Methods and apparatuses for providing assistance in alleviating in-device co-existence interference

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatuses for alleviating In-Device Co-existence (IDC) interference in a user equipment wherein the UE is capable of operating utilizing at least a first radio access technology, RAT, and a second RAT. A method in a UE comprises responsive to detecting in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, transmitting (206) to a network node of the first RAT, a request for assistance in alleviating the IDC interference, the request comprising, for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

Description

[0001] METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR PROVIDING ASSISTANCE IN ALLEVIATING IN-DEVICE CO¬

[0002] EXISTENCE INTERFERENCE

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatuses for enabling a network node to provide assistance in alleviating in-device co-existence (IDC) interference at a user equipment (UE) between a first RAT and a second RAT.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] In-Device Coexistence (IDC) is a feature that was introduced in Long Term Evolution (LTE) and New Radio (NR). IDC was introduced to tackle situations when a user equipment (UE) is operating multiple radio access technologies (RATs) and the radios used for these different technologies cause interference with each other. For example, transmissions by an LTE transmitter may cause interference to a GPS receiver and a Bluetooth / WLAN receiver, and the Bluetooth / WLAN receiver may cause interference on the LTE receiver. Note, the IDC feature is here described from using LTE as an example 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) RAT, but on a high level, the IDC feature is the same for NR.

[0007] When the UE identifies that there is IDC type of interference the UE may first try to solve this problem internally. If this does not succeed, the UE may indicate to a network node (e.g. a eNB) that it is experiencing IDC problems which it cannot solve itself. It will be appreciated that both how the UE detects IDC problems and may attempt to solve these internally is left to implementation.

[0008] The UE may indicate to the network the frequencies that are suffering from IDC interference and may also signal the RAT that is causing the interference, for instance that the interference comes from WLAN. In addition, if the UE determines that the IDC problems can be solved in a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)- manner (for example, by multiplexing the use of the interfering transceivers in time) the UE can indicate a bit-map or Discontinuous Reception (DRX) cycles to the eNB which indicates which transmission time intervals (TTIs) are affected by IDC interference.

[0009] When the eNB receives the indication that the UE is experiencing IDC problems that cannot be solved internally by the UE, the eNB may take action to solve these IDC problems, for example, by handing over the UE to other frequencies, removing (in case of carrier aggregation (CA)) a problematic cell, or configuring the UE with a DRX-configuration which would solve the problem. It will be noted that, at least up to Rel-17, the NR specification does not support TMD-indications for IDC.

[0010] An example scenario in which such an IDC indication may be useful is when the UE is using an LTE carrier in band 40 at the same time as it is using WLAN in the 2.4 GHz band. There may be IDC problems in this scenario since these frequency bands are just next to each other as shown in Figure 1 .

[0011] The UE may try to solve the problems internally, but if it cannot do so it will indicate to the eNB that the serving cell on band 40 is having an IDC problem. The eNB may then handover the UE to other frequencies or reconfigure the cell, thereby helping to alleviate the IDC issues.

[0012] Discontinuous Reception (DRX) in 5G is of two types, Idle mode DRX and Connected mode DRX. C-DRX (connected mode DRX) in NR is introduced to improve UE battery power consumption by allowing the UE to periodically enter 'sleep' state (Off duration) during which the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) need not be monitored. In order to monitor PDCCH for possible downlink / uplink data, the UE is allowed to wake up periodically and stay 'awake' (On duration) for a certain amount of time before going to 'sleep' again. Additionally, the UE may be required to wake up occasionally to monitor PDCCH, this is for example to receive a possible re-transmission.

[0013] The gNB configures UE with a set of C-DRX parameters. These DRX parameters may be selected, for example, based on the application type such that power and resource savings are maximized. Each DRX cycle consists of DRX ON period and OFF period. There are two types of DRX cycles defined; Long DRX Cycle and Short DRX Cycle

[0014] The gNodeB configures the following RRC parameters for DRX defined in 38.331 V17.3.0.

[0015] “DRX-Config information element

[0016] - ASN1 START

[0017] - TAG-DRX-CONFIG-START

[0018] DRX-Config ::= SEQUENCE { drx-onDurationTimer CHOICE { subMilliSeconds INTEGER (1..31), milliseconds ENUMERATED { ms1, ms2, ms3, ms4, ms5, ms6, ms8, ms10, ms20, ms30, ms40, ms50, ms60, ms80, ms100, ms200, ms300, ms400, ms500, ms600, ms800, rnslOOO, ms1200, ms1600, spare8, spare7, spare6, spare5, spare4, spare3, spare2, sparel } drx-lnactivity Timer ENUMERATED { msO, ms1 , ms2, ms3, ms4, ms5, ms6, ms8, ms10, ms20, ms30, ms40, ms50, ms60, ms80, ms100, ms200, ms300, ms500, ms750, ms1280, ms1920, ms2560, spare9, spare8, spare7, spare6, spare5, spare4, spare3, spare2, spare 1}, drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL I NTEGER (0..56), drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL I NTEGER (0..56), drx-RetransmissionTimerDL ENUMERATED { slO, sl1 , sl2, sl4, sl6, sl8, si 16, sl24, sl33, sl40, sl64, sl80, sl96, sl1 12, si 128, si 160, sl320, spare 15, spare 14, spare 13, spare 12, spare 11 , spare 10, spare9, spare8, spare7, spare6, spare5, spare4, spare3, spare2, spare 1}, drx-RetransmissionTimerUL ENUMERATED { slO, sl1 , sl2, sl4, sl6, sl8, si 16, sl24, sl33, sl40, sl64, sl80, sl96, sl1 12, si 128, si 160, sl320, spare 15, spare 14, spare 13, spare 12, spare 11 , spare 10, spare9, spare8, spare7, spare6, spare5, spare4, spare3, spare2, spare 1 }, drx-LongCycleStartOffset CHOICE { ms10 INTEGER(0..9), ms20 INTEGER(0..19), ms32 INTEGER(0..31), ms40 INTEGER(0..39), ms60 INTEGER(0..59), ms64 INTEGER(0..63), ms70 INTEGER(0..69), ms80 INTEGER(0..79), ms 128 INTEGER(0..127), ms 160 INTEGER(0..159), ms256 INTEGER(0..255), ms320 INTEGER(0..319), ms512 INTEGER(0..511), ms640 INTEGER(0..639), ms1024 INTEGER(O..1O23), ms1280 INTEGER(0..1279), ms2048 INTEGER(O..2O47), ms2560 INTEGER(0..2559), ms5120 INTEGER(0..5119), ms 10240 INTEGER^..10239) shortDRX SEQUENCE { drx-ShortCycle ENUMERATED { ms2, ms3, ms4, ms5, ms6, ms7, ms8, ms10, ms14, ms16, ms20, ms30, ms32, ms35, ms40, ms64, ms80, ms128, ms160, ms256, ms320, ms512, ms640, spare9, spare8, spare7, spare6, spare5, spare4, spare3, spare2, spare 1 }, drx-ShortCycleTimer INTEGER (1..16)

