cells having a verified measurement; a bitmap indicating one or more cells having a verified measurement; identification information of the cell having the highest verified measurement; and / or carrier identification information.

[0074] The instructions, when executed by the device, may further cause the device to determine that a trigger condition is satisfied and to send a message in response to determining that the trigger condition is satisfied.

[0075] Determining that a trigger condition is satisfied may include determining that a mobile-originated or mobile-terminated call associated with the user equipment is initiated.

[0076] The instructions, when executed by the device, may further cause the device to: receive an indication from the network to perform additional measurement verification; and perform the additional measurement verification in response to the indication.

[0077] According to one aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided that includes instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a message from a user equipment that includes information indicating at least one verified measurement, wherein the at least one verified measurement is at least one measurement regarding at least one resource that meets one or more verification criteria.

[0078] The instructions, when executed by the apparatus, may further cause the apparatus to send information associated with the at least one resource to a user equipment.

[0079] Information associated with at least one resource may be sent by the network via an access node that provides a primary cell connection for the user equipment, and the information associated with the at least one resource may include information associated with a secondary cell that is different from the primary cell.

[0080] The information associated with the at least one resource may include: cell configuration information for one or more cells in the network; and / or cell carrier measurement configuration information for one or more carriers of one or more cells in the network.

[0081] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information indicating at least one cell having the verified measurement, the at least one cell being associated with the cell configuration information.

[0082] The information associated with the at least one resource may include cell carrier measurement configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include information identifying at least one carrier having the verified measurement, the at least one carrier being associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

[0083] The method may include: determining, based on the received message, that at least one cell associated with the cell configuration information and / or at least one carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration has verified measurements; and activating, for the user equipment, the at least one cell associated with the cell configuration information and / or the at least one carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration based on the determining.

[0084] The information indicating the at least one verified measurement may include one or more of: identification information of one or more cells having valid measurements; a bitmap indicating one or more cells having valid measurements; identification information of the cell having the highest valid measurement; and / or carrier identification information.

[0085] The instructions, when executed by the apparatus, may further cause the apparatus to send an indication to the user equipment to perform additional measurement verification.

[0086] According to one aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least a method according to any of the preceding aspects.

[0087] A number of different embodiments have been described above, and it should be understood that any two or more of the foregoing embodiments may be combined to provide another embodiment.

[0088] Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0089] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a representation of a network system in accordance with some example embodiments. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a representation of a controller according to some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a representation of an apparatus according to some exemplary embodiments. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a method according to some examples. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a signaling exchange according to some examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0090] A non-exhaustive list of abbreviations used herein is provided below for reference: CA Carrier Aggregation CSI Channel State Information CSI-RS CSI reference symbol CQI Channel Quality Information DC Dual Connectivity DCI Downlink Control Information DL Downlink eNB evolved Node-B gNB 5G Node-B FR1 Frequency Range 1 FR2 Frequency Range 2 LTE Long Term Evolution MAC Media Access Control MCG Master Cell Group MO Mobile Call MT Mobile Incoming Call NR New Radio PCell Primary Cell PSCell Primary Secondary Cell RAN Radio Access Network RRC Radio Resource Control RS reference signal RSRP reference signal received power RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality SCell Secondary Cell SCG Secondary Cell Group SIB System Information Block SSB Sync Signal and PBCH Block UE User Equipment UL Uplink WI Work Item

[0091] In the following, several embodiments will be described with reference to a wireless cellular system serving a mobile communication device and a mobile communication device capable of communicating via the mobile communication system. Before describing the exemplary embodiments in detail, some general principles of wireless communication systems, their access systems, and mobile communication devices will be briefly explained with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 to aid in understanding the technology underlying the described examples.

[0092] 1 shows a schematic representation of a 5G system (5GS). The 5GS may include a terminal or user equipment (UE), a 5G radio access network (5GRAN) or next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN), a 5G core network (5GC), one or more application functions (AFs), and one or more data networks (DNs). While 5GS is shown in FIG. 5, it should be understood that examples of the present disclosure are not limited to use with 5GS and may be applied in other systems, such as, but not limited to, LTE and 6G.

[0093] A 5G-RAN may comprise one or more gNodeBs (gNBs) or one or more gNodeB (gNB) distributed unit functions connected to one or more gNodeB (gNB) centralized unit functions.

