Systems and methods for alignment of radio access network (RAN) visible quality of experience (QOE) with minimized drive testing (MDT)

Abstract

A system and method for Radio Access Network (RAN) visible quality of experience (QoE) and Minimized Drive Test (MDT) alignment is presented. A first network node of the Radio Access Network (RAN) may determine that the first network node should perform alignment of at least one Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurement with at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN for quality of experience (QoE) analysis. The first network node may perform the alignment for QoE analysis.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Technical field) The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications and includes, but is not limited to, systems and methods for alignment of Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) with Minimized Drive Test (MDT). [Background technology]

[0002] (background) The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), a standards organization, is currently specifying a new air interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR) and the Next Generation Packet Core Network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR has three main components: the 5G Access Network (5G-AN), the 5G Core Network (5GC), and the User Equipment (UE). To facilitate the enablement of different data services and requirements, the elements of the 5GC, also known as network functions, have been simplified; some of them are software-based and some are hardware-based, so they can be adapted as needed. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] (overview) The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems associated with one or more problems presented in the prior art, as well as providing additional features that will become readily apparent from a review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, these embodiments are presented by way of example, not limitation, and various modifications to the disclosed embodiments (including, for example, combining features from various disclosed examples, embodiments, and / or implementations) may be made while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to the following system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium: A first network node (e.g., a master node (MN) or a secondary node (SN)) of a radio access network (RAN) may determine that the first network node should perform alignment of at least one Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurement with at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN (e.g., a RAN-visible QoE configuration) for a Quality of Experience (QoE) analysis. The first network node may perform the alignment for the QoE analysis.

[0005] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may generate a report according to at least one QoE measurement. The report may comprise at least one of: a trace identifier (id) associated with the at least one MDT measurement, an id of the at least one QoE measurement, an id of the at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN (e.g., a QoE measurement that may be invisible to (or not for utilization by) the RAN), an indication of at least one QoE metric to be included in the at least one QoE measurement, an indication of at least one QoE value to be determined from the at least one QoE metric, an indication of one or more nodes (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement, timestamp information of the at least one QoE measurement, quality of service (QoS) flow information of the at least one QoE measurement, or data radio bearer (DRB) list information of the at least one QoE measurement.

