Method and device for measurement report

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to, network nodes, a UE and methods for measurement reporting. A method at a first network node comprises: receiving, from a second node, a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement; obtaining CGI measurement configuration from the first message; forwarding the CGI measurement configuration to the UE; forwarding a second message that includes CGI measurement report received from the UE to the second network node; and receiving a third message that indicates whether the CGI measurement is received, from the second network node.

Description

[0001] Method and Device for Measurement Report

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure is related to the field of telecommunication, and in particular, to methods, network nodes, User Equipment for measurement reporting in Dual Connectivity (DC).

[0004] With the development of the electronic and telecommunications technologies, mobile devices, such as mobile phones, smart phones, laptops, tablets, vehicle mounted devices, become an important part of our daily lives. To support a numerous number of mobile devices of different types, a highly efficient, highly compatible, and highly flexible RAN is needed, such as an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) or Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN), will be required.

[0005] E-UTRAN supports DC operation whereby a multiple Receiver (Rx) / Transmitter (Tx) UE in RRC_CONNECTED is configured to utilize radio resources provided by two distinct schedulers, located in two eNBs connected via a non-ideal backhaul over the X2 interface. eNBs involved in DC for a certain UE may assume two different roles: an eNB may either act as an Master eNB (MeNB) or as an Secondary eNB (SeNB). In DC, a UE is connected to one MeNB and one SeNB. NG-RAN supports Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) operation, which is a generalization of the Intra-E-UTRAN DC described above, where a multiple Rx / Tx capable UE may be configured to utilize resources provided by two different nodes connected via non-ideal backhaul, one providing NR access and the other one providing either E-UTRA or NR access. One node acts as the Master Node (MN) and the other as the Secondary Node (SN). The MN and SN are connected via a network interface and at least the MN is connected to the core network.

[0006] E-UTRAN supports MR-DC via E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), in which a UE is connected to one eNB that acts as a MN and one en-gNB that acts as a SN. The eNB is connected to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) via the S 1 interface and to the en-gNB via the X2 interface. The en-gNB might also be connected to the EPC via the Sl-U interface and other en-gNB s via the X2-U interface.

[0007] For MR-DC, NG-RAN supports NG-RAN E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (NGEN-DC), in which a UE is connected to one ng-eNB that acts as a MN and one gNB that acts as a SN. Further, NG-RAN also supports NR-E-UTRA Dual Connectivity (NE-DC), in which a UE is connected to one gNB that acts as a MN and one ng-eNB that acts as a SN. Furthermore, NG-RAN also supportsNR-NR Dual Connectivity (NR-DC), in which a UE is connected to one gNB that acts as a MN and another gNB that acts as a SN. In addition, NR-DC can also be used when a UE is connected to a single gNB, acting both as a MN and as a SN, and configuring both Master Cell Group (MCG) and Secondary Cell Group (SCG).

[0008] Summary

[0009] When the SN triggers the CGI measurement configuration, it sends the CGI measurement request and the embedded CGI reporting configuration to the MN. At that time, the MN can know that SN has the embedded CGI reporting configuration by checking reportCGI-RequestNR IE in CG-Config IE. If the MN does not have the CGI information for the requested cell by SN and does not have ongoing CGI measurement also, the MN will forward the embedded CGI reporting configuration to UE. According to the UE capability, the MN can configure the MCG DRX aligned with SCG DRX provided by SN.

[0010] After UE gets the CGI information, the UE will send RRC ULInformationTransferMRDC message including the CGI measurement report. When the MN receives RRC ULInformationTransferMRDC message, it does not have any concern about what kinds of the NR RRC message is involved in this RRC ULInformationTransferMRDC message. The MN just forwards this NR RRC message to SN. If the forwarded NR RRC message is the CGI measurement report, the SN can know the CGI measurement report is finished. Then the SN will try to restore the SCG DRX used for CGI measurement to original SCG DRX. On the other hand, the MN does not know that the CGI measurement report was received because the measurement report triggered by the SN cannot be identified in the MN and is transmitted directly to the SN.

[0011] When the SN found out CGI measurement report was finished, there is no way to explicitly inform MN that CGI measurement report is finished. As a result of it, if the MN used the longer MCG DRX for CGI measurement report according to UE capability, the longer MCG DRX will affect UE throughput. And the MN cannot have the chance to trigger new CGI measurement configuration because the MN regards original CGI measurement as ongoing.

[0012] Therefore, to address or at least partially alleviate the above issues, some embodiments of the present disclosure are provided.

[0013] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method by a first network node is provided. The method comprises: receiving, from a second node, a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement; obtaining CGI measurement configuration from the first message; forwarding the CGI measurement configuration to the UE; forwarding a second message that includes CGI measurement report received from the UE to the second network node; andreceiving a third message that indicates whether the CGI measurement is received, from the second network node. Further, some other embodiments of the first aspect will be provided in the Detailed Description below.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a second network node is provided. The method comprises: sending, a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement to a first network node, wherein the first message comprises CGI measurement configuration; when a second message is received, or when the second message is not received and a timer for the second message expires, including indication that indicates the CGI measurement is received in a third message which comprises CGI measurement report; and sending the third message to the first network node. Further, some other embodiments of the third aspect will be provided in the Detailed Description below.

