Methods and nodes for RRM relaxation when operating a LR and mr on different bands

Abstract

There is provided a method performed by a wireless device, which has a Low power Radio (LR) operating at a first frequency and a Main Radio (MR) operating at a second frequency, the wireless device being in an inactive or idle mode. The method comprises: receiving a message comprising a configuration related to inter-frequency measurements for a cell selection procedure; receiving a paging message at the first frequency, after receiving a Low Power-Wake Up Signal (LP-WUS) at the first frequency to wake up the wireless device; and performing inter-frequency measurements on one or more cells operating at the second frequency, based on the received configuration, in order to select a cell for initiating a random access procedure.

Description

P112906W001METHODS AND NODES FOR RRM RELAXATION WHEN OPERATING A LR AND MR ON DIFFERENT BANDS RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefits of priority of US 63 / 754, 726, entitled “methods for RRM relaxation when operating LP-WUS and MR on different hands" and filed at the USPTO on February 6, 2025, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This application relates to communication networks and particularly to methods and nodes for Radio Resource Management (RRM) relaxation when operating a Low power Radio (LP) and Main Radio (MR) on different bands.BACKGROUND

[0003] Low Power Wake Up Signal (LP-WUS) in RRC IDLE and RRC INACTIVE

[0004] LP-WUS in New Radio (NR) improves the User Equipment (UE) power saving when the UE is in Radio Resource Control (RRC) IDLE or RRC INACTIVE and the UE monitors paging. With LP-WUS, the UE has a separate receiver referred to as the Wake-Up Radio (WUR), with a Low power Radio (LR) that monitors the LP-WUS. When the LP-WUS is detected and the subgroup information in the LP-WUS indicates that the UE should wakeup, then the UE receives a paging on the Physical Downlink (DL) Control Channel (PDCCH) / Physical DL Shared Channel (PDSCH) during the following Paging Occasion (PO) in the Discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle using the Main Radio (MR). Typically, the UE is not paged during every PO, i.e. the MR can remain in sleep mode multiple / many DRX cycles and save power. The LR consumes much less power compared to the MR (factor of 10 to 100).

[0005] The WUR can be On-off keying (OOK)-based, which uses Low Power Synchronization Signal (LP-SS) for synchronization and serving cell measurements. Or the WUR is Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)-based, which uses Primary SS (PSS) / Secondary SS (SSS) for synchronization and serving cell measurements.

[0006] Due to its signal characteristics, LP-WUS may not provide full cell coverage, i.e. near the cell border there may be poor or no LP-WUS coverage. Thus, an entry condition (i.e. MR Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) / Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) threshold and optionally an LR RSRP / RSRQ threshold) and exit condition (i.e. LR threshold) is used to determine when the UE is allowed to use LP-WUS in RRC IDLE or RRC INACTIVE. When the UE is above the entry threshold(s), and the LR performs serving cell measurements using LP-SS or Synchronization Signal block (SSB) and the LR uses LP-P112906W001WUS to monitor paging, then the MR is not required to perform serving cell measurements nor paging monitoring.

[0007] LP-WUS in RRC CONNECTED

[0008] The LP-WUS can also be used in RRC CONNECTED, i.e. when the UE is outside the Active Time (AT) to trigger the UE to start monitoring PDCCH again. The UE is outside the Active Time when the UE is in between data bursts, or when the UE is waiting to be released, i.e. when the UE is “running idle” in connected mode. The LP-WUS configured in front of the OnDuration, is used to start the drx-OnDurationTimer1, i.e. when the LP-WUS is detected, the UE starts the drx-OnDurationTimer and enters the AT. The LP-WUS can also be configured with a certain periodicity (in front of the OnDuration), which enables the gNB to wake the UE up much earlier before the OnDuration at the end of the DRX cycle. This enables a reduction in the downlink latency of new packets that arrive when the UE has entered DRX, i.e. when the UE is outside the AT.

[0009] LP-WUS coverage

[0010] Due to its signal characteristics, LP-WUS may not provide full cell coverage, i.e. near the cell border there may be poor or no LP-WUS coverage. Based on existing Resource Radio Management (RRM) / Channel state Information-Reference signal (CSLRS) measurement reporting, the gNB can determine when the UE is inside or outside the LP-WUS coverage and (de-)configure the LP-WUS using RRCReconfiguration.

[0011] Cell re-selection

[0012] The cell selection and cell re-selection procedures are based on the following (as described in 38.304):Srxlev = Qrxlevmeas - (Qrxlevmin + Qrxlevminoffset )- Pcompensation - Qoffsettemp Squal = Qqualmeas - (Qqualmin + Qqualminoffset) - Qoffsettemp

[0013] Where the parameters are found in 3GPP TS 38.304.

[0014] A high level description of how intra- and inter-cell measurements are performed (ignoring the concept of low mobility and cell-edge) is as follows.

[0015] When the UE is in the cell center of the serving cell (good signal strength and quality), i.e. when

[0016] Srxlev > SlntraSearchP and Squal > SlntraSearchQ :

[0017] The UE is not required to perform any intra-cell measurements.P112906W001

[0018] Whether to perform inter-frequency measurements depends on the priority of the frequencies. The priorities of the available frequencies are configured in system information (SI) or in RRCRelease when the UE is released to the idle or inactive state. The priorities given in the RRCRelease message override the priorities given in the SI. The priorities in RRCRelease may have a configured validity time.

[0019] Frequencies of equal or lower priorities are not measured if the serving cell fulfills the condition:

[0020] SrxleV > SnonlntraSearchP and Squal > SnonlntraSearchQ

[0021] If the condition is not fulfilled, these frequencies are measured.

