Techniques for improving network operation

Abstract

A method is performed by a first network node The method comprises sending (602), to a second network node, a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes. The method further comprises receiving (604), from the second network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage. [Figure 8 to accompany the abstract]

Description

TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING NETWORK OPERATIONTECHNICAL FIELD[0] The disclosure relates to methods for improving network operation, and nodes configured to operate in accordance with those methods.BACKGROUNDFifth-generation Radio Access Network architecture[1] The current fifth-generation (5G) Radio Access Network (RAN) (Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN)) architecture is depicted and described in the 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 38.401 V17.6.0 and is illustrated in Figure 1.[2] The NG-RAN 100 consists of a set of gNodeBs (gNBs) 102, 104 connected to the 5G Core (5GC) 106 through the NG interface 108.[3] As specified in TS 38.300 vl7.6.0, the NG-RAN 100 could also consist of a set of ng- eNodeBs (ng-eNBs). An ng-eNB may consist of an ng-eNB Centralized Unit (ng-eNB-CU) and one or more ng-eNB Distributed Unit(s) (ng-eNB -DU(s)). An ng-eNB-CU and an ng-eNB- DU are connected via the W1 interface. The general principle described here also applies to ng-eNB and W 1 interface, if not explicitly specified otherwise.[4] A gNB can support Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) mode, Time Division Duplexing (TDD) mode or dual mode operation.[5] gNBs 102, 104 can be interconnected through the Xn interface 110.[6] A gNB 104 may consist of a gNB-CU 112 and one or more gNB-DU(s) 114, 116. A gNB-CU 112 and a gNB-DU 114, 116 is connected via the Fl interface 118.[7] One gNB-DU 114, 116 is connected to only one gNB-CU 112.[8] NG 108, Xn 110, and Fl 118 are logical interfaces.[9] For NG-RAN 100, the NG 108 and Xn-C 110 interfaces for a gNB 104 consisting of a gNB-CU 112 and gNB-DUs 114, 116, terminate in the gNB-CU 112. For Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), the Sl-U and X2-C interfaces for a gNB 104 consisting of a gNB-CU 112 and gNB-DUs 114, 116, terminate in the gNB-CU 112. The gNB- CU 112 and connected gNB-DUs 114, 116 are only visible to other gNBs 102 and the 5GC 106 as a gNB 104.

[0010] Figure 2 depicts the overall architecture for separation of the gNB-CU Control Plane (gNB-CU-CP) 202 and the gNB-CU User Plane (gNB-CU-UP) 204. A gNB 206 may consist of a gNB-CU-CP 202, multiple gNB-CU-UPs 204, and multiple gNB-DUs 208, 210. The gNB- CU-CP 202 is connected to the gNB-DU 208, 210 through the Fl-C interface 212. The gNB- CU-UP 204 is connected to the gNB-DU 208, 210 through the Fl-U interface 214. The gNB- CU-UP 204 is connected to the gNB-CU-CP 202 through the El interface 216. One gNB-DU 208, 210 is connected to only one gNB-CU-CP 202. One gNB-CU-UP 204 is connected to only one gNB-CU-CP 202.

[0011] The architecture described above is what 3GPP has defined for 5G. Other standardization groups, such as the Open Radio Access Network (0-RAN) Alliance, have further extended the architecture above and have for example split the gNB-DU into two further nodes connected by a fronthaul interface. The lower node of the split gNB-DU would contain the Physical Layer (PHY) protocol and the Radio Frequency (RF) parts, the upper node of the split gNB-DU would host the Radio Link Control (RLC) and Medium Access Control (MAC). In 0-RAN the upper node is called the 0-RAN Distributed Unit (0-DU), while the lower node is called the 0-RAN Radio Unit (0-RU).Handover procedure in 5G

[0012] In order to support mobility in a cellular network, an NG-RAN node (e.g., a gNB) needs to know when the right time is to allow a User Equipment (UE) that it is currently serving with a particular cell to be moved and be served by another cell. The NG-RAN node thus configures the UE to periodically perform radio channel measurements, e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP) or reference signal received quality (RSRQ), and report the measurements when certain events are triggered.

[0013] One of these events is the so-called event A3, when the (e.g., RSRP) measurement value of the neighboring cell is higher than the one for the serving cell, considering some configurable offsets. When the event A3 is triggered and the UE reports the measured values and the identity of the “better” neighboring cell, the NG-RAN node can start preparations for handing over the UE to the new, target cell. In case the target cell belongs to a different NG-RAN node, the original (source) NG-RAN node communicates with the other (target) NG-RAN node to coordinate the handover, e.g., using the Handover Preparation procedure over the Xn interface.Cell Activation procedure in 5G

[0014] 3GPP TS 38.423 vl7.6.0 defines the Cell Activation procedure which enables an NG- RAN node to request a neighboring NG-RAN node to switch on one or more cells, previously reported as inactive due to energy saving.

[0015] The procedure is further described in 3GPP TS 38.300 vl7.6.0, clause 15.4, where it is stated that an NG-RAN node can autonomously decide to switch off a cell to lower energy consumption when, e.g., the (cell) load is low. If a neighboring NG-RAN node determines the need to reactivate the cell, e.g., when it detects an increase in its own load above a certain threshold, then the Cell Activation procedure over the Xn interface may be used.SUMMARY

[0016] There currently exist certain challenge(s).

[0017] A network node (e.g., an NG-RAN node) can configure the UEs that it is serving in one of its cells to measure and report the signal quality from other cells, potentially belonging to neighboring network nodes. In this way, the network node is aware of the effect of changes in the cell configuration and coverage that might lead to some UEs being transferred to other cells. For example, if the cell is deactivated or the output power is reduced, the network node has a good understanding of potential mobility target cells and of how handover trigger points changed, which leads to understanding which UEs need to be handed over and to which neighboring cells.

[0018] However, in the opposite case, if a network node activates a cell or increases its output power or changes its coverage shape, it is not aware of which UEs presently served by neighboring network nodes would potentially be served by the reconfigured cell. In this way, the network node cannot fully assess the outcome of the reconfiguration. For example, if NG- RAN node 1 receives a Cell Activation Request message from neighboring NG-RAN node 2 to request the activation of a certain cell, NG-RAN node 1 cannot presently know how many UEs would hand over to this cell (from NG-RAN node 2 and other neighboring NG-RAN nodes) after it is activated.

[0019] Furthermore, the use of the Cell Activation procedure is a reactive and local behavior. Continuing with our previous example, only after NG-RAN node 2 detects that its load has increased over a certain threshold, it will signal the Activation Request message to the NG- RAN node 1. Given that the reactivated cell of NG-RAN node 1 will receive UEs coming frompotentially many neighboring NG-RAN nodes, it would be beneficial that the timing of the reactivation is not dependent only on the load of NG-RAN node 2.

[0020] Another limitation that it is possible to incur in the existing solution is the following: one NG-RAN node intends to activate one or more of its cells previously deactivated, and the reactivation of the one or more cells will lead to the transfer of certain amount of load towards them. However, it is not known in advance whether the new distribution of the users in the coverage area offered by the reactivated cell(s) and in the coverage area of the neighboring cells will lead to problematic situations, such as, for instance, the presence of a large number of users at the edge of one of the cells (which is identified as a possible Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO) issue).

[0021] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges.

[0022] According to the present disclosure, a first network node (e.g., NG-RAN node 1) requests a second network node (e.g., NG-RAN node 2) to report the potential load (e.g., number of UEs) that can be offloaded from the second network node to the first network node, assuming that certain changes are done in the coverage and configuration of some cells.

[0023] The request may concern the potential load that can be offloaded from a second cell (e.g., cell 2), which is managed by the second network node, to a first cell (e.g., cell 1), which is managed by the first network node. However, the method is not limited to only two cells.

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic of an example scenario comprising a first network node 300 and a second network node 302; it illustrates an example of a proposal to change output power in cells. A first cell (cell 1) 304 is configured with a low output power and the first network node (NG-RAN node 1) 300 would like to know the effect of increasing the output power.

[0025] In this example, NG-RAN node 1 300 may signal an offset value related to the proposed increase in power of the first cell 304 (e.g., 12 dBm in the figure). The second network node (NG-RAN node 2) 302 may also consider an additional offset related to a change in output power (e.g., -8 dBm in the figure) in the second cell (cell 2) 306; this change in output power in the second cell 306 may be proposed by NG-RAN node 1 300, NG-RAN node 2 302, or obtained after a negotiation between the nodes 300, 302.

