Systems and methods for radio access network (RAN) visible quality of experience (QoE) measurements in dual connectivity architectures

Abstract

A system and method for wireless access network (RAN) perceived quality of experience (QoE) measurement in a dual connectivity architecture are presented. A first network node of a wireless access network (RAN) may generate a first configuration for at least one perceived quality of experience (QoE) measurement to be utilized by the RAN. The first network node may transmit the first configuration to a wireless communication device that should collect at least one QoE measurement according to the first configuration.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including, but not limited to, systems and methods for Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements in dual connectivity architectures. [Background technology]

[0002] 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 called network functions, have been simplified; some of them are software-based and some are hardware-based, so that they can be adapted as needed. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems associated with one or more problems presented in the prior art and to providing additional features that will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken 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 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 generate a first configuration for at least one quality of experienced (QoE) measurement to be utilized by the RAN (e.g., a RAN-visible QoE configuration). The first network node may transmit the first configuration to a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) that is to collect at least one QoE measurement according to the first configuration.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first configuration may include at least one of: an identifier (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); an id of the at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN; an indication of one or more nodes (e.g., MNs or SNs) of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement; 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 an event that should trigger the at least one QoE measurement; an indication of a priority of the at least one QoE measurement; an indication of a service type of the at least one QoE measurement; an indication of a collection interval for the at least one QoE measurement; or an indication of a reporting periodicity for the at least one QoE measurement.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first network node may transmit the first configuration to the wireless communication device via a radio resource control (RRC) message. The first network node may transmit the first configuration to a second network node (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN. The wireless communication device may generate a report according to at least one QoE measurement according to a first configuration, and the report may include at least one of an identifier (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 id of the at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN, an indication of at least one QoE metric to include 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.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first network node may send a report to a second network node (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN. The first network node may receive a report from the second network node (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN.

[0008] In some embodiments, a first network node (e.g., MN or SN) may receive from a second network node (e.g., MN or SN) a second configuration generated by the second network node in accordance with at least one requirement of the second network node. The first network node of a Radio Access Network (RAN) may generate a first configuration in accordance with at least one of the second configuration or the at least one requirement of the first network node. The first network node (e.g., MN) may receive from a second network node of the RAN a third configuration of QoE measurements to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN (e.g., QoE measurements that may be invisible to (or not for utilization by) the RAN).

[0009] In some embodiments, the first network node may generate a deactivation configuration for terminating at least one QoE measurement, the deactivation configuration including at least one of an identifier (id) of the at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN, an id of the at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN, or an indication of a service type of the at least one QoE measurement. The first network node may transmit the deactivation configuration to the wireless communication device via a radio resource control (RRC) message.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first network node may send a message to the second network node via an XnAP message to indicate or request termination of at least one QoE measurement. The first network node may receive a confirmation or acknowledgement message regarding the termination from the second network node. In particular embodiments, the first network node may comprise a secondary node (SN) and the second network node may comprise a master node (MN).

[0011] In some embodiments, a first network node may determine cell group information and signaling radio bearer (SRB) information to be used to report at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN. The first network node may transmit the SRB information to a second network node via a defined message or an Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) message. The cell group information may indicate whether a master cell group (MCG) or a secondary cell group (SCG) should be used to report at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN or an entity other than the RAN. The SCG information may indicate a type of SCG to be used to report at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN or an entity other than the RAN.