[0022] Frequencies of higher priority than the serving cell are measured irrespective of the conditions.

[0023] RRM Measurement Relaxation

[0024] RRM measurement relaxation in NR refers to a technique used to reduce the frequency and scope of radio resource management (RRM) measurements performed by a UE in cellular networks. This relaxation allows for:

[0025] - RRM Measurements with longer intervals;

[0026] - Reduction in the number of cells, carriers, or Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) to be measured.

[0027] RAN2 defines specific criteria for when UEs can apply RRM measurement relaxation. When these criteria are met, the UE is allowed to relax its neighbor cell measurements, potentially reducing the frequency or scope of measurements performed. The criteria for maximum RRM relaxation are:

[0028] - Low mobility: the UE is stationary or has low mobility;

[0029] - Not at cell edge: the UE is away from the edge of the radio coverage of a cell.

[0030] When both criteria are configured and fulfilled, the UE performs the maximum RRM relaxation. This allows the UE to significantly reduce the frequency and number of RRM measurements for both the serving and neighboring cells.

[0031] Thus, benefits from using RRM relaxation are primarily:

[0032] - Power saving: by reducing the frequency and scope of measurements, the UE can conserve battery power;

[0033] - Network efficiency: relaxed measurements can help reduce signaling overhead in the network.

[0034] The criteria are given in 3GPP TS 38.804 Rel-17.

[0035] Operating LR and MR on different bandsP112906W001

[0036] The LR and MR can operate on different frequencies or bands. The motivation for this is that the LR may not be configured on all frequencies, or the UE does not support LR on all frequencies; allowing the use of LR on a band different from the frequency where the UE normally camps enables use of the LR and hereby power savings. The typical scenario is envisioned where the LR is configured on a lower frequency band (coverage layer) and the data transmissions using the MR are more efficiently carried out on the higher frequency band (capacity layer). The problem with this scenario, in addition to support and configuration, is that the lower frequency could become congested if all WUS capable UEs would camp on this frequency and perform the access to the LR band before moving to the MR band for the data transmissions. Allowing operation on different bands for the LR (LP-WUS reception) and MR (e.g. paging on LR band and random access and data transmission on MR-band) would enable better load balancing between the frequencies.

[0037] In the envisioned scenario, the UE monitors for a WUS on the LR frequency. Upon reception of the WUS, the UE continues to monitor for paging on either the LR or MR frequency Finally, upon reception of a paging, the UE initiates a random access on the MR frequency where the data transmissions also take place. The procedure is described in is as follows:

[0038] 1. The UE in RRC IDLE or RRC INACTIVE, equipped with a MR and a LR operating in different frequencies, will switch to the LR operation and enter a deep sleep mode after the MR stores the information for Random Access Channel (RACH) on the cell / cells it is camping on, and other information in a SI of the LR and MR cells.

[0039] 2. The UE’s LR performs monitoring of a LP-WUS on the LR band.

[0040] 3. The UE should wake up in the PO associated with the LR band; the LR will proceed to wake up the MR in this band if a LP-WUS is detected.

[0041] 4. The UE’s MR will perform synchronization with the LR band and receive the paging message on this band (e.g. 700 MHz).

[0042] 5. If the paging message is addressed to the UE, the UE MR will then frequency retune and re-synchronize to the higher frequency band for an initial access (e.g. 3.5 GHz) which can be the same as the LR band or different (depending on load balancing).

[0043] 6. Upon synchronization and based on the stored configuration received from the previous access, the UE will perform the RACH procedure to the band where it was released to the Idle / Inactive state.

[0044] The agreement in RAN#106 is rather vague and leaves the following options open for each solution:P112906W001

[0045] 1. The UE is prioritized to camp on the LR band, i.e. the same frequency (cell) is used for both the MR and LR. This will not solve the alleged overload situation.

[0046] 2 The UE is prioritized to camp on the LR band but performs RACH on the MR band, i.e. when paged, the UE moves to the MR band. In this case, the cell re-selection will be on the LR band. This case is illustrated in Fig. 1.

[0047] 3. The UE is not prioritized to camp on the LR band but can be redirected there by dedicated signaling (when released from the connected state).SUMMARY

[0048] There currently exist certain challenge(s). The problem to be solved in this disclosure is to meet the demands and procedures for when the UE, in inactive or idle mode (e.g. RRC IDLE / INACTIVE), is camping on one cell but performing the random access with a different cell (e.g., lower frequency LR cell for DL monitoring, and higher frequency MR cell for the initial access). The problem is that when the UE attempts to access the MR cell, it needs to first find a suitable cell and synchronize with it before it can perform the random access (RA). This leads to a long delay compared to performing the RA to the cell it was camping on (i.e. the LR cell).

[0049] When the UE is released from RRC CONNECTED, the UE can store the configuration of the MR cell from which it was released. If the UE is stationary, it can access this MR cell by performing the RA procedure to this cell (after synchronizing), but if the UE has moved and is not in the coverage of the old / previous MR cell, it first needs to find a suitable MR cell. Rel-19 WUR capable UEs and later release WUR capable UEs are not stationary UEs, so a solution is required.

[0050] A similar problem exists, if reversely the UE is camping on an MR cell where it cannot monitor the LP-WUS. In this case, it needs to find a cell in the LR band. Procedures for this have not been specified and if the legacy cell re-selection procedure is to be followed, inter-cell measurements would not be performed while the UE is in good coverage of the MR cell, where it is camping. How the UE initiates measurements on the LR cell to be able to connect and monitor the LP-WUS is a problem to be solved.