[0026] NG-RAN node 2 302 configures the UEs 308 being served by cell 2 306 to obtain cell measurements from cell 1 304 and cell 2 306. The aforementioned offset values may be signaled to the UEs 308 present in cell 2 306 and / or added by NG-RAN node 2 302 after the measurements are received. In this way, NG-RAN node 2 302 gets the values of potential cellmeasurements by the UEs 308, i.e., an estimation of the values that the UEs 308 would measure if the changes in cell output power were applied. In the example depicted in Figure 3, the UE 308 measures a stronger signal from cell 2 306, but after the offsets are applied, the potential signal strength from cell 1 304 is higher. This indicates that this UE 308 would likely be handed over from cell 2 306 to cell 1 304 if the changes in cell output power were applied; hence, this UE 308 is marked as a potential user for offloading.

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic of another example scenario; it illustrates an example of a proposal to activate a cell in a different carrier. In this case, cell 1 304 is deactivated and NG- RAN node 1 300 would like to know the effect of activating it; in this non-limiting example, cell 1 304 is in a different carrier to cell 2 306.

[0028] In the case that cell 1 304 is not fully deactivated and some reference signals are transmitted (e.g., the cell is barred), NG-RAN node 2 302 could employ a method similar to the previous example and obtain cell measurements (with or without the addition of offsets) from the served UEs 308. In this way, NG-RAN node 2 302 may estimate the number of UEs 308 that could be handed over to cell 1 304 after cell 1 304 is fully activated.

[0029] In the case that cell 1 304 is not transmitting any reference signal (e.g., fully deactivated), NG-RAN node 2 302 could use alternative methods, e.g., past coverage maps from when cell 1 304 was active, to estimate which UEs 308 could be in coverage of cell 1 if it were to be activated.

[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic of another example scenario; it illustrates an example with three cells ("aerial view"). In this scenario, NG-RAN node 1 300 decides to deactivate one of its cells (cell 3) 310, e.g., for energy saving reasons. To compensate for the loss in coverage, it needs to modify the cell shape of another of its cells (cell 1) 304 and the cell shape of a cell in NG-RAN node 2 302 (cell 2) 306. In this case, there could be a transfer of load from cell 3 310 to both cell 1 304 and cell 2 306 after deactivation and reconfiguration (UE 2 312 and UE 3 314, respectively), as well as a transfer of load from cell 2306 to cell 1 304 (UE 1 308 in figure 5).

[0031] In the scenario of Figure 5, NG-RAN node 1 300 may indicate to NG-RAN node 2 302 a list of the cells that will be deactivated or merged into other cells. NG-RAN node 1 300 may signal to NG-RAN node 2 302 information about the potential load (e.g., number of UEs) that could be offloaded to NG-RAN node 2 302 if the changes in cell coverage are executed (e.g., UE 3 314 in the figure), simultaneously with the request to NG-RAN node 2 302 to report topotential load that could be transfer to NG-RAN node 1 300 if the same changes in cell coverage are executed.

[0032] The present disclosure relates to a method executed by a first network node to request the potential load that could be transferred from a second network node due to changes in cell coverage, the method comprising one or more steps of:• Transmitting a FIRST MESSAGE to a second network node, the FIRST MESSAGE requesting the second network node to report the potential load that could be transferred from the second network node to the first network node if some changes in cell coverage are performed.• Receiving a SECOND MESSAGE from the second network node, the SECOND MESSAGE indicating the measured, computed, or estimated potential load that could be transferred from the second network node to the first network node if some changes in cell coverage are performed.• Sending a THIRD MESSAGE to the second network node, the THIRD MESSAGE indicating, e.g., the selected cell coverage modifications and estimated energy consumption due to these modifications.• Performing the changes in cell coverage, and potentially receiving UEs from the second network node and / or one or more third network nodes.• Sending a FOURTH MESSAGE to the second network node, the FOURTH MESSAGE indicating performance values related to the changes in cell coverage in the first network node.• Receiving a FIFTH MESSAGE from the second network node, the FIFTH MESSAGE indicating performance values related to the changes in cell coverage in the second network node.

[0033] In a first aspect, there is disclosed a method performed by a first network node. The method comprises sending, to a second network node, a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes. The method further comprises receiving, from the second network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage.

[0034] In a second aspect, there is disclosed a method performed by a second network node. The method comprises receiving, from a first network node, a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occurresponsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes. The method further comprises sending, to the first network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage.

[0035] In a third aspect, there is disclosed a first network node. The first network node comprises processing circuitry configured to cause the first network node to send, to a second network node, a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes. The processing circuitry is further configured to cause the first network node to receive, from the second network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage.

[0036] In a fourth aspect, there is disclosed a second network node. The second network node comprises processing circuitry configured to cause the second network node to receive, from a first network node, a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes. The processing circuitry is further configured to cause the second network node to send, to the first network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage.

[0037] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s).

[0038] An advantage of the proposed solution is that load (e.g., users) transfers between neighboring network nodes can be predicted and signaled to the network nodes that are taking decisions on cell coverage modifications, preventing Coverage or Capacity issues.

[0039] Another advantage is that by applying the methods of the proposed solution, energy related aspects (e.g., the energy cost) of the set of network nodes involved in the load transfer can be kept under control and optimized because energy consumption levels can be predicted before any action of activating / deactivating or modifying the cell coverage of a cell is completed.

[0040] A further advantage of the present solution is that it allows cells to be activated in a proactive way, e.g., before the load in neighboring network nodes is too high, and considering the effect of cell activation in several neighboring network nodes, i.e., a global approach. This is in contrast to the present use of the Cell Activation procedure, which is a reactive and local procedure, as previously explained.

[0041] The techniques disclosed herein may advantageously improve and / or optimize network operation. For example, the techniques may improve and / or optimize network coverage. Forexample, the method may enable the first network node to understand how a potential change in coverage at the first network node will affect the network key performance indicators (KPI) such as network energy consumption / cost and / or the UE / user Quality of Service (QoS) / Quality of Experience (QoE).BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] For a better understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and to show how it may be put into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:Fig. l is a schematic showing NG-RAN architecture;Fig. 2 is a schematic showing an architecture for the separation of gNB-CU-CP and gNB- CU-UP;Fig. 3 is a schematic of an example scenario comprising a first network node and a second network node according to some embodiments;Fig. 4 is a schematic of an example scenario according to some embodiments;Fig. 5 is a schematic of an example scenario according to some embodiments;Fig. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 8 is a signaling diagram showing techniques according to the present disclosure;Fig. 9 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 10 shows a UE;Fig. 11 shows a network node in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 12 is a block diagram of a host;Fig. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized; andFig. 14 shows a communication diagram of a host communicating via a network node with a UE over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0044] Figure 6 depicts a method in accordance with particular embodiments. The method of Figure 6 may be performed by a first network node (e.g., the network node 910 or network node 1100 as described later with reference to Figures 9 and 11, respectively).

[0045] A complementary method performed by a second network node is described with respect to Figure 7. An example implementation of the method of Figure 6 is described with reference to Figure 8 below. Further detail regarding the method of Figure 6 and other methods performed by the first network node is set out below in the sections titled: “Methods in a first network node” and “Further description”.

[0046] The method of Figure 6 comprises, at step 602, sending, to a second network node, a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes. More detail regarding the first message according to some embodiments of the method of Figure 6 is provided below in the section titled “The FIRST MESSAGE”.

[0047] The first message may comprise one or both of: first information related to the first change in coverage of the one or more network nodes; and a request for information related to the transfer of load. For example, the FIRST MESSAGE may comprise a request for information related to the transfer of load, e.g., an indication of a type of load that is predicted to be transferred from and / or away from the second network node, e.g., an indication that the first network node would like to know the predicted load in terms of how many UEs or how much data. The request for information related to the transfer of load may comprise a point of reference for the indication of the type and size of the load to be transferred. For example, this may be used by the second network node in the reporting, e.g., the SECOND MESSAGE could indicate that the second network node is sending a load equal to a given percentage of the second network node’s total PRBs or a given percentage of the first network node’s total PRBs.

[0048] The method of Figure 6 further comprises, at step 604, receiving, from the second network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage. More detail regarding the second message according to some embodiments of the method of Figure 6 is provided below in the section titled “The SECOND MESSAGE”.

[0049] The method of Figure 6 may further comprise the first network node sending and / or receiving one or more of: a third message, a fourth message, and a fifth message. More detail regarding these messages is provided in the sections titled “The THIRD MESSAGE”, “The FOURTH MESSAGE”, and “The FIFTH MESSAGE”.

[0050] More detail regarding the method of Figure 6 according to some embodiments is provided in the “Embodiments” section below.

