Methods for handling downlink data arrival during SDT transaction with partial UE context relocation

Abstract

A method performed by a first network node for UE context handling. The method comprises initiating transmission to a second network node of a Small Data Transmission, SDT, transaction termination indication.

Description

METHODS FOR HANDLING DOWNLINK DATA ARRIVAL DURING SDT TRANSACTION WITH PARTIAL UE CONTEXT RELOCATIONTechnical Field[0] The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for User Equipment (UE) context handling.Background3GPP MT SDT[1] In 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) systems, New Radio (NR) Small Data Transmission (SDT) has been introduced as a new procedure allowing data and / or signalling transmission while a User Equipment (UE) remains in Radio Resource Control (RRC) INACTIVE state (that is, without transitioning to a RRC CONNECTED state). SDT is enabled on a radio bearer basis and is initiated by the UE only if less than a configured amount of Uplink (UL) data awaits transmission across all radio bearers for which SDT is enabled. In Rel-17, 3GPP specified support for Mobile Originated Small Data Transmission (MO-SDT), and in Rel-18 for Mobile Terminated SDT (MT-SDT) is intended to be introduced.[2] Where SDT procedures are used over Random Access Channels (RACH), if the UE accesses a 5thGeneration network node (gNB) other than the last serving gNB, the UL SDT data / signalling is buffered at the receiving gNB, and then the receiving gNB triggers the Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) Retrieve UE Context procedure. The receiving gNB indicates SDT to the last serving gNB and the last serving gNB decides whether to relocate the UE context or not.[3] In situations where the last serving gNB decides not to relocate the full UE context, it may transfer a partial UE context containing SDT Radio Link Control (RLC) context information necessary for the receiving gNB to handle SDT via the Partial UE Context Transfer procedure.[4] During the SDT session, where the receiving gNB detects that no more packets are to be transmitted, or a radio link problem is detected, the receiving gNB may also request to terminate the SDT session to the last serving gNB via the UE Context Retrieve Confirmation procedure.SDT with UE context relocation procedure[5] The overall procedure for SDT over RACH with UE context relocation is discussed in 3GPP TS 38.300 vl7.5.0, available at https: / / portal.3gpp.org / desktopmodules / Specifications / SpecificationDetails.aspx?specificationId=3191 as of 6 September 2023, with reference to figure 18.2-1 of TS 38.300 (see Figure 1), which is a signaling diagram showing RA based SDT with UE context relocation:1. The UE sends an RRCResumeRequest as well as UL SDT data and / or UL SDT signalling to the receiving gNB.2. The receiving gNB identifies the last serving gNB using the I-RNTI and retrieves the UE context by means of Xn-AP Retrieve UE Context procedure. The receiving gNB indicates that the UE request is for an SDT and may also provide SDT assistance information (e.g., single packet, multiple packets).3. The last serving gNB decides to relocate UE context and responds with the RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT RESPONSE message. The UL SDT data, if any, is delivered from the receiving gNB to the UPF.4-6. The receiving gNB decides to keep UE in RRC INACTIVE state for SDT. If loss of DL user data buffered in the last serving gNB shall be prevented, the receiving gNB provides forwarding addresses via the Xn-U ADDRESS INDICATION message. The receiving gNB also initiates NG-AP Path Switch procedure to establish a NG UE associated signalling connection to the serving AMF. After the Path Switch procedure, the buffered UL NAS PDU, if any, is delivered from the receiving gNB to the AMF. And then, the subsequent UL / DL SDT data and / or signalling are transferred between UE and core network via the receiving gNB.7. After the SDT transmission is completed, the receiving gNB generates and sends the RRCRelease message including the suspend indication to the UE to complete the SDT procedure and continue in RRC INACTIVE state.NOTE: In case DL non-SDT data or DL non-SDT signalling arrives, or the UE assistance information (i.e. UL non-SDT data arrival indication) is received from the UE, the receiving gNB may decide to directly send the UE to RRC CONNECTED state by sending the RRCResume message.8. The receiving gNB indicates to the last serving gNB to remove the UE context by sending the XnAP UE CONTEXT RELEASE message. The XnAP UE CONTEXT RELEASE message can be sent after step 6.SDT without UE context relocation[6] The overall procedure for SDT without UE context relocation is discussed in 3GPP TS 38.300 V17.5.0, with reference to figure 18.3-1 of TS 38.300 (see Figure 2), which is a signaling diagram showing RA based SDT without UE context relocation :1 / 2. The steps 1 / 2 are as defined in steps 1 / 2 in Figure 1.3. The last serving gNB decides not to relocate the full UE context for SDT.4. The last serving gNB transfers a partial UE context including the SDT related RLC context.5. The receiving gNB acknowledges receiving the partial UE context and provides associated DL TNL address. The UE context is kept at the last serving gNB and the SDT related RLC context is established at the receiving gNB. Then UL / DL GTP-U tunnels are established for DRBs configured for SDT, if any, and the UL SDT data and / or signalling, if any, are forwarded to the last serving gNB, and then delivered to the core network.NOTE 1 : The DL signalling from the last serving gNB, if any, is forwarded to the receiving gNB via the RRC TRANSFER message, for which the receiving gNB delivers it to the UE.6. The receiving gNB detects the end of SDT session and sends the RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT CONFIRM message including whether this is a "normal" end of SDT transaction or a radio link problem.7. Upon receiving the RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT CONFIRM message and deciding to terminate the SDT, the last serving gNB responds to the receiving gNB with the RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT FAILURE message including an encapsulated RRCRelease message. The receiving gNB shall release the established partial UE context.8. The receiving gNB sends the RRCRelease message to the UE.NOTE 2: In case DL non-SDT data or DL non-SDT signalling arrives, or receives UE assistance information (i.e. UL non-SDT data arrival indication) from the UE, the last serving gNB completes the SDT procedure and directs the UE to continue in RRC INACTIVE state by sending the RRCRelease message.9. The UE moves to RRC INACTIVE state if the suspend indication is included in the RRCRelease message. Or else, the UE moves to RRC IDLE state.Using SDT to deliver the Clock Quality Information to UE in Rel-18[7] In 3GPP Rel. 18, it is intended that UEs may use SDT to obtain the clock quality information from the gNB when, for example, it realizes that the gNB clock quality has been updated.[8] The clock quality information is intended to be delivered to the UE via RRC signaling, for example Downlink Information Transfer.[9] There currently exist certain challenge(s). The signalling procedure for the DL non-SDT data arrival in case of RACH-SDT without UE anchor relocation (as described in TS 38.300 section 18.2) is not currently set. In one scenario, when DL non-SDT data arrives at last serving gNB during ongoing SDT data transfer with partial UE context transfer, since the last serving gNB has the UE context, it may decide to trigger the UE’s transition into RRC CONNECTED state, by including a new indicator in the RRCRelease message. Based on this new indication, the new gNB may release the UE into RRC INACTIVE state (as indicated in NOTE 4 of the discussion of figure 18.3-1 of TS 38.300, see Figure 2 herein) and the UE automatically initiates a new RRCResum eRequest in the same gNB. Afterwards, the new gNB could move the UE into RRC CONNECTED state by sending RRCResume message. Such RRC -based solution could avoid sending unnecessary RAN Paging messages in the cells of the RNA and could reduce the delay to trigger transition into RRC CONNECTED state. A network based solution, without RRC impacts, is not precluded.