[0019] OPTIONAL, - Need R drx-SlotOffset INTEGER (0..31)

[0020] DRX-ConfigExt-v1700 ::= SEQUENCE ! drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL-r17 INTEGER (0..448), drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerUL-r17 INTEGER (0..448) - TAG-DRX-CONFIG-STOP

[0021] - ASN1STOP”

[0022] TR 38.864 V18.0.0 details a Cell Discontinuous Transmission (DTX) / DRX concept. Currently, a gNB may use reduced downlink transmission / uplink reception activity without an explicit cell DTX / DRX pattern with restrictions due to UE DRX configurations and any configured transmission / reception, e.g., common channels / signals. Currently C-DRX is configured per UE. The alignment of the DRX cycles or offsets for different UEs can currently only be done via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signalling. During a UE DRX off period, the UE does not expect to monitor PDCCH, but it is allowed to initiate Uplink (UL) transmissions according to the configured resources (e.g. using Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Random Access Channel (RACH), Scheduling Request (SR), or Cell Group Physical Uplink Shared Channel (CG- PUSCH)). Aligning / Omitting of DRX patterns across multiple UE's can be achieved via gNB implementation.

[0023] An explicit Cell DTX / DRX may be applied to at least UEs in RRC_CONNECTED state. A periodic Cell DTX / DRX (i.e., active and non-active periods) may be configured by gNB via UE-specific RRC signalling or System Information (SI) per serving cell. The below examples on Cell DTX / DRX behaviour during nonactive periods are assumed to be possible options, and the UE behaviour / impact will be studied:

[0024] • Example 1 : gNB is expected to turn off all transmission and reception for data traffic and reference signal during Cell DTX / DRX non-active periods.

[0025] • Example 2: gNB is expected to turn off its transmission / reception only for data traffic during Cell

[0026] DTX / DRX non-active periods (i.e., gNB will still transmit / receive reference signals)

[0027] • Example 3: gNB is expected to turn off its dynamic data transmission / reception during Cell

[0028] DTX / DRX non-active periods (i.e., gNB is expected to still perform transmission / reception in periodic resources, including SPS, CG-PUSCH, SR, RACH, and SRS).

[0029] • Example 4: gNB is expected to only transmit reference signals (e.g., CSI-RS for measurement).

[0030] The Cell DTX / DRX mode can be activated / de-activated via dynamic Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) signalling and / or UE-specific RRC signaling. Both UE specific and common L1 / L2 signalling can be considered for activating / deactivating the Cell DTX / DRX mode.

[0031] SUMMARY

[0032] In 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #121 R2-2301908, February-March, 2022, the below agreements were reached: - The NR values of long / short DRX cycle and start offset are used for periodic pattern. RAN2 will not introduce new DRX value for network configuration for IDC purpose.

[0033] - The values of drx-onDurationTimer in NR is used as the baseline for active Duration in UE assistant information. FFS on other values.

[0034] Adoption of DRX based solution for IDC is due to mature and flexible DRX framework which has been used in LTE IDC. While in LTE IDC, the DRX parameters related include: drx-CycleLength-r11 (e.g. cycle length) drx-Offset-r11 (e.g offset value) drx-ActiveTime-r11 (e.g. active time)

[0035] The UE provides its preferred DRX configurations to network node, in order to solve the IDC interference problem.

[0036] To follow LTE IDC design, UE in NR should provide DRX assistance parameters to network node, such as drx-

[0037] CycleLength, drx-Offset, drx-ActiveTime.

[0038] Normally, IDC problems only occur on a specific frequency, and the TDM solution is used when the FDM solution cannot work or as complement to the FDM solution. Thus, a general consideration is whether a TDM solution can be provided per frequency range (which can be by frequency carrier, Cell, BWP, PRB range and frequency range). Among these options, the first two (frequency carrier / cell) may be more suitable for DRX configuration since the legacy DRX is not provided for a sub-set of cell bandwidth. According to legacy NR design, the UE may have multiple DRX configurations. Specifically, in a standalone case, a UE may have two DRX configurations, each of which is applied for different DRX groups wherein each DRX group comprises one or multiple cells. In a dual connectivity (DC) example, the UE may have two different DRX configurations for each cell group (i.e., MCG or SCG) respectively. Thus, to comply such design, the UE can provide multiple DRX assistant information referring to different cells or cell groups.

[0039] UE's 3GPP modems may not know exact timing and frequency of non 3GPP RATs like BT and Wi-Fi as the two RAT systems (i.e., 3GPP RAT and non-3GPP RAT) are likely to be implemented in separate hardware blocks without direct communications between them. Thus, there is not any means to provide exact real time information between the two RAT associated hardware modules to mitigate interference caused between each other. So interference between the two RATs may occur in unanticipated fashions. The current DRX solution may only help solve the IDC problems that occur when a 3GPP modem receiver in the UE is the victim of the IDC interference due to non 3GPP RATs transmissions. This is because DRX only can limit / regulate when UE shall perform reception. It will therefore be appreciated that the current DRX based solution to alleviating IDC interference does not solve the problem of IDC interference cause by transmissions on the UE 3GPP RAT on receptions on a non 3GPP RAT.

[0040] Without enhancement to the existing TDM based IDC solutions (e.g., the DRX based solution), to address the IDC problems where 3GPP RAT initiated transmissions cause interference to non-3GPP RAT initiated receptions, it is up to UE to limit its own 3GPP RAT initiated transmissions in order to alleviate the interference. In some cases, a specific UE implementation would mean such IDC problems may not be able to be addressed by UE itself.

[0041] The current IDC framework does not provide support for IDC configuration or reporting between a UE and a base station concerning IDC problems where 3GPP RAT initiated transmissions cause interference to non-3GPP RAT initiated receptions. In addition, different UE implementations may cause un-controlled UE behaviors regarding IDC issues.

[0042] Currently, autonomous denial may enable a UE to deny a configured number of UL slots during a configured time period which may allow a UE to avoid IDC interference on a one-shot basis by denying configured UL slots. However, this mechanism doesn't address the IDC problems which occur periodically. In this case, the UE would need to send an IDC report to the network node (e.g. gNB) periodically, and the network node would also need to provide the same autonomous denial configuration to the UE periodically. Since the IDC report and IDC configuration are exchanged between the UE and the gNB via RRC signaling, this would cause both signaling overhead and latency to the UE. Furthermore, due to additional latency, the IDC interference issues may not be addressed in time for the UE.