[0051] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges.

[0052] Embodiments in this disclosure allow to specify how the UE can perform interfrequency measurements on the cell where it is not camping. Different configurations are described, and different thresholds are defined. In one embodiment, inter-frequencyP112906W001measurements are triggered by UE mobility as measured by changes in the RSRP measurements performed by the LR on the serving cell, for example.

[0053] For example, procedures for inter-frequency measurements are defined, when the UE is configured to monitor the LP-WUS on the LR band and access the network using the MR band.

[0054] There is provided a method in a wireless device (e.g. WUR UE) for performing inter-frequency measurements. The method comprises: receiving a message comprising a configuration related to inter-frequency measurements for a cell selection procedure; receiving a paging message at the first frequency, after receiving a LP-WUS at the first frequency to wake up the wireless device; and performing inter-frequency measurements on one or more cells operating at the second frequency, based on the received configuration, in order to select a cell for initiating a random access procedure. A wireless device for implementing this method is also provided. There is also provided a method in a network node for inter-frequency measurements. The method comprises: sending a message comprising a configuration related to inter-frequency measurements for a cell selection procedure; sending a paging message at the first frequency, after sending a LP-WUS at the first frequency to wake up the wireless device; and performing an access procedure on a cell operating at the second frequency, the cell being selected based on the inter-frequency measurements according to the configuration. A network node for carrying out this method is provided as well.

[0055] There is also provided a computer program product comprising a computer readable memory storing computer executable instructions thereon that when executed by a computer perform any one of the methods above.

[0056] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s).

[0057] Inter-frequency measurements are triggered, which makes the access on the MR band faster. Inter-frequency measurements are triggered to find a cell where the UE can monitor the LP-WUS.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] Exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the following figures, in which:

[0059] Fig. 1 illustrates a diagram of a UE performing some actions at the LR band and some other actions at the MR band.

[0060] Fig. 2 illustrates a scenario where the LR cell covers several cells in the MR band.P112906W001

[0061] Fig. 3 illustrates a signal diagram for a UE, operating at a LR band and at a MR band, according to an embodiment.

[0062] Fig. 4 illustrates a method in a wireless device, according to an embodiment.

[0063] Fig. 5 illustrates a method in a network node, according to an embodiment.

[0064] Fig. 6 shows an example of a communication system, according to an embodiment.

[0065] Fig. 7 is another example of a communication system 700 according to some embodiments.

[0066] Fig. 8 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless device, according to an embodiment.

[0067] Fig. 9 shows a schematic diagram of a network node, according to an embodiment.

[0068] Fig. 10 illustrates a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0070] Embodiments of the disclosure relate to UEs in an inactive (e.g. RRC INACTIVE) or idle (e.g. RRC IDLE) mode and describe how a WUR capable UE configured with idle mode procedures to be split over a cell in a LR band and a cell in a MR band can be configured to perform inter-frequency measurements on the MR band. The split of idle mode procedures refer to DL monitoring of the LP-WUS and legacy paging being performed on the cell in the LR frequency band, and, the initial access being performed on a different cell in the MR frequency band.

[0071] It should be noted that the terms “access or initial access” and “cell re-select” refer to the access (e.g. RA) procedure and the cell re-selection / cell selection procedure, respectively. Also, the terms “band” and “frequency” and “frequency band” can be used interchangeably.

[0072] An overview of the scenario where the UE is camping on the LR band (which is indicated as the prioritized frequency) is shown in Fig. 2. For example, Fig. 2 shows a UE moving from left to right, initially camping on LR cell 1 and if paged, accessing on MR cell 1. When the UE is moving to the right in the figure, the UE would after some time perform access on MR cell 2, MR cell 3 while still in the coverage of LR cell 1. At one point, the UE does a cell re-selection and selects LR cell 2 and the UE would then access on MR cell 4. This disclosure addresses at least the problem of how the WUR capable UE should determine which MR cell to initiate the access procedure on.P112906W001

[0073] Referring to Fig. 3, one exemplary solution will be described. For example, after receiving a release message or suspend message from the gNB in step 110, the UE enters the idle or inactive state (in step 130). The UE camps on the LR band. In step 120, the UE can receive a configuration message from the gNB. This message can be received before the UE enters the idle state, for example. Also, the configuration message can be part of the release message of step 110, i.e. the release message comprises the configuration information / indication. The configuration message can indicate to the UE to perform interfrequency measurements on a MR cell / band based on different conditions. Alternatively, a SI message, broadcast by the gNB, can be used to indicate to the UE to perform inter-frequency measurements. For example, the SI indicates that the MR band is prioritized to be used for the RA after receiving a LP-WUS and paging on the LR band. It should be noted that this is a new behaviour compared to legacy procedures if the measurements are performed when Srxlev > SnonintraSearchP and Squal > SnonintraSearchQ,, i.e. the measurements are inter-frequency measurements. As a note, normal cell re-selection rules do not require inter-frequency measurements. Furthermore, the configuration of step 120 can comprise other indications for different conditions for performing the inter-frequency measurements, for example.

[0074] In step 140, the UE receives a LP-WUS to wake up the UE, which can then monitor for paging. In step 150, the UE receives a paging message. The LP-WUS and the paging are both received in the LR band.

[0075] In step 160, the UE performs inter-frequency measurements on the MR band, based on the received configuration, in order to find a suitable cell with which to perform the RA procedure. It should be noted that step 160 can be performed before receiving the LP-WUS in step 140 and the paging in step 150.

[0076] In step 170, once the UE has found a suitable cell in the MR band, the UE performs the RA procedure with that cell.