[0051] Figure 7 depicts a method in accordance with particular embodiments. The method of Figure 7 may be performed by a second network node (e.g., the network node 910 or network node 1100 as described later with reference to Figures 9 and 11, respectively).

[0052] A complementary method performed by a first network node is described with respect to Figure 6. An example implementation of the method of Figure 7 is described with reference to Figure 8 below. Further detail regarding method of Figure 7 and other methods performed by the second network node is set out below in the sections titled: “Methods in a second network node” and “Further description”.

[0053] The method of Figure 7 comprises, at step 702, receiving, from a first network node, a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes. More detail regarding the first message according to some embodiments of the method of Figure 7 is provided below in the section titled “The FIRST MESSAGE”.

[0054] The method of Figure 7 further comprises, at step 704, sending, to the first network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage. More detail regarding the second message according to some embodiments of the method of Figure 7 is provided below in the section titled “The SECOND MESSAGE”.

[0055] The method of Figure 7 may further comprise the second network node sending and / or receiving one or more of: a third message, a fourth message, and a fifth message. More detail regarding these messages is provided below in the sections titled “The THIRD MESSAGE”, “The FOURTH MESSAGE”, and “The FIFTH MESSAGE”.

[0056] More detail regarding the method of Figure 7 according to some embodiments is provided in the “Embodiments” section below.

[0057] As used herein, the term “cell” may refer to both cells and beams (e.g., reference signal beams, Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) beams) if no clarification is made. For example, the term “cell coverage” may refer to the coverage provided by a beam.Methods in a first network node

[0058] Figure 8 is a signaling diagram showing a method according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The method is executed by a first network node to request the potential loadthat could be transferred from a second network node due to changes in cell coverage, the method comprising one or more steps of:• (Step 800) Transmitting a FIRST MESSAGE to a second network node, the FIRST MESSAGE requesting the second network node to report the potential load that could be transferred from the second network node to the first network node if some changes in cell coverage are performed. o The potential load could be expressed, e.g., in terms of number of (active) UEs or traffic volume. The request could also indicate the second network node to include a prediction of the change in energy consumption due to the load transfer. o The changes in cell coverage could pertain to one or more cells of the first network node and / or the second network node and / or one or more third network nodes. The changes could be indicated as a list of alternative options, or just one option. o More details about the FIRST MESSAGE are found in the section titled “The FIRST MESSAGE”.• (Step 810) Receiving a SECOND MESSAGE from the second network node, the SECOND MESSAGE indicating the measured, computed, or estimated potential load that could be transferred from the second network node to the first network node if some changes in cell coverage are performed. o Alternatively, or additionally, the SECOND MESSAGE may indicate one or more possible cell coverage modifications. o More details about the SECOND MESSAGE are found in the section titled “The SECOND MESSAGE”.• (Optional step 820) Sending a THIRD MESSAGE to the second network node, the THIRD MESSAGE indicating, e.g., the selected cell coverage modifications and estimated energy consumption due to these modifications. o More details about the THIRD MESSAGE are found in the section titled “The THIRD MESSAGE”(Step 830) Performing the changes in cell coverage, and potentially receiving UEs from the second network node and / or one or more third network nodes.• (Optional step 840) Sending a FOURTH MESSAGE to the second network node, the FOURTH MESSAGE indicating performance values related to the changes in cell coverage in the first network node. o More details about the FOURTH MESSAGE are found in the section titled “The FOURTH MESSAGE”.• (Optional step 850) Receiving a FIFTH MESSAGE from the second network node, the FIFTH MESSAGE indicating performance values related to the changes in cell coverage in the second network node. o More details about the FIFTH MESSAGE are found in the section titled “The FIFTH MESSAGE”.

[0059] The first network node may utilize this method with one or more second network nodes. However, when describing the method between the first network node and one second network node, all the other second network nodes are referred to as third network nodes.

[0060] The FIRST MESSAGE, SECOND MESSAGE, and THIRD MESSAGE may be utilized by the first network node and the second network node as a negotiation method between them. For example, the first network node may send a FIRST MESSAGE with a list of different alternative cell coverage modifications in cells from both the first network node and the second network node. The second network node may reply with a SECOND MESSAGE with a different list of possible cell coverage modifications (with or without the estimated potential load). The first network node may then send a new FIRST MESSAGE with a refined list of possible cell coverage modifications. This process may repeat until agreement between the first network node and the second network node.

[0061] After receiving the SECOND MESSAGE indicating the measured, computed, or estimated potential load that could or would be transferred from the second network node to the first network node if some changes in cell coverage are performed, the first network node may analyze the benefit of performing the proposed cell coverage changes using at least in part the information contained in the SECOND MESSAGE. For example, the first network node may employ the potential load and / or estimated energy consumption / cost signaled by the second network node and / or one or more third network nodes at least as part of the input to a machine learning (ML) algorithm which estimates UE performance and global energy consumption / cost (e.g., the overall energy consumption / cost of the first network node and its neighboring network nodes) after the proposed cell coverage changes are performed. If theseestimates are deemed beneficial, e.g., if both the estimated UE performance and the global energy consumption / cost are acceptable, then the first network node may proceed to optionally signal this decision in the THIRD MESSAGE and perform the proposed cell coverage changes. On the other hand, if these estimates are not deemed beneficial, the first network node may send a new FIRST MESSAGE with different proposed cell coverage changes or stop the method altogether.

[0062] In the case that multiple possible cell coverage changes are proposed in the FIRST MESSAGE and / or the SECOND MESSAGE, the first network node may, in another example, use the information contained in the SECOND MESSAGE at least in part to select the best cell coverage changes among all the possible candidates. This may be achieved with the use of a reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm, where the potential load and / or estimated energy consumption / cost signaled by the second network node and / or one or more third network nodes is used at least as part of the input to the RL algorithm which selects the best cell coverage changes. Note that a possible best cell coverage change selected by the RL algorithm could be to not do any cell coverage change at all, even if this possibility is not signaled in the FIRST MESSAGE and / or the SECOND MESSAGE.Method in a second network node

[0063] The method at the second network node mirrors the method at the first network node. For example, where the first network node sends or transmits a message to the second network node, the second network node receives a message from the first network node, and so on.The FIRST MESSAGE

[0064] The FIRST MESSAGE may be a request for reporting the potential load that could be transferred from the second network node to the first network node due to changes in cell coverage.

[0065] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise an indication of which one or more cells (or beams) in the first network node will receive the potential load and / or which one or more cells (or beams) from the second network node are the source of the potential load.

[0066] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise an indication of what the potential load is. Nonlimiting examples of potential load may be any one or a combination of• Number of active UEs• Number of Radio Resource Control (RRC) connections• Radio resource utilization (Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) and non-GBR)• Data volume• Data throughput• Radio conditions of the UEs to be offloaded and / or geographical location (which may include UE radio channel measurements of any involved cell)• QoS flows• A value that represents the energy cost / consumption (or energy savings / reduction) of the second network node

[0067] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise an indication of the requested or desired prediction time, prediction time period / window, or prediction horizon, or alike, for the potential load, e.g., Is, 10s, 1 min, 10 mins, etc. This means the first network node can indicate to the second network node what the prediction time, prediction time period / window, or prediction horizon, for the potential load should be.

[0068] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise an indication of how the potential load is reported. Non-limiting examples may be any one or a combination of:• Per cell or beam• Per network node• Per network slice• Per UE• Per UE-type (e.g., depending on the UE capabilities)• Per traffic type• As an average, median, minimum, maximum, percentile value

[0069] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise an indication of the point of reference for understanding the reported potential load. For example, consider that the first network node and the second network node have different capabilities (e.g., available bandwidth); in this case, the same total data volume would represent a different average load in terms of radio resource utilization depending on which network node serves the UEs. In a second example, consider that the potential offloaded UEs will experience different radio conditions at the first network node than at the second network node; in this case, the same total data volume would represent a different average data throughput depending on which network node serves the UEs. In a third example, consider similar assumptions as in both previous examples; in this case, the same total number of active UEs could be served more efficiently in the first network node resulting in a different average number of active UEs than in the second network node.Non-limiting examples of the point of reference for understanding the reported potential load are:• From the point of view of the first network node• From the point of view of the second network node• From the point of view of a “standard” network node, e.g., pre-configured in the network nodes, or configured by another network node or an external system (e.g., Operations and Maintenance (OAM)), or define in same standards (e.g., 3 GPP, O- RAN).

[0070] Any of the indications described above may not be explicitly included in the FIRST MESSAGE, but may instead be pre-configured in the network nodes, or configured by another network node or an external system (e.g., OAM), or defined in a standard (e.g., 3GPP, 0-RAN).