[0012] In a particular embodiment, the first network node may comprise a master node (MN) and the second network node may comprise a secondary node (SN). The present invention provides, for example, the following. (Item 1) 1. A method, comprising: generating, by a first network node of a Radio Access Network (RAN), a first configuration for at least one Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement to be utilized by said RAN; transmitting, by the first network node, the first configuration to a wireless communication device that is to collect the at least one QoE measurement according to the first configuration; A method comprising: (Item 2) The first configuration is an identifier (id) of at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN; an id of the at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN; Indicating to one or more nodes of the RAN that the at least one QoE measurement should be utilized; an indication of at least one QoE metric to include 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 an event that should trigger said at least one QoE measurement; an indication of the priority of said at least one QoE measurement; an indication of a service type of said at least one QoE measurement; an indication of the collection interval of said at least one QoE measurement; or an indication of a reporting period for said at least one QoE measurement; Item 1, the method comprising at least one of the following: (Item 3) Item 10. The method of item 1, comprising transmitting, by the first network node, the first configuration to the wireless communication device via a radio resource control (RRC) message. (Item 4) Item 10. The method of item 1, comprising transmitting the first configuration by the first network node to a second network node of the RAN. (Item 5) the wireless communication device generates a report according to the at least one QoE measurement according to the first configuration; The report states: an identifier (id) of at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN; an id of the at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN; an indication of at least one QoE metric to include 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; Indicating to one or more nodes of the RAN that the at least one QoE measurement should be utilized; timestamp information of said at least one QoE measurement; Quality of Service (QoS) flow information of said 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 the following: (Item 6) Item 6. The method of item 5, comprising transmitting the report by the first network node to a second network node of the RAN. (Item 7) Item 6. The method of item 5, comprising receiving, by the first network node, the report from a second network node of the RAN. (Item 8) receiving, by the first network node, from a second network node, a second configuration generated by the second network node in accordance with at least one requirement of the second network node; by the first network node of a Radio Access Network (RAN), the second configuration, or At least one requirement of said first network node generating the first configuration according to at least one of The method according to item 1, comprising: (Item 9) Item 10. The method of item 1, comprising receiving, by the first network node, from a second network node of the RAN, a third configuration of QoE measurements to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN. (Item 10) generating, by the first network node, a deactivation configuration for terminating the at least one QoE measurement, the deactivation configuration comprising: an identifier (id) of at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN; the id of the at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN; or an indication of a service type of said at least one QoE measurement; or transmitting, by the first network node, the deactivation configuration to the wireless communication device via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message; Item 1. The method according to item 1, comprising at least one of the following: (Item 11) sending, by the first network node via an XnAP message to the second network node, a message to indicate or request termination of the at least one QoE measurement; or receiving, by the first network node, a confirmation or acknowledgement message regarding the termination from the second network node; Item 1. The method according to item 1, comprising at least one of the following: (Item 12) 12. The method of any one of items 1 to 7 and 9 to 11, wherein the first network node comprises a secondary node (SN) and the second network node comprises a master node (MN). (Item 13) determining, by the first network node, cell group information and signaling radio bearer (SRB) information to be used for reporting at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN; sending, by the first network node, the SRB information to the second network node via a defined message or an Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) message; The method according to item 1, comprising: (Item 14) the cell group information indicates whether a master cell group (MCG) or a secondary cell group (SCG) should be used to report the at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN or an entity other than the RAN; or the SCG information indicates a type of SCG to be used for reporting the at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN or an entity other than the RAN; Item 14. The method according to item 13, wherein at least one of the following is selected: (Item 15) 15. The method of any one of items 1 to 9 or 13 to 14, wherein the first network node comprises a master node (MN) and the second network node comprises a secondary node (SN). (Item 16) 16. 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 15. (Item 17) 16. An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to perform the method of any one of items 1 to 15. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] 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 explanation, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example of a cellular communication network in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Figure 2] 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example base station and a user equipment device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a sequence diagram for Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a sequence diagram for Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a sequence diagram for Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a sequence diagram for terminating Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a sequence diagram for a Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 8] 1 illustrates a flow diagram for Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] (1. Mobile Communications Technology and the Environment) 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication network and / or system 100 in which the techniques disclosed herein according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. 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 may 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 wireless communication coverage to intended users.

[0023] For example, the BS 102 may operate within an assigned channel transmission bandwidth to provide adequate coverage to the UE 104. The BS 102 and the UE 104 may communicate via a downlink radio frame 118 and an uplink radio frame 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" that may practice 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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 over a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for the transmission of data as described herein.

[0026] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, system 200 may further include any number of modules other than those shown 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 compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, the 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.