[0015] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a user equipment (UE) is provided. The method comprises: performed by a User Equipment (UE), comprising: receiving CGI measurement configuration from a first network node; and sending CGI measurement report to the first network node. Further, some other embodiments of the third aspect will be provided in the Detailed Description below.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a first network node is provided. The first network node comprises: a processor; a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the first network node to: receive, from a second node, a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement; obtain CGI measurement configuration from the first message; forward the CGI measurement configuration to the UE; forward a second message that includes CGI measurement report received from the UE to the second network node; and receive a third message that indicate whether the CGI measurement is received, from the second network node. In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the first network node to further perform any of the methods of the first aspect.

[0017] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a second network node is provided. The second network node comprises: a processor; a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the second network node to: send a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement to a first network node, wherein the first message comprises CGI measurement configuration; when a second message is received, or when the second message is not received and a timer for the second message expires, include indication that indicates the CGI measurement is received in a second message which comprises CGI measurement report; and send the third message to the first network node.According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a User Equipment (UE) is provided. The UE comprises: a processor; a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the UE to: receive CGI measurement configuration from a first network node; and send CGI measurement report to the first network node.

[0018] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program comprising instructions is provided. The instructions, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out any of the methods of any of the first aspect, second aspect and / or the third aspect.

[0019] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a carrier containing the computer program of the fifth aspect is provided. In some embodiments, the carrier is one of an electronic signal, optical signal, radio signal, or computer readable storage medium.

[0020] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a telecommunication system is provided. The telecommunication system comprises: a first network node of the first aspect, a second network node of the second aspect and one or more UEs of the third aspect.

[0021] With some embodiments of the present disclosure, The MN can know that the CGI measurement triggered by SN is not needed anymore. Consequently, the MN can restore the configuration for CGI measurement to the original configuration immediately. Particularly, If the MN used the long MCG DRX for CGI measurement according to the UE capability, the MN can restore the long MCG DRX to the original MCG DRX (shorter DRX). Accordingly, UE will have the benefit in terms of UE throughput. When the UE is configured with at most one CGI reporting configuration. So the CGI reporting coordination is required between MN and SN. Because the MN can receive the notification that CGI measurement is not needed, the MN can manage CGI reporting coordination more accurately and rapidly without unnecessarily keeping the CGI measurement.

[0022] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and therefore are not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Fig. 1A is a diagram illustrating C-Plane connectivity for EN-DC according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.Fig. IB is a diagram illustrating C-Plane connectivity for MR-DC with 5GC according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating secondary node addition procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Fig. 3A is a diagram illustrating second network node triggering CGI measure report procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 3B is a diagram illustrating measurement reporting procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating measurement reporting procedure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating measurement reporting procedure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating measurement reporting procedure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method performed by a first network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Fig. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method at a second network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method performed by a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Fig. 10 schematically shows an embodiment of an arrangement which may be used in a terminal device, first network node and / or a second network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig. 11 shows an exemplary communication system in accordance with some embodiments.

[0036] Fig. 12 shows an exemplary UE in accordance with some embodiments.

[0037] Fig. 13 shows an exemplary network node in accordance with some embodiments.

[0038] Fig. 14 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized.

[0039] Detailed Description

[0040] Hereinafter, the present disclosure is described with reference to embodiments shown in the attached drawings. However, it is to be understood that those descriptions are just provided forillustrative purpose, rather than limiting the present disclosure. Further, in the following, descriptions of known structures and techniques are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the concept of the present disclosure.

[0041] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the term “exemplary” is used herein to mean “illustrative,” or “serving as an example,” and is not intended to imply that a particular embodiment is preferred over another or that a particular feature is essential. Likewise, the terms “first” and “second,” and similar terms, are used simply to distinguish one particular instance of an item or feature from another, and do not indicate a particular order or arrangement, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, the term “step,” as used herein, is meant to be synonymous with “operation” or “action.” Any description herein of a sequence of steps does not imply that these operations must be carried out in a particular order, or even that these operations are carried out in any order at all, unless the context or the details of the described operation clearly indicates otherwise.

[0042] Conditional language used herein, such as "can," "might," "may," "e.g.," and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and / or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and / or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and / or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. Also, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Further, the term "each," as used herein, in addition to having its ordinary meaning, can mean any subset of a set of elements to which the term "each" is applied.

[0043] The term “based on” is to be read as “based at least in part on.” The term “one embodiment” and “an embodiment” are to be read as “at least one embodiment.” The term “another embodiment” is to be read as “at least one other embodiment.” Other definitions, explicit and implicit, may be included below. In addition, language such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y and Z," unless specifically stated otherwise, is to be understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z, or a combination thereof.

[0044] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limitation of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms“a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “has”, “having”, “includes” and / or “including”, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. It will be also understood that the terms “connect(s),” “connecting”, “connected”, etc. when used herein, just mean that there is an electrical or communicative connection between two elements and they can be connected either directly or indirectly, unless explicitly stated to the contrary.

