Signaling-based drive test minimization setting availability

Abstract

A method is provided for communicating with a wireless network, the method comprising: receiving (501) a signaling-based logged MDT configuration from a first network node belonging to a first RAT; the signaling-based logged MDT configuration comprises a first PLMN identity list; the method further comprises signaling (503) an indication towards a second network node belonging to a second RAT and a second PLMN, the indication comprising the signaling-based MDT configuration availability in the communication device, regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether the second RAT matches the first RAT; the method performed by the network node, as well as related devices and methods, are also disclosed.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to communications, and more particularly to communication methods and associated devices and nodes that support communicating with a wireless network. [Background technology]

[0002] Minimization of drive test (MDT) was standardized for new radio (NR) in Rel-16 to reduce the amount of manually performed drive tests. MDT refers to a communication device (also referred to herein as "user equipment", "UE", and / or "radio terminal") assisted framework in which network measurements are collected by both IDLE / INACTIVE UE(s) and RRC connected UE(s) to help the network gather useful information. It is specified for both long term evolution (LTE) and NR in 3rd Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) TS 37.320, V16.5.0.

[0003] The MDT type based on radio resource control (RRC) state generally includes two types of MDT measurement logging: logged MDT and instantaneous MDT.

[0004] In logged MDT, a UE in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state is configured to perform periodic and event-triggered MDT logging after receiving MDT configuration from the network. The UE shall report downlink (DL) pilot strength measurements (Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) / Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ)) together with time information, detailed location information if available, and WLAN, Bluetooth to the network via the use of UE information framework when the UE is in RRC_CONNECTED state. DL pilot strength measurements for logged MDT are collected based on existing measurements required for cell reselection purposes without imposing the UE to perform additional measurements.

[0005] The following table from 3GPP TS37.320, V16.5.0 shows the measurement logging for the logged MDT. TIFF0007656775000001.tif27170

[0006] In periodic logged MDT, the UE receives an MDT configuration, i.e., LoggedMeasurementConfiguration, including logginginterval and loggingduration in an RRC message from the network. Upon receiving these configurations, a timer (e.g., T330) is started in the UE and set to loggingduration (10 minutes to 120 minutes). The UE shall perform periodic MDT logging at an interval set to logginginterval (e.g., 1.28 seconds to 61.44 seconds) when the UE is in RRC_IDLE. An example of a logged MDT procedure is shown in Figure 1.

[0007] In event-triggered logged MDT, the UE receives an eventType and a logginginterval from the network, and the UE logs a measurement report every logginginterval if the event configured in the eventType is met. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method performed by a communication device for communicating with a wireless network. The method includes receiving a signaling-based logged minimized drive test (MDT) configuration from a first network node belonging to a first radio access technology (RAT). The signaling-based logged MDT configuration includes a first public land mobile network (PLMN) identity list. The method further includes signaling an indication toward a second network node belonging to a second RAT and a second PLMN, the indication including the signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether the second RAT matches the first RAT.

[0009] In another embodiment, a method is provided for communicating with a wireless network, the method comprising receiving an indication from the communication device including a signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, the indication being reported by the communication device regardless of whether a second PLMN belongs to a first PLMN identity list and / or whether a current RAT matches the first RAT.

[0010] In another embodiment, a communication device for communicating with a wireless network is provided. The communication device is adapted to perform operations including receiving a signaling-based logged MDT configuration from a first network node belonging to a first RAT. The signaling-based logged MDT configuration includes a first PLMN identity list. The operations further include signaling an indication toward a second network node belonging to a second RAT and a second PLMN, the indication including the signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether the second RAT matches the first RAT.

[0011] In another embodiment, a communication device for communicating with a wireless network is provided. The communication device includes at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing program code, the program code being executed by the at least one processor to perform operations. The operations include receiving a signaling-based logged MDT configuration from a first network node belonging to a first RAT. The signaling-based logged MDT configuration includes a first PLMN identity list. The operations further include signaling an indication toward a second network node belonging to a second RAT and a second PLMN, the indication including the signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether the second RAT matches the first RAT.

[0012] In another embodiment, a computer program product is provided that includes program code to be executed by a processing circuit of a communication device for communicating with a wireless network. Execution of the program code causes the communication device to perform an operation including receiving a signaling-based logged MDT configuration from a first network node belonging to a first RAT. The signaling-based logged MDT configuration includes a first PLMN identity list. The operation further includes signaling an indication toward a second network node belonging to a second RAT and a second PLMN, the indication including the signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether the second RAT matches the first RAT.

[0013] In another embodiment, a computer program product is provided that includes a non-transitory storage medium including a program code to be executed by a processing circuit of a communication device for communicating with a wireless network. Execution of the program code causes the communication device to perform operations including receiving a signaling-based logged MDT configuration from a first network node belonging to a first RAT. The signaling-based logged MDT configuration includes a first PLMN identity list. The operations further include signaling an indication toward a second network node belonging to a second RAT and a second PLMN including the signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether the second RAT matches the first RAT.

[0014] In another embodiment, a network node is provided that is communicatively connected to a communication device for communicating with a wireless network, the network node being adapted to perform operations including receiving, from the communication device, an indication including a signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, the indication being reported by the communication device regardless of whether a second PLMN belongs to a first PLMN identity list and / or whether a current RAT matches the first RAT.

[0015] In another embodiment, a network node is provided for communicating with a wireless network, the network node including at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing program code, the program code being executed by the at least one processor to perform operations. The operations include receiving an indication from the communication device including a signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device. The indication is reported by the communication device regardless of whether a second PLMN belongs to a first PLMN identity list and / or whether a current RAT matches the first RAT.

[0016] In another embodiment, a computer program product is provided that includes program code to be executed by a processing circuit of a network node for communicating with a wireless network. Execution of the program code causes the network node to perform operations. The operations include receiving an indication from a communication device that includes a signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device. The indication is reported by the communication device regardless of whether a second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether a current RAT matches the first RAT.

[0017] In another embodiment, a computer program product is provided that includes a non-transitory storage medium including program code to be executed by a processing circuit of a network node in communication with a wireless network, the execution of the program code causing the network node to perform operations including receiving, from a communication device, an indication including a signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, the indication being reported by the communication device regardless of whether a second PLMN belongs to a first PLMN identity list and / or whether a current RAT matches the first RAT.

[0018] Some aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide a solution to the problem. Various embodiments include a method performed by a communication device, comprising signaling, toward a second network node belonging to a second RAT and a second PLMN, an indication including a signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether the second RAT matches the first RAT.

[0019] Some embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s): Based on signaling from a communication device, the network may gather updated information regarding an ongoing signaling-based logged MDT status in the communication device, regardless of the configured RAT and PLMN, and thus may avoid overwriting the signaling-based logged MDT status with a management-based MDT configuration.

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate several non-limiting embodiments of the inventive concepts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1]FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a logged MDT procedure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a communication device UE according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a Radio Access Network (RAN) node (e.g., network node, base station eNB / gNB) in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing a core network CN node (e.g., an AMF node, an SMF node, etc.) according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a communications device in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a communications device in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a network node, in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a network node, in accordance with some embodiments of the inventive concept. [Figure 9] 1 is a block diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a user equipment according to some embodiments. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a network node according to some embodiments. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a host computer in communication with user equipment according to some embodiments. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a virtualization environment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a host computer communicating with user equipment via a base station over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Examples of embodiments of the inventive concept are shown, and the embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. However, the inventive concept may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. It may be implicitly assumed that an element from one embodiment is present / used in another embodiment.