[0071] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise an indication of the proposed cell coverage changes relating to cells (or beams) managed by the first network node and / or the second network node and / or one or more third network nodes. Non-limiting examples can be any one or a combination of:• Cell (or beam) activation / deactivation• Changes in cell (or beam) output power• Changes in cell (or beam) shape• Changes in mobility settings (e.g., handover trigger changes)• Changes in antenna tilt• Changes in coverage state for one or more cells, and / or for one or more reference signal beams (e.g., a change in the value of the Cell Coverage State Information Element (IE), or a change in the value of the SSB Coverage State IE as defined in TS 38.423 vl7.5.0).

[0072] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise a list of cell coverage changes, with one or more changes per cell (or beam), where all the changes may be considered as applied simultaneously. For example, the list (“cell 1 : activation”, “cell 2: deactivation”, “cell 3: reduce output power 10 dBm”) may be interpreted as cell 1 being activated, cell 2 being deactivated, and cell 3 reducing its output power simultaneously.

[0073] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise multiple lists of cell coverage changes, with one or more changes per cell (or beam) per list, where all the changes in each list may be considered as applied simultaneously but each list corresponds to a different group of changes to consider independently. For example, the lists [(“cell 1 : activation”)], [(“cell 1 : activation”, “cell 2:reduce output power 10 dBm”)] may be interpreted as two different options: i) cell 1 is activated, or ii) cell 1 is activated while cell 2 reduces its output power simultaneously.

[0074] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise nested lists of cell coverage changes, with one or more changes per cell (or beam) per list, where the changes in an inner list may be considered as applied simultaneously with the changes in the outer list. For example, the nested list [“cell 1 : activation”, (“cell 2: no change”, “cell 2: reduce output power 10 dBm”)] may be interpreted as two different options: i) cell 1 is activated while cell 2 is left unchanged, or ii) cell 1 is activated while cell 2 reduces its output power simultaneously.

[0075] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise one or more identifiers that identify the proposed cell (or beam) changes. The mapping between the identifiers and the description of the cell (or beam) changes may be pre-configured in the network nodes, or agreed between the network nodes, or configured by another network node or an external system (e.g., 0AM), or define in same standards (e.g., 3GPP, 0-RAN). For example, the identifier could be an index where, e.g., index 0 indicates deactivated cell, index 1 indicates full coverage, index 2 indicates reduced coverage (e.g., lower power, down tilt), etc.

[0076] The FIRST MESSAGE may not contain an explicit description of the cell (or beam) changes, and the signaling of the FIRST MESSAGE may be an implicit indication that one or more previous cell (or beam) configurations are the proposed one.

[0077] The FIRST MESSAGE may comprise an indication of current value of energy related information at the first network node (e.g., an energy cost) and / or the predicted value of energy related information at the first network node (e.g., an energy cost) related to the proposed cell coverage changes.

[0078] The first message may comprise a list of information where each item in the list contains a cell identifier for a cell whose coverage is proposed to be changed and an indication of how the cell coverage is changed. In case of cell activation / deactivation the indication of coverage state could be an enumerated information element with value “active” or “deactivated”. The node receiving the first message may be assumed to know the cell coverage of the cell identified by the cell identifier (due to history measurements on that cell). Additionally, the “active” or “deactivated” indication may be complemented by an indication of the cell shape that the node sending the FIRST MESSAGE is proposing to adopt. This indication may be in the form of an index. The node receiving the index in the FIRST MESSAGE is assumed to know the coverage of the cell corresponding to the cell identifier and to the index. In the case of cell coverage change without activation, the FIRST MESSAGE may include a cell identifier for the cellwhose coverage is modified and an indication of the cell shape that the node sending the FIRST MESSAGE is proposing to adopt. The same assumptions as above on the node receiving the FIRST MESSAGE may be taken, namely such node is able to deduce from the index the proposed coverage for this cell.The SECOND MESSAGE

[0079] The SECOND MESSAGE may indicate the measured, computed, or estimated potential load that could be transferred from the second network node to the first network node if some changes in cell coverage are performed.

[0080] Responsive to receiving, in the FIRST MESSAGE, an indication of the requested or desired prediction time or alike for the potential load, the second network node may respond with the SECOND MESSAGE indicating the measured, computed, or estimated potential load that could or would be transferred from the second network node to the first network node during the prediction time, if some changes in cell coverage are performed (also referred to as the predicted load).

[0081] The potential load that could or would be transferred from the second network node to the first network node may include the potential load that could or would appear at the first network node instead of appearing at the second network node during the prediction time if some changes in cell coverage are performed. This means that part of the potential load would not have to be actively transferred involving a procedure between the two network nodes.

[0082] Embodiments related to the reported measured, computed, estimated, or predicted potential load in terms of what to report, how to report, and from which point of reference the values should be understood that were described in relation to the FIRST MESSAGE may also apply to the SECOND MESSAGE.

[0083] The SECOND MESSAGE may comprise an indication of the one or more proposed cell coverage changes that the second network node accepts and / or the one or more proposed cell coverage changes that the second network node rejects.

[0084] The indication of acceptance or rejection for a specific cell coverage change may be implicit by the signaling or not of a valid potential load. In other words, signaling a measured, computed, or estimated potential load may be an implicit indication that the corresponding cell coverage change is accepted, while the absence of a measured, computed, or estimated potential load (or the signaling of an invalid value) may be an implicit indication that the corresponding cell coverage change is rejected.

[0085] The SECOND MESSAGE may comprise an indication of new or modified proposed cell coverage changes relating to cells (or beams) managed by the first network node and / or the second network node and / or one or more third network nodes.

[0086] Embodiments related to the proposed cell coverage changes described in relation to the FIRST MESSAGE may also apply to the SECOND MESSAGE in relation to the new or modified proposed cell coverage changes.

[0087] The SECOND MESSAGE may comprise an indication of the estimated load that would remain in the second network node after the proposed cell coverage changes are performed.

[0088] The SECOND MESSAGE may comprise indication(s) of estimated energy cost / consumption (or energy savings / reduction) due to the load transfer from the second network node to the first network node.

[0089] The SECOND MESSAGE may comprise a request for the first network node to report to the second network node the estimated energy cost / consumption (or energy savings / reduction) that the cell coverage changes will achieve at the first network node and / or third network nodes. This information may be expected in the THIRD MESSAGE.

[0090] The SECOND MESSAGE may comprise a request for the first network node to report to the second network node, after the cell coverage changes have been performed, performance values related to the cell coverage changes. These could be any of the possible values related to the potential load (i.e., what to report, how to report, and from which point of reference the values should be understood) described in relation to the FIRST MESSAGE. This information may be expected in the FOURTH MESSAGE.The THIRD MESSAGE

[0091] The THIRD MESSAGE may indicate the cell coverage modifications selected by the first network node due to the information received, at least in part, in the SECOND MESSAGE.

[0092] The THIRD MESSAGE may indicate the estimated energy cost / consumption (or energy savings / reduction) that the cell coverage changes will achieve at the first network node and / or third network nodes.The FOURTH MESSAGE

[0093] The FOURTH MESSAGE may indicate performance values in the first network node related to the changes in cell coverage. Non-limiting examples can be any one or a combination of:• UE performance metrics (e.g., throughput, delay, latency)• UE energy cost / consumption• Network node performance metrics (e.g., resource utilization, load)• Network node energy cost / consumptionThe FIFTH MESSAGE

[0094] The FIFTH MESSAGE may indicate performance values in the second network node related to the changes in cell coverage. The same embodiments described for the FOURTH MESSAGE may apply to the FIFTH MESSAGE.Further description

[0095] The first network node may, when wanting to (re)-activate one or more of its cells (or reference signal beams), or when wanting to modify the coverage shapes on one or more of its cells (or reference signal beams), take into account past information, e.g., historical coverage information for the first network node, the second network, and / or one or more third network nodes. The historical coverage information may relate to, for example, the coverage state of cells / reference beams of the second network node when a certain load was transferred from the second network node to the first network node, energy related information concerning the second network node once a certain amount of load was transferred from the second network node to the first network node. The historical information may refer to previous transfer(s) of load from second network node to first network node when the cell / reference signal beam were not activated. The historical information may refer to previous transfer(s) of load from the second network node to the first network node and the cells / reference signal beams of the first network node were activated, and their respective coverage state(s) was the same as the current coverage state(s) - or alternatively different coverage state(s). The coverage state(s) may be signaled in the Cell Coverage State IE, or SSB Coverage State IE defined in 3GPP TS 38.423 V17.5.0. The first network node may use the past / historical information to determine which coverage state(s) the cells of the first network node and / or of the second network node are likely to end up once the load is transferred from the second network node to the first network node.