[0043] Therefore, it may be desirable to enhance the TDM based IDC solutions to address the IDC problems where 3GPP RAT initiated transmissions cause interference to non-3GPP RAT initiated receptions.

[0044] According to some embodiments there is provided a method performed by a user equipment, UE, wherein the UE is capable of operating utilizing at least a first radio access technology, RAT, and a second RAT. The method comprises responsive to detecting in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, transmitting to a network node of the first RAT, a request for assistance in alleviating the IDC interference, the request comprising, for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

[0045] According to some embodiments there is provided a method performed by a network node of a first radio access technology RAT, wherein a user equipment, UE, is capable of operating utilizing at least the first RAT and a second RAT. The method comprises receiving, from the UE, a request for assistance in alleviating in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, the request comprising for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

[0046] According to some embodiments there is provided a user equipment, UE, wherein the UE is capable of operating utilizing at least a first radio access technology, RAT, and a second RAT. The UE comprising processing circuitry and a memory. The memory contains instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the UE is operable to: responsive to detecting in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, transmit to a network node of the first RAT, a request for assistance in alleviating the IDC interference, the request comprising, for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

[0047] According to some embodiments there is provided a user equipment, UE, wherein the UE is capable of operating utilizing at least a first radio access technology, RAT, and a second RAT. The UE is adapted to: responsive to detecting in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, transmit to a network node of the first RAT, a request for assistance in alleviating the IDC interference, the request comprising, for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

[0048] According to some embodiments there is provided a network node of a first radio access technology, RAT, configured to communicate with a a user equipment, UE, capable of operating utilizing at least the first RAT and a second RAT. The network node comprises processing circuitry and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the network node is operable to: receive, from the UE, a request for assistance in alleviating in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, the request comprising for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

[0049] According to some embodiments there is provided a network node of a first radio access technology, RAT, configured to communicate with a a user equipment, UE, capable of operating utilizing at least the first RAT and a second RAT. The network node is adapted to: receive, from the UE, a request for assistance in alleviating in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, the request comprising for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

[0050] According to some embodiments there is provided computer program, comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out any of the methods described above.

[0051] According to some embodiments there is provided a computer program product comprising non transitory computer readable media having stored thereon a computer program as described above.

[0052] According to some embodiments there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform any of the methods described above.

[0053] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] 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:

[0055] Figure 1 illustrates an LTE carrier in band 40 and a WLAN 2.4 GHz band;

[0056] Figure 2 depicts a method performed by a UE in accordance with particular embodiments;

[0057] Figure 3 depicts a method performed by a network node in accordance with particular embodiments; Figure 4 is a signaling diagram illustrating an example implementation of the methods of Figures 2 and 3;

[0058] Figure 5 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments;

[0059] Figure 6 shows a UE in accordance with some embodiments;

[0060] Figure 7 shows a network node in accordance with some embodiments;

[0061] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a host, which may be an embodiment of the host 516 of Figure 5, in accordance with various aspects described herein;

[0062] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized;

[0063] Figure 10 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.

[0064] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] Generally, all terms used herein are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is clearly given and / or is implied from the context in which it is used. All references to a / an / the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any methods disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as following or preceding another step and / or where it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment, wherever appropriate. Likewise, any advantage of any of the embodiments may apply to any other embodiments, and vice versa. Other objectives, features and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will be apparent from the following description.

[0066] The following sets forth specific details, such as particular embodiments or examples for purposes of explanation and not limitation. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that other examples may be employed apart from these specific details. In some instances, detailed descriptions of well-known methods, nodes, interfaces, circuits, and devices are omitted so as not obscure the description with unnecessary detail. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the functions described may be implemented in one or more nodes using hardware circuitry (e.g., analog and / or discrete logic gates interconnected to perform a specialized function, ASICs, PLAs, etc.) and / or using software programs and data in conjunction with one or more digital microprocessors or general purpose computers. Nodes that communicate using the air interface also have suitable radio communications circuitry. Moreover, where appropriate the technology can additionally be considered to be embodied entirely within any form of computer-readable memory, such as (ROM, EEPROM, Flash memory, a memory disc, RAM etc.) solid- state memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk containing an appropriate set of computer instructions that would cause a processor to carry out the techniques described herein.

[0067] Hardware implementation may include or encompass, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, a reduced instruction set processor, hardware (e.g., digital or analogue) circuitry including but not limited to application specific integrated circuit(s) (ASIC) and / or field programmable gate array(s) (FPGA(s)), and (where appropriate) state machines capable of performing such functions.

[0068] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. The steps of any methods disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as following or preceding another step and / or where it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step.

[0069] Particular embodiments are described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Other embodiments, however, are contained within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein. The disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0070] Embodiments described herein address the above-described problem by introducing the concept of directional IDC and mitigating interference from 3GPP RATs to non 3GPP RATs and / or interference from non 3GPP RATs to 3GPP RATs.

[0071] According to some embodiments, particular DRX / DTX configurations in TDM solution for IDC are introduced to determine IDC directions. A UE may provide DRX / DTX parameters to a network node (e.g. a base station) to assist transmission / reception coordination between 3GPP RATs and non 3GPP RATs. . Consequently, network node decides and signals the DRX / DTX to the UE based on the UE suggested TDM pattern. Some embodiments described herein enable an indication of interference direction in IDC in the form of a DRX / DTX TDM based solution. By utilising the embodiments described herein, a UE is able to mitigate interference from 3GPP RATs to non 3GPP RATs and / or interference from non 3GPP RATs to 3GPP RATs.

[0072] Herein, the term node may be used which can be a network node or a user equipment (UE). Examples of network nodes are NodeB, base station (BS), multi-standard radio (MSR) radio node such as MSR BS, eNodeB, gNodeB, MeNB, SeNB, location measurement unit (LMU), integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, network controller, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), relay, donor node controlling relay, base transceiver station (BTS), Central Unit (e.g. in a gNB), Distributed Unit (e.g. in a gNB), Baseband Unit, Centralized Baseband, C-RAN, access point (AP), transmission points, transmission nodes, transmission reception point (TRP), RRU, RRH, nodes in distributed antenna system (DAS), core network node (e.g. MSC, MME etc), O&M, OSS, SON, positioning node (e.g. E-SMLC), etc.

[0073] The non-limiting term UE refers to any type of wireless device communicating with a network node and / or with another UE in a cellular or mobile communication system. Examples of UE are target device, device to device (D2D) UE, vehicular to vehicular (V2V), machine type UE, MTC UE or UE capable of machine to machine (M2M) communication, PDA, tablet, mobile terminals, smart phone, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles etc.