[0027] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an “uplink” transceiver 230 including 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 including 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 to receive transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is a truncated time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0028] 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 that may support 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 variants thereof.

[0029] 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, e.g., a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0030] Furthermore, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, firmware, software modules 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 be integrated into their 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. Each of the memory modules 216 and 234 may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0031] 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 so that the base station transceiver 210 may 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 devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, signals, etc. that are physically configured, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0032] 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 may be 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.

[0033] 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. Thus, 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. Thus, 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.

[0034] 2. Systems and Methods for Radio Access Network (RAN) Visible Quality of Experience (QoE) Measurement in Dual Connectivity Architectures Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements can be configured to collect measurement results for specific service types at the user equipment (UE) application layer. QoE measurement reporting can be transparent / invisible to radio access network (RAN) nodes. RAN-visible QoE (e.g., referring to QoE information / measurements / reporting that can be visible to and consumed by RAN entities) can be a sub-feature configured in addition to QoE measurements (it can also be invisible to RAN entities and should be consumed by entities other than the RAN entity). RAN-visible QoE can be configured when QoE measurements for specific service types are activated. However, in current technology, QoE and RAN-visible QoE can only be applied to standalone architectures or centralized unit (CU)-distributed unit (DU) split architectures. This invention provides techniques for configuring and reporting at least one RAN-visible QoE in a dual connectivity architecture.

[0035] The 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 in a specific UE can be sent from the OAM to the Core Network (CN), and the CN may send the QMC configuration to the RAN node via UE-related signaling (e.g., NGAP / XnAP / F1AP messages). For management-based QoE, the OAM may send the QMC configuration to the RAN node. The RAN node may select UEs that meet the conditions for QoE measurement (e.g., area scope, slice, etc.) and send the QMC configuration to the UE.

[0036] Regarding QoE 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., a QoE report) to a RAN node. After the RAN node receives the QoE report, the RAN node may forward / send the received QoE report to a Measurement Collection Entity (MCE). The MCE may be an entity that collects the QoE measurement reports 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 and / or utilize the content in the QoE report.

[0037] RAN visible QoE may be a sub-feature of QoE. The RAN may 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.

[0038] 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 of the RAN nodes may function as a secondary node (SN). Both the MN and the SN may be configured with Minimization of Driven Tests (MDT) and may collect MDT reports. The MDT may be activated via a trace function. The MDT reports may be sent to a trace collection entity (TCE). The QoE measurement reports may be sent to a measurement collection entity (MCE).

[0039] (Implementation Example 1: MN generates RAN visible QoE measurement configuration) FIG. 3 shows a sequence diagram for Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements in a dual connectivity architecture.

[0040] In step 0, one or more QoE measurements can be activated in the dual connectivity (DC) architecture. One or more QoE configurations can be generated by the OAM / CN. The OAM / CN may send the QoE configurations to the MN or SN. For management-based QoE, the QoE configurations can be sent directly to the MN / SN by the OAM. For signaling-based QoE, the QoE configurations can be sent to the MN / SN via the core network (CN). After receiving the QoE configurations, the MN or SN may forward the QoE configurations to the UE via a radio resource control (RRC) message. The UE may perform one or more QoE measurements at the UE application layer according to the received QoE configurations. The UE may report the QoE measurement results to an NG-RAN node (e.g., the MN or SN). The MN or SN may forward the received QoE measurement results (e.g., QoE reports) to the MCE for QoE analysis. In some embodiments, the QoE report may be a container that is transparent / invisible to the RAN node, meaning that the MN or SN (e.g., RAN entity) may not be able to read and / or utilize the information in the QoE report (e.g., to apply / process the information to perform or manage network optimization / improvement).

[0041] In step 1a (e.g., optional), the SN may generate RAN-visible QoE-related configuration information based on its own requirements. The SN may send the information to the MN via an Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) message (e.g., S-node Modification Required).

