WO2025170521A1

WO2025170521A1 - Cell operation based on on-demand ssbs

Info

Publication number: WO2025170521A1
Application number: PCT/SE2025/050087
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ajit Nimbalker; Ravikiran Nory; Venkatarao Gonuguntla
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Current assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority date: 2024-02-06
Filing date: 2025-02-05
Publication date: 2025-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 2026-08-06

Abstract

Embodiments include system and methods for UE behavior upon reception of signaling indicating on-demand SSBs, including details of SSB/SSB burst timing relative to the signaling used to trigger on-demand SSBs (timing from reception of signaling to slot/symbol in which the on-demand SSB is present). Embodiments can also include details of signaling the presence/start/absence of on-demand SSBs. Certain embodiments detail timing of On-demand SSB transmission relative to associated indication, including, starting the SSB/SSB burst transmissions beginning of the burst after a certain time offset. Certain embodiments include details for signaling including indication using MAC CE for triggering/indication on-demand SSB. Publ.

Description

CELL OPERATION BASED ON ON-DEMAND SSBS

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED INFORMATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of United States of America priority application No. 63/550,293 filed on February 06, 2024, titled “Cell operation based on on-demand SSBs.”

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for performing SSB operations.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Energy consumption is an important issue in telecommunications networks. For a cell in NR (New Radio), typically, an SSB (Synchronization System Block) is transmitted periodically, and it may be used to aid UE’s (user equipment) initial cell search, acquire frame/slot timing, initial time/frequency synchronization, measurements, and as QCL (quasi-collocation) reference for channel s/signals, etc. With beamforming, SSBs must be transmitted in multiple beams, and this can lead to further increased network energy consumption, when the SSBs are transmitted in a burst that can span one or multiple slots.

[0004] An NR gNB can be configured with up to 64 SSBs. The configured SSBs in a cell for UEs in RRC (Radio Resource Control) IDLE/INACTIVE have all the same periodicity and output power. The gNB can provide information to the UEs about how many/which SSBs that are active (present) within the serving cell and neighboring cells. The SSB consists of a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) and the physical broadcast channel (PBCH).

[0005] The gNB can further provide information about the rate/periodicity at which these SSBs are provided on the cell level. For the serving cell, the parameter ssb-PositionsInBurst indicates which of the SSBs that are active, and the parameter ssb-PeriodicityServingCell specifies the rate/periodicity of them. Furthermore, the UEs are informed about the SSBs output power via the common parameter ss-PBCH-BlockPower. When it comes to neighbor cells, a gNB can specify the neighboring active (present) SSBs via the parameter ssb-ToMeasure and the associated rate/periodicity via the SSB Measurement Timing Configuration (SMTC) which defines the time window during which the UE measures the SSBs belonging to these neighboring cells. The UE makes certain assumptions for a standalone NR cell upon the cell selection procedure. Even though the periodicity of the SSB is configurable, the UE upon initial cell selection expects that the SSB is provided every 20ms in that cell. The master information block (MIB) is part of the SSB. Together with SIB1 they are called Minimum System Information (Minimum SI).

[0006] UEs are configured with the above SSB/SIB1/SI presence and timing/rate information either in RRC IDLE/INACTIVE via broadcast system information or in RRC Connected via dedicated RRC messages. In IDLE/INACTIVE, the ssb-PositionsInBurst and ssb- Periodi city Serving for serving cell is configured via SIB1 and the SMTC configurations for neighboring cells are provided in SIB2/SIB4 contained in SI messages. Figure 1 illustrates an example of SSB transmission/structure.

Master Information Block (MIB)

[0007] The MIB is transmitted in the message part of the PBCH, which is a part of the SSB, and it contains the following information:

[0008] In addition to the MIB content, the SSB also provide the UE with a physical cell ID (derived from the sequence indexes of the PSS and SSS) and an SSB-Index (derived from the sequence index of the DM-RS (Dedicated demodulation reference signals) transmitted in the PBCH). [0009] In certain scenarios, a gNB may omit SSB transmissions on a cell and the UE may use SSB of another cell (e.g. another serving cell that is adjacent to current serving cell in same frequency band, or with certain restrictions, another serving cell in in another frequency band).

[0010] A UE can be configured with multiple serving cells via carrier aggregation and/or dual connectivity (e.g. with a MCG (Master Cell Group) and an SCG (Secondary Cell Group)). There can be a primary serving cell (PCell) and one or more secondary serving cells (SCell). SSB(s) may be transmitted on each of the serving cells, including the primary serving cell and secondary serving cell. The SCells can be activated/deactivated using an SCell activation command that is typically communicated using a MAC CE (Medium Access Control Control Element) such as SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC CE or an enhanced SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC CE. For an activated SCell, the UE monitors downlink control messages (PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), etc), measures and report CSI (Channel State Information), transmits uplink SRS (Sounding Reference Signal), etc. For a deactivated SCell, the UE does not need to monitor downlink control messages (PDCCH, etc), measure and report CSI, or transmit uplink SRS, etc. Thus, a UE can save energy when an SCell is deactivated. Upon receiving an SCell activation message (e.g. from the gNB), the UE starts acquiring the AGC (Automatic Gain Control), time/frequency sync and should be able to activate the SCell within a certain duration as defined by the requirements for different cases (known cell vs unknown cell, etc). In cases where an enhanced SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC CE, the MAC CE can also be used to trigger TRS(s) (Tracking Reference Signal) or CSI-RS (CSI Reference Signal) for tracking on the activated SCells to speed up the activation procedure.

SCell Activation/De- Activation MAC CEs

[0011] Examples of Legacy SCell activation/deactivation MAC CEs are given below. Some of these MAC CEs were described in prior Release (Rel 15/16/17/18) NR specifications.

[0012] In one example, the legacy SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC CE of one octet is identified by a MAC subheader with LCID (Logical Channel Identifier) as specified in Table 6.2.1 - 1 of TS 38.321. It has a fixed size and has a single octet containing seven C-fields and one R-field (Reserve field). The SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC CE with one octet is defined as follows (Figure 6.1.3.10-1, and shown herein in Figure 2). • Ci: If there is an SCell configured for the MAC entity with SCelllndex i as specified in TS 38.331, this field indicates the activation/deactivation status of the SCell with SCelllndex i, else the MAC entity shall ignore the Ci field. The Ci field is set to 1 to indicate that the SCell with SCelllndex i shall be activated. The Ci field is set to 0 to indicate that the SCell with SCelllndex i shall be deactivated;

• R: Reserved bit, set to 0.

[0013] There is another legacy SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE of four octets that can support up-to 31 SCell. In this MAC CE signalling, network has to indicate clearly the wanted activation status for each configured SCell.

[0014] There is another legacy SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE called Enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE, wherein along with the SCell activation message, the gNB can also indicate to the UE whether TRS for SCell activation is also triggered.

• Ci: If there is an SCell configured for the MAC entity with SCelllndex i as specified in TS 38.331, this field indicates the activation/deactivation status of the SCell with SCelllndex i, else the MAC entity shall ignore the Ci field. The Ci field is set to 1 to indicate that the SCell with SCelllndex i shall be activated and that a TRS IDj field is included for the SCell. The Ci field is set to 0 to indicate that the SCell with SCelllndex i shall be deactivated and that no TRS ID field is included for this SCell;

• TRS IDj : If TRS IDj is set to a non-zero value, it indicates the corresponding TRS address by scellActivationRS-Id as specified in TS 38.331 is activated. If TRS IDj is set to zero, it indicates that no TRS is used for the corresponding SCell;

• R: Reserved bit, set to 0.