[0074] Herein, the term radio access technology, or RAT, may refer to any RAT e.g. UTRA, E-UTRA, narrow band internet of things (NB-loT), WiFi, Bluetooth, next generation RAT, New Radio (NR), 4G, 5G, NR NTN, loT NTN, LTE NTN, etc. Any of the equipment denoted by the term node, network node or radio network node may be capable of supporting a single or multiple RATs.

[0075] Herein the terms DRX and DTX are used. It will be appreciated that these terms may also be considered to encompass Cell DTX / DRX, C-DRX / C-DTX and UE DRX / DTX.

[0076] In some embodiments, as will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3, DRX and / or DTX assistance information / parameters may be signalled by the UE to a network node provided the UE is allowed to report this DRX and / or DTX assistance information. The DRX and / or DTX assistance information may be reported by UE to the gNB when IDC interference (e.g. between 3GPP RAT and non- 3GPP RAT) are detected by UE.

[0077] Such assistance information may be also referred to as at least one TDM pattern, TDM information, TDM configuration(s) etc. The main purpose of such assistance information is to indicate to the network node (e.g. gNB) that the detected IDC interference can be addressed via a proper TDM pattern instructing the UE to only be active (transmission and / or reception) on non-contiguous present occasions (i.e., there is time gap between two consecutive time occasions) to mitigate / avoid interference between two RATs (e.g., 3GPP RAT and non-3GPP RAT).

[0078] Figure 2 depicts a method in accordance with particular embodiments. The method of Figure 2 may be performed by a UE or wireless device (e.g. the UE 412 or UE 500 as described later with reference to Figures 4 and 5 respectively). The UE is capable of operating utilizing at least a first radio access technology, RAT, and a second RAT. The method of Figure 2 may comprise step 202 in which the UE detects IDC interference.

[0079] In step 204 the method may then further comprise, in some examples, selecting in step 206 at least one TDM pattern. For example, the UE may select the at least one TDM pattern according to one or more Quality of Service Requirements. For example, for a service associated with a critical latency requirement, the UE may select a TDM pattern that allows the UE to transmit the data more frequently. In another example, for a service associated with non-critical latency requirement, the UE may select a TDM pattern that allows the UE to transmit less frequently. In another example, in case the UE has multiple services employed at the same time, the UE may select a TDM pattern according to QoS requirements of a dominant service which is the service with highest priority among all services. For example, the UE may select a TDM patten according to latency requirement of the dominant service.

[0080] The at least one TDM pattern may be determined by the UE as at least one TDM pattern that would help to alleviate the IDC interference detected in step 204. For example, if IDC interference is detected as periodically for a time period t1 every T1 seconds, then the at least one TDM pattern may be selected such that the inactive periods of the TDM pattern would overlap with the expected interference occurring during the time period t1 every T1 seconds.

[0081] In step 206 the method comprises, responsive to detecting in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, transmitting to a network node of the first RAT, a request for assistance in alleviating the IDC interference. The request comprises, for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

[0082] It may be therefore, that a trigger for requesting the transmitting the request of step 206 is the detection of the IDC interference at the UE (e.g. as in step 202). In some examples, step 206 is only performed if the UE is unable to resolve the problem of the IDC interference internally. It will be appreciated, that by implementing one of the TDM patterns for a DTX or DRX configuration at the UE, the IDC interference may be alleviated. It will be appreciated that alleviating the IDC interference may encompass avoiding the IDC interference entirely, or reducing or improving the IDC interference in some way.

[0083] In some examples, responsive to detecting interference caused by transmissions on the second RAT on receptions on the first RAT, wherein the first RAT is a 3GPP RAT and the second RAT is a non 3GPP RAT, the second indication may indicate that the TDM pattern is for use in a DRX configuration. In other words, as it is a 3GPP RAT that is experiencing issues with the detected IDC interference caused by the non 3GPP RAT, the UE indicates that a DRX configuration may be utilized to alleviate the interference issues.

[0084] In contrast, responsive to detecting interference caused by transmissions on the first RAT on receptions on the second RAT, wherein the first RAT is a 3GPP RAT and the second RAT is a non 3GPP RAT, the second indication may indicate that the TDM pattern is for use in a DTX configuration. In other words, as it is the non 3GPP RAT that is experiencing issues with the detected IDC interference caused by the 3GPP RAT, the UE indicates that a DTX configuration may be utilized to alleviate the interference issues.

[0085] It will be appreciated that the TDM parameters may comprise one or more of:

[0086] • a cycle length (for example, a cycle duration (e.g. in ms or time slots). A cycle contains an on- duration (i.e., active duration) and an off-duration (i.e., inactive duration).

[0087] • an active duration (which may indicate the UE's preferred active duration due to the IDC problem). For each cycle, an inactive duration may therefore be equal to the cycle length minus the active duration;

[0088] • One or more offset values. For example, an offset value may be configured to determine when to start each cycle. In one example, an offset value may be configured to determine when to start an on-duration during each cycle.

[0089] It will be appreciated that each of the at least one TDM pattern may be for use by the UE in a DRX and / or

[0090] DTX configuration for in a single cell group (CG) or a single cell. In one example, a TDM pattern is configured per CG. In another example, both a TDM pattern for use in a DRX configuration and a TDM pattern for use in a DTX configuration are configured in the same CG. In another example, a TDM pattern for use in a DRX configuration is configured in a first CG, while another TDM pattern for use in a DTX configuration is configured in a second CG different to the first CG. In some embodiments, the least one TDM pattern is configured to the UE in a per cell fashion, meaning that a different TDM pattern is configured for each cell.

[0091] In some examples, the request comprises a plurality of TDM patterns. In some examples, there may be a plurality of TDM patterns that are indicated as being for use with one of a DRX and a DTX configuration. The network node may then indicate to the UE a selected one of the plurality of TDM patterns for implementation. For example, the method of Figure 2 may further comprise receiving an indication from the network node of a selected TDM pattern, and in step 208 the method of Figure 2 may further comprise applying the selected TDM pattern for the DTX and / or the DRX configuration as indicated by the second indication.

[0092] In some other examples, the request of step 202 comprises only a selected (e.g. selected by the UE) TDM pattern. In these examples, step 208 may comprise applying the selected TDM pattern for the DRX and / or the DTX configuration as indicated by the second indication.

[0093] It will be appreciated that, in examples in which the selected TDM pattern is for use in a DTX configuration, once the UE has obtained an indication of the selected TDM pattern (either having selected the selected TDM at the UE, or receiving an indication of the selected TDM pattern from the network node), the UE may perform transmissions according to the TDM pattern.

