Radio link failure prediction and recovery
AI/ML-driven radio link quality prediction dynamically adjusts RLF thresholds, addressing static threshold issues in existing systems to enhance network efficiency and performance by minimizing unnecessary RLF declarations and optimizing handover processes.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- QUALCOMM INC
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-04
AI Technical Summary
Existing radio link failure (RLF) mechanisms in wireless communication systems rely on static, predefined thresholds for declaring RLF, leading to delayed or premature declarations, which negatively impact network performance and resource utilization.
Implementing AI/ML-driven radio link quality prediction to dynamically select counter thresholds for RLF timers, allowing for adaptive RLF management and early or reduced RLF declarations based on distinct trigger causes.
Enhances network resource efficiency by minimizing unnecessary RLF declarations, reducing signaling overhead, and facilitating timely handovers, thereby improving overall network performance.
Smart Images

Figure CN2024134421_04062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
RADIO LINK FAILURE PREDICTION AND RECOVERYFIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication and specifically relate to techniques, apparatuses, and methods associated with radio link failure prediction and recovery.BACKGROUND
[0002] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various services, which may involve carrying or supporting voice, text, other messaging, video, data, and / or other traffic. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access radio access technologies (RATs) capable of supporting communication among multiple wireless communication devices including user devices or other devices by sharing the available system resources (for example, time domain resources, frequency domain resources, spatial domain resources, and / or device transmit power, among other examples) . Such multiple-access RATs are supported by technological advancements that have been adopted in various telecommunication standards, which define common protocols that enable different wireless communication devices to communicate on a local, municipal, national, regional, or global level.
[0003] An example telecommunication standard is New Radio (NR) . NR, which may also be referred to as 5G, is part of a continuous mobile broadband evolution promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) . NR (and other RATs beyond NR) may be designed to better support enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) access, Internet of things (IoT) networks or reduced capability device deployments, and ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) applications. To support these verticals, NR systems may be designed to implement a modularized functional infrastructure, a disaggregated and service-based network architecture, network function virtualization, network slicing, multi-access edge computing, millimeter wave (mmWave) technologies including massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) , licensed and unlicensed spectrum access, non-terrestrial network (NTN) deployments, sidelink and other device-to-device direct communication technologies (for example, cellular vehicle-to-everything (CV2X) communication) , multiple-subscriber implementations, high-precision positioning, and / or radio frequency (RF) sensing, among other examples. As the demand for connectivity continues to increase, further improvements in NR may be implemented, and other RATs, such as 6G and beyond, may be introduced to enable new applications and facilitate new use cases.SUMMARY
[0004] Some aspects described herein relate to a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) . The method may include receiving, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with radio link failure (RLF) . The method may include selecting, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold. The method may include starting or stopping an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold.
[0005] Some aspects described herein relate to a method of wireless communication performed by a network node. The method may include transmitting RLF configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF, where the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes. The method may include receiving assistance information associated with an RLF event. The method may include transmitting, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0006] Some aspects described herein relate to a method of wireless communication performed by a UE. The method may include starting an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold. The method may include transmitting assistance information based on starting the RLF timer. The method may include receiving handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources. The method may include performing a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.
[0007] Some aspects described herein relate to a method of wireless communication performed by a network node. The method may include transmitting RLF configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF. The method may include receiving assistance information associated with an RLF event. The method may include transmitting, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0008] Some aspects described herein relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a set of instructions for wireless communication by a UE. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the UE, may cause the UE to receive, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the UE, may cause the UE to select, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the UE, may cause the UE to start or stop an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold.
[0009] Some aspects described herein relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a set of instructions for wireless communication by a network node. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the network node, may cause the network node to transmit RLF configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF, where the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the network node, may cause the network node to receive assistance information associated with an RLF event. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the network node, may cause the network node to transmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0010] Some aspects described herein relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a set of instructions for wireless communication by a UE. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the UE, may cause the UE to start an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the UE, may cause the UE to transmit assistance information based on starting the RLF timer. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the UE, may cause the UE to receive handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the UE, may cause the UE to perform a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.
[0011] Some aspects described herein relate to a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a set of instructions for wireless communication by a network node. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the network node, may cause the network node to transmit RLF configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the network node, may cause the network node to receive assistance information associated with an RLF event. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the network node, may cause the network node to transmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0012] Some aspects described herein relate to a UE for wireless communication. The UE may include one or more memories and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to receive, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to select, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to start or stop an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold.
[0013] Some aspects described herein relate to a network node for wireless communication. The network node may include one or more memories and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the network node to transmit RLF configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF, where the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the network node to receive assistance information associated with an RLF event. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the network node to transmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0014] Some aspects described herein relate to a UE for wireless communication. The UE may include one or more memories and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to start an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to transmit assistance information based on starting the RLF timer. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to receive handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to perform a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.
[0015] Some aspects described herein relate to a network node for wireless communication. The network node may include one or more memories and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the network node to transmit RLF configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the network node to receive assistance information associated with an RLF event. The one or more processors may be individually or collectively configured to cause the network node to transmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0016] Some aspects described herein relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include means for receiving, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF. The apparatus may include means for selecting, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold. The apparatus may include means for starting or stopping an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold.
[0017] Some aspects described herein relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include means for transmitting RLF configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF, where the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes. The apparatus may include means for receiving assistance information associated with an RLF event. The apparatus may include means for transmitting, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0018] Some aspects described herein relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include means for starting an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold. The apparatus may include means for transmitting assistance information based on starting the RLF timer. The apparatus may include means for receiving handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources. The apparatus may include means for performing a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.
[0019] Some aspects described herein relate to an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include means for transmitting RLF configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF. The apparatus may include means for receiving assistance information associated with an RLF event. The apparatus may include means for transmitting, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0020] Aspects of the present disclosure may generally be implemented by or as a method, apparatus, system, computer program product, non-transitory computer-readable medium, user equipment, base station, network node, network entity, wireless communication device, and / or processing system as substantially described with reference to, and as illustrated by, this specification and accompanying drawings.
[0021] The foregoing paragraphs of this section have broadly summarized some aspects of the present disclosure. These and additional aspects and associated advantages will be described hereinafter. The disclosed aspects may be used as a basis for modifying or designing other aspects for carrying out the same or similar purposes of the present disclosure. Such equivalent aspects do not depart from the scope of the appended claims. Characteristics of the aspects disclosed herein, both their organization and method of operation, together with associated advantages, will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The appended drawings illustrate some aspects of the present disclosure but are not limiting of the scope of the present disclosure because the description may enable other aspects. Each of the drawings is provided for purposes of illustration and description, and not as a definition of the limits of the claims. The same or similar reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.
[0023] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication network, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0024] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example disaggregated network node architecture, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0025] Fig. 3 is a diagram depicting an example related to radio link failure (RLF) , in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0026] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example associated with RLF prediction and recovery, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0027] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, at a user equipment (UE) or an apparatus of a UE, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0028] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, at a network node or an apparatus of a network node, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0029] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, at a UE or an apparatus of a UE, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0030] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, at a network node or an apparatus of a network node, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0031] Fig. 9 is a diagram of an example apparatus for wireless communication, in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0032] Fig. 10 is a diagram of an example apparatus for wireless communication, in accordance with the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] Various aspects of the present disclosure are described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms. The present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to any specific aspect illustrated by or described with reference to an accompanying drawing or otherwise presented in this disclosure. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. One skilled in the art may appreciate that the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein, whether implemented independently of or in combination with any other aspect of the disclosure. For example, an apparatus may be implemented or a method may be practiced using various combinations or quantities of the aspects set forth herein. In addition, the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover an apparatus having, or a method that is practiced using, other structures and / or functionalities in addition to or other than the structures and / or functionalities with which various aspects of the disclosure set forth herein may be practiced. Any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of a claim.
[0034] Several aspects of telecommunication systems will now be presented with reference to various methods, operations, apparatuses, and techniques. These methods, operations, apparatuses, and techniques will be described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, or algorithms (collectively referred to as “elements” ) . These elements may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.
[0035] In the field of telecommunications, a user equipment (UE) is designed to maintain a robust and reliable connection with a network to ensure seamless communication experiences. As networks grow more complex and environments more variable, UEs may encounter a range of conditions and varying signal quality due to factors such as proximity to network nodes, UE hardware and software, and / or interference, among other examples.
[0036] Radio link failures (RLFs) occur when the signal quality between a UE and the network degrades to an extent that the connection should no longer be sustained, which may trigger a handover or reestablishment process. However, existing RLF mechanisms typically employ timers and counters based on predefined thresholds set by the network to monitor the radio link's integrity. For instance, a timer may start after detecting a number of radio problems at the physical layer that exceed a predefined threshold, and RLF may be triggered when the timer expires before the problems are resolved. While effective, the approach is relatively static, relying on predefined values that leave little room for adaptability. This can result in delayed RLF declarations and / or premature RLF declarations, which may impact network key performance indicators (KPIs) negatively, cause delays in re-establishing connections, and / or otherwise degrade communications.
[0037] Various aspects relate generally to RLF prediction and recovery. Some aspects more specifically relate to a UE receiving configuration information from a network node indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF. Based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, such as a prediction derived from artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities, the UE selects a counter threshold from the provided options (e.g., the at least one maximum counter threshold indicated in the configuration information) . The counter threshold may then be used to control the initiation or termination of an RLF timer as the RLF counter satisfies the selected counter threshold. Some aspects relate to a UE starting an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold, transmitting assistance information based on starting the RLF timer, receiving handover configuration information indicating handover resources, and performing a handover using the handover resources before the RLF timer expires.
[0038] Particular aspects of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented to realize one or more of the following potential advantages. In some examples, by enabling the UE to predict radio link quality (e.g., using AI / ML capabilities) , and by allowing for the adaptability of counter thresholds for the RLF timer based on predictions, the described techniques enable more efficient anticipation and mitigation of RLF conditions. Declaring RLF early, and / or minimizing unnecessary RLF declarations, may lead to reduced signaling overhead, more efficient use of network resources, and / or reduced signaling congestion, among other examples.
[0039] In some aspects, the UE is capable of determining distinct thresholds for different RLF trigger causes. For example, the UE may select one counter threshold based on a physical channel failure trigger, or another counter threshold based on a measurement report trigger. This enables the UE to more efficiently manage triggering RLF by reducing time and resources spent waiting for a handover in a situation that may be more likely to require a handover and / or to provide additional recovery time and reduce unnecessary handovers in a situation where the UE may be more likely to recover without a handover.
[0040] In this way, the various techniques described herein may conserve network resources by reducing unnecessary RLF declarations and / or facilitating early RLF declarations, among other examples. The predictive selection of counter thresholds and AI / ML-driven processes also enable the UE to take advantage of handover mechanisms that align with the anticipated link status, which may enable faster decision making and / or conserve network, processing, and power resources, among other examples. In addition, the techniques described herein enable a more granular and efficient approach to managing radio link quality, significantly reducing the impact of link issues on overall network performance.
[0041] As described above, wireless communication systems may be deployed to provide various services, which may involve carrying or supporting voice, text, other messaging, video, data, and / or other traffic. Some wireless communications systems may employ multiple-access radio access technologies (RATs) . The multiple-access RATs may be capable of supporting communication with multiple wireless communication devices by sharing the available system resources (for example, time domain resources, frequency domain resources, spatial domain resources, and / or device transmit power, among other examples) . Examples of such multiple-access RATs include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems.
[0042] Multiple-access RATs are supported by technological advancements that have been adopted in various telecommunication standards, which define common protocols that enable wireless communication devices to communicate on a local, municipal, enterprise, national, regional, or global level. For example, 5G New Radio (NR) is part of a continuous mobile broadband evolution promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) . 5G NR may support enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) access, Internet of Things (IoT) networks or reduced capability (RedCap) device deployments, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) applications, and / or massive machine-type communication (mMTC) , among other examples.