[0094] The 5GC may comprise the following entities: Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF); Network Exposure Function; Network Repository Function (NRF); Policy Control Function (PCF); Unified Data Management (UDM); Application Function (AF); Authentication Server Function (AUSF); Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); and Session Management Function (SMF). Figure 1 also shows various interfaces (N1, N2, etc.) that may be implemented between various elements of the system.

[0095] FIG. 2 shows an example of a control device 200 for controlling the functions of the 5GRAN or 5GC shown in FIG. 1. The control device may include at least one random access memory (RAM) 211a, at least one read-only memory (ROM) 211b, at least one processor 212, 213, and an input / output interface 214. The at least one processor 212, 213 may be coupled to the RAM 211a and the ROM 211b. The at least one processor 212, 213 may be configured to execute appropriate software code 215. The software code 215 may, for example, enable one or more steps to perform one or more of the present aspects. The software code 215 may be stored in the ROM 211b. The control device 200 may be interconnected to another control device 200 that controls another function of the 5GRAN or 5GC. In some embodiments, each function of the 5GRAN or 5GC includes a control device 200. In alternative embodiments, two or more functions of the 5GRAN or 5GC may share a control device.

[0096] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a terminal 300, such as the terminal shown in FIG. 1. The terminal 300 may be provided by any device capable of sending and receiving wireless signals. Non-limiting examples include user equipment, a mobile station (MS) or mobile device such as a cell phone or what is known as a "smartphone," a computer with a wireless interface card or other wireless interface mechanism (e.g., a USB dongle), a personal digital assistant (PDA) or tablet with wireless communication capabilities, a machine-type communication (MTC) device, an Internet of Things (IoT) type communication device, or any combination thereof. The terminal 300 may provide, for example, communication of data to carry the communication. The communication may be one or more of voice, electronic mail (email), text message, multimedia, data, machine data, etc.

[0097] The terminal 300 may receive signals over the air or wireless interface 307 via suitable equipment for receiving and may transmit signals via suitable equipment for transmitting wireless signals. In Figure 3, a transceiver unit is generally indicated by block 306. The transceiver unit 306 may be provided, for example, by a radio part and an associated antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement may be internal or external to the mobile device.

[0098] The terminal 300 may comprise at least one processor 301, at least one memory ROM 302a, at least one RAM 302b, and other possible components 303 for use in software and hardware-assisted execution of tasks it is designed to perform, including controlling access to and communication with access systems and other communication devices. The at least one processor 301 is coupled to the RAM 302b and the ROM 302a. The at least one processor 301 may be configured to execute appropriate software code 308. The software code 308 may, for example, enable one or more of the present aspects to be performed. The software code 308 may be stored in the ROM 302a.

[0099] The processor, storage, and other associated controls may be provided on a suitable circuit board and / or within a chipset, features of which are indicated by reference numeral 304. Optionally, the device may have a user interface such as a keypad 305, a touch-sensitive screen or pad, or a combination thereof. Optionally, depending on the type of device, one or more of a display, a speaker, and a microphone may be provided.

[0100] 3GPP has been working on improving CA / DC setup delay in LTE and NR for several releases, and this work continues in Rel-18. To this end, in some examples, the UE may perform verification of available measurements during RRC setup / resumption, and verification may continue in connected mode. The UE may start measurement verification at MO or MT RRC setup / resumption initiation. The measurements may include any type of measurement, such as UE EMR measurements, or any other available idle / inactive mode measurements for non-EMR and / or EMR UEs may be used. After verification, the UE may report the verified measurements to the network.

[0101] Therefore, the UE may verify / check (on the UE side) some available measurements during RRC setup / resumption. For example, verifying / checking measurements may include ensuring that a particular cell is detectable, that a particular index remains unchanged, or that a particular measurement (e.g., SS-RSRP) is within a particular range. Such measurements may continue for a period of time even after the UE enters (and thus during) connected mode.

[0102] There can be various UE implementations and functions related to measurements during idle mode. Some example functions are shown in Table 1 below:

[0103] [Table 1]

[0104] In some cases (e.g., when operating in FR2, which may be defined as the frequency range from 24.25 GHz to 71.0 GHz), there may be additional delays during CA / DC setup due to the possible need for beamforming on both the UE and network side (which may be to ensure link quality and link budget). With the use of network-side beamforming and the possible use of multiple panels and beams on the UE side (resulting in different spatial configurations), some procedures may be extended due to the need for the UE to sweep different panel / DL Rx spatial configurations (i.e., different Rx beams). Such procedures may include, for example, cell detection, measurements, and SSB index reading, but it should be understood that other procedures may also be included.