[0045] Of course, the present disclosure may be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth herein without departing from the scope and essential characteristics of the disclosure. One or more of the specific processes discussed below may be carried out in any electronic device comprising one or more appropriately configured processing circuits, which may in some embodiments be embodied in one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). In some embodiments, these processing circuits may comprise one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, and / or digital signal processors programmed with appropriate software and / or firmware to carry out one or more of the operations described above, or variants thereof. In some embodiments, these processing circuits may comprise customized hardware to carry out one or more of the functions described above. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0046] Although multiple embodiments of the present disclosure will be illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the following Detailed Description, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but instead is also capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the present disclosure that as will be set forth and defined within the claims.

[0047] Further, please note that although the following description of some embodiments of the present disclosure is given in the context of 5thGeneration New Radio (5G NR), the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In fact, as long as on-demand reference signal configuration is involved, the inventive concept of the present disclosure may be applicable to any appropriate communication architecture, for example, to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Time Division - Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), CDMA2000, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc. Therefore, one skilled inthe arts could readily understand that the terms used herein may also refer to their equivalents in any other infrastructure. For example, the term “terminal device” used herein may refer to a UE, a mobile device, a mobile terminal, a mobile station, a user device, a user terminal, a wireless device, a wireless terminal, an Internet of Things (loT) device, a vehicle, or any other equivalents. For another example, the term “network node” used herein may refer to a base station, a base transceiver station, an access point, a hot spot, a NodeB (NB), an evolved NodeB (eNB), a gNB, a network element, a network node, a network function, an access network (AN) node, or any other equivalents.

[0048] In MR-DC, there is an interface between the MN and the SN for control plane signalling and coordination. For each MR-DC UE, there is also one control plane connection between the MN and a corresponding CN entity. The MN and the SN involved in MR-DC for a certain UE control their radio resources and are primarily responsible for allocating radio resources of their cells. Fig. 1A and Fig. IB shows C-plane connectivity of MN and SN involved in MR-DC for a certain UE. Fig. 1A is a scenario in MR-DC with EPC (EN-DC), the involved core network entity is the MME. SI -MME is terminated in MN and the MN and the SN are interconnected via X2-C. Fig. IB is a scenario in MR-DC with 5GC (NGEN-DC, NE-DC and NR-DC), the involved core network entity is the AMF. NG-C is terminated in the MN and the MN and the SN are interconnected via Xn-C.

[0049] Fig. 2 shows the Secondary Node Addition procedure for EN-DC. After this Secondary Node Addition procedure is completed, the MN or SN can trigger the CGI measurement. In MR-DC, both the MN and the SN can configure CGI reporting. The MN can configure CGI reporting for intra-RAT and inter-RAT cells but the SN can only configure CGI reporting of intra-RAT cells. At any point in time, the UE can be configured with at most one CGI reporting configuration. For CGI reporting coordination, the SN sends the CGI measurement request and the embedded CGI reporting configuration to the MN. Optionally, the SN sends the unknown cell information to the MN. If there is no ongoing CGI reporting measurement on UE side, the MN forwards the SN CGI measurement configuration to UE. Otherwise the MN rejects the request by sending X2 / Xn reject message. In case the SN indicates the unknown cell information, and the CGI information of the requested cell is already available in the MN, the MN can also reject the request, and sends the CGI information of the requested cell to the SN. The SN cannot configure the CGI measurement using the SRB3.

[0050] Fig. 3A is a diagram illustrating second network node triggering CGI measure report procedure (EN-DC as example).In step 1), when the SN wants the CGI measurement configuration, the SN configures the CGI measurement request, the embedded CGI reporting configuration. And if needed a long enough SCG DRX according to the UE capability. The CG-Config IE is defined in 3GPP TS 38.331. reportCGI-RequestNR in CG-Config-vl540-IEs indicates CGI measurement request. The embedded CGI reporting configuration and a long enough SCG DRX are included in scg-CellGroupConfig (NR RRC) in CG-Config-IEs. If needed, SCG DRX configuration are included in scg-CellGroupConfig (NR RRC) in CG-Config-IEs. And this SCG DRX configuration will be explicitly included in drx-InfoSCG and drx-InfoSCG2 in CG-Config-IEs.

[0051] In step 2), the SN send X2AP SgNB Modification Required message to MN.

[0052] In step 3), If the MN accepts the CGI measurement request (reportCGI-RequestNR), the MN makes the RRC connection reconfiguration message including scg-CellGroupConfig (NR RRC). if the long enough MCG DRX and DRX alignment based on the UE capability are needed, the MN will also configure MCG DRX referring to drx-InfoSCG and drx-InfoSCG2.

[0053] In step 4), the MN sends RRC connection reconfiguration message.

[0054] In step 5) The MN receives RRC connection reconfiguration complete message.

[0055] In step 6) The MN sends X2AP SgNB modification confirm message to SN.

[0056] Fig. 3B is a diagram illustrating measurement reporting procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] In step 1), the CGI measurement for NR cell was configured. The UE got the CGI information successfully.

[0058] In step 2), the UE sends RRC ULInformationTransferMRDC message including the CGI measurement report to MN.

[0059] In step 3), the MN forwards this RRC message to SN.

[0060] In step 4), the SN sends the X2AP SgNB Modification Required message for configuring the original SCG DRX if the SN configured the SCG DRX for CGI measurement report before. drx-InfoSCG and drx-InfoSCG2 in CG-Config-IEs are optional.