[0006] In some embodiments, a first network node (e.g., MN or SN) may receive at least one MDT measurement report from a second network node of the RAN. The first network node may receive at least one QoE measurement report from the second network node of the RAN. The second network node may receive an indication from a core network (CN) or an operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) function that the first network node should perform alignment. The second network node may send the indication to the first network node. The first network node may determine, according to the indication, that the first network node should perform alignment for QoE analysis.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first network node may receive an indication from a core network (CN) or an operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) function that the first network node should perform alignment. The first network node may send the indication to the second network node. The second network node may determine, according to the indication, that the first network node should perform alignment for QoE analysis.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first network node may send a message via XnAP to a second network node of the RAN requesting or indicating that the first network node should perform alignment. In response to the message, the second network node may send an acknowledgment or confirmation to the first network node (via the XnAP message). In particular embodiments, the first network node may comprise a master node (MN) and the second network node may comprise a secondary node (SN). In particular embodiments, the first network node may comprise a secondary node (SN) and the second network node may comprise a master node (MN). The present invention provides, for example, the following. (Item 1) 1. A method comprising: determining, by a first network node of a Radio Access Network (RAN), that the first network node should perform alignment of at least one Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurement with at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN for a Quality of Experience (QoE) analysis; performing, by the first network node, the alignment for the QoE analysis; A method comprising: (Item 2) the wireless communication device generating a report according to the at least one QoE measurement; The report states: a trace identifier (id) associated with said at least one MDT measurement; an id of said at least one QoE measurement; the identity of at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN; an indication of at least one QoE metric to be included in said at least one QoE measurement; an indication of at least one QoE value to be determined from said at least one QoE metric; an indication of one or more nodes of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement; timestamp information of said at least one QoE measurement; Quality of Service (QoS) flow information of the at least one QoE measurement; or Data Radio Bearer (DRB) list information for the at least one QoE measurement Item 1, the method comprising at least one of: (Item 3) Item 10. The method of item 1, comprising receiving, by the first network node, a report of the at least one MDT measurement from a second network node of the RAN. (Item 4) Item 10. The method of item 1, comprising receiving, by the first network node, a report of the at least one QoE measurement from a second network node of the RAN. (Item 5) Item 1. The method of item 1, wherein the second network node receives an indication from a core network (CN) or an operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) function that the first network node should perform the alignment. (Item 6) Item 6. The method of item 5, wherein the second network node sends the indication to the first network node. (Item 7) 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining, by the first network node according to the indication, that the first network node should perform the alignment for the QoE analysis. (Item 8) Item 1. The method of item 1, comprising receiving, by the first network node, an indication from a core network (CN) or an operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) function that the first network node should perform the alignment. (Item 9) Item 9. The method of item 8, comprising sending the indication by the first network node to the second network node. (Item 10) Item 10. The method of item 9, wherein the second network node determines, according to the indication, that the first network node should perform the alignment for the QoE analysis. (Item 11) Item 1. The method of item 1, comprising sending a message by the first network node to a second network node of the RAN via XnAP requesting or indicating that the first network node should perform the alignment. (Item 12) Item 12. The method of item 11, wherein in response to the message, the second network node sends an acknowledgement or confirmation to the first network node. (Item 13) 13. The method according to any one of items 1 to 12, wherein the first network node comprises a master node (MN) and the second network node comprises a secondary node (SN). (Item 14) 13. The method according to any one of items 1 to 12, wherein the first network node comprises a secondary node (SN) and the second network node comprises a master node (MN). (Item 15) A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of items 1 to 14. (Item 16) 1. An apparatus comprising: 15. An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to execute the method according to any one of items 1 to 14. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] Various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and merely depict exemplary embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a cellular communication network in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example base station and a user equipment device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates a sequence diagram for alignment of Radio Access Network (RAN) Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements with Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurements, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates a sequence diagram for alignment of Radio Access Network (RAN) Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements with Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurements, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 illustrates a sequence diagram for alignment of Radio Access Network (RAN) Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements with Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurements, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Figure 6]FIG. 6 illustrates a sequence diagram for alignment of Radio Access Network (RAN) Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements with Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurements, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram for alignment of Radio Access Network (RAN) Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements with Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurements, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] (Detailed explanation) 1. Mobile communication technology and the environment 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication network and / or system 100 in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following description, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as “network 100.” Such exemplary network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter “BS 102,” also referred to as a wireless communication node) and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter “UE 104,” also referred to as a wireless communication device) that can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 that overlap a geographic region 101. In FIG. 1, the BS 102 and the UE 104 are contained within the respective geographic boundaries of the cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating in its assigned bandwidth to provide adequate radio coverage to its intended users.

[0018] For example, the BS 102 may operate in an assigned channel transmission bandwidth to provide adequate coverage to the UE 104. The BS 102 and the UE 104 may communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, the BS 102 and the UE 104 are generally described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes" capable of practicing the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication in accordance with various embodiments of the present solution.

[0019] 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) in accordance with some embodiments of the present solution. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operational features that need not be described in detail herein. In one exemplary embodiment, system 200 may be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment, such as wireless communication environment 100 of FIG. 1, as previously described.

[0020] The system 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter "BS 202") and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter "UE 204"). The BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled and interconnected as needed via a data communication bus 220. The UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled and interconnected as needed via a data communication bus 240. The BS 202 communicates with the UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which may be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for the transmission of data as described herein.