[0043] To support these and other target verticals, a wireless communication system may be designed to implement a modularized functional infrastructure, a disaggregated and service-based network architecture, network function virtualization, network slicing, multi-access edge computing, millimeter wave (mmWave) technologies including massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) , beamforming, IoT device or RedCap device connectivity and management, industrial connectivity, licensed and unlicensed spectrum access, sidelink and other device-to-device direct communication (for example, cellular vehicle-to-everything (CV2X) communication) , frequency spectrum expansion, overlapping spectrum use, small cell deployments, non-terrestrial network (NTN) deployments, device aggregation, advanced duplex communication (for example, sub-band full-duplex (SBFD) ) , multiple-subscriber implementations, high-precision positioning, radio frequency (RF) sensing, network energy savings (NES) , low-power signaling and radios, and / or artificial intelligence or machine learning (AI / ML) , among other examples.
[0044] The foregoing and other technological improvements may support use cases, such as wireless fronthauls, wireless midhauls, wireless backhauls, wireless data centers, extended reality (XR) and metaverse applications, meta services for supporting vehicle connectivity, holographic and mixed reality communication, autonomous and collaborative robots, vehicle platooning and cooperative maneuvering, sensing networks, gesture monitoring, human-brain interfacing, digital twin applications, asset management, and universal coverage applications using non-terrestrial and / or aerial platforms, among other examples.
[0045] As the demand for connectivity continues to increase, further improvements in NR may be implemented, and other RATs, such as 6G and beyond, may be introduced to enable new applications and facilitate new use cases. The methods, operations, apparatuses, and techniques described herein may enable one or more of the foregoing technologies or new technologies and / or support one or more of the foregoing use cases or new use cases.
[0046] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication network 100, in accordance with the present disclosure. The wireless communication network 100 may be or may include elements of a 5G (or NR) network or a 6G network, among other examples. The wireless communication network 100 may include multiple network nodes 110. For example, in Fig. 1, the wireless communication network 100 includes a network node (NN) 110a and a network node 110b. The network nodes 110 may support communications with multiple UEs 120. For example, in Fig. 1, the network nodes 110 support communication with a UE 120a, a UE 120b, and a UE 120c. In some examples, a UE 120 may also communicate with other UEs 120 and a network node 110 may communicate with a core network and with other network nodes 110.
[0047] The network nodes 110 and the UEs 120 of the wireless communication network 100 may communicate using the electromagnetic spectrum, which may be subdivided by frequency or wavelength into various classes, bands, carriers, and / or channels. For example, devices of the wireless communication network 100 may communicate using one or more operating bands. In some aspects, multiple wireless communication networks 100 may be deployed in a given geographic area. Each wireless communication network 100 may support a particular RAT (which may also be referred to as an air interface) and may operate on one or more carrier frequencies in one or more frequency bands or ranges. In some examples, when multiple RATs are deployed in a given geographic area, each RAT in the geographic area may operate on different frequencies to avoid interference with other RATs. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, the wireless communication network 100 may implement dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) , in which multiple RATs are implemented with dynamic bandwidth allocation (for example, based on user demand) in a single frequency band. In some examples, the wireless communication network 100 may support communication over unlicensed spectrum, where access to an unlicensed channel is subject to a channel access mechanism. For example, in a shared or unlicensed frequency band, a transmitting device may perform a channel access procedure, such as a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure, to contend against other devices for channel access before transmitting on a shared or unlicensed channel.
[0048] Various operating bands have been defined as frequency range designations FR1 (410 MHz through 7.125 GHz) , FR2 (24.25 GHz through 52.6 GHz) , FR3 (7.125 GHz through 24.25 GHz) , FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz through 71 GHz) , FR4 (52.6 GHz through 114.25 GHz) , and FR5 (114.25 GHz through 300 GHz) . Although a portion of FR1 is greater than 6 GHz, FR1 is often referred to (interchangeably) as a “sub-6 GHz” band in some documents and articles. Similarly, FR2 is often referred to (interchangeably) as a “millimeter wave” band in some documents and articles, despite being different than the extremely high frequency (EHF) band (30 GHz through 300 GHz) , which is identified by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as a “millimeter wave” band. The frequencies between FR1 and FR2 are often referred to as mid-band frequencies, which include FR3. Frequency bands falling within FR3 may inherit FR1 characteristics or FR2 characteristics, and thus may effectively extend features of FR1 or FR2 into the mid-band frequencies. Thus, “sub-6 GHz, ” if used herein, may broadly refer to frequencies that are less than 6 GHz, that are within FR1, and / or that are included in mid-band frequencies. Similarly, the term “millimeter wave, ” if used herein, may broadly refer to mid-band frequencies or to frequencies that are within FR2, FR4, FR4-a or FR4-1, FR5, and / or the EHF band. Higher frequency bands may extend 5G NR operation, 6G operation, and / or other RATs beyond 52.6 GHz.
[0049] A network node 110 and / or a UE 120 may include one or more devices, components, or systems that enable communication with other devices, components, or systems of the wireless communication network 100. For example, a UE 120 and a network node 110 may each include one or more chips, system-on-chips (SoCs) , chipsets, packages, or devices that individually or collectively constitute or comprise a processing system, such as a processing system 140 of the UE 120 or a processing system 145 of the network node 110. A processing system (for example, the processing system 140 and / or the processing system 145) includes processor (or “processing” ) circuitry in the form of one or multiple processors, microprocessors, processing units (such as central processing units (CPUs) , graphics processing units (GPUs) , neural processing units (NPUs) (also referred to as neural network processors or deep learning processors (DLPs) ) , and / or digital signal processors (DSPs) ) , processing blocks, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) , programmable logic devices (PLDs) , or other discrete gate or transistor logic or circuitry (any one or more of which may be generally referred to herein individually as a “processor” or collectively as “the processor” or “the processor circuitry” ) . Such processors may be individually or collectively configurable or configured to perform various functions or operations described herein. A group of processors collectively configurable or configured to perform a set of functions may include a first processor configurable or configured to perform a first function of the set and a second processor configurable or configured to perform a second function of the set. In some other examples, each of a group of processors may be configurable or configured to perform a same set of functions.
[0050] The processing system 140 and the processing system 145 may each include memory circuitry in the form of one or multiple memory devices, memory blocks, memory elements, or other discrete gate or transistor logic or circuitry, each of which may include or implement tangible storage media such as random-access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM) , or combinations thereof (any one or more of which may be generally referred to herein individually as a “memory” or collectively as “the memory” or “the memory circuitry” ) . One or more of the memories may be coupled (for example, operatively coupled, communicatively coupled, electronically coupled, or electrically coupled) with one or more of the processors and may individually or collectively store processor-executable code or instructions (such as software) that, when executed by one or more of the processors, may configure one or more of the processors to perform various functions or operations described herein. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, one or more of the processors may be configured to perform various functions or operations described herein without requiring configuration by software. “Software” shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, or functions, among other examples, whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.
[0051] The processing system 140 and the processing system 145 may each include or be coupled with one or more modems (such as a cellular (for example, a 5G or 6G compliant) modem) . In some examples, one or more processors of the processing system 140 and / or the processing system 145 include or implement one or more of the modems. The processing system 140 and the processing system 145 may also include or be coupled with multiple radios (collectively “the radio” ) , multiple RF chains, or multiple transceivers, each of which may in turn be coupled with one or more of multiple antennas. In some examples, one or more processors of the processing system 140 and / or the processing system 145 include or implement one or more of the radios, RF chains, or transceivers. An RF chain may include one or more filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) , and / or other devices that convert between an analog signal (such as for transmission or reception via an air interface) and a digital signal (such as for processing by the processing system 140 of the UE 120 or by the processing system 145 of the network node 110) .
[0052] A network node 110 and a UE 120 may each include one or multiple antennas or antenna arrays. Typical network nodes 110 and UEs 120 may include multiple antennas, which may be organized or structured into one or more antenna panels, one or more antenna groups, one or more sets of antenna elements, or one or more antenna arrays, among other examples. As used herein, the term “antenna” can refer to one or more antennas, one or more antenna panels, one or more antenna groups, one or more sets of antenna elements, or one or more antenna arrays. The term “antenna panel” can refer to a group of antennas (such as antenna elements) arranged in an array or panel, which may facilitate beamforming by manipulating parameters associated with the group of antennas. The term “antenna module” may refer to circuitry including one or more antennas as well as one or more other components (such as filters, amplifiers, or processors) associated with integrating the antenna module into a wireless communication device such as the network node 110 and the UE 120.
[0053] A network node 110 may be, may include, or may also be referred to as an NR network node, a 5G network node, a 6G network node, a Node B, a gNB, an access point (AP) , a transmission reception point (TRP) , a network entity, a network element, a network equipment, and / or another type of device, component, or system included in a radio access network (RAN) . In various deployments, a network node 110 may be implemented as a single physical node (for example, a single physical structure) or may be implemented as two or more physical nodes (for example, two or more distinct physical structures) . For example, a network node 110 may be a device or system that implements a part of a radio protocol stack, a device or system that implements a full radio protocol stack (such as a full gNB protocol stack) , or a collection of devices or systems that collectively implement the full radio protocol stack. For example, and as shown, a network node 110 may be an aggregated network node having an aggregated architecture, meaning that the network node 110 may implement a full radio protocol stack that is physically and logically integrated within a single physical structure in the wireless communication network 100. For example, an aggregated network node 110 may consist of a single standalone base station or a single TRP that operates with a full radio protocol stack to enable or facilitate communication between a UE 120 and a core network of the wireless communication network 100.
[0054] Alternatively, and as also shown, a network node 110 may be a disaggregated network node (sometimes referred to as a disaggregated base station) , having a disaggregated architecture, meaning that the network node 110 may operate with a radio protocol stack that is physically distributed and / or logically distributed among two or more nodes in the same geographic location or in different geographic locations. An example disaggregated network node architecture is described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 2. In some deployments, disaggregated network nodes 110 may be used in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) network, in an open radio access network (O-RAN) (such as a network configuration in compliance with the O-RAN Alliance) , or in a virtualized radio access network (vRAN) , also known as a cloud radio access network (C-RAN) , to facilitate scaling by separating network functionality into multiple units or modules that can be individually deployed.
[0055] The network nodes 110 of the wireless communication network 100 may include one or more central units (CUs) , one or more distributed units (DUs) , and one or more radio units (RUs) . A CU may host one or more higher layers, such as a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, and a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, among other examples. A DU may host one or more of a radio link control (RLC) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, and / or one or more higher physical (PHY) layers depending, at least in part, on a functional split, such as a functional split defined by the 3GPP. In some examples, a DU also may host a lower PHY layer that is configured to perform functions, such as a fast Fourier transform (FFT) , an inverse FFT (IFFT) , beamforming, and / or physical random access channel (PRACH) extraction and filtering, among other examples. An RU may perform RF processing functions or lower PHY layer functions, such as an FFT, an IFFT, beamforming, or PRACH extraction and filtering, among other examples, according to a functional split, such as a lower layer split (LLS) . In such an architecture, each RU can be operated to handle over the air (OTA) communication with one or more UEs 120. In some examples, a single network node 110 may include a combination of one or more CUs, one or more DUs, and / or one or more RUs. In some examples, a CU, a DU, and / or an RU may be implemented as a virtual unit, such as a virtual central unit (VCU) , a virtual distributed unit (VDU) , or a virtual radio unit (VRU) , among other examples, which may be implemented as a virtual network function, such as in a cloud deployment.
[0056] Some network nodes 110 (for example, a base station, an RU, or a TRP) may provide communication coverage for a particular geographic area. The term “cell” can refer to a coverage area of a network node 110 or to a network node 110 itself, depending on the context in which the term is used. A network node 110 may support one or more cells (for example, each cell may support communication within an angular (for example, 60 degree) range around the network node) . In some examples, a network node 110 may provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, or another type of cell. A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (for example, several kilometers in radius) and may allow unrestricted access by UEs 120 with associated service subscriptions. A pico cell may cover a relatively small geographic area and may also allow unrestricted access by UEs 120 with associated service subscriptions. A femto cell may cover a relatively small geographic area (for example, a home) and may allow restricted access by UEs 120 having association with the femto cell (for example, UEs 120 in a closed subscriber group (CSG) ) . In some examples, a cell may not necessarily be stationary. For example, the geographic area of the cell may move according to the location of an associated mobile network node 110 (for example, a train, a satellite, an unmanned aerial vehicle, or an NTN network node) .