[0061] In step 5), the SN send X2AP SgNB modification Required message to MN.

[0062] In step 6), when drx-InfoSCG and drx-InfoSCG2 in CG-Config-IEs are included, the behavior of MN is unclear. The MN might ignore it or reject X2AP SgNB modification Required message because the MN still regards CGI measurement as ongoing so could not accept the original SCG DRX.

[0063] In step 7), the MN sends the RRC connection reconfiguration message to UE.

[0064] In step 8), The MN receives RRC connection reconfiguration complete message.In step 9), the MN sends X2AP SgNB modification confirm message to SN.

[0065] When the SN triggers the CGI measurement configuration, it sends the CGI measurement request and the embedded CGI reporting configuration to the MN. At that time, the MN can know that SN has the embedded CGI reporting configuration by checking reportCGI-RequestNR IE in CG-Config IE. If the MN does not have the CGI information for the requested cell by SN and does not have ongoing CGI measurement also, the MN will forward the embedded CGI reporting configuration to UE. According to the UE capability, the MN can configure the MCG DRX aligned with SCG DRX provided by SN.

[0066] After UE gets the CGI information, the UE will send RRC ULInformationTransferMRDC message including the CGI measurement report. When the MN receives RRC ULInformationTransferMRDC message, it does not have any concern about what kinds of the NR RRC message is involved in this RRC ULInformationTransferMRDC message. The MN just forwards this NR RRC message to SN.

[0067] If the forwarded NR RRC message is the CGI measurement report, the SN can know the CGI measurement report is finished. Then the SN will try to restore the SCG DRX used for CGI measurement to original SCG DRX.

[0068] On the other hand, the MN does not know that the CGI measurement report was received because the measurement report triggered by the SN cannot be identified in the MN and is transmitted directly to the SN.

[0069] When the SN found out CGI measurement report was finished, there is no way to explicitly inform MN that CGI measurement report is finished.

[0070] As a result of it, if the MN used the longer MCG DRX for CGI measurement report according to UE capability, the longer MCG DRX will affect UE throughput.

[0071] And the MN cannot have the chance to trigger new CGI measurement configuration because the MN regards original CGI measurement as ongoing.

[0072] According to 3GPP TS 38.331, the UE can set the T321 to the already defined value like the below, if this timer expires, it means that the CGI measurement fails and finished without getting the CGI information.

[0073] ==========================3GPP TS 38.331 start ===================== 3> if the measObject associated with this measld concerns NR:

[0074] 4> if the measObject associated with this measld concerns FR1:

[0075] 5> if the useAutonomousGaps is included in the reportConfig associated with this measld'.

[0076] 6> if the UE is a RedCap UE with 1 Rx branch7> start timer T321 with the timer value set to 3 seconds for this measld',

[0077] 6> else

[0078] 7> start timer T321 with the timer value set to 2 seconds for this measld

[0079] 5> else:

[0080] 6> start timer T321 with the timer value set to 2 seconds for this measld 4> if the measObject associated with this measld concerns FR2:

[0081] 5> if the useAutonomousGaps is included in the reportConfig associated with this measld'.

[0082] 6> if the UE is a RedCap UE with 1 Rx branch

[0083] 7> start timer T321 with the timer value set to 6 seconds for this measld',

[0084] 6> else

[0085] 7> start timer T321 with the timer value set to 5 seconds for this measld',

[0086] 5> else:

[0087] 6> start timer T321 with the timer value set to 16 seconds for this measld.

[0088] The MN will be able to manage the timer internally like T321 in UE according to each case. So if this timer expires in MN, the MN will be able to regard the CGI measurement as finished on its own also. But it is obvious that the MN keeps the status of ongoing CGI measurement unnecessarily long.

[0089] There is CG-Config IE in 3GPP TS 38.331. This information is sent from SN to MN. The MN can check reportCGI-RequestNR IE. So if the MN accept this request, the MN can know that CGI measurement triggered by SN will be configured in UE

[0090]

[0091] However, there is no way that SN can inform MN when the CGI measurement is not needed anymore. The proposed solution is to add an indicator such as "reportCGI-Received" parameter in CG-Config IE like the below.

[0092]

[0093]

[0094] When the MN receives new IE reportCGI-Received with true, the MN can know that the CGI measurement is not needed anymore.

[0095] Fig.4 is a diagram illustrating measurement reporting procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the solution, SN informs MN that CGI measurement was received or done explicitly.

[0096] In step 1), the CGI measurement for NR cell was configured. The UE got the CGI information successfully.

[0097] In step 2), the UE sends RRC ULInformationTransferMRDC message including the CGI measurement report to MN.

[0098] In step 3), the MN forwards this RRC message to SN.

[0099] In step 4), the SN will include new indication in CG-Config. This indication will inform MN that CGI measurement is not needed anymore.

[0100] In step 5), the SN send X2AP SgNB modification Required message to MN.

[0101] In step 6), when drx-InfoSCG and drx-InfoSCG2 in CG-Config-IEs are included, the behavior of MN is unclear. The MN might ignore it or reject X2AP SgNB modification Required message because the MN still regards CGI measurement as ongoing so could not accept the original SCG DRX.

[0102] In step 7), the MN sends the RRC connection reconfiguration message to UE.