[0015] Figure 3 illustrates the Enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE with one octet for SCell activation/deactivation.

[0016] There currently exist certain challenges. Provisioning of SSBs on demand for SCell operation can be done via UE uplink wake-up-signal using an existing signal/channel, cell on/off indication via backhaul, Scell activation/deactivation signaling. However, the exact details of how to communicate the presence/absence/triggering of on-demand SSBs to the UE and associated UE behavior is lacking in existing technology, particularly those based on gNB indication. U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/614,104, entitled “Method to configure SSB On Demand,” discusses on-demand SSB based on UE request such as uplink wakeup signaling. Uplink wakeup signaling to enable SSB transmission on SCells can lead unnecessary overhead and complexity (e.g. define the wake-up request/procedure, etc). Thus, it is beneficial to have detailed solutions on enabling on-demand SSBs without explicit UE request such as UE wakeup signaling.

SUMMARY

[0017] One embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a UE for performing SSB operations. The method comprises: receiving a first SSB configuration for a SCell; receiving a second SSB configuration for the SCell; and performing one or more SSB operations according to the first or second SSB configuration.

[0018] Another embodiment of a method under the present disclosure is a method performed by a network node for configurating a UE for SSB operation. The method comprises transmitting, to the UE, a first SSB configuration for a SCell; transmitting, to the UE, a second SSB configuration for the SCell; and performing one or more SSB operations according to the first or second SSB configuration.

[0019] Another embodiment can comprise a UE for SSB operation. The UE comprises processing circuitry; and a memory comprising instructions whereby the processing circuitry is operable to perform the steps of; receiving a first SSB configuration for a SCell; receiving a second SSB configuration for the SCell; and performing one or more SSB operations according to the first or second SSB configuration.

[0020] Another embodiment can comprise a network node for configurating a UE for SSB operation. The network node comprises processing circuitry; and a memory comprising instructions whereby the processing circuitry is operable to perform the steps of; transmitting, to the UE, a first SSB configuration for a SCell; transmitting, to the UE, a second SSB configuration for the SCell; and performing one or more SSB operations according to the first or second SSB configuration.

[0021] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an indication of the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [0023] Fig. 1 illustrates an example of SSB transmission and structure;

[0024] Fig. 2 illustrates an example of an SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC CE of one octet;

[0025] Fig. 3 illustrates an example of Enhanced SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC CE with one octet for SCell activation/deactivation;

[0026] Fig. 4 illustrates omission/transmission/stoppage of SSB burst based on activation/deactivation commands,

[0027] Fig. 5 illustrates omission/transmission/stoppage of on-demand SSB burst based on activation/deactivation commands;

[0028] Fig. 6 illustrates enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE with SSB transmission/absence indication;

[0029] Fig. 7 illustrates enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE with SSB transmission/absence indication and triggering TRS for one or more SCells;

[0030] Fig. 8 illustrates a flow-chart of a method embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0031] Fig. 9 illustrates a flow-chart of a method embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0032] Fig. 10 shows a schematic of a communication system embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0033] Fig. 11 shows a schematic of a user equipment embodiment under the present disclosure; [0034] Fig. 12 shows a schematic of a network node embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0035] Fig. 13 shows a schematic of a host embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0036] Fig. 14 shows a schematic of a virtualization environment embodiment under the present disclosure; and

[0037] Fig. 15 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of communication amongst nodes, hosts, and user equipment under the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Before describing various embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the parameters of the particularly exemplified systems, methods, apparatus, products, processes, and/or kits, which may, of course, vary. Thus, while certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail, with reference to specific configurations, parameters, components, elements, etc., the descriptions are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed embodiments. In addition, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claimed embodiments.

[0039] As described above, there currently exist certain challenges. For example, the exact details of how to communicate the presence/absence/triggering of on-demand SSBs to the UE and associated UE behavior is lacking in existing technology, particularly those based on gNB indication.

[0040] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Embodiments under the present disclosure include UE behavior upon reception of signaling indicating on-demand SSBs, including details of SSB/SSB burst timing relative to the signaling used to trigger on-demand SSBs (timing from reception of signaling to slot/symbol in which the on-demand SSB is present). Embodiments can also include details of signaling the presence/start/absence of on-demand SSBs.

[0041] Certain embodiments detail timing of On-demand SSB transmission relative to associated indication, including, starting the SSB/SSB burst transmissions beginning of the burst after a certain time offset. Particularly, assuming the on-demand SSB burst transmissions starts from the first occasion of an SSB with the lowest index within the burst that starts no earlier than an offset relative to the slot/symbol in which the activation command is received. Also disclosed are UE behavior related to assumption on transmission of TRS for SCell based on the on-demand SSB reception.

[0042] Certain embodiments include details for signaling including indication using MAC CE for triggering/indication on-demand SSB. Also, including additional MAC CE contents to trigger TRS. [0043] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. Certain embodiments disclosed herein improve overall system performance (NW energy savings) by enabling on-demand SSB operation for SCells with clear timing relationship including aligning the transmission of the on-demand SSBs, starting from the beginning of a SSB burst as well as a MAC CE design that accommodates both SCell activation/deactivation and on-demand SSB, and (optionally) also triggering additional TRS.

[0044] 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.

[0045] A UE can be configured with at least two cells. One of the cells can be a primary cell or primary serving cell (PCell). One or more of the other cells can be a secondary cell(s) or secondary serving cell(s) (SCell(s)). The UE may assume that the primary cell is always activated. The SCell for the UE may be activated and deactivated on an as needed basis. For example, when there is data to be scheduled to/from a UE, gNB can activate one or more SCell(s) (e.g. to reduce latency, increased data rate) in addition to PCell to carry the traffic. When there is no/less data to be transmitted to/received from the UE, gNB may deactivate one or more SCells to reduce UE energy consumption.

[0046] A UE can receive SCell configuration information via higher layers such as RRC. The UE can receive Scell activation/deactivation message via Scell activation/deactivation MAC command control element (CE) or via LI signaling or via higher layer signaling (direct SCell activation). In addition to activation/deactivation message for SCells, the UE can also receive information about one or two TRS bursts that can aid for faster SCell activation through an enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC command CE.

[0047] At least following cases can be considered for enabling On-demand SSB:

• Case 1 : Cell operation is solely based on On-demand SSB;

• Case 2: Cell operation based on On-demand SSB along with periodic SSB.

[0048] Some embodiments regarding indication of On-demand SSB are described next.

[0049] The UE may be configured with a first SSB burst configuration for an SCell. An SSB burst configuration may include one or more of a bitmap indicating SSB positions within the burst, periodicity of SSB. Each SSB within an SSB burst can have an index. The UE may be configured to receive an SCell activation/deactivation message (e.g. via a MAC CE). If the message indicates activation of an SCell, the UE can start receiving SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration for the SCell and/or the UE can assume SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration for the SCell are transmitted. In certain embodiment, before receiving an indication/message that the SCell is activated, the UE may not assume transmission of SSBs for the SCell unless previously indicated (e.g. if gNB indicated previously that SSBs are transmitted explicitly or implicitly).

[0050] There are multiple cases for on-demand SSBs (or alternately referred as triggerable SSBs) for SCell activation/deactivation.

UE Configured with Higher Layer

[0051] In one set of embodiments, the UE may be configured with a higher layer (e.g., RRC) indication that a SCell is operated using on-demand SSB operation. Based on the indication the UE may receive SSBs associated with a first SSB burst configuration (in short ‘first-config-SSBs’) using one or more of the following approaches.