[0105] This means that the expected time for the UE to perform some procedures, e.g., detect and measure the first new cell, may be somewhat long, which means that it is not efficient to set up CA / DC when entering connected mode from idle mode.

[0106] In some examples (particularly in CA), the network may need to have information about which DL to use to schedule the UE. In such examples, such information may need to be relayed from the UE to the network before the network can schedule the UE in a cell, e.g., an SCell, a PSCell, or other cell type. Relaying this information to the network may add additional delay to the overall CA / DC setup in addition to the basic measurements.

[0107] In some examples, when a UE enters connected mode (e.g., from idle or inactive mode), if there is a long delay before it can use a cell (e.g., SCell) due to the aforementioned inherited delays, it may be possible that required data transmission between the UE and the network may finish before CA / DC setup is finished. Therefore, it may be impossible for the network to use CA / DC in practical deployments.

[0108] Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a method that allows for faster setup of an RRC connection for a UE, which may be particularly helpful for CA and / or DC.

[0109] Reference is made to Figure 4, which illustrates a method according to some examples. Steps 400-404 illustrate method steps that may be performed by a user equipment. Step 406 illustrates method steps that may be performed by a network. In some examples, steps described below with respect to a network may be performed by or in one or more network nodes, such as, but not limited to, access nodes / base stations (e.g., gNBs).

[0110] At 400, the method includes performing one or more measurements on at least one resource.

[0111] At 402, the method includes determining at least one validated measurement, the at least one validated measurement being at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more validation criteria.

[0112] At 404, the method includes, based on the determining, sending a message to the network including information indicative of the at least one verified measurement.

[0113] At 406, the method includes receiving a message from the user equipment including information indicating at least one verified measurement, the at least one verified measurement being at least one measurement regarding at least one resource that meets one or more verification criteria.

[0114] In some examples, the UE sends information to the network indicating that the UE has verified measurements available on a particular resource (e.g., a particular cell, a particular carrier, an SSB index, etc.). The information may be sent during a connection setup / resumption phase. In some examples, the UE may send the information within an RRC message such as RRCSetupComplete or RRCResumeComplete.

[0115] The verified measurements may include verified measurements for any cell, and in some examples, the verified measurements may be for a stored cell (e.g., SCell or PSCell) configuration. In some examples, only one carrier may be configured. In other examples, multiple carriers may be configured.

[0116] Measurements may be validated according to specified validation conditions and / or network-configured validation conditions.

[0117] The information indicating that the UE has verified measurements may include information about one or more cells, such as one or more of the following: Identification of the cell for which the UE has verified measurements (e.g. SCell index, PCI+ frequency, SSB index); a bitmap indicating which of the stored cells have verified measurements; the identity of the cell with the best verified measurement (e.g., the measurement with the highest signal strength); and / or Carrier identification information.

[0118] In some examples, the network may configure the UE with information for making idle / inactive mode measurements. In some examples, the network may send information associated with at least one resource to the UE. The information may include cell configuration and / or carrier measurement configuration. In some examples, while in or when entering inactive (or idle) mode, the UE may store information associated with at least one resource. In another example, the UE may use information associated with a resource from connected mode (e.g., cell index, SSB index, SSB frequency, PCI, etc.) and store this information during idle mode.

[0119] When the UE includes information indicating at least one valid measurement in an RRC message, the network may recognize that the UE has verified measurements for the stored cell and / or carrier. Furthermore, the network may assume that one or more reported indices can be used in DL within a cell (e.g., PCell or PSCell) by the UE.

[0120] The network may use this information for further action as needed, for example adding or activating cells / carriers as needed.

[0121] Reference is made to FIG. 5, which illustrates a method according to some examples.

[0122] At 500, the UE is in a connected mode and may be operating in CA and / or DC, for example.

[0123] At 502, the network may send information associated with at least one resource to the UE. The information associated with the at least one resource may include information for performing one or more measurements during an idle and / or inactive mode. In some examples, the information associated with the at least one resource may include a cell configuration or a cell carrier measurement configuration. The network may send the information to the UE via an access node (e.g., a gNB). The access node may be an access node that provides a PCell connection for the UE. The network may send the information to the UE via other signaling, such as, but not limited to, an SIB.

[0124] The cell configuration may be a SCell configuration or a PSCell configuration. The cell carrier configuration may identify a carrier for a particular cell (e.g., a SCell or a PSCell), or the UE may select a carrier based on, for example, a SIB configuration.