[0103] In step 8), The MN receives RRC connection reconfiguration complete message.

[0104] In step 9), the MN sends X2AP SgNB modification confirm message to SN.

[0105] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating measurement reporting procedure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0106] In step 1), the CGI measurement for NR cell was configured. The UE got the CGI information successfully.

[0107] In step 2), the UE sends RRC ULInformationTransferMRDC message including the CGI measurement report to MN.

[0108] In step 3), the MN forwards this RRC message to SN.In step 4), the SN will include new IE reportCGI-Received with true in CG-Config. This indication will inform MN that CGI measurement is not needed anymore.

[0109] In step 5), the SN send X2AP SgNB modification Required message to MN.

[0110] In step 6), the MN will check whether new IE reportCGI-Received is set to true in CG-Config. If the value for reportCGI-Received is true, the MN restores the configuration for CGI measurement to original configuration immediately.

[0111] In step 7), the MN sends the RRC connection reconfiguration message to UE.

[0112] In step 8), The MN receives RRC connection reconfiguration complete message.

[0113] In step 9), the MN sends X2AP SgNB modification confirm message to SN.

[0114] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating measurement reporting procedure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0115] In stepl), the SN triggered CGI measurement, but SN didn’t receive the CGI measurement report.

[0116] In step 2), the timer waiting for CGI measurement report expires, the SN will include new IE reportCGI-Received with true in CG-Config. This indication will inform MN that CGI measurement is not needed anymore.

[0117] In step 3), the SN will include new IE reportCGI-Received with true in CG-Config. This indication will inform MN that CGI measurement is not needed anymore.

[0118] In step 4), the MN will check whether new IE reportCGI-Received is set to true in CG-Config. If the value for reportCGI-Received is true, the MN restores the configuration for CGI measurement to original configuration.

[0119] In step 5), the MN sends the RRC connection reconfiguration message to UE.

[0120] In step 6), The MN receives RRC connection reconfiguration complete message.

[0121] In step 7), the MN sends X2AP SgNB modification confirm message to SN.

[0122] The MN can know that the CGI measurement triggered by SN is not needed anymore. Consequently, the MN can restore the configuration for CGI measurement to the original configuration immediately. The advantage is like the below:

[0123] If the MN used the long MCG DRX for CGI measurement according to the UE capability, the MN can restore the long MCG DRX to the original MCG DRX (shorter DRX). Accordingly, UE will have the benefit in terms of UE throughput.

[0124] According to 3GPP TS 37.340 V17.7.0, the UE can be configured with at most one CGI reporting configuration. So the CGI reporting coordination is required between MN and SN. Because the MN can receive the notification that CGI measurement is not needed, the MN canmanage CGI reporting coordination more accurately and rapidly without unnecessarily keeping the CGI measurement.

[0125] To address or at least partially alleviate one or more of the above issues, some embodiments of the present disclosure are provided.

[0126] Fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method performed by a first network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0127] In step 702, the first network node receives from a second network node, a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement.

[0128] In step 704, the first network node obtains CGI measurement configuration from the first message;

[0129] In step 706, the first network node forwards the CGI measurement configuration to a User Equipment (UE);

[0130] In step 708, the first network node forwards a second message that includes CGI measurement report received from the UE to the second network node; and

[0131] In step 710, the first network node receives a third message that indicates whether the CGI measurement is received, from the second network node.

[0132] In some embodiments, wherein forwarding the CGI measurement configuration to the UE, further comprises: determining whether there is ongoing CGI measurement is on the UE; if there is ongoing CGI measurement is on the UE, sending a fourth message for rejecting the CGI measurement; if there is no ongoing CGI measurement is on the UE, forwarding the CGI measurement configuration to the UE.

[0133] In some embodiments, the first network node and the second network node are radio access network nodes.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first network node and the second network node provide service to the UE as part of a dual-connectivity configuration or a multi-connectivity configuration.

[0135] In some embodiments, wherein the second message is received via RRC Transfer message. In some embodiments, the third message is received via a modification required message. In some embodiments, wherein after receiving the third message, the method further comprises: when the third message indicates the CGI measurement report is received, restoring the CGI measurement configuration to original CGI measurement configuration.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first network node is a master network node and the second network node is a secondary network node.Fig. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method performed by a second network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0137] In step 802, the second network node sends a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement to a first network node, wherein the first message comprises CGI measurement configuration.

[0138] In step 804, when a second message is received, or when the second message is not received and a timer for the second message expires, the second network node includes indication that indicates the CGI measurement is received in a second message which comprises CGI measurement report.

[0139] In step 806, the second network node sends the third message to the first network node. In some embodiments, the first network node and the second network node are radio access network nodes.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first network node and second network node provide service to a User Equipment (UE) as part of a dual-connectivity configuration or a multi-connectivity configuration.

[0141] In some embodiments, the second message is received via RRC Transfer message.

[0142] In some embodiments, the third message is sent via a modification required message.

[0143] Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method performed by a UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0144] In step 902, the UE receives CGI measurement configuration from a first network node. In step 904, the UE sends CGI measurement report to the first network node.

[0145] In some embodiments, the UE is served by the first network node and a second network node as part of a dual-connectivity configuration or a multi-connectivity configuration.