[0023] The following description presents various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. These embodiments are presented as teaching examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosed subject matter. For example, some details of the described embodiments may be modified, omitted, or expanded without departing from the scope of the described subject matter.

[0024] Additional information can also be found in the documents provided in the appendix.

[0025] Current progress in 3GPP includes that it has been identified in 3GPP that if a UE has been configured with a signaling-based logged MDT configuration, the UE should not be selected for a managed-based logged MDT configuration while the signaling-based logged MDT configuration is still active. There has been agreement on a UE-assisted network-based solution. In summary, the agreed solution includes that the UE should provide assistance information that includes an indication that the UE has an active signaling-based MDT configuration, and the network will refrain from configuring the UE with a managed-based MDT configuration.

[0026] Currently, there are several challenges. The assumption of the MDT framework is that the UE only reports MDT-related information to the PLMN and RAT that it configures. Therefore, the UE does not inform the network about the configured and logged reports unless both the current PLMN and RAT match the PLMN and RAT that it configured the UE with. As a result, there are challenges in avoiding the signaling-based logged MDT being overwritten. For example, in a scenario where the UE has an ongoing signaling-based logged MDT configuration (e.g., the T330 timer is running and the UE returns to an RRC connected state in a different PLMN or a different RAT in the same PLMN), the UE will not inform the network about the signaling-based logged MDT configuration, and the network may overwrite the signaling-based logged MDT configuration with the management-based logged MDT configuration, breaking the agreement.

[0027] Various embodiments of the present disclosure include the communications device signaling to the network signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communications device regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether the second RAT matches the first RAT.

[0028] Some embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages: By including such signaling from the communication device to the network, the network may gather updated information regarding an ongoing signaling-based logged MDT status in the communication device regardless of the configured RAT and / or PLMN, and thus the communication may help the network avoid overwriting a pre-configured signaling-based MDT configuration in the communication device with a management-based MDT configuration.

[0029] Next, the operations of the method of various embodiments will be further described with respect to one exemplary embodiment. Although the exemplary embodiment will be described in the non-limiting context of the following sequence of operations, the operations mentioned may be performed out of the order mentioned. For example, depending on the operations involved, two operations may be described consecutively, but may in fact be performed substantially concurrently, or the operations may sometimes be performed in reverse order. Moreover, operations may be separated into multiple operations, and / or operations of two or more operations may be at least partially integrated. Finally, other operations may be added / inserted between the described operation blocks, and / or operations may be omitted without departing from the scope of the inventive concept.

[0030] In an example embodiment, when the communications device is connected to a RAT, it receives a signaling-based logged MDT configuration from a network, e.g., from a network node for a PLMN, and stores the signaling-based logged MDT configuration. In some embodiments, the configuration includes a configuration validity timer (e.g., T330) as specified in [1]. For ease of explanation, and without limitation, this operation is referred to herein as a "first operation."

[0031] In some embodiments, the communications device transitions to a dormant state (eg, RRC IDLE / INACTIVE). In some embodiments, the communications device evaluates logged MDT collection criteria.

[0032] In some embodiments, the communications device transitions to a connected state (e.g., RRC_Connected state according to the following standardized method in 3GPP TS38.331, V16.5.0). The communications device may or may not have logged MDT reports stored at this point. Additionally, timers related to the configuration (e.g., T330 timers) may or may not have expired.

[0033] In some embodiments, upon or after transitioning to a connected state (eg, an RRC connected state), the communications device sends an indication towards the network regarding the communications device's ongoing signaling-based MDT configuration availability.

[0034] In some embodiments, the communications device reports the signaling-based MDT configuration availability of the communications device to the network when the to-be-configured PLMN and the current PLMN are the same, regardless of whether the RAT to which the communications device is currently connected is the same as the RAT that configured the MDT configuration on the communications device in the first operation.

[0035] In another embodiment, the communication device reports the signaling-based MDT configuration availability of the communication device to the network when the RAT to be configured and the current RAT are the same, regardless of whether the PLMN to which the communication device is currently connected is the same as the PLMN that configured the MDT configuration on the communication device in the first operation.

[0036] In another embodiment, the communication device reports the signaling-based MDT configuration availability of the communication device to the network, ignoring the configuring PLMN, RAT and current PLMN, RAT information, respectively. In some embodiments, the communication device reports an indication of the PLMN (and / or RAT) that configured the communication device in the first operation. In some embodiments, in response to receiving the indication, the network determines whether to fetch an MDT related information report, for example, based on the PLMN that configured it. In some embodiments, upon receiving an MDT related information report with configuration provided by a different PLMN, the PLMN passes the MDT related information report to the configuring PLMN.

[0037] In some embodiments, the communications device reports the indication to the network until a defined time period after expiration of a timer included in the signaling-based logged MDT received from the network (e.g., n time units have elapsed after timer expiration (e.g., T330 timer expiration). In one exemplary embodiment, n has a value of 48 hours. Thus, if the configured timer value is set to 120 minutes, the communications device reports the indication to the network until 3000 minutes have elapsed since receiving the configuration).

[0038] Next, an exemplary embodiment of an implementation of the method of the present disclosure for NR in 3GPP TS38.331, V16.5.0, Section 6.1.1.1, 5.3.3.4 (titled "Reception of the RRC Setup by the UE") is provided. The UE shall perform the following actions upon receipt of RRC setup: 1> RRC setup is received in response to an RRC re-establishment request, or 1> If an RRC SETUP is received in response to an RRC RESUME REQUEST or RRC RESUME REQUEST 1, 2> Discard UE inactive AS context and suspendConfig. 2> K RRCenc Key and K RRCint Key and K UPint Key and K UPenc Discard the current AS security context, including the key. 2> Release the radio resources for all established RBs except SRB0, including releasing the RLC entity, the associated PDCP entity, and the SDAP. 2> Release the RRC configuration except for the default L1 parameter values, the default MAC cell group configuration, and the CCCH configuration. 2> Instruct higher layers to fall back on the RRC connection. 2> Stop timer T380 if it is running. 1> Perform the cell group configuration procedure according to the received masterCellGroup and as specified in 5.3.5.5. 1> Perform the radio bearer setup procedure according to the received radioBearerConfig and as specified in 5.3.5.6. 1> If stored, discard the cell reselection priority information provided by cellReselectionPriorities or inherited from another RAT. 1> Stop timers T300, T301 or T319 if they are running. 1> If the T390 is running, 2> Stop timer T390 for all access categories. 2> Take action as specified in 5.3.14.4. 1> If T302 is running, 2> Stop timer T302. 2> Take action as specified in 5.3.14.4. 1> Stop timer T320 if it is running. 1> If an RRC SETUP is received in response to an RRC RESUME REQUEST, RRC RESUME REQUEST 1 or RRC SETUP REQUEST, 2> If T331 is running, 3> Stop timer T331. 3> Take action as specified in 5.7.8.3. 2> Enter RRC_CONNECTED. 2> Stop the cell reselection procedure. 1> Consider the current cell to be a PCell. 1> If the UE has radio link failure or handover failure information available in the VarRLF-Report and if the RPLMN is included in the plmn-IdentityList stored in the VarRLF-Report, 2> If reconnectCellId in the VarRLF-Report is not set and the received RRC setup is in response to an RRC setup request, 3> Set timeUntilReconnection in the VarRLF-Report to the time elapsed since the last radio link failure or handover failure. 3> Set nrReconnectCellId in reconnectCellId in VarRLF-Report to the global cell identity and tracking area code of the PCell. 1> If the UE supports RLF reporting for inter-RAT MRO NR as specified in TS 36.306

