UE C-DRX Interworking with Layer 1 / Layer 2 Trigger Mobility

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure relate to user equipment (UE) connection mode discontinuous receive (C-DRX) interworking with Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) trigger mobility (LTM). According to the embodiments, the system may include a distributed unit (DU). The DU may be configured to provide at least one UE with correction information to correct at least one on-duration of at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE, and to provide the UE with a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) during the on-duration corrected by the UE based on the correction information. The MAC CE may include a cell switching command that instructs the UE to perform an LTM cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-Reference to Related Application This application claims the priority benefit of Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 202341052133, filed with the Patent Office of India on August 3, 2023, and entitled "UE C-DRX Interworking with Layer 1 / Layer 2 Triggered Mobility", the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to user equipment (UE) Connected mode Discontinuous Reception (C-DRX) interworking with Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM). Background Art

[0003] Various features and mechanisms have been introduced to improve the performance of telecommunication networks. In particular, one or more technical specifications provided by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) standardization organization (e.g., Release 18) describe mechanisms and procedures for Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM) to reduce mobility latency. Furthermore, one or more 3GPP technical specifications (e.g., Release 8, Release 15, etc.) also describe Connected mode Discontinuous Reception (C-DRX) for energy saving of devices. A device such as user equipment (UE) may be configured with C-DRX for energy saving purposes, and may be configured with LTM for reducing mobility latency. Summary of Invention Problem to be Solved by Invention

[0004] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, apparatuses, methods, and the like that facilitate UE C-DRX interworking with LTM. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to the embodiment, the system may include a distributed unit (DU). The DU may be configured to provide correction information to at least one user device (UE) to correct at least one on-duration of at least one discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle associated with the UE. Furthermore, the DU may be configured to provide the UE with a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) during the on-duration corrected by the UE based on the correction information. The MAC CE may include a cell switching command that instructs the UE to perform a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell.

[0006] According to embodiments, the method may include providing correction information to at least one user device (UE) for correcting at least one on-duration of at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE. Furthermore, the method may include providing the UE with a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) during the on-duration corrected by the UE based on the correction information. The MAC CE may include a cell switching command instructing the UE to perform a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell.

[0007] According to one embodiment, a non-transient computer-readable recording medium may record instructions executable by at least one network node to cause at least one network node to perform a method. The method may include providing at least one user device (UE) with correction information to correct at least one on-duration of at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE. Furthermore, the method may include providing the UE with a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) during the on-duration corrected by the UE based on the correction information. The MAC CE may include a cell switching command instructing the UE to perform a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell.

[0008] Further embodiments are partially described below, partially evident from the description, or may be realized through the practice of the embodiments presented in this disclosure.

[0009] The features, advantages, and importance of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, where similar reference numerals indicate similar elements. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] An example diagram of the DRX cycle is shown. [Figure 2] A block diagram of a general-purpose system architecture in which one or more exemplary embodiments may be implemented is shown. [Figure 3] A flowchart shows an example of a method for providing correction information and LTM cell switching commands according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 4] A flowchart shows an example of a method for performing an LTM cell switch based on an LTM cell switch command, which modifies at least one on-duration of at least one DRX cycle to receive an LTM cell switch command, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 5]This shows an example flow sequence of an embodiment in which the operations of the methods shown in Figures 3 and 4 are performed sequentially according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 6] The following is an example flow sequence of a use case for predicting LTM cell switchovers and providing information about the predicted LTM cell switchovers via MAC CE, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 7] The following is a flow sequence of an example use case for predicting LTM cell switching and providing information about the predicted LTM cell switching via RRC signaling, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 8] Figures 6 and 7 show an example of a DRX cycle, which is an example of a use case associated with the flow sequences of one or more embodiments. [Figure 9A] The following is a flow sequence of an example use case for providing extension factors to modify multiple on-durations according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 9B] The following is a flow sequence of an example use case for providing extension factors to modify multiple on-durations according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 10] The diagram shows an example of a DRX cycle, which is an example of a use case associated with the flow sequences in Figures 9A and 9B, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 11] A block diagram of an example of a network node component according to one or more embodiments is shown. [Figure 12] A block diagram of an example network node configuration according to one or more embodiments is shown. [Figure 13] A diagram illustrating an example of an environment in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] A detailed description of exemplary embodiments follows with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0012] The foregoing disclosures provide examples and explanations, but are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the exact forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the foregoing disclosures or can be derived from the practice of implementations. Furthermore, one or more features or components of one embodiment may be incorporated into or combined with another embodiment (or one or more features of another embodiment). In addition, it should be understood that in the descriptions of operation provided below, one or more operations may be omitted, one or more operations may be added, one or more operations may be performed (at least partially) simultaneously, and the order of one or more operations may be changed.

[0013] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in the form of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limited to the implementations described herein. Therefore, this specification describes the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods without reference to specific software code. It will be understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the descriptions herein.

[0014] Even if certain combinations of features are disclosed herein, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of possible implementations. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically disclosed herein.

[0015] As used in the present specification, any element, act or instruction shall not be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described. Also, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with "one or more". Where only one item is intended, the term "one" or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, terms such as "has", "have", "having", "include", "including" are intended to be open-ended terms. Furthermore, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "based at least in part on" unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, expressions such as "at least one of [A] and [B]", "[A] and / or [B]", or "at least one of [A] or [B]" shall be understood to include only A, only B, or both A and B.

[0016] It should be noted that the description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may include terms and names defined in one or more standardization organizations, such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standardization organization and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standardization organization. For example, terms such as "C-DRX", "DRX cycle", "LTM cell handover", "MAC CE", "PDCCH", "RRC reconfiguration message", "UE context modification request message", "UE context modification procedure", "DCI", "RNTI", "F1 interface", and related features and operations shall be construed as consistent with those specified in one or more 3GPP technical specifications and the like unless otherwise stated.

[0017] Furthermore, although some embodiments of the present disclosure may be described herein with reference to "gNodeB" and related components of 5G systems, it can be understood that the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited thereto. Specifically, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applied to any suitable network element in any suitable telecommunication system such as 4G LTE systems, 6G systems, etc.

[0018] Furthermore, although it is described herein that a central unit (CU) can communicate with user equipment (UE), it can be understood that such description does not necessarily limit that the CU is directly connected to or communicates with the UE. Rather, it is contemplated that the CU can communicate with the UE via any suitable channel or element, such as via a distributed unit (DU), network cell, etc., without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Similarly, although it is described herein that a DU can communicate with the UE, it can be understood that such description does not necessarily limit that the DU is directly connected to or communicates with the UE for the same reason.

[0019] With the evolution of telecommunication network technology, network elements in a telecommunication network can be decomposed into multiple entities. Specifically, the disaggregated architecture defined in one or more 3GPP technical specifications is to decompose a base station into a plurality of logical entities. For example, a gNodeB (gNB) can be decomposed into a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). Similarly, a single CU can be decomposed into a CU Control Plane (CU-CP) and a CU-User Plane (CU-UP).

[0020] A CU-CP can host the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and PDCP-c, while a CU-UP can host the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer and PDCP-u. In this regard, PDCP-c can refer to the first mode of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, which primarily processes control plane data, and PDCP-u can refer to the second mode of the PDCP layer, which primarily processes user plane data. On the other hand, a single DU can host or service multiple network cells, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, the Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and the Physical (PHY) layer. Scheduling operations may be performed at the DU.

[0021] The concept and basic principles of Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) Triggered Mobility (LTM) are introduced in one or more 3GPP technical specifications (e.g., Release 18). Generally, LTM is a procedure in which a base station (e.g., gNB) receives one or more L1 measurements (e.g., in the form of one or more L1 measurement reports) from a UE and triggers a cell switching procedure based on the received L1 measurements. Specifically, the base station can change the serving cell of a UE by signaling the UE a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) containing a cell switching command. Thus, the UE can switch from the serving cell to the target cell according to the cell switching command.

[0022] For example, when a UE is configured using LTM, the UE may continuously monitor one or more L1 parameters (e.g., radio signal quality, signal strength, etc.) of one or more neighboring candidate cells and / or serving cells. Thus, the UE may report one or more L1 measurements to the serving cell (or a base station associated with the serving cell), and the serving cell (or a base station associated with the serving cell) may evaluate, based on one or more L1 measurements, whether one or more cell switching criteria have been met. For example, the serving cell (or a base station associated with the serving cell) may determine, based on one or more L1 parameters in one or more L1 measurements, whether the signal quality of the serving cell is degrading or whether a neighboring candidate cell is providing better signal quality. Based on the determination that one or more cell switching criteria have been met, the serving cell (or its associated base station) may send a MAC CE containing a cell switching command to the UE, instructing the UE to perform an LTM cell switch from the serving cell to the target cell.

[0023] To this end, LTM enables cell switching via L1 / L2 signaling without involving or affecting higher layers (e.g., Layer 3). Furthermore, LTM leverages L1 measurements to trigger or initiate optimized cell switching procedures, thereby facilitating seamless cell switching and mobility management for UEs as they move between different cells or access points within the telecommunications network.

[0024] On the other hand, mechanisms and procedures for connected mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX) are also described in one or more 3GPP technical specifications (e.g., Release 8 for 4th generation Long-Term Evolution (4G LTE), Release 15 for 5th generation New Radio (5G NR), etc.). Generally, C-DRX is designed to optimize the power consumption of network devices (e.g., UEs) by allowing network devices to remain connected to the network while periodically entering sleep mode and wake-up mode according to a predefined cycle.

[0025] By configuring the UE using C-DRX, the UE can enter a sleep mode for a certain period (e.g., by turning off the Radio Frequency (RF) module), then wake up to monitor for opportunities for the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and / or Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS), and subsequently receive and / or transmit data.

[0026] In other words, when an UE is configured with C-DRX, the UE can enter sleep mode for a certain period (even when the UE is connected), then wake up again to monitor the PDCCH and determine if there is any data to receive, thereby effectively reducing the UE's power consumption. A UE configured with C-DRX can periodically repeat the start and end of sleep mode and wake-up mode, and such a cycle of phenomena can be called a "DRX cycle".

[0027] Figure 1 shows an example of a DRX cycle. As shown in Figure 1, a DRX cycle can be defined as a periodic repetition of an "on duration" followed by an "off duration". The x-axis of the figure can define the length of the DRX cycle (e.g., ms), and the y-axis of the figure can define the power consumption level when the UE is turned on during the on duration.

[0028] "On-duration" can refer to the duration during which a UE configured with C-DRX is turned on and in wake-up mode, while "Off-duration" can refer to the inactive duration during which the UE is turned off and in sleep mode. In some implementations, "On-duration" may also be called "Active-duration," and "Off-duration" may be called "Inactive-duration." In some implementations, On-duration can also refer to the duration during which the UE waits after waking up from sleep mode to monitor and receive PDCCH and / or SPS opportunities.

[0029] During the ON duration, the UE can enter wake-up mode (e.g., by turning on the RF module) and monitor PDCCH and / or SPS opportunities to determine if there is data to receive. If the UE successfully decodes the PDCCH and detects data to receive, the UE can remain awake and begin receiving data. On the other hand, if the UE does not detect data to receive during the ON duration, the UE can enter sleep mode (e.g., by turning off the RF module) during the OFF duration.

[0030] The C-DRX configuration (e.g., DRX cycle parameters, on-duration parameters, etc.) is determined and configured by the network operator and can be delivered to the UE (via the base station) in the form of configuration data. In some implementations, C-DRX can provide two levels of monitoring granularity, namely short DRX configuration and long DRX configuration. For example, under a long DRX configuration, the UE may wake up to monitor the PDCCH once every 160ms for a 10ms on-duration. Ultimately, C-DRX allows the UE to remain connected to and synchronized with the network while saving power consumption.

[0031] Considering the above, a base station (e.g., a gNB) can provide the UE with LTM and / or C-DRX configurations so that the UE can be configured with LTM and / or C-DRX to improve its performance. Nevertheless, prior art has several drawbacks when the UE is configured with both LTM and C-DRX.

[0032] Specifically, a base station can only send an LTM cell switching command to a UE during the ON duration of the DRX cycle associated with the UE. In other words, if a base station determines that an LTM cell switching is necessary but the UE is in an inactive / sleep mode, the base station cannot immediately send a MAC CE (including the LTM cell switching command) to the UE until the UE wakes up during the next ON duration. As a result, delays in receiving the LTM cell switching command, especially during long DRX cycles (e.g., 80 / 160 / 340 ms), can cause a Radio Link Failure (RLF). Furthermore, since LTM is expected to provide a faster cell switching procedure compared to baseline Layer 3 (L3) handovers, and base stations are supposed to send the LTM cell switching command as soon as possible, any delay at the base station sending the LTM cell switching command defeats the purpose of LTM. In addition, delays in receiving the LTM cell switching command can also increase user plane disruption.

[0033] In addition to the aforementioned drawbacks, the mechanisms for supporting LTM and C-DRX in the decomposed architecture remain unclear and unknown at this time. For example, it is unclear how entities within the decomposed gNB (e.g., gNB-CU, gNB-DU, etc.) will function to facilitate efficient and effective interworking between UE C-DRX and LTM.