[0057] The wireless communication network 100 may be a heterogeneous network that includes network nodes 110 of different types, such as macro network nodes, pico network nodes, femto network nodes, relay network nodes, aggregated network nodes, and / or disaggregated network nodes, among other examples. Various different types of network nodes 110 may generally transmit at different power levels, serve different coverage areas (for example, a cell 130a and a cell 130b) , and / or have different impacts on interference in the wireless communication network 100 than other types of network nodes 110.
[0058] The UEs 120 may be physically dispersed throughout the coverage area of the wireless communication network 100, and each UE 120 may be stationary or mobile. A UE 120 may be, may include, or may also be referred to as an access terminal, a mobile station, or a subscriber unit. A UE 120 may be, include, or be coupled with a cellular phone (for example, a smart phone) , a personal digital assistant (PDA) , a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a handheld device, a laptop computer, a cordless phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a tablet, a camera, a netbook, a smartbook, an ultrabook, a medical device, a biometric device, a wearable device (for example, a smart watch, smart clothing, smart glasses, a smart wristband, or smart jewelry) , a gaming device, an entertainment device (for example, a music device, a video device, or a satellite radio) , an XR device, a vehicular component or sensor, a smart meter or sensor, industrial manufacturing equipment, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) device (such as a Global Positioning System device or another type of positioning device) , a UE function of a network node, and / or any other suitable device or function that may communicate via a wireless medium.
[0059] Some UEs 120 may be classified according to different categories in association with different complexities and / or different capabilities. UEs 120 in a first category may facilitate massive IoT in the wireless communication network 100, and may offer low complexity and / or cost relative to UEs 120 in a second category. UEs 120 in a second category may include mission-critical IoT devices, legacy UEs, baseline UEs, high-tier UEs, advanced UEs, full-capability UEs, and / or premium UEs that are capable of URLLC, eMBB, and / or precise positioning in the wireless communication network 100, among other examples. A third category of UEs 120 may have mid-tier complexity and / or capability (for example, a capability between that of the UEs 120 of the first category and that of the UEs 120 of the second capability) . A UE 120 of the third category may be referred to as a reduced capability UE ( “RedCap UE” ) , a mid-tier UE, an NR-Light UE, and / or an NR-Lite UE, among other examples. RedCap UEs may bridge a gap between the capability and complexity of NB-IoT devices and / or eMTC UEs, and mission-critical IoT devices and / or premium UEs. RedCap UEs may include, for example, wearable devices, IoT devices, industrial sensors, or cameras that are associated with a limited bandwidth, power capacity, and / or transmission range, among other examples. RedCap UEs may support healthcare environments, building automation, electrical distribution, process automation, transport and logistics, or smart city deployments, among other examples.
[0060] In some examples, a network node 110 may be, may include, or may operate as an RU, a TRP, or a base station that communicates with one or more UEs 120 via a radio access link (which may be referred to as a “Uu” link) . The radio access link may include a downlink and an uplink. “Downlink” (or “DL” ) refers to a communication direction from a network node 110 to a UE 120, and “uplink” (or “UL” ) refers to a communication direction from a UE 120 to a network node 110. Downlink and uplink resources may include time domain resources (for example, frames, subframes, slots, and symbols) , frequency domain resources (for example, frequency bands, component carriers (CCs) , subcarriers, resource blocks, and resource elements) , and spatial domain resources (for example, particular transmit directions or beams) .
[0061] Frequency domain resources may be subdivided into bandwidth parts (BWPs) . A BWP may be a block of frequency domain resources (for example, a continuous set of resource blocks (RBs) within a full component carrier bandwidth) that may be configured at a UE-specific level. A UE 120 may be configured with both an uplink BWP and a downlink BWP (which may be the same or different) . Each BWP may be associated with its own numerology (indicating a sub-carrier spacing (SCS) and cyclic prefix (CP) ) . A BWP may be dynamically configured or activated (for example, by a network node 110 transmitting a downlink control information (DCI) configuration to the one or more UEs 120) and / or reconfigured (for example, in real-time or near-real-time) according to changing network conditions in the wireless communication network 100 and / or specific requirements of one or more UEs 120. An active BWP defines the operating bandwidth of the UE 120 within the operating bandwidth of the serving cell. The use of BWPs enables more efficient use of the available frequency domain resources in the wireless communication network 100 because fewer frequency domain resources may be allocated to a BWP for a UE 120 (which may reduce the quantity of frequency domain resources that a UE 120 is required to monitor and reduce UE power consumption by enabling the UE to monitor fewer frequency domain resources) , leaving more frequency domain resources to be spread across multiple UEs 120. Thus, BWPs may also assist in the implementation of lower-capability (for example, RedCap) UEs 120 by facilitating the configuration of smaller bandwidths for communication by such UEs 120 and / or by facilitating reduced UE power consumption.
[0062] As used herein, a downlink signal may be or include a reference signal, control information, or data. For example, downlink reference signals include a primary synchronization signal (SS) (PSS) , a secondary SS (SSS) , an SS block (SSB) (for example, that includes a PSS, an SSS, and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) ) , a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) , a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) , a tracking reference signal (TRS) , and a channel state information (CSI) reference signal (CSI-RS) , among other examples. A downlink signal carrying control information or data may be transmitted via a downlink channel. Downlink channels may include one or more control channels for transmitting control information and one or more data channels for transmitting data. Downlink reference signals may be transmitted in addition to, or multiplexed with, downlink control channel communications and / or downlink data channel communications. A downlink control channel may be specifically used to transmit DCI from a network node 110 to a UE 120. DCI generally contains the information the UE 120 needs to identify RBs in a subsequent subframe and how to decode them, including a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) or redundancy version parameters. Different DCI formats carry different information, such as scheduling information in the form of downlink or uplink grants, slot format indicators (SFIs) , preemption indicators (PIs) , transmit power control (TPC) commands, hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) information, new data indicators (NDIs) , among other examples. A downlink data channel may be used to transmit downlink data (for example, user data associated with a UE 120) from a network node 110 to a UE 120. Downlink control channels may include physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs) , and downlink data channels may include physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs) . Control information or data communications may be transmitted on a PDCCH and PDSCH, respectively. For example, a PDCCH can carry DCI, while a PDSCH can carry a MAC control element (MAC-CE) , an RRC message, or user data, among other examples. Each PDSCH may carry one or more transport blocks (TBs) of data.
[0063] As used herein, an uplink signal may include a reference signal, control information, or data. For example, uplink reference signals include a sounding reference signal (SRS) , a PTRS, and a DMRS, among other examples. An uplink signal carrying control information or data may be transmitted via an uplink channel. An uplink channel may include one or more control channels for transmitting control information and one or more data channels for transmitting data. Uplink reference signals may be transmitted in addition to, or multiplexed with, uplink control channel communications and / or uplink data channel communications. An uplink control channel may be specifically used to transmit uplink control information (UCI) from a UE 120 to a network node 110. An uplink data channel may be used to transmit uplink data (for example, user data associated with a UE 120) from a UE 120 to a network node 110. Uplink control channels may include physical uplink control channels (PUCCHs) , and uplink data channels may include physical uplink shared channels (PUSCHs) . Control information or data communications may be transmitted on a PUCCH and PUSCH, respectively. For example, a PUCCH can carry UCI, while a PUSCH can carry a MAC-CE, an RRC message, or user data, among other examples. UCI can include a scheduling request (SR) , HARQ feedback information (for example, a HARQ acknowledgement (ACK) indication or a HARQ negative acknowledgement (NACK) indication) , uplink power control information (for example, an uplink TPC parameter) , and / or CSI, among other examples. CSI can include a channel quality indicator (CQI) (indicative of downlink channel conditions to facilitate selection of transmission parameters, such as an MCS, by a network node 110) , a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) , a CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI) (for example, indicative of a beam used to transmit a CSI-RS) , an SS / PBCH resource block indicator (SSBRI) (for example, indicative of a beam used to transmit an SSB) , a layer indicator (LI) , a rank indicator (RI) , and / or measurement information (for example, a layer 1 (L1) -reference signal received power (RSRP) parameter, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) parameter, a reference signal received quality (RSRQ) parameter, among other examples) which can be used for beam management, among other examples. Each PUSCH may carry one or more TBs of data.
[0064] The information (for example, data, control information, or reference signal information) transmitted by a network node 110 to a UE 120, or vice versa, may be represented as a sequence of binary bits that are mapped (for example, modulated) to an analog signal waveform (for example, a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) -spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) (DFT-s-OFDM) waveform or a CP-OFDM waveform) that is transmitted by the network node 110 or UE 120 over a wireless communication channel. In some examples, the network node 110 or the UE 120 (for example, using the processing system 145 or the processing system 140, respectively) may select an MCS (for example, an order of quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) , such as 64-QAM, 128-QAM, or 256-QAM, among other examples) for a downlink signal or an uplink signal. For example, the network node 110 may select an MCS for a downlink signal in accordance with UCI received from the UE 120. The network node 110 may transmit, to the UE 120, an indication of the selected MCS for the downlink signal, such as via DCI that schedules the downlink signal. As another example, the network node 110 may transmit, and the UE 120 may receive, an indication of an MCS to be applied for the one or more uplink signals, such as via DCI scheduling transmission of the one or more uplink signals.
[0065] The network node 110 or the UE 120 (such as by using the processing system 145 or the processing system 140, respectively, and / or one or more coupled modems) may perform signal processing on the information (such as filtering, amplification, modulation, digital-to-analog conversion, an IFFT operation, multiplexing, interleaving, mapping, and / or encoding, among other examples) to generate a processed signal in accordance with the selected MCS. In some examples, the network node 110 or the UE 120 (for example, using the processing system 145 or the processing system 140, respectively, and / or one or more coupled encoders or modems) may perform a channel coding operation or a forward error correction (FEC) operation to control errors in transmitted information. For example, the network node 110 or the UE 120 may perform an encoding operation to generate encoded information (such as by selectively introducing redundancy into the information, typically using an error correction code (ECC) , such as a polar code or a low-density parity-check (LDPC) code) . The network node 110 or the UE 120 (for example, using the processing system 145 and / or one or more modems) may further perform spatial processing (for example, precoding) on the encoded information to generate one or more processed or precoded signals for downlink or uplink transmission, respectively. In some examples, the network node 110 or the UE 120 may perform codebook-based precoding or non-codebook-based precoding. Codebook-based precoding may involve selecting a precoder (for example, a precoding matrix) using a codebook. For example, the network node 110 may provide precoding information indicating which precoder, defined by the codebook, is to be used by the UE 120. Non-codebook-based precoding may involve selecting or deriving a precoder based on, or otherwise associated with, one or more downlink or uplink signal measurements. The network node 110 or the UE 120 may transmit the processed downlink or uplink signals, respectively, via one or more antennas.
[0066] The network node 110 or the UE 120 may receive uplink signals or downlink signals, respectively, via one or more antennas. The network node 110 or the UE 120 (for example, using the processing system 145 or the processing system 140, respectively, and / or one or more coupled modems) may perform signal processing (for example, in accordance with the MCS) on the received uplink or downlink signals, respectively (such as filtering, amplification, demodulation, analog-to-digital conversion, an FFT operation, demultiplexing, deinterleaving, de-mapping, equalization, interference cancellation, and / or decoding, among other examples) , to map the received signal (s) to a sequence of binary bits (for example, received information) that estimates the information transmitted by the network node 110 or the UE 120 via the downlink or uplink signals. The network node 110 or the UE 120 (for example, using the processing system 145 or the processing system 140, respectively, and / or a coupled decoder or one or more modems) may decode the received information (such as by using an ECC, a decoding operation, and / or an FEC operation) to detect errors and / or correct bit errors in the received information to generate decoded information. The decoded information may estimate the information transmitted via the downlink or uplink signals.