[0010] The RRC based solution would require Uu signaling exchange for transition from INACTIVE to CONNECTED, which could be reduced if a network based solution is found. Following the typical legacy procedure, in which a UE uses SDT to obtain the clock quality information, the UE context relocation decision is completely up to the last serving gNB. If the last serving gNB determines to keep the UE context, each time UE has to perform relocation procedure. It is beneficial to allow the receiving gNB to request the UE context, since as long as the UE stays at the receiving gNB (that is, the UE is not released from the serving gNB), the receiving gNB is the node to provide the clock quality information to the UE.

[0011] 3GPP TS 37.483 vl7.5.0, “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; El Application Protocol (ElAP)(Release 17)”, available at https: / / www.3gpp.0rg / ftp / Specs / archive / 37 series / 37, 483 / 37483-h50.zip as of 21 August 2024, specifies the 5G radio network layer signalling protocol for the El interface.

[0012] 3GPP TS 38.401 vl7.5.0, “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG- RAN; Architecture Description (Release 17)”, available athttps: / / www.3gpp.org / ftp / Specs / archive / 38_series / 38.401 / 38401-h5Q.zip as of 21 August 2024, describes the overall architecture of the NG-RAN, including interfaces NG, Xn and Fl interfaces and their interaction with the radio interface.

[0013] 3GPP TS 38.473 vl7.5.0, “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG- RAN; Fl application protocol (F1AP) (Release 17)”, available at https: / / www.3gpp.org / ftp / Specs / archiveZ38_series / 38, 473 / 38473-h50.zip as of 21 August 2024, specifies the 5G radio network layer signalling protocol for the Fl interface.Summary

[0014] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to the above or other challenges. In some embodiments, upon receiving DL non SDT data (for example, from the Core Network, CN), the anchor gNB (that is, the Last Serving gNB) may send a new indication to the receiving gNB to inform the receiver that SDT transaction is terminated, due to for example DL non SDT Data arrival, and to instruct the Receiving gNB to send a UE context retrieval request.

[0015] In some embodiments, the new indication can be signalled in the XnAP RETRIEVE UECONTEXT FAILURE message, or an existing message or new message as defined in 3GPP TS 38.423 V17.5.0, available at https: / / portal.3gpp.org / desktopmodules / Specifications / SpecificationDetails. aspx?specificationld=3228 as of 6 September 2023.