[0034] In this regard, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide system architectures, mechanisms, procedures, etc., for UE C-DRX interworking with LTM. Specifically, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, methods, devices, etc., that enable a base station (e.g., a DU) to provide an LTM cell switching command to a UE (e.g., a UE configured with C-DRX and LTM) in a timely manner, regardless of the initial C-DRX configuration of the UE, and enable the UE to receive the LTM cell switching command from the DU in a timely manner and perform an LTM cell switching accordingly. Ultimately, the LTM cell switching command may be provided to the UE in a timely manner, thereby avoiding delays in LTM cell switching and mitigating the risk of RLF caused by delayed LTM cell switching.

[0035] Furthermore, operations related to cell configuration (e.g., adjacent cells, candidate cells, target cells, etc.) may be performed in the CU, and cell switching may be performed autonomously in the DU without further interaction with higher layers. Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide system architectures, mechanisms, procedures, etc., for facilitating UE C-DRX interworking with LTM in a decomposed architecture.

[0036] The features, advantages, and importance of the exemplary embodiments described above are only a part of the disclosure and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the disclosure.

[0037] Further descriptions of the features, components, configurations, operations, and implementations of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, as well as the related technical advantages, are provided below.

[0038] General system architecture Figure 2 shows a block diagram of a general-purpose system architecture 200 in which one or more exemplary embodiments may be implemented. As illustrated in Figure 2, the system architecture 200 may include at least one base station 210, a plurality of cells 220, and at least one user equipment (UE) 230. The components and configurations shown in Figure 2 are merely examples of possible embodiments of the present disclosure, and the system architecture may include more / fewer components than those shown, and / or components may be arranged in a manner different from those shown without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0039] The base station 210 may include at least one central unit (CU) 212 and a plurality of distributed units (DUs) 214-216. According to the embodiment, the base station may include a 5G NR gNodeB (gNB). In this case, CU212 may be a gNB-CU, and DU214-216 may be gNB-DUs. Without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the base station 210 is expected to include any other suitable type of radio base station, such as an evolved node B (eNodeB) of a 4G LTE network, a base station of a 6G network, etc. Furthermore, communication between CU212 and DU214-216 may be performed via an F1 interface.

[0040] According to the embodiment, CU212 and DU214-216 can be defined in software form and deployed on one or more network nodes. For example, CU212 and DU214-216 can be deployed on one or more servers in the form of virtualized network functions (VNFs), containerized and / or cloud-native functions (CNFs).

[0041] According to the embodiment, CU212, DU214, and / or DU216 may be located on the same network node (e.g., the same server) and / or in similar geographical locations (e.g., deployed on different servers within the same data center). According to the embodiment, CU212, DU214, and / or DU216 may be located on different network nodes and / or in different geographical locations. For example, CU212 may be located on one or more central servers far from UE230 (i.e., servers in one or more central data centers), and DU214-216 may be located on one or more edge servers closer to UE230 (i.e., servers in one or more edge data centers). Similarly, DU214 and DU216 may be located in different geographical locations (e.g., deployed on different servers, etc.).

[0042] A description of exemplary network nodes in which CU212 and / or DU214-216 may be located is provided below with reference to Figures 11-12. A description of exemplary environments in which CU212 and / or DU214-216 may be located is provided below with reference to Figure 13. In this regard, it is intended that one or more operations relating to CU212 and DU214-216 described herein may be performed by one or more components of the relevant network nodes without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0043] DU214-216 can receive radio signals from end users (via one or more of UE230 and cell 220) and accordingly provide operations or support for lower layers of the protocol stack (e.g., Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer, physical layer, etc.). For example, DU214-216 can perform one or more scheduling operations. CU212 can connect DU214-216 to a core network (e.g., an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network, a 5G core network, etc.) in a communicative manner and can receive radio signals from the DUs, thereby providing operations or support for higher layers of the protocol stack (e.g., a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, etc.). For example, CU212 can provide one or more configurations to UE230 via RRC signaling.

[0044] According to the embodiments, a single CU can host or service multiple DUs. In the example in Figure 2, CU212 can host or service DU214 and DU216. In practice, it is conceivable that a CU can host or service fewer than two or more than two DUs without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0045] Continuing to refer to Figure 2, cell 220 may include a plurality of cells 222-228. One or more of cells 222-228 may include a macrocell, microcell, picocell, femtocell, or any other suitable type of network cell. Each of cells 222-228 may have an associated coverage area in which at least one radio unit (RU), at least one antenna system, and any other suitable type of transport network element (TNE) may be located. According to the embodiment, one or more of cells 222-228 may consist of a cell DRX and / or a cell discontinuous transmission (DTX).

[0046] In the following, the cell to which the UE230 is connected may be referred to as the "serving cell," the cell near the UE230 and / or the serving cell may be referred to as the "adjacent cell," the cell that may be selectable (from among one or more adjacent cells) for an LTM cell switch may be referred to as a "candidate cell" or "LTM candidate cell," and the cell selected (from among one or more candidate cells) to receive an LTM cell switch may be referred to as the "target cell" or "LTM target cell." Similarly, a DU that provides a service or host to a serving cell may be referred to as the "source DU" or "serving DU," a DU that provides a service or host to a candidate cell may be referred to as a "candidate DU," and a DU that provides a service or host to a target cell may be referred to as the "target DU."

[0047] According to the embodiments, a single DU can host or service multiple cells. For example, a DU can implement various wireless technologies such as Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) and beamforming to optimize wireless communication between multiple cells and CUs. In the example in Figure 2, DU214 can host or service cells 222-224, and DU216 can host or service cells 226-228. Nevertheless, in practice, it is conceivable that a DU can host or service fewer than two or three or more cells without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Specifically, in some implementations, a single DU can host or service hundreds (e.g., 512) cells simultaneously.

[0048] Continuing to refer to Figure 2, UE230 may include one or more devices that can be used by one or more end users to access a telecommunications network. For example, UE230 may include one or more of the following: computing devices (e.g., desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, handheld computers, smart speakers, servers, etc.), mobile phones (e.g., smartphones, wireless phones, etc.), wearable devices (e.g., smart glasses or smartwatches), SIM-based devices, and any other suitable devices. According to the embodiment, UE230 may include a group of UEs such as multiple devices, apparatus, and equipment that are communicably coupled to the same cell (e.g., serving cell 222).

[0049] UE230 can connect to a serving cell hosted or serviced by a serving DU and can perform LTM cell switching from the serving cell to a target cell as needed. According to one embodiment, UE230 can perform intra-DU LTM cell switching, and UE230 can switch from a serving cell to a target cell serviced or hosted by the same serving DU (e.g., switching from serving cell 222 to cell 224). According to another embodiment, UE230 can perform inter-DU LTM cell switching, and UE230 can switch from a serving cell to a target cell serviced or hosted by a different DU (e.g., switching from serving cell 222 to cell 228). The type of cell switching and the associated target cell information are determined by base station 210. For example, during the LTM preparation phase, base station 210 (e.g., CU212, DU214, etc.) can select one or more LTM candidate cells from among several adjacent cells and then prepare and provide the LTM configuration of the selected LTM candidate cells to UE230. Therefore, during the LTM execution phase, the base station (e.g., DU214) can select a target cell from one or more LTM candidate cells and then provide information about the target cell to the UE230 with a cell switching command, which in turn allows the UE230 to perform a cell switch to the target cell.

[0050] An example of cell switching between DUs is shown in Figure 2, where UE230 switches from cell 222 (i.e., the serving cell) hosted / serviced by DU214 (i.e., the serving DU) to cell 228 (i.e., the target cell) hosted / serviced by DU216. A description of the exemplary operation related to this is provided below.

[0051] When UE230 is first connected to serving cell 222, base station 210 (e.g., CU212) may provide (UE230) with a configuration that enables UE230 to be configured with LTM and C-DRX when utilized by UE230. Configurations associated with LTM may be referred to herein as “LTM configurations,” and configurations associated with C-DRX may be referred to herein as “C-DRX configurations.” LTM configurations may include, for example, cell identification information (e.g., Cell ID of candidate cell, Cell ID of target cell), radio bearers of the cell, measurement configurations (e.g., measurement gap, type of measurement such as in-frequency measurement or inter-frequency measurement), reporting configurations, RRC configurations, etc. C-DRX configurations may include, for example, one or more on-duration / off-duration configurations, one or more DRX cycle configurations, etc.

[0052] In this regard, when UE230 first enters a connected state, UE230 may receive the LTM configuration and C-DRX configuration associated with the cell from base station 210 (e.g., CU212). UE230 may receive the LTM configuration and C-DRX configuration in the same / separate messages. According to the embodiment, UE230 may receive the LTM configuration and / or C-DRX configuration in one or more Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages, such as one or more RRC reconfiguration messages. Thus, UE230 may be configured using LTM and C-DRX based on the LTM configuration and C-DRX configuration.

[0053] Furthermore, in order to enable the base station 210 to select an LTM candidate cell from neighboring cells, the UE 230 must perform one or more measurements on the neighboring cells and then provide the measurements to the base station 210 so that the base station can determine which of the neighboring cells is suitable for LTM cell switching. For example, the UE 230 may perform one or more measurements on the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) (or other appropriate parameters) of the neighboring cells and then provide or report these one or more RSRP measurements to the CU 212 via Layer 3 (L3). Thus, measurements reported via L3 may also be called "L3 measurements." L3 measurements may include, for example, synchronous signal block (SSB) based L3 measurements, channel status information reference (CSI-RS) based L3 measurements, etc. Since L3 measurements may be transmitted to the CU 212 via RRC reports (which may be included in, for example, RRC: Measurement Report), L3 measurements may also be referred to as "RRC measurements." Similarly, during the LTM execution phase, the UE230 may provide one or more RSRP measurements to the serving DU214 via Layer 1 (L1). In this regard, the measurements reported via L1 may be referred to as "L1 measurements".

[0054] When base station 210 (e.g., CU212) receives measurements from UE230, it may prepare one or more candidate cells from among neighboring cells based on the measurements provided by UE230. Thus, base station 210 may provide UE230 with the configuration of candidate cells via RRC signaling. For example, CU212 may obtain information on cells 224-228 from DU214 and DU216 and then select cells 226-228 as candidate cells. Thus, CU212 may provide UE230 with the configuration of cells 226-228 via at least one RRC reconfiguration message.

[0055] Subsequently, the UE230 may perform one or more L1 measurements sequentially (or periodically) on one or more candidate cells and / or serving cells and send the results of one or more L1 measurements (e.g., in the form of an L1 measurement report) to the serving DU214. Based on the one or more L1 measurements provided by the UE, the serving DU214 may determine whether an LTM cell switchover is necessary or expected (e.g., whether any of the candidate cells meet the criteria for an LTM cell switchover and can be selected as an LTM target cell).

[0056] For example, the serving DU214 can determine whether one or more criteria for performing an LTM cell switchover (which may be referred to herein as “LTM cell switchover criteria”) are met based on one or more parameters in the L1 measurement (e.g., RSRP, SINR, etc.), and based on the determination that one or more LTM cell switchover criteria are met, it can determine that an LTM cell switchover is necessary or expected. According to embodiments, based on the determination that an LTM cell switchover is not currently necessary or expected, the serving DU214 can predict whether an LTM cell switchover is expected in one or more upcoming DRX cycles associated with the UE (exemplary embodiments relating thereto are described further below with reference to Figures 6 and 7).

[0057] In this regard, if Serving DU214 determines that an LTM cell switchover is necessary or expected, Serving DU214 can select one of the candidate cells as the target cell and trigger the LTM cell switchover procedure by generating and providing an LTM cell switchover command to UE230. The LTM cell switchover command may include the LTM configuration of the target cell. For example, in the example in Figure 2, Serving DU214 can select cell 228 as the target cell and provide the LTM configuration of cell 228 to UE230 (in the LTM cell switchover command). According to the embodiment, Serving DU214 can provide the LTM cell switchover command to MAC CE.

[0058] Therefore, the UE230 can perform an LTM cell switch from a serving cell to a target cell based on an LTM cell switch command. For example, the UE230 may detach from a serving cell (e.g., cell 222) and apply the LTM settings of a target cell (e.g., cell 228). The UE230 may then perform a random access procedure (e.g., a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure) to connect to the target cell if the UE230 has not yet obtained the timing advance (TA) of the target cell. On the other hand, if the UE230 has obtained the TA of the target cell, the UE230 can connect to the target cell by adjusting its uplink (UL) transmission according to the TA. Upon successful LTM cell switch, the UE230 can indicate the successful completion of the LTM cell switch to the target cell. According to one embodiment, the UE230 can indicate a successful LTM cell switchover by sending UL data packets to the target cell and / or target DU (i.e., functioning as the new serving cell and serving DU during a successful LTM cell switchover). In some implementations, based on the determination that the LTM cell switchover was successful, the UE230 can further provide the CU212 with an RRC reconfiguration acknowledgment message.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the serving DU 214 can be configured to provide the UE 230 with information (which may be referred to herein as “correction information”) for correcting at least one on-duration of at least one DRX cycle associated with the UE 230. Thus, the UE 230 can correct at least one on-duration of at least one DRX cycle, thereby enabling the UE 230 to monitor the PDCCH (or any other suitable channel) during the corrected on-duration to receive an LTM cell switching command from the serving DU 214 in a timely manner.