[0096] The first network node and / or the second network node may, after the one or more cells and / or reference signal beams of the first network node have been (re)-activated - or after cells and / or reference signal beams of the first network node have been modified to accommodatethe load from the second network node, and such load has been transferred from the second network node to the first network node, send to another network node (neighboring the first network node, or neighboring the second network node) energy related information (e.g., the energy cost) resulting from the new configuration at the first network node and the transfer of load from the second network node to the first network node. For example, the NG-RAN NODE CONFIGURATION UPDATE XnAP message may be extended with an Energy Cost IE signaled to a peer network node of the energy cost resulting from the newly adopted configuration at the first network node due to the load received from the second network node.

[0097] The FOURTH MESSAGE (from the first network node to the second network node) may be used to convey the energy related information from first network node to second network node. A similar FOURTH MESSAGE may be sent from the first network node to other network nodes not directly involved in the load transfer or the change in coverage.

[0098] The FIFTH MESSAGE (from the second network node to the first network node) may be used to convey the energy related information in the opposite direction (from second network node to first network node). A similar FIFTH MESSAGE may be sent from the second network node towards other network nodes not directly involved in the load transfer or the change in coverage.

[0099] Before the first network node requests an estimated additional load due to proposed cell coverage changes to the second network node, a first function of the first network node (e.g., the gNB-CU) may request to a second function of the first network node (e.g., the gNB-DU) to provide acceptable additional load for a corresponding cell coverage change planned by the gNB-CU. For instance, if a cell in the first network node is activated, and the first network node determines to request additional load from the second network node, the gNB-CU of the first network node may request one or more gNB-DUs of the first network node whether it is acceptable or not to intake such additional load from the second network node. The gNB-CU may also indicate to the gNB-DU(s) potential / recommended cell coverage state(s) that would be used once the load is transferred from the second network node to the first network node. The gNB-DU(s) can indicate whether the additional load is acceptable or not, and optionally, alternative acceptable load(s) and corresponding cell coverage state(s). Alternatively, the gNB- CU may only request whether the proposed cell coverage change (without information the gNB-DU or the additional load) requesting whether the proposed (alternative) cell coverage state is acceptable, and the gNB-DU may respond with an acknowledgement or a refusal, or optionally with an alternative acceptable cell coverage state.

[0100] Before the first network node requests an estimated additional load due to proposed cell coverage changes to the second network node, a first function of the first network node (e.g., the gNB-CU) may request a second function of the first network node (e.g., the gNB-DU) to provide an estimated energy cost that corresponds to the additional load the first network node would like to request to the second network node. The gNB-DU may provide to the gNB-CU an estimated energy cost that indicates a total energy cost, i.e., an energy cost that comprises the present energy cost and the estimated delta due to the planned requested additional load. The gNB-DU may provide to the gNB-CU a delta energy cost (compared to the current value). The gNB-DU may include a list of “total energy cost” and / or a list “delta energy cost” corresponding to a list of “planned requested additional load”. The gNB-CU may consider the received information when determining the content of the FIRST MESSAGE.

[0101] In some embodiments, upon receiving the FIRST MESSAGE, a first function of the second network node (e.g., the gNB-CU of the second network node) may request a second function of the second network node (a gNB-DU) to obtain the estimated additional load to be further transferred to the first network node where the additional load corresponds to the proposed cell coverage changes at the first network node.

[0102] Figure 9 shows an example of a communication system 900 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0103] In the example, the communication system 900 includes a telecommunication network 902 that includes an access network 904, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 906, which includes one or more core network nodes 908. The access network 904 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 910a and 910b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 910), or any other similar 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3 GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. Moreover, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it will be understood that network nodes include disaggregated implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunication network 902 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network 902 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., a specification published by the 0-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other nodes to implement one or morefunctionalities of any node in the telecommunication network 902, including one or more network nodes 910 and / or core network nodes 908.

[0104] Examples of an ORAN network node include an open radio unit (O-RU), an open distributed unit (O-DU), an open central unit (O-CU), including an O-CU control plane (O- CU-CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (near-real time or non-real time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near-real time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designating support of an ORAN specification). The network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN access node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an 0-2 interface defined by the 0-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The network nodes 910 facilitate direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 912a, 912b, 912c, and 912d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 912) to the core network 906 over one or more wireless connections.

[0105] 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 900 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 900 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0106] The UEs 912 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 910 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 910 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 912 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 902 to enableand / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network 902.

[0107] In the depicted example, the core network 906 connects the network nodes 910 to one or more hosts, such as host 916. 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 906 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 908) 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 908. 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).

[0108] The host 916 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 904 and / or the telecommunication network 902, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 916 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include the provision of live and / or pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services, for example, retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0109] As a whole, the communication system 900 of Figure 9 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.[HO] In some examples, the telecommunication network 902 is a cellular network that implements 3 GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network 902 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 902. For example, the telecommunications network 902 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.[Hl] In some examples, the UEs 912 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 904 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 904. 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 EN-DC.

[0112] In the example illustrated in Figure 9, the hub 914 communicates with the access network 904 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 912c and / or 912d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 910b). In some examples, the hub 914 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 914 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 906 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 914 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 910, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 914. As another example, the hub 914 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 914 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 914 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 914 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 914 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0113] The hub 914 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 910b. The hub 914 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 914 and UEs (e.g., UE 912c and / or 912d), and between the hub 914 and the core network 906. In other examples, the hub 914 is connected to the core network 906 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 914 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 904 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 910 while still connected via the hub 914 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 914 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 910b. In other embodiments, the hub 914 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 910b, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0114] Figure 10 shows a UE 1000. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless camera, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop- embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), smart device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3 GPP), including a narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0115] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3 GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), orvehicle- 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, anend user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0116] The UE 1000 includes processing circuitry 1002 that is operatively coupled via a bus 1004 to an input / output interface 1006, a power source 1008, a memory 1010, a communication interface 1012, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 10. 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.

[0117] The processing circuitry 1002 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 1010. The processing circuitry 1002 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 1002 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs). The processing circuitry 1002 may be operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other UE 1000 components, such as the memory 1010, UE 1000 functionality.

[0118] In the example, the input / output interface 1006 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 1000. 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 aninput device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0119] In some embodiments, the power source 1008 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 1008 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 1008 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 1000 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 1008. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 1008 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 1000 to which power is supplied.

[0120] The memory 1010 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 1010 includes one or more application programs 1014, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 1016. The memory 1010 may store, for use by the UE 1000, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0121] The memory 1010 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 (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as ‘ SIM card.’ The memory 1010 may allow the UE 1000 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 tangiblyembodied as or in the memory 1010, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0122] The processing circuitry 1002 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 1012. The communication interface 1012 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 1022. The communication interface 1012 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 1018 and / or a receiver 1020 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 1018 and receiver 1020 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 1022) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0123] In some embodiments, communication functions of the communication interface 1012 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / intemet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0124] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 1012, 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).

[0125] 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.

[0126] 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 1000 shown in Figure 10.

[0127] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3 GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0128] 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 speedinformation (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.

[0129] Figure 11 shows a network node 1100 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment, in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)), 0-RAN nodes or components of an 0-RAN node (e.g, 0-RU, 0-DU, O-CU).

[0130] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g, in an 0-RAN access node) and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0131] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g. Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0132] The network node 1100 includes processing circuitry 1102, a memory 1104, a communication interface 1106, and a power source 1108, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. The network node 1100 may be composed of multiple physically separatecomponents (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 1100 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 1100 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 1104 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 1110 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 1100 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 1100, 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 1100.

[0133] The processing circuitry 1102 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 1100 components, such as the memory 1104, network node 1100 functionality. For example, the processing circuitry 1102 may be configured to cause the network node to perform the methods as described with reference to Figure 6 and / or 7, and / or the signalling of the first or second network node shown in Figure 8.

[0134] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1102 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1102 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1112 and baseband processing circuitry 1114. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1112 and the baseband processing circuitry 1114 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 1112 and baseband processing circuitry 1114 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0135] The memory 1104 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotelymounted 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 1102. The memory 1104 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 1102 and utilized by the network node 1100. The memory 1104 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 1102 and / or any data received via the communication interface 1106. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1102 and memory 1104 is integrated.