[0016] In some embodiments, upon receiving the new indication from the anchor gNB, the Receiving gNB may start a new XnAP RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT REQUEST message again to fetch the full UE context. Once the UE’s context is fully relocated from the anchor gNB, the receiving gNB can configure the UE to send it to RRC CONNECTED state directly, without requiring context release.

[0017] In some embodiments, upon request from the UE to obtain clock quality information using SDT, a serving gNB may include an indication to the last serving gNB to request a “full UE context Relocation”. After the relocation, the serving gNB may become the anchor gNB and sends the clock quality information to the UE. For any subsequent clock quality information acquisition, as long as the UE is served by the same gNB, no relocation required.

[0018] In some embodiments, if the last serving gNB obtains (for example, from UE capability), UE subscription information indicating that the UE is capable of using SDT to acquire the clock quality information, the last serving gNB may perform full context relocation.

[0019] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). The Receiving gNB may not need to release the UE to RRC INACTIVE; the UE context may be relocated anew, and the Receiving gNB may moves the UE to RRC CONNECTED. Therefore, embodiments may reduces the required RRC signalling compared to the RRC based solutions discussed above and reduces UE power consumption. An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method performed by a first network node for UE context handling. The method comprises initiating transmission to a second network node of a SDT transaction termination indication.

[0020] A further embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method performed by a first network node for UE context handling. The method comprises obtaining UE clock quality information. The method further comprises, in response to obtaining the UE clock quality information, relocating a full UE context to a second network node.

[0021] A further embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method performed by a second network node for UE context handling. The method comprises receiving, from a first network node, a SDT transaction termination indication.

[0022] A further embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method performed by a second network node for UE context handling. The method comprises initiating the transmission of UE full context retrieval request message to a first network node. The method further comprises relocating the full UE context from the first network node to the second network node.

[0023] Further embodiments of the present disclosure provide network nodes configured to execute the methods discussed herein.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] For a better understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and to show how it may be put into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:Fig. 1 is Figure 18.2-1 of TS 38.300 a signaling diagram showing RA-based SDT with UE context relocation;Fig. 2 is Figure 18.3-1 of TS 38.300, a signaling diagram showing RA-based SDT without UE context relocation;Fig. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 8 is a signaling diagram showing the inclusion of an Indication for UE Context request in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 9 is a signaling diagram showing an Indication for clock Quality information to perform full context relocation SDT in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 10 is a signaling diagram from Figure 8.2.4.3 of 3GPP TS 38.423 v 17.5.0 section 8.2.4.3.Fig. 11 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 12 shows a UE in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 13 shows a network node in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 14 is a block diagram of a host;Fig. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized; andFig. 16 shows a communication diagram of a host communicating via a network node with a UE over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments.Detailed Description

[0025] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0026] Figure 3 depicts a method for UE context handling in accordance with particular embodiments. The method of Figure 3 may be performed by a UE or wireless device (e.g. the UE 1112 or UE 1200 as described later with reference to Figures 11 and 12 respectively). The method begins at step 302 with the UE receiving a first instruction from a second network node to transition from a RRC inactive state to a RRC Connected state. The method continues at step 304 with the UE transitioning to a RRC Connected state served by the second network node.

[0027] Figure 4 depicts a method for UE context handling in accordance with particular embodiments. The method of Figure 4 may be performed by a network node (for example, a first network node, which may be the network node 1110 or network node 1300 as described later with reference to Figures 11 and 13 respectively). The method begins at step 402 with the first network node initiating transmission to a second network node of a SDT transaction termination indication.

[0028] Figure 5 depicts a method for UE context handling in accordance with particular embodiments. The method of Figure 5 may be performed by a network node (for example, a first network node, which may be the network node 1110 or network node 1300 as described later with reference to Figures 11 and 13 respectively). The method begins at step 502 with the first network node obtaining UE clock quality information. The method continues at step 504 with the first network node, in response to obtaining the UE clock quality information, relocating a full UE context to a second network node.

[0029] Figure 6 depicts a method for UE context handling in accordance with particular embodiments. The method of Figure 6 may be performed by a network node (for example, a second network node, which may be the network node 1110 or network node 1300 as described later with reference to Figures 11 and 13 respectively). The method begins at step 602 with the second network node receiving, from a first network node, a SDT transaction termination indication.

[0030] Figure 7 depicts a method for UE context handling in accordance with particular embodiments. The method of Figure 7 may be performed by a network node (for example, a second network node, which may be the network node 1110 or network node 1300 as describedlater with reference to Figures 11 and 13 respectively). The method begins at step 702 with the second network node initiating transmission of UE full context retrieval request message to a first network node. The method continues at step 704 with the second network node relocating the full UE context from the first network node to the second network node.