[0060] According to the embodiment, the serving DU 214 can predict that an LTM cell switchover is expected during the upcoming off-duration of an upcoming DRX cycle and can provide the UE 230 with information about the predicted LTM cell switchover. Thus, the UE 230 can modify at least one on-duration of at least one DRX cycle associated with the predicted LTM cell switchover, and the UE 230 can monitor the PDCCH during the modified on-duration to receive an LTM cell switchover command from the serving DU 214 in a timely manner and subsequently perform the LTM cell switchover. A description of the exemplary operation relating thereto is provided below with reference to Figures 6-8.

[0061] According to the embodiment, the serving DU214 can add exceptions to multiple on-durations of multiple DRX cycles associated with the UE230. Specifically, the serving DU214 can select an extension factor and provide that extension factor to the UE230. The UE230 can then add or introduce at least one active duration in each of the multiple on-durations based on the extension factor. A description of the exemplary operation related thereto is provided below with reference to Figures 9A to 10.

[0062] Instead of extending the on-duration based on predicted LTM cell switching or extension factors, DU214 may also instruct the UE to modify the on-duration over a longer period so that the UE can monitor the PDCCH over a longer period without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0063] In consideration of the foregoing, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide system architectures, mechanisms, procedures, etc., for facilitating UE C-DRX interworking with LTMs, thereby enabling proper execution of LTM cell switching for at least one UE composed of C-DRX and LTMs. Specifically, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems, methods, devices, etc., that enable a base station (e.g., DU) to provide a UE with an LTM cell switching command in a timely manner, so that the UE can receive the LTM cell switching command from the DU in a timely manner to perform an LTM cell switching based on the UE being composed of C-DRX and LTMs. Furthermore, operations related to cell configuration may be performed at the CU, and the execution of cell switching may be performed autonomously at the DU without further interaction with higher layers. Finally, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide system architectures and mechanisms for facilitating UE C-DRX interworking with LTMs in a disassembled architecture.

[0064] General operations to facilitate UE C-DRX interworking with LTM As described above, according to the embodiment, the distributed unit (DU) may be configured to provide correction information to the user equipment (UE) so that the UE can correct at least one on-duration of at least one DRX cycle associated with the UE, and then to obtain an LTM cell switching command, thereby facilitating UE C-DRX interworking with the LTM. A description of exemplary embodiments relating thereto is provided below with reference to Figures 3 to 5.

[0065] First, refer to Figure 3, which illustrates the operation on the DU side. Specifically, Figure 3 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method 300 for providing correction information and LTM cell switching commands according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations of method 300 can be performed by the DU or a component of the network node where the DU is located (e.g., a processor).

[0066] Referring to Figure 3, in operation S310, the DU may be configured to provide correction information to at least one UE. The UE may consist of a C-DRX and an LTM. Furthermore, the DU may be a serving DU, and the UE may be connected to a serving cell hosted or serviced by the DU. The correction information may include information to enable the UE to correct at least one on-duration of at least one DRX cycle associated with the UE.

[0067] According to the embodiment, the modification information may include information about the timing at which an LTM cell switchover is expected. Specifically, the DU can be configured to predict the timing at which an LTM cell switchover is expected (e.g., the timing at which an LTM cell switchover criterion is met and an LTM cell switchover is required or possible), and the DU can provide the UE with the timing information so that the UE can modify at least one specific on duration in at least one specific DRX cycle based on the information about the timing at which an LTM cell switchover is expected. A description of exemplary embodiments relating thereto is provided below with reference to Figures 6-8.

[0068] According to the embodiment, the modification information may include extension factors. Specifically, in addition to predicting a particular timing at which an LTM cell switchover is expected, or instead, the DU may select an extension factor from a plurality of predetermined extension factors and provide the UE with the extension factor so that the UE can modify multiple on-durations in multiple DRX cycles based on the extension factor. A description of exemplary embodiments relating thereto is provided below with reference to Figures 9A to 10.

[0069] According to the embodiment, the DU may be configured to provide modification information via MAC CE (a description of an exemplary embodiment relating thereto is provided below with reference to Figure 6) and / or RRC signaling (a description of an exemplary embodiment relating thereto is provided below with reference to Figures 7 and 9A).

[0070] Upon providing the correction information, method 300 can proceed to operation S320, where the DU can be configured to provide the UE with an LTM cell switching command. Specifically, the DU can generate a MAC CE containing the LTM cell switching command and provide the MAC CE to the UE during the on-duration modified by the UE based on the correction information. The LTM cell switching command may include information that instructs or enables the UE to perform an LTM cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell. According to the embodiment, the LTM cell switching command may include the configuration of the target cell (e.g., an LTM configuration). Furthermore, the DU can generate a MAC CE by generating a new MAC CE or by modifying an existing MAC CE (e.g., a MAC CE previously used to provide an LTM cell switching command in the past).

[0071] Next, we refer to Figure 4, which illustrates the operation on the UE side. Specifically, Figure 4 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method 400 for receiving an LTM cell switching command by modifying at least one on-duration of at least one DRX cycle and performing an LTM cell switching based on the LTM cell switching command, according to one or more embodiments. One or more operations of method 400 may be performed by at least one user device (UE). The UE may be configured with C-DRX and LTM and connected to a serving cell associated with a serving DU.

[0072] Referring to Figure 4, in operation S410, the UE may be configured to receive correction information. Specifically, the UE may be configured to receive correction information from the serving DU. As previously mentioned with reference to operation S310, the correction information may include information on the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover and / or extension factors for extending multiple on-durations. Furthermore, the UE may be configured to receive correction information in MAC CE (different from MAC CE containing the LTM cell switchover command) and / or RRC reconfiguration messages (provided by a CU communicably coupled to the DU).

[0073] Upon receiving correction information, method 400 proceeds to operation S420, in which the UE may be configured to correct at least one on-duration of at least one DRX cycle based on the correction information.

[0074] According to embodiments in which correction information includes the timing at which an LTM cell switchover is expected, the UE may be configured to correct at least one on-duration by determining at least one on-duration from a plurality of on-durations based on the timing at which an LTM cell switchover is expected, and extending at least one on-duration to correspond to the timing at which an LTM cell switchover is expected. For example, the UE may determine that the correction information indicates that an LTM cell switchover is expected or required during the upcoming off-duration in the next DRX cycle, and that the duration (from start to finish) of the LTM cell switchover is "20ms". In this case, the UE may extend the upcoming on-duration by "20ms" (for example, by adding a duration of 20ms to the upcoming off-duration) in the next DRX cycle (over the upcoming off-duration) so that the upcoming on-duration corresponds to the timing of the LTM cell switchover.

[0075] According to the embodiment, in addition to the timing at which LTM cell switching is required, the UE may receive information about the expected transmission time of a MAC CE, including the timing at which the serving DU is expected to send the MAC CE (e.g., the timing at which the serving DU is expected to send the MAC CE, the timing at which the MAC CE is expected to be sent to the UE). For example, the MAC CE containing the LTM cell switching command may be a second MAC CE, and the UE may receive a first MAC CE containing information about the timing at which LTM cell switching is expected and information about the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE. In this case, the UE may be configured to extend the on-duration to accommodate both the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE and the timing at which LTM cell switching is expected. A description of an exemplary use case related thereto is provided below with reference to Figure 8.

[0076] According to embodiments in which the correction information includes an extension factor, the UE may be configured to correct multiple on-durations (e.g., each on-duration in multiple upcoming DRX cycles) based on the extension factor. For example, the UE may determine that the correction information indicates that multiple on-durations associated with some / all of the on-durations should be extended by a factor of "1.5". In this case, the UE may extend the multiple on-durations by a factor of "1.5" (e.g., extending the multiple on-durations for a further 50% of the length of the original on-duration). A description of an exemplary use case related thereto is provided below with reference to Figure 10.

[0077] According to embodiments in which the correction information includes both the timing and extension factor at which the LTM cell switchover is expected, the UE may be configured to correct the on-duration according to the timing and extension factor in any appropriate sequence. For example, the UE may first correct the on-duration associated with the timing, and if the UE does not receive an LTM cell switchover command in a timely manner during the on-duration corrected based on the timing (for example, due to an unexpected factor such as sudden signal interference or a change in UE configuration), the UE may then correct a number of on-durations associated with the extension factor to attempt to receive the LTM cell switchover command again.

[0078] If the on-duration in the DRX cycle is modified, method 400 can proceed to operation S430, which may be configured for the UE to monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). Specifically, the UE may monitor the PDCCH during the modified on-duration(s) and then decode the PDCCH to obtain a MAC CE containing an LTM cell switching command. In this regard, if the UE extends or modifies multiple on-durations in operation S420, the UE may monitor the PDCCH during the multiple extended or modified on-durations. According to embodiments, in addition to, or instead of, the PDCCH, the UE may monitor any other suitable channel (e.g., one or more SPS opportunities) that can be used by the serving DU to send an LTM cell switching command. According to embodiments, the LTM cell switching command (contained in the MAC CE) may include the configuration of the target cell to which the UE should switch.

[0079] Upon receiving an LTM cell switching command, method 400 can proceed to operation S440, which can be configured for the UE to perform an LTM cell switching from the serving cell to the target cell. For example, the UE may detach from the serving cell and apply the LTM settings of the target cell (as included in the LTM cell switching command). The UE may then perform a random access procedure (e.g., a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure) to connect to the target cell if the UE has not yet obtained the timing advance (TA) of the target cell. Alternatively, if the UE has obtained the TA of the target cell, the UE may adjust its uplink (UL) transmission according to the TA and thereby connect to the target cell.

[0080] According to the embodiment, method 400 may further include one or more actions when performing an LTM cell switchover in operation S440. Specifically, the UE may determine whether the LTM cell switchover was performed successfully and then perform one or more actions based on that.

[0081] For example, based on the determination that the LTM cell switchover was successfully performed, the UE can indicate the successful completion of the LTM cell switchover to the target cell and / or target DU (which is now operating as the new serving cell and new serving DU). According to the embodiment, the UE can send a UL data packet to the target cell to indicate a successful LTM cell switchover.

[0082] Furthermore, based on the determination that the LTM cell switchover was successfully performed, the UE can deactivate or revert the modified on-duration. For example, the UE can override the extended on-duration with the normal on-duration so that the on-duration in the DRX cycle returns to its normal unextended / unmodified state.

[0083] In some implementations, the operations of method 300 and method 400 may be performed sequentially. For example, Figure 5 shows a flow sequence of an exemplary embodiment in which the operations of method 300 and method 400 are performed sequentially according to one or more embodiments. The flow sequence may include at least one DU and at least one UE. For illustrative purposes, the exemplary embodiment in Figure 5 is shown including the DU214 and UE230 described above with reference to Figure 2.

[0084] Referring to Figure 5, DU214 can first provide correction information to UE230 (in step 1). Upon receiving the correction information, UE230 can correct at least one on-duration in at least one associated DRX cycle (in step 2). Subsequently, UE230 can monitor PDCCH during at least one corrected on-duration (in step 3). Thus, DU214 can provide UE230 with a MAC CE containing an LTM cell switching command during at least one corrected on-duration (in step 4). Since UE230 has been monitoring PDCCH during at least one corrected on-duration, UE230 can receive the MAC CE from DU214 in a timely manner. Next, UE230 can perform an LTM cell switching according to the LTM cell switching command contained in the MAC CE (in step 5). Steps 1 and 4 may be similar to operations S310 and S320 in method 300, respectively. Steps 2, 3, and 5 may be similar to operations S420, S430, and S440 in method 400.

[0085] For this purpose, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide features and mechanisms for a base station (e.g., DU) to provide information for correcting at least one on-duration of at least one DRX cycle of a UE, and then provide the UE with an LTM cell switching command during at least one corrected on-duration. Furthermore, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure also provide features and mechanisms for a UE to receive information for correcting at least one on-duration of at least one associated DRX cycle, and then correct at least one on-duration based thereon, and receive an LTM cell switching command from the base station during at least one corrected on-duration. Finally, the LTM cell switching command may be provided to the UE in a timely manner, thereby avoiding delays in LTM cell switching and mitigating the risk of RLF resulting from delayed LTM cell switching.

[0086] Exemplary use case: Predicting LTM cell switchover and correcting specific on-durations. As described above, according to the embodiment, a distributed unit (DU) of a base station (e.g., gNB) may be configured to predict LTM cell switching and provide correction information to correct at least one specific on-duration in at least one DRX cycle associated with the UE.

[0087] According to the embodiment, the DU can predict when an LTM cell switchover is expected or required, and can provide timing information to the UE so that the UE can modify at least one associated on-duration to correspond to the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover. For example, the DU can predict that an LTM cell switchover is expected in the following "xms", and can therefore provide the UE with "xms" information for one or more on-durations before the LTM cell switchover is performed. According to the embodiment, the timing (e.g., "xms") can be predefined and / or configurable by the network operator (via the base station).