[0042] In step 1, the MN may generate a RAN-visible configuration based on its own requirements and / or RAN-visible QoE-related configuration information received from the SN. The RAN-visible configuration may include configurations for multiple RAN-visible QoE measurements. The 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 may be an important feature for the design of the system and the engineering process. The configuration for each RAN-visible QoE measurement may include at least one of the following: an identifier (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); an id of at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN (e.g., a RAN-visible QoE measurement id); an indication of one or more nodes (e.g., MNs or SNs) of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement; 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 an event that should trigger the at least one QoE measurement; an indication of a priority of the at least one QoE measurement; an indication of a service type of the at least one QoE measurement; an indication of a collection interval for the at least one QoE measurement; or an indication of a reporting periodicity for the at least one QoE measurement. The priority of the at least one QoE measurement may indicate which QoE measurement is more important among multiple QoE measurements. The service type of the at least one QoE measurement may include video streaming, web browsing, telephony, and / or television broadcasting. For example, video streaming services may require high traffic demand. QoE may be important for video services. Poor network performance may significantly affect the user's experience. The collection interval of the at least one QoE measurement may indicate a time-domain granularity (e.g., a time unit or time window used to collect QoE results).The reporting period of at least one QoE measurement may be a default value (eg, several hours or several days) for reporting the QoE measurement to the MN and / or SN.

[0043] In step 2a (optional), the MN may send the complete RAN visible QoE configuration to the SN via an XnAP message (eg, S-node modification acknowledgement).

[0044] In step 2, the MN may send the RAN visible QoE configuration to the UE via an RRC message.

[0045] In step 3, after the UE receives the RAN-visible QoE configuration, the UE may collect / obtain RAN-visible QoE measurement results according to the corresponding QoE measurements at the application layer. The UE may generate a RAN-visible QoE measurement report. The RAN-visible QoE report may include at least one of the following: an identifier (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 the RAN (or not intended for utilization by the RAN)); an ID of at least one QoE measurement utilized 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 QoS flow information of the at least one QoE measurement may be based on a technical measurement (eg, access time, response time, or failure rate).

[0046] In steps 4a to 5a, the UE may send a RAN visible QoE report to the MN. After the MN receives the RAN visible QoE report, the MN may decide / determine whether the RAN visible QoE report should be used by the MN or the SN according to the information in the RAN visible QoE report. If the RAN visible QoE report is for the SN, the MN may forward the RAN visible QoE report / result to the SN via an XnAP message (e.g., S-node modification request).

[0047] In steps 4b to 5b, the UE may send the RAN visible QoE report to the SN, which may forward the RAN visible QoE report / result to the MN as needed.

[0048] (Implementation example 2: SN generates RAN visible QoE configuration) FIG. 4 shows a sequence diagram of Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements (eg, in a dual connectivity architecture).

[0049] In step 0, one or more QoE measurements may be activated in a dual connectivity (DC) architecture. A QoE configuration may be generated by the OAM / CN. The OAM / CN may send the QoE configuration to the MN or SN. For management-based QoE, the QoE configuration may be sent directly to the MN / SN by the OAM. For signaling-based QoE, the QoE configuration may be sent to the MN / SN via the core network (CN). After receiving the QoE configuration, the MN or SN may forward the QoE configuration to the UE via a radio resource control (RRC) message. The UE may perform one or more QoE measurements at the UE application layer according to the received QoE configuration. The UE may report the QoE measurement results to an NG-RAN node (e.g., the MN or SN). The MN or SN may forward the received QoE measurement results (e.g., QoE report) to the MCE for QoE analysis.