[0031] Aspects of embodiments include a new indicator. In some embodiments, the new indicator may be sent from a first network node (which may be a last serving gNB) to a second network node (which may be a receiving gNB). In some embodiments, the new indication may be added in the RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT FAILURE message, as indicated in step 3 of the signaling diagram of Fig. 8.

[0032] In some embodiments, upon receiving the new indicator in the RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT FAILURE message, the Receiving gNB may consider the indicator as a trigger to perform a new Retrieve UE Context procedure towards the anchor gNB to expect receiving the full UE context.

[0033] In some embodiments, a UE may request clock quality information in SDT. The Receiving gNB may include a request for the full UE Context in a “Retrieve UE Context Request” message sent to the last serving gNB. The last serving gNB may make a decision to transfer full UE context if, for example, the UE is indicating using SDT to obtain Clock Quality information, or the receiving gNB has observed clock quality updates (e.g. degradation). The last serving gNB may, upon the reception of such indication, perform full UE context relocation over Xn. Step 1 of the signalling diagram of Fig. 9 shows the sending of a RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT REQUEST message including the indication for full UE context request, in accordance with embodiments.

[0034] In some embodiments, the indication that full UE Context retrieval request is signaled due to Clock Quality request from UE in SDT transaction, or UE Clock Quality related update reasons is indicated in the SDT assistance information in F1AP from gNB-DU to gNB-CU of the Receiving gNB; and over XnAP i n the SDT Assistance Information IE.

[0035] Some embodiments may be reflected in alterations to the 3GPP TS 38.423 document (as cited above). Potential modifications to sections 8.2.4.3 and 9.1.1.10 of the document are shown below in Section 8.2.4.3 “Unsuccessful Operation”; the quoted text also includes Figure 8.2.4.3-l(see Figure 10 herein).

[0036] Additionally or alternatively, some embodiments may be reflected in modifications to include the “full context transfer request” from the serving gNB (new) to the last serving gNB (old) in the RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT REQUEST message in TS 38.423 (as cited above).

[0037] Figure 11 shows an example of a communication system 1100 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0038] In the example, the communication system 1100 includes a telecommunication network 1102 that includes an access network 1104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 1106, which includes one or more core network nodes 1108. The access network 1104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 1110a and 1110b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 1110), or any other similar 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3 GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. Moreover, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it will be understood that network nodes include disaggregated implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunication network 1102 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network 1102 that supports anORAN specification (e.g., a specification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in the telecommunication network 1102, including one or more network nodes 1110 and / or core network nodes 1108.

[0039] Examples of an ORAN network node include an open radio unit (O-RU), an open distributed unit (O-DU), an open central unit (O-CU), including an O-CU control plane (O- CU-CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (near-real time or non-real time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near-real time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designating support of an ORAN specification). The network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN access node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an 0-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The network nodes 1110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 1112a, 1112b, 1112c, and 1112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 1112) to the core network 1106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0040] Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 1100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 1100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0041] The UEs 1112 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 1110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 1110 arearranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 1112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 1102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network 1102.

[0042] In the depicted example, the core network 1106 connects the network nodes 1110 to one or more hosts, such as host 1116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 1106 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 1108) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 1108. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-concealing function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0043] The host 1116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 1104 and / or the telecommunication network 1102, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 1116 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include the provision of live and / or pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services, for example, retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0044] As a whole, the communication system 1100 of Figure 11 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G); wireless localarea network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0045] In some examples, the telecommunication network 1102 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network 1102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 1102. For example, the telecommunications network 1102 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / Massive loT services to yet further UEs.

[0046] In some examples, the UEs 1112 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 1104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 1104. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi -RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0047] In the example illustrated in Figure 11, the hub 1114 communicates with the access network 1104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 1112c and / or 1112d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 1110b). In some examples, the hub 1114 may be a controller, router, a content source and analytics node, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 1114 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 1106 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 1114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 1110, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 1114. As another example, the hub 1114 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 1114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 1114 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio,or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 1114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 1114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0048] The hub 1114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 1110b. The hub 1114 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 1114 and UEs (e.g., UE 1112c and / or 1112d), and between the hub 1114 and the core network 1106. In other examples, the hub 1114 is connected to the core network 1106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 1114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 1104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 1110 while still connected via the hub 1114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 1114 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node 1110b. In other embodiments, the hub 1114 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 1110b, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0049] Figure 12 shows a UE 1200 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless camera, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), smart device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0050] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3 GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0051] The UE 1200 includes processing circuitry 1202 that is operatively coupled via a bus 1204 to an input / output interface 1206, a power source 1208, a memory 1210, a communication interface 1212, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 12. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0052] The processing circuitry 1202 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory 1210. The processing circuitry 1202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 1202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs). The processing circuitry 1202 may be operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other UE 1200 components, such as the memory 1210, UE 1200 functionality. For example, the processing circuitry 1202 may be configured to cause the UE 1202 to perform the methods as described with reference to Figure 3.