[62] , and if the UE has radio link failure or handover failure information available in the VarRLF-Report of TS 36.331

[10] , and if the RPLMN is included in the plmn-IdentityList stored in the VarRLF-Report of TS 36.331

[10] , 2> If reconnectCellId in VarRLF-Report of TS36.331

[10] is not set, 3> Set timeUntilReconnection in the VarRLF-Report of TS36.331

[10] to the time elapsed since the last radio link failure or handover failure in LTE. 3> Set nrReconnectCellId in reconnectCellId in VarRLF-Report of TS36.331

[10] to the global cell identity and tracking area code of the PCell. 1> Set the content of the RRC Setup Complete message as follows: 2> If the upper layer provides 5G-S-TMSI, 3> If an RRC setup is received in response to an RRC resume request, 4> Set ng-5G-S-TMSI-Value to ng-5G-S-TMSI-Part2. 3> In other cases, 4> Set ng-5G-S-TMSI-Value to ng-5G-S-TMSI. 2> If the higher layer has selected an SNPN or PLMN, and if the PLMN UE is either enabled or instructed to access the PLMN via a cell in which at least one CAG ID is broadcast, 3> Set selectedPLMN-Identity from npn-IdentityInfoList. 2> In other cases, 3> Set selectedPLMN-Identity to the PLMN selected by higher layers from plmn-IdentityList. 2> If the upper layer provides "registered AMF", 3> Include registeredAMF and set it as follows. 4> If the PLMN identity of the "registered AMF" is different from the PLMN selected by higher layers, 5> Include plmnIdentity in registeredAMF and set plmnIdentity to the value of the PLMN identity information in the "registered AMF" received from the upper layer. 4> Set amf-Identifier to the value received from higher layers. 3> Include guami-Type and set it to the value provided by the higher layer. 2> If the upper layer provides one or more S-NSSAIs (see TS 23.003

[21] ), 3> Include s-NSSAI-List and set the contents to the value provided by a higher layer. 2> Set the dedicatedNAS-Message to include the information received from the upper layer. 2> If you are connecting as an IAB node, 3> Include iab-NodeIndication. 2> If SIB1 includes idleModeMeasurementsNR and the UE has NR idle / inactive measurement information related to cells other than the PCell available in VarMeasIdleReport, or 2> If SIB1 contains idleModeMeasurementsEUTRA and the UE has E-UTRA idle / inactive measurement information available in VarMeasIdleReport, 3> Include idleMeasAvailable. 2> If the UE has signaling-based logged MDT configuration or logged measurements available for other RATs and the RPLMN is not included in the plmn-IdentityList stored in the VarLogMeasReport, 3> Include signallingLogConfigAvailable in the RRC setup complete message. 2> If the UE has logged measurements available for NR and if the RPLMN is included in the plmn-IdentityList stored in the VarLogMeasReport, 3> Include logMeasAvailable in the RRC Setup Complete message. 3> If the Bluetooth measurement result is included in the logged measurements that the UE has available for NR, 4> Include logMeasAvailableBT in the RRC Setup Complete message. 3> If the WLAN measurement results are included in the logged measurements that the UE has available for NR, 4> Include logMeasAvailableWLAN in the RRC Setup Complete message. 2> If the UE has connection establishment failure or connection resumption failure information available in the VarConnEstFailReport, and the RPLMN is equal to the plmn-Identity stored in the VarConnEstFailReport; 3> Include connEstFailInfoAvailable in the RRC Setup Complete message. 2> If the UE has radio link failure or handover failure information available in the VarRLF-Report and the RPLMN is included in the plmn-IdentityList stored in the VarRLF-Report, or 2> If the UE has radio link failure or handover failure information available in the VarRLF-Report of TS 36.331

[10] , and if the UE is capable of cross-RAT RLF reporting, and if the RPLMN is included in the plmn-IdentityList stored in the VarRLF-Report of TS 36.331

[10] , 3> Include rlf-InfoAvailable in the RRC Setup Complete message. 2> If the UE supports storage of mobility history information and the UE has mobility history information available in VarMobilityHistoryReport, 3> Include mobilityHistoryAvail in the RRC Setup Complete message. 2> If an RRC SETUP is received in response to an RRC RESUME REQUEST, RRC RESUME REQUEST 1 or RRC SETUP REQUEST, 3> If speedStateReselectionPars is set in SIB2, 4> Include mobilityState in the RRC SETUP COMPLETE message and set mobilityState to the mobility state (as specified in TS 38.304

[20] ) of the UE just before entering RRC_CONNECTED state. 1> Submit an RRC Setup Complete message to lower layers for transmission, then the procedure ends.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing elements of a communication device UE200 (also referred to as a mobile terminal, mobile communication terminal, wireless device, wireless communication device, wireless terminal, mobile device, wireless communication terminal, user equipment (UE), user equipment node / terminal / device, etc.) configured to provide wireless communication according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. (The communication device 200 may be provided as described hereinafter with respect to, for example, wireless devices UE QQ112A, UE QQ112B, and wired or wireless devices UE QQ112C, UE QQ112D of FIG. 9, UE QQ200 of FIG. 10, virtualized hardware QQ504 and virtual machines QQ508A, QQ508B of FIG. 13, and UE QQ606 of FIG. 14, and all of them are considered interchangeable in the examples and embodiments described herein and should be within the intended scope of the present disclosure unless otherwise stated.) As shown, the communication device UE may include an antenna 207 (corresponding to, for example, antenna QQ222 of FIG. 10) and a transceiver circuit 201 (also referred to as a transceiver) configured to provide uplink and downlink wireless communication with one or more base stations (corresponding to, for example, network nodes QQ110A, QQ110B of FIG. 9, network node QQ300 of FIG. 11, and network node QQ604 of FIG. 14, also referred to as RAN nodes) of a wireless access network. The communication device UE may also include a processing circuit 203 (also referred to as a processor) coupled to the transceiver circuit (corresponding to, for example, processing circuit QQ202 of FIG. 10 and control system QQ512 of FIG. 13) and a memory circuit 205 (also referred to as a memory) coupled to the processing circuit. The memory circuit 205 may include computer-readable program code that, when executed by the processing circuit 203, causes the processing circuit to perform operations according to the embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, the processing circuit 203 may be defined to include memory such that a separate memory circuit is not required.The communication device UE may also include an interface (such as a user interface) coupled to the processing circuit 203 and / or the communication device UE may be integrated into a vehicle.