[0077] In an option, in the case of the split of idle mode procedures, the UE can be camping on the LR cell and performing serving cell measurements on the LR cell (similar to the legacy operation, but with some changes related to using WUR for RRM measurements and RRM relaxations).

[0078] There are different conditions for ensuring that the UE, upon being paged or upon uplink (UL) data arrival, selects the right cell for the UL initial access. Some examples are described below. These conditions can be indicated in the configuration of step 120, for example. For example, no continuous RRM measurements are done on the MR cell candidates,P112906W001but upon RA triggering (due to the UE being paged or upon UL data arrival) the UE performs a separate cell re-selection for the purpose of the initial access. This would consider:

[0079] - Configuration in SI (step 120) on the LR-cell to prioritize MR cells for the initial access.

[0080] - Configuration in SI (step 120) on the candidate MR cells that split the initial access for WUR capable UEs is allowed in the cell.

[0081] - New requirements and measurement definitions (e.g. in RAN4 spec TS 38.133) and ‘initial (re-)cell selection procedure for the initial access on a separate frequency band’ (e.g. in RAN2 spec TS 38.304).

[0082] In another example, continuous RRM measurements are performed on the MR cell (in addition to the regular serving cell measurements on the LR cell) ensuring that the UE, upon being paged or receiving UL data, could immediately access the MR cell currently being the serving cell for the initial access.

[0083] - This solution avoids any measurements and cell (re-) sei ection upon LP-WUS reception and being paged and can provide a reduced DL latency compared to the previous example.

[0084] - The drawback compared to the previous example is that the MR must be started up for RRM measurements on the MR cell, and even if RRM measurements relaxation is introduced to allow for more infrequent measurements this will reduce the WUR capable UE power saving gains compared to the previous example.

[0085] - If the serving cell measurements on the LR cell indicate no mobility (RSRP compared to a stored reference value RSRPo), the RRM measurements on the MR cell could be allowed to be performed very infrequently or even stopped completely. E.g.:< < < < < <

[0086] In another example, when the UE is camping on an LR cell, in step 160, the UE can perform relaxed inter-frequency measurements on the cell(s) on the MR band, e.g., as indicated in SI, the MR band being prioritized to be used for the RA after receiving the LP-WUS and paging on the LR band.P112906W001

[0087] In one option, the relaxed measurements are performed according to the conditions and rules specified in the background section entitled “RRM Measurement Relaxation”, that is, the same rules that are followed in the general case.

[0088] In one option, the relaxed measurements are defined and configured separately for inter-frequency measurements on the cells of the MR bands. New parameters may be defined for the relaxed measurements and the UE can be configured with the new parameters, e.g., in broadcast SI. Some examples of these options with further details are provided below.

[0089] In one example, the relaxed inter-frequency measurements are performed with a lower time frequency, i.e. longer time intervals, as governed by a new timer, e.g. every kth drx cycle, or when the serving cell measurements on the LR cell fulfill certain conditions, e.g., RSRP has not changed more than a predefined amount.

[0090] In one example, the relaxed inter-frequency measurements are only performed on the MR cell which was previously selected for access on the MR band. That is, as long as an MR cell is selected and suitable for MR access, only this cell is measured by inter-frequency measurements. Only when the UE detects that the previous MR cell is no longer suitable / found, then the UE measures other intra-frequency cells. When the UE does not find any suitable intrafrequency cell, the UE selects another MR frequency, to search for a suitable MR cell. The UE may perform these relaxed inter-frequency measurements in a similar way as the search for higher priority frequencies every 60 seconds (or longer), for example.

[0091] In another example, the relaxed inter-frequency measurements are triggered by changes of the RSRP measurements on the LR band. If the change in RSRP is above a specified threshold, i.e. indicating UE movement, then, the inter-frequency measurements are performed.

[0092] In another example, the inter-frequency measurements are triggered by cell reselection on the LR band. This means that even if the cell reselection was performed without inter-frequency measurements, inter-frequency measurements are triggered to find a cell on the MR band for access in case the UE receives the LP-WUS and paging on the LR band. This is a new behaviour compared to legacy procedures if the cell re-selection was performed when Srxlev > SnonintraSearchP and Squal > SnonintraSearchQ. z. e. when normal cell reselection rules do not require inter-frequency measurements.

[0093] In another example, the inter-frequency measurements are triggered based on the last time the UE has successfully received paging. This can be configured or operated, e.g., based on the use case and whether the UE expects or is configured to receive latency critical traffic. For example, if the UE is more delay tolerant (or the relevant traffic is), then the UE may reduce or stop performing inter-frequency measurements when there has not been pagingP112906W001message towards the UE for some time; this waiting time may be controlled with a new timer (see below). And vice versa, if the UE traffic is latency critical, the UE may measure more often, e.g., when frequent paging is expected (but the UE is not in connected mode either). A timer can be used whose expiry would tell the UE to either increase or decrease the number of measurements. This timer can be either specified, configured by the network or in one option, it can be up to the UE when to reduce or increase the occurrence of the inter-frequency measurements.

[0094] In one option, how or if inter-frequency measurements are performed is determined by the UE capability.

[0095] In one option, how or if inter-frequency measurements are performed is determined by the combination of bands used for the LP-WUS and RA. For example, a certain scheme is used if LR band 1 is used in combination with MR band 1, while another scheme is used if LR band 2 is used in combination with MR band 2.

[0096] In one option, how or if inter-frequency measurements are performed is determined by UE implementation. This means that the UE performs inter-frequency measurements which are not mandated by the specification.

[0097] In one option, how or if inter-frequency measurements are performed is determined by battery level of the UE.