[0067] In some examples, a UE 120 and a network node 110 may perform MIMO communication. “MIMO” generally refers to transmitting or receiving multiple signals (such as multiple layers or multiple data streams) simultaneously over the same time and frequency resources. MIMO techniques generally exploit multipath propagation. A network node 110 and / or UE 120 may communicate using massive MIMO, multi-user MIMO, or single-user MIMO, which may involve rapid switching between beams or cells. For example, the amplitudes and / or phases of signals transmitted via antenna elements and / or sub-elements may be modulated and shifted relative to each other (such as by manipulating a phase shift, a phase offset, and / or an amplitude) to generate one or more beams, which is referred to as beamforming. For example, the network node 110b may generate one or more beams 160a, and the UE 120b may generate one or more beams 160b. The term “beam” may refer to a directional transmission of a wireless signal toward a receiving device or otherwise in a desired direction, a directional reception of a wireless signal from a transmitting device or otherwise in a desired direction, a direction associated with a directional transmission or directional reception, a set of directional resources associated with a signal transmission or signal reception (for example, an angle of arrival, a horizontal direction, and / or a vertical direction) , a set of parameters that indicate one or more aspects of a directional signal, a direction associated with the signal, and / or a set of directional resources associated with the signal, among other examples.
[0068] MIMO may be implemented using various spatial processing or spatial multiplexing operations. In some examples, MIMO may include a massive MIMO technique which may be associated with an increased (for example, “massive” ) quantity of antennas at the network node 110 and / or at the UE 120, such as in a network implementing mmWave technology. Massive MIMO may improve communication reliability by enabling a network node 110 and / or a UE 120 to communicate the same data across different propagation (or spatial) paths. In some examples, MIMO may support simultaneous transmission to multiple receivers, referred to as multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) . Some RATs may employ MIMO techniques, such as multi-TRP (mTRP) operation (including redundant transmission or reception on multiple TRPs) , reciprocity in the time domain or the frequency domain, single-frequency-network (SFN) transmission, or non-coherent joint transmission (NC-JT) .
[0069] To support MIMO techniques, the network node 110 and the UE 120 may perform one or more beam management operations, such as an initial beam acquisition operation, one or more beam refinement operations, and / or a beam recovery operation. For example, an initial beam acquisition operation may involve the network node 110 transmitting signals (for example, SSBs, CSI-RSs, or other signals) via respective beams (for example, of the beams 160a of the network node 110) and the UE 120 receiving and measuring the signal (s) via respective beams of multiple beams (for example, from the beams 160b of the UE 120) to identify a best beam (or beam pair) for communication between the UE 120 and the network node 110. For example, the UE 120 may transmit an indication (for example, in a message associated with a random access channel (RACH) operation) of a (best) identified beam of the network node 110 (for example, by indicating an SSBRI or other identifier associated with the beam) . A beam refinement operation may involve a first device (for example, the UE 120 or the network node 110) transmitting signal (s) via a subset of beams (for example, identified based on, or otherwise associated with, measurements reported as part of one or more other beam management operations) . A second device (for example, the network node 110 or the UE 120) may receive the signal (s) via a single beam (for example, to identify the best beam for communication from the subset of beams) . The beam (s) may be identified via one or more spatial parameters, such as a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state and / or a quasi co-location (QCL) parameter, among other examples. The network node 110 and the UE 120 may increase reliability and / or achieve efficiencies in throughput, signal strength, and / or other signal properties for massive MIMO operations by performing the beam management operations.
[0070] Some aspects and techniques as described herein may be implemented, at least in part, using an AI program (for example, referred to herein as an “AI / ML model” ) , such as a program that includes an ML model and / or an artificial neural network (ANN) model. The AI / ML model may be deployed at one or more devices 165 (for example, a network node 110 and / or UEs 120) . For example, the one or more devices 165 may include a UE 120 (for example, the processing system 140) , a network node 110 (for example, the processing system 145) , one or more servers, and / or one or more components of a cloud computing network, among other examples. In some examples, the AI / ML model (or an instance of the AI / ML model) may be deployed at multiple devices (for example, a first portion of the AI / ML model may be deployed at a UE 120 and a second portion of the AI / ML model may be deployed at a network node 110) . In other examples, a first AI / ML model may be deployed at a UE 120 and a second AI / ML model may be deployed at a network node 110. The AI / ML model (s) may be configured to enhance various aspects of the wireless communication network 100. For example, the AI / ML model (s) may be trained to identify patterns or relationships in data corresponding to the wireless communication network 100, a device, and / or an air interface, among other examples. The AI / ML model (s) may support operational decisions relating to one or more aspects associated with wireless communications devices, networks, or services.
[0071] In some aspects, the UE 120 may include a communication manager 150. As described in more detail elsewhere herein, the communication manager 150 may receive, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF; select, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold; and start or stop an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold.
[0072] Additionally, or alternatively, as described in more detail elsewhere herein, the communication manager 150 may start an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold; transmit assistance information based on starting the RLF timer; receive handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources; and perform a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring. Additionally, or alternatively, the communication manager 150 may perform one or more other operations described herein.
[0073] In some aspects, the network node 110 may include a communication manager 155. As described in more detail elsewhere herein, the communication manager 155 may transmit RLF configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes; receive assistance information associated with an RLF event; and transmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0074] Additionally, or alternatively, as described in more detail elsewhere herein, the communication manager 155 may transmit RLF configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF; receive assistance information associated with an RLF event; and transmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources. Additionally, or alternatively, the communication manager 155 may perform one or more other operations described herein.
[0075] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example disaggregated network node architecture 200, in accordance with the present disclosure. One or more components of the example disaggregated network node architecture 200 may be, may include, or may be included in one or more network nodes (such one or more network nodes 110) . The disaggregated network node architecture 200 may include a CU 210 that can communicate directly with a core network 220 via a backhaul link, or that can communicate indirectly with the core network 220 via one or more disaggregated control units, such as a non-real-time (Non-RT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) 250 associated with a Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) Framework 260 and / or a near-real-time (Near-RT) RIC 270 (for example, via an E2 link) . The CU 210 may communicate with one or more DUs 230 via respective midhaul links, such as via F1 interfaces. Each of the DUs 230 may communicate with one or more RUs 240 via respective fronthaul links. Each of the RUs 240 may communicate with one or more UEs 120 via respective RF access links. In some deployments, a UE 120 may be simultaneously served by multiple RUs 240.
[0076] Each of the components of the disaggregated network node architecture 200, including the CUs 210, the DUs 230, the RUs 240, the Near-RT RICs 270, the Non-RT RICs 250, and the SMO Framework 260, may include one or more interfaces or may be coupled with one or more interfaces for receiving or transmitting signals, such as data or information, via a wired or wireless transmission medium.
[0077] In some aspects, the CU 210 may be logically split into one or more CU user plane (CU-UP) units and one or more CU control plane (CU-CP) units. A CU-UP unit may communicate bidirectionally with a CU-CP unit via an interface, such as the E1 interface when implemented in an O-RAN configuration. The CU 210 may be deployed to communicate with one or more DUs 230, as necessary, for network control and signaling. Each DU 230 may correspond to a logical unit that includes one or more base station functions to control the operation of one or more RUs 240. For example, a DU 230 may host various layers, such as an RLC layer, a MAC layer, or one or more PHY layers, such as one or more high PHY layers or one or more low PHY layers. Each layer (which also may be referred to as a module) may be implemented with an interface for communicating signals with other layers (and modules) hosted by the DU 230, or for communicating signals with the control functions hosted by the CU 210. Each RU 240 may implement lower layer functionality. In some aspects, real-time and non-real-time aspects of control and user plane communication with the RU (s) 240 may be controlled by the corresponding DU 230.
[0078] The SMO Framework 260 may support RAN deployment and provisioning of non-virtualized and virtualized network elements. For non-virtualized network elements, the SMO Framework 260 may support the deployment of dedicated physical resources for RAN coverage requirements, which may be managed via an operations and maintenance interface, such as an O1 interface. For virtualized network elements, the SMO Framework 260 may interact with a cloud computing platform (such as an open cloud (O-Cloud) platform 290) to perform network element life cycle management (such as to instantiate virtualized network elements) via a cloud computing platform interface, such as an O2 interface. A virtualized network element may include, but is not limited to, a CU 210, a DU 230, an RU 240, a non-RT RIC 250, and / or a Near-RT RIC 270. In some aspects, the SMO Framework 260 may communicate with a hardware aspect of a 4G RAN, a 5G NR RAN, and / or a 6G RAN, such as an open eNB (O-eNB) 280, via an O1 interface. Additionally or alternatively, the SMO Framework 260 may communicate directly with each of one or more RUs 240 via a respective O1 interface. In some deployments, this configuration can enable each DU 230 and the CU 210 to be implemented in a cloud-based RAN architecture, such as a vRAN architecture.
[0079] The Non-RT RIC 250 may include or may implement a logical function that enables non-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources, AI / ML workflows including model training and updates, and / or policy-based guidance of applications and / or features in the Near-RT RIC 270. The Non-RT RIC 250 may be coupled to or may communicate with (such as via an A1 interface) the Near-RT RIC 270. The Near-RT RIC 270 may include or may implement a logical function that enables near-real-time control and optimization of RAN elements and resources via data collection and actions via an interface (such as via an E2 interface) connecting one or more CUs 210, one or more DUs 230, and / or an O-eNB 280 with the Near-RT RIC 270.
[0080] In some aspects, to generate AI / ML models to be deployed in the Near-RT RIC 270, the Non-RT RIC 250 may receive parameters or external enrichment information from external servers. Such information may be utilized by the Near-RT RIC 270 and may be received at the SMO Framework 260 or the Non-RT RIC 250 from non-network data sources or from network functions. In some examples, the Non-RT RIC 250 or the Near-RT RIC 270 may tune RAN behavior or performance. For example, the Non-RT RIC 250 may monitor long-term trends and patterns for performance and may employ AI / ML models to perform corrective actions via the SMO Framework 260 (such as reconfiguration via an O1 interface) or via creation of RAN management policies (such as A1 interface policies) .
[0081] The network node 110, the processing system 145 of the network node 110, the UE 120, the processing system 140 of the UE 120, the CU 210, the DU 230, the RU 240, or any other component (s) of Fig. 1 and / or Fig. 2 may implement one or more techniques or perform one or more operations associated with radio link failure prediction and recovery, as described in more detail elsewhere herein. For example, the processing system 145 of the network node 110, the processing system 140 of the UE 120, the CU 210, the DU 230, or the RU 240 may perform or direct operations of, for example, process 500 of Fig. 5, process 600 of Fig. 6, process 700 of Fig. 7, process 800 of Fig. 8, or other processes as described herein (alone or in conjunction with one or more other processors) . Memory of the network node 110 may store data and program code (or instructions) for the network node 110, the CU 210, the DU 230, or the RU 240. In some examples, the memory of the network node 110 may store data relating to a UE 120, such as RRC state information or a UE context. Memory of a UE 120 may store data and program code (or instructions) for the UE 120, such as context information. In some examples, the memory of the UE 120 or the memory of the network node 110 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication. For example, the set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors (for example, of the processing system 145 or the processing system 140) of the network node 110, the UE 120, the CU 210, the DU 230, or the RU 240, may cause the one or more processors to perform process 500 of Fig. 5, process 600 of Fig. 6, process 700 of Fig. 7, process 800 of Fig. 8, or other processes as described herein. In some examples, executing instructions may include running the instructions, converting the instructions, compiling the instructions, and / or interpreting the instructions, among other examples.
[0082] In some aspects, the UE (e.g., UE 120) includes means for receiving, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF; means for selecting, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold; and / or means for starting or stopping an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold. The means for the UE to perform operations described herein may include, for example, one or more of communication manager 150, processing system 140, a radio, one or more RF chains, one or more transceivers, one or more antennas, one or more modems, a reception component (for example, reception component 902 depicted and described in connection with Fig. 9) , and / or a transmission component (for example, transmission component 904 depicted and described in connection with Fig. 9) , among other examples.
[0083] In some aspects, the network node (e.g., network node 110) includes means for transmitting RLF configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes; means for receiving assistance information associated with an RLF event; and / or means for transmitting, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources. The means for the network node to perform operations described herein may include, for example, one or more of communication manager 155, processing system 145, a radio, one or more RF chains, one or more transceivers, one or more antennas, one or more modems, a reception component (for example, reception component 1002 depicted and described in connection with Fig. 10) , and / or a transmission component (for example, transmission component 1004 depicted and described in connection with Fig. 10) , among other examples.