[0125] The network releases the connection for the UE at 504. In response, the UE stores the information received at 502.

[0126] At 506, after the connection is released, the UE enters and remains in idle / inactive mode.

[0127] At 508, the UE performs one or more measurements. The one or more measurements may be based on stored information, i.e., cell configuration information or cell carrier measurement configuration information. For example, the UE may perform one or more measurements for a cell corresponding to the stored cell configuration or for a specific carrier according to the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

[0128] 5, the UE may perform one or more measurements during idle / inactive mode (i.e., after connection release) in step 508. In another example, the UE may perform one or more measurements during active mode (i.e., before connection release).

[0129] At 510, the UE determines that a trigger condition is satisfied. For example, the trigger condition may be that an MO call is initiated or that an MT call is received. In response to determining that the trigger condition is satisfied, the UE sends a connection setup request (e.g., an RRC connection setup request) to the network at 512. In response to the request, the network sends a response message (e.g., an RRC response message such as an RRC resume message) at 514.

[0130] Optionally, the message sent by the network to the UE in step 514 may also include an indication to the UE to start additional measurement verification and / or reporting. The indication may be signaled implicitly or explicitly. Additional measurement reporting may be performed using Msg5. The indication may indicate what information is to be reported or a request to continue verification even after Msg5 transmission.

[0131] In 516, the UE requests at least one verified measurement, for example, the UE determines whether one or more of the measurements made in 508 are verified, i.e., whether the measurements meet one or more verification criteria or conditions. The one or more verification criteria or conditions may be sent along with information associated with the at least one resource in step 502. The verification criteria may include, for example, a cell index being known, a reference signal received power (RSRP) being better than a threshold, etc. It should be understood that in some examples, different verification criteria may be used. It should also be understood that step 516 may be performed at a different stage than shown in FIG. 5, as long as it occurs after step 508 and before step 518. In some examples, step 516 may be performed in response to determining a trigger condition in step 510. That is, when the UE performs the evaluation in 516 may be implementation specific.

[0132] At 518, the UE sends a message (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration complete message) to the network. If the evaluation at 516 was successful, the message may include information indicating one or more verified measurements (i.e., one or more measurements that meet the verification criteria). If the evaluation at 516 was not successful, the UE may not include such information when sending the message at 518.

[0133] The information indicative of the one or more verified measurements may include an identification of at least one cell having the verified measurements (the cell is associated with the stored cell configuration) and / or information indicative of an identification of at least one carrier having the verified measurements (the carrier is associated with the stored cell carrier measurement configuration).

[0134] At 520, the network determines, based on the information included in the message sent by the UE at 518, whether the cell corresponding to the stored cell configuration and / or the carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration can be assumed to have valid measurements and be verified.

[0135] For example, when the information included in the message sent at 518 includes information identifying a first cell (e.g., SCell), the network may assume that measurements for the first cell are validated. As another example, when the information included in the message sent at 518 includes information identifying a first carrier, the network may assume that measurements for the first carrier are validated.

[0136] Based on the information contained in the received message, the network may take appropriate action. For example, the network may activate a cell corresponding to a stored cell configuration based on information received from the UE, or may configure and potentially activate a cell for a carrier corresponding to a cell carrier measurement configuration for the UE based on information received from the UE.

[0137] In some examples, based on the network's knowledge of the stored cell / carrier in the UE and the configuration with verified measurements and information about the cell / carrier identification (e.g., SSB index), the network may directly schedule the UE to the cell / carrier once the cell / carrier is activated.

[0138] Some examples may use stored cell configuration information and / or stored cell carrier measurement configuration information. In some examples, there may be multiple carriers per cell. The multiple carriers may be indicated to the UE in dedicated signaling or broadcast information.

[0139] Some examples may enable the UE and network to create valid cell / carrier measurement associations without requiring the UE to transmit any measurements, which may result in reduced cell setup time when compared to some methods (e.g., the current rel-16-based EMR framework) that require the network to request measurements from the UE after security is established.

[0140] Some examples may also apply to situations where the UE does not support rel-16 idle mode measurements. However, UEs that do not support rel-16 idle mode measurements may find aspects of the present disclosure more beneficial because they may be able to maintain associations longer than UEs that do not support the rel-16 EMR framework.

[0141] In some examples, a user equipment is provided that comprises means for performing one or more measurements relating to at least one resource; determining at least one verified measurement, the at least one verified measurement being at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more verification criteria; and, based on the determining, sending a message to a network that includes information indicative of the at least one verified measurement.