[0098] In one option, how or if inter-frequency measurements are performed is determined for a UE in RRC INACTIVE by the Quality of Service (QoS) or some other characteristics of the suspended Data Radio Bearers (DRBs) configured for the UE.

[0099] In one example, if the UE is unable to find any cell during the cell reselection procedure that satisfies the LR threshold, the UE camps on the strongest MR cell. In this case, the UE starts a timer and after the expiration of the timer, the UE tries to find a LR cell where it can monitor a LP-WUS.

[0100] In one example, when the UE has reselected an MR cell and does not have a LR cell where it can monitor a LP-WUS, the UE can perform inter-frequency measurements on the LR band even if the UE is in good coverage of the MR cell. This is a new behaviour compared to legacy procedures if the measurements are performed when Srxlev > SnonintraSearchP and Squal > SnonintraSearchQ.z.e. when normal cell re-selection rules do not require inter-frequency measurements.

[0101] In one example, when the UE has reselected an MR cell and does not have a LR cell where it can monitor a LP-WUS, the UE can perform inter-frequency measurements on the LR band after a specified time period, e.g. when a timer expires.P112906W001

[0102] Now turning to Fig. 4, a flow chart of a method 200 in a wireless device, for performing inter-frequency measurements will be described. The wireless device can be the UE 612 or wireless device 800. Also, the wireless device can comprise a LR operating at a first frequency / band and a MR operating at a second frequency / band. Method 200 comprises:

[0103] Step 210: receiving a message comprising a configuration related to interfrequency measurements for a cell selection procedure;

[0104] Step 220: receiving a paging message at the first frequency, after receiving a LP-WUS at the first frequency to wake up the wireless device; and

[0105] Step 230: performing inter-frequency measurements on one or more cells operating at the second frequency, based on the received configuration, in order to select a cell for initiating a random access procedure.

[0106] For example, the first frequency corresponds to the frequency used by the LR and the second frequency corresponds to the frequency used by the MR.

[0107] In some examples, the message is a SI message or a release message. In some examples, the configuration indicates that the wireless device is allowed to perform interfrequency measurements. In some examples, the configuration comprises conditions for performing the inter-frequency measurements. In some examples, the measurements are relaxed inter-frequency measurements. In some examples, the configuration comprises an indication to perform relaxed inter-frequency measurements. In some examples, the configuration further comprises one or more conditions related to the relaxed inter-frequency measurements and / or one or more parameters related to the relaxed inter-frequency measurements. In some examples, performing the inter-frequency measurements is triggered by changes of measurements on a cell operating at the first frequency. In some examples, performing the inter-frequency measurements is triggered by a cell re-selection at the first frequency. In some examples, performing the inter-frequency measurements are based on a timer. For example, the wireless device receives an indication of a timer. In some examples, performing the inter-frequency measurements are based on a wireless device capability.In some examples, performing the inter-frequency measurements are based on a combination of a use of the first and second frequencies.

[0108] Fig. 5 illustrates an example of a flow chart of a method 300 in a network node, such as 610 or 900 for performing inter-frequency measurements. Method 300 comprises:

[0109] Step 310: sending a message comprising a configuration related to inter-frequency measurements for a cell selection procedure;P112906W001

[0110] Step 320: sending a paging message at the first frequency, after sending a Low Power-Wake Up Signal (LP-WUS) at the first frequency to wake up the wireless device; and

[0111] Step 330: performing an access procedure on a cell operating at the second frequency, the cell being selected based on the inter-frequency measurements according to the configuration.

[0112] For example, the first frequency corresponds to the frequency used by the LR and the second frequency corresponds to the frequency used by the MR. In some examples, the message is a System Information (SI) message. In some examples, the configuration indicates that the wireless device is allowed to perform inter-frequency measurements. In some examples, the configuration comprises conditions for performing the inter-frequency measurements. In some examples, the measurements are relaxed inter-frequency measurements. In some examples, the configuration comprises an indication to perform relaxed inter-frequency measurements. In some examples, the configuration further comprises one or more conditions related to the relaxed inter-frequency measurements and / or one or more parameters related to the relaxed inter-frequency measurements. In some examples the network node sends an indication of a timer to the wireless device for performing the inter-frequency measurements.

[0113] Fig. 6 shows an example of a communication system 600 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0114] In the example, the communication system 600 includes a telecommunications network 602 that includes an access network 604, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 606, which includes one or more core network nodes 608. The access network 604 includes one or more access network nodes or base stations of various types, access network nodes 610A and 610B are depicted (which may be collectively referred to as network nodes 610), or any other similar 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points (APs). Some embodiments of the access network 604 may include more than one access network technology. The network nodes 610 of access network 604 facilitate direct or indirect connection of wireless devices, also referred to as UEs, such as by connecting UEs 612A, 612B, 612C, and 612D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 612) to the core network 606 over one or more wireless connections.

[0115] Moreover, 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 telecommunications network 602 includesP112906W001one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a network node in the telecommunications network 602 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 network nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any network node in the telecommunications network 602, including one or more access network nodes 610 and / or core network nodes 608.

[0116] 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). An ORAN 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 network node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies.