[0084] In some aspects, the UE (e.g., UE 120) includes means for starting an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold; means for transmitting assistance information based on starting the RLF timer; means for receiving handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources; and / or means for performing a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring. The means for the UE to perform operations described herein may include, for example, one or more of communication manager 150, processing system 140, a radio, one or more RF chains, one or more transceivers, one or more antennas, one or more modems, a reception component (for example, reception component 902 depicted and described in connection with Fig. 9) , and / or a transmission component (for example, transmission component 904 depicted and described in connection with Fig. 9) , among other examples.
[0085] In some aspects, the network node (e.g., network node 110) includes means for transmitting RLF configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF; means for receiving assistance information associated with an RLF event; and / or means for transmitting, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources. The means for the network node to perform operations described herein may include, for example, one or more of communication manager 155, processing system 145, a radio, one or more RF chains, one or more transceivers, one or more antennas, one or more modems, a reception component (for example, reception component 1002 depicted and described in connection with Fig. 10) , and / or a transmission component (for example, transmission component 1004 depicted and described in connection with Fig. 10) , among other examples.
[0086] Fig. 3 is a diagram depicting an example 300 related to RLF, in accordance with the present disclosure. Fig. 3 depicts indications passing between "Layer 1" and "RRC" within a UE (e.g., UE 120) . Layer 1 refers to the physical layer of the communication protocol stack, which is responsible for the actual transmission and reception of data over the air. RRC refers to the control plane protocol that handles the configuration and maintenance of the radio connection, mobility management, and handover procedures, among other examples.
[0087] As shown by reference number 302, the out-of-sync indication counter (e.g., N310 counter) may be used to track out-of-sync indications received from Layer 1. For example, the out-of-sync indication counter may increment each time an out-of-sync indication is received, reflecting a decrease in the radio link quality. Out-of-sync indications may correspond to indications that downlink communications may not be reliably received, e.g., as indicated by the block error rate (BLER) exceeding a predefined threshold.
[0088] As shown by reference number 304, when the out-of-sync indication counter reaches a threshold value, a first timer (e.g., a physical layer timer, or T310 timer) may be started. The first timer starting indicates that the radio link quality has deteriorated to a point where corrective action may be taken if, for example, the first timer expires before the radio link quality improves. The first timer may continue to run as long as the out-of-sync condition persists and provides a period during which the UE continues to monitor the link quality in an attempt to recover before declaring RLF. If the radio problems are resolved before the first timer expires, then the first timer stops, preventing an unnecessary RLF declaration. However, if the first timer expires without recovery, RLF may be declared.
[0089] As shown by reference number 306, a second timer (e.g., a measurement report timer, or T312 timer) starts based on a measurement report triggered for a measurement identity configured with the second timer. For example, the second timer may begin upon particular conditions, such as triggering a measurement report for an identity for which the second timer has been configured while the first timer is active. The second timer may provide an additional or alternative opportunity for the UE to declare RLF, particularly when movement-related factors may cause the radio link quality to degrade and warrant action before the first timer expires. In some examples, the value of the second timer is smaller than the first timer, offering an earlier opportunity for declaring RLF after a measurement report.
[0090] As shown by reference number 308, an in-sync indication counter (e.g., N311 counter) may be used to track in-sync indications received from Layer 1. For example, the in-sync indication counter may increment each time an in-sync indication is received, reflecting an improvement in the radio link quality. In-sync indications may correspond to indications that the downlink communications quality has improved, e.g., indicated by the BLER dropping below another predefined threshold.
[0091] As shown by reference number 310, when the in-sync indication counter reaches a threshold value before the first or second timers expire, the first and second timers may stop. The threshold value for the first timer may be the same or different from the threshold value for the second timer. For example, if enough in-sync indications are received during the first and / or second timer periods, the timers will stop, indicating that the radio link has stabilized and obviating the need to declare RLF. Alternatively, upon expiration of either the first timer or the second timer without recovery of the radio link quality, the UE may declare RLF.
[0092] As shown by reference number 312, the UE may declare RLF, e.g., if either the first or second timer expires, indicating sustained poor link quality. The RLF declaration may initiate steps to re-establish the radio link, such as attempting to connect to another cell or performing other recovery procedures.
[0093] As indicated above, Fig. 3 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what is described with regard to Fig. 3. In some examples, the threshold values, such as the threshold values for the out-of-sync indication counter and the in-sync indication counter, may be selected by UE from a set of configured values (e.g., threshold values previously configured by the network) .
[0094] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example 400 associated with RLF prediction and recovery, in accordance with the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 4, a network node (e.g., network node 110) and a UE (e.g., UE 120) may communicate with one another.
[0095] As shown by reference number 405, the network node may transmit, and the UE may receive, configuration information. For example, the network node may transmit, and the UE may receive, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF.
[0096] In some aspects, the at least one maximum counter threshold includes one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with starting an RLF timer, and / or one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with stopping the RLF timer. For example, a maximum counter threshold associated with starting an RLF timer may define a limit on how many out-of-sync indications the UE encounters before starting the RLF timer. This may enable the UE to select a counter threshold that might trigger the RLF timer earlier than would otherwise be possible (e.g., which may lead to an earlier RLF declaration and / or recovery) , or later than would otherwise be possible (e.g., which would delay the RLF timer from being started prematurely) . A maximum counter threshold associated with stopping the RLF timer may define a limit on how many in-sync indications the UE encounters before stopping the RLF timer. This may enable the UE to select a counter threshold that might ensure the RLF timer expires sooner (e.g., ensuring earlier RLF) or later (e.g., ensuring more time for the UE to recover) . The maximum counter thresholds may be separate thresholds for starting and / or stopping the RLF timer, and more than one threshold may enable the UE to dynamically select an appropriate threshold based on network conditions and, in some examples, AI / ML predictions of the UE. In some aspects, the configuration information may indicate a range of maximum threshold values, enabling the UE to select from the range (e.g., based on UE capabilities)
[0097] In some aspects, the configuration information may further indicate different thresholds for different RLF trigger causes. For example, separate thresholds for physical channel triggered failures (e.g., T310 related failures) and measurement report triggered failures (e.g., T312 related failures) can provide more precise control over when RLF timers are started and / or stopped. In this situation, for example, a smaller in-sync indication counter threshold may be selected for in-sync indications when the RLF timer is triggered based on a measurement report, as when measurement results are successful, fewer in-sync indications may be needed to provide a reliable indication that RLF declaration can be avoided, so the RLF timer may be stopped early without declaring RLF.
[0098] In some aspects, the network node may use parameters, such as signal strength thresholds and / or average user throughput, to identify counter thresholds. For example, the network node may adjust a range of maximum threshold values based on average positioning metrics and / or historical data of radio link failures, among other examples.
[0099] As shown by reference number 410, the UE may select a counter threshold. For example, the UE may, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, select a counter threshold from the maximum counter threshold (s) indicated in the configuration information. In some aspects, the configuration information may indicate multiple possible maximum counter thresholds, or a range of maximum counter thresholds (e.g., for starting an RLF timer and / or for stopping an RLF timer) , and the UE may select a counter threshold from the multiple maximum counter thresholds or within the range of maximum counter thresholds (e.g., based on the configuration information) .
[0100] In some aspects, the UE may use AI and / or ML capabilities to predict radio link quality. For example, AI / ML models accessible to the UE (e.g., deployed at the UE or otherwise accessible to the UE) may analyze historical and / or real-time data to predict conditions that might lead to RLF. For instance, the UE may use an AI / ML model to analyze patterns of signal strength variations as the UE moves through different geographical areas to forecast potential radio link failures due to weak coverage zones. Additionally, or alternatively, an AI / ML model may use factors such as mobility patterns (e.g., whether the UE is mobile or stationary) , time of day, weather conditions, location of the UE with respect to a cell edge, and / or interference levels from neighboring cells, among other examples, to generate accurate predictions of impending RLF events.
[0101] In some aspects, using AI / ML to predict radio link quality may enable the UE to proactively select an appropriate counter threshold. For example, in situations where the prediction indicates poor radio conditions are likely to be temporary or likely to improve, the UE may select a counter threshold that prolongs the time before RLF timers begin and / or a counter threshold that prolongs the time for the UE to recover before declaring RLF. Conversely, if a prediction indicates poor radio conditions are likely to be persistent or worsen, the UE may select a counter threshold that triggers an RLF timer earlier and / or select a counter threshold that increases the number of in-sync indications before stopping an RLF timer and preventing an RLF declaration. In some aspects, the UE predictions may be ongoing, and new thresholds may be selected based on changing conditions and updated predictions from the UE. For example, a prediction of radio link quality may change over time such that selection of a different counter threshold is appropriate, and in these situations, the UE may change the counter threshold based on a change associated with the predicted radio link quality. The use of predictions in selecting counter thresholds may enable the UE to reduce unnecessary RLF declarations when recovery is likely and / or declare RLF early when recovery is unlikely.
[0102] In some aspects, the UE may select the counter threshold based on a prediction indicating that the radio link quality may cause RLF or is likely to cause RLF. In this situation, the selected counter threshold may be a maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer. For example, when multiple maximum counter thresholds for starting an RLF timer are available to the UE (e.g., as indicated by the configuration information) , the UE may choose a lower counter threshold when the prediction indicates RLF is likely (e.g., RLF likeliness, as predicted by AI / ML, satisfies a threshold likelihood of RLF) . This lower counter threshold may ensure the UE would start the RLF timer earlier in situations where the UE predicts RLF is likely.
[0103] In some aspects, the UE may select the counter threshold based on a prediction indicating that the radio link quality may recover from RLF or is likely to recover from RLF. In this situation, the selected counter threshold may be a maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer that is greater than another maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer. For example, when multiple maximum counter thresholds for starting an RLF timer are available to the UE, the UE may choose a higher counter threshold when the prediction indicates recovery from RLF (e.g., better radio link quality) or indicates that recover from RLF is likely (e.g., RLF recovery likeliness, as predicted by AI / ML, satisfies a threshold likelihood of recovery from RLF) . This higher counter threshold may ensure the UE would start the RLF timer later in situations where the UE predicts RLF is unlikely.
[0104] In some aspects, the UE may select separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes. For example, as described herein, the configuration information may indicate separate thresholds for physical channel failures and measurement report-triggered failures, and the UE may select the corresponding counter thresholds for those types of failures.
[0105] As shown by reference number 415, in some aspects, the UE may start an RLF timer early. For example, the UE may start the RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the selected counter threshold.
[0106] In some aspects, the UE may start the RLF timer based on a number of out-of-sync indications satisfying the selected threshold for starting the RLF timer. As described herein, the UE may have selected the counter threshold based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, such that starting the UE starts the RLF timer early (e.g., earlier than the UE would start the time relative to other counter threshold values not selected by the UE and / or a default threshold value configured by the network node) , in a manner designed to ensure RLF is declared earlier than it would be declared when a different counter threshold was selected.
[0107] In some aspects, starting an RLF timer early may include the UE using out-of-sync indications from Layer 1 (e.g., BLER-based) and the selected counter threshold to determine when to start the RLF timer. For example, a number of out-of-sync indications, associated with a high BLER, exceeding the selected counter threshold may trigger the start of the RLF timer.
[0108] As shown by reference number 420, the UE may transmit, and the network node may receive, assistance information. For example, the UE may transmit assistance information based on starting the RLF timer. The assistance information may include a variety of information designed to assist in RLF declaration and / or recovery. For example, the assistance information may include a handover resource request, a measurement report associated with radio link quality, a preferred cell for handover, an RLF trigger cause, and / or an indication of UE power headroom, among other examples. For example, a handover request may include a request for resources that would enable the UE to declare RLF and perform a handover procedure to establish communications with another network node. By providing the network node with the assistance information, the UE may enable the network node to make informed decisions regarding handover and RLF management.