[0050] In step 1, the SN may generate a RAN-visible configuration based on its requirements. The RAN-visible QoE configuration may include configurations for one or more RAN-visible QoE measurements. The 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 may be an important metric for the design of the system and the engineering process. The configuration for each RAN-visible QoE measurement may include at least one of the following: an identifier (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); an id of at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN (e.g., a RAN-visible QoE measurement id); an indication of one or more nodes (e.g., MNs or SNs) of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement; 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 an event that should trigger the at least one QoE measurement; an indication of a priority of the at least one QoE measurement; an indication of a service type of the at least one QoE measurement; an indication of a collection interval for the at least one QoE measurement; or an indication of a reporting periodicity for the at least one QoE measurement. The priority of the at least one QoE measurement may indicate which QoE measurement is more important among multiple QoE measurements. The service type of the at least one QoE measurement may include video streaming, web browsing, telephony, and / or television broadcasting. For example, video streaming services may require high traffic demand. QoE may be an important metric for video services. Poor network performance may significantly affect user experience. The collection interval of the at least one QoE measurement may indicate a time-domain granularity (e.g., a time unit used to collect QoE results). The reporting period of the at least one QoE measurement may be a default value (e.g., hours or days) for reporting the QoE measurements to the MN and / or SN.

[0051] In step 2, the SN may send the RAN visible QoE configuration to the MN via an XnAP message (eg, S-node modification required).

[0052] In step 3, the SN may send the RAN visible QoE configuration to the UE via an RRC message.

[0053] In step 4, after the UE receives the RAN-visible QoE configuration, the UE may collect RAN-visible QoE measurement results according to the corresponding QoE measurements at the UE application layer. The UE may generate a RAN-visible QoE measurement report. The RAN-visible QoE report may include at least one of the following: an identifier (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 the RAN (or ignored by the RAN and / or not intended for utilization by the RAN)); an ID of at least one QoE measurement utilized 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 QoS flow information of the at least one QoE measurement may be based on a technical measurement (eg, access time, response time, or failure rate).

[0054] In steps 5a-6a, the UE may send the RAN visible QoE report to the SN. After receiving the RAN visible QoE report, the SN may use the RAN visible QoE report for network optimization. The SN may send the RAN visible QoE report(s) / result to the MN as needed.

[0055] In steps 5b-6b, the UE may send the RAN visible QoE report to the MN. The MN may forward the RAN visible QoE report(s) / result(s) to the SN. The SN may use the RAN visible QoE report(s) for network optimization.

[0056] (Implementation Example 3: MN triggers RAN visible QoE (RVQoE) in addition to the QoE configured by the SN) FIG. 5 shows a sequence diagram of Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements (eg, in a dual connectivity architecture).

[0057] In step 1, the OAM or core network (CN) may forward the QoE measurement configuration to the SN.

[0058] In step 2, the SN may send a QoE measurement configuration to the UE through an RRC message. The UE may start measuring and reporting QoE according to the received QoE measurement configuration.

[0059] In step 3, the SN may send the entire QoE configuration to the SN, or may send the configuration information partially to the SN (eg, QoE criteria, MCE IP address, available QoE metrics, etc.).

[0060] In step 4, the MN may generate a RAN-visible QoE configuration. The content of the configuration may be the same as that described in step 1 of implementation example 1. The configuration may be generated based on the requirements of the MN and / or SN.

[0061] In step 5, the MN may send the RAN visible QoE configuration to the SN.

[0062] In step 6, after the UE receives the RAN visible QoE configuration, the UE may collect / obtain RAN visible QoE measurement results according to the corresponding QoE measurements at the UE application layer. The UE may generate a RAN visible QoE measurement report based on the RAN visible QoE measurement results. The RAN-visible QoE report may include at least one of the following: an identifier (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 the RAN (or ignored by the RAN and / or not for utilization by the RAN); an id of at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN; at least one QoE metric to include 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 QoS flow information of the at least one QoE measurement can be based on technical measurements (e.g., access time, response time, or failure rate).

[0063] In steps 7a to 8a, the UE may send a RAN visible QoE report to the MN. After the MN receives the RAN visible QoE report, the MN may decide / determine whether the RAN visible QoE report should be used / utilized by the MN or the SN according to the information in the RAN visible QoE report. If the RAN visible QoE report is for the SN, the MN may forward the RAN visible QoE report / result to the SN via an XnAP message (e.g., S-node modification request).