[0021] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, system 200 may further include any number of modules other than those illustrated in FIG. 2 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various exemplary blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this compatibility and suitability of hardware, firmware, and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a manner suitable for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an “uplink” transceiver 230 that includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each with circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplexing switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplexed manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a “downlink” transceiver 210 that includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each with circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. A downlink duplexing switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-duplexed manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be time-coordinated such that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 at the same time that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be timed so that the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 at the same time that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is close time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0023] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate over a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with appropriately configured RF antenna devices 212 / 232 capable of supporting a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some exemplary embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it will be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to application to a particular standard and associated protocol. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0024] According to various embodiments, the BS 202 may be, for example, an evolved node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, or a pico station. In some embodiments, the UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user devices, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet, a laptop computer, a wearable computing device, etc. The processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using a general-purpose processor, a content-addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a field-programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. As such, a processor may be realized as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0025] Furthermore, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, firmware, a software module executed by processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 may be realized as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, such that processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0026] The network communications module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202 that enable bidirectional communications between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communications module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, without limitation, the network communications module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface to enable the base station transceiver 210 to communicate with conventional Ethernet-based computer networks. As such, the network communications module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). As used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, the terms “configured for,” “configured to,” and conjugations thereof refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically configured, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0027] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "Open Systems Interconnection Model") is a conceptual and logical layout that defines network communications used by open systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) to interconnect and communicate with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual collection of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines logical networks and effectively describes computer packet transfers through the use of different layer protocols. The OSI model is sometimes referred to as the seven-layer OSI model or seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be the physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be the medium access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be the radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be the radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be a non-access stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is another layer.

[0028] To enable those skilled in the art to make and use the present solution, various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications to the examples described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, any specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example approach. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in a disclosed method or process can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or operations in a sample order, and that the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented, unless otherwise specified.

[0029] 2. System and method for alignment of Radio Access Network (RAN) visible quality of experience (QoE) measurements with Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurements Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements may be configured to collect measurement results for specific service types at the user equipment (UE) application layer. QoE measurement reports may be transparent / invisible to radio access network (RAN) nodes. QoE measurements may be forwarded to a measurement collection entity (MCE) for analysis. MDT reports may be used for alignment with QoE measurements at the collection entity to aid QoE analysis.

[0030] RAN visible QoE measurements may be configured when QoE measurements are activated. However, alignment of measurements / reports / results / metrics between RAN visible QoE and MDT may not be resolved. This invention provides techniques for achieving alignment of measurements / reports / results / metrics between RAN visible QoE and MDT in dual connectivity architecture and / or split architecture.

[0031] A new Radio (NR) QoE Measurement Collection (QMC) function can be activated by the Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) through a separate QMC framework. For signaling-based QoE, the QMC configuration for a specific UE can be sent from the OAM to the Core Network (CN), and the CN can send the QMC configuration to the RAN node via UE-related signaling (e.g., NGAP / XnAP / F1AP messages). For management-based QoE, the OAM can send the QMC configuration to the RAN node. The RAN node may select UEs that meet the conditions for QoE measurement and send the QMC configuration to the UE.

[0032] For QoE reporting in a standalone architecture, the UE application layer may collect QoE metrics and send the collected data to the UE AS layer via an attention (AT) command according to the QoE metrics. The UE AS layer may send the collected data (e.g., QoE report) to the RAN node. After the RAN node receives the QoE report, the RAN node may forward the received QoE report to a Measurement Collection Entity (MCE). The MCE may be an entity that collects the QoE measurement report and performs analysis for optimization. The QoE report may be transparent / invisible to the RAN node, which means that the RAN node may not read the content of the QoE report.

[0033] For QoE analysis, referred to as MDT-QoE alignment, Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurements can be collected and used. If the QMC configuration includes a trace identifier (ID) for the MDT measurement, the RAN node may forward the corresponding MDT report to the MCE for alignment with the QoE. Time stamp information and the trace ID may be sent together so that the MCE can correlate the MDT and QoE reports on a time scale. After the QoE measurement starts at the UE APP layer, the UE may send a QoE start indication to the RAN node. After the RAN node receives the QoE measurement start indication, the RAN node may activate the MDT configuration.