[0109] In some aspects, the configuration information may indicate when the assistance information is to be transmitted by the UE. For example, the UE may transmit the assistance information immediately after starting an RLF timer, after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer, after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, or after a measurement report is triggered while the RLF timer is running. Thus, while the transmission of assistance information is depicted as occurring after starting an RLF timer and before receiving handover resources, some or all of the assistance information may be communicated at another time.
[0110] In some aspects, the UE may transmit the assistance information in association with a random access procedure failure or multi-times retransmission failure. For example, at least a portion of the assistance information (e.g., a request for handover resource) may be included in a report transmitted by the UE regarding failed random access attempts or multi-times retransmission failures.
[0111] As shown by reference number 425, the network node may transmit, and the UE may receive, a handover configuration. For example, the network node may transmit, based on the assistance information, a handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources. The handover resources may provide the UE with the resources to be used for requesting a handover, e.g., as a result of declaring RLF. In some aspects, the handover configuration may include information regarding conditional handover resources. For example, the network node may assign specific resources with conditions suitable for various RLF scenarios based at least in part on the assistance information, and the resources may enable the UE to execute a handover assuming the conditions are met.
[0112] In some aspects, the handover configuration may include a fallback configuration, e.g., in a situation where the UE prediction (e.g., as indicated by the assistance information) is deemed unsuitable. For example, if the network node disagrees with any aspect of the UE prediction, such as the actual UE prediction, a threshold value selected by the UE, any assistance information, or any UE preferred values, thresholds, and / or information, among other examples, a pre-defined fallback procedure may be triggered to ensure reliable RLF management. For example, the handover configuration may cause the UE to revert to a predetermined threshold and / or RLF timer to prevent service disruption.
[0113] As shown by reference number 430, in some aspects, the UE may perform a handover (e.g., earlier than might otherwise be performed with a different counter threshold, such as a different counter threshold indicated in the configuration information and / or a default counter threshold configured by the network node) . For example, the UE and perform a handover using the handover resources indicated by the handover configuration prior to the expiration of the RLF timer. Performing the handover may result in the UE being handed over to a better cell, reduce the time and resources spent by the UE declaring RLF and / or attempting to recover from RLF, and potentially reduce additional RLF procedures by that UE for time spent in conditions with weak radio link quality. In addition, performing the handover without declaring RLF may conserve network and / or processing resources by obviating the need reestablish the entire protocol, flush the buffer, and handle the ensuing data interruption.
[0114] In some aspects, the UE may perform a conditional handover (CHO) during the running of the RLF timer using pre-configured CHO resources from the network. For example, these CHO resources may be the same as or distinct from regular CHO resources that enable the UE to perform a handover before expiration of the RLF timer.
[0115] As shown by reference number 435, in some aspects, the UE may stop the RLF timer. In some aspects, the RLF timer may be stopped early relative to the amount of time the RLF timer would otherwise run without action by the UE. For example, the RLF timer may be stopped upon declaration of RLF, successful initiation or completion of a handover process, or even upon initiation of a handover process. In some aspects, the RLF timer may be stopped prior to performing a handover.
[0116] As indicated above, Fig. 4 is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what is described with respect to Fig. 4.
[0117] In this way, the various techniques described herein may conserve network resources by reducing unnecessary RLF declarations and / or facilitating early RLF declarations. The predictive selection of counter thresholds and AI / ML-driven processes also enable the UE to take advantage of handover mechanisms that align with the anticipated link status, which may enable faster decision making and / or conserve network, processing, and power resources, among other examples. In addition, the techniques described herein enable a more granular and efficient approach to managing radio link quality, significantly reducing the impact of link issues on overall network performance.
[0118] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example process 500 performed, for example, at a UE or an apparatus of a UE, in accordance with the present disclosure. Example process 500 is an example where the apparatus or the UE (e.g., UE 120) performs operations associated with RLF prediction and recovery.
[0119] As shown in Fig. 5, in some aspects, process 500 may include receiving, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF (block 510) . For example, the UE (e.g., using reception component 902 and / or communication manager 906, depicted in Fig. 9) may receive, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF, as described above.
[0120] As further shown in Fig. 5, in some aspects, process 500 may include selecting, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold (block 520) . For example, the UE (e.g., using communication manager 906, depicted in Fig. 9) may select, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold, as described above.
[0121] As further shown in Fig. 5, in some aspects, process 500 may include starting or stopping an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold (block 530) . For example, the UE (e.g., using communication manager 906, depicted in Fig. 9) may start or stop an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold, as described above.
[0122] Process 500 may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.
[0123] In a first aspect, the prediction is based on artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities of the UE.
[0124] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the at least one maximum counter threshold includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes.
[0125] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, selecting the counter threshold comprises selecting a first counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a physical channel failure, or selecting a second counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a measurement report.
[0126] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, the at least one maximum counter threshold comprises at least one of one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with starting the RLF timer, or one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with stopping the RLF timer.
[0127] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may cause RLF, selecting the counter threshold comprises selecting, from the at least one maximum counter threshold, a maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer, and starting or stopping the RLF timer comprises starting the RLF timer.
[0128] In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifth aspects, the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may recover from RLF, selecting the counter threshold comprises selecting, from the at least one maximum counter threshold, a maximum counter threshold for stopping the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for stopping the RLF timer, and starting or stopping the RLF timer comprises stopping the RLF timer.
[0129] In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixth aspects, starting or stopping the RLF timer comprises starting the RLF timer, and process 500 includes transmitting assistance information based on starting the RLF timer.
[0130] In an eighth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventh aspects, transmitting the assistance information comprises transmitting the assistance information immediately after starting the RLF timer, after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer, after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, or after a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.
[0131] In a ninth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eighth aspects, the assistance information comprises at least one of a handover resource request, a measurement report associated with the radio link quality, a preferred cell for handover, an RLF trigger cause, or an indication of UE power headroom.
[0132] In a tenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through ninth aspects, process 500 includes receiving handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources, and performing a handover using the handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.
[0133] In an eleventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through tenth aspects, process 500 includes receiving RLF configuration information indicating the counter threshold, selecting, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold, and
[0134] In a twelfth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eleventh aspects, the counter threshold is one of a plurality of maximum counter thresholds included in the RLF configuration information, and process 500 includes selecting, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, the counter threshold from the plurality of maximum counter thresholds.
[0135] In a thirteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through twelfth aspects, the prediction is based on artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities of the UE.
[0136] In a fourteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through thirteenth aspects, the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes.
[0137] In a fifteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourteenth aspects, selecting the counter threshold comprises selecting a first counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a physical channel failure, or selecting a second counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a measurement report.
[0138] In a sixteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifteenth aspects, the plurality of maximum counter thresholds comprises at least one of one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with starting the RLF timer, or one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with stopping the RLF timer.
[0139] In a seventeenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixteenth aspects, the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may cause RLF, selecting the counter threshold comprises selecting, from the at least one maximum counter threshold, a maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer, and starting or stopping the RLF timer comprises starting the RLF timer.
[0140] In an eighteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventeenth aspects, the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may cause recovery from RLF, selecting the counter threshold comprises selecting, from the at least one maximum counter threshold, a maximum counter threshold for stopping the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for stopping the RLF timer, and starting or stopping the RLF timer comprises stopping the RLF timer.
[0141] Although Fig. 5 shows example blocks of process 500, in some aspects, process 500 may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in Fig. 5. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 500 may be performed in parallel.
[0142] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example process 600 performed, for example, at a network node or an apparatus of a network node, in accordance with the present disclosure. Example process 600 is an example where the apparatus or the network node (e.g., network node 110) performs operations associated with radio link failure prediction and recovery.
[0143] As shown in Fig. 6, in some aspects, process 600 may include transmitting RLF configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes (block 610) . For example, the network node (e.g., using transmission component 1004 and / or communication manager 1006, depicted in Fig. 10) may transmit RLF configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes, as described above. In some aspects, the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes.
[0144] As further shown in Fig. 6, in some aspects, process 600 may include receiving assistance information associated with an RLF event (block 620) . For example, the network node (e.g., using reception component 1002 and / or communication manager 1006, depicted in Fig. 10) may receive assistance information associated with an RLF event, as described above.
[0145] As further shown in Fig. 6, in some aspects, process 600 may include transmitting, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources (block 630) . For example, the network node (e.g., using transmission component 1004 and / or communication manager 1006, depicted in Fig. 10) may transmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources, as described above.
[0146] Process 600 may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.
[0147] In a first aspect, the configuration information further indicates that the assistance information is to be transmitted by a UE immediately after starting an RLF timer, after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer, after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, or after a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.
[0148] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the assistance information comprises at least one of a handover resource request, a measurement report associated with the RLF event, a preferred cell for handover, an RLF trigger cause, or an indication of UE power headroom.
[0149] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, a first counter threshold, of the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, is associated with a physical channel triggered failure, and a second counter threshold, of the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, is associated with a measurement report triggered failure.
[0150] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, the plurality of maximum counter thresholds comprises at least one of one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with starting an RLF timer, or one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with stopping the RLF timer.
[0151] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, transmitting the handover configuration information comprises transmitting the handover configuration information before expiration of an RLF timer associated with the RLF event.
[0152] Although Fig. 6 shows example blocks of process 600, in some aspects, process 600 may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in Fig. 6. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 600 may be performed in parallel.
[0153] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example process 700 performed, for example, at a UE or an apparatus of a UE, in accordance with the present disclosure. Example process 700 is an example where the apparatus or the UE (e.g., UE 120) performs operations associated with radio link failure prediction and recovery.
[0154] As shown in Fig. 7, in some aspects, process 700 may include starting an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold (block 710) . For example, the UE (e.g., using communication manager 906, depicted in Fig. 9) may start an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold, as described above.
[0155] As further shown in Fig. 7, in some aspects, process 700 may include transmitting assistance information based on starting the RLF timer (block 720) . For example, the UE (e.g., using transmission component 904 and / or communication manager 906, depicted in Fig. 9) may transmit assistance information based on starting the RLF timer, as described above.
[0156] As further shown in Fig. 7, in some aspects, process 700 may include receiving handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources (block 730) . For example, the UE (e.g., using reception component 902 and / or communication manager 906, depicted in Fig. 9) may receive handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources, as described above.
[0157] As further shown in Fig. 7, in some aspects, process 700 may include performing a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring (block 740) . For example, the UE (e.g., using communication manager 906, depicted in Fig. 9) may perform a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring, as described above.
[0158] Process 700 may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.
[0159] In a first aspect, transmitting the assistance information comprises transmitting the assistance information immediately after starting the RLF timer, after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer, after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, or after a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.
[0160] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the assistance information comprises at least one of a handover resource request, a measurement report associated with the radio link quality, a preferred cell for handover, an RLF trigger cause, or an indication of UE power headroom.
[0161] Although Fig. 7 shows example blocks of process 700, in some aspects, process 700 may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in Fig. 7. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 700 may be performed in parallel.
[0162] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example process 800 performed, for example, at a network node or an apparatus of a network node, in accordance with the present disclosure. Example process 800 is an example where the apparatus or the network node (e.g., network node 110) performs operations associated with radio link failure prediction and recovery.
[0163] As shown in Fig. 8, in some aspects, process 800 may include transmitting RLF configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF (block 810) . For example, the network node (e.g., using transmission component 1004 and / or communication manager 1006, depicted in Fig. 10) may transmit RLF configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF, as described above.
[0164] As further shown in Fig. 8, in some aspects, process 800 may include receiving assistance information associated with an RLF event (block 820) . For example, the network node (e.g., using reception component 1002 and / or communication manager 1006, depicted in Fig. 10) may receive assistance information associated with an RLF event, as described above.
[0165] As further shown in Fig. 8, in some aspects, process 800 may include transmitting, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources (block 830) . For example, the network node (e.g., using transmission component 1004 and / or communication manager 1006, depicted in Fig. 10) may transmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources, as described above.
[0166] Process 800 may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and / or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.
[0167] In a first aspect, the configuration information further indicates that the assistance information is to be transmitted by a UE immediately after starting an RLF timer, after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer, after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, or after a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.