[0064] In steps 7b-8b, the UE may send the RAN visible QoE report to the SN, which may forward the RAN visible QoE report / result to the MN, if necessary.

[0065] (Implementation Example 4: SN triggers deactivation / release of RAN visible QoE measurements) FIG. 6 illustrates a sequence diagram for terminating Radio Access Network (RAN) visible Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements.

[0066] In step 0, QoE measurement may be activated, for example, in a dual connectivity (DC) architecture. The QoE configuration may be generated by the OAM / CN. The OAM / CN may send the QoE configuration to the MN or SN. For management-based QoE, the QoE configuration may be sent directly to the MN / SN by the OAM. For signaling-based QoE, the QoE configuration may be sent to the MN / SN via the core network (CN). After receiving the QoE configuration, the MN or SN may forward the QoE configuration to the UE via a radio resource control (RRC) message. The UE may perform QoE measurement at the UE application layer according to the received QoE configuration. The UE may report the QoE measurement results to an NG-RAN node (e.g., the MN or SN). The MN or SN may forward the received QoE measurement results (e.g., QoE report) to the MCE for QoE analysis. In some embodiments, the QoE report may be a container that is transparent / invisible to the RAN node, which means that the MN or SN may not be able to inspect / read / use the information in the QoE report.

[0067] In step 1, the SN may decide to deactivate / release / terminate / suspend one or more RAN-visible QoE measurements and generate a deactivation configuration for the RAN-visible QoE. The deactivation configuration may include configurations of one or more RAN-visible QoE measurements that may be configured in the UE. The deactivation configuration (e.g., similar to the configuration for each RAN-visible QoE measurement) may include at least one of an identifier (id) of at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN, an id of at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN, or an indication of the service type of at least one QoE measurement.

[0068] (Alternative A)

[0069] In step 2a, the SN may send a deactivation configuration for RAN visible QoE to the UE via an RRC message to release the RAN visible QoE measurement in the UE. After the UE receives the deactivation message for RAN visible QoE, the UE may release / expire / deactivate the configuration for the corresponding RAN visible QoE and stop collecting and reporting the corresponding RAN visible QoE.

[0070] In step 3a, the SN may notify the MN of the deactivation / release of the RAN visible QoE via an XnAP message (e.g., S-node modification required).

[0071] In step 4a, the MN may send an acknowledgement to the SN regarding the release / deactivation of the RAN visible QoE by the SN via an XnAP message (eg, S-Node Modification Acknowledgement).

[0072] (Alternative B)

[0073] In step 2b, the SN may send a requirement to release / deactivate one or more of the RAN visible QoE measurements to the MN via an XnAP message (eg, S-Node Change Required).

[0074] In step 3b, the MN may confirm the requirements from the SN and may send a confirmation to the SN via an XnAP message (eg, S-Node Modification Confirm).

[0075] In step 4b, after the SN receives a confirmation from the MN, the SN may send a deactivation configuration to the UE to release the RAN visible QoE measurement in the UE. After the UE receives the deactivation message for the RAN visible QoE, the UE may release the configuration for the corresponding RAN visible QoE and stop collecting and reporting the corresponding RAN visible QoE.

[0076] (Implementation Example 5: MN sends signaling radio bearer (SRB) information to SN) FIG. 7 shows a sequence diagram for Quality of Experience (QoE) configuration (eg, in a dual connectivity architecture).

[0077] In step 1, the OAM or CN may forward the QoE configuration to the MN.

[0078] In step 2, the MN may decide / determine which leg will be used for QoE reporting (e.g., Master Cell Group (MCG) or Secondary Cell Group (SCG)) and which signaling radio bearer (SRB) to use for QoE reporting (e.g., SRB3, split SRB). The SRB can be a type of radio bearer that carries signaling messages (e.g., RRC messages or / and NAS messages) and can be of various possible types. For example, SRB3 may be for specific RRC messages when the UE is in E-UTRA NR dual connectivity (EN-DC), all using the dedicated control channel (DCCH) logical channel.