[0040] As described herein, operations of the communication device UE may be performed by the processing circuitry 203 and / or the transceiver circuitry 201. For example, the processing circuitry 203 may control the transceiver circuitry 201 to transmit communications through the transceiver circuitry 601 over an air interface to a radio access network node (also called a base station) and / or receive communications through the transceiver circuitry 201 over an air interface from a RAN node. Moreover, modules may be stored in the memory circuitry 205 that may provide instructions such that, when instructions of the modules are executed by the processing circuitry 203, the processing circuitry 203 performs respective operations (e.g., operations described below with respect to exemplary embodiments related to wireless communication devices). According to some embodiments, the communication device UE 200 and / or its element(s) / function(s) may be embodied as one or more virtual nodes and / or one or more virtual machines.

[0041] 3 is a block diagram illustrating elements of a radio access network RAN ​​node 300 (also referred to as a network node, base station, eNodeB / eNB, gNodeB / gNB, etc.) of the RAN configured to provide cellular communications, according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. (The RAN node 300 may be provided, for example, as described below with respect to network nodes QQ110A, QQ110B of FIG. 9, network node QQ300 of FIG. 11, hardware QQ504 or virtual machines QQ508A, QQ508B of FIG. 13, and / or base station QQ604 of FIG. 14, all of which are considered interchangeable in the examples and embodiments described herein unless otherwise noted and should be within the intended scope of the present disclosure.) As shown, the RAN node may include a transceiver circuit 301 (also referred to as a transceiver, e.g., corresponding to portions of the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 and radio front-end circuit QQ318 of FIG. 11) including a transmitter and a receiver configured to provide uplink and downlink wireless communications with mobile terminals. The RAN node may include a network interface circuit 307 (e.g., also referred to as a network interface, corresponding to a portion of the communication interface QQ306 in FIG. 11) configured to provide communication with other nodes of the RAN and / or the core network CN (e.g., with other base stations). The network node may also include a processing circuit 303 (e.g., also referred to as a processor, corresponding to the processing circuit QQ302 in FIG. 11) coupled to the transceiver circuit, and a memory circuit 305 (e.g., also referred to as a memory, corresponding to the memory QQ304 in FIG. 11) coupled to the processing circuit. The memory circuit 305 may include computer readable program code that, when executed by the processing circuit 303, causes the processing circuit to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, the processing circuit 303 may be defined to include a memory such that a separate memory circuit is not required.

[0042] As described herein, operations of the RAN node may be performed by the processing circuitry 303, the network interface 307, and / or the transceiver 301. For example, the processing circuitry 303 may control the transceiver 301 to transmit downlink communications through the transceiver 301 over the air interface to one or more mobile terminals UEs and / or receive uplink communications through the transceiver 301 over the air interface from one or more mobile terminals UEs. Similarly, the processing circuitry 303 may control the network interface 307 to transmit communications through the network interface 307 to one or more other network nodes and / or receive communications from one or more other network nodes through the network interface. Moreover, modules may be stored in the memory 305 that, when their instructions are executed by the processing circuitry 303, provide instructions that cause the processing circuitry 303 to perform respective operations (e.g., operations described below with respect to exemplary embodiments relating to a RAN node). According to some embodiments, the RAN node e00 and / or its element(s) / function(s) may be embodied as one or more virtual nodes and / or one or more virtual machines.

[0043] As used herein, the terms "first network node" and "second network node" are used in a non-limiting manner and can refer to the same network node or different network nodes.

[0044] According to some other embodiments, the network node may be implemented as a core network CN node lacking a transceiver. In such embodiments, a transmission to the wireless communication device UE may be initiated by the network node such that the transmission to the wireless communication device UE is provided through a network node that includes a transceiver (e.g., through a base station or a RAN node). According to an embodiment in which the network node is a RAN node that includes a transceiver, initiating the transmission may include transmitting through the transceiver.

[0045] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating elements of a core network (CN) node (e.g., SMF (Session Management Function) node, AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) node, etc.) of a communication network configured to provide cellular communications, according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. (The CN node 400 may be provided, for example, as described below with respect to the core network node QQ108 of FIG. 9, the hardware QQ504 of FIG. 13, or the virtual machines QQ508A, QQ508B, all of which, unless otherwise noted, are considered interchangeable in the examples and embodiments described herein and should be within the intended scope of the present disclosure). As shown, the CN node may include a network interface circuit 407 configured to provide communications with other nodes of the core network and / or radio access network RAN. The CN node may also include a processing circuit 403 (also referred to as a processor) coupled to the network interface circuit, and a memory circuit 405 (also referred to as a memory) coupled to the processing circuit. The memory circuitry 405 may include computer readable program code that, when executed by the processing circuitry 403, causes the processing circuitry to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, the processing circuitry 403 may be defined to include memory such that a separate memory circuitry is not required.

[0046] As described herein, the operations of the CN node may be performed by the processing circuitry 403 and / or the network interface circuitry 407. For example, the processing circuitry 403 may control the network interface circuitry 407 to send communications through the network interface circuitry 407 to one or more other network nodes and / or to receive communications through the network interface circuitry from one or more other network nodes. Moreover, modules may be stored in the memory 405 that may provide instructions such that, when the instructions of the modules are executed by the processing circuitry 403, the processing circuitry 403 performs respective operations. According to some embodiments, the CN node 400 and / or its element(s) / function(s) may be embodied as one or more virtual nodes and / or one or more virtual machines.

[0047] In the following description, the communication device may be any of the communication device 200, the wireless device QQ112A, QQ112B, the wired or wireless device UE QQ112C, the UE QQ112D, the UE QQ200, the virtualized hardware QQ504, the virtual machine QQ508A, QQ508B, or the UE QQ606, but the communication device 200 shall be used to describe the operation functions of the communication device. Next, the operation of the communication device 200 (implemented using the structure of the block diagram of FIG. 2) according to some embodiments of the inventive concept will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. For example, modules may be stored in the memory 205 of FIG. 2, and these modules may provide instructions such that when the instructions of the modules are executed by the respective communication device processing circuitry 203, the processing circuitry 203 performs the respective operations of the flowchart.

[0048] With reference to Figure 5, in various embodiments, a method is provided for communicating with a wireless network, performed by a communication device (200). The method includes receiving (501) a signaling-based logged MDT configuration from a first network node belonging to a first RAT. The signaling-based logged MDT configuration includes a first PLMN identity list. The method further includes signaling (503) an indication toward a second network node belonging to a second RAT and a second PLMN, the indication including the signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether the second RAT matches the first RAT.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 6, in some embodiments, the method further includes storing (607) the signaling-based logged MDT configuration received from the first network node.

[0050] In some embodiments, the indication is signaled when the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and regardless of whether the first RAT and the second RAT are the same.

[0051] In some embodiments, the indication is signaled when the first RAT and the second RAT are the same and regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list or not.

[0052] In some embodiments, signaling the indication (503) is performed by the communications device disregarding whether the first RAT and the second RAT are the same and whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list, respectively.

[0053] In some embodiments, the indication is an indication of the first PLMN and the first RAT.

[0054] In some embodiments, the signaling (503) is performed for a defined period of time after expiration of a timer included in the signaling-based logged MDT received from the network node.