[0094] In other words, the UE may only perform transmissions during the active duration of each cycle. The UE may skip any transmission or postpone any transmission which is triggered during the inactive duration of each cycle.

[0095] In some embodiments, in a slot where the UE is DTX active, the UE may check if there is any transmission triggered. IF there are multiple transmissions triggered in the same slot, i.e., the transmissions are fully or partial overlapping in the slot, the UE may determi ne / select a subset of the transmissions among all transmissions. In other words, the method of Figure 2 may further comprise, when the selected TDM pattern is for use in a DTX configuration, responsive to a plurality of transmissions being scheduled on the first RAT during an active cycle of the DTX configuration that are at least partially overlapping in time, selecting to transmit a subset of the plurality of transmissions.

[0096] The selection of the subset of the plurality of transmissions may be made according to one of the following options:

[0097] Option 1 : randomly selecting the subset of transmissions;

[0098] Option 2: selecting the subset of transmissions with longest durations; Option 3: selecting the subset of transmissions with the shortest durations;

[0099] Option 4: selecting the subset of transmissions with highest priorities. In this case, a priority order may be assigned to each transmission (type);

[0100] - For option 4, the transmission type for a transmission may be one of the below

[0101] • A control signaling based transmission. Further a L1 signaling, a L2 signaling or an upper layer signaling

[0102] • A data transmission

[0103] • A data transmission associated with a service type, traffic type, a logical channel ID or a radio bearer ID. In this case the transmission type would be determined according to the service type, traffic type, the logical channel ID or the radio bearer ID.

[0104] • An Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) transmission, a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission, a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission, or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission;

[0105] Option 5: selecting the subset of transmissions according to UE implementation. For example, the number of transmissions in the subset that the UE selects to transmit may depend on UE capabilities, for example, how many transmissions the US can perform simultaneously, how may radio links / RF chains that the UE support etc.

[0106] It will be appreciated that the second indication of step 202 may be implemented in a number of different ways. In some examples, the second indication comprises an indication of whether each of the one or more TDM parameters is associated with a DTX and / or a DRX configuration.

[0107] In other words, each TDM parameters may explicitly state whether it is for a DRX configuration or a DTX configuration. The below example of TDM parameters (TDM parameters example 1) illustrates an example in which the UE transmits two TDM patterns, one for use in a DRX configuration and one for use in a DTX configuration. In this example, the second indication is comprised within the TDM parameters by indicating whether each parameter is for DTX or DRX.

[0108] TDM parameters example 1 : drx-CycleLength drx-Offset drx-ActiveDuration dtx-CycleLength dtx-Offset dtx-ActiveDuration It will be appreciated that, if TDM parameters for a DRX configuration are absent in the request of step 202, this may be considered as indicating that the UE is not requesting a DRX based solution to address the IDC problems. Similarly, TDM parameters for a DTX configuration are absent in the request of step 202, this may be considered to indicate that the UE is not requesting a DTX based solution to address the IDC problems.

[0109] In another embodiment, UE may indicate the direction of the detected IDC problems, in addition to one or multiple UE preferred TDM patterns. For example, the second indication may be a flag (e.g. interferenceDirection-r18) indicating a one or more types of RAT that are victims of the detected interference. For example, the flag may indicate one or both of a 3GPP RAT or a non 3GPP RAT.

[0110] An example of such a flag may be: interferenceDirection-r18 ENUMERATED {nr, other, both, spare}

[0111] In the above example, the value nr indicates that only NR (i.e., an example 3GPP RAT) is victim of IDC interference, value other indicates that only another RAT (e.g., a non-3GPP RAT such as GNSS, Bluetooth, Wifi etc) is victim of IDC interference, and the value both indicates that both NR and another radio are victims of IDC interference.

[0112] When utilising a flag such as lnterferenceDirection-r18, the UE may then not need to indicate whether each TDM parameter is for DRX or DTX explicitly. In this example, it may be sufficient for the UE to just indicate a TDM pattern in addition the interferenceDirection-r18.

[0113] Based on the interferenceDirection-r18 flag (e.g. the second indication), the network node may determine whether the TDM pattern is preferred by the UE for DRX operation or DTX operation. For example, if the flag value is "nr”, the network node may determine that the at least one TDM pattern is for use in a DRX configuration. Conversely, if the flag value is "other” the network node may determine that the at least one TDM pattern is for use in a DTX configuration. If the flag value is “both”, the UE may need to indicate both a DTX TDM pattern and a DRX TDM pattern to the network node, or the network node may assume that the TDM pattern is for use in both a DRX configuration and a DTX configuration.

[0114] In some examples, the second indication is the presence or absence of a flag. For example, the TDM pattern may be assumed by the base station to always be for use in a DRX configuration and the presence of the flag may indicate that the TDM pattern should also be applied as a DTX pattern. If, for example, the UE for example only has problems with receptions on the first RAT (and hence the UE sends a DRX configuration) the UE may omit the flag and the gNB will understand this as there being no requirement for a DTX configuration, e.g. the UE can transmit all the time on the first RAT (even when the indicated DRX pattern suggests that the UE should not be in active time). However, if the UE has problems with both receiving and transmitting on the first RAT (e.g. the transmissions on the first RAT are causing interference on the second RAT), the UE may include the flag with the TDM pattern, and this may be interpreted by the base station as the UE only being able to transmit in the active times. In other words, when this flag is present the base station may interpret this as being a single TDM pattern to be for use in both a DTX and a DRX configuration.

[0115] For a DRX configuration (and in some examples, a DTX configuration) the UE may be in Active Time for example when the onDuration timer is running. According to current stands, if the base station schedules the UE during the Active Time, the UE may start an "inactivity timer” such that the UE remains in Active Time until the inactivity timer expires (assuming that e.g. onDuration timer has not been started again by that time) regardless of whether the UE enters an Inactive Time part of the DRX cycle. This behaviour with the inactivity timer allows the gNB to schedule the UE with more data without interruption, i.e. the gNB doesn't need to wait until the next onDuration.

[0116] It will be appreciated that the use of such an inactivity timer may be useful for enabling scheduling of the UE since the UE will be in Active Time as long as the UE keeps getting scheduled.

[0117] However, if the UE is experiencing periodic IDC issues it may not be desirable to have an inactivity timer keeping the UE in Active Time continuously.

[0118] The UE may therefore indicate to the network node whether the UE can accept that the inactivity timerbehaviour is applied. In some embodiments therefore, the method of Figure 2 further comprises transmitting an indication to the network node indicating that the UE does not accept use of an inactivity timer in relation to the at least one TDM pattern. If, for example, the UE has periodic IDC issues and the UE for this reason cannot accept that the inactivity timer keeps the UE in ActiveTime, the UE may send the indication that the UE does not accept use of the inactivity timer in relation to the at least one TDM pattern.