[0079] In step 3a, the MN may send the entire QoE configuration to the SN, or may send the configuration information partially to the SN (eg, QoE criteria, MCE IP, address, available QoE metrics, etc.).

[0080] In step 3b, the MN sends the SRB information (determined / determined in step 2) to the SN via a current / defined message (e.g., S-node Addition Request or S-node Change Request) or a (new) XnAP message. An example of the IE structure of the SRB information is shown in Table 1.

[0081] [Table 1]

[0082] The IE can be a revision of a current / predefined IE in XnAP or a newly defined IE. In some embodiments, steps 3a and 3b can be performed using different messages or the same message.

[0083] In step 4, the MN may transfer the QoE configuration to the UE via an RRC message. The UE may send a QoE report via a corresponding SRB.

[0084] It should be understood that one or more features from the above and following implementation examples are not limited to a particular implementation example and can be combined in any manner (e.g., in any priority and / or order, simultaneously or otherwise).

[0085] 8 shows a flow diagram of a method 800 for Radio Access Network (RAN) Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement (e.g., in a dual connectivity architecture). Method 800 may be implemented using any one or more of the components and devices detailed herein in connection with FIGS. 1-2. Briefly, in some embodiments, method 800 may be performed by a first network node of the RAN. Depending on the embodiment, additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in method 800. At least one aspect of the operations relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0086] A first network node (e.g., a master node (MN) or a secondary node (SN)) of a radio access network (RAN) may generate a first configuration for at least one quality of experienced (QoE) measurement to be utilized by the RAN (e.g., a RAN-visible QoE configuration). The first network node may transmit the first configuration to a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) that is to collect at least one QoE measurement according to the first configuration.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first configuration may include at least one of the following: an identifier (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), an id of the at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN, an indication of one or more nodes (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement, 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 an event that should trigger the at least one QoE measurement, an indication of a priority of the at least one QoE measurement, an indication of a service type of the at least one QoE measurement, an indication of a collection interval for the at least one QoE measurement, or an indication of a reporting periodicity for the at least one QoE measurement.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first network node may transmit the first configuration to the wireless communication device via a radio resource control (RRC) message. The first network node may transmit the first configuration to a second network node (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN. The wireless communication device may generate a report according to at least one QoE measurement according to a first configuration, and the report may include at least one of the following: an identifier (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 id of the at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN, at least one QoE metric to include 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.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first network node may send a report to a second network node (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN. The first network node may receive a report from the second network node (e.g., MN or SN) of the RAN.

[0090] In some embodiments, a first network node (e.g., MN or SN) may receive from a second network node (e.g., MN or SN) a second configuration generated by the second network node in accordance with at least one requirement of the second network node. The first network node of a Radio Access Network (RAN) may generate a first configuration in accordance with at least one of the second configuration or the at least one requirement of the first network node. The first network node (e.g., MN) may receive from a second network node of the RAN a third configuration of QoE measurements to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN (e.g., QoE measurements that may be invisible to (or not for utilization by) the RAN).

[0091] In some embodiments, the first network node may generate a deactivation configuration for terminating (the process of obtaining / performing) at least one QoE measurement, the deactivation configuration including at least one of an identifier (id) of the at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN, an id of the at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN, or an indication of a service type of the at least one QoE measurement. The first network node may send the deactivation configuration to the wireless communication device via a radio resource control (RRC) message.

[0092] In some embodiments, the first network node may send a message to the second network node via an XnAP message to indicate or request termination of (the process of obtaining / performing) at least one QoE measurement. The first network node may receive a confirmation or acknowledgement message regarding the termination from the second network node. In particular embodiments, the first network node may comprise a Secondary Node (SN), and the second network node may comprise a Master Node (MN).

[0093] In some embodiments, a first network node may determine cell group information and signaling radio bearer (SRB) information to be used to report at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by an entity other than the RAN. The first network node may transmit the SRB information to a second network node via a defined message or an Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) message. The cell group information may indicate whether a master cell group (MCG) or a secondary cell group (SCG) should be used to report at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN or an entity other than the RAN. The SCG information may indicate a type of SCG to be used to report at least one QoE measurement to be utilized by the RAN or an entity other than the RAN.