[0055] Referring to FIG. 6, in some embodiments, the method further includes transitioning (601) the communication device to a dormant state and transitioning (605) the communication device to a connected state.

[0056] In some embodiments, while in the dormant state, the method further includes evaluating (603) criteria for logged MDT collection based on the received signaling-based logged MDT configuration.

[0057] Various operations from the flowchart of Figure 6 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of the communications device and related methods. With respect to the method of the example embodiment, for example, the operations of blocks 601-607 of Figure 6 may be optional.

[0058] In the following description, the network node may be either the RAN node 300, the network node QQ110A, QQ110B, QQ300, QQ606, the hardware QQ504, or the virtual machine QQ508A, QQ508B, but the RAN node 700 shall be used to describe the functionality of the operation of the network node. Next, the operation of the RAN node 300 (implemented using the structure of FIG. 3) will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. For example, modules may be stored in the memory 305 of FIG. 3, and these modules may provide instructions such that when the instructions of the modules are executed by the respective RAN node processing circuitry 303, the processing circuitry 303 performs the respective operations of the flowcharts.

[0059] Referring to Figure 7, there is provided a method performed by a network node (300) communicatively connected to a communication device (200) for communicating with a wireless network, the method comprising receiving (701) from the communication device an indication including signaling-based MDT configuration availability at the communication device, the indication including the signaling-based MDT configuration availability reported by the communication device regardless of whether a second PLMN belongs to a first PLMN identity list and / or whether a current RAT matches the first RAT.

[0060] In some embodiments, the indication is reported by the communications device when the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and regardless of whether the first RAT and the second RAT are the same.

[0061] In some embodiments, the indication is reported by the communications device when the first RAT and the second RAT are the same and regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list.

[0062] In some embodiments, the indication is reported by the communications device disregarding whether the communications device determines whether the first RAT and the second RAT are the same and whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list, respectively.

[0063] In some embodiments, the indication is an indication of the first PLMN and the first RAT.

[0064] In some embodiments, the indication is reported by the communications device for a defined period of time after expiry of a timer included in the communications device's signaling-based logged MDT received from a network node of the configuring PLMN and / or the configuring RAT.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 8, in some embodiments, the method further includes, in response to receiving the indication, determining (801) whether to collect MDT-related reports for a signaling-based MDT configuration in the communication device.

[0066] In some embodiments, the method further includes, for the received signaling-based logged MDT configuration, collecting (803) an MDT relationship report for the signaling-based MDT configuration from the communication device, and passing (805) the MDT relationship report for the received signaling-based MDT configuration to the first PLMN.

[0067] Various operations from the flowchart of Figure 8 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of the RAN node and related methods. With respect to the method of the example embodiment (described below), for example, the operations of blocks 801, 803, and 805 of Figure 8 may be optional.

[0068] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a communication system QQ100, according to some embodiments.

[0069] In this example, the communication system QQ100 includes a communication network QQ102 including an access network QQ104, such as a RAN, and a core network QQ106 including one or more core network nodes QQ108. The access network QQ104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes QQ110a and QQ110b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network node QQ110), or any other similar 3GPP access node or non-3GPP access point. The network node QQ110 facilitates direct or indirect connectivity of UEs QQ112a, QQ112b, QQ112c, and QQ112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE QQ112) to the core network QQ106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0070] Exemplary wireless communication over a wireless connection includes transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, communication system QQ100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections. Communication system QQ100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, wireless networks, and / or other similar types of systems.

[0071] The UE QQ112 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices configured, configured, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with the network node QQ110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network node QQ110 is configured, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with the UE QQ112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the communication network QQ102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration, in the communication network QQ102.

[0072] In the illustrated example, the core network QQ106 connects the network node QQ110 to one or more hosts, such as the host QQ116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network nodes may be directly coupled to the hosts. The core network QQ106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., the core network node QQ108) structured with hardware and software components. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, and therefore, those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node QQ108. Exemplary core network nodes include one or more of the following functions: a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a Session Management Function (SMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Subscription Identifier De-concealing Function (SIDF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), a Network Publishing Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0073] Host QQ 116 may be owned or under the control of, and operated by or on behalf of, a service provider other than the operator or provider of access network QQ 104 and / or communication network QQ 102. Host QQ 116 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by multiple UEs, analytics functions, social media, functions for controlling or possibly interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and surveillance centers, or any other such functions implemented by a server.

[0074] Overall, the communication system QQ100 of Figure 9 enables connectivity between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as a particular standard, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G), a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi), and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Global Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communications (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low power wide area network (LPWAN) standard, such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0075] In some examples, the communication network QQ102 is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Thus, the communication network QQ102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the communication network QQ102. For example, the communication network QQ102 may provide ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or providing massive machine-based communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to still further UEs.

[0076] In some examples, the UE QQ112 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network QQ104 on a predefined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the access network QQ104. Furthermore, the UE may be configured to operate in a single or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE may operate in any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e., configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Enhanced UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0077] In this example, the hub QQ114 communicates with the access network QQ104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UEs QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and a network node (e.g., network node QQ110b). In some examples, the hub QQ114 may be a controller, a router, a content source and content analysis, or any of the other communication devices described herein with respect to a UE. For example, the hub QQ114 may be a broadband router that allows access to the core network QQ106 for the UE. As another example, the hub QQ114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The commands or instructions may be received from the UE, the network node QQ110, or may be due to executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the hub QQ114. As another example, the hub QQ114 may be a data collector that serves as a temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub QQ114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker, or other media distribution device, Hub QQ 114 may retrieve, via a network node, VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information, which Hub QQ 114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, Hub QQ 114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, especially in the case where one or more of the UEs are low energy IoT devices.

[0078] Hub QQ114 may have a full-time / permanent or intermittent connection to network node QQ110b. Hub QQ114 may also enable different communication schemes and / or schedules between hub QQ114 and UEs (e.g., UEs QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and between hub QQ114 and core network QQ106. In other examples, hub QQ114 is connected to core network QQ106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, hub QQ114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over access network QQ104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection with network node QQ110 while still connected via a wired or wireless connection through hub QQ114. In some embodiments, hub QQ 114 may be a dedicated hub, i.e., a hub whose main function is to route communications from UEs to / from network node QQ 110b. In other embodiments, hub QQ 114 may be a non-dedicated hub, i.e., a device capable of operating to route communications between UEs and network node QQ 110b, but further capable of operating as a communication initiation and / or termination point for some data channels.

[0079] FIG. 10 illustrates a UE QQ200 according to some embodiments. A UE, as used herein, refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cell phones, voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, gaming consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback appliances, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptop computers, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), vehicle mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless devices, and the like. Other examples include any UE identified by 3GPP, including narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, machine type communication (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0080] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller) that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may not be associated with or may not initially be associated with a particular human user. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart power meter) that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user.

[0081] The UE QQ200 includes a processing circuit QQ202 operably coupled to an input / output interface QQ206, a power source QQ208, a memory QQ210, a communication interface QQ212, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus QQ204. Some UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in FIG. 10. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0082] The processing circuit QQ202 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in the memory QQ210 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuit QQ202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.), programmable logic with appropriate firmware, one or more stored computer programs, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) with appropriate software, a general-purpose processor, or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit QQ202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0083] In this example, the input / output interface QQ206 may be configured to provide one or more interfaces to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information to the UE QQ200. Examples of input devices include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor for sensing input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide input and output devices.