[0034] RAN visible QoE can be a sub-feature of QoE. The RAN can configure the RAN visible QoE based on its own requirements when QoE measurement is activated. The RAN visible QoE may be associated with a QoE measurement by a QoE measurement id. The UE may collect RAN visible QoE measurement results and report the measurement results to the RAN node. The RAN node may use the measurement results for network optimization. In a centralized unit (CU)-distributed unit (DU) split architecture, the CU may forward the RAN visible QoE measurement results to the DU via an F1AP message.

[0035] In Dual Connectivity (DC), a UE may be connected to two RAN nodes. One of the RAN nodes may function as a Master Node (MN) and the other one of the RAN nodes may function as a Secondary Node (SN). Both the MN and the SN may be configured with Minimization of Drive Test (MDT) and can collect MDT reports. The MDT can be activated via the trace function. The MDT reports can be sent to a Transceiver Collection Entity (TCE). The QoE measurement reports can be sent to a Measurement Collection Entity (MCE).

[0036] Example 1: MN performs alignment between RAN visible QoE and MDT FIG. 3 shows a sequence diagram for Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) and Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurement / reporting / results alignment.

[0037] In step 0, MDT measurements and RAN visible QoE measurements can be activated. MDT and RAN visible QoE do not necessarily have to be activated at the same time. MDT may be activated before RAN visible QoE, after RAN visible QoE, or simultaneously with RAN visible QoE. MN / SN may collect MDT measurement reports and RAN visible QoE measurement reports based on MDT configuration and RAN visible QoE measurement configuration. RAN visible QoE reports can be reported from UE. QoE may need / require collecting many parameters (e.g., coding, transport, content, terminal type, network, service infrastructure, media coding, and / or user expectations). QoE can be a critical feature for the design of the system and engineering process. The information in the RAN-visible QoE report may include at least one of the following: a trace identifier (id) associated with at least one MDT measurement, an id of the at least one QoE measurement, an id of at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN (e.g., a QoE measurement that may be invisible to (or not for utilization by) the RAN), at least one QoE metric to be included in the at least one QoE measurement, at least one QoE value to be determined from the at least one QoE metric, an indication of one or more nodes (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement, timestamp information of the at least one QoE measurement, Quality of Service (QoS) flow information of the at least one QoE measurement, or Data Radio Bearer (DRB) list information of the at least one QoE measurement. The timestamp information of the at least one QoE measurement may include a value including both a date and time portion (e.g., yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss).

[0038] In step 1, a network node (e.g., OAM / CN, MN, SN, CU, or DU) may decide / determine that the MN will perform alignment of measurements / reports / results between RAN visible QoE and MDT. The procedure on how to decide / determine is described in Example 3.

[0039] In step 2a, if there are MDT reports collected in the SN, the SN may send the MDT measurement reports to the MN via an Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) message.

[0040] In step 2b, if there are RAN visible QoE measurement reports collected in the SN, the SN may send the RAN visible QoE measurement reports to the MN via an XnAP message.

[0041] In step 3, the MN may perform correlation between the MDT report and the RAN visible QoE measurement report according to the measurement id information and / or timestamp information in the report. The analysis result may be used to assist network optimization.

[0042] In step 4, the MN may send the analysis results to the SN to assist in network optimization at the SN.

[0043] Example 2: SN performs alignment of RAN visible QoE with MDT FIG. 4 shows a sequence diagram for Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) and Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurement / reporting / results alignment.