[0088] The DU can provide the UE with information about predicted LTM cell switchovers (e.g., information about the timing of expected LTM cell switchovers) in various ways. According to embodiments, the DU can provide such information to the UE using a downlink (DL) MAC CE. Additionally or alternatively, the DU can provide such information to the UE using RRC signaling. A description of an exemplary embodiment in which the DU provides information to the UE via MAC CE is provided below with reference to Figure 6, and a description of an exemplary embodiment in which the DU provides information to the UE via RRC signaling is provided below with reference to Figure 7. According to embodiments, providing information via MAC CE may be simpler and faster with minimal overhead compared to providing information via RRC signaling.

[0089] Figure 6 shows a flow sequence of an exemplary use case for predicting LTM cell switchovers and providing predicted LTM cell switchover information via MAC CE, according to one or more embodiments. The flow sequence may include at least one DU and at least one UE. For illustrative purposes, the exemplary embodiment of Figure 6 is shown including DU214 and UE230 as described above with reference to Figure 2. Furthermore, one or more operations in Figure 6 may include, or be part of, one or more operations described above with reference to Figures 3 to 5. For example, steps 1 to 3 in Figure 6 may be part of operation S310 in Figure 3 or step 1 in Figure 5, steps 4 to 5 may be similar to operations S420 to S430 in Figure 4 or steps 2 to 3 in Figure 5, step 6 may be similar to operation S320 in Figure 3 or step 4 in Figure 5, and step 7 in Figure 6 may be similar to operation S440 in Figure 4 or step 5 in Figure 5.

[0090] Referring to Figure 6, in step 1, the UE230 can provide the DU214 with at least one L1 measurement. For example, the UE230 may provide at least one L1 measurement report comprising one or more parameters obtained by the L1 measurement, such as reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal-to-noise and interference ratio (SINR), etc. The L1 measurement may be associated with the serving cell and / or at least one candidate cell.

[0091] In step 2, DU214 may predict an LTM cell switchover. Specifically, upon receiving an L1 measurement from UE230, DU214 may determine whether an LTM cell switchover is necessary or expected to occur soon (e.g., whether an LTM cell switchover is expected in the current DRX cycle). Based on the determination that an LTM cell switchover is not immediately necessary or expected, DU214 may determine whether an LTM cell switchover is expected to occur some time later (e.g., whether an LTM cell switchover is expected to occur during the next off-duration, after two DRX cycles, etc.).

[0092] According to the embodiment, the DU214 can compare the RSRP value associated with a serving cell with a predetermined threshold, thereby determining whether an LTM cell switchover is necessary or expected. For example, based on the determination that the RSRP value is below a predetermined threshold, the DU214 may determine that an LTM cell switchover is necessary or expected immediately. Furthermore, based on the determination that the RSRP value is equal to a predetermined threshold, the DU214 may determine that an LTM cell switchover is expected at a first predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration. On the other hand, based on the determination that the RSRP value is equal to a predetermined threshold, the DU214 may determine that an LTM cell switchover is expected at a second predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration.

[0093] According to the embodiment, DU214 may compare the RSRP value associated with a serving cell with a plurality of predetermined thresholds to determine whether an LTM cell switchover is necessary or expected. For example, based on the determination that the RSRP value satisfies a condition related to a first predetermined threshold (e.g., less than / greater than / equal to the first predetermined threshold), DU214 may determine that an LTM cell switchover is necessary or expected immediately. Similarly, based on the determination that the RSRP value satisfies a condition related to a second predetermined threshold (e.g., less than / greater than / equal to the second predetermined threshold), DU214 may determine that an LTM cell switchover is expected at a first predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration, and based on the determination that the RSRP value satisfies a condition related to a third predetermined threshold (e.g., less than / greater than / equal to the third predetermined threshold), DU214 may determine that an LTM cell switchover is expected at a second predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration.

[0094] It is conceivable that DU214 can predict LTM cell switching in a similar manner based on any other appropriate parameters in the L1 measurement, such as SINR and RSRQ. Furthermore, without departing the scope of this disclosure, DU214 can predict LTM cell switching for multiple upcoming durations, compare the RSRP value associated with the serving cell with the RSRP value associated with a candidate cell, compare the RSRP value associated with the candidate cell with a predetermined threshold, and so on. Furthermore, if DU214 determines that LTM cell switching is expected in an on-duration, but the on-duration is not sufficient to fully cover the timing of the expected LTM cell switching, it is conceivable that DU214 can perform one or more of the operations described herein to enable UE230 to modify the on-duration to correspond to the timing of the expected LTM cell switching.

[0095] According to the embodiment, the DU214 can predict LTM cell switching based on at least one Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML) model. The AI / ML model may be trained by any suitable training method, such as supervised learning (the AI / ML model is trained on input data and corresponding predetermined parameters), unsupervised learning (the AI / ML model is trained without predetermined parameters), semi-supervised learning (the AI / ML model is trained with a mixture of predetermined and unpredicted data / parameters), or reinforcement learning (the AI / ML model is trained on input data and feedback signals resulting from the model's output in an environment in which it interacts).

[0096] According to the embodiment, DU214 (or any other suitable component) can train an AI / ML model with, for example, the trajectory of UE230 (e.g., the path taken by an end user associated with UE230), L1 RSRP values ​​from past LTM cell switchovers, and cell IDs of serving and target cells included in previous LTM cell switchovers.

[0097] For this purpose, the DU214 can use a trained AI / ML model to predict LTM cell switchovers. For example, the DU214 can input one or more parameters of L1 measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, etc.) into an AI / ML model, which can automatically provide an output indicating whether an LTM cell switchover is expected and when it is expected to occur (if any).

[0098] If an LTM cell switchover is predicted, in step 3, DU214 can provide UE230 with information about the predicted LTM cell switchover. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment of Figure 6, DU214 can generate a first MAC CE that includes information about the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover and information about the expected transmission time of a second MAC CE (including the LTM cell switchover command). DU214 can then provide the first MAC CE to UE230. The first MAC CE may be different from the second MAC CE. Furthermore, the first MAC CE may be provided to UE230 at the on-duration before the correction of the DRX cycle (e.g., before the corrected on-duration), and the second MAC CE may be provided to UE230 at the corrected on-duration (in step 4 below) based on the predicted LTM cell switchover information (contained in the first MAC CE).

[0099] Upon receiving the first MAC CE, in step 4, the UE230 may modify at least one on-duration in at least one associated DRX cycle based on the information contained in the first MAC CE. Specifically, the UE230 may be configured to modify at least one on-duration by determining at least one on-duration from a plurality of on-durations based on the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover, and extending at least one on-duration to correspond to the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover. An exemplary operation relating thereto has been described above with reference to operation S420 of Method 400. According to an embodiment, the UE may be configured to extend at least one on-duration to correspond to the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE and the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover.

[0100] If the on-duration is modified, in step 5, UE230 may monitor the PDCCH for at least the duration of the modified (e.g., extended) on-duration. In some implementations, UE230 may also monitor the PDCCH during the normal on-duration(s). Then, in step 6, DU214 may generate a second MAC CE containing the LTM cell switching command and provide the second MAC CE to UE230 during the modified (e.g., extended) on-duration(s). Specifically, DU214 may provide the second MAC CE to UE230 via the PDCCH. Since UE230 monitors the PDCCH during the modified on-duration(s), UE230 can decode the PDCCH during the modified on-duration(s), thereby obtaining the second MAC CE in a timely manner.

[0101] Upon obtaining the second MAC CE, in step 7, the UE230 can obtain an LTM cell switching command from it and perform an LTM cell switching from the serving cell to the target cell. An exemplary operation related to this is described above with reference to operation S440 of Method 400.

[0102] According to one embodiment, when an LTM cell switchover is performed, the UE230 can determine whether the LTM cell switchover was performed successfully and may perform one or more further actions based on that. For example, the UE230 may deactivate the modified / extended on-duration and revert the modified / extended on-duration back to the normal, unmodified / unextended version, etc.

[0103] Considering the above, DU214 can predict LTM cell switchovers and provide information related to the predicted LTM cell switchovers to UE230 via MAC CE. Alternatively or additionally, DU214 can provide information related to the predicted LTM cell switchovers to UE230 via RRC signaling.

[0104] Figure 7 shows a flow sequence of an exemplary use case for predicting LTM cell switching and providing information about the predicted LTM cell switching via RRC signaling, according to one or more embodiments. The flow sequence may include at least one DU, at least one CU, and at least one UE. For illustrative purposes, the exemplary embodiment in Figure 7 is shown including DU214, CU212, and UE230 as described above with reference to Figure 2. Furthermore, one or more operations in Figure 7 may include, or be part of, one or more operations described above with reference to Figures 3 to 6. For example, steps 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in Figure 7 may be similar to steps 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in Figure 6, respectively.

[0105] Referring to Figure 7, in step 1, UE230 can provide DU214 with at least one L1 measurement. Thus, in step 2, DU214 can predict the LTM cell switchover. As previously mentioned, steps 1 and 2 in Figure 7 may be equivalent to steps 1 and 2 in Figure 6, respectively. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, any overlapping explanations related to them may be omitted below.

[0106] Subsequently, in step 3, DU214 can provide CU212 with information about the predicted LTM cell switchover. For example, DU214 can initiate a UE context change procedure toward CU212 by sending an F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) UE context change request message to CU212 (via the F1 interface). The F1AP UE context change request message may include information about the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover and information about the expected transmission time of the MAC CE (including the LTM cell switchover command).

[0107] Upon receiving information about the predicted LTM cell switchover, in step 4, CU212 may generate and provide an RRC reconfiguration message to UE230. The RRC reconfiguration message may include information about the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover and information about the expected transmission time of the MAC CE (including the LTM cell switchover command).

[0108] Upon receiving the RRC reconfiguration message, in step 5, UE230 may modify at least one on-duration of at least one associated DRX cycle to correspond to the timing at which the MAC CE is expected to be sent by DU214 (e.g., the timing at which the MAC CE is expected to arrive at UE230) and the timing at which the LTM cell switchover is expected. Then, in step 6, UE230 may monitor the PDCCH for at least one modified on-duration. Furthermore, in step 7, DU214 may provide UE230 with a MAC CE (including an LTM cell switchover command). Next, in step 8, UE230 may perform an LTM cell switchover from the serving cell to the target cell in accordance with the LTM cell switchover command. As previously mentioned, steps 5, 6, 7, and 8 in Figure 7 may be analogous to steps 4, 5, 6, and 7 in Figure 6, respectively. Therefore, for brevity, any overlapping explanations related to them may be omitted below.

[0109] Next, referring to Figure 8, exemplary use cases related to the flow sequences of Figures 6 and 7 are shown. Specifically, Figure 8 shows an exemplary DRX cycle diagram of an exemplary use case associated with the flow sequences of Figures 6 and 7 according to one or more embodiments. In this exemplary embodiment, the on-duration is modified based on information about the predicted LTM cell switchover.

[0110] Specifically, the DU can predict that an LTM cell switchover is expected. For example, the DU may predict that an LTM cell switchover is expected between durations T2 and T3, that an LTM cell switchover command is expected to be sent by the DU, or that it is expected to arrive at the UE by T2, so that the UE can perform the LTM cell switchover in a timely manner, and the UE needs to decode the PDCCH in a timely manner to obtain the MAC CE, and then monitor the PDCCH between durations T1 and T2 to obtain the LTM cell switchover command from the MAC CE. In this regard, the DU can provide the UE with corrective information (e.g., information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover, expected transmission time of the LTM cell switchover command, etc.) during on-duration "A" via DL MAC CE and / or RRC signaling. In addition to or instead of on-duration "A", the DU may also provide corrective information to the UE at other on-durations without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0111] Upon receiving correction information, the UE can determine, based on the correction information, which DRX cycles should be corrected and how those DRX cycles should be corrected. Thus, the UE can correct the associated on-duration and monitor the PDCCH during the corrected on-duration, thereby receiving MAC CE (including LTM cell switch command) from the DU. The UE can then obtain the LTM cell switch command from the MAC CE and subsequently perform the LTM cell switch based on it.

[0112] In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 8, the UE can determine, based on the modification information, that the on-duration "B" should be modified (over the associated off-duration) to correspond to durations T1-T3, which include the expected transmission time of the MAC CE and the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover. Thus, the UE can extend the on-duration "B" to correspond to durations T1-T3 and monitor the PDCCH during the extended on-duration "B". The UE can then decode the PDCCH at T1 and obtain the MAC CE (including the LTM cell switchover command) from the DU. The UE can then obtain the LTM cell switchover command from the MAC CE by T2 and perform the LTM cell switchover from T2 to T3. Upon successful LTM cell switchover, the UE can indicate a successful cell switchover to the target DU (e.g., by sending a UL data packet).