[0142] In some examples, a user equipment comprises at least one processor and at least one memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to at least: perform one or more measurements relating to at least one resource; determine at least one verified measurement, wherein the at least one verified measurement is at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more verification criteria; and, based on the determining, send a message to the network that includes information indicating the at least one verified measurement.

[0143] In some examples, a network is provided that comprises means for receiving a message from user equipment that includes information indicating at least one verified measurement, the at least one verified measurement being at least one measurement regarding at least one resource that satisfies one or more verification criteria.

[0144] In some examples, the network comprises at least one processor and at least one memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network to at least: receive from a user equipment a message including information indicating at least one verified measurement, the at least one verified measurement being at least one measurement regarding at least one resource that satisfies one or more verification criteria.

[0145] It will be understood that the apparatus may comprise or be coupled to other units or modules, such as radio components or radio heads, used in or for transmitting and / or receiving. Although the apparatus has been described as one entity, the various modules and memories may be implemented in one or more physical or logical entities.

[0146] It should be noted that although some embodiments have been described in the context of 5G networks, similar principles may be applied in the context of other networks and communication systems. Thus, although some embodiments have been described above by way of example with reference to some example architectures for wireless networks, technologies, and standards, the embodiments may be applied to any suitable form of communication system other than those shown and described herein.

[0147] Although the above describes exemplary embodiments, it should also be noted herein that there are several variations and modifications that can be made to the disclosed solutions without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0148] As used herein, "at least one of: " and "at least one of " and similar phrases, when a list of two or more elements is joined by "and" or "or", mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

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

[0150] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) hardware-only circuit implementations (e.g., implementations using only analog and / or digital circuitry); and (b) (where applicable) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as: (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware; and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor, software, and memory along with software (including a digital signal processor) that works together to cause a device, such as a mobile phone or a server, to perform various functions; and (c) A hardware circuit and / or processor, such as a microprocessor or portion of a microprocessor, that requires software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may be absent when not necessary for operation.

[0151] This definition of circuit applies to all uses of the term in this application, including any claims. As another example, in this application, the term circuit also encompasses a simple hardware circuit or processor (or processors), or an implementation of a hardware circuit or processor and its associated software and / or firmware portions. The term circuit also encompasses, for example, a baseband or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device, if applicable to particular claim elements.

[0152] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by computer software executable by a data processor of a mobile device, such as in a processor entity, or by hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Computer software or programs, also referred to as program products, including software routines, applets, and / or macros, may be stored in any device-readable data storage medium and include program instructions for performing specific tasks. A computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components configured to perform embodiments when the program is executed. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one software code or portions thereof.

[0153] Further in this regard, it should be noted that any block of logic flow as in the figures may represent a program step, or may represent interconnected logic circuits, blocks, and functions, or a combination of program steps and logic circuits, blocks, and functions. Software may be stored on physical media such as memory chips, or memory blocks implemented within a processor, magnetic media such as hard disks or floppy disks, and optical media such as DVDs and their data variants, CDs. Physical media are non-transitory media.

[0154] The term "non-transitory" as used herein is not a limitation on data storage permanence (eg, RAM vs. ROM), but rather a limitation of the medium itself (ie, tangible, not a signal).

[0155] The memory may be of any type suitable for the local technology environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed and removable memory, etc. The data processor may be of any type suitable for the local technology environment and may include, by way of non-limiting examples, one or more of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), FPGAs, gate-level circuits and processors based on multi-core processor architectures.

[0156] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced in a variety of components, such as integrated circuit modules. The design of integrated circuits is typically a highly automated process. Complex and powerful software tools are available to convert logic-level designs into semiconductor circuit designs ready to be etched and formed on semiconductor substrates.

[0157] The scope of protection sought for various embodiments of the present disclosure is set forth in the independent claims. To the extent that any embodiments and features described herein are not encompassed within the scope of the independent claims, they should be construed as examples useful for understanding various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0158] The above description has provided a complete and informative description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, by way of non-limiting example. However, various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in light of the above description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. However, all such and similar modifications of the teachings of this disclosure are encompassed within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims. Indeed, there are other embodiments that include combinations of one or more of the embodiments with any of the other embodiments discussed above.

Claims

1. performing one or more measurements relating to at least one resource; determining at least one validated measurement, the at least one validated measurement being at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more validation criteria; Based on the determination, sending a message to the network including information indicative of the at least one verified measurement. a user equipment, comprising: means for

2. The means is, receiving information associated with at least one resource from a network; The user equipment of claim 1 , further configured to:

3. The user equipment of claim 2 , wherein the means is further configured to store the received information associated with the at least one resource at the user equipment.