[0119] If the UE has sent this indication, the UE may then refrain from starting the inactivity timer, alternatively the UE may apply an inactivity timer of duration 0 (e.g. regardless of what the base station has configured for the inactivity timer at the UE). A network-centric approach to address this is that the network node configures (explicitly or implicitly) the inactivity timer to 0 for the UE if the UE has sent this indication. It will be appreciated that embodiment may be applied to inactivity timers for DTX and / or DRX. Figure 3 depicts a method in accordance with particular embodiments. The method of Figure 3 may be performed by a network node (e.g. the network node 410 or network node 600 as described later with reference to Figures 4 and 6 respectively). The network node may belong to a first RAT wherein a UE is capable of operating utilising at least the first RAT and a second RAT. The UE may be configured to perform the method as described above with reference to Figure 2. The method of Figure 3 begins at step 302 with receiving, from the UE, a request for assistance in alleviating in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT. The request comprises for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration. It will be appreciated that step 302 may be considered to correspond to step 206 of Figure 2.

[0120] It will be appreciated that the at least one TDM pattern, the first indication of one or more TDM parameters and the second indication of step 302 may correspond to the at least one TDM pattern, the first indication and the second indication described with reference to Figure 2.

[0121] It will be appreciated that where the second indication indicates that the TDM pattern is for use in a DRX configuration, this may indicate to the base station that the UE is requesting assistance in alleviating IDC interference from non 3GPP RATs (e.g., transmissions) to 3GPP RATs (e.g., receptions). Conversely, where the second indication indicates that the TDM pattern is for use in a DTX configuration, this may indicate to the base station that the UE is requesting assistance in alleviating IDC interference from 3GPP RATs (e.g., transmissions) to non 3GPP RATs (e.g., receptions) determined by UE. As described above it will be appreciated that the UE may transmit at least one TDM pattern for use in a DRX configuration and at least one TDM for use in a DTX configuration. In some examples, a single TDM pattern may be for use in a DRX and a DTX configuration.

[0122] As described above, in some examples, the at least one TDM pattern comprises only one selected TDM pattern. In these examples, the network node may apply the selected TDM pattern in Step 308.

[0123] In other examples, the at least one TDM pattern comprises a plurality of TDM patterns. In these examples, the method of Figure 3 may further comprise selecting in step 304 a selected TDM pattern from the plurality of TDM patterns, and transmitting in step 306 an indication of the selected TDM pattern to the UE. The step of selecting the selected TDM pattern may be performed by the network node based on one or more QoS requirements associated with the UE. In some examples, the step of selecting the selected TDM pattern may be performed by the network node based on a priority associated with the UE. For example, if the UE is a high priority UE, the network node may opt to select a TDM pattern having longer active durations.

[0124] For example, if the selected TDM pattern is for use in a DTX configuration, the network node may schedule transmissions at the UE according to the selected TDM pattern. For example, the network node may only schedule transmissions from the UE during the active duration of each cycle of the selected TDM pattern. For example, considering the UE's processing capabilities for received signaling (e.g., time taken to process the signaling), the gNB avoids scheduling / assigning resources / transmissions to the UE which will occur during the UE's DTX inactive durations.

[0125] Additionally or alternatively, if the selected TDM pattern is for use in a DRX configuration the network node may avoid transmissions to the UE which will occur during the UE's DRX inactive durations.

[0126] As described with reference to Figure 2, in some examples the UE may wish to refrain from utilising an inactivity timer in relation to the at least one TDM pattern. In these examples, the method of Figure 3 may further comprise receiving an indication from the UE indicating that the UE does not accept use of an inactivity timer in relation to the at least one TDM pattern; and refraining from implementing an inactivity timer for the UE in relation to the at least one TDM pattern.

[0127] Figure 4 is a signaling diagram illustrating an example implementation of the methods of Figures 2 and 3.

[0128] In step 400 the UE 40 detects IDC interference. Step 400 corresponds to step 202 of Figure 2.

[0129] In step 401, the UE selects a at least one TDM pattern to help alleviate the IDC interference. Step 401 corresponds to step 204 of Figure 2

[0130] In step 402, the UE transmits a request to the network node 41 for assistance in alleviating the IDC interference. The request comprises, for each of the at least one TDM pattern, a first indication of one or more TDM parameters and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a DRX and / or a DTX configuration. Step 402 may be considered to comprise an example implementation of steps 206 of Figure 2 and step 302 of Figure 3.

[0131] In step 403, if the at least one TDM pattern comprises a plurality of TDM patterns, the network node selects a selected one of the TDM patterns, and in step 404 transmits an indication of the selected TDM pattern to the UE 40. Step 403 corresponds to step 304 of Figure 3. Step 404 corresponds to step 306 of Figure 3. In step 405 the UE and network node implement (or apply) the selected TDM pattern for a DRX and / or a DTX configuration according to the second indication in step 402. Step 402 corresponds to step 208 of Figure 2 and 308 of Figure 3.

[0132] Figure 5 shows an example of a communication system 500 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0133] In the example, the communication system 500 includes a telecommunication network 502 that includes an access network 504, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 506, which includes one or more core network nodes 508. The access network 504 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 510a and 510b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 510), or any other similar 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) 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 502 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network 502 that supports an ORAN 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 502, including one or more network nodes 510 and / or core network nodes 508.

[0134] 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 A1, F1, W1, E1, 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 O-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The network nodes 510 facilitate direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 512a, 512b, 512c, and 512d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 512) to the core network 506 over one or more wireless connections.

[0135] 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 500 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 500 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0136] The UEs 512 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 510 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 510 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 512 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 502 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 502.

[0137] In the depicted example, the core network 506 connects the network nodes 510 to one or more hosts, such as host 516. 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 506 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 508) 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 508. 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).

[0138] The host 516 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 504 and / or the telecommunication network 502, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 516 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include the provision of live and / or prerecorded 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.

[0139] As a whole, the communication system 500 of Figure 5 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 local area 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.

[0140] In some examples, the telecommunication network 502 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network 502 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 502. For example, the telecommunications network 502 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.

[0141] In some examples, the UEs 512 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 504 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 504. 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).

[0142] In the example illustrated in Figure 5, the hub 514 communicates with the access network 504 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 512c and / or 512d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 510b). In some examples, the hub 514 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 514 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 506 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 514 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 510, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 514. As another example, the hub 514 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 514 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 514 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 514 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 514 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0143] The hub 514 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 510b. The hub 514 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 514 and UEs (e.g., UE 512c and / or 512d), and between the hub 514 and the core network 506. In other examples, the hub 514 is connected to the core network 506 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 514 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 504 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 510 while still connected via the hub 514 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 514 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 510b. In other embodiments, the hub 514 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 510b, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0144] Figure 6 shows a UE 600 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), laptopmounted equipment (LME), smart device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehiclemounted 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-loT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0145] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP 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).