[0053] In the example, the input / output interface 1206 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 1200. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, acamera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0054] In some embodiments, the power source 1208 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source 1208 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 1208 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 1200 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 1208. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 1208 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 1200 to which power is supplied.

[0055] The memory 1210 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 1210 includes one or more application programs 1214, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 1216. The memory 1210 may store, for use by the UE 1200, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0056] The memory 1210 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini-dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as tamper resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / orISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as ‘ SIM card.’ The memory 1210 may allow the UE 1200 to access instructions, application programs and the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 1210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0057] The processing circuitry 1202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 1212. The communication interface 1212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 1222. The communication interface 1212 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 1218 and / or a receiver 1220 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 1218 and receiver 1220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 1222) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0058] In some embodiments, communication functions of the communication interface 1212 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / intemet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0059] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 1212, via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes ifit reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0060] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch, related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or controls a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0061] A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (loT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are devices which are or which are embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence on the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 1200 shown in Figure 12.

[0062] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3 GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or otherequipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0063] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g. by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and / or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator, and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0064] Figure 13 shows a network node 1300 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment, in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)), 0-RAN nodes or components of an 0-RAN node (e.g, 0-RU, 0-DU, O-CU).

[0065] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g, in an 0-RAN access node) and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0066] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS)nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0067] The network node 1300 includes processing circuitry 1302, a memory 1304, a communication interface 1306, and a power source 1308, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. The network node 1300 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and a RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 1300 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 1300 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 1304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 1310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 1300 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 1300, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z- wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node 1300.

[0068] The processing circuitry 1302 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 1300 components, such as the memory 1304, network node 1300 functionality. For example, the processing circuitry 1302 may be configured to cause the network node to perform the methods as described with reference to Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6 and / or Figure 7.

[0069] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1312 and baseband processing circuitry 1314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1312 and the baseband processing circuitry 1314 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digitalunits. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 1312 and baseband processing circuitry 1314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0070] The memory 1304 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 1302. The memory 1304 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 1302 and utilized by the network node 1300. The memory 1304 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 1302 and / or any data received via the communication interface 1306. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 and memory 1304 is integrated.

[0071] The communication interface 1306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between a network node, access network, and / or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface 1306 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 1316 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 1306 also includes radio front-end circuitry 1318 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 1310. Radio front-end circuitry 1318 comprises filters 1320 and amplifiers 1322. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 may be connected to an antenna 1310 and processing circuitry 1302. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 1310 and processing circuitry 1302. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 1320 and / or amplifiers 1322. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 1310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 1310 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 1318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 1302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0072] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 1300 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 1318, instead, the processing circuitry 1302 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 1310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 is part of the communication interface 1306. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 1306 includes one or more ports or terminals 1316, the radio front-end circuitry 1318, and the RF transceiver circuitry 1312, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 1306 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 1314, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0073] The antenna 1310 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 1310 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 1318 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 1310 is separate from the network node 1300 and connectable to the network node 1300 through an interface or port.

[0074] The antenna 1310, communication interface 1306, and / or the processing circuitry 1302 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 1310, the communication interface 1306, and / or the processing circuitry 1302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[0075] The power source 1308 provides power to the various components of network node 1300 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 1308 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 1300 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 1300 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 1308. As a further example, the power source 1308 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0076] Embodiments of the network node 1300 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 13 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 1300 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 1300 and to allow output of information from the network node 1300. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 1300.

[0077] Figure 14 is a block diagram of a host 1400, which may be an embodiment of the host 1116 of Figure 11, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 1400 may be or comprise various combinations hardware and / or software, including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 1400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0078] The host 1400 includes processing circuitry 1402 that is operatively coupled via a bus 1404 to an input / output interface 1406, a network interface 1408, a power source 1410, and a memory 1412. Other components may be included in other embodiments. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 12 and 13, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of host 1400.

[0079] The memory 1412 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 1414 and data 1416, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by a UE for the host 1400 or data generated by the host 1400 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 1400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 1414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application programs 1414 may also provide for user authentication and licensing checks and may periodically report health, routes, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in or on the edge of a core network. Accordingly, the host 1400 may select and / or indicate a different host for over-the-top services for a UE. The host application programs 1414 may support various protocols, such as the HTTP LiveStreaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0080] Figure 15 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1500 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 1500 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualization environment 1500 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface.

[0081] Applications 1502 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0082] Hardware 1504 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1508a and 1508b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 1508), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 1506 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 1508.

[0083] The VMs 1508 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1506. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 1502 may be implemented on oneor more of VMs 1508, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers, and customer premise equipment.

[0084] In the context of NFV, a VM 1508 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 1508, and that part of hardware 1504 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 1508 on top of the hardware 1504 and corresponds to the application 1502.