[0136] The communication interface 1106 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 1106 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 1116 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 1106 also includes radio front-end circuitry 1118 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 1110. Radio front-end circuitry 1118 comprises filters 1120 and amplifiers 1122. The radio front-end circuitry 1118 may be connected to an antenna 1110 and processing circuitry 1102. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 1110 and processing circuitry 1102. The radio front-end circuitry 1118 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 1118 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 1120 and / or amplifiers 1122. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 1110. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 1110 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 1118. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 1102. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0137] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 1100 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 1118, instead, the processing circuitry 1102 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 1110. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 1112 is part of the communication interface 1106. In still otherembodiments, the communication interface 1106 includes one or more ports or terminals 1116, the radio front-end circuitry 1118, and the RF transceiver circuitry 1112, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 1106 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 1114, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0138] The antenna 1110 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 1110 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 1118 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 1110 is separate from the network node 1100 and connectable to the network node 1100 through an interface or port.

[0139] The antenna 1110, communication interface 1106, and / or the processing circuitry 1102 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 1110, the communication interface 1106, and / or the processing circuitry 1102 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.

[0140] The power source 1108 provides power to the various components of network node 1100 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 1108 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 1100 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 1100 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 1108. As a further example, the power source 1108 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.

[0141] Embodiments of the network node 1100 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 11 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 1100 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 1100 and to allowoutput of information from the network node 1100. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 1100.

[0142] Figure 12 is a block diagram of a host 1200, which may be an embodiment of the host 916 of Figure 9, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 1200 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 1200 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0143] The host 1200 includes processing circuitry 1202 that is operatively coupled via a bus 1204 to an input / output interface 1206, a network interface 1208, a power source 1210, and a memory 1212. 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 10 and 11, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of host 1200.

[0144] The memory 1212 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 1214 and data 1216, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by a UE for the host 1200 or data generated by the host 1200 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 1200 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 1214 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application programs 1214 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 1200 may select and / or indicate a different host for over-the-top services for a UE. The host application programs 1214 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.

[0145] Figure 13 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1300 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 includevirtualizing 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 1300 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 1300 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an 0-2 interface.

[0146] Applications 1302 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment 1300 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0147] Hardware 1304 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 1306 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1308a and 1308b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 1308), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 1306 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 1308.

[0148] The VMs 1308 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1306. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 1302 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 1308, 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.

[0149] In the context of NFV, a VM 1308 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 1308, and that part of hardware 1304 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 1308 on top of the hardware 1304 and corresponds to the application 1302.

[0150] Hardware 1304 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 1304 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1304 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 1310, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 1302. In some embodiments, hardware 1304 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 1312 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0151] Figure 14 shows a communication diagram of a host 1402 communicating via a network node 1404 with a UE 1406 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as a UE 912a of Figure 9 and / or UE 1000 of Figure 10), network node (such as network node 910a of Figure 9 and / or network node 1100 of Figure 11), and host (such as host 916 of Figure 9 and / or host 1200 of Figure 12) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 14.

[0152] Like host 1200, embodiments of host 1402 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 1402 also includes software, which is stored in or accessible by the host 1402 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 1406 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1450 extending between the UE 1406 and host 1402. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 1450.

[0153] The network node 1404 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 1402 and UE 1406. The connection 1460 may be direct or pass through a core network (like core network 906 of Figure 9) 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.

[0154] The UE 1406 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by UE 1406 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 1406 with the support of the host 1402. In the host 1402, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection 1450 terminating at the UE 1406 and host 1402. 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 1450 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 1450.

[0155] The OTT connection 1450 may extend via a connection 1460 between the host 1402 and the network node 1404 and via a wireless connection 1470 between the network node 1404 and the UE 1406 to provide the connection between the host 1402 and the UE 1406. The connection 1460 and wireless connection 1470, over which the OTT connection 1450 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 1402 and the UE 1406 via the network node 1404, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0156] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 1450, in step 1408, the host 1402 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 1406. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 1406 that shares data with the host 1402 without explicit human interaction. In step 1410, the host 1402 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE 1406. The host 1402 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 1406. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 1406 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 1406. The transmission may pass via the network node 1404, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 1412,the network node 1404 transmits to the UE 1406 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 1402 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1414, the UE 1406 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 1406 associated with the host application executed by the host 1402.

[0157] In some examples, the UE 1406 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 1402. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 1402. Accordingly, in step 1416, the UE 1406 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 1406. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 1406 initiates, in step 1418, transmission of the user data towards the host 1402 via the network node 1404. In step 1420, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 1404 receives user data from the UE 1406 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 1402. In step 1422, the host 1402 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 1406.

[0158] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 1406 using the OTT connection 1450, in which the wireless connection 1470 forms the last segment.

[0159] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 1402. As another example, the host 1402 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 1402 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 1402 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. As another example, the host 1402 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 1402 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.

[0160] 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 connection1450 between the host 1402 and UE 1406, 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 1402 and / or UE 1406. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 1450 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 1450 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node 1404. 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 1402. The measurements may be implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection 1450 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0161] 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 anyof such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0162] 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.