[0084] In some embodiments, the power source QQ208 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The power source QQ208 may further include a power circuit for delivering power to various parts of the UE QQ200 from the power source QQ208 itself and / or from an external power source via an input circuit, or an interface such as a power cable. Delivering power may be for charging the power source QQ208, for example. The power circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from the power source QQ208 to make it suitable for the respective components of the UE QQ200 to which it is powered.

[0085] The memory QQ210 may be or be configured to include memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory QQ210 includes one or more application programs QQ214, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data QQ216. The memory QQ210 may store any of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE QQ200.

[0086] The memory QQ210 may be configured to include several physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical disk drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disk drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disk drive, external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smart card memory, such as a tamper-proof module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC, commonly known as a "SIM card". Memory QQ210 may enable UE QQ200 to access instructions, application programs, etc. stored in a temporary or non-transitory memory medium, offload data, or upload data. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in memory QQ210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0087] The processing circuit QQ202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other networks using a communication interface QQ212. The communication interface QQ212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna QQ222. The communication interface QQ212 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter QQ218 and / or a receiver QQ220 suitable for providing network communication (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Moreover, the transmitter QQ218 and the receiver QQ220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna QQ222) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0088] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication capabilities of the communication interface QQ212 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. The communication may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0089] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by the UE's sensors to a network node via a wireless connection through the UE's communication interface QQ212. The data captured by the UE's sensors may be communicated to a network node via another UE through a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes when reporting detected temperature), in response to a triggering event (e.g., an alarm is sent when humidity is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), random (e.g., to even out the load from reports from several sensors), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0090] As another example, the UE comprises an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight according to the received input, or a robotic arm that performs a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0091] The UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application areas, including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, augmented industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are devices that are or are embedded in connected refrigerators or freezers, TVs, connected lighting devices, power meters, robotic vacuum cleaners, voice-controlled smart speakers, home security cameras, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detectors, door / window sensors, water inundation / humidity sensors, electronic door locks, connected doorbells, air conditioning systems such as heat pumps, autonomous vehicles, surveillance systems, weather monitoring devices, vehicle parking monitoring devices, electric vehicle charging stations, smart watches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), wearables for haptic augmentation or sensory augmentation, water sprinklers, animal or product tracking devices, sensors for monitoring plants or animals, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and any kind of medical device such as a heart rate monitor or a remote-controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device comprises circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device, in addition to the other components described with respect to the UE QQ200 shown in FIG.

[0092] As yet another particular example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, the UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane, or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operating status or other functions related to its operation.

[0093] In fact, any number of UEs may be used together for a single use case. For example, a first UE may be a drone or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller that operates the drone. When a user makes a change from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust a throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and / or second UE may also include two or more of the functions described above. For example, a UE may comprise a sensor and an actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0094] 11 illustrates a network node QQ300 according to some embodiments. As used herein, a network node refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UEs and / or other network nodes or devices in a communication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

[0095] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated another way, their transmit power level) and may therefore be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0096] Other examples of network nodes include a multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access node, MSR equipment such as a multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmitting node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), and / or an MDT.

[0097] The network node QQ300 includes a processing circuit QQ302, a memory QQ304, a communication interface QQ306, and a power supply QQ308. The network node QQ300 may be assembled from multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have their own respective components. In some scenarios in which the network node QQ300 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., a BTS component and a BSC component), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such scenarios, each unique Node B and RNC pair may be considered as a single separate network node in some cases. In some embodiments, the network node QQ300 may be configured to support multiple RATs. In such an embodiment, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory QQ304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna QQ310 may be shared by different RATs). Network node QQ300 may also include multiple sets of the various shown components for different wireless technologies, e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into network node QQ300. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within network node QQ300.

[0098] The processing circuitry QQ302 may comprise one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resources, or combinations of hardware, software and / or coded logic operable to provide network node QQ300 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other network node QQ300 components, such as memory QQ304.

[0099] In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit QQ312 and a baseband processing circuit QQ314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit QQ312 and the baseband processing circuit QQ314 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 and the baseband processing circuit QQ314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, board, or unit.

[0100] The memory QQ304 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and / or computer executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuit QQ302. The memory QQ304 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, and / or other instructions that may be executed by the processing circuit QQ302 and utilized by the network node QQ300. The memory QQ304 may be used to store calculations performed by the processing circuit QQ302 and / or data received via the communication interface QQ306. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 and the memory QQ304 are integrated.

[0101] The communication interface QQ306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, and / or UEs. As shown, the communication interface QQ306 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) QQ316 for sending and receiving data to and from the network, for example over a wired connection. The communication interface QQ306 also includes a radio front-end circuit QQ318, which is coupled to the antenna QQ310 or, in some embodiments, may be part of the antenna QQ310. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 comprises a filter QQ320 and an amplifier QQ322. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 may be connected to the antenna QQ310 and the processing circuit QQ302. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna QQ310 and the processing circuit QQ302. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of a filter QQ320 and / or an amplifier QQ322. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna QQ310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna QQ310 may collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuit QQ318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuit QQ302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0102] In some alternative embodiments, the network node QQ300 does not include a separate radio front-end circuit QQ318, and instead the processing circuit QQ302 includes a radio front-end circuit and is connected to the antenna QQ310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or a portion of the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 is part of the communication interface QQ306. In still other embodiments, the communication interface QQ306 includes one or more ports or terminals QQ316, the radio front-end circuit QQ318, and the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface QQ306 communicates with a baseband processing circuit QQ314 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0103] The antenna QQ310 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna QQ310 may be coupled to the wireless front-end circuit QQ318 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, the antenna QQ310 is separate from the network node QQ300 and may be connectable to the network node QQ300 through an interface or port.

[0104] The antenna QQ310, the communication interface QQ306, and / or the processing circuit QQ302 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or some acquisition operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna QQ310, the communication interface QQ306, and / or the processing circuit QQ302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0105] The power source QQ308 provides power to the various components of the network node QQ300 in a form suitable for each component (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required for each respective component). The power source QQ308 may further comprise or be coupled to a power management circuit for supplying the components of the network node QQ300 with power for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node QQ300 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface, such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source provides power to the power circuit of the power source QQ308. As a further example, the power source QQ308 may comprise a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated in the power circuit. The battery may provide backup power in the event that the external power source fails.

[0106] An embodiment of network node QQ300 may include additional components other than those shown in Figure 11 to provide certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any of the functionality described herein and / or functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, network node QQ300 may include user interface devices to enable input of information into network node QQ300 and output of information from network node QQ300. This may enable a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node QQ300.

[0107] 12 is a block diagram of a host QQ400, which may be an embodiment of the host QQ116 of FIG. 9, according to various aspects described herein. The host QQ400, as used herein, may be or comprise various combinations of hardware and / or software, including processing resources in a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or a server farm. The host QQ400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0108] The host QQ400 includes a processing circuit QQ402 operably coupled to an input / output interface QQ406, a network interface QQ408, a power source QQ410, and a memory QQ412 via a bus QQ404. In other embodiments, other components may be included. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 10 and 11, and therefore those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host QQ400.