[0117] The network nodes 610 facilitate direct or indirect connection of one or more UEs 612 to the core network 606 over one or more wireless connections. 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 600 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 600 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0118] The UEs 612 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with theP112906W001network nodes 610 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 608, 610 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly (e.g., via other devices of telecommunications network 602) with the UEs 612 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunications network 602 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunications network 602. More specifically, UEs 612 may send messages, data, and / or other signals to network nodes 608, 610 or other elements of the telecommunications network 602 by transmitting such signals to the relevant device directly without the signals passing through any intervening devices or by transmitting such signals to the relevant device indirectly through an intervening device (or multiple intervening devices) that then transmit the signal to the relevant device. Similarly, network nodes 608, 610 may send messages, data, and other signals to UEs 6122, other network nodes 608, 610, and other devices in telecommunications network 602 directly or indirectly. As one specific example, a core network node 108 may transmit a particular message to a UE 612 by transmitting the message to an access network node 610 that will then transmit the message to the intended UE 612. Similarly, a core network node 108 may receive a particular message from a UE 612 by receiving the message from an access network node 610 that itself received the message from the UE 612.

[0119] In the depicted example, the core network 606 connects elements of the access network 604 (e.g., one or more of the network nodes 610) to one or more host computing systems, such as host 616. 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 606 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 608) of various types, one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 608. Network nodes 608 are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, access network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 608. Example core network nodes provide 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).P112906W001

[0120] The host 616 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 604 and / or the telecommunications network 602. The host 616 may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 616 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.

[0121] As a whole, the communication system 600 of Fig. 6 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system 600 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 (Wi-Fi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wi-Max), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, Li-Fi, and / or any low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox. Moreover, the communication system 600 may be configured to support multiple different standards, protocols, or other rule sets, with individual components supporting all of the relevant rule sets or with different components or sub-systems within the communication system 600 supporting different standards, protocols, or rule sets.

[0122] As one example, in certain embodiments, access network 604 may contain some access network nodes 610 that support 3 GPP radio access technologies (RAT), such as LTE or NR, while other access network nodes 610 support (or the same access network nodes 610 additionally support) non-3GPP RATs, such as Wi-Fi or a proprietary RAT. As another example, telecommunications network 602 may support multiple generations of related communication standards (e.g., 4G and 5G 3GPP communication standards) and, as a result, may include an access network 104 and / or a core network 106 that supports multiple different standard generations or may include multiple access networks 104 and / or multiple core networks 106 with individual networks 104, 106 supporting different standard generations.P112906W001

[0123] Telecommunications network 602 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunications network 602. For example, the telecommunications network 602 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.

[0124] In some examples, one or more of the UEs 612 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 604 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 604. 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 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).

[0125] In the example, the hub 614 communicates with the access network 604 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 612C and / or 612D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 610B). In some examples, the hub 614 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 614 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 606 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 614 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 610, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 614.

[0126] As another example, the hub 614 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 614 may be a content source. In still another example, the hub 614 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0127] The hub 614 may have a constant / persi stent or intermittent connection to the network node 610B. The hub 614 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 614 and UEs (e.g., UE 612C and / or 612D), and between the hub 614 and the core network 606. In other examples, the hub 614 is connected to the core network 606 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 614 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 604 and / or to another UE over aP112906W001direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 610 while still connected via the hub 614 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 614 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 61 OB. In other embodiments, the hub 614 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 61 OB, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0128] Fig. 7 is another example of a communication system 700 according to some embodiments. As used herein, the communication system 700 includes multiple APs 710 (with four exemplary APs 710A, 710B, 710C, and 710D being depicted) and multiple wireless devices, referred to in the context of communication system 700 as stations (STAs) 712 (referred to individually as STA 712A, STA 712B, STA 712C, STA 712D, and STA 712E). STA 712A is served by AP 710A in a first basic service set (BSS) 720A. STA 710B and STA 710C are served by AP 710B in a second BSS, BSS 720B. STA 712D is served by AP 710C in a third BSS, BSS 720C. STA 712E is served by AP 710D in a fourth BSS, BSS 720D. Stations 712 may be non-AP STAs and correspond to various kinds of wireless devices, for example, user terminals, such as mobile or stationary computing devices like smartphones, laptop computers, desktop computers, tablet computers, gaming devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs) for Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), or the like. Further, stations 712 could, for example, correspond to other kinds of equipment like smart home devices, printers, multimedia devices, data storage devices, or the like.

[0129] Each of STAs 712 may connect through a radio link to one of APs 710. For example, depending on location or channel conditions experienced by a given STA 712, the STA may select an appropriate AP and BSS for establishing the radio link. The radio link may be based on one or more orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) carriers from a frequency spectrum that is shared on the basis of a contention-based mechanism, e.g., an unlicensed or license exempt band like 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, or the 60 GHz band.

[0130] Each AP 710 may provide data connectivity to STAs 712 connected to a particular AP 710. As illustrated, APs 710 may be connected to a data network 730. In this way, APs 710 may also provide data connectivity between STAs 712 and other entities, e.g., to one or more servers, service providers, data sources, data sinks, user terminals, or the like. Accordingly, the radio link established between a given STA 712 and its serving AP 710 may be used forP112906W001providing various kinds of services to STA 712, e.g., a voice service, a multimedia service, or other data service. Such services may be based on applications that are executed on STA 712 and / or on a device linked to STA 712. By way of example, Fig. 7 illustrates an application service platform 732 provided in data network 730. The application(s) executed on STA 712 and / or on one or more other devices linked to STA 712 may use the radio link for data communication with one or more other STA 712 and / or the application service platform 732, thereby enabling utilization of the corresponding service(s) at STA 712.