[0146] With some embodiments of the present disclosure, The MN can know that the CGI measurement triggered by SN is not needed anymore. Consequently, the MN can restore the configuration for CGI measurement to the original configuration immediately:

[0147] If the MN used the long MCG DRX for CGI measurement according to the UE capability, the MN can restore the long MCG DRX to the original MCG DRX (shorter DRX). Accordingly, UE will have the benefit in terms of UE throughput.

[0148] the UE can be configured with at most one CGI reporting configuration. So the CGI reporting coordination is required between MN and SN. Because the MN can receive the notification that CGI measurement is not needed, the MN can manage CGI reportingcoordination more accurately and rapidly without unnecessarily keeping the CGI measurement.

[0149] Fig. 10 schematically shows an embodiment of an arrangement which may be used in a terminal device, a first network node and / or a second network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Comprised in the arrangement 1000 are a processing unit 1006, e.g., with a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) or a Central Processing Unit (CPU). The processing unit 1006 may be a single unit or a plurality of units to perform different actions of procedures described herein. The arrangement 1000 may also comprise an input unit 1002 for receiving signals from other entities, and an output unit 1004 for providing signal(s) to other entities. The input unit 1002 and the output unit 1004 may be arranged as an integrated entity or as separate entities.

[0150] Furthermore, the arrangement 1000 may comprise at least one computer program product 1008 in the form of a non-volatile or volatile memory, e.g., an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), a flash memory and / or a hard drive. The computer program product 1008 comprises a computer program 1010, which comprises code / computer readable instructions, which when executed by the processing unit 1006 in the arrangement 1000 causes the arrangement 1000 and / or the terminal device and / or the network node in which it is comprised to perform the actions, e.g., of the procedure described earlier or any other variant.

[0151] The computer program 1010 may be configured as a computer program code structured in computer program modules 1010A and 1010B. Hence, in an exemplifying embodiment when the arrangement 1000 is used in a terminal device for on-demand reference signal configuration, the code in the computer program of the arrangement 1000 includes: a module 1010A configured to receive, from a network node, a first message indicating a configuration for on-demand reference signals associated with one or more SCells; and a module 1010B configured to perform one or more operations associated with the on-demand reference signals based on at least the configuration.

[0152] Additionally or alternatively, the computer program 1010 may be configured as a computer program code structured in a computer program module 1010C. Hence, in an exemplifying embodiment when the arrangement 1000 is used in a network node for on-demand reference signal configuration, the code in the computer program of the arrangement 1000 includes: a module 1010C configured to transmit, to a terminal device, a first message indicating a configuration for on-demand reference signals associated with one or more SCells to trigger the terminal device to perform one or more operations associated with the on-demand reference signals based on at least the configuration.The computer program modules could essentially perform the actions of the flow illustrated in Fig. 5 through Fig. 9, to emulate the terminal device and / or the network node. In other words, when the different computer program modules are executed in the processing unit 1006, they may correspond to different modules in the terminal device and / or the network node.

[0153] Although the code means in the embodiments disclosed above in conjunction with Fig. 10 are implemented as computer program modules which when executed in the processing unit causes the arrangement to perform the actions described above in conjunction with the figures mentioned above, at least one of the code means may in alternative embodiments be implemented at least partly as hardware circuits.

[0154] The processor may be a single CPU (Central processing unit), but could also comprise two or more processing units. For example, the processor may include general purpose microprocessors; instruction set processors and / or related chips sets and / or special purpose microprocessors such as Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASICs). The processor may also comprise board memory for caching purposes. The computer program may be carried by a computer program product connected to the processor. The computer program product may comprise a computer readable medium on which the computer program is stored. For example, the computer program product may be a flash memory, a Random-access memory (RAM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM), or an EEPROM, and the computer program modules described above could in alternative embodiments be distributed on different computer program products in the form of memories within the terminal device and / or the network node.

[0155] Fig. 11 shows an example of a communication system QQ100 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0156] In the example, the communication system QQ100 includes a telecommunication network QQ102 that includes an access network QQ104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network QQ106, which includes one or more core network nodes QQ108. The access network QQ104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes QQ110A and QQ110B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes QQ110), or any other similar 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. Moreover, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it will be understood that network nodes include disaggregated implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunication network QQ102 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN networknode is a node in the telecommunication network QQ102 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., a specification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in the telecommunication network QQ102, including one or more network nodes QQ110 and / or core network nodes QQ108.

[0157] Examples of an ORAN network node include an open radio unit (O-RU), an open distributed unit (O-DU), an open central unit (O-CU), including an O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (near-real time or non-real time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near-real time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designating support of an ORAN specification). The network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El , E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN access node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an 0-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The network nodes QQ110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs QQ112A, QQ112B, QQ112C, and QQ112D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs QQ112) to the core network QQ106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0158] Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system QQ100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system QQ100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0159] The UEs QQ112 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with thenetwork nodes QQ110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes QQ110 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs QQ112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network QQ102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network QQ102.

[0160] In the depicted example, the core network QQ106 connects the network nodes QQ110 to one or more host computing systems, such as host QQ116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network QQ106 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node QQ108) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node QQ108. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-concealing function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0161] The host QQ116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network QQ104 and / or the telecommunication network QQ102. The host QQ116 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0162] As a whole, the communication system QQ100 of Fig. 11 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G); wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)802.11 standards (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0163] In some examples, the telecommunication network QQ102 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network QQ102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network QQ102. For example, the telecommunications network QQ102 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / Massive loT services to yet further UEs.