[0052] In one approach (A0), the UE configured with the higher layer indication determines that:

• first-config-SSBs are absent when SCell is deactivated (e.g., via legacy SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE or upon expiration of a SCell deactivation timer)

• first-config-SSBs are present when the SCell is activated (e.g., via legacy SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE or via direct SCell activation indication included during SCell addition).

[0053] In another approach (Al), the UE configured with the higher layer indication determines that;

• first-config-SSBs are present when the SCell is activated/deactivated using a legacy mechanism (e.g., via legacy SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE or upon expiration of a SCell deactivation timer)

• first-config-SSBs are absent when an additional indication related to ‘first-config- SSBs’ is received. The additional indication related to ‘first-config-SSBs’ can be a LI or MAC CE based indication. a. For example, the additional indication can be a MAC CE with bits indicating absence of first-config- S SB s for the SCell. b. In another example, the additional indication can be a MAC CE with bits indicating SCell deactivation and also bits indicating absence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell. c. In another example, the additional indication can be a MAC CE with bits indicating either SCell activation or SCell deactivation and also bits indicating absence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell d. In another example, the additional indication can be a PDCCH with DCI contents indicating absence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell

[0054] In another approach (A2), the UE configured with the higher layer indication determines that:

• first-config-SSBs are absent when the SCell is deactivated using legacy mechanisms (e.g., via legacy SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE or upon expiration of a SCell deactivation timer)

• first-config-SSBs are present when an additional indication related to ‘first-config- SSBs’ is received. The additional indication related to ‘first-config-SSBs’ can be a LI or MAC CE based indication. a. For example, the additional indication can be a MAC CE with bits indicating presence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell. b. In another example, the additional indication can be a MAC CE with bits indicating SCell activation/deactivation and also bits indicating presence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell. c. In another example, the additional indication can be a PDCCH with DCI contents indicating presence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell.

[0055] In a further approach, the UE may be configured (e.g., via RRC) to determine the presence/absence of first-config-SSBs via one of Approach AO or Approach Al or Approach A2 described above.

[0056] In another further approach, the UE configured with the higher layer indication determines that: • first-config-SSBs are present when the SCell is activated via direct SCell activation (direct SCell activation indication included during SCell additon);

• and for all other cases, the UE may follow the behavior described for one of Approach AO, or Al or A2 above.

[0057] In another approach, the UE configured with the higher layer indication determines that:

• first-config-SSBs are absent when the SCell is deactivated using SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE (e.g., legacy SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE, or a MAC CE with bits indicating SCell activation/deactivation and also bits indicating presence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell.)

• first-config-SSBs are present when the SCell is deactivated upon expiration of SCell deactivation timer.

Variant Approach

[0058] A variant approach is described next. In certain embodiments, a UE receives configuration for a SCell, where the configuration contains at least one type of SSB burst configuration (e.g., first SSB burst configuration only or first and second SSB burst configuration). This approach can be characterized in e.g. :

• the first SSB burst configuration indicates a number of SSB bursts (XI) for an SCell (e.g., for an On-demand SSB, as part of on-demand SSB configuration, etc). a. In some examples XI can be 1 or 2 or a configurable number by the NW. b. In one example, an SSB burst configuration may include one or more of a bitmap indicating SSB positions within the burst, periodicity of SSB. c. In other example, an SSB burst configuration may include the number of SSB (e.g., L value as in TS 38.213) within the burst, periodicity of SSB burst. Each SSB within an SSB burst can have an index.

• the second SSB burst configuration indicates one or more of a bitmap indicating SSB positions within the burst, periodicity of SSB. In other example, a second SSB burst configuration may include the number of SSB (e.g., L value as in TS 38.213) within the burst, periodicity of SSB burst. Each SSB within an SSB burst can have an index. [0059] This variant approach can further comprise receiving first SSB burst from the NW node from a reference point (e.g. reference time). This approach can be characterized further, wherein, e.g.:

• the UE receives an SCell activation/deactivation command, and if the message indicates activation of the SCell, the UE can start receiving SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration for the SCell and/or the UE can assume SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration for the SCell are transmitted, for a number of SSB bursts (X) indicated for the SCell. In certain embodiment, before receiving an indication that the SCell is activated, the UE may not assume transmission of SSBs for the SCell unless previously indicated (e.g. if gNB indicated previously that SSBs are transmitted explicitly). The number of SSB bursts (X) may also be indicated via the SCell activation/deactivation CE or another L1/L2 indication.

• the reference point in one example is slot/symbol of SCell activation SCell activation/deactivation command reception or offset from the slot/symbol of the SCell activation/deactivation command reception.

• The reference point in other examples can be based on slot/symbol of reception of a L1/L2 signaling from the NW node or an offset from the reception of L1/L2 signalling from the NW node indicating or triggering first SSB burst.

[0060] This variant approach can further comprise receiving second SSB burst configured from a reference point (e.g. reference time). This approach can be further characterized, wherein, e.g.:

• the reference point is reception of SCell activation message. a. In certain embodiment, before receiving an SCell activation indication, the UE may not assume transmission of SSBs for the SCell unless previously indicated (e.g. if gNB indicated previously that SSBs are transmitted explicitly).

• the reference point is SCell addition

[0061] This variant approach can further comprise indicating the ending point (e.g. ending time) or non-availability of first SSB burst from a from a reference point. This embodiment can be further characterized, e.g., wherein the reference point is:

• after the XI number of SSB burst occasions as indicated in the configuration

• reception of SCell deactivation command [0062] This variant approach can further comprise indicating the ending point or non-availability for second SSB burst from a reference point. This embodiment can be further characterized, e.g., wherein the reference point is:

• reception time of Scell deactivation command

• reception time of Scell release

[0063] In some embodiments the received configuration (e.g., RRC configuration) from the NW node further containing information about the Scell operation with first SSB burst only or combination second SSB burst and first SSB burst. In one example, it is explicitly indicated through a parameter in the configuration.

[0064] In other example embodiments, lack of second SSB burst configuration is implicitly considered as Scell operating with first SSB burst (e.g., OnDemand SSB) alone. Some examples of eExplicit indication of on-demand SSB transmission are described next.

[0065] In some cases, the UE can determine that it may receive SSBs associated with a second SSB burst configuration (in short ‘second-config-SSBs’) instead of determining absence of first- config-SSBs in the approaches described above. The ‘second-config-SSBs’ can have a more infrequent periodicity compared to ‘first-config-SSBs’.

[0066] The approaches discussed above provide different trade-offs between additional signaling overhead and gNB/UE energy efficiency. Consider an example where there are two UEs UE1 and UE2 communicating with a gNB. With approach Al the gNB can configure both UE1 and UE2 for on-demand SSB SCell operation. If the SCell for UE2 has to be deactivated, and if on-demand SSBs are required for UE1 but not UE2, the gNB can deactivate UE2 using legacy SCell deactivation MAC CE. If on-demand SSBs are not required for both UE1 and UE2, the gNB can deactivate UE2 using the additional indication. Such flexibility is not available with Approach A0. However, A0 avoids extra signaling associated with additional indication.

[0067] A UE may be configured with a first SSB burst configuration for an SCell. In an embodiment, UE can assume that the SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration are transmitted based on an explicit indication via the SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE (e.g. along with indication of activation of the SCell). In another embodiment, UE can assume that the SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration are not transmitted based on an explicit indication via the SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE (e.g. along with indication of deactivation of the SCell). This can for example, be supported using the MAC CE structure in Figure 5.