[0163] The following groups of statements set out embodiments of the disclosure.Group B 1 Embodiments1. A method performed by a first network node, the method comprising: sending (602), to a second network node, a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes; and receiving (604), from the second network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage.2. The method of embodiment 1, wherein the transfer of load comprises a transfer of one or more of: one or more user equipments, UEs; one or more active UEs; traffic; one or more radio interface connections; data; Radio Resource Control, RRC, connections; radio resource utilization; energy consumption; and one or more Quality of Service flows.3. The method of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the coverage is provided by one or more of: one or more cells managed by the one or more network nodes; and one or more reference signal beams managed by the one or more network node.The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the first change in coverage of one or more network nodes comprises a change in one or more of: cell activation state; reference signal beam activation state; cell output power; reference signal beam output power; cell shape; reference signal beam shape; cell mobility settings; reference signal beam mobility settings; cell antenna tilt; reference signal beam antenna tilt; cell coverage state; and reference signal beam coverage state. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the first message comprises one or both of: first information related to the first change in coverage of the one or more network nodes; and a request for information related to the transfer of load. The method of embodiment 5, wherein the first information related to the first change in coverage of the one or more network nodes comprises one or more of: an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the second network node from which the load is to be transferred away from the second network; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the first network node to which the load is to be transferred from the second network node; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by one or more third network nodes to which the load is to be transferred from and / or away from the second network node; information about a coverage configuration, prior to the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a coverage configuration, after the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a change in coverage configuration, as part of the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; and a change in energy consumption predicted to be achieved at the first network noderesponsive to the first change in coverage. The method of embodiment 6, wherein the coverage configuration relates to one or more of: cell activation state; reference signal beam activation state; cell output power; reference signal beam output power; cell shape; reference signal beam shape; cell mobility settings; reference signal beam mobility settings; cell antenna tilt; reference signal beam antenna tilt; cell coverage state; and reference signal beam coverage state. The method of embodiment 5-7, wherein the request for information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of: an indication of a type of load that is predicted to be transferred from and / or away from the second network node; an indication that the type and size of the load is to be provided for at least one of: per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non-GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; and as a percentile value; and a point of reference for the indication of the type and size of the load to be transferred. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the first message further requests information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to one or more alternative changes in coverage of one or more network nodes. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the second message comprises one or both of: second information related to the transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to the first change in coverage; and a request for information related to the first change in coverage.The method of embodiment 10, wherein the second information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of: an indication of a type of load that is predicted to be transferred away from the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a type of load that is predicted to remain in the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a size of load that is predicted to be transferred away from the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a size of load that is predicted to remain in the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication that the type and / or size of the load is provided for at least one of: per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non-GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; and as a percentile value; a point of reference for the indication of the type and / or size of the load; and energy consumption at the second network node before the first change in coverage; a predicted energy consumption at the second network node after the first change in coverage; a predicted change in energy consumption at the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an acceptance indication, wherein the acceptance indication indicates whether the second network node accepts the first change in coverage; and information about at least one alternative change in coverage of one or more network nodes. The method of embodiment 11, wherein the indication of the size of the load comprises one or more of: a number of UEs; a number of radio interface connections; an amount of data; one or more properties of one or more UEs to be transferred; one or more Quality of Service flows; a number of Physical Resource Blocks, PRBs; and an amount or percentage of scheduling usage.The method of embodiment 11 or 12, wherein the information about the at least one alternative change in coverage of one or more network nodes comprises one or more of: an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the second network node from which load is to be transferred away from the second network; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the first network node to which load is to be transferred from the second network node; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by one or more third network nodes to which load is to be transferred from and / or away from the second network node; information about a coverage configuration, prior to the alternative change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a coverage configuration, after the alternative change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a change in coverage configuration, as part of the alternative change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; and a change in network node energy consumption predicted to be achieved at the respective network node responsive to the alternative change in coverage. The method of any of embodiments 10-13, wherein the request for information related to the first change in coverage comprises one or both of: a request for information about performance changes at the first network node or a third network node that are predicted to occur responsive to the first change in coverage; and a request for information about measured performance changes at the first network node or a third network node responsive to the first change in coverage. The method of embodiment 14, wherein the performance changes comprise one or more of:an energy saving at the first network node or the third network node responsive to the first change in coverage; and second information related to a transfer of load that is predicted to occur or that occurs responsive to the first change in coverage. The method of embodiment 15, wherein the second information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of an indication of a type of load; an indication of a size of load; an indication that the type or size of the load is provided for at least one of per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non- GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; andor as a percentile value; and a point of reference for the indication of the type or size of the load. The method of any preceding embodiment, further comprising determining a change of coverage of one or more network nodes based at least in part on the second message. The method of embodiment 17, wherein the method further comprises: sending, to the second network node, a third message comprising an indication of the determined change of coverage of the one or more network nodes. The method of embodiment 18, wherein the third message further comprises an indication of a change in network node energy consumption predicted to be achieved at the first network node and / or one or more third network nodes responsive to the determined change of coverage of the one or more network nodes. The method of any of embodiments 17-19, wherein the method further comprises executing the determined change of coverage.21. The method of any of embodiments 17-20, wherein the method further comprises: sending, to the second network node, a fourth message comprising information about performance changes achieved at the first network node responsive to the determined change of coverage.22. The method of embodiment 20 or 21, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, from the second network node, a fifth message comprising information about performance changes achieved at the second network node responsive to the determined change of coverage.23. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the one or more network nodes comprise at least the first network node and the second network node.24. The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or a user equipment.Group B2 Embodiments25. A method performed by a second network node, the method comprising: receiving (702), from a first network node, a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes; and sending (704), to the first network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage.26. The method of embodiment 25, wherein the transfer of load comprises a transfer of one or more of: one or more user equipments, UEs; one or more active UEs; traffic; one or more radio interface connections; data; Radio Resource Control, RRC, connections; radio resource utilization; energy consumption; and one or more Quality of Service flows.27. The method of embodiment 25 or 26, wherein the coverage is provided by one or more of:one or more cells managed by the one or more network nodes; and one or more reference signal beams managed by the one or more network node. The method of any of embodiments 25-27, wherein the first change in coverage of one or more network nodes comprises a change in one or more of: cell activation state; reference signal beam activation state; cell output power; reference signal beam output power; cell shape; reference signal beam shape; cell mobility settings; reference signal beam mobility settings; cell antenna tilt; reference signal beam antenna tilt; cell coverage state; and reference signal beam coverage state. The method of any of embodiments 25-28, wherein the first message comprises one or both of: first information related to the first change in coverage of the one or more network nodes; and a request for information related to the transfer of load. The method of embodiment 29, wherein the first information related to the first change in coverage of the one or more network nodes comprises one or more of: an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the second network node from which the load is to be transferred away from the second network; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the first network node to which the load is to be transferred from the second network node; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by one or more third network nodes to which the load is to be transferred from and / or away from the second network node; information about a coverage configuration, prior to the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a coverage configuration, after the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a change in coverage configuration, as part of the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the firstnetwork node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; and a change in energy consumption predicted to be achieved at the first network node responsive to the first change in coverage. The method of embodiment 30, wherein the coverage configuration relates to one or more of cell activation state; reference signal beam activation state; cell output power; reference signal beam output power; cell shape; reference signal beam shape; cell mobility settings; reference signal beam mobility settings; cell antenna tilt; reference signal beam antenna tilt; cell coverage state; and reference signal beam coverage state. The method of embodiment 29-31, wherein the request for information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of an indication of a type of load that is predicted to be transferred from and / or away from the second network node; an indication that the type and size of the load is to be provided for at least one of per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non-GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; and as a percentile value; and a point of reference for the indication of the type and size of the load to be transferred. The method of any of embodiments 25-32, wherein the first message further requests information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to one or more alternative changes in coverage of one or more network nodes. The method of any of embodiments 25-33, wherein the second message comprises one or both of second information related to the transfer of load away from the second networknode that is predicted to occur responsive to the first change in coverage; and a request for information related to the first change in coverage. The method of embodiment 34, wherein the second information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of: an indication of a type of load that is predicted to be transferred away from the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a type of load that is predicted to remain in the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a size of load that is predicted to be transferred away from the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a size of load that is predicted to remain in the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication that the type and / or size of the load is provided for at least one of: per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non-GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; and as a percentile value; a point of reference for the indication of the type and / or size of the load; and energy consumption at the second network node before the first change in coverage; a predicted energy consumption at the second network node after the first change in coverage; a predicted change in energy consumption at the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an acceptance indication, wherein the acceptance indication indicates whether the second network node accepts the first change in coverage; and information about at least one alternative change in coverage of one or more network nodes. The method of embodiment 35, wherein the indication of the size of the load comprises one or more of: a number of UEs; a number of radio interface connections;an amount of data; one or more properties of one or more UEs to be transferred; one or more Quality of Service flows; a number of Physical Resource Blocks, PRBs; and an amount or percentage of scheduling usage. The method of embodiment 35 or 36, wherein the information about the at least one alternative change in coverage of one or more network nodes comprises one or more of: an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the second network node from which load is to be transferred away from the second network; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the first network node to which load is to be transferred from the second network node; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by one or more third network nodes to which load is to be transferred from and / or away from the second network node; information about a coverage configuration, prior to the alternative change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a coverage configuration, after the alternative change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a change in coverage configuration, as part of the alternative change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; and a change in network node energy consumption predicted to be achieved at the respective network node responsive to the alternative change in coverage. The method of any of embodiments 34-37, wherein the request for information related to the first change in coverage comprises one or both of: a request for information about performance changes at the first network node or a third network node that are predicted to occur responsive to the first change in coverage; and a request for information about measured performance changes at the first network node or a third network node responsive to the first change in coverage.The method of embodiment 38, wherein the performance changes comprise one or more of: an energy saving at the first network node or the third network node responsive to the first change in coverage; and second information related to a transfer of load that is predicted to occur or that occurs responsive to the first change in coverage. The method of embodiment 39, wherein the second information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of: an indication of a type of load; an indication of a size of load; an indication that the type or size of the load is provided for at least one of: per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non- GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; andor as a percentile value; and a point of reference for the indication of the type or size of the load. The method of any of embodiments 25-40, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, from the first network node, a third message comprising an indication of a determined change of coverage of one or more network nodes. The method of embodiment 41, wherein the third message further comprises an indication of a change in network node energy consumption predicted to be achieved at the first network node and / or one or more third network nodes responsive to the determined change of coverage of the one or more network nodes. The method of any of embodiments 41-42, wherein the method further comprises executing the determined change of coverage at the second network node. The method of any of embodiments 41-43, wherein the method further comprises:receiving, from the first network node, a fourth message comprising information about performance changes achieved at the first network node responsive to the determined change of coverage.45. The method of any of embodiments 41-44, wherein the method further comprises: sending, to the first network node, a fifth message comprising information about performance changes achieved at the second network node responsive to the determined change of coverage.46. The method of any preceding embodiment, wherein the one or more network nodes comprise at least the first network node and the second network node.47. The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or a user equipment.Group C Embodiments48. A network node, the network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to perform any of the steps of any of the Group Bl or B2 embodiments; power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.49. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group Bl or Group B2 embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.50. The host of the previous embodiment, wherein:the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that provides the user data; and the UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive the transmission of user data from the host.51. A method implemented in a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the network node performs any of the operations of any of the Group Bl or B2 embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.52. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising, at the network node, transmitting the user data provided by the host for the UE.53. The method of any of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein the user data is provided at the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.54. A communication system configured to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the communication system comprising: a host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data for a user equipment (UE), the user data being associated with the over-the-top service; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data toward a cellular network node for transmission to the UE, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group Bl or Group B2 embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.55. The communication system of the previous embodiment, further comprising: the network node; and / or the UE.56. A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to initiate receipt of user data; and a network interface configured to receive the user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group B 1 or Group B2 embodiments to receive the user data from a user equipment (UE) for the host.57. The host of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that receives the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.58. The host of the any of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein the initiating receipt of the user data comprises requesting the user data.59. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host, initiating receipt of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission which the network node has received from the UE, wherein the network node performs any of the steps of any of the Group Bl or Group B2 embodiments to receive the user data from the UE for the host.60. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising at the network node,transmitting the received user data to the host.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method performed by a first network node (1100), the method comprising: sending (602, 800), to a second network node (1100), a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes; and receiving (604, 810), from the second network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer of load comprises a transfer of one or more of: one or more user equipments, UEs (1000); one or more active UEs; traffic; one or more radio interface connections; data; Radio Resource Control, RRC, connections; radio resource utilization; energy consumption; and one or more Quality of Service flows.

3. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the first change in coverage of one or more network nodes comprises a change in one or more of: cell activation state; reference signal beam activation state; cell output power; reference signal beam output power; cell shape; reference signal beam shape; cell mobility settings; reference signal beam mobility settings; cell antenna tilt; reference signal beam antenna tilt; cell coverage state; and reference signal beam coverage state.

4. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the first message comprises one or both of: first information related to the first change in coverage of the one or more network nodes; and a request for information related to the transfer of load.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first information related to the first change in coverage of the one or more network nodes comprises one or more of: an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the second network node from which the load is to be transferred away;an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the first network node to which the load is to be transferred from the second network node; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by one or more third network nodes to which the load is to be transferred from the second network node; information about a coverage configuration, prior to the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a coverage configuration, after the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a change in coverage configuration, as part of the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; a change in energy consumption predicted to be achieved at the first network node responsive to the first change in coverage; and a request for information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to one or more alternative changes in coverage of one or more network nodes.

6. The method of any of claims 4-5, wherein the request for information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of an indication of a type of load that is predicted to be transferred from the second network node; an indication that the type and size of the load is to be provided for at least one of per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non- GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; and as a percentile value; and a point of reference for the indication of the type and size of the load to be transferred.

7. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the second message comprises one or both of: second information related to the transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to the first change in coverage; and a request for information related to the first change in coverage.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of: an indication of a type of load that is predicted to be transferred away from the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a type of load that is predicted to remain in the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a size of load that is predicted to be transferred away from the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a size of load that is predicted to remain in the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication that the type and / or size of the load is provided for at least one of: per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non-GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; and as a percentile value; a point of reference for the indication of the type and / or size of the load; an energy consumption at the second network node before the first change in coverage; a predicted energy consumption at the second network node after the first change in coverage; a predicted change in energy consumption at the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an acceptance indication, wherein the acceptance indication indicates whether the second network node accepts the first change in coverage; and information about at least one alternative change in coverage of one or more network nodes.

9. The method of any of claims 7-8, wherein the request for information related to the first change in coverage comprises one or both of: a request for information about performance changes at the first network node or a third network node that are predicted to occur responsive to the first change in coverage; and a request for information about measured performance changes at the first network node or a third network node responsive to the first change in coverage.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the performance changes comprise one or more of: an energy saving at the first network node or the third network node responsive to the first change in coverage; and third information related to a transfer of load that is predicted to occur or that occurs responsive to the first change in coverage.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of: an indication of a type of load; an indication of a size of load; an indication that the type or size of the load is provided for at least one of: per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non-GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; and as a percentile value; and a point of reference for the indication of the type or size of the load.

12. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising determining a change of coverage of one or more network nodes based at least in part on the second message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises: sending (820), to the second network node, a third message comprising an indication of the determined change of coverage of the one or more network nodes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third message further comprises an indication of a change in network node energy consumption predicted to be achieved at the first network node and / or one or more third network nodes responsive to the determined change of coverage of the one or more network nodes.

15. The method of any of claims 12-14, wherein the determined change of coverage is executed (830) at the first network node and / or the second network node.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises: sending (840), to the second network node, a fourth message comprising information about performance changes achieved at the first network node responsive to the determined change of coverage; and / or receiving (850), from the second network node, a fifth message comprising information about performance changes achieved at the second network node responsive to the determined change of coverage.

17. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more network nodes comprise at least one of the first network node and the second network node.

18. A method performed by a second network node (1100), the method comprising: receiving (702, 800), from a first network node (1100), a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes; and sending (704, 810), to the first network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the transfer of load comprises a transfer of one or more of: one or more user equipments, UEs (1000); one or more active UEs; traffic; one or more radio interface connections; data; Radio Resource Control, RRC, connections; radio resource utilization; energy consumption; and one or more Quality of Service flows.

20. The method of any of claims 18-19, wherein the first change in coverage of one or more network nodes comprises a change in one or more of: cell activation state; reference signal beam activation state; cell output power; reference signal beam output power; cell shape; reference signal beam shape; cell mobility settings; reference signal beam mobility settings; cell antenna tilt; reference signal beam antenna tilt; cell coverage state; and reference signal beam coverage state.

21. The method of any of claims 18-20, wherein the first message comprises one or both of: first information related to the first change in coverage of the one or more network nodes; and a request for information related to the transfer of load.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first information related to the first change in coverage of the one or more network nodes comprises one or more of: an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the second network node from which the load is to be transferred away; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by the first network node to which the load is to be transferred from the second network node; an identifier for one or more cells or reference signal beams managed by one or more third network nodes to which the load is to be transferred from the second network node; information about a coverage configuration, prior to the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a coverage configuration, after the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; information about a change in coverage configuration, as part of the first change in coverage, of one or more cells or reference signal beams of one or more of: the first network node, the second network node, and the one or more third network nodes; a change in energy consumption predicted to be achieved at the first network node responsive to the first change in coverage; anda request for information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to one or more alternative changes in coverage of one or more network nodes.

23. The method of any of claims 21-22, wherein the request for information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of: an indication of a type of load that is predicted to be transferred from the second network node; an indication that the type and size of the load is to be provided for at least one of: per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non- GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; and as a percentile value; and a point of reference for the indication of the type and size of the load to be transferred.

24. The method of any of claims 18-23, wherein the second message comprises one or both of: second information related to the transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to the first change in coverage; and a request for information related to the first change in coverage.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second information related to the transfer of load comprises one or more of: an indication of a type of load that is predicted to be transferred away from the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a type of load that is predicted to remain in the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a size of load that is predicted to be transferred away from the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an indication of a size of load that is predicted to remain in the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage;an indication that the type and / or size of the load is provided for at least one of: per cell; per reference signal beam; per Synchronization Signal Block, SSB, area; per network node; per network slice; per user equipment, UE; per UE type; per traffic type; total for uplink, UL, and downlink, DL; for UL only; for DL only; per New Radio Unlicensed, NR-U, Channel; per Guaranteed Bit Rate, GBR, traffic; per non- GBR traffic; total for GBR and non GBR; and as a percentile value; a point of reference for the indication of the type and / or size of the load; an energy consumption at the second network node before the first change in coverage; a predicted energy consumption at the second network node after the first change in coverage; a predicted change in energy consumption at the second network node responsive to the first change in coverage; an acceptance indication, wherein the acceptance indication indicates whether the second network node accepts the first change in coverage; and information about at least one alternative change in coverage of one or more network nodes.

26. The method of any of claims 24-25, wherein the request for information related to the first change in coverage comprises one or both of: a request for information about performance changes at the first network node or a third network node that are predicted to occur responsive to the first change in coverage; and a request for information about measured performance changes at the first network node or a third network node responsive to the first change in coverage.

27. The method of any of claims 18-26, wherein the method further comprises: receiving (820), from the first network node, a third message comprising an indication of a determined change of coverage of one or more network nodes.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the third message further comprises an indication of a change in network node energy consumption predicted to be achieved at the first network node and / or one or more third network nodes responsive to the determined change of coverage of the one or more network nodes.

29. The method of any of claims27-28, wherein the determined change of coverage is executed (830) at the first network node and / or the second network node.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises: receiving (840), from the first network node, a fourth message comprising information about performance changes achieved at the first network node responsive to the determined change of coverage; and / or sending (850), to the first network node, a fifth message comprising information about performance changes achieved at the second network node responsive to the determined change of coverage.

31. A first network node (1100), the first network node comprising: processing circuitry (1102) configured to cause the first network node to: send (602, 800), to a second network node (1100), a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes; and receive (604, 810), from the second network node, a second message related to the first change in coverage.

32. The first network node of claim 31, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the first network node to perform the method of any of claims 2- 17.

33. A first network node (1100) configured to perform the method of any of claims 1-17.

34. A second network node (1100), the second network node comprising: processing circuitry (1102) configured to cause the second network node to: receive (702, 800), from a first network node (1100), a first message requesting information about a transfer of load away from the second network node that is predicted to occur responsive to a first change in coverage of one or more network nodes; and send (704, 810), to the first network node, a second message related to the firstchange in coverage.

35. The second network node of claim 34, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the second network node to perform the method of any of claims 19-30.

36. A second network node (1100) configured to perform the method of any of claims 18-30.

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