[0131] Fig. 8 shows a wireless device 800, which may be configured to operate in communication system 600 of Figure 6 or in communication system 700 of Fig. 70. The wireless device 800 may be alternatively referred to as a UE 800, like a UE 612 within the context of communication system 600, or as a station (STA) 800 or as a non-access-point station (non-AP STA) 800, like a STA 712 within the context of the communication system 700, in accordance with respective embodiments. As used herein, a wireless device refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Examples of a wireless device 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), vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, and wireless terminal. Other examples include any type of UE identified by the 3GPP, including a narrow band NB-IoT UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. The UE can be also a WUR UE, with a LR and a MR, for example.

[0132] A wireless device 800 may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3 GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehi cl e-to- vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X).

[0133] In particular embodiments, wireless device 800 includes processing circuitry 802 that is operatively coupled via a bus 804 to an input / output interface 806, a power source 808, a memory 810, a communication interface 812, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain embodiments of wireless device 800 may include all or a subset of the components shown in Fig. 8. The level of integration between the components may vary from one embodiment of wireless device 800 to another. In general, in a particular embodiment of wireless device 800, processing circuitry 802, input / output interface 806, power source 808, memory 810, and communication interface 812 may, in whole or in part, represent or include physical components common to or shared by one or more of the other elements of wirelessP112906W001device 800. Further, certain embodiments of wireless devices 800 may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0134] The processing circuitry 802 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 810. The processing circuitry 802 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 802 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs). Furthermore, the processing circuitry 802 is configured to perform any steps of method 200 of Fig. 4.

[0135] In the example, the input / output interface 806 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 smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into wireless device 800. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presencesensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), 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 biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0136] In some embodiments, the power source 808 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 to supply power to circuitry or to charge an associated battery. The power source 808 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 808 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of wireless device 800 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Power source 808 may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to make accessible power suitable for the respective components of the wireless device 800 to which power is supplied.P112906W001

[0137] The memory 810 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM) an other kinds of ROMs, magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 810 includes one or more programs 814, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 816. The memory 810 may store, for use by wireless device 800, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0138] The memory 810 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 810 may allow wireless device 800 to access instructions, 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 810, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0139] The processing circuitry 802 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network via or using the communication interface 812. The communication interface 812 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 822. The communication interface 812 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 wireless device or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 818 and / or a receiver 820 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 818 and receiver 820 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 822) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.P112906W001

[0140] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 812 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication (e.g., according to an IEEE 802.11 family standard), 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 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, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0141] In particular embodiments, wireless device 800 may provide an output of data captured via a sensor, through its communication interface 812, via a wireless connection to a network node, and / or in any appropriate manner. Data captured by sensors of a wireless device 800 can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another wireless device 800.

[0142] As another example, wireless device 800 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, wireless device 800 may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or 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.

[0143] Wireless device 800, when in the form of an loT device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, 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, and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. In particular embodiments, wireless device 800 represents an loT device that 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 example embodiment of wireless device 800 shown in Fig. 8.

[0144] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, wireless device 800 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 wireless device and / orP112906W001a network node. Wireless device 800 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, wireless device 800 may implement the 3 GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, wireless device 800 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.

[0145] In practice, any number of wireless devices 800 may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first wireless device 800 might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second wireless device 800 that is a remote controller operating the drone. The first and / or the second wireless device 800 can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, wireless device 800 might comprise the sensor and the actuator, and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0146] Fig. 9 shows a network node 900 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 telecommunications network. In accordance with respective embodiments, network node 900 may be configured to operate in communication system 600 of Fig. 6, like network nodes 608 or 610, or in communication system 700 of Fig. 7, like an AP 710 or a station 712. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio APs), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs (NBs), evolved NBs (eNBs) and NR NBs (gNBs)), 0-RAN nodes or components of an 0-RAN node (e.g., 0-RU, 0-DU, O-CU).

[0147] Network nodes 900 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. Network node 900 may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. Network nodes 900 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).P112906W001

[0148] Other examples of network nodes 900 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, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0149] In particular embodiments, network node 900 includes a processing circuitry 902, a memory 904, a communication interface 906, and a power source 908. In general, in a particular embodiment of network node 900, processing circuitry 902, memory 904, communication interface 906, and power source 908 may, in whole or in part, represent or include physical components common to or shared by one or more of the other elements of network node 900.

[0150] The network node 900 may be composed of multiple distinct network entities (e.g., a NB entity and a RNC entity, or a BTS entity and a BSC entity, etc.), which may each have or utilize their own respective physical components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 900 comprises multiple such entities (e.g., BTS and BSC), one or more of the separate entities may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NBs. In such a scenario, each unique NB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 900 may be configured to support multiple RATs. In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memories 904 or portions of memory 904 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 910 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 900 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 900, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, Wi-Fi (e.g., according to an IEEE 802.11 family standard), 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 900.

[0151] The processing circuitry 902 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 components, such as the memory 904, to provide network node 900 functionality.P112906W001

[0152] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 902 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 902 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 912 and baseband processing circuitry 914. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 912 and the baseband processing circuitry 914 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 912 and baseband processing circuitry 914 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0153] The memory 904 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, RAM, 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 902. The memory 904 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 902 and utilized by the network node 900. The memory 904 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 902 and / or any data received via the communication interface 906. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 902 and memory 904 is integrated. Furthermore, the processing circuitry 902 is configured to perform any one of the steps of method 300 of Fig. 5.