[0113] In consideration of the foregoing, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide features and mechanisms for a base station (e.g., DU) to predict LTM cell switching and provide information on the predicted LTM cell switching to the UE in various ways (e.g., via MAC CE, via RRC signaling, etc.). Furthermore, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure also provide features and mechanisms for the UE to receive the information on the predicted LTM cell switching and modify at least one on-duration of at least one associated DRX cycle based thereon. Finally, the LTM cell switching command may be provided to the UE in a timely manner, thereby avoiding delays in LTM cell switching and mitigating the risk of RLF caused by delayed LTM cell switching.

[0114] Exemplary use case: Modify multiple on-durations based on an extension factor. As described above, according to the embodiment, the distributed unit (DU) of a base station (e.g., gNB) may be configured to add an exception to multiple on-durations of multiple DRX cycles associated with a UE by introducing at least one active-duration to each of multiple on-durations. Such embodiments provide an alternative or additional technique for ensuring that the UE can receive LTM cell switching commands in a timely manner.

[0115] For example, a DU can initiate multiple on-duration modifiers when it determines that a UE is configured with LTM and C-DRX (for example, when the UE first connects to a serving cell). In this regard, the DU does not need to predict the specific timing at which an LTM cell switchover is expected (as in the exemplary embodiments described above with reference to Figures 5-8). As another example, information for multiple on-duration modifiers may be provided to the UE at an early stage (for example, when the UE first connects to a serving cell), and the multiple on-duration modifiers may be initiated under specific conditions. For example, multiple on-duration modifiers may be initiated or activated when the UE fails to receive an LTM cell switchover command. As yet another example, information for multiple on-duration modifiers may be provided to the UE when the DU fails to deliver an LTM cell switchover command.

[0116] According to the embodiment, the DU can select an extension factor to extend multiple on-durations in a DRX cycle and provide information on the extension factor to the UE via RRC signaling. A description of exemplary embodiments relating thereto is provided below with reference to Figures 9A to 10.

[0117] Figures 9A and 9B show a flow sequence of an exemplary use case for providing extension factors to modify multiple on-durations according to one or more embodiments. CU212, DU214, and UE230 in Figures 9A and 9B may be the same as those described above with reference to Figures 2 and / or 7. Furthermore, one or more operations in Figures 9A and 9B may include, or be part of, one or more operations described above with reference to Figures 3 to 7. For example, steps 1 and 7 in Figure 9A may be the same as steps 1 and 5 in Figure 6, or the same as steps 1 and 6 in Figure 7, respectively. Furthermore, steps 13 and 14 in Figure 9B may be the same as steps 6 and 7 in Figure 6, or the same as steps 7 and 8 in Figure 7, respectively.

[0118] Referring to Figure 9A, in step 1, UE230 can provide DU214 with at least one L1 measurement. This step may be the same as step 1 in Figures 6 and 7, and therefore, any related redundant explanations may be omitted below for brevity.

[0119] Upon receiving the L1 measurement, in step 2, the DU214 can select an extension factor based on one or more parameters in the L1 measurement. According to the embodiment, the DU214 can predict the timing of an LTM cell switchover during the off-duration based on the L1 measurement. For example, the DU214 can determine, based on the L1 measurement, that an LTM cell switchover is expected during at least one off-duration in an upcoming DRX cycle (without determining the specific DRX cycle associated with it). Thus, the DU214 can select an extension factor from a plurality of predetermined extension factors based on one or more parameters in the L1 measurement that corresponds to the predicted timing. The extension factor can define a factor of the on-duration in the DRX cycle of the UE. According to the embodiment, the extension factor can have a value greater than 1. As an example, suppose the on-duration is 20ms and the extension factor has a value of 1.5. In this case, the extended on-duration extended based on the extension factor would be 30ms (i.e., 1.5 * 20ms).

[0120] If an extension factor is selected, in step 3, DU214 may provide the extension factor, along with an LTM Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), to CU212 via the F1 interface. The LTM RNTI may be generated by DU214 when DU214 determines that UE230 is composed of LTM and C-DRX (for example, when UE230 is first connected to a serving cell). According to embodiments, the LTM RNTI may be specific to UE230 and / or specific to at least one UE composed of LTM (e.g., another UE connected to the same serving cell serviced or hosted by DU214). While it has been described above that DU214 provides the extension factor along with the LTM RNTI to CU212, in some implementations, DU214 may provide the LTM RNTI in a message separated from the message providing the extension factor without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0121] In step 4, UE230 can provide CU212 with at least one L3 measurement. According to the embodiment, at least one L3 measurement may include at least one RRC measurement. Upon receiving the L3 measurement, in step 5, CU212 can provide UE230 with at least one RRC reconstruction message including the LTM RNTI, extension factor, and LTM configuration of the candidate cell. Specifically, CU212 can determine one or more candidate cells based on the L3 measurement provided by the UE, and then prepare the LTM configuration of the candidate cell. Thus, CU212 can generate at least one RRC reconstruction message including the LTM configuration of the candidate cell (received from DU214 in step 3), as well as information on the LTM RNTI and extension factor. CU212 can then provide UE230 with at least one RRC reconstruction message. In this regard, since the target cell is selected from among the candidate cells, it can be understood that the LTM configuration of the candidate cell may also include the LTM configuration of the target cell. Furthermore, in some implementations, step 4 may be optional, and CU212 may provide UE230 with an RRC reconstruction message including the LTM RNTI and extension factor without the L3 measurement.

[0122] Upon receiving an RRC reconfiguration message, in step 6, the UE230 may modify multiple on-durations in the relevant DRX cycle. Specifically, the UE230 may extend multiple on-durations based on an extension factor. For example, the UE230 may determine the length of the extended on-duration by applying an extension factor to the existing / normal on-duration, and then extend multiple on-durations according to the length of the extended on-duration. According to the embodiment, the UE230 may extend all on-durations in all relevant DRX cycles for at least a certain period (e.g., until the LTM cell switchover is complete). Alternatively, the UE230 may extend a portion of the on-durations in the relevant DRX cycle for at least a certain period.

[0123] According to the embodiment, the on-duration modification may be triggered or initiated according to at least one condition. For example, the on-duration modification may be initiated when the UE230 does not receive an LTM cell switching command within a predetermined period. Specifically, as further described in step 11 below, the UE230 may receive information on the expected transmission time of a MAC CE, including an LTM cell switching command. In this case, the UE230 may determine whether or not it received the MAC CE within the expected transmission time of the MAC CE, and may initiate the on-duration modification based on the determination that it did not receive the MAC CE within the expected time. In this regard, instead of modifying the on-duration in step 6, the UE230 may perform the on-duration modification after step 12 (based on an extension factor).

[0124] Continuing to refer to Figure 9A, in step 7, UE230 may begin monitoring the PDCCH during at least the modified (e.g., extended) on-duration (if any). Furthermore, UE230 may perform at least one L1 measurement continuously (or periodically) on the serving cell and / or candidate cell.

[0125] Referring next to Figure 9B, in step 8, UE230 may provide DU214 with at least one L1 measurement (e.g., in one or more L1 measurement reports). Upon receiving the L1 measurement from UE230, DU214 can determine whether an LTM cell switchover is expected or necessary. For example, DU214 may determine whether one or more LTM cell switchover criteria are met or are met based on one or more parameters included in the L1 measurement. According to the embodiment, DU214 may compare one or more parameters in the L1 measurement (e.g., RSRP) with one or more predetermined thresholds to determine whether an LTM cell switchover is expected or necessary.

[0126] Therefore, based on the decision that an LTM cell switchover is expected or necessary, in step 9, the DU214 may generate Downlink Control Information (DCI) that includes information about the LTM cell switchover command. For example, the DCI may include information about the expected transmission time of the MAC CE (including the LTM cell switchover command).

[0127] Once the DCI is generated, in step 10, the DU214 can scramble the DCI. According to one embodiment, the DU214 can scramble the DCI based on the LTM RNTI (e.g., generated by the DU214 in step 3, etc.). In some implementations, the DU214 can scramble the DCI based on the LTM RNTI in a similar manner to the procedure for scrambling the DCI format 2_6 based on the PS-RNTI, as described in one or more 3GPP technical specifications.

[0128] Therefore, in step 11, DU214 can provide the scrambled DCI to UE230. For example, DU214 can map the scrambled DCI to a PDCCH so that UE230 can obtain the scrambled DCI by monitoring and decoding the PDCCH. Then, in step 12, UE230 can decode the PDCCH to obtain the scrambled DCI and then descramble the scrambled DCI based on the LTM RNTI (received by UE230 in step 5). In this way, UE230 can obtain information on the LTM cell switching command (e.g., the expected transmission time of the MAC CE including the LTM cell switching) and monitor a specific on-duration to ensure that the LTM cell switching command can be received in a timely manner.

[0129] In step 13, DU214 can generate a MAC CE containing the LTM cell switching command and provide the MAC CE to UE230. This step may be similar to operation S320 in Figure 3, step 4 in Figure 5, step 6 in Figure 6, and step 7 in Figure 7. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, any overlapping explanations related to them may be omitted below.

[0130] Upon receiving the MAC CE from DU214, in step 14, UE230 can perform an LTM cell switch from the serving cell to the target cell based on the LTM cell switch command (included in the MAC CE). This step may be similar to operation S430 in Figure 4, step 5 in Figure 5, step 7 in Figure 6, and step 8 in Figure 7. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, any related redundant explanations may be omitted below.

[0131] According to the embodiment, when an LTM cell switch is performed in step 14, the UE230 can deactivate or revert any modifications made to multiple on-durations. Specifically, the UE230 can determine whether the LTM cell switch was performed successfully and, based on the determination that the LTM cell switch was performed successfully, can deactivate any extended on-durations. For example, the UE230 can override any extended on-durations with any normal on-durations so that the on-durations in a DRX cycle revert to their normal, unextended / unmodified versions.

[0132] Next, we refer to Figure 10, which shows an exemplary DRX cycle diagram for an exemplary use case associated with the flow sequences of Figures 9A and 9B according to one or more embodiments. Specifically, Figure 10 shows an exemplary DRX cycle diagram associated with a UE, according to one or more embodiments, in which multiple on-durations of multiple DRX cycles are modified based on at least one extension factor.

[0133] Referring to Figure 10, the multiple on-durations in multiple DRX cycles are corrected by adding the active duration to them. The active duration can define the duration during which the UE is active and in wake-up mode. In other words, by adding the active duration to the on-duration, the UE can effectively extend its on-duration.

[0134] According to the embodiment, the configuration of the active duration can be predefined or adjustable by the network operator. For example, the length of the active duration can be defined or adjusted by the network operator by controlling an extension factor, and the timing for extending the on-duration (by adding the active duration to it) can be defined or adjusted by the network operator by controlling the timing for providing the extension factor, etc.

[0135] According to one embodiment, during the extended on-duration, the UE may monitor the PDCCH to obtain an LTM cell switching command and then perform the LTM cell switching. Alternatively, the active duration may be dedicated solely to LTM-related operations. For example, during the active duration, the UE may monitor only the PDCCH to obtain an LTM cell switching command and perform the LTM cell switching, etc., without performing any other non-LTM-related operations.

[0136] In consideration of the foregoing, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide features and mechanisms for a base station (e.g., DU) to provide correction information for correcting multiple on-durations in multiple DRX cycles of a UE, in addition to or in addition to the methods described above with reference to Figures 6-8. Furthermore, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure also provide features and mechanisms for a UE to receive correction information, in addition to or in addition to the methods described above with reference to Figures 6-8. Finally, the embodiments described above provide alternative or additional methods to ensure that LTM cell switching commands can be provided to the UE in a timely manner, thereby avoiding delays in LTM cell switching and mitigating the risk of RLF caused by delayed LTM cell switching.

[0137] Example of a network node As described above, according to the embodiment, the central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) are defined in software form and can be deployed on one or more network nodes. An exemplary network node is described below with reference to Figures 11 and 12.

[0138] Figure 11 shows a block diagram of exemplary components of a network node 1100 according to one or more embodiments. The network node 1100 may include one or more servers that can implement or deploy CUs and / or DUs of the exemplary embodiments. According to the embodiments, the network node 1100 may include edge servers or edge nodes. Additionally or alternatively, the network node 1100 may include central servers or central nodes.

[0139] As shown in Figure 11, the network node 1100 may include at least one communication interface 1110, at least one storage 1120, and at least one processor 1130, but it can be understood that, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the network node 1100 may include more or fewer components than those shown in Figure 11, and / or may be arranged in a manner different from that shown in Figure 11.

[0140] The communication interface 1110 may include at least one transceiver-like component (e.g., transceivers, separate receivers and transmitters, buses, etc.) that enables the components of the server node 1100 to communicate with each other via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections, and / or with one or more components outside the network node 1100.

[0141] For example, the communication interface 1110 can connect the processor 1130 to the storage 1120, thereby enabling them to communicate and interact with each other when performing one or more operations. As another example, the communication interface 1110 may connect a network node 1100 (or one or more components contained therein) to one or more network elements (e.g., network cells, UEs, etc.) so that they can communicate and interact with each other.

[0142] According to one or more embodiments, the communication interface 1110 may include one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) that enable a network node 1100 (or one or more components contained therein) to communicate with one or more software applications (e.g., software applications deployed on the UE, virtualized network functions, etc.).