[0164] In some examples, the UEs QQ112 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network QQ104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network QQ104. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0165] In the example, the hub QQ114 communicates with the access network QQ104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE QQ112C and / or QQ112D) and network nodes (e.g., network node QQ110B). In some examples, the hub QQ114 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub QQ114 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network QQ106 for the UEs. As another example, the hub QQ114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes QQ110, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub QQ114. As another example, the hub QQ114 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub QQ114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a Virtual Reality (VR) device, display, loudspeaker, or other media delivery device, the hub QQ114 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub QQ114 then provides to theUE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub QQ114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0166] The hub QQ114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node QQ110B. The hub QQ114 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub QQ114 and UEs (e.g., UE QQ112C and / or QQ112D), and between the hub QQ114 and the core network QQ106. In other examples, the hub QQ114 is connected to the core network QQ106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub QQ114 may be configured to connect to a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service provider over the access network QQ104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes QQ110 while still connected via the hub QQ114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub QQ114 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node QQ110B. In other embodiments, the hub QQ114 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node QQ110B, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0167] Fig. 12 shows a UE QQ200 in accordance with some embodiments. The UE QQ200 presents additional details of some embodiments of the UE QQ112 of Fig. 11. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless cameras, gaming console or device, music storage / playback device, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), an Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR) device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP), including a narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0168] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In otherexamples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0169] The UE QQ200 includes processing circuitry QQ202 that is operatively coupled via a bus QQ204 to an input / output interface QQ206, a power source QQ208, a memory QQ210, a communication interface QQ212, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Fig. 12. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0170] The processing circuitry QQ202 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory QQ210. The processing circuitry QQ202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry QQ202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0171] In the example, the input / output interface QQ206 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE QQ200. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output devicemay use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0172] In some embodiments, the power source QQ208 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source QQ208 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source QQ208 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE QQ200 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source QQ208. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source QQ208 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE QQ200 to which power is supplied.

[0173] The memory QQ210 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory QQ210 includes one or more application programs QQ214, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data QQ216. The memory QQ210 may store, for use by the UE QQ200, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0174] The memory QQ210 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini-dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as tamper resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as ‘SIM card.’ The memory QQ210 may allow the UE QQ200 to access instructions, application programs and the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory QQ210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.The processing circuitry QQ202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface QQ212. The communication interface QQ212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna QQ222. The communication interface QQ212 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter QQ218 and / or a receiver QQ220 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter QQ218 and receiver QQ220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna QQ222) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0175] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface QQ212 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / internet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0176] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface QQ212, via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0177] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch, related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfacesor rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0178] A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (loT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE QQ200 shown in Fig. 12.

[0179] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0180] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g. by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and / or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator, and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.Fig. 13 shows a network node QQ300 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment, in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)), O-RAN nodes or components of an O-RAN node (e.g., O-RU, O-DU, O-CU).

[0181] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in an O-RAN access node) and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0182] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0183] The network node QQ300 includes a processing circuitry QQ302, a memory QQ304, a communication interface QQ306, and a power source QQ308. The network node QQ300 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and a RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node QQ300 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node QQ300 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, somecomponents may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory QQ304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna QQ310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node QQ300 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node QQ300, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node QQ300.

[0184] The processing circuitry QQ302 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node QQ300 components, such as the memory QQ304, to provide network node QQ300 functionality.

[0185] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry QQ302 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry QQ302 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry QQ312 and baseband processing circuitry QQ314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry QQ312 and the baseband processing circuitry QQ314 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry QQ312 and baseband processing circuitry QQ314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0186] The memory QQ304 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry QQ302. The memory QQ304 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry QQ302 and utilized by the network node QQ300. The memory QQ304 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry QQ302 and / or any data received via the communication interface QQ306. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry QQ302 and memory QQ304 is integrated.The communication interface QQ306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between a network node, access network, and / or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface QQ306 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) QQ316 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface QQ306 also includes radio front-end circuitry QQ318 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna QQ310. Radio front-end circuitry QQ318 comprises filters QQ320 and amplifiers QQ322. The radio front-end circuitry QQ318 may be connected to an antenna QQ310 and processing circuitry QQ302. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna QQ310 and processing circuitry QQ302. The radio frontend circuitry QQ318 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry QQ318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters QQ320 and / or amplifiers QQ322. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna QQ310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna QQ310 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry QQ318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry QQ302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0187] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node QQ300 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry QQ318, instead, the processing circuitry QQ302 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna QQ310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry QQ312 is part of the communication interface QQ306. In still other embodiments, the communication interface QQ306 includes one or more ports or terminals QQ316, the radio front-end circuitry QQ318, and the RF transceiver circuitry QQ312, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface QQ306 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry QQ314, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0188] The antenna QQ310 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna QQ310 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry QQ318 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna QQ310 is separate from the network node QQ300 and connectable to the network node QQ300 through an interface or port.