[0094] In a particular embodiment, the first network node may comprise a master node (MN) and the second network node may comprise a secondary node (SN).

[0095] 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 will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can 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.

[0096] It will also be understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as "first," "second," etc., does not generally 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 may be used or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0097] 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.

[0098] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction 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 (which may be referred to herein for convenience as “software” or “software modules”), or any combination of these techniques. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, the 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 various ways for each particular application, and such implementation decisions do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0099] Furthermore, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented within or executed by an integrated circuit (IC), 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, e.g., 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.

[0100] If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can 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 a computer program or code to be transferred from one place to another. A storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can 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.

[0101] As used herein, the term "module" refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purposes of explanation, various modules are described as individual modules, but 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.

[0102] 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. Accordingly, references to specific functional units do not indicate a strict logical or physical structure or organization, but merely to suitable means for providing the described functionality.

[0103] 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. 1. A method, comprising: generating a first configuration by a first network node of a Radio Access Network (RAN) to configure a wireless communication device to perform at least one Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement to be utilized by the RAN, the first configuration including an indication of one or more nodes of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement; the first network node transmitting the first configuration to a second network node of the RAN; the first network node transmitting to the wireless communication device the first configuration for configuring the wireless communication device to perform the at least one QoE measurement; A method comprising:

2. The first configuration includes: the id of the at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN; an indication of at least one QoE metric to be included in said at least one QoE measurement; or an indication of a reporting period for said at least one QoE measurement; The method of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes the first network node transmitting the first configuration to the wireless communication device via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

4. The method comprises: receiving, by the first network node, from a second network node, a second configuration generated by the second network node according to at least one requirement of the second network node; the first network node generating the first configuration according to at least one requirement of the first network node; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

5. The method comprises: the first network node generating a deactivation configuration for terminating the at least one QoE measurement, the deactivation configuration including an id of the at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN; or the first network node transmitting the deactivation configuration to the wireless communication device via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. The method of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:

6. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network node comprises a master node (MN) and the second network node comprises a secondary node (SN).

7. 1. A method, comprising: receiving, by a wireless communication device, from a first network node of a radio access network (RAN), a first configuration for configuring the wireless communication device to perform at least one Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement to be utilized by the RAN, the first configuration including an indication of one or more nodes of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement; Including, 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first configuration is generated for the at least one QoE measurement, and the first configuration is transmitted by the first network node to a second network node of the RAN.

8. 1. A wireless communication device, comprising: the wireless communication device comprises at least one processor; The at least one processor receiving, via a receiver, from a first network node of a Radio Access Network (RAN), a first configuration for configuring the wireless communication device to perform at least one Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement to be utilized by the RAN, the first configuration including an indication of one or more nodes of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement; and 10. A wireless communication device comprising: a wireless communication node configured to generate a first configuration for the at least one QoE measurement; and a second network node configured to transmit the first configuration to the first network node.

9. A first network node of a radio access network (RAN), comprising: the first network node comprises at least one processor; The at least one processor generating a first configuration for configuring a wireless communication device to perform at least one Quality of Experience (QoE) measurement to be utilized by the RAN, the first configuration including an indication of one or more nodes of the RAN that should utilize the at least one QoE measurement; transmitting, via a transmitter, the first configuration to a second network node of the RAN; transmitting, via the transmitter, to the wireless communication device, the first configuration for configuring the wireless communication device to perform the at least one QoE measurement; a first network node configured to:

10. The first configuration includes: the id of the at least one QoE measurement utilized by the RAN; an indication of at least one QoE metric to be included in said at least one QoE measurement; or an indication of a reporting period for said at least one QoE measurement; 10. The first network node of claim 9, comprising at least one of:

11. 10. The first network node of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit, via the transmitter, the first configuration to the wireless communication device via a radio resource control (RRC) message.

Images