[0109] The memory QQ412 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs QQ414 and data QQ416, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by the UE for the host QQ400 or data generated by the host QQ400 for the UE. An embodiment of the host QQ400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application program QQ414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9), and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application program QQ414 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health, route, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in the core network or on the edge of the core network. Thus, the host QQ400 may select and / or direct different hosts for over-the-top services for the UE. The host application program QQ414 may support various protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0110] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment QQ500 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualizing means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. Virtualization as used herein may apply to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to implementations in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments QQ500 hosted by one or more of the hardware nodes, such as a network node, a UE, a core network node, or a hardware computing device acting as a host. Furthermore, in embodiments in which a virtual node does not require wireless connectivity (e.g., a core network node or a host), the node may be fully virtualized.

[0111] Application QQ502 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) is run in virtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0112] The hardware QQ504 includes a processing circuit, a memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuit, and / or other hardware devices described herein, such as a network interface, an input / output interface, etc. Software is executed by the processing circuit to instantiate one or more virtualization layers QQ506 (also called a hypervisor or virtual machine monitor (VMM)), provide VMs QQ508a and QQ508b (one or more of which are generally referred to as VMs QQ508), and / or implement any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described with respect to some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer QQ506 may present to the VMs QQ508 a virtual operating platform that appears to be networking hardware.

[0113] The VM QQ508 may comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer QQ506. Different embodiments of the virtual appliance QQ502 instance may be implemented on one or more of the VMs QQ508, and the implementation may be done in different ways. Hardware virtualization is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV) in some contexts. NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0114] In the context of NFV, VM QQ508 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM QQ508 and the portion of the hardware QQ504 on which it runs, whether the hardware is dedicated to that VM and / or shared by that VM with other VMs, form a separate virtual network element. Further in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling a particular network function running in one or more VMs QQ508 on the hardware QQ504 and corresponds to application QQ502.

[0115] The hardware QQ504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware QQ504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware QQ504 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via a management and orchestration QQ510 that oversees, among other things, the lifecycle management of the application QQ502. In some embodiments, the hardware QQ504 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers, which may be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with wireless capabilities, such as a wireless access node or base station. In some embodiments, some signaling may be provided using a control system QQ512, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes and the radio units.

[0116] 14 illustrates a communication diagram of host QQ602 communicating with UE QQ606 via network node QQ604 over a partial wireless connection according to some embodiments. Exemplary implementations according to various embodiments of UEs (such as UE QQ112a of FIG. 9 and / or UE QQ200 of FIG. 10), network nodes (such as network node QQ110a of FIG. 9 and / or network node QQ300 of FIG. 11), and hosts (such as host QQ116 of FIG. 9 and / or host QQ400 of FIG. 12) described in the previous paragraphs will now be described with reference to FIG. 14.

[0117] Similar to the host QQ400, an embodiment of the host QQ602 includes hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host QQ602 also includes software stored in or accessible by the host QQ602 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE QQ606 that connects via an over-the-top (OTT) connection QQ650 extending between the UE QQ606 and the host QQ602. In providing services to the remote user, the host application may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection QQ650.

[0118] Network node QQ604 includes hardware that enables network node QQ604 to communicate with host QQ602 and UE QQ606. The connection QQ660 may be direct or may pass through one or more other intermediate networks, such as a core network (similar to core network QQ106 of FIG. 9) and / or one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, the intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0119] The UE QQ606 includes hardware and software stored in or accessible by the UE QQ606 and executable by the processing circuitry of the UE. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or an operator-specific "app," which may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE QQ606 with the support of the host QQ602. At the host QQ602, a running host application may communicate with a running client application via an OTT connection QQ650 that terminates at the UE QQ606 and the host QQ602. In providing services to a user, the client application of the UE may receive request data from the host application of the host and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection QQ650 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The client application of the UE may interact with the user to generate user data that the client application of the UE provides to the host application through the OTT connection QQ650.

[0120] The OTT connection QQ650 may extend through a connection QQ660 between the host QQ602 and a network node QQ604, and through a wireless connection QQ670 between the network node QQ604 and the UE QQ606 to provide a connection between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606. The connections QQ660 and wireless connections QQ670 through which the OTT connection QQ650 may be provided are depicted abstractly to show communication between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606 through the network node QQ604, without explicit reference to intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages through these devices.

[0121] As an example of transmitting data over the OTT connection QQ650, in step QQ608, the host QQ602 provides user data, which may be implemented by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE QQ606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with the UE QQ606 sharing data with the host QQ602 without explicit human interaction. In step QQ610, the host QQ602 initiates a transmission conveying the user data towards the UE QQ606. The host QQ602 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by the UE QQ606. The request may be triggered by human interaction with the UE QQ606 or by the operation of a client application executing on the UE QQ606. The transmission may proceed via the network node QQ604 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Thus, in step QQ612, network node QQ604 transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by host QQ602 to UE QQ606, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step QQ614, UE QQ606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on UE QQ606 associated with the host application executed by host QQ602.

[0122] In some examples, the UE QQ606 executes a client application that provides user data to the host QQ602. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to data received from the host QQ602. Thus, in step QQ616, the UE QQ606 may provide user data, which may be implemented by executing a client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further take into account user input received from a user via an input / output interface of the UE QQ606. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, the UE QQ606 initiates transmission of the user data towards the host QQ602 via the network node QQ604 in step QQ618. In step QQ620, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node QQ604 receives the user data from the UE QQ606 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host QQ602. In step QQ622, the host QQ602 receives user data carried in a transmission initiated by the UE QQ606.

[0123] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE QQ606 using the OTT connection QQ650 of which the wireless connection QQ670 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve communication with the wireless network, thereby providing benefits such as avoiding overwriting pre-configured signaling-based MDT settings in the communication device.

[0124] In an exemplary scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by host QQ602. As another example, host QQ602 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from UEs for use in creating maps. As another example, host QQ602 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicular congestion (e.g., controlling traffic signals). As another example, host QQ602 may store surveillance videos uploaded by UEs. As another example, host QQ602 may store or control access to media content, such as video, audio, VR or AR, that host QQ602 may broadcast, multicast, or unicast to UEs. As other examples, host QQ602 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-constrained electrical loads to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams, etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or transmitting data.

[0125] In some examples, measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latencies, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve upon. There may further be optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection QQ650 between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606 in response to fluctuations in the measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware in the host QQ602 and / or the UE QQ606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection QQ650 passes, and the sensors may participate in the measurement procedures by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or other physical quantities from which the software may calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection QQ650 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not directly change the operation of the network node QQ604. Such procedures and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements by the host QQ 602 of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be implemented in causing messages to be sent, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, using the OTT connection QQ 650 while software monitors propagation times, errors, etc.

[0126] Although the computing devices (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) described herein may include the depicted combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. The determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by a processing circuit, which may process information by, for example, transforming the obtained information to other information, comparing the obtained or transformed information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained or transformed information and as a result of said processing making a decision. Moreover, while a component is illustrated as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the computing device may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single depicted component, and functionality may be partitioned among the separate components. For example, a communications interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of those components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communications interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functionality of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functionality may be implemented in hardware.