[0085] Hardware 1504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 1504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1504 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g. such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 1510, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 1502. In some embodiments, hardware 1504 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 1512 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0086] Figure 16 shows a communication diagram of a host 1602 communicating via a network node 1604 with a UE 1606 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as a UE 1112a of Figure 11 and / or UE 1200 of Figure 12), network node (such as network node 1110a of Figure 11 and / or network node 1300 of Figure 13), and host (such as host 1116 of Figure 11 and / or host 1400 of Figure 14) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 16.

[0087] Like host 1400, embodiments of host 1602 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 1602 also includes software, which isstored in or accessible by the host 1602 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as the UE 1606 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1650 extending between the UE 1606 and host 1602. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 1650.

[0088] The network node 1604 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 1602 and UE 1606. The connection 1660 may be direct or pass through a core network (like core network 1106 of Figure 11) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0089] The UE 1606 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by UE 1606 and executable by the UE’s processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific “app” that may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via UE 1606 with the support of the host 1602. In the host 1602, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection 1650 terminating at the UE 1606 and host 1602. In providing the service to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host's host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1650 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The UE's client application may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides to the host application through the OTT connection 1650.

[0090] The OTT connection 1650 may extend via a connection 1660 between the host 1602 and the network node 1604 and via a wireless connection 1670 between the network node 1604 and the UE 1606 to provide the connection between the host 1602 and the UE 1606. The connection 1660 and wireless connection 1670, over which the OTT connection 1650 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 1602 and the UE 1606 via the network node 1604, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0091] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 1650, in step 1608, the host 1602 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 1606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 1606 that shares data with the host 1602 without explicit human interaction. In step 1610, the host 1602 initiates atransmission carrying the user data towards the UE 1606. The host 1602 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 1606. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 1606 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 1606. The transmission may pass via the network node 1604, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 1612, the network node 1604 transmits to the UE 1606 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 1602 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1614, the UE 1606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 1606 associated with the host application executed by the host 1602.

[0092] In some examples, the UE 1606 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 1602. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 1602. Accordingly, in step 1616, the UE 1606 may provide user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via an input / output interface of the UE 1606. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 1606 initiates, in step 1618, transmission of the user data towards the host 1602 via the network node 1604. In step 1620, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 1604 receives user data from the UE 1606 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 1602. In step 1622, the host 1602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 1606.

[0093] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 1606 using the OTT connection 1650, in which the wireless connection 1670 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the RRC signaling efficiency and thereby provide benefits such as reduced UE power consumption.

[0094] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 1602. As another example, the host 1602 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 1602 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 1602 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. As another example, the host 1602 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR or AR which it can broadcast, multicast or unicast to UEs. Asother examples, the host 1602 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time critical electrical load to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing and / or transmitting data.