[0168] In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the assistance information comprises at least one of a handover resource request, a measurement report associated with the RLF event, a preferred cell for handover, an RLF trigger cause, or an indication of UE power headroom.
[0169] In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, the counter threshold is one of a plurality of maximum counter thresholds indicated by the RLF configuration information, a first counter threshold, of the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, is associated with a physical channel triggered failure, and a second counter threshold, of the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, is associated with a measurement report triggered failure.
[0170] In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, transmitting the handover configuration information comprises transmitting the handover configuration information before expiration of an RLF timer associated with the RLF event.
[0171] In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, transmitting the handover configuration information comprises transmitting the handover configuration information before expiration of an RLF timer associated with the RLF event.
[0172] Although Fig. 8 shows example blocks of process 800, in some aspects, process 800 may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in Fig. 8. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 800 may be performed in parallel.
[0173] Fig. 9 is a diagram of an example apparatus 900 for wireless communication, in accordance with the present disclosure. The apparatus 900 may be a UE, or a UE may include the apparatus 900. In some aspects, the apparatus 900 includes a reception component 902, a transmission component 904, and / or a communication manager 906, which may be in communication with one another (for example, via one or more buses and / or one or more other components) . In some aspects, the communication manager 906 is the communication manager 150 described in connection with Fig. 1. As shown, the apparatus 900 may communicate with another apparatus 908, such as a UE or a network node (such as a CU, a DU, an RU, or a base station) , using the reception component 902 and the transmission component 904. The communication manager 906 may be included in, or implemented via, a processing system (for example, the processing system 140 described in connection with Fig. 1) of the UE.
[0174] In some aspects, the apparatus 900 may be configured to perform one or more operations described herein in connection with Figs. 3 and 4. Additionally, or alternatively, the apparatus 900 may be configured to perform one or more processes described herein, such as process 500 of Fig. 5, process 700 of Fig. 7, or a combination thereof. In some aspects, the apparatus 900 and / or one or more components shown in Fig. 9 may include one or more components of the UE described in connection with Fig. 1. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components shown in Fig. 9 may be implemented within one or more components described in connection with Fig. 1. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the set of components may be implemented at least in part as software stored in one or more memories. For example, a component (or a portion of a component) may be implemented as instructions or code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by one or more controllers or one or more processors to perform the functions or operations of the component.
[0175] The reception component 902 may receive communications, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or a combination thereof, from the apparatus 908. The reception component 902 may provide received communications to one or more other components of the apparatus 900. In some aspects, the reception component 902 may perform signal processing on the received communications, and may provide the processed signals to the one or more other components of the apparatus 900. In some aspects, the reception component 902 may include one or more components of the UE described above in connection with Fig. 1, such as a radio, one or more RF chains, one or more transceivers, or one or more modems, each of which may in turn be coupled with one or more antennas of the UE.
[0176] The transmission component 904 may transmit communications, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or a combination thereof, to the apparatus 908. In some aspects, one or more other components of the apparatus 900 may generate communications and may provide the generated communications to the transmission component 904 for transmission to the apparatus 908. In some aspects, the transmission component 904 may perform signal processing on the generated communications, and may transmit the processed signals to the apparatus 908. In some aspects, the transmission component 904 may include one or more components of the UE described above in connection with Fig. 1, such as a radio, one or more RF chains, one or more transceivers, or one or more modems, each of which may in turn be coupled with one or more antennas of the UE described in connection with Fig. 1. In some aspects, the transmission component 904 may be co-located with the reception component 902.
[0177] The communication manager 906 may support operations of the reception component 902 and / or the transmission component 904. For example, the communication manager 906 may receive information associated with configuring reception of communications by the reception component 902 and / or transmission of communications by the transmission component 904. Additionally, or alternatively, the communication manager 906 may generate and / or provide control information to the reception component 902 and / or the transmission component 904 to control reception and / or transmission of communications.
[0178] The reception component 902 may receive, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF. The communication manager 906 may select, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold. The communication manager 906 may start or stop an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold.
[0179] The reception component 902 may receive handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0180] The communication manager 906 may perform a handover using the handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.
[0181] The reception component 902 may receive RLF configuration information indicating the counter threshold.
[0182] The communication manager 906 may select, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold.
[0183] The communication manager 906 may start an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold. The transmission component 904 may transmit assistance information based on starting the RLF timer. The reception component 902 may receive handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources. The communication manager 906 may perform a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.
[0184] The number and arrangement of components shown in Fig. 9 are provided as an example. In practice, there may be additional components, fewer components, different components, or differently arranged components than those shown in Fig. 9. Furthermore, two or more components shown in Fig. 9 may be implemented within a single component, or a single component shown in Fig. 9 may be implemented as multiple, distributed components. Additionally, or alternatively, a set of (one or more) components shown in Fig. 9 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components shown in Fig. 9.
[0185] Fig. 10 is a diagram of an example apparatus 1000 for wireless communication, in accordance with the present disclosure. The apparatus 1000 may be a network node, or a network node may include the apparatus 1000. In some aspects, the apparatus 1000 includes a reception component 1002, a transmission component 1004, and / or a communication manager 1006, which may be in communication with one another (for example, via one or more buses and / or one or more other components) . In some aspects, the communication manager 1006 is the communication manager 155 described in connection with Fig. 1. As shown, the apparatus 1000 may communicate with another apparatus 1008, such as a UE or a network node (such as a CU, a DU, an RU, or a base station) , using the reception component 1002 and the transmission component 1004. The communication manager 1006 may be included in, or implemented via, a processing system (for example, the processing system 145 described in connection with Fig. 1) of the network node.
[0186] In some aspects, the apparatus 1000 may be configured to perform one or more operations described herein in connection with Figs. 3 and 4. Additionally, or alternatively, the apparatus 1000 may be configured to perform one or more processes described herein, such as process 600 of Fig. 6, process 800 of Fig. 8, or a combination thereof. In some aspects, the apparatus 1000 and / or one or more components shown in Fig. 10 may include one or more components of the network node described in connection with Fig. 1. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components shown in Fig. 10 may be implemented within one or more components described in connection with Fig. 1. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more components of the set of components may be implemented at least in part as software stored in one or more memories. For example, a component (or a portion of a component) may be implemented as instructions or code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by one or more controllers or one or more processors to perform the functions or operations of the component.
[0187] The reception component 1002 may receive communications, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or a combination thereof, from the apparatus 1008. The reception component 1002 may provide received communications to one or more other components of the apparatus 1000. In some aspects, the reception component 1002 may perform signal processing on the received communications, and may provide the processed signals to the one or more other components of the apparatus 1000. In some aspects, the reception component 1002 may include one or more components of the network node described above in connection with Fig. 1, such as a radio, one or more RF chains, one or more transceivers, or one or more modems, each of which may in turn be coupled with one or more antennas of the network node. In some aspects, the reception component 1002 and / or the transmission component 1004 may include or may be included in a network interface. The network interface may be configured to obtain and / or output signals for the apparatus 1000 via one or more communications links, such as a backhaul link, a midhaul link, and / or a fronthaul link.
[0188] The transmission component 1004 may transmit communications, such as reference signals, control information, data communications, or a combination thereof, to the apparatus 1008. In some aspects, one or more other components of the apparatus 1000 may generate communications and may provide the generated communications to the transmission component 1004 for transmission to the apparatus 1008. In some aspects, the transmission component 1004 may perform signal processing on the generated communications, and may transmit the processed signals to the apparatus 1008. In some aspects, the transmission component 1004 may include one or more components of the network node described above in connection with Fig. 1, such as a radio, one or more RF chains, one or more transceivers, or one or more modems, each of which may in turn be coupled with one or more antennas of the network node described in connection with Fig. 1. In some aspects, the transmission component 1004 may be co-located with the reception component 1002.
[0189] The communication manager 1006 may support operations of the reception component 1002 and / or the transmission component 1004. For example, the communication manager 1006 may receive information associated with configuring reception of communications by the reception component 1002 and / or transmission of communications by the transmission component 1004. Additionally, or alternatively, the communication manager 1006 may generate and / or provide control information to the reception component 1002 and / or the transmission component 1004 to control reception and / or transmission of communications.
[0190] The transmission component 1004 may transmit RLF configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes. The reception component 1002 may receive assistance information associated with an RLF event. The transmission component 1004 may transmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0191] The transmission component 1004 may transmit RLF configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF. The reception component 1002 may receive assistance information associated with an RLF event. The transmission component 1004 may transmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0192] The number and arrangement of components shown in Fig. 10 are provided as an example. In practice, there may be additional components, fewer components, different components, or differently arranged components than those shown in Fig. 10. Furthermore, two or more components shown in Fig. 10 may be implemented within a single component, or a single component shown in Fig. 10 may be implemented as multiple, distributed components. Additionally, or alternatively, a set of (one or more) components shown in Fig. 10 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components shown in Fig. 10.
[0193] The following provides an overview of some Aspects of the present disclosure:
[0194] Aspect 1: A method of wireless communication performed by a UE, comprising: receiving, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with RLF; selecting, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold; and starting or stopping an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold.
[0195] Aspect 2: The method of Aspect 1, wherein the prediction is based on artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities of the UE.
[0196] Aspect 3: The method of any of Aspects 1-2, wherein the at least one maximum counter threshold includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes.
[0197] Aspect 4: The method of Aspect 3, wherein selecting the counter threshold comprises: selecting a first counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a physical channel failure, or selecting a second counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a measurement report.
[0198] Aspect 5: The method of any of Aspects 1-4, wherein the at least one maximum counter threshold comprises at least one of: one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with starting the RLF timer, or one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with stopping the RLF timer.
[0199] Aspect 6: The method of any of Aspects 1-5, wherein the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may cause RLF, wherein selecting the counter threshold comprises selecting, from the at least one maximum counter threshold, a maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer, and wherein starting or stopping the RLF timer comprises starting the RLF timer.
[0200] Aspect 7: The method of any of Aspects 1-6, wherein the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may recover from RLF, wherein selecting the counter threshold comprises selecting, from the at least one maximum counter threshold, a maximum counter threshold for stopping the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for stopping the RLF timer, and wherein starting or stopping the RLF timer comprises stopping the RLF timer.
[0201] Aspect 8: The method of any of Aspects 1-7, wherein starting or stopping the RLF timer comprises starting the RLF timer; and wherein the method further comprises: transmitting assistance information based on starting the RLF timer.
[0202] Aspect 9: The method of Aspect 8, wherein transmitting the assistance information comprises transmitting the assistance information: immediately after starting the RLF timer, after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer, after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, or after a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.
[0203] Aspect 10: The method of Aspect 8, wherein the assistance information comprises at least one of: a handover resource request, a measurement report associated with the radio link quality, a preferred cell for handover, an RLF trigger cause, or an indication of UE power headroom.
[0204] Aspect 11: The method of Aspect 8, further comprising: receiving handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources, and performing a handover using the handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.
[0205] Aspect 12: A method of wireless communication performed by a network node, comprising: transmitting RLF configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes; receiving assistance information associated with an RLF event; and transmitting, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0206] Aspect 13: The method of Aspect 12, wherein the configuration information further indicates that the assistance information is to be transmitted by a UE: immediately after starting an RLF timer, after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer, after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, or after a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.
[0207] Aspect 14: The method of any of Aspects 12-13, wherein the assistance information comprises at least one of: a handover resource request, a measurement report associated with the RLF event, a preferred cell for handover, an RLF trigger cause, or an indication of UE power headroom.
[0208] Aspect 15: The method of any of Aspects 12-14, wherein a first counter threshold, of the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, is associated with a physical channel triggered failure, and wherein a second counter threshold, of the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, is associated with a measurement report triggered failure.
[0209] Aspect 16: The method of any of Aspects 12-15, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds comprises at least one of: one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with starting an RLF timer, or one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with stopping the RLF timer.
[0210] Aspect 17: The method of any of Aspects 12-16, wherein transmitting the handover configuration information comprises: transmitting the handover configuration information before expiration of an RLF timer associated with the RLF event.
[0211] Aspect 18: A method of wireless communication performed by a UE, comprising: starting an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold; transmitting assistance information based on starting the RLF timer; receiving handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources; and performing a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.