[0068] A UE may be configured with a first SSB burst configuration for an SCell. In an embodiment, UE can assume that the SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration are transmitted upon activation of the SCell via SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE (e.g. along with indication of activation of the SCell). UE can assume that the SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration are not transmitted based on an explicit indication via the SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE (e.g. along with indication of deactivation of the SCell). This enables pre-configured SSBs that are always present upon SCell activation, while they can turned off or kept on upon SCell deactivation.

[0069] Pre-configured SSBs for an SCell, with explicit indication of the SSBs transmission along with activation of the SCell, and explicit transmission/omission (or no transmission) of SSBs along with deactivation of the SCell. In certain embodiments, the legacy deactivation message can be sent to deactivate an SCell but still keep the SSB transmission ongoing. This can be helpful if there are several UEs (e.g. other legacy UEs). This can also help re-activate the SCell without needing new enhanced activation/deactivation MAC command CE to indicate transmission of SSBs again. [0070] The UE can receive an SCell activation/deactivation command. The command includes at least one bitmap that indicates an activation/deactivation information for one or more SCells.

[0071] The activation/deactivation command may be received in a first slot (slot n) of a serving cell (e.g. a PCell or another already activated SCell). The UE may send an acknowledgement corresponding to reception of the activation/deactivation command in a second slot on another serving cell (e. g. of the PCell or another SCell), which may be in a reference slot n+k. The UE may assume that triggerable or on-demand SSB(s) for the SCell are transmitted starting from the first occasion of SSB that is no earlier than a third slot (n + k + Km), wherein Km is an offset value greater than 0. Km may typically be set to provide MAC CE processing time of about 3ms. The slot numbers can be with reference to the slots used for PUCCH transmissions (e. g. i.e. based on SCS of the cell on which the PUCCH corresponding to the acknowledgment is transmitted).

[0072] In an embodiment, upon reception of an activation command in slot n indicating activation of the SCell, the UE assumes that SSB burst(s) for the Scell are transmitted starting from the first occasion of an SSB with the lowest index within the burst that starts no earlier than an offset relative to the slot/symbol in which the activation command is received. This enables the UE to start receiving SSBs within full bursts instead of receiving partial SSB bursts. This also allows gNB to flexibly schedule the activation/deactivation messages without having to unnecessarily transmit partial SSB bursts.

[0073] In yet another embodiment, upon reception of an activation/deactivation command in slot/symbol n indicating deactivation of the Scell, the UE can assume no transmission of the SSB burst for the Scell starting from the first occasion of an SSB within the burst the lowest index that occurs no earlier than an offset relative to the slot/symbol in which the command is received.

[0074] An example is shown in Figure 4, which shows an illustration of omission/transmission/stoppage of SSB burst based on activation/deactivation commands, including aligning start/ stop to the beginning of a complete SSB burst. Figure 4 shows a case where there are three SSBs in a SSB bursts on an Scell (indexed 0,1,2). Before activation command is received for the SCell, the UE may assume no transmission of the SSBs on the SCell. Upon reception of an activation command, the UE applies a minimum offset, and finds the first occasion of SSB with the lowest index (e.g. index 0) within the SSB burst that starts no earlier than an offset (offsetl) relative to the slot/symbol in which the activation command is received. The figure shows the shaded occasions where SSB bursts are transmitted on the cell and the UE can assume SSB presence in such bursts. Subsequently, the UE may receive a deactivation command and the UE may assume that SSBs are turned off starting the next burst that starts after an offset (offset2) relative to the slot/symbol in which the deactivation command is received.

SSB Configurations

[0075] Some further examples of SSB configurations are described next.

[0076] In certain embodiments, the SCell may be operated using an on-demand SSB and a periodic SSB transmissions.

[0077] In an embodiment, the UE is configured with a first SSB configuration for an SCell. The SSB configuration may include at least one or more of a bitmap indicating SSB positions in a burst and SSB periodicity. The UE may further be configured with second SSB configuration for the SCell. The SSB configuration may include at least one or more of a bitmap indicating SSB position in a burst and SSB periodicity. The SSBs associated with the first SSB configuration may be transmitted or omitted based on signalling such as MAC command/Ll signaling. The SSBs associated with the second SSB configuration may be always transmitted (e.g. assumed to be present upon SCell configuration, etc).

[0078] In an embodiment, the first SSB configuration may be defined as an extension of the second SSB configuration (e.g. with a second periodicity, etc).

[0079] In an embodiment, the bitmap indicating SSB positions in a burst is identical for both the first and second SSB configuration.

[0080] In an embodiment, the periodicity used for the first and second SSB configuration are distinct. The second periodicity (e.g. 160ms) may be a multiple of the first periodicity (20ms).

[0081] In an embodiment, the UE uses the first SSB configuration for determining SSB resources for PDSCH rate-matching when SSBs associated with the first SSB configurations indicated as transmitted.

[0082] An example is shown in Figure 5, which shown an iillustration of omission/transmission/stoppage of on-demand SSB burst based on activation/deactivation commands, including aligning start/stop to the beginning of a complete SSB burst, and transmission of periodic SSB. Figure 5 shows a case where there are three SSBs in a SSB burst(s) on an SCell. There are two SSB configurations for the SCell - a second SSB configuration with three SSBs in a SSB burst and a (second) periodicity. A first SSB configuration with three SSBs in a SSB burst and a (first) periodicity. Before activation command is received for the SCell, the UE may assume transmission of the SSBs on the SCell only according to the second SSB configuration. Upon reception of an activation command, the UE applies a minimum offset, and finds the first occasion of an SSB associated with the first SSB configuration with the lowest index within the SSB burst (e.g. index 0) that starts no earlier than an offset (offsetl) relative to the slot/symbol in which the activation command is received. The figure shows the shaded occasions where SSB bursts according to the first SSB configuration are transmitted on the cell. Subsequently, the UE may receive a deactivation command and the UE may assume that SSBs according to the first SSB configuration are turned off starting the next burst that starts after an offset (offset2) relative to the slot/symbol in which the deactivation command is received. The UE may utilize SSBs transmitted according to one or both of the first and second SSB configurations. [0083] In an example, the first and second SSB configuration may be associated with the same SSB configuration, each one may be associated with a different periodicity (e.g. 160 ms and 20 ms, respectively). [0084] In the above examples, instead of lowest index within the SSB burst, a reference index may also be used, wherein the reference index is fixed or indicated by higher layers.

MAC CE for On-demand SSB

[0085] Certain embodiments can comprise an enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE. An example enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE is shown in discussed below and illustrated in Figure 6, which shows an enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE with SSB transmission/absence indication. A bitmap is included in the MAC CE for SCell activation/deactivation and a bit of the bitmap to indicate the activation/deactivation of an SCell. A bitmap is included in the MAC CE and a bit of the bitmap to indicate the transmission/absence of SSB/SSB burst associated with an SCell. Below has further description of the MAC CE contents.

• Ci: If there is an SCell configured for the MAC entity with SCelllndex i as specified in TS 38.331, this field indicates the activation/deactivation status of the SCell with SCelllndex i, else the MAC entity shall ignore the Ci field. The Ci field is set to 1 to indicate that the SCell with SCelllndex i shall be activated and that a Sj field is included for the SCell. The Ci field is set to 0 to indicate that the SCell with SCelllndex i shall be deactivated and that a Sj field is included for this SCell;

• Sj : If Sj is set to a first (e.g. non-zero) value, it indicates the SSB/SSB burst associated with cell j is activated. If TRS IDj is set to second (zero), it indicates that SSB/SSB burst is not activated for the corresponding SCell;

• R: Reserved bit, set to 0.

[0086] In some embodiments, the MAC CE may include an indicator to indicate which particular SSBs within an SSB burst of a SCell are transmitted.