[0189] The antenna QQ310, communication interface QQ306, and / or the processing circuitry QQ302 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signalsmay be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna QQ310, the communication interface QQ306, and / or the processing circuitry QQ302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[0190] The power source QQ308 provides power to the various components of network node QQ300 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source QQ308 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node QQ300 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node QQ300 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source QQ308. As a further example, the power source QQ308 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0191] Embodiments of the network node QQ300 may include additional components beyond those shown in Fig. 13 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node QQ300 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node QQ300 and to allow output of information from the network node QQ300. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node QQ300. In some embodiments providing a core network node, such as core network node 108 of Fig. 11, some components, such as the radio front-end circuitry QQ318 and the RF transceiver circuitry QQ312 may be omitted.

[0192] Fig. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment QQ400 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtualcomponents executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments QQ400 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualization environment QQ400 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an 0-2 interface. Virtualization may facilitate distributed implementations of a network node, UE, core network node, or host.

[0193] Applications QQ402 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0194] Hardware QQ404 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers QQ406 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs QQ408a and QQ408b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs QQ408), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer QQ406 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs QQ408.

[0195] The VMs QQ408 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer QQ406. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance QQ402 may be implemented on one or more of VMs QQ408, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers, and customer premise equipment.

[0196] In the context of NFV, a VM QQ408 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs QQ408, and that part of hardware QQ404 that executes that VM, be it hardwarededicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs QQ408 on top of the hardware QQ404 and corresponds to the application QQ402.

[0197] Hardware QQ404 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware QQ404 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware QQ404 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g. such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration QQ410, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications QQ402. In some embodiments, hardware QQ404 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system QQ412 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0198] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0199] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and a wireless network generally.

[0200] The present disclosure is described above with reference to the embodiments thereof. However, those embodiments are provided just for illustrative purpose, rather than limiting the present disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is defined by the attached claims as well as equivalents thereof. Those skilled in the art can make various alternations and modifications without departing from the scope of the disclosure, which all fall into the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

Claims1. A method performed by a first network node, the method comprising:receiving (702), from a second network node, a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement;obtaining (704) CGI measurement configuration from the first message;forwarding (706) the CGI measurement configuration to a User Equipment (UE); forwarding (708) a second message that includes CGI measurement report received from the UE to the second network node; andreceiving (710) a third message that indicates whether the CGI measurement is received, from the second network node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the CGI measurement configuration to the UE, further comprises:determining whether there is ongoing CGI measurement is on the UE;if there is ongoing CGI measurement is on the UE, sending a fourth message for rejecting the CGI measurement;if there is no ongoing CGI measurement is on the UE, forwarding the CGI measurement configuration to the UE.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first network node and the second network node are radio access network nodes.

4. The method of any of claims 1-3, wherein the first network node and the second network node provide service to the UE as part of a dual-connectivity configuration or a multi-connectivity configuration.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the second message is received via RRC Transfer message.

6. The method of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the third message is received via a modification required message.

7. The method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein after receiving the third message, the method further comprises:when the third message indicates the CGI measurement report is received, restoring the CGI measurement configuration to original CGI measurement configuration.

8. The method of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the first network node is a master network node and the second network node is a secondary network node.

9. A method performed by a second network node, the method comprising:sending (802), a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement to a first network node, wherein the first message comprises CGI measurement configuration; when a second message is received, or when the second message is not received and a timer for the second message expires, including (804) indication that indicates the CGI measurement is received in a third message which comprises CGI measurement report; andsending (806) the third message to the first network node.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first network node and the second network node are radio access network nodes.

11. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein the first network node and second network node provide service to a User Equipment (UE) as part of a dual-connectivity configuration or a multiconnectivity configuration.

12. The method of any one of claims 9-11, wherein the second message is received via RRC Transfer message.

13. The method of any one of claims 8-12, wherein the third message is sent via a modification required message.

14. A method performed by a User Equipment (UE), comprising:receiving CGI measurement configuration from a first network node; andsending CGI measurement report to the first network node.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the UE is served by the first network node and a second network node as part of a dual-connectivity configuration or a multi-connectivity configuration.

16. A first network node, comprising:a processor;a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor (706), cause the first network node to:receive, from a second node, a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement;obtain CGI measurement configuration from the first message;forward the CGI measurement configuration to the UE;forward a second message that includes CGI measurement report received from the UE to the second network node; andreceive a third message that indicate whether the CGI measurement is received, from the second network node.

17. The first network node of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the first network node further to perform the method of any of claims 2 to 8.

18. A second network node, comprising:a processor;a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the first network node to:send a first message for requesting a Cell Global Identity (CGI) measurement to a first network node, wherein the first message comprises CGI measurement configuration;when a second message is received, or when the second message is not received and a timer for the second message expires, include indication that indicates the CGI measurement is received in a third message which comprises CGI measurement report; andsend the third message to the first network node.

19. The first network node of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the second network node further to perform the method of any of claims 9 to 13.

20. A user equipment, comprising:a processor;a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the first network node to:receive CGI measurement configuration from a first network node; andsend CGI measurement report to the first network node.

21. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the second network node further to perform the method of claim 15.

22. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method of any of claims 1 to 8 and 9 to 13.

23. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method of any of claims 14 to 15.

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