[0095] In some examples, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1650 between the host 1602 and UE 1606, in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and / or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 1602 and / or UE 1606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 1650 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or supplying values of other physical quantities from which software may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of the OTT connection 1650 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node 1604. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency and the like, by the host 1602. The measurements may be implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection 1650 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0096] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within alarger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0097] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and a wireless network generally.The following numbered statements provide additional information on the disclosure:1. A method performed by a user equipment, UE, for UE context handling, the method comprising: receiving a first instruction from a second network node to transition from a Radio Resource Control, RRC, inactive state to a RRC Connected state; and transitioning to a RRC Connected state served by the second network node.2. The method of statement 1 further comprising, prior to receiving the first instruction, transmitting and / or receiving Small Data Transmission, SDT, communications with the second network node.3. The method of statement 2, wherein the SDT communications comprise clock quality information from the second network node.4. The method of any preceding statement wherein, prior to the step of receiving the first instruction, the UE context is held by a first network node.5. The method of statement 4, wherein the UE context is not released by the first network node prior to the step of receiving the first instruction.6. The method of any of the previous statements, further comprising: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host via the transmission to the network node.7. A method performed by a first network node for User Equipment, UE, context handling, the method comprising: initiating transmission to a second network node of a Small Data Transmission, SDT, transaction termination indication.8. The method of statement 7, wherein the transmission of the SDT transaction termination indication is initiated in response to the receipt, by the first network node, of non-SDT downlink data.9. The method of any of statements 7 and 8, wherein the indication is transmitted in an Xn Application Protocol, XnAP, message, or wherein the indication is transmitted in a new message.10. The method of statement 9, wherein the indication is transmitted in an XnAP message that is an XnAP RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT FAILURE message, or wherein the XnAP message is a new XnAP message.11. The method of any of statements 7 to 10, wherein the indication comprises aninstruction for the second network node to send a UE context retrieval request message. The method of any of statements 7 to 10, further comprising receiving from the second network node a UE context retrieval request message. The method of statement 11, wherein the UE context retrieval request is a XnAP RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT REQUEST message. The method of any of statements 12 and 13 further comprising, in response to receiving the UE context retrieval request message, relocating the UE context to the second network node. A method performed by a first network node for User Equipment, UE, context handling, the method comprising; obtaining UE clock quality information; and in response to obtaining the UE clock quality information, relocating a full UE context to a second network node. The method of statement 15, wherein the UE clock quality information is an indication that the UE is capable of using Small Data Transmission, SDT, communications to obtain clock quality information. The method of statement 15, wherein the UE clock quality information is an indication that the second network node has observed clock quality updates. A method performed by a second network node for User Equipment, UE, context handling, the method comprising: receiving, from a first network node, a Small Data Transmission, SDT, transaction termination indication. The method of statement 18, wherein the indication is transmitted in an Xn Application Protocol, XnAP, message, or wherein the indication is transmitted in a new message. The method of statement 19, wherein the indication is transmitted in an XnAP message that is an XnAP RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT FAILURE message, or wherein the XnAP message is a new XnAP message. The method of any of statements 18 to 20, wherein the indication comprises an instruction for the second network node to send a UE context retrieval request message. The method of statement 21 further comprising, by the second network node, initiating transmission of a UE context retrieval request message.23. The method of statement 22, wherein the UE context retrieval request is a XnAP RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT REQUEST message.24. The method of any of statements 21 to 23 further comprising relocating the UE context from the first network node to the second network node.25. The method of statement 24 further comprising, subsequent to the relocation of the UE context to the second network node, sending a first instruction to the UE to transition from a Radio Resource Control, RRC, inactive state to a RRC connected state served by the second network node.26. The method of any of statements 18 to 25 further comprising, prior to receiving the SDT transaction termination indication, exchanging SDT communications with the UE.27. A method performed by a second network node for User Equipment, UE, context handling, the method comprising: initiating transmission of UE full context retrieval request message to a first network node; and relocating the full UE context from the first network node to the second network node.28. The method of statement 27 further comprising, prior to initiating transmission of the UE full context retrieval request message, observing clock quality updates and indicating the observed clock quality updates to the first network node.29. The method of any of statements 7 to 28, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or a user equipment.30. A user equipment, UE, for UE context handling, comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause the user equipment to perform any of the steps of any of statements 1 to 6; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.31. A network node for user equipment, UE, context handling, the network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to perform any of the steps of any of statements 7 to 29;power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.32. A user equipment, UE, for UE context handling, the UE comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of statements 1 to 6; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE.33. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top, OTT, service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment, UE, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of statements 7 to 29 to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.34. The host of statement 33, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that provides the user data; and the UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive the transmission of user data from the host.35. A method implemented in a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment, UE, the method comprising:providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the network node performs any of the operations of any of statements 7 to 29 to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.36. The method of statement 35, further comprising, at the network node, transmitting the user data provided by the host for the UE.37. The method of any of statements 35 and 36, wherein the user data is provided at the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.38. A communication system configured to provide an over-the-top, OTT, service, the communication system comprising: a host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data for a user equipment, UE, the user data being associated with the over-the-top service; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data toward a cellular network node for transmission to the UE, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of statements 7 to 29 to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.39. The communication system of statement 38, further comprising: the network node; and / or the UE.40. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top, OTT, service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to initiate receipt of user data; and a network interface configured to receive the user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of statements 7 to 29 to receive the user data from a user equipment, UE, for the host.41. The host of statements 39 and 40, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application thatreceives the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.42. The host of the any of statements 40 and 41, wherein the initiating receipt of the user data comprises requesting the user data.43. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment, UE, the method comprising: at the host, initiating receipt of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission which the network node has received from the UE, wherein the network node performs any of the steps of any of statements 7 to 29 to receive the user data from the UE for the host.44. The method of statement 43, further comprising at the network node, transmitting the received user data to the host.45. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top, OTT, service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment, UE, wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and processing circuitry, the communication interface and processing circuitry of the UE being configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group A statements to receive the user data from the host.46. The host of statement 45, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit the user data to the UE from the host.47. The host of statements 45 and 46, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.48. A method implemented by a host operating in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment, UE, the method comprising:providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the UE performs any of the operations of any of statements 1 to 6 to receive the user data from the host.49. The method of statement 48, further comprising: at the host, executing a host application associated with a client application executing on the UE to receive the user data from the host application.50. The method of statement 49, further comprising: at the host, transmitting input data to the client application executing on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.51. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top, OTT, service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment, UE, wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and processing circuitry, the communication interface and processing circuitry of the UE being configured to perform any of the steps of any of statements 1 to 6 to transmit the user data to the host.52. The host of statement 51, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit the user data from the UE to the host.53. The host of statements 51 and 52, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.54. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment, UE, the method comprising:at the host, receiving user data transmitted to the host via the network node by the UE, wherein the UE performs any of the steps of any of statements 1 to 6 to transmit the user data to the host.55. The method of statement 54, further comprising: at the host, executing a host application associated with a client application executing on the UE to receive the user data from the UE.56. The method of statements 54 and 55, further comprising: at the host, transmitting input data to the client application executing on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.