[0212] Aspect 19: The method of Aspect 18, further comprising: receiving RLF configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold; and selecting, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, the counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold.
[0213] Aspect 20: The method of Aspect 19, wherein the counter threshold is one of a plurality of maximum counter thresholds included in the RLF configuration information; and wherein the method further comprises: selecting, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, the counter threshold from the plurality of maximum counter thresholds.
[0214] Aspect 21: The method of Aspect 20, wherein the prediction is based on artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities of the UE.
[0215] Aspect 22: The method of Aspect 20, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes.
[0216] Aspect 23: The method of Aspect 22, wherein selecting the counter threshold comprises: selecting a first counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a physical channel failure, or selecting a second counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a measurement report.
[0217] Aspect 24: The method of Aspect 20, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds comprises at least one of: one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with starting the RLF timer, or one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with stopping the RLF timer.
[0218] Aspect 25: The method of Aspect 20, wherein the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may cause RLF, wherein selecting the counter threshold comprises selecting, from the at least one maximum counter threshold, a maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer, and wherein starting or stopping the RLF timer comprises starting the RLF timer.
[0219] Aspect 26: The method of Aspect 20, wherein the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may cause recovery from RLF, wherein selecting the counter threshold comprises selecting, from the at least one maximum counter threshold, a maximum counter threshold for stopping the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for stopping the RLF timer, and wherein starting or stopping the RLF timer comprises stopping the RLF timer.
[0220] Aspect 27: The method of any of Aspects 18-26, wherein transmitting the assistance information comprises transmitting the assistance information: immediately after starting the RLF timer, after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer, after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, or after a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.
[0221] Aspect 28: The method of any of Aspects 18-27, wherein the assistance information comprises at least one of: a handover resource request, a measurement report associated with the radio link quality, a preferred cell for handover, an RLF trigger cause, or an indication of UE power headroom.
[0222] Aspect 29: A method of wireless communication performed by a network node, comprising: transmitting RLF configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF; receiving assistance information associated with an RLF event; and transmitting, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.
[0223] Aspect 30: The method of Aspect 29, wherein the configuration information further indicates that the assistance information is to be transmitted by a UE: immediately after starting an RLF timer, after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer, after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, or after a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.
[0224] Aspect 31: The method of any of Aspects 29-30, wherein the assistance information comprises at least one of: a handover resource request, a measurement report associated with the RLF event, a preferred cell for handover, an RLF trigger cause, or an indication of UE power headroom.
[0225] Aspect 32: The method of any of Aspects 29-31, wherein the counter threshold is one of a plurality of maximum counter thresholds indicated by the RLF configuration information, wherein a first counter threshold, of the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, is associated with a physical channel triggered failure, and wherein a second counter threshold, of the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, is associated with a measurement report triggered failure.
[0226] Aspect 33: The method of any of Aspects 29-32, wherein transmitting the handover configuration information comprises: transmitting the handover configuration information before expiration of an RLF timer associated with the RLF event.
[0227] Aspect 34: The method of any of Aspects 29-33, wherein transmitting the handover configuration information comprises: transmitting the handover configuration information before expiration of an RLF timer associated with the RLF event.
[0228] Aspect 35: An apparatus for wireless communication at a device, the apparatus comprising one or more processors; one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors; and instructions stored in the one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to perform the method of one or more of Aspects 1-34.
[0229] Aspect 36: An apparatus for wireless communication at a device, the apparatus comprising one or more memories and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories, the one or more processors configured to cause the device to perform the method of one or more of Aspects 1-34.
[0230] Aspect 37: An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising at least one means for performing the method of one or more of Aspects 1-34.
[0231] Aspect 38: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by one or more processors to perform the method of one or more of Aspects 1-34.
[0232] Aspect 39: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication, the set of instructions comprising one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to perform the method of one or more of Aspects 1-34.
[0233] Aspect 40: A device for wireless communication, the device comprising a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors, the processing system configured to cause the device to perform the method of one or more of Aspects 1-34.
[0234] Aspect 41: An apparatus for wireless communication at a device, the apparatus comprising one or more memories and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories, the one or more processors individually or collectively configured to cause the device to perform the method of one or more of Aspects 1-34.
[0235] The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the aspects to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations may be made in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the aspects. No element, act, or instruction described herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such.
[0236] It will be apparent that systems or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software used to implement these systems or methods is not limiting of the aspects. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code, because those skilled in the art will understand that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems or methods based, at least in part, on the description herein. A component being configured to perform a function means that the component has a capability to perform the function, and does not require the function to be actually performed by the component, unless noted otherwise.
[0237] As used herein, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to refer to one or more items and may be used interchangeably with “one or more” or “at least one. ” Further, as used herein, the article “the” is intended to include one or more items referenced in connection with the article “the” and may be used interchangeably with “the one or more. ” Furthermore, as used herein, the terms “set” and “group” are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with “one or more. ” Where only one item is intended, the phrase “only one” or “a single one” or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms “has, ” “have, ” “having, ” “comprise, ” “comprising, ” “include” and “including, ” and derivatives thereof or similar terms are intended to be open-ended terms that do not limit an element that they modify (for example, an element “having” A may also have B) . Also, as used herein, the term “or” is intended to be inclusive when used in a series and may be used interchangeably with “and / or, ” unless explicitly stated otherwise (for example, if used in combination with “either” or “only one of” ) . As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover a, b, c, a + b, a + c, b + c, and a + b + c, as well as any combination with multiples of the same element (for example, a + a, a + a + a, a + a + b, a + a + c, a + b + b, a + c + c, b + b, b + b + b, b + b + c, c + c, and c + c + c, or any other ordering of a, b, and c) .
[0238] As used herein, the term “determine” or “determining” encompasses a wide variety of actions and, therefore, “determining” can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, estimating, investigating, looking up (such as via looking up in a table, a database, or another data structure) , searching, inferring, ascertaining, and / or measuring, among other possibilities. Also, “determining” can include receiving (such as receiving information) , accessing (such as accessing data stored in memory) or transmitting (such as transmitting information) , among other possibilities. Additionally, “determining” can include resolving, selecting, obtaining, choosing, establishing, and / or other such similar actions.
[0239] As used herein, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based at least in part on” or “based on or otherwise in association with” unless explicitly stated otherwise. As used herein, “satisfying a threshold” may, depending on the context, refer to a value being greater than the threshold, greater than or equal to the threshold, less than the threshold, less than or equal to the threshold, equal to the threshold, or not equal to the threshold, among other examples.
[0240] Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the claims or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the scope of all aspects described herein. Many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims or disclosed in the specification. The disclosure of various aspects includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set.
Claims
1.A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:one or more memories; andone or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to:receive, from a network node, configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold associated with radio link failure (RLF) ;select, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, a counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold; andstart or stop an RLF timer based on an RLF counter satisfying the counter threshold.2.The UE of claim 1, wherein the prediction is based on artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities of the UE.3.The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one maximum counter threshold includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes.4.The UE of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to select the counter threshold, are configured to cause the UE to:select a first counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a physical channel failure, orselect a second counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a measurement report.5.The UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one maximum counter threshold comprises at least one of:one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with starting the RLF timer, orone or more maximum counter thresholds associated with stopping the RLF timer.6.The UE of claim 1, wherein the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may cause RLF,wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to select the counter threshold, are configured to cause the UE to select, from the at least one maximum counter threshold, a maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer, andwherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to start or stop the RLF timer, are configured to cause the UE to start the RLF timer.7.The UE of claim 1, wherein the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may recover from RLF,wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to select the counter threshold, are configured to cause the UE to select, from the at least one maximum counter threshold, a maximum counter threshold for stopping the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for stopping the RLF timer, andwherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to start or stop the RLF timer, are configured to cause the UE to stop the RLF timer.8.The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to start or stop the RLF timer, are configured to cause the UE to start the RLF timer; andwherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:transmit assistance information based on starting the RLF timer.9.The UE of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to transmit the assistance information, are configured to cause the UE to transmit the assistance information:immediately after starting the RLF timer,after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer,after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, orafter a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.10.The UE of claim 8, wherein the assistance information comprises at least one of:a handover resource request,a measurement report associated with the radio link quality,a preferred cell for handover,an RLF trigger cause, oran indication of UE power headroom.11.The UE of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:receive handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources, andperform a handover using the handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.12.A network node for wireless communication, comprising:one or more memories; andone or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, individually or collectively configured to cause the network node to:transmit radio link failure (RLF) configuration information indicating a plurality of maximum counter thresholds associated with RLF,wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes;receive assistance information associated with an RLF event; andtransmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.13.The network node of claim 12, wherein the configuration information further indicates that the assistance information is to be transmitted by a user equipment (UE) :immediately after starting an RLF timer,after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer,after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, orafter a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.14.The network node of claim 12, wherein the assistance information comprises at least one of:a handover resource request,a measurement report associated with the RLF event,a preferred cell for handover,an RLF trigger cause, oran indication of user equipment (UE) power headroom.15.The network node of claim 12, wherein a first counter threshold, of the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, is associated with a physical channel triggered failure, andwherein a second counter threshold, of the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, is associated with a measurement report triggered failure.16.The network node of claim 12, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds comprises at least one of:one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with starting an RLF timer, orone or more maximum counter thresholds associated with stopping the RLF timer.17.The network node of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to transmit the handover configuration information, are configured to cause the network node to:transmit the handover configuration information before expiration of an RLF timer associated with the RLF event.18.A UE for wireless communication, comprising:one or more memories; andone or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to:start a radio link failure (RLF) timer based on an RLF counter satisfying a counter threshold;transmit assistance information based on starting the RLF timer;receive handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources; andperform a handover using the one or more handover resources prior to the RLF timer expiring.19.The UE of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:receive RLF configuration information indicating at least one maximum counter threshold; andselect, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, the counter threshold from the at least one maximum counter threshold.20.The UE of claim 19, wherein the counter threshold is one of a plurality of maximum counter thresholds included in the RLF configuration information; andwherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to:select, based on a prediction associated with radio link quality, the counter threshold from the plurality of maximum counter thresholds.21.The UE of claim 20, wherein the prediction is based on artificial intelligence or machine learning capabilities of the UE.22.The UE of claim 20, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds includes separate thresholds for different RLF trigger causes.23.The UE of claim 22, wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to select the counter threshold, are configured to cause the UE to:select a first counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a physical channel failure, orselect a second counter threshold based on the RLF timer being triggered by a measurement report.24.The UE of claim 20, wherein the plurality of maximum counter thresholds comprises at least one of:one or more maximum counter thresholds associated with starting the RLF timer, orone or more maximum counter thresholds associated with stopping the RLF timer.25.The UE of claim 20, wherein the prediction indicates that the radio link quality may cause RLF,wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to select the counter threshold, are configured to cause the UE to select, from the plurality of maximum counter thresholds, a maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer that is lower than another maximum counter threshold for starting the RLF timer.26.The UE of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to transmit the assistance information, are configured to cause the UE to transmit the assistance information:immediately after starting the RLF timer,after a configured time duration from starting the RLF timer,after a receipt of a configured number of consecutive good radio link quality indications, orafter a measurement report is triggered during the RLF timer running.27.The UE of claim 18, wherein the assistance information comprises at least one of:a handover resource request,a measurement report associated with radio link quality,a preferred cell for handover,an RLF trigger cause, oran indication of UE power headroom.28.A network node for wireless communication, comprising:one or more memories; andone or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, individually or collectively configured to cause the network node to:transmit radio link failure (RLF) configuration information indicating a counter threshold associated with RLF;receive assistance information associated with an RLF event; andtransmit, based on receiving the assistance information, handover configuration information indicating one or more handover resources.29.The network node of claim 28, wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to transmit the handover configuration information, are configured to cause the network node to:transmit the handover configuration information before expiration of an RLF timer associated with the RLF event.30.The network node of claim 28, wherein the assistance information comprises at least one of:a handover resource request,a measurement report associated with the RLF event,a preferred cell for handover,an RLF trigger cause, oran indication of user equipment (UE) power headroom.