[0146] The UE 600 includes processing circuitry 602 that is operatively coupled via a bus 604 to an input / output interface 606, a power source 608, a memory 610, a communication interface 612, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 6. 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.

[0147] The processing circuitry 602 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 610. The processing circuitry 602 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 602 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs). The processing circuitry 602 may be operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other UE 600 components, such as the memory 610, UE 600 functionality. For example, the processing circuitry 602 may be configured to cause the UE 602 to perform the methods as described with reference to Figure 2.

[0148] In the example, the input / output interface 606 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 600. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (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.

[0149] In some embodiments, the power source 608 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 608 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 608 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 600 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 608. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 608 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 600 to which power is supplied.

[0150] The memory 610 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 610 includes one or more application programs 614, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 616. The memory 610 may store, for use by the UE 600, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0151] The memory 610 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 / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUlCC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as ‘SIM card.' The memory 610 may allow the UE 600 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 610, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0152] The processing circuitry 602 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 612. The communication interface 612 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 622. The communication interface 612 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 618 and / or a receiver 620 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 618 and receiver 620 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 622) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0153] In some embodiments, communication functions of the communication interface 612 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 / internet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0154] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 612, 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 if it 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).

[0155] 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.

[0156] 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 600 shown in Figure 6.

[0157] 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 3GPP NB-loT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0158] 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. Figure 7 shows a network node 700 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)), O-RAN nodes or components of an O-RAN node (e.g., O-RU, O-DU, O-CU).

[0159] 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 O-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).

[0160] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multistandard 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).

[0161] The network node 700 includes processing circuitry 702, a memory 704, a communication interface 706, and a power source 708, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. The network node 700 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 700 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 700 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 704 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 710 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 700 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 700, 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 700.

[0162] The processing circuitry 702 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 700 components, such as the memory 704, network node 700 functionality. For example, the processing circuitry 702 may be configured to cause the network node to perform the methods as described with reference to Figure 3.

[0163] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 702 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 702 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 712 and baseband processing circuitry 714. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 712 and the baseband processing circuitry 714 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 712 and baseband processing circuitry 714 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0164] The memory 704 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 702. The memory 704 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 702 and utilized by the network node 700. The memory 704 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 702 and / or any data received via the communication interface 706. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 702 and memory 704 is integrated. The communication interface 706 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 706 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 716 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 706 also includes radio front-end circuitry 718 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 710. Radio front-end circuitry 718 comprises filters 720 and amplifiers 722. The radio front-end circuitry 718 may be connected to an antenna 710 and processing circuitry 702. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 710 and processing circuitry 702. The radio front-end circuitry 718 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 718 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 720 and / or amplifiers 722. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 710. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 710 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 718. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 702. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0165] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 700 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 718, instead, the processing circuitry 702 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 710. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 712 is part of the communication interface 706. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 706 includes one or more ports or terminals 716, the radio front-end circuitry 718, and the RF transceiver circuitry 712, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 706 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 714, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0166] The antenna 710 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 710 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 718 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 710 is separate from the network node 700 and connectable to the network node 700 through an interface or port.

[0167] The antenna 710, communication interface 706, and / or the processing circuitry 702 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 710, the communication interface 706, and / or the processing circuitry 702 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.

[0168] The power source 708 provides power to the various components of network node 700 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 708 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 700 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 700 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 708. As a further example, the power source 708 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.

[0169] Embodiments of the network node 700 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 7 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 700 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 700 and to allow output of information from the network node 700. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 700.

[0170] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a host 800, which may be an embodiment of the host 516 of Figure 5, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 800 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 800 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0171] The host 800 includes processing circuitry 802 that is operatively coupled via a bus 804 to an input / output interface 806, a network interface 808, a power source 810, and a memory 812. 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 6 and 7, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of host 800.

[0172] The memory 812 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 814 and data 816, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by a UE for the host 800 or data generated by the host 800 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 800 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 814 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (WC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAG, 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, headsup display systems). The host application programs 814 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 800 may select and / or indicate a different host for over-the-top services for a UE. The host application programs 814 may support various protocols, such as the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0173] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 900 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 900 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 900 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.

[0174] Applications 902 (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.

[0175] Hardware 904 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 906 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 908a and 908b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 908), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 906 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 908.

[0176] The VMs 908 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 906. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 902 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 908, 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.

[0177] In the context of NFV, a VM 908 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 908, and that part of hardware 904 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 908 on top of the hardware 904 and corresponds to the application 902.

[0178] Hardware 904 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 904 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 904 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 910, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 902. In some embodiments, hardware 904 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 912 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0179] Figure 10 shows a communication diagram of a host 1002 communicating via a network node 1004 with a UE 1006 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as a UE 512a of Figure 5 and / or UE 600 of Figure 6), network node (such as network node 510a of Figure 5 and / or network node 700 of Figure 7), and host (such as host 516 of Figure 5 and / or host 800 of Figure 8) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 10. Like host 800, embodiments of host 1002 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 1002 also includes software, which is stored in or accessible by the host 1002 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 1006 connecting via an over-the- top (OTT) connection 1050 extending between the UE 1006 and host 1002. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 1050.

[0180] The network node 1004 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 1002 and UE 1006. The connection 1060 may be direct or pass through a core network (like core network 506 of Figure 5) 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.

[0181] The UE 1006 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by UE 1006 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 1006 with the support of the host 1002. In the host 1002, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection 1050 terminating at the UE 1006 and host 1002. 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 1050 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 1050.

[0182] The OTT connection 1050 may extend via a connection 1060 between the host 1002 and the network node 1004 and via a wireless connection 1070 between the network node 1004 and the UE 1006 to provide the connection between the host 1002 and the UE 1006. The connection 1060 and wireless connection 1070, over which the OTT connection 1050 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 1002 and the UE 1006 via the network node 1004, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0183] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 1050, in step 1008, the host 1002 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 1006. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 1006 that shares data with the host 1002 without explicit human interaction. In step 1010, the host 1002 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE 1006. The host 1002 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 1006. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 1006 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 1006. The transmission may pass via the network node 1004, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 1012, the network node 1004 transmits to the UE 1006 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 1002 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1014, the UE 1006 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 1006 associated with the host application executed by the host 1002.