[0143] According to one embodiment, the communication interface 1110 may include at least one input / output (I / O) interface, at least one network interface, and at least one storage interface.

[0144] According to the embodiment, the I / O interface may use communication protocols / methods such as, but are not limited to, audio, analog, digital, stereo, IEEE-1393, serial bus, Universal Serial Bus (USB), infrared, PS / 2, BNC, coaxial, component, composite, Digital Visual Interface (DVI), High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI®), radio frequency (RF) antenna, S-video, Video Graphics Array (VGA), IEEE 802.n / b / g / n / x, Bluetooth, and cellular (e.g., Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA+), Global Mobile Communication System (GSM), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), WiMAX, etc.). Through the I / O interface, the network node 1100 may communicate with at least one input device (e.g., keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, sensor, microphone, scanner, camera, fingerprint scanner, etc.) and at least one output device (e.g., speaker, electronic screen, etc.).

[0145] According to the embodiment, the network interface may use, but is not limited to, direct connection, Ethernet (e.g., twisted-pair 10 / 100 / 1000-base T), Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Token Ring, IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / x, and other connection protocols. Network nodes 1110 may be located on or communicate with the network via the network interface. An exemplary network description is provided below with reference to network 1330 in Figure 13.

[0146] According to the embodiment, the storage interface may use connection protocols including, but is not limited to, Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), IEEE-1393, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Fibre Channel, and Small Computer System Interface (SCSI). The storage interface may connect one or more components of the server node 1100 (e.g., processor 1120) to the storage 1120.

[0147] Continuing to refer to Figure 11, the storage 1120 may include one or more storage media suitable for storing data, information, and / or computer executable instructions. According to embodiments, the storage 1120 may include at least one memory storage, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, and / or optical memory) for storing information and / or instructions used by the processor 1130. Furthermore, the storage 1120 may further include drums, magnetic disk drives, magneto-optical drives, optical drives, independent disk redundant arrays (RAID), solid-state memory devices, solid-state drives, and the like. A further description of memory is provided by referring to “computer-readable media” as described herein.

[0148] Additionally or alternatively, storage 1120 may include hard disks (e.g., magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, and / or solid-state disks), compact discs (CDs), digital multipurpose discs (DVDs), floppy disks, cartridges, magnetic tapes, and / or other types of non-temporary computer-readable media, along with their corresponding drives.

[0149] According to the embodiment, storage 1120 can function as a database that can be implemented as a fault-tolerant database, a relational database, a scalable database, and a secure database. In this case, storage 1120 may include, for example, Oracle or Sybase.

[0150] According to the embodiment, the storage 1120 may be configured to store information such as raw data and metadata obtained from one or more nodes. Additionally or alternatively, the storage 1120 may be configured to store one or more pieces of information relating to one or more operations performed by the processor 1130. For example, the storage 1120 may store one or more results brought about or generated by at least one processor 1130, and may store information about network entities (e.g., network cells, UEs, etc.) involved in operations performed by the processor 1130, information about the history of operations performed by the processor 1130, and so on.

[0151] According to one embodiment, the storage 1120 may store one or more pieces of information related thereto, such as software-based CUs and / or software-based DUs, and computer-readable instructions for implementing the software-based CUs / DUs, etc. For example, the network node 1100 may include a cloud server, and the CUs and / or DUs may be defined in the form of cloud-native applications running on at least one OS within the cloud server.

[0152] Furthermore, the storage 1120 may include memory or a storage medium that stores a collection of program or database components such as a user interface, operating system, and web browser.

[0153] A user interface can facilitate the display, execution, interaction, manipulation, or operation of program components through text or graphic functions. For example, one or more user interfaces may provide computer interaction interface elements on a display system operably connected to the network node 1100, such as cursors, icons, checkboxes, menus, scrollers, windows, and widgets. A graphical user interface (GUI) may be used, but is not limited to, Apple® Macintosh® operating systems such as Aqua®, IBM® OS / 2®, Microsoft® Windows® (e.g., Aero, Metro, etc.), and web interface libraries (e.g., ActiveX®, Java®, Javascript®, AJAX, HTML, Adobe® Flash®, etc.). In some implementations, storage 1120 may include multiple storage media, and storage 1120 may be configured to store copies or duplicates of at least a portion of the information on the multiple storage media to provide redundancy and to back up the information or related data.

[0154] The operating system can facilitate resource management and operation of network node 1100. Examples of operating systems include, but are not limited to, APPLE® MACINTOSH® OS X®, UNIX®, UNIX-based system distributions (e.g., BERKELEY SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION® (BSD), FREEBSD®, NETBSD®, OPENBSD, etc.), LINUX® DISTRIBUTIONS (e.g., RED HAT®, UBUNTU®, KUBUNTU®, etc.), IBM® OS / 2®, MICROSOFT® WINDOWS (XP®, VISTA® / 7 / 8, 10, 11, etc.), APPLE® IOS®, GOOGLE® ANDROID®, BLACKBERRY® OS, etc.

[0155] The web browser may be a hypertext browsing application such as MICROSOFT® INTERNET EXPLORER®, MICROSOFT® EDGE®, GOOGLE™, CHROME™, MOZILLA® FIREFOX®, or APPLE® SAFARI®. Secure web browsing may be provided using Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTPS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), etc. Furthermore, the web browser may utilize functions such as AJAX, DHTML, ADOBE® FLASH®, JAVASCRIPT®, JAVA®, and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).

[0156] Continuing to refer to Figure 11, the processor 1130 may include at least one processor that can be programmed or configured to perform the functions or operations described herein. According to the embodiment, the processor 1130 may be configured to receive one or more signals and / or instructions to trigger the performance of one or more operations (for example, via a communication interface 1110, etc.).

[0157] Furthermore, the processor 1130 may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. For example, the processor 1130 may include at least one general-purpose or dedicated processing unit, such as a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), acceleration unit (APU), microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), integrated system (bus) controller, memory management control unit, floating-point unit, digital signal processing unit, and / or other types of processing or computing units.

[0158] According to one embodiment, the processor 1130 may be configured to execute software-based CUs and / or software-based DUs (or computer executable instructions for implementing CUs and / or DUs) stored in at least one storage medium or memory storage (e.g., storage 1120) and thereby perform one or more of the operations described herein.

[0159] In some embodiments, the network node 1100 may implement a mail server storage program component. The mail server may be an Internet mail server such as MICROSOFT® EXCHANGE®. The mail server may utilize functions such as Active Server Pages (ASP), ACTIVEX®, ANSI® C++ / C#, MICROSOFT® .NET, CGI SCRIPTS, JAVA®, JAVASCRIPPT®, PERL®, PHP, PYTHON®, and WEBOBJECTS®. The mail server may utilize communication protocols such as Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), MICROSOFT® Exchange, Post Office Protocol (POP), and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). In some embodiments, the server node 700 may implement a mail client storage program component. The email client may be an email viewing application such as APPLE®MAIL, MICROSOFT®ENTOURAGE®, MICROSOFT®OUTLOOK®, or MOZILLA®THUNDERBIRD®.

[0160] According to one or more embodiments, a CU and / or DU (or one or more related operations) can be implemented in the form of a containerized network function. The following describes an example configuration for realizing a containerized function.

[0161] Figure 12 shows a block diagram of an exemplary configuration of network node 1200 according to one or more embodiments. Network node 1200 may correspond to network node 1100 in Figure 11 and may be configured to implement one or more server platforms (a description of exemplary embodiments relating thereto is provided below with reference to Figure 13).

[0162] According to the embodiment, the CU and / or DU (or one or more operations associated therewith) may be defined in software form, for example, via containerization (or any other suitable technique). Thus, the containerized CU and / or containerized DU may be deployed on the network node 1200 in the form of a container, and the functions / operations associated with the CU / DU may be executed via the execution or orchestration of the associated container.

[0163] As shown in Figure 12, network node 1200 may include multiple containers 1211-1212 and 1221-1222. Containerized CUs and / or containerized DUs can be decomposed or distributed among multiple containers 1211-1212 and 1221-1222. For example, the functions or operations of a DU may be distributed among containers 1211-1212, and the functions or operations of a CU may be distributed among containers 1221-1222.

[0164] Additionally or alternatively, containerized CUs and / or containerized DUs may be separated according to the type of operation. For example, functions or operations associated with a UE may be distributed among containers 1211-1212, while functions or operations associated with CUs and DUs may be distributed among containers 1221-1222. As another example, functions or operations associated with UE C-DRX may be distributed among containers 1211-1212, and functions or operations associated with LTM may be distributed among containers 1221-1222.

[0165] According to the embodiment, the network node 1200 may include Kubernetes (K8s) nodes, and containers may be grouped or aggregated into their respective pods. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 12, containers 1211-1212 are included in the first pod 1210, and containers 1221-1222 are included in the second pod 1220.

[0166] Multiple pods within network node 1200 may share the same resources (e.g., CPU, memory, etc.) provided by network node 1200. Resources allocated to facilitate and control UE C-DRX interworking with LTM can be managed by coordinating the associated pods and / or containers. For example, resources may be scaled up by increasing the number of associated containers and / or pods, or scaled down by decreasing the number of associated containers and / or pods.

[0167] It should be understood that the configuration shown in Figure 12 is simplified for illustrative purposes and does not limit the scope of this disclosure. Specifically, without actually departing from the scope of this disclosure, network node 1200 may include any suitable components for hosting and running multiple pods, the number of pods may be greater than 2, and the number of containers contained in each pod may be greater than 2. Furthermore, it should be understood that containerized CUs and / or containerized DUs (or related operations) may be hosted or deployed on multiple network nodes in the same manner as described above. Furthermore, it should be understood that multiple nodes may contain the same container (or pod) in order to provide network redundancy and thereby improve network availability.

[0168] For this purpose, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may provide one or more network nodes on which the CU and / or DU of the exemplary embodiments can be implemented and deployed or implemented. Thus, one or more network nodes (or one or more processors associated therewith) can be configured to execute the CU and / or DU (or computer executable instructions associated therewith) to perform one or more operations described herein, thereby facilitating UE C-DRX interworking with the LTM.

[0169] Furthermore, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can leverage the benefits of containerization in facilitating UE C-DRX interworking with LTM. For example, implementing a containerized CU and / or a containerized DU (or related operations) provides improved scalability by enabling efficient scaling of functionality on demand and easy replication and coordination across multiple nodes, thereby enabling efficient resource utilization and seamless scaling.

[0170] Furthermore, containerized CUs and / or containerized DUs (or related operations) can be rapidly instantiated, moved, and updated, reducing the time to market for new services and features. In addition, the functionality of CUs and / or DUs can be managed by coordinating the associated containers, thereby enabling independent development, testing, and deployment of operations.

[0171] Furthermore, implementing containerized CUs and / or containerized DUs (or related operations) can also improve resource utilization efficiency, leverage container-specific security features to enhance system security, provide improved portability and interoperability, and enable seamless integration with different systems or platforms.

[0172] Examples of implementation environments As described above, according to the embodiment, the CU and / or DU (or related operations) may be implemented on one or more network nodes, which may include a cloud server or a cloud server cluster. A description of an exemplary cloud environment in which exemplary embodiments may be implemented is provided below with reference to Figure 13.

[0173] Figure 13 shows a diagram of an exemplary environment 1300 in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented. As shown in Figure 13, the environment 1300 may include a plurality of nodes 1310, a server platform 1320, and a network 1330. The devices in the environment 1300 may be interconnected via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0174] Multiple nodes 1310 may include one or more UEs and / or one or more network cells as described above. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, redundant explanations related to them may be omitted below.

[0175] Network 1330 may include one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, Network 1330 may include cellular networks (e.g., fifth-generation (5G) networks, sixth-generation (6G) networks, long-term evolution (LTE) networks, third-generation (3G) networks, code division multiple access (CDMA) networks, etc.), public land mobile networks (PLMN), local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), telephone networks (e.g., public switched telephone networks (PSTNs)), private networks, ad-hoc networks, intranets, the Internet, fiber optic-based networks, etc., and / or combinations of these or other types of networks. Additionally or alternatively, Network 1330 may be implemented as one or more of various types of networks, such as intranets or local area networks (LANs), closed area networks (CANs), etc. Furthermore, network 1330 may be either a dedicated network or a shared network, representing an association of different types of networks that communicate with each other using various protocols, such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), CAN protocol, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). Additionally, network 1330 may include various network devices, including routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, and storage devices.

[0176] The server platform 1320 may include one or more servers capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information. According to embodiments, the server platform 1320 may include one or more network nodes as described above with reference to Figures 11 and 12. In some implementations, the server platform 1320 may include a cloud server or a group of cloud servers.

[0177] In some implementations, the server platform 1320 may be designed modularly so that specific software components can be swapped in or out as needed. Thus, the server platform 1320 may be easily and / or quickly reconfigured for different applications.