Claims

Claims1. A method performed by a first network node (1110, 1300) for User Equipment, UE, context handling, the method comprising: initiating (402) transmission to a second network node (1110, 1300) of a Small Data Transmission, SDT, transaction termination indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the SDT transaction termination indication is initiated in response to the receipt, by the first network node (1110, 1300), of non-SDT downlink data.

3. The method of any of claims 1 and 2, wherein the indication is transmitted in an Xn Application Protocol, XnAP, message, or wherein the indication is transmitted in a new message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the indication is transmitted in an XnAP message that is an XnAP RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT FAILURE message, or wherein the XnAP message is a new XnAP message.

5. The method of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indication comprises an instruction for the second network node (1110, 1300) to send a UE context retrieval request message.

6. The method of claim 1 to 4 further comprising receiving from the second network node (1110, 1300) a UE context retrieval request message.

7. The method of any of claims 5 and 6, wherein the UE context retrieval request is a XnAP RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT REQUEST message.

8. The method of any of claims 5 to 7 further comprising, in response to receiving the UE context retrieval request message, relocating the UE context to the second network node (1110, 1300).

9. A method performed by a first network node for User Equipment, UE, context handling, the method comprising; obtaining (502) UE clock quality information; and in response to obtaining the UE clock quality information, relocating (504) a full UE context to a second network node (1110, 1300).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the UE clock quality information is an indication that the UE (1112, 1200) is capable of using Small Data Transmission, SDT, communications to obtain clock quality information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the UE clock quality information is an indication that the second network node (1110, 1300) has observed clock quality updates.

12. A method performed by a second network node (1110, 1300) for User Equipment, UE, context handling, the method comprising:Receiving (602), from a first network node (1110, 1300), a Small Data Transmission, SDT, transaction termination indication.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the indication is transmitted in an Xn Application Protocol, XnAP, message, or wherein the indication is transmitted in a new message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the indication is transmitted in an XnAP message that is an XnAP RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT FAILURE message, or wherein the XnAP message is a new XnAP message.

15. The method of any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the indication comprises an instruction for the second network node (1110, 1300) to send a UE context retrieval request message.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising, by the second network node (1110, 1300), initiating transmission of a UE context retrieval request message.

17. The method of claim 17, wherein the UE context retrieval request is a XnAP RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT REQUEST message.

18. The method of any of claims 15 to 17 further comprising relocating the UE context from the first network node (1110, 1300) to the second network node (1110, 1300).

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising, subsequent to the relocation of the UE context to the second network node (1110, 1300), sending a first instruction to the UE (1112, 1200) to transition from a Radio Resource Control, RRC, inactive state to a RRC connected state served by the second network node (1110, 1300).

20. The method of any of claims 12 to 19 further comprising, prior to receiving the SDT transaction termination indication, exchanging SDT communications with the UE (1112, 1200).

21. A method performed by a second network node (1110, 1300) for User Equipment, UE, context handling, the method comprising:Initiating (702) transmission of UE full context retrieval request message to a first network node (1110, 1300); and relocating (704) the full UE context from the first network node (1110, 1300) to the second network node (1110, 1300).

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising, prior to initiating transmission of the UEfull context retrieval request message, observing clock quality updates and indicating the observed clock quality updates to the first network node (1110, 1300).

23. A first network node (1110, 1300) for user equipment, UE, context handling, the first network node (1110, 1300) comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause the first network node (1110, 1300) to initiate transmission to a second network node (1110, 1300) of a Small Data Transmission, SDT, transaction termination indication; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

24. A first network node (1110, 1300) for user equipment, UE, context handling, the first network node (1110, 1300) comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause the first network node (1110, 1300) to obtain UE clock quality information; and in response to obtaining the UE clock quality information, relocating a full UE context to a second network node (1110, 1300); and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

25. A second network node (1110, 1300) for user equipment, UE, context handling, the second network node (1110, 1300) comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause the second network node (1110, 1300) to receive, from a first network node (1110, 1300), a Small Data Transmission, SDT, transaction termination indication; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

26. A second network node (1110, 1300) for user equipment, UE, context handling, the second network node (1110, 1300) comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to initiate transmission of UE full context retrieval request message to a first network node (1110, 1300); and relocate the full UE context from the first network node (1110, 1300) to the second network node (1110, 1300); and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

27. A communication system comprising: the UE (1112, 1200), and at least one of the network node of claim 23 or 26.

28. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out a method according to any of claims 1 to 22.

29. A computer program product comprising non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon a computer program according to claim 29.

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