[0154] The communication interface 906 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data with UEs, other network nodes, and / or any other network equipment. In the illustrated embodiment, communication interface 906 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 916 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. In particular embodiments, network node 800 may be capable of wireless communication and communication interface 906 may also include radio front-end circuitry 918 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, an antenna 910. Particular embodiments of radio front-end circuitry 918 include filter(s) 920 and amplifier(s) 922. The radio front-end circuitry 918 may be connected to an antenna 910 and processing circuitry 902. The radio frontend circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 910 and processing circuitry 902. The radio front-end circuitry 918 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 918 may convert the digital data into a radio signal(s) having the appropriate channelP112906W001and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 920 and / or amplifiers 922. The radio signal(s) may then be transmitted via the antenna 910. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 910 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 918. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 902. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0155] In certain alternative embodiments, network node 900 may be capable of wireless communication but does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 918, instead, the processing circuitry 902 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 910. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 912 is part of the communication interface 906. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 906 includes one or more ports or terminals 916, the radio front-end circuitry 918, and the RF transceiver circuitry 912, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 906 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 914, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0156] The antenna 910 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 910 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 918 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 910 is separate from the network node 900 and connectable to the network node 900 through one or more interfaces or ports.

[0157] The antenna 910, communication interface 906, and / or the processing circuitry 902 may be configured to perform some or all of the receiving operations and / or obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node 900. Any information, data and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 910, the communication interface 906, and / or the processing circuitry 902 may be configured to perform some or all of the transmitting or sending operations described herein as being performed by the network node 900. Any information, data and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[0158] The power source 908 provides power to the various components of network node 900 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 908 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 900 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 900 may beP112906W001connectable 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 908. As a further example, the power source 908 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.

[0159] Embodiments of the network node 900 may include additional components beyond those shown in Fig. 9 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 900 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 900 and to allow output of information from the network node 900. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 900.

[0160] Fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1000 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 1000 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as an access network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which a 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 1000 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface.

[0161] Applications 1002 (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.

[0162] Hardware 1004 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices asP112906W001described 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 1006 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VM 1008 A and VM 1008B (which may be collectively referred to as VMs 1008), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 1006 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to one or more of the VMs 1008.

[0163] The VMs 1008 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by virtualization layer 1006. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 1002 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 1008, 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.

[0164] In the context of NFV, each of the VMs 1008 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, nonvirtualized machine. Each of the VMs 1008, and that part of hardware 1004 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more of the VMs 1008 on top of the hardware 1004 and corresponds to an application 1002.

[0165] Hardware 1004 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 1004 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 1004 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 1010, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 1002. In some embodiments, hardware 1004 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 1012 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.P112906W001

[0166] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface.

[0167] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which 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 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.

[0168] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein are not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings.

Claims

P112906W001Claims1. A method (200) performed by a wireless device (612, 800), which has a Low power Radio (LR) operating at a first frequency and a Main Radio (MR) operating at a second frequency, the wireless device being in an inactive or idle mode, the method comprising:- receiving (210) a message comprising a configuration related to inter-frequency measurements for a cell selection procedure;- receiving (220) a paging message at the first frequency, after receiving a Low Power-Wake Up Signal (LP-WUS) at the first frequency to wake up the wireless device; and- performing (230) inter-frequency measurements on one or more cells operating at the second frequency, based on the received configuration, in order to select a cell for initiating a random access procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a System Information (SI) message or a release message.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the configuration indicates that the wireless device is allowed to perform inter-frequency measurements.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the configuration comprises conditions for performing the inter-frequency measurements.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the measurements are relaxed interfrequency measurements.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuration comprises an indication to perform relaxed inter-frequency measurements.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the configuration further comprises one or more conditions related to the relaxed inter-frequency measurements and / or one or more parameters related to the relaxed inter-frequency measurements.

8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein performing the inter-frequency measurements is triggered by changes of measurements on a cell operating at the first frequency.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein performing the inter-frequency measurements is triggered by a cell re-selection at the first frequency.

10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein performing the inter-frequency measurements are based on a timer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving an indication of a timer.

12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein performing the inter-frequency measurements are based on a wireless device capability.P112906W00113. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein performing the inter-frequency measurements are based on a combination of a use of the first and second frequencies.

14. A method (300) performed by a network node (610, 900) in a network comprising at least a wireless device, which has a Low power Radio (LR) operating at a first frequency and a Main Radio (MR) operating at a second frequency, the method comprising:- sending (310) a message comprising a configuration related to inter-frequency measurements for a cell selection procedure;- sending (320) a paging message at the first frequency, after sending a Low Power-Wake Up Signal (LP-WUS) at the first frequency to wake up the wireless device; and- performing (330) an access procedure on a cell operating at the second frequency, the cell being selected based on the inter-frequency measurements according to the configuration.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the message is a System Information (SI) message.

16. The method of claim 14 or 15, wherein the configuration indicates that the wireless device is allowed to perform inter-frequency measurements.

17. The method of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the configuration comprises conditions for performing the inter-frequency measurements.

18. The method of any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the measurements are relaxed interfrequency measurements.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the configuration comprises an indication to perform relaxed inter-frequency measurements.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the configuration further comprises one or more conditions related to the relaxed inter-frequency measurements and / or one or more parameters related to the relaxed inter-frequency measurements.

21. The method of any one of claims 14 to 20, further comprising sending an indication of a timer to the wireless device for performing the inter-frequency measurements.

22. A wireless device (612, 800) which has a Low power Radio (LR) operating at a first frequency and a Main Radio (MR) operating at a second frequency, the wireless device comprising a network interface (812) and processing circuitry (802) connected thereto, the processing circuitry (802) configured to perform of the method of any one of claims 1 to 13.

23. A network node (610, 900) in a network comprising at least a wireless device, which has a Low power Radio (LR) operating at a first frequency and a Main Radio (MR) operating at a second frequency, the network node comprising a network interface (906) and processing circuitry (902) connected thereto, the processing circuitry configured to perform the method of any one of claims 14 to 21.

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