[0087] In an embodiment, MAC CE can trigger on-demand SSB and also TRS that can be used for fast SCell activation (e.g. one or two bursts of TRS).

[0088] In certain embodiments, the command includes at least one bitmap that indicates an activation/deactivation information for one or more SCells as well as indication of additional reference signals such a TRS for an activated SCell, as well as presence/absence of SSB/SSB burst associated with an SCell. An example is shown below: • Ci: If there is an SCell configured for the MAC entity with SCelllndex i as specified in TS 38.331 [5], this field indicates the activation/deactivation status of the SCell with SCelllndex i, else the MAC entity shall ignore the Ci field. The Ci field is set to 1 to indicate that the SCell with SCelllndex i shall be activated and that a TRS IDj field is included for the SCell. The Ci field is set to 0 to indicate that the SCell with SCelllndex i shall be deactivated and that no TRS ID field is included for this SCell;

• TRS IDj : If TRS IDj is set to a non-zero value, it indicates the corresponding TRS address by scellActivationRS-Id as specified in TS 38.331 [5] is activated. If TRS IDj is set to zero, it indicates that no TRS is used for the corresponding SCell;

• R: Reserved bit, set to 0.

[0089] Figure 7 shows an example enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE with SSB transmission/absence indication and triggering TRS for one or more Scells.

[0090] While the MAC CEs in above examples are shown using a single octet (up to 7 SCells), the same principles apply also to MAC CEs with additional octets (such four octets, or up to 32 Scells).

Activation/Deactivation

[0091] Further embodiments can relate to activation/deactivation and explicit bitmap of SSB presence/absence.

[0092] In an embodiment, the UE receives an SCell activation/deactivation command. The command includes at least one bitmap that indicates an activation/deactivation information for one or more SCells and an explicit indication of the transmission/no transmission of triggerable.or on- demand SSBs for one or more SCells.

[0093] In an embodiment, the UE receives an SCell activation/deactivation command. The command includes at least one bitmap and at least a bit of the bitmap indicates that an SCell is deactivated, and the command further includes at least a second field and the second field indicates omission/transmission of triggerable or on-demand SSBs for that SCell. This allows a gNB to deactivate an SCell using legacy MAC command CE without having to turn off the triggerable or on-demand SSBs that are being transmitted (e.g. if there are legacy UEs, SSBs can be kept on). Later, the gNB can send explicit MAC CE to turn off transmission of triggerable or on-demand SSBs.

[0094] In an embodiment, the UE receives an SCell activation/deactivation command. The command includes at least one bitmap and at least a bit of the bitmap indicates that an SCell is activated, and the command further includes at least a second field and the second field indicates transmission of triggerable or on-demand_SSBs for that SCell. The UE subsequently receives a second SCell activation/deactivation command that indicates the SCell is deactivated. The second command can be a legacy Scell activation/deactivation MAC command.

[0095] Regarding TRS assumption, the SSBs are QCL source for TRS. Thus, unless SSBs are received, a UE may not be able to receive or process TRS signaling from the gNB. Thus, a gNB may be able to turn off TRS to save energy and start transmitting TRS upon transmission of on- demand SSBs from the SCells. In an embodiment, the UE can assume presence of TRS in a TRS occasion only when at least one SSB occasion associated with the TRS occasion has SSB present.

Additional Embodiments

[0096] A possible method embodiment under the present disclosure is shown in Figure 8. Method 1800 comprises a method performed by a UE for performing SSB operations. Step 1810 is receiving a first SSB configuration for a SCell. Step 1820 is receiving a second SSB configuration for the SCell. Step 1830 is performing one or more SSB operations according to the first or second SSB configuration. Method 1800 can comprise multiple variations and embodiments and/or additional and/or alternative steps.

[0097] Another embodiment possible method embodiment under the present disclosure is shown in Figure 9. Method 2000 comprises a method performed by a network node for configurating a UE for SSB operation. Step 2010 is transmitting, to the UE, a first SSB configuration for a SCell. Step 2020 is transmitting, to the UE, a second SSB configuration for the SCell. Step 2030 is performing one or more SSB operations according to the first or second SSB configuration. Method 2000 can comprise multiple variations and embodiments and/or additional and/or alternative steps. [0098] Figure 10 shows an example of a communication system 2100 in accordance with some embodiments. In the example, the communication system 2100 includes a telecommunication network 2102 that includes an access network 2104, such as a RAN, and a core network 2106, which includes one or more core network nodes 2108. The access network 2104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 2110a and 2110b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 2110), or any other similar 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP access point. The network nodes 2110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of UE, such as by connecting UEs 2112a, 2112b, 2112c, and 2112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 2112) to the core network 2106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0099] 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 1100 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 2100 may include and/or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and/or other similar type of system.

[0100] The UEs 2112 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and/or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 2110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 2110 are arranged, capable, configured, and/or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 2112 and/or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 2102 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 2102.

[0101] In the depicted example, the core network 2106 connects the network nodes 2110 to one or more hosts, such as host 2116. 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 2106 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 2108) 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 2108. 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).

[0102] The host 2116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 2104 and/or the telecommunication network 2102, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 2116 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. [0103] As a whole, the communication system 2100 of Figure 10 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.

[0104] In some examples, the telecommunication network 2102 is a cellular network that implements 3 GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network 2102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 2102. For example, the telecommunications network 2102 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.

[0105] In some examples, the UEs 2112 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 2104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 2104. 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).

[0106] In the example, the hub 2114 communicates with the access network 2104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 2112c and/or 2112d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 2110b). In some examples, the hub 2114 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 2114 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 2106 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 2114 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 2110, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 2114. As another example, the hub 2114 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 2114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 2114 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 2114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and/or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 2114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular in if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0107] The hub 2114 may have a constant/persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 2110b. The hub 2114 may also allow for a different communication scheme and/or schedule between the hub 2114 and UEs (e.g., UE 2112c and/or 2112d), and between the hub 2114 and the core network 2106. In other examples, the hub 2114 is connected to the core network 2106 and/or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 2114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 1104 and/or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 2110 while still connected via the hub 2114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 2114 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 2110b. In other embodiments, the hub 2114 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 2110b, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and/or end point for certain data channels.

[0108] Figure 11 shows a UE 2200 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and/or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and/or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless cameras, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), smart device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded/integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3 GPP), including a narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and/or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0109] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3 GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehi cl e-to- vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to- everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and/or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter). [0110] The UE 2200 includes processing circuitry 2202 that is operatively coupled via a bus 2204 to an input/output interface 2206, a power source 2208, a memory 2210, a communication interface 2212, and/or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 10. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0111] The processing circuitry 2202 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 2210. The processing circuitry 2202 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 2202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0112] In the example, the input/output interface 2206 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 2200. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0113] In some embodiments, the power source 2208 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 2208 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 2208 itself, and/or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 2200 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 2208. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 2208 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 2200 to which power is supplied.

[0114] The memory 2210 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 2210 includes one or more application programs 2214, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 2216. The memory 2210 may store, for use by the UE 2200, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0115] The memory 2210 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 2210 may allow the UE 2200 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 2210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0116] The processing circuitry 2202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 2212. The communication interface 2212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 2222. The communication interface 2212 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 2218 and/or a receiver 2220 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 2218 and receiver 2220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 2222) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0117] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 2212 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.

[0118] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 2212, 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). [0119] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch, related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0120] 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 head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or itemtracking 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 2200 shown in Figure 10.

[0121] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and/or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and/or measurements to another UE and/or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3 GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and/or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0122] 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.