[0044] In step 0, MDT measurements and RAN visible QoE measurements may be activated. MDT measurements and RAN visible QoE measurements do not necessarily have to be activated at the same time. MDT measurements may be activated before RAN visible QoE measurements, after RAN visible QoE measurements, or simultaneously with RAN visible QoE measurements. The MN / SN may collect MDT measurement reports and RAN visible QoE measurement reports based on the MDT configuration and RAN visible QoE measurement configuration. The RAN visible QoE reports can be reported from the UE. QoE measurement / determination may involve collecting multiple parameters (e.g., coding, transport, content, terminal type, network, service infrastructure, media coding, and / or user expectations). QoE can be an important metric for the design of systems and engineering processes. The information in the RAN-visible QoE report may include at least one of the following: a trace identifier (id) associated with at least one MDT measurement, an id of the at least one QoE measurement, an id of at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN (e.g., a QoE measurement that may be invisible to (or not for utilization by) the RAN), at least one QoE metric to be included in the at least one QoE measurement, at least one QoE value to be determined from the at least one QoE metric, an indication of one or more nodes (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement, timestamp information of the at least one QoE measurement, Quality of Service (QoS) flow information of the at least one QoE measurement, or Data Radio Bearer (DRB) list information of the at least one QoE measurement. The timestamp information of the at least one QoE measurement may include a value including both a date and time portion (e.g., yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss).

[0045] In step 1, a network node (e.g., OAM / CN, MN, SN, CU, or DU) may decide / determine that the SN will perform alignment of measurements / reports / results between RAN visible QoE and MDT. The procedure on how to decide / determine is described in Example 3.

[0046] In step 2a, if there are MDT reports collected in the MN, the MN may send the MDT measurement reports to the SN via an XnAP message.

[0047] In step 2b, if there are RAN visible QoE measurement reports collected in the MN, the MN may send the RAN visible QoE measurement reports to the SN via an XnAP message.

[0048] In step 3, the SN may perform correlation between the MDT reports / results / measurements / metrics and the RAN visible QoE measurements / reports / results according to the measurement id information and timestamp information in the reports. The analysis results can be used to assist network optimization.

[0049] In step 4, the SN may send the analysis results to the MN to assist in network optimization at the MN.

[0050] Example 3: Determining which node performs RAN visible QoE and MDT alignment FIG. 5 shows a sequence diagram for Radio Access Network (RAN) visible quality of experience (QoE) and Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurement / reporting / results alignment.

[0051] Alternative 1

[0052] In step 1, the OAM or CN may send a RAN visible QoE alignment indication to the MN. The indication can be used to indicate which node should perform the alignment of RAN visible QoE and MDT measurements / reports / results. The format of the indication can be enumerated (MN,SN,...). The RAN visible QoE alignment indication can be included in the QoE measurement configuration.

[0053] In step 2, after receiving the RAN visible QoE alignment indication, the MN may forward the indication to the SN via an XnAP message (e.g., S-node modification request). If the indication is to have the MN perform alignment of the RAN visible QoE measurements / results with the MDT measurements / results, the SN may send the collected MDT reports and RAN visible QoE results to the MN. If the indication is to have the SN perform alignment of the RAN visible QoE with the MDT, the MN may send the collected MDT reports and RAN visible QoE results to the SN.

[0054] Alternative 2

[0055] In step 1, the OAM or CN may send a RAN visible QoE alignment indication to the SN. The indication can be used to indicate which node should perform the alignment of RAN visible QoE and MDT measurements / reports / results. The format of the indication can be enumerated (MN,SN,...). The RAN visible QoE alignment indication can be included in the QoE measurement configuration.

[0056] In step 2, after receiving the RAN visible QoE alignment indication, the SN may forward the indication to the MN via an XnAP message (e.g., S-node modification request). If the indication is to have the SN perform alignment of the RAN visible QoE measurements / reports / results with the MDT measurements / reports / results, the MN may send the collected MDT reports and RAN visible QoE results to the SN. If the indication is to have the MN perform alignment of the RAN visible QoE measurements / reports / results with the MDT measurements / reports / results, the SN may send the collected MDT reports and RAN visible QoE results to the MN.

[0057] Alternative 3

[0058] In step 1, the MN may send an alignment request to the SN via an XnAP message (e.g., S-node modification request) to inform the SN that the MN should perform alignment of measurements / reports / results between the RAN visible QoE and the MDT.