[0127] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by a processing circuit executing instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit without executing instructions stored in a separate or distinct device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not it executes instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and wireless networks in general, but not limited to the processing circuit alone or other components of the computing device.

[0128] Further definitions and embodiments are described below.

[0129] In the above description of various embodiments of the inventive concept, it should be understood that the terminology used herein is merely for describing specific embodiments, and is not intended to limit the inventive concept. Unless otherwise specified, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the inventive concept belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning in accordance with the meaning of those terms in the context of this specification and related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0130] When an element is referred to as being "connected," "coupled," "responsive" to another element, or variations thereof, the element may be directly connected, coupled, or responsive to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected," "directly coupled," "directly responsive" to another element, or variations thereof, there are no intervening elements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, "coupled," "connected," "responsive," or variations thereof may include wirelessly coupled, wirelessly connected, or wirelessly responsive. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail. The term "and / or" (abbreviated as " / ") includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0131] Terms such as first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements / operations, but it will be understood that these elements / operations should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element / operation from another. Thus, a first element / operation in some embodiments may be called a second element / operation in other embodiments without departing from the teachings of the inventive concept. The same reference numbers or characters refer to the same or similar elements throughout this specification.

[0132] As used herein, the terms "comprise," "comprising," "comprises," "include," "including," "includes," "have," "has," "having," or variations thereof, are open-ended and include one or more stated features, wholes, elements, steps, components, or functions, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, elements, steps, components, functions, or groups thereof. Additionally, as used herein, the common abbreviation "eg," from the Latin phrase "exempli gratia," may be used to introduce or specifically name one or more general examples of the aforementioned items, without being limiting of such items. The common abbreviation "ie," from the Latin phrase "id est," may be used to designate a particular item from a more general statement.

[0133] Exemplary embodiments have been described herein with reference to block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations of computer-implemented methods, apparatus (systems and / or devices) and / or computer program products. It should be understood that blocks of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, may be implemented by computer program instructions carried out by one or more computer circuits. These computer program instructions may be provided to processor circuits of general-purpose computer circuits, special-purpose computer circuits, and / or other programmable data processing circuits to create machines, such that the instructions executing via the processor of the computer and / or other programmable data processing apparatus transform and control transistors, values ​​stored in memory locations, and other hardware components in such circuits to implement the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and thereby create means (functions) and / or structures for implementing the functions / acts specified in the block(s) of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts.

[0134] These computer program instructions may also be stored on a tangible computer readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored on the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture that includes instructions that implement the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts. Thus, embodiments of the inventive concepts may be embodied in hardware and / or in software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) running on a processor, such as a digital signal processor, which may be collectively referred to as a "circuit," "module," or variations thereof.

[0135] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the flowcharts. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be performed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be performed in reverse order, depending on the functions / acts involved. Moreover, the functionality of a given block of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams may be separated into multiple blocks, and / or the functionality of two or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams may be at least partially integrated. Finally, other blocks may be added / inserted between the blocks shown, and / or blocks / acts may be omitted without departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, while some of the figures include arrows on communication paths to indicate a primary direction of communication, it should be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction to the illustrated arrows.

[0136] Many variations and modifications may be made to the embodiments without substantially departing from the principles of the inventive concept. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of the inventive concept. Accordingly, the subject matter disclosed above should be considered as illustrative and not limiting, and the example embodiments are intended to cover all such modifications, extensions, and other embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the inventive concept. Thus, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the scope of the inventive concept should be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the present disclosure, including the example embodiments and their equivalents, and should not be limited or restricted by the above detailed description.

Claims

1. A method performed by a communication device (200) for communicating with a wireless network, the method comprising: Receiving a signaling-based logged minimized drive test (MDT) configuration from a first network node belonging to a first radio access technology (RAT), the signaling-based logged MDT configuration including a first public land mobile network (PLMN) identity list; signaling (503) an indication including a signaling-based MDT configuration availability in the communication device towards a second network node belonging to a second RAT and a second PLMN, regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and / or whether the second RAT matches the first RAT; A method comprising:

2. storing (607) the signaling-based logged MDT configuration received from the first network node; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is signaled when the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and regardless of whether the first RAT and the second RAT are the same.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is signaled when the first RAT and the second RAT are the same and regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list or not.

5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling (503) of the indication is performed by the communications device ignoring whether the first RAT and the second RAT are the same and whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list, respectively.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the indication is an indication of the first PLMN and the first RAT.

7. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling (503) is performed for a defined period of time after expiration of a timer included in the signaling-based logged MDT received from the network node.

8. Transitioning the communication device to a dormant state (601); transitioning the communication device to a connected state (605); The method of claim 1 further comprising:

9. evaluating (603) criteria for logged MDT collection based on the received signaling-based logged MDT configuration while in the dormant state. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

10. 1. A method performed by a network node (300) communicatively connected to a communication device (200) for communicating with a wireless network, the method comprising: receiving an indication from the communication device including a signaling-based Minimized Drive Test (MDT) configuration availability at the communication device (701), the indication including the signaling-based MDT configuration availability reported by the communication device regardless of whether a second Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) belongs to a first PLMN identity list and / or whether a current Radio Access Technology (RAT) matches a first RAT (701); A method comprising:

11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication is reported by the communications device when the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list and regardless of whether the first and second RATs are the same.

12. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication is reported by the communications device when the first and second RATs are the same and regardless of whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list.

13. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication is reported by the communications device disregarding whether the first and second RATs are the same and whether the second PLMN belongs to the first PLMN identity list, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the indication is an indication of the first PLMN and the first RAT.

15. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication is reported by the communications device for a defined period of time after expiry of a timer included in a signaling-based logged MDT of the communications device received from a network node of an configuring Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and / or a configuring Radio Access Technology (RAT).

16. In response to receiving the indication, determine whether to collect MDT-related reports for the signaling-based MDT configuration at the communication device (801). The method of claim 10 further comprising:

17. For the received signaling-based logged MDT configuration, collecting (803) the MDT-related reports for the signaling-based MDT configuration from the communication device; passing the MDT related report about the received signaling-based MDT configuration to the first PLMN (805); 20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

18. A communication device (200) for communicating with a wireless network, said communication device being adapted to perform operations according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

19. A computer program comprising program code to be executed by a processing circuit (203) of a communications device (200) for communicating with a wireless network, whereby execution of said program code causes said communications device to perform operations according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

20. A non-transitory storage medium containing program code to be executed by a processing circuit (203) of a communications device (200) for communicating with a wireless network, whereby execution of the program code causes the communications device to perform operations according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

21. A network node (300) communicatively connected to a communication device (200) for communicating with a wireless network, said network node (300) adapted to perform operations according to any one of claims 10 to 17.

22. A computer program comprising program code to be executed by a processing circuit (303) of a network node (300) for communicating with a wireless network, whereby execution of said program code causes said network node to perform operations according to any one of claims 10 to 17.

23. A non-transitory storage medium containing program code to be executed by a processing circuit (303) of a network node (300) communicating with a wireless network, whereby execution of the program code causes the network node to perform operations according to any one of claims 10 to 17.

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