[0184] In some examples, the UE 1006 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 1002. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 1002. Accordingly, in step 1016, the UE 1006 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 1006. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 1006 initiates, in step 1018, transmission of the user data towards the host 1002 via the network node 1004. In step 1020, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 1004 receives user data from the UE 1006 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 1002. In step 1022, the host 1002 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 1006.

[0185] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 1006 using the OTT connection 1050, in which the wireless connection 1070 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the IDO interference experienced by the UE and thereby provide benefits such as improved user experience and higher Quality of Service.

[0186] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 1002. As another example, the host 1002 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 1002 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 1002 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. As another example, the host 1002 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR or AR which it can broadcast, multicast or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the host 1002 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. 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 1050 between the host 1002 and UE 1006, 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 1002 and / or UE 1006. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 1050 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 1050 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node 1004. 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 1002. The measurements may be implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or 'dummy' messages, using the OTT connection 1050 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0187] 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 a larger 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.

[0188] 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.

[0189] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The word "comprising” does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim, "a” or "an” does not exclude a plurality, and a single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several units recited in the claims. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed so as to limit their scope.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A method performed by a user equipment, U E, wherein the UE is capable of operating utilizing at least a first radio access technology, RAT, and a second RAT, the method comprising: responsive to detecting in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, transmitting (206) to a network node of the first RAT, a request for assistance in alleviating the IDC interference, the request comprising, for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the one or more TDM parameters comprise one or more of: a cycle length, an active duration, and one or more offset values.

3. The method as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising: selecting (204, 401) the at least one TDM pattern.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein selecting (204, 401) is performed based on one or more Quality of Service Requirements.

5. The method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, responsive to detecting interference caused by transmissions on the second RAT on receptions on the first RAT, wherein the first RAT is a 3GPP RAT and the second RAT is a non 3GPP RAT, the second indication indicates that the TDM pattern is for use in a DRX configuration.

6. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein, responsive to detecting interference caused by transmissions on the first RAT on receptions on the second RAT, wherein the first RAT is a 3GPP RAT and the second RAT is a non 3GPP RAT, the second indication indicates that the TDM pattern is for use in a DTX configuration.

7. The method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second indication comprises an indication of whether each of the one or more TDM parameters is associated with a DTX or a DRX configuration.

8. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second indication is a flag indicting a type of RAT that is a victim of the detected IDC interference.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the flag may indicate one of: a 3GPP RAT, a non 3GPP RAT or both.

10. The method as claimed in any preceding wherein each TDM pattern is for use in a single cell group or single cell.

11. The method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one TDM pattern comprises a plurality of TDM patterns, the method further comprising, receiving (404, 306) an indication from the network node of a selected TDM pattern, and applying (3005) the selected TDM pattern for the DTX and / or the DRX configuration as indicated by the second indication.

12. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the at least one TDM pattern comprises only a selected TDM pattern, the method further comprising, applying (208, 405) the selected TDM pattern for the DTX and / or the DRX configuration as indicated by the second indication.

13. The method as claimed in any one of claims 11 and 12 wherein the selected TDM pattern is for use in a DTX configuration, and the method further comprises: responsive to a plurality of transmissions being scheduled on the first RAT during an active cycle of the DTX configuration that are at least partially overlapping in time, selecting to transmit a subset of the plurality of transmissions.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein selecting to transmit a subset of the plurality of transmissions comprises one of: randomly selecting the subset of plurality of transmissions; selecting a subset of transmissions with the longest durations or the shortest durations from the plurality of transmissions; selecting a subset of transmissions with highest priorities from the plurality of transmissions.

15. The method as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising transmitting an indication to the network node indicating that the UE does not accept use of an inactivity timer in relation to the at least one TDM pattern.

16. A method performed by a network node of a first radio access technology RAT, wherein a user equipment, UE, is capable of operating utilizing at least the first RAT and a second RAT, the method comprising: receiving (302), from the UE, a request for assistance in alleviating in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, the request comprising for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the one or more TDM parameters comprise one or more of: a cycle length, an active duration, and one or more offset values.

18. The method as claimed in one of claims 16 or 17, further comprising, responsive to the at least one TDM pattern comprising a plurality of TDM patterns: selecting (304, 403) a selected TDM pattern from the plurality of TDM patterns, and transmitting (306, 404) an indication of the selected TDM pattern to the UE.

19. The method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the second indication comprises an indication of whether each of the one or more TDM parameters is associated with a DTX or a DRX configuration.

20. The method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the second indication comprises a flag indicting a type of RAT that is a victim of the IDC interference.21 . The method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the flag may indicate one of: a 3GPP RAT, a non 3GPP RAT or both.

22. The method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 21, further comprising receiving an indication from the UE indicating that the UE does not accept use of an inactivity timer in relation to the at least one TDM pattern; and refraining from implementing an inactivity timer for the UE in relation to the at least one TDM pattern.

23. A user equipment, UE, (600) wherein the UE is capable of operating utilizing at least a first radio access technology, RAT, and a second RAT, the UE comprising processing circuitry and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the UE is operable to: responsive to detecting in-device co-existence, I DC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, transmit (206) to a network node of the first RAT, a request for assistance in alleviating the IDC interference, the request comprising, for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

24. The UE as claimed in claim 23 wherein the memory further contains instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the UE is operable to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 15.

25. A user equipment (600), UE, wherein the UE is capable of operating utilizing at least a first radio access technology, RAT, and a second RAT, wherein the UE is adapted to: responsive to detecting in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, transmit (206) to a network node of the first RAT, a request for assistance in alleviating the IDC interference, the request comprising, for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

26. The UE as claimed in claim 25 wherein the UE is further adapted to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 15.

27. A network node (700) of a first radio access technology, RAT, configured to communicate with a a user equipment, UE, capable of operating utilizing at least the first RAT and a second RAT,the network node comprising processing circuitry and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the network node is operable to: receive (302), from the UE, a request for assistance in alleviating in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, the request comprising for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

28. The network node as claimed in claim 27 wherein the memory further contains instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the UE is operable to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 22.

29. A network node (700) of a first radio access technology, RAT, configured to communicate with a a user equipment, UE, capable of operating utilizing at least the first RAT and a second RAT, wherein the network node is adapted to: receive (302), from the UE, a request for assistance in alleviating in-device co-existence, IDC, interference between the first RAT and the second RAT, the request comprising for each of at least one Time Division Multiplexing, TDM, pattern: a first indication of one or more TDM parameters, and a second indication of whether the TDM pattern is for use in a discontinuous transmission, DTX, configuration and / or a Discontinuous Reception, DRX, configuration.

30. The network node as claimed in claim 29 wherein the network node is further adapted to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 22.31 . 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.

32. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any of claims 1 to 22.

33. A computer program product comprising non transitory computer readable media having stored thereon a computer program according to claim 31.

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