[0059] In step 2, after receiving the alignment request from the MN, the SN may send an alignment acknowledgement to the MN via an XnAP message (e.g., S-node modified acknowledgement). As described in Example 1, if the SN has collected MDT reports or RAN visible QoE reports, the SN may send the reports to the MN via XnAP.

[0060] Alternative 4

[0061] In step 1, the SN may send an alignment request to the MN via an XnAP message (e.g., S-node modification request) to inform the MN that the SN should perform alignment between the RAN visible QoE measurements / results and the MDT measurements / results.

[0062] In step 2, after receiving the alignment request from the SN, the MN may send an alignment confirmation to the SN via an XnAP message (e.g., S-node modification confirmation). If there are MDT reports or RAN visible QoE reports collected at the MN, the MN may send the reports to the SN via XnAP, as described in Example 2.

[0063] Example 4: Alignment of RAN visible QoE with MDT in a split architecture 6 shows a sequence diagram for aligning the Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) with the Minimized Drive Test (MDT). In a split architecture, a first network node in the Radio Access Network (RAN) (e.g., a distributed unit (DU)) may perform the alignment of the RAN visible QoE with the MDT.

[0064] In step 0, MDT measurements and RAN visible QoE measurements may be activated. MDT measurements and RAN visible QoE measurements do not necessarily have to be activated at the same time. MDT measurements may be activated before RAN visible QoE measurements, after RAN visible QoE measurements, or simultaneously with RAN visible QoE measurements. The MN / SN may collect MDT measurement reports and RAN visible QoE measurement reports based on the MDT configuration and RAN visible QoE measurement configuration. The RAN visible QoE reports can be reported from the UE. QoE measurement / determination may involve collecting multiple parameters (e.g., coding, transport, content, terminal type, network, service infrastructure, media coding, and / or user expectations). QoE can be an important metric for the design of systems and engineering processes. The information in the RAN-visible QoE report may include at least one of the following: a trace identifier (id) associated with at least one MDT measurement, an id of the at least one QoE measurement, an id of at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN (e.g., a QoE measurement that may be invisible to (or not for utilization by) the RAN), at least one QoE metric to be included in the at least one QoE measurement, at least one QoE value to be determined from the at least one QoE metric, an indication of one or more nodes (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement, timestamp information of the at least one QoE measurement, Quality of Service (QoS) flow information of the at least one QoE measurement, or Data Radio Bearer (DRB) list information of the at least one QoE measurement. The timestamp information of the at least one QoE measurement may include a value including both a date and time portion (e.g., yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss).

[0065] In step 1 (optional), the gNB-DU may send alignment requirements to the gNB-CU via an F1AP message (e.g., gNB-DU configuration update) to inform the gNB-CU that the gNB-DU should perform alignment between RAN visible QoE and MDT.

[0066] In step 2a, if there is an MDT report collected in the gNB-CU, the gNB-CU may send the MDT measurement report to the gNB-DU via an F1AP message.

[0067] In step 2b, if there is a RAN visible QoE measurement report collected at the gNB-CU, the gNB-CU may send the RAN visible QoE measurement report to the gNB-DU via an F1AP message.

[0068] In step 3, the gNB-DU may perform correlation between the MDT reports / measurements / results and the RAN visible QoE reports / measurements / results according to the measurement id information and / or timestamp information in the reports. The analysis results can be used to assist network optimization.

[0069] It should be understood that one or more features from the above example embodiments are not limited to a particular example embodiment and can be combined in any manner (e.g., in any priority and / or order, simultaneously or otherwise).

[0070] FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 700 for alignment of Radio Access Network (RAN) visible quality of experience (QoE) and minimized drive test (MDT) measurements / reports / results. Method 700 may be implemented using any one or more of the components and devices detailed herein with respect to FIGS. 1-2. In summary, in some embodiments, method 700 may be performed by a first network node of a RAN. Depending on the embodiment, additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in method 700. At least one aspect of the operations relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0071] A first network node (e.g., a master node (MN) or a secondary node (SN)) of a radio access network (RAN) may determine that the first network node should perform alignment of at least one Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurement with at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN (e.g., a RAN-visible QoE configuration) for quality of experience (QoE) analysis. The first network node may perform the alignment for QoE analysis.