[0178] In some implementations, the server platform 1320 may be hosted in a cloud computing environment 1322, as shown in the figures. In particular, the implementations described herein are described assuming that the server platform 1320 is hosted in a cloud computing environment 1322, but in some implementations, the platform 1320 may not be cloud-based (i.e., it may be implemented outside a cloud computing environment), or it may be partially cloud-based.

[0179] The cloud computing environment 1322 includes an environment that hosts the server platform 1320. The cloud computing environment 1322 may provide services such as computing, software, data access, and storage that do not require the end user to have knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the system and / or devices that host the server platform 1320. As shown in the figure, the cloud computing environment 1322 may include a group of computing resources 1324 (collectively referred to as "computing resources 1324" and individually referred to as "computing resources 1324").

[0180] Computing resource 1324 may include one or more personal computers, clusters of computing devices, workstation computers, server devices, or other types of computing and / or communication devices. In some implementations, computing resource 1324 may host a server platform 1320. Cloud resources may include instances that compute and run in computing resource 1324, storage provided in computing resource 1324, data transfer devices provided by computing resource 1324, etc. In some implementations, computing resource 1324 may communicate with other computing resources 1324 via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0181] As further shown in Figure 13, the computing resource 1324 includes a group of cloud resources such as one or more applications ("APP") 1324-1, one or more virtual machines ("VM") 1324-2, virtualized storage ("VS") 1324-3, and one or more hypervisors ("HYP") 1324-4.

[0182] Application 1324-1 may include one or more software applications that can be provided to or accessed by node 1310. Application 1324-1 may eliminate the need to install and run software applications on node 1310. For example, application 1324-1 may include any other software that can be provided through the server platform 1320 and / or the cloud computing environment 1322. In some implementations, one application 1324-1 may send and receive information to and from one or more other applications 1324-1 via a virtual machine 1324-2.

[0183] The virtual machine 1324-2 may include a software implementation of a machine (e.g., a computer) that runs programs like a physical machine. Depending on its purpose and the degree to which the virtual machine 1324-2 matches an actual machine, the virtual machine 1324-2 may be either a system virtual machine or a process virtual machine. A system virtual machine may provide a complete system platform that supports the execution of a complete operating system ("OS"). An example of an OS is provided above with reference to Figure 11. The virtual machine may run a single program or support a single process. In some implementations, the virtual machine 1324-2 may run on behalf of a user (e.g., a user associated with node 1310) and manage the infrastructure and / or configuration of the cloud computing environment 1322, such as data management, synchronization, or long-duration data transfer.

[0184] Virtualized storage 1324-3 may include one or more storage systems and / or one or more devices that use virtualization techniques within the storage system or device of the computing resource 1324. In some implementations, in the context of a storage system, the types of virtualization may include block virtualization and file virtualization. Block virtualization may refer to extracting (or separating) logical storage from physical storage so that the storage system can be accessed regardless of the physical storage or heterogeneous structure. Separation may allow the administrator of the storage system to gain flexibility in how the administrator manages the storage for end users. File virtualization may eliminate dependencies between data accessed at the file level and where the file is physically stored. This may enable optimization of storage usage, server consolidation, and / or performance of non-disruptive file migration.

[0185] Hypervisor 1324-4 may provide hardware virtualization technology that enables multiple operating systems (e.g., "guest operating systems") to run simultaneously on a host computer such as computing resource 1324. Hypervisor 1324-4 may present a virtual operating platform to the guest operating systems and may manage the execution of the guest operating systems. Multiple instances of various operating systems may share virtualized hardware resources.

[0186] The number and arrangement of devices and networks shown in Figure 13 are intended to be provided as an example. In practice, there may be additional devices and / or networks, fewer devices and / or networks, different devices and / or networks, or devices and / or networks in different arrangements compared to those shown in Figure 13. Furthermore, two or more devices shown in Figure 13 may be implemented within a single device, or a single device shown in Figure 13 may be implemented as multiple distributed devices. In addition, or instead, a set of devices in environment 1300 (e.g., one or more devices) may perform one or more functions that are described as being performed by another set of devices in environment 1300.

[0187] In some embodiments, the CU and / or DU (or one or more related operations) described herein may be implemented or deployed on the server platform 1320 in the form of a virtualized network function (VNF). In this regard, the terms “virtual,” “virtualized,” etc., as used herein are intended merely to specify the nature of a machine (and related elements and resources) provided in virtual or software form. In this regard, “virtual machine,” “virtualized storage,” etc., as used herein should not be limited to any particular type of virtual machine or virtual element. Accordingly, it can be understood that “virtual machine,” “virtualized storage,” etc. (or related operations) may be defined or presented in the form of a containerized network function, and that the function may be provided in the form of a container. A description of an exemplary implementation configuration for implementing the CU and / or DU (or related operations) in the form of a containerized function is provided above with reference to Figure 12.

[0188] To this end, by virtualizing and implementing the CU and / or DU (or related operations) within the server platform 1320, resources (e.g., processing power, memory, storage, etc.) can be easily managed to facilitate UE C-DRX interworking with the LTM, and can be dynamically scaled up or down on demand, thereby optimizing resource allocation and utilization. Furthermore, the data and information associated with the CU and / or DU can be easily cloned or backed up to provide redundancy, and access to the data and information can be authorized and authenticated only to trusted entities.

[0189] Various embodiments The exemplary embodiments described above with reference to Figures 2 to 13 are merely examples of possible embodiments of the Disclosure and are not intended to limit or restrict the scope of the Disclosure.

[0190] Specifically, the aforementioned disclosures provide examples and explanations, but are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the exact forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosures or can be derived from the practice of the implementations.

[0191] Some embodiments may relate to devices (e.g., network nodes), systems, methods, and / or computer-readable media in integration at any possible level of technical detail. Furthermore, one or more of the aforementioned components may be implemented as instructions stored in computer-readable media and executable by at least one processor (and / or may include at least one processor). The computer-readable media may include one or more computer-readable non-temporary storage media having computer-readable program instructions for causing a processor to perform an operation.

[0192] A computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible device capable of holding and storing instructions for use by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may, for example, be an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disks (DVDs), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanically encoded devices such as punched cards or grooved raised structures on which instructions are recorded, and any suitable combination thereof. When used herein, computer-readable storage media should not be construed as transient signals themselves, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmitting media (e.g., light pulses passing through optical fiber cables), or electrical signals transmitted over wires.

[0193] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to each computing / processing device, or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. The network may include copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface within each computing / processing device receives computer-readable program instructions from the network and transfers the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium within each computing / processing device.

[0194] Computer-readable program code / instructions for performing an operation may be either assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, integrated circuit configuration data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk and C++, and procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar programming languages.

[0195] Computer-readable program instructions can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), or it may be connected to an external computer (for example, via the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuits, including, for example, programmable logic circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), can execute computer-readable program instructions and personalize the electronic circuit by utilizing state information of the computer-readable program instructions to perform a manner or operation.

[0196] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or a processor of another programmable data processing device to generate a machine such that instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device form means for performing functions / operations specified in one or more blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored on a computer-readable storage medium on which the instructions are stored, which can be instructed to function in a particular manner to constitute a product containing instructions that perform the modes of functions / operations specified in one or more blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0197] Computer-readable program instructions can also be loaded into a computer, another programmable device, or another device to generate a computer implementation process by causing the computer, another programmable device, or other device to execute a series of operational steps so that the instructions executed on the computer, another programmable device, or other device perform a function / operation specified in one or more blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0198] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer-readable media according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of an instruction containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. Methods, computer systems, and computer-readable media may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or blocks arranged differently from those shown in the figures. In some alternative implementations, the functions described in the blocks may be performed in an order different from the order shown in the figures. For example, two blocks shown consecutively may actually be executed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously, or blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in a block diagram and / or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram and / or flowchart, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or action, or executes a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0199] It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in the form of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limited to the implementation form. Therefore, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code, and it will be understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the descriptions herein.

[0200] In consideration of the foregoing, various further aspects and features of the embodiments of this disclosure may be defined by the following items. Item [1]: A system comprising a distributed unit (DU). The DU may be configured to provide correction information to at least one user device (UE) to correct at least one on-duration of at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE, and to provide the UE with a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) during the on-duration corrected by the UE based on the correction information. The MAC CE may include a cell switching command that instructs the UE to perform a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell. Item [2]: The system described in Item [1], wherein the correction information may include information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover, and the DU may be configured to provide the correction information by receiving an L1 measurement from the UE, predicting the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover based on the L1 measurement, and providing the UE with information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover. Item [3]: The system described in Item [1], further comprising a central unit (CU) communicatively coupled to the DU and UE. Correction information may include extension factors for extending multiple on-durations. The DU may be configured to provide correction information by receiving L1 measurements from the UE, predicting the timing of LTM cell switching during off-durations based on the L1 measurements, selecting an extension factor from a set of predetermined extension factors based on the L1 measurements that corresponds to the predicted timing, and providing the extension factor to the CU via the F1 interface. The CU may be configured to generate a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message including the extension factor and the configuration of the target cell, and to provide the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE. Item [4]: ​​The system described in Item [2], wherein a MAC CE containing a cell switching command may be a second MAC CE, and the DU may be configured to generate a first MAC CE containing information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switching and information about the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE, and to provide the UE with the first MAC CE before the modified on-duration, thereby providing the information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switching. The first MAC CE may be different from the second MAC CE. Item [5]: The system described in Item [2], further comprising a central unit (CU) communicatively coupled to the DU and UE. The DU may be further configured to provide information on the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover by providing the CU with information on the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover and information on the expected transmission time of the MAC CE via an F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) UE context change request message. The CU may be configured to generate a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message containing information on the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover and information on the expected transmission time of the MAC CE, and to provide the UE with the RRC reconfiguration message. Item [6]: The L1 measurement may include a reference signal received power (RSRP) value associated with the serving cell and at least one of one or more candidate cells, as described in any one of the systems in items [2], [4], and [5]. The DU may be configured to predict the timing at which an LTM cell switchover is expected by comparing the RSRP value to a predetermined threshold and determining, based on the determination that the RSRP value is equal to the predetermined threshold, that an LTM cell switchover is expected at a first predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration, and determining, based on the determination that the RSRP value is greater than the predetermined threshold, that an LTM cell switchover is expected at a second predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration. Item [7]: The system described in Item [3], wherein the DU may be further configured to generate an LTM radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) unique to at least one UE consisting of LTMs, generate downlink control information (DCI) including information on the expected transmission time of MAC CEs, scramble the DCI based on the LTM RNTI, and provide the scrambled DCI to the UE. Item [8]: The system described in Item [7], the DU may be further configured to provide the LTM RNTI to the CU via the F1 interface. The CU may be configured to generate an RRC reconfiguration message including the LTM RNTI, extension factor, and target cell configuration. Item [9]: The DU may be configured to predict the timing of expected LTM cell switching based on at least one artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) model, as described in any one of items [2], [4], and [5]. Item

[10] : A method comprising providing correction information to at least one user device (UE) for correcting at least one on-duration of at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE, and providing the UE with a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) during the on-duration corrected by the UE based on the correction information. The MAC CE may include a cell switching command that instructs the UE to perform a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell. Item

[11] : The method described in Item

[10] , wherein the correction information may include information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover. Providing the correction information may include receiving L1 measurements from the UE, predicting the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover based on the L1 measurements, and providing the UE with timing information. Item

[12] : The method according to Item

[10] , wherein the correction information may include extension factors for extending multiple on-durations. Providing correction information may include receiving an L1 measurement from the UE, predicting the timing of an LTM cell switchover during an off-duration based on the L1 measurement, selecting an extension factor from a set of predetermined extension factors based on the L1 measurement that corresponds to the predicted timing, generating a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message including the extension factor and the configuration of the target cell, and providing the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE. Item

[13] : The method according to Item

[11] , wherein the MAC CE containing the cell switching command may be a second MAC CE. Providing information on the expected timing of the LTM cell switching may include generating a first MAC CE containing information on the expected timing of the LTM cell switching and information on the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE, and providing the first MAC CE to the UE before the modified on duration. The first MAC CE may be different from the second MAC CE. Item

[14] : The method according to Item

[11] , wherein providing timing information may include generating a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message that includes information on the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover and information on the expected transmission time of the MAC CE, and providing the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE. Item

[15] : The method according to any one of items

[11] ,

[13] , and

[14] , wherein the L1 measurement may include a reference signal received power (RSRP) value associated with the serving cell and at least one of one or more candidate cells. Predicting the timing at which an LTM cell switchover is expected may include comparing the value of the RSRP to a predetermined threshold and determining, based on the determination that the value of the RSRP is equal to the predetermined threshold, that an LTM cell switchover is expected at a first predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration, and determining, based on the determination that the value of the RSRP is greater than the predetermined threshold, that an LTM cell switchover is expected at a second predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration. Item

[16] : The method according to Item

[12] , further comprising generating an LTM radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) unique to at least one UE consisting of LTMs, generating downlink control information (DCI) including information on the expected transmission time of the MAC CE, scrambling the DCI based on the LTM RNTI, and providing the scrambled DCI to the UE. Item