[0123] Figure 12 shows a network node 3300 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 NRNodeBs (gNBs)).

[0124] 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 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).

[0125] 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/multi cast 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).

[0126] The network node 3300 includes a processing circuitry 3302, a memory 3304, a communication interface 3306, and a power source 3308. The network node 3300 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 3300 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 1300 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 3304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 3310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 3300 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 1300, 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 1300.

[0127] The processing circuitry 3302 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 3300 components, such as the memory 3304, to provide network node 3300 functionality.

[0128] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 3302 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 3302 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 3312 and baseband processing circuitry 3314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 3312 and the baseband processing circuitry 3314 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 3312 and baseband processing circuitry 3314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0129] The memory 3304 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 3302. The memory 3304 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 3302 and utilized by the network node 3300. The memory 3304 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 3302 and/or any data received via the communication interface 3306. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 3302 and memory 3304 is integrated.

[0130] The communication interface 3306 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 3306 comprises port(s)/terminal(s) 3316 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 3306 also includes radio front-end circuitry 3318 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 3310. Radio front-end circuitry 3318 comprises filters 3320 and amplifiers 3322. The radio front-end circuitry 3318 may be connected to an antenna 3310 and processing circuitry 3302. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 3310 and processing circuitry 3302. The radio front-end circuitry 3318 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio frontend circuitry 3318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 3320 and/or amplifiers 3322. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 3310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 3310 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 3318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 3302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components.

[0131] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 3300 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 3318, instead, the processing circuitry 3302 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 3310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 3312 is part of the communication interface 3306. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 3306 includes one or more ports or terminals 3316, the radio front-end circuitry 3318, and the RF transceiver circuitry 3312, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 3306 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 3314, which is part of a digital unit (not shown). [0132] The antenna 3310 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and/or receive wireless signals. The antenna 3310 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 3318 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and/or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 3310 is separate from the network node 3300 and connectable to the network node 3300 through an interface or port.

[0133] The antenna 3310, communication interface 3306, and/or the processing circuitry 3302 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and/or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and/or signals may be received from a UE, another network node and/or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 3310, the communication interface 3306, and/or the processing circuitry 3302 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.

[0134] The power source 3308 provides power to the various components of network node 3300 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 3308 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 3300 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 3300 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 3308. As a further example, the power source 3308 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.

[0135] Embodiments of the network node 3300 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 12 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 3300 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 3300 and to allow output of information from the network node 3300. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 3300. [0136] Figure 13 is a block diagram of a host 4400, which may be an embodiment of the host 2116 of Figure 10, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 4400 may be or comprise various combinations hardware and/or software, including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 4400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0137] The host 4400 includes processing circuitry 4402 that is operatively coupled via a bus 4404 to an input/output interface 4406, a network interface 4408, a power source 4410, and a memory 4412. Other components may be included in other embodiments. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 11 and 12, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of host 4400.

[0138] The memory 4412 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 4414 and data 4416, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by a UE for the host 4400 or data generated by the host 4400 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 4400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 4414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application programs 4414 may also provide for user authentication and licensing checks and may periodically report health, routes, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in or on the edge of a core network. Accordingly, the host 4400 may select and/or indicate a different host for over-the-top services for a UE. The host application programs 4414 may support various protocols, such as the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0139] Figure 14 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 5500 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 5500 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.

[0140] Applications 5502 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment 5500 to implement some of the features, functions, and/or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0141] Hardware 5504 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 5506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 5508a and 5508b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 5508), and/or perform any of the functions, features and/or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 5506 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 5508.

[0142] The VMs 5508 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 5506. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 5502 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 5508, 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. [0143] In the context of NFV, a VM 5508 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 5508, and that part of hardware 5504 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and/or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 5508 on top of the hardware 5504 and corresponds to the application 5502.

[0144] Hardware 5504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 5504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 5504 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 5510, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 5502. In some embodiments, hardware 5504 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 5512 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0145] Figure 15 shows a communication diagram of a host 6602 communicating via a network node 6604 with a UE 6606 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as a UE 2112a of Figure 10 and/or UE 2200 of Figure 11), network node (such as network node 2110a of Figure 10 and/or network node 3300 of Figure 12), and host (such as host 2116 of Figure 10 and/or host 4400 of Figure 13) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 15.

[0146] Like host 4400, embodiments of host 6602 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 6602 also includes software, which is stored in or accessible by the host 6602 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as the UE 6606 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 6650 extending between the UE 6606 and host 6602. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 6650.

[0147] The network node 6604 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 6602 and UE 6606. The connection 6660 may be direct or pass through a core network (like core network 2106 of Figure 10) and/or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0148] The UE 6606 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by UE 6606 and executable by the UE’s processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific “app” that may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via UE 6606 with the support of the host 6602. In the host 6602, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection 6650 terminating at the UE 6606 and host 6602. In providing the service to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host's host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 6650 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The UE's client application may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides to the host application through the OTT connection 6650.

[0149] The OTT connection 6650 may extend via a connection 6660 between the host 6602 and the network node 6604 and via a wireless connection 6670 between the network node 6604 and the UE 6606 to provide the connection between the host 6602 and the UE 6606. The connection 6660 and wireless connection 6670, over which the OTT connection 6650 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 6602 and the UE 1606 via the network node 6604, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0150] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 6650, in step 6608, the host 6602 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 6606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 6606 that shares data with the host 6602 without explicit human interaction. In step 6610, the host 6602 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE 6606. The host 6602 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 6606. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 6606 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 6606. The transmission may pass via the network node 6604, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 6612, the network node 6604 transmits to the UE 6606 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 6602 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 6614, the UE 6606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 6606 associated with the host application executed by the host 6602.

[0151] In some examples, the UE 6606 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 6602. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 6602. Accordingly, in step 6616, the UE 6606 may provide user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via an input/output interface of the UE 6606. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 6606 initiates, in step 6618, transmission of the user data towards the host 6602 via the network node 6604. In step 6620, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 6604 receives user data from the UE 6606 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 6602. In step 6622, the host 6602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 6606.

[0152] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 6606 using the OTT connection 6650, in which the wireless connection 6670 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the data rate, latency, and/or power consumption and thereby provide benefits such as reduced user waiting time, relaxed restriction on file size, improved content resolution, better responsiveness, and/or extended battery lifetime.

[0153] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 6602. As another example, the host 6602 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 6602 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 6602 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. As another example, the host 6602 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR or AR which it can broadcast, multicast or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the host 6602 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time critical electrical load to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing and/or transmitting data.

[0154] In some examples, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 6650 between the host 6602 and UE 6606, in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and/or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 6602 and/or UE 6606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 6650 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or supplying values of other physical quantities from which software may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of the OTT connection 6650 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node 6604. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency and the like, by the host 6602. The measurements may be implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection 6650 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0155] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and/or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and/or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and/or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0156] 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.

[0157] It will be appreciated that computer systems are increasingly taking a wide variety of forms. In this description and in the claims, the terms “controller,” “computer system,” or “computing system” are defined broadly as including any device or system — or combination thereof — that includes at least one physical and tangible processor and a physical and tangible memory capable of having thereon computer-executable instructions that may be executed by a processor. By way of example, not limitation, the term “computer system” or “computing system,” as used herein is intended to include personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, hand-held devices (e.g., mobile telephones, PDAs, pagers), microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, multi-processor systems, network PCs, distributed computing systems, datacenters, message processors, routers, switches, and even devices that conventionally have not been considered a computing system, such as wearables (e.g., glasses).