4. 4. The user equipment of claim 2 or 3, wherein the information associated with at least one resource is received from the network via an access node that provides a primary cell connection for the user equipment, and the information associated with the at least one resource includes information associated with a secondary cell different from the primary cell.

5. The information associated with at least one resource is: cell configuration information for one or more cells in the network; and / or Carrier measurement configuration information for one or more carriers of one or more cells in the network 5. A user equipment according to claim 2, comprising:

6. the information associated with the at least one resource includes cell configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement includes information indicating at least one cell having the verified measurement, and the at least one cell is associated with the cell configuration information; and / or 6. The user equipment of claim 5, wherein the information associated with the at least one resource includes cell carrier measurement configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement includes information identifying at least one carrier having the verified measurement, the at least one carrier being associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

7. The information indicative of at least one verified measurement comprises: Identification of one or more cells having verified measurements; a bitmap indicating one or more cells having verified measurements; the identity of the cell with the best verified measurement, and / or Carrier Identification Information 7. A user equipment according to claim 1, comprising one or more of:

8. The means is, determining that a trigger condition is satisfied; Sending a message in response to determining that a trigger condition is satisfied 8. A user equipment according to claim 1, further configured to:

9. The user equipment of claim 8 , wherein determining that a trigger condition is satisfied comprises determining that a mobile-originated or mobile-terminated call associated with the user equipment is initiated.

10. The means is, receiving an indication from the network to perform additional measurement verification; Responding to indications and performing additional measurement verification 10. The user equipment of claim 1, further configured to:

11. receiving a message from a user equipment including information indicating at least one validated measurement, the at least one validated measurement being at least one measurement on at least one resource that satisfies one or more validation criteria; 1. A network comprising: a means for

12. The means is, Sending information associated with at least one resource to a user equipment The network of claim 11 further configured to:

13. 13. The network of claim 11 or 12, wherein the information associated with at least one resource is sent by the network via an access node that provides a primary cell connection for the user equipment, and the information associated with the at least one resource includes information associated with a secondary cell different from the primary cell.

14. The information associated with at least one resource is: cell configuration information for one or more cells in the network; and / or Cell carrier measurement configuration information for one or more carriers of one or more cells in the network.

14. A network according to claim 12 or 13, comprising:

15. the information associated with the at least one resource includes cell configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement includes information indicating at least one cell having the verified measurement, and the at least one cell is associated with the cell configuration information; and / or 15. The network of claim 14, wherein the information associated with the at least one resource includes cell carrier measurement configuration information, and the information indicating the at least one verified measurement includes information identifying at least one carrier having the verified measurement, the at least one carrier being associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration information.

16. The means is, determining, based on the received message, that at least one cell associated with the cell configuration information and / or at least one carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration has verified measurements; activating, for the user equipment, at least one cell associated with the cell configuration information and / or at least one carrier associated with the cell carrier measurement configuration based on the determination; 16. The network of claim 14 or 15, further configured to:

17. The information indicative of at least one verified measurement comprises: Identification of one or more cells with valid measurements; a bitmap indicating one or more cells with valid measurements; the identity of the cell with the best available measurement, and / or Carrier Identification Information 17. A network according to any one of claims 11 to 16, comprising one or more of:

18. The means is, Sending an indication to the user equipment to perform additional measurement verification 18. The network of any one of claims 11 to 17, further configured to:

19. A user equipment comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the user equipment to perform at least: causing one or more measurements relating to at least one resource; determining at least one validated measurement, the at least one validated measurement being at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more validation criteria; The user equipment causes the network to send a message including information indicative of the at least one verified measurement based on the determination.

20. A network comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the network to include at least: A network that receives from a user equipment a message including information indicating at least one verified measurement, the at least one verified measurement being at least one measurement regarding at least one resource that meets one or more verification criteria.

21. performing one or more measurements relating to at least one resource; determining at least one validated measurement, the at least one validated measurement being at least one measurement of the one or more measurements that meets one or more validation criteria; sending a message to the network based on the determination, the message including information indicative of the at least one verified measurement; A method comprising:

22. receiving a message from a user equipment including information indicating at least one validated measurement, the at least one validated measurement being at least one measurement on at least one resource that satisfies one or more validation criteria; A method comprising:

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