[17] : The method according to Item

[16] , wherein generating an RRC reconfiguration message may include generating an RRC reconfiguration message to include the LTM RNTI, extension factor, and target cell configuration. Item

[18] : The method of any one of items

[11] ,

[13] , and

[14] , wherein predicting the timing of an expected LTM cell switchover may include predicting the timing of an expected LTM cell switchover based on at least one artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) model. Item

[19] : A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium recording instructions which may be executable by at least one network node to cause at least one network node to perform a method, the method comprising providing at least one user device (UE) with correction information for correcting at least one on-duration of at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE, and providing the UE with a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) during the on-duration corrected by the UE based on the correction information. The MAC CE may include a cell switching command that instructs the UE to perform a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell. Item

[20] : Correction information may include information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover, as described in Item

[19] . Providing correction information may include receiving L1 measurements from the UE, predicting the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover based on the L1 measurements, and providing the UE with information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switchover. Item

[21] : A non-transient computer-readable recording medium as described in Item

[19] , which may include extension factors for extending multiple on-durations. Providing the correction information may include receiving an L1 measurement from the UE, predicting the timing of an LTM cell switchover during an off-duration based on the L1 measurement, selecting an extension factor from a set of predetermined extension factors based on the L1 measurement that corresponds to the predicted timing, generating a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message including the extension factor and the configuration of the target cell, and providing the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE. Item

[22] : A user device (UE) that receives correction information from a distributed unit (DU), corrects at least one on-duration in at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE based on the correction information, and during at least one corrected on-duration, monitors a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to obtain a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) which includes a cell switching command, and is configured to perform a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell based on the cell switching command. Item

[23] : The UE described in Item

[22] , wherein the MAC CE containing the cell switching command may be a second MAC CE, and the correction information may include information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switching. The UE may be configured to receive the correction information by receiving a first MAC CE from the DU before the corrected on-duration. The first MAC CE may include information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switching and information about the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE. The first MAC CE may be different from the second MAC CE. Item

[24] : The correction information may include extension factors for extending multiple on-durations, as described in Item

[22] . The UE may be configured to receive the correction information by receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message containing extension factors from a central unit (CU) which is communicably coupled to the DU, and by obtaining the extension factors from the RRC reconfiguration message. Item

[25] : The UE described in Item

[23] may be configured to determine at least one on-duration from a plurality of on-durations based on a first MAC CE and to modify at least one on-duration by extending at least one on-duration to correspond to the expected transmission time of a second MAC CE and the expected timing of an LTM cell switchover. Item

[26] : The UE described in Item

[24] may be configured to modify at least one on duration by extending a plurality of on durations based on an extension factor. Item

[27] : The UE described in Item

[26] may be configured to monitor the PDCCH by monitoring the PDCCH during multiple extended on-durations. Item

[28] : The UE described in any one of items

[22] through

[27] may further be configured to determine whether the LTM cell switchover was performed successfully and, based on the determination that the LTM cell switchover was performed successfully, to deactivate at least one modified on duration. Item

[29] : A method comprising receiving correction information from a distributed unit (DU), correcting at least one on-duration in at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with a UE based on the correction information, and during at least one corrected on-duration, monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to obtain a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) wherein the MAC CE includes a cell switching command, and performing a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell based on the cell switching command. Item

[30] : The method according to Item

[29] , wherein the MAC CE containing the cell switching command is the second MAC CE, and the correction information may include information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switching. Receiving the correction information may include receiving the first MAC CE from the DU before the corrected on duration. The first MAC CE may include information about the timing of the expected LTM cell switching and information about the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE. The first MAC CE may be different from the second MAC CE. Item

[31] : The method according to Item

[29] , wherein the correction information may include extension factors for extending multiple on-durations. Receiving the correction information may include receiving a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message containing extension factors from a central unit (CU) communicably coupled to the DU, and obtaining the extension factors from the RRC reconfiguration message. Item

[32] : The method according to Item

[30] , wherein modifying at least one on-duration may include determining at least one on-duration from a group of on-durations based on a first MAC CE, and extending at least one on-duration to correspond to the arrival time of the second MAC CE and the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover. Item

[33] : The method according to Item

[31] , wherein modifying at least one on-duration may include extending multiple on-durations based on an extension factor. Item

[34] : The method described in Item

[33] , which may include monitoring the PDCCH during multiple extended on-durations. Item

[35] : A method according to any one of items

[29] to

[34] , which may further include determining whether the LTM cell switch was performed successfully and, based on the determination that the LTM cell switch was performed successfully, deactivating at least one modified on duration. Item

[36] : A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium recording instructions which may be executable by a user device (UE) to cause the UE to perform a method, the method comprising: receiving correction information from a distributed unit (DU); correcting at least one on-duration in at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE based on the correction information; monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) during at least one corrected on-duration to obtain a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) from the DU, wherein the MAC CE may include a cell switching command; and performing a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell based on the cell switching command. Item

[37] : A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium as described in Item

[36] , in which the MAC CE containing the cell switching command may be a second MAC CE, and the correction information may include information about the timing when the LTM cell switching is expected. Receiving the correction information may include receiving the first MAC CE from the DU before the corrected ON duration. The first MAC CE may include information about the timing when the LTM cell switching is expected and information about the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE. The first MAC CE may be different from the second MAC CE. Item

[38] : A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium as described in Item

[36] , which may include extension factors for extending multiple on-durations. Receiving the correction information may include receiving a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message containing extension factors from a central unit (CU) communicably coupled to the DU, and obtaining the extension factors from the RRC reconfiguration message. Item

[39] : The non-temporary computer-readable recording medium according to Item

[37] , wherein modifying at least one on-duration may include determining the at least one on-duration from among a plurality of on-durations based on a first MAC CE, and extending the at least one on-duration to correspond to the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE and the expected timing of the LTM cell switchover. Item

[40] : A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium as described in Item

[38] . Modifying at least one on-duration may include extending multiple on-durations based on an extension factor. Item

[41] : Monitoring the PDCCH may include monitoring the PDCCH during multiple extended on-durations of the non-temporary computer-readable recording medium as described in Item

[40] .

[0201] In light of the above teachings, it can be understood that many modifications and changes to this disclosure are possible. It will be clear that, within the scope of the attached clauses, this disclosure may be implemented in ways other than those specifically described herein.

Claims

1. It comprises a distributed unit (DU), and the DU is For at least one user device (UE), correction information is provided to correct at least one on-duration of at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE. During the on-duration modified by the UE based on the modification information, a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) is provided to the UE. It is configured in such a way, The MAC CE is a system that includes a cell switching command instructing the UE to perform a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell.

2. The aforementioned correction information includes information on the timing at which the LTM cell switchover is expected, The aforementioned DU is, The UE receives the L1 measurement value, Based on the L1 measurement value, the timing at which the LTM cell switchover is expected is predicted. The UE is provided with the information regarding the timing at which the LTM cell switching is expected. The system according to claim 1, configured to provide the aforementioned modification information by means of the above.

3. The unit further comprises a central unit (CU) that is communicatively coupled to the DU and the UE, The aforementioned modification information includes an extension factor for extending multiple on-durations, The aforementioned DU is, The UE receives the L1 measurement value, Based on the L1 measurement value, the timing of the LTM cell switching during the off-duration is predicted. From among a plurality of predetermined extension coefficients based on the L1 measurement value, the extension coefficient corresponding to the predicted timing is selected. The extension coefficient is provided to the CU via the F1 interface. It is configured to provide the aforementioned correction information by doing so, The aforementioned CU is A radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message is generated, including the extension coefficient and the configuration of the target cell. The RRC reconstruction message is provided to the UE. The system according to claim 1, configured as follows.

4. The MAC CE including the cell switching command is a second MAC CE, The aforementioned DU is, A first MAC CE is generated that includes the information of the timing at which the LTM cell switching is expected, and the information of the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE. The first MAC CE is provided to the UE before the modified ON duration. The system is configured to provide the information regarding the timing at which the LTM cell switching is expected to occur. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first MAC CE is different from the second MAC CE.

5. The unit further comprises a central unit (CU) that is communicatively coupled to the DU and the UE, The aforementioned DU is, The CU is provided with the information regarding the timing at which the LTM cell switchover is expected, and the information regarding the expected transmission time of the MAC CE, via an F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) UE context change request message. The system is further configured to provide information on the timing at which the LTM cell switching is expected to occur. The aforementioned CU is A radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message is generated, which includes the information of the timing at which the LTM cell switching is expected and the information of the expected transmission time of the MAC CE. The RRC reconstruction message is provided to the UE. The system according to claim 2, configured as follows.

6. The L1 measurement includes the value of the reference signal received power (RSRP) associated with the serving cell. The aforementioned DU is, The aforementioned value of RSRP is compared with a predetermined threshold, Based on the determination that the value of RSRP is equal to the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the LTM cell switching is expected to occur at a first predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration. Based on the determination that the value of RSRP is greater than the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the LTM cell switching is expected at a second predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration. The system according to claim 2, configured to predict the timing at which the LTM cell switching is expected to occur.

7. The aforementioned DU is, Generate an LTM Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) specific to at least one UE composed of LTMs, Downlink control information (DCI) including information on the expected transmission time of the MAC CE is generated. Based on the aforementioned LTM RNTI, the DCI is scrambled. Before the modified on duration, provide the UE with the scrambled DCI. The system according to claim 3, further configured as follows.

8. The DU is further configured to provide the CU with the LTM RNTI via the F1 interface. The system according to claim 7, wherein the CU is configured to generate the RRC reconstruction message, including the LTM RNTI, the extension coefficient, and the configuration of the target cell.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein the DU is configured to predict the timing at which the LTM cell switchover is expected based on at least one artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) model.

10. To provide correction information for at least one user device (UE) to correct at least one on-duration of at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE, During the on-duration modified by the UE based on the modification information, the media access control (MAC) control element (CE) is provided to the UE, Includes, The MAC CE includes a cell switching command that instructs the UE to perform a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) triggered mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell, in a method.

11. The aforementioned correction information includes information on the timing at which the LTM cell switchover is expected, Providing the aforementioned correction information means, The UE receives the L1 measurement value, Based on the L1 measurement value, predict the timing at which the LTM cell switchover is expected, To provide the UE with the information regarding the timing at which the LTM cell switching is expected, The method according to claim 10, including the method described in claim 10.

12. The aforementioned modification information includes an extension factor for extending multiple on-durations, Providing the aforementioned correction information means, The UE receives the L1 measurement value, Based on the L1 measurement value, predict the timing of the LTM cell switching during the off-duration period, From among a plurality of predetermined extension coefficients based on the L1 measurement value, select the extension coefficient corresponding to the predicted timing, To generate a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message including the extension coefficient and the configuration of the target cell, To provide the RRC reconstruction message to the UE, The method according to claim 10, including the method described in claim 10.

13. The MAC CE including the cell switching command is a second MAC CE, Providing the information regarding the timing at which the LTM cell switching is expected to occur means that To generate a first MAC CE that includes the information of the timing at which the LTM cell switching is expected and the information of the expected transmission time of the second MAC CE, Providing the UE with the first MAC CE before the modified ON duration, Includes, The method according to claim 11, wherein the first MAC CE is different from the second MAC CE.

14. Providing the aforementioned information at the aforementioned timing means To generate a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message that includes the information of the timing at which the LTM cell switching is expected and the information of the expected transmission time of the MAC CE, To provide the RRC reconstruction message to the UE, The method according to claim 11, including the method described in claim 11.

15. The L1 measurement includes the value of the reference signal received power (RSRP) associated with the serving cell. Predicting the timing at which the LTM cell switchover is expected is: The RSRP value is compared with a predetermined threshold, Based on the determination that the value of RSRP is equal to the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the LTM cell switching is expected at a first predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration, Based on the determination that the value of RSRP is greater than the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the LTM cell switching is expected at a second predetermined timing in the upcoming off-duration, The method according to claim 11, including the method described in claim 11.

16. To generate an LTM Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) unique to at least one UE composed of LTMs, To generate downlink control information (DCI) including information on the expected transmission time of the MAC CE, Based on the aforementioned LTM RNTI, the DCI is scrambled, To provide the UE with the scrambled DCI before the modified on duration, The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

17. Generating the aforementioned RRC reconstruction message means To generate the RRC reconstruction message to include the LTM RNTI, the extension coefficient, and the configuration of the target cell, The method according to claim 16, including the method described in claim 16.

18. Predicting the timing at which the LTM cell switchover is expected is: Predicting the timing at which the LTM cell switchover is expected based on at least one artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) model, The method according to claim 11, including the method described in claim 11.

19. A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium that records instructions executable by at least one network node for causing at least one network node to execute a method, wherein the method is To provide correction information for at least one user device (UE) to correct at least one on-duration of at least one discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle associated with the UE, During the on-duration modified by the UE based on the modification information, the media access control (MAC) control element (CE) is provided to the UE, Includes, The MAC CE includes a cell switching command that instructs the UE to perform a Layer 1 (L1) / Layer 2 (L2) trigger mobility (LTM) cell switching from a serving cell to a target cell, and is a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium.

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