[0158] The computing system also has thereon multiple structures often referred to as an “executable component.” For instance, the memory of a computing system can include an executable component. The term “executable component” is the name for a structure that is well understood to one of ordinary skill in the art in the field of computing as being a structure that can be software, hardware, or a combination thereof. For instance, when implemented in software, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the structure of an executable component may include software objects, routines, methods, and so forth, that may be executed by one or more processors on the computing system, whether such an executable component exists in the heap of a computing system, or whether the executable component exists on computer-readable storage media. The structure of the executable component exists on a computer-readable medium in such a form that it is operable, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, to cause the computing system to perform one or more functions, such as the functions and methods described herein. Such a structure may be computer-readable directly by a processor — as is the case if the executable component were binary. Alternatively, the structure may be structured to be interpretable and/or compiled — whether in a single stage or in multiple stages — so as to generate such binary that is directly interpretable by a processor.

[0159] The terms “component,” “service,” “engine,” “module,” “control,” “generator,” or the like may also be used in this description. As used in this description and in this case, these terms — whether expressed with or without a modifying clause — are also intended to be synonymous with the term “executable component” and thus also have a structure that is well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of computing.

[0160] In terms of computer implementation, a computer is generally understood to comprise one or more processors or one or more controllers, and the terms computer, processor, and controller may be employed interchangeably. When provided by a computer, processor, or controller, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated computer or processor or controller, by a single shared computer or processor or controller, or by a plurality of individual computers or processors or controllers, some of which may be shared or distributed. Moreover, the term “processor” or “controller” also refers to other hardware capable of performing such functions and/or executing software, such as the example hardware recited above.

[0161] In general, the various exemplary embodiments may be implemented in hardware or special purpose chips, circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although the disclosure is not limited thereto. While various aspects of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well understood that these blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in, as non-limiting examples, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0162] While not all computing systems require a user interface, in some embodiments a computing system includes a user interface for use in communicating information from/to a user. The user interface may include output mechanisms as well as input mechanisms. The principles described herein are not limited to the precise output mechanisms or input mechanisms as such will depend on the nature of the device. However, output mechanisms might include, for instance, speakers, displays, tactile output, projections, holograms, and so forth. Examples of input mechanisms might include, for instance, microphones, touchscreens, projections, holograms, cameras, keyboards, stylus, mouse, or other pointer input, sensors of any type, and so forth.

Abbreviations and Defined Terms

[0163] To assist in understanding the scope and content of this written description and the appended claims, a select few terms are defined directly below. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.

[0164] The terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially,” as used herein, represent an amount or condition close to the specific stated amount or condition that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount or condition that deviates by less than 10%, or by less than 5%, or by less than 1%, or by less than 0.1%, or by less than 0.01% from a specifically stated amount or condition.

[0165] Various aspects of the present disclosure, including devices, systems, and methods may be illustrated with reference to one or more embodiments or implementations, which are exemplary in nature. As used herein, the term “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments disclosed herein. In addition, reference to an “implementation” of the present disclosure or embodiments includes a specific reference to one or more embodiments thereof, and vice versa, and is intended to provide illustrative examples without limiting the scope of the present disclosure, which is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the present description.

[0166] As used in the specification, a word appearing in the singular encompasses its plural counterpart, and a word appearing in the plural encompasses its singular counterpart, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. Thus, it will be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, reference to a singular referent (e.g., “a widget”) includes one, two, or more referents unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. Similarly, reference to a plurality of referents should be interpreted as comprising a single referent and/or a plurality of referents unless the content and/or context clearly dictate otherwise. For example, reference to referents in the plural form (e.g., “widgets”) does not necessarily require a plurality of such referents. Instead, it will be appreciated that independent of the inferred number of referents, one or more referents are contemplated herein unless stated otherwise.

[0167] References in the specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment, " and the like indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but it is not necessary that every embodiment includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. [0168] It shall be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0169] 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.

Conclusion

[0170] The present disclosure includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or any generalization thereof. Various modifications and adaptations to the foregoing exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts in view of the foregoing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, any and all modifications will still fall within the scope of the non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0171] It is understood that for any given component or embodiment described herein, any of the possible candidates or alternatives listed for that component may generally be used individually or in combination with one another, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. Additionally, it will be understood that any list of such candidates or alternatives is merely illustrative, not limiting, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise.

[0172] In addition, unless otherwise indicated, numbers expressing quantities, constituents, distances, or other measurements used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified by the term “about,” as that term is defined herein. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the subject matter presented herein. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the subject matter presented herein are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical values, however, inherently contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.

[0173] Any headings and subheadings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, it should be understood that although the present disclosure has been specifically disclosed in part by certain embodiments, and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this present description.

[0174] It will also be appreciated that systems, devices, products, kits, methods, and/or processes, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include, incorporate, or otherwise comprise properties or features (e.g., components, members, elements, parts, and/or portions) described in other embodiments disclosed and/or described herein. Accordingly, the various features of certain embodiments can be compatible with, combined with, included in, and/or incorporated into other embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, disclosure of certain features relative to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure should not be construed as limiting application or inclusion of said features to the specific embodiment. Rather, it will be appreciated that other embodiments can also include said features, members, elements, parts, and/or portions without necessarily departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0175] Moreover, unless a feature is described as requiring another feature in combination therewith, any feature herein may be combined with any other feature of a same or different embodiment disclosed herein. Furthermore, various well-known aspects of illustrative systems, methods, apparatus, and the like are not described herein in particular detail in order to avoid obscuring aspects of the example embodiments. Such aspects are, however, also contemplated herein. [0176] It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that methods, devices, device elements, materials, procedures, and techniques other than those specifically described herein can be applied to the practice of the described embodiments as broadly disclosed herein without resort to undue experimentation. All art-known functional equivalents of methods, devices, device elements, materials, procedures, and techniques specifically described herein are intended to be encompassed by this present disclosure.

[0177] When a group of materials, compositions, components, or compounds is disclosed herein, it is understood that all individual members of those groups and all subgroups thereof are disclosed separately. When a Markush group or other grouping is used herein, all individual members of the group and all combinations and sub-combinations possible of the group are intended to be individually included in the disclosure.

[0178] The above-described embodiments are examples only. Alterations, modifications, and variations may be effected to the particular embodiments by those of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the description, which is defined solely by the appended claims.

NUMBERED EMBODIMENTS

Group A Embodiments

1. A method performed by a user equipment for being provisioned/configured/notified for on-demand or periodic SSBs or absence thereof, the method comprising: receiving signaling indication on-demand or periodic SSBs, wherein the signaling includes one or more details of SSB/SSB burst timing relative to the signaling used to trigger on-demand SSBs.

2. The method of embodiment 1, wherein the one or more details comprise one or more of: timing from reception of signaling to slot/symbol in which the on-demand SSB is present; a certain time offset;

3. The method of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the signalling comprises MAC CE for triggering/indication on-demand SSB. 4. The method of embodiment 3, wherein the MAC CE contents trigger TRS.

5. A method performed by a user equipment for being provisioned/configured/notified for on-demand or periodic SSBs or absence thereof, the method comprising: receiving SCell configuration information.

6. The method of embodiment 5, further comprising receiving information about one or more TRS bursts that can aid for faster SCell activation through an enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC command CE.

7. The method of embodiment 5 or 6, wherein the configuration information comprises one or more of: received via higher layers (such as RRC); Scell activation/deactivation message; received via Scell activation/deactivation MAC command control element (CE); received via LI signaling; received via higher layer signaling (e.g., direct SCell activation).

8. The method of any of embodiments 5 to 7, wherein cell operation is solely based on On- demand SSB; or cell operation based on On-demand SSB along with periodic SSB.