[0072] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may generate a report according to at least one QoE measurement. The report may include at least one of a trace identifier (id) associated with the at least one MDT measurement, an id of the at least one QoE measurement, an id of the at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN (e.g., a QoE measurement that may be invisible to (or not for utilization by) the RAN), at least one QoE metric to be included in the at least one QoE measurement, at least one QoE value to be determined from the at least one QoE metric, an indication of one or more nodes (e.g., MNs or SNs) of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement, timestamp information of the at least one QoE measurement, quality of service (QoS) flow information of the at least one QoE measurement, or data radio bearer (DRB) list information of the at least one QoE measurement.

[0073] In some embodiments, a first network node (e.g., MN or SN) may receive at least one MDT measurement report from a second network node of the RAN. The first network node may receive at least one QoE measurement report from the second network node of the RAN. The second network node may receive an indication from a core network (CN) or an operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) function that the first network node should perform alignment. The second network node may send the indication to the first network node. The first network node may determine, according to the indication, that the first network node should perform alignment for QoE analysis.

[0074] In some embodiments, the first network node may receive an indication from a core network (CN) or an operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) function that the first network node should perform alignment. The first network node may send the indication to the second network node. The second network node may determine, according to the indication, that the first network node should perform alignment for QoE analysis.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first network node may send a message via XnAP to a second network node of the RAN requesting or indicating that the first network node should perform alignment. In response to the message, the second network node may send an acknowledgment or confirmation to the first network node (via the XnAP message). In particular embodiments, the first network node may comprise a master node (MN) and the second network node may comprise a secondary node (SN). In particular embodiments, the first network node may comprise a secondary node (SN) and the second network node may comprise a master node (MN).

[0076] While various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Similarly, various diagrams may depict example architectures or configurations provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand example features and functionality of the present solution. However, as such skilled in the art will appreciate, the solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but may be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as skilled in the art will appreciate, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the example embodiments described above.

[0077] It will also be understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as "first," "second," etc., generally does not limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements can be used or that the first element must in any way precede the second element.

[0078] Additionally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be referred to in the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0079] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design code incorporating instructions (for convenience, referred to herein as “software” or “software modules”), or any combination of these technologies. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these techniques, depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, and such implementation decisions do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0080] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various example logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented in or performed by integrated circuits (ICs), which may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include an antenna and / or transceiver for communicating with various components within a network or device. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein.

[0081] If implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein may be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that can enable transfer of a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

[0082] As used herein, the term "module" refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Furthermore, for purposes of explanation, various modules are described as individual modules. However, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs associated functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

[0083] Furthermore, memory or other storage devices, as well as communication components, may be used in embodiments of the solution. It will be appreciated that, for clarity, the above description describes embodiments of the solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without detracting from the solution. For example, functions shown to be performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. References to specific functional units are therefore merely to suitable means for providing the described functionality, rather than to a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0084] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: In response to a first network node of a radio access network (RAN) being in a dual connectivity configuration with a user equipment (UE) and a second network node of the radio access network (RAN), determining that the first network node should perform alignment of at least one Minimized Drive Test (MDT) measurement with at least one Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement to be utilized by the RAN for a Quality of Experience (QoE) analysis; in response to the second network node being in the dual connectivity configuration with the UE and the first network node of the RAN, the first network node sending, via XnAP, a message to the second network node of the RAN indicating that the first network node should perform the alignment; performing the alignment for the Quality of Experience (QoE) analysis when the first network node is in the dual connectivity configuration; and A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the message, the second network node sends an acknowledgement or confirmation to the first network node.

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