9. The method of any of embodiments 5 to 8, wherein the SCell configuration information comprises a first SSB burst configuration for an SCell.

10. The method of embodiment 9, wherein the first SSB burst configuration may include one or more of a bitmap indicating SSB positions within the burst, periodicity of SSB.

11. The method of embodiment 9 or 10 wherein each SSB within an SSB burst can have an index.

12. The method of embodiment 9, 10, or 11, wherein the the UE may be configured to receive an SCell activation/deactivation message (e.g. via a MAC CE). 13. The method of embodiment 12, wherein if the message indicates activation of an SCell, the UE can start receiving SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration for the SCell and/or the UE can assume SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration for the SCell are transmitted.

14. The method of any of embodiments 9 to 13, wherein before receiving an indication/message that the SCell is activated, the UE may not assume transmission of SSBs for the SCell unless previously indicated (e.g. if gNB indicated previously that SSBs are transmitted explicitly or implicitly).

15. The method of any of embodiments 5 to 14, wherein the UE may be configured with a higher layer (e.g., RRC) indication that a SCell is operated using on-demand SSB operation.

16. The method of embodiment 15, wherein based on the indication the UE may receive SSBs associated with a first SSB burst configuration (in short ‘first-config-SSBs’).

17. The method of embodiments 15 or 16, wherein the UE configured with the higher layer indication determines that:

18. The method of embodiments 15 or 16, wherein the UE configured with the higher layer indication determines that;

• first-config-SSBs are absent when an additional indication related to ‘first-config- SSBs’ is received. The additional indication related to ‘first-config-SSBs’ can be a LI or MAC CE based indication. a. For example, the additional indication can be a MAC CE with bits indicating absence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell. b. In another example, the additional indication can be a MAC CE with bits indicating SCell deactivation and also bits indicating absence of first- config-SSBs for the SCell. c. In another example, the additional indication can be a MAC CE with bits indicating either SCell activation or SCell deactivation and also bits indicating absence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell d. In another example, the additional indication can be a PDCCH with DCI contents indicating absence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell

19. The method of embodiments 15 or 16, wherein the UE configured with the higher layer indication determines that:

• first-config-SSBs are present when an additional indication related to ‘first-config- SSBs’ is received. The additional indication related to ‘first-config-SSBs’ can be a LI or MAC CE based indication. a. For example, the additional indication can be a MAC CE with bits indicating presence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell. b. In another example, the additional indication can be a MAC CE with bits indicating SCell activation/deactivation and also bits indicating presence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell. c. In another example, the additional indication can be a PDCCH with DCI contents indicating presence of first-config-SSBs for the SCell. 20. The method of embodiments 15 or 16, wherein the UE may be configured (e.g., via RRC) to determine the presence/absence of first-config- S SB s via one of embodiment 17, 18, or 19 described above.

21. The method of embodiment 15 or 16, wherein the UE configured with the higher layer indication determines that:

• first-config-SSBs are present when the SCell is activated via direct SCell activation (direct SCell activation indication included during SCell additon);

• and for all other cases, the UE may follow the behavior described for one of embodiment 17, 18 or 19 above.

22. The method of embodiment 15 or 16, wherein the UE configured with the higher layer indication determines that:

23. The method of embodiment 15 or 16, wherein the UE receives configuration for a SCell, where the configuration contains at least one type of SSB burst configuration (e.g., first SSB burst configuration only or first and second SSB burst configuration).

24. The method of embodiment 23, wherein the first SSB burst configuration indicates a number of SSB bursts (XI) for an SCell (e.g., for an On-demand SSB, as part of on-demand SSB configuration, etc). a. In some examples XI can be 1 or 2 or a configurable number by the NW. b. In one example, an SSB burst configuration may include one or more of a bitmap indicating SSB positions within the burst, periodicity of SSB. c. In other example, an SSB burst configuration may include the number of SSB (e.g., L value as in TS 38.213) within the burst, periodicity of SSB burst. Each SSB within an SSB burst can have an index.

25. The method of embodiment 23, wherein the second SSB burst configuration indicates one or more of a bitmap indicating SSB positions within the burst, periodicity of SSB.

26. The method of embodiment 23, wherein a second SSB burst configuration may include the number of SSB (e.g., L value as in TS 38.213) within the burst, periodicity of SSB burst.

27. The method of any of the previous embodiments, wherein each SSB within an SSB burst can have an index.

28. The method of any of embodiments 23 to 27, further comprising receiving first SSB burst from the NW node from a reference point (e.g. reference time).

29. The method of embodiment 28, wherein the UE receives an SCell activation/deactivation command, and if the message indicates activation of the SCell, the UE can start receiving SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration for the SCell and/or the UE can assume SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration for the SCell are transmitted, for a number of SSB bursts (X) indicated for the SCell.

30. The method of embodimetn 28 or 29, wherein before receiving an indication that the SCell is activated, the UE may not assume transmission of SSBs for the SCell unless previously indicated (e.g. if gNB indicated previously that SSBs are transmitted explicitly).

31. The method of embodiments 28, 29, or 30, wherein the number of SSB bursts (X) may also be indicated via the SCell activation/deactivation CE or another L1/L2 indication. 32. The method of any of embodiments 28 to 31, wherein the reference point is slot/symbol of SCell activation SCell activation/deactivation command reception or offset from the slot/symbol of the SCell activation/deactivation command reception.

33. The method of any of embodiments 28 to 32, wherein the reference point in other examples can be based on slot/symbol of reception of a L1/L2 signaling from the NW node or an offset from the reception of L1/L2 signalling from the NW node indicating or triggering first SSB burst.

34. The method of any of embodiments 23 to 33, further comprising receiving second SSB burst configured from a reference point (e.g. reference time).

35. The method of embodiment 34, wherein the reference point is reception of SCell activation message.

36. The method of embodiment 34 or 35, wherein before receiving an SCell activation indication, the UE may not assume transmission of SSBs for the SCell unless previously indicated (e.g. if gNB indicated previously that SSBs are transmitted explicitly).

37. The method of any of embodiments 34 to 36, wherein the reference point is SCell addition.

38. The method of any of embodiments 23 to 36, further comprising indicating the ending point (e.g. ending time) or non-availability of first SSB burst from a from a reference point.

39. The method of embodiment 38, wherein the reference point is one of: after the XI number of SSB burst occasions as indicated in the configuration; or reception of SCell deactivation command.

40. The method of any of embodiments 23 to 38, further comprising indicating the ending point or non-availability for second SSB burst from a reference point. 41. The method of embodiment 40, wherein the reference point is one of: reception time of Scell deactivation command; or reception time of Scell release.

42. The method of embodiment 40 or 41, the received configuration (e.g., RRC configuration) from the NW node further containing information about the Scell operation with first SSB burst only or combination second SSB burst and first SSB burst.

43. The method of embodiment 40, 41, or 42, wherein Scell operation is explicitly indicated through a parameter in the configuration

44. The method of any of embodiments 40 to 43, wherein lack of second SSB burst configuration is implicitly considered as Scell operating with first SSB burst (e.g., OnDemand SSB) alone.

45. The method of any of embodiments 40 to 43, wherein there is explicit indication of on- demand SSB transmission.

46. The method of any of embodiments 40 to 45, wherein the UE can determine that it may receive SSBs associated with a second SSB burst configuration (in short ‘second-config-SSBs’) instead of determining absence of first-config- SSBs in the approaches described above.

47. The method of any of embodiments 40 to 45, wherein the ‘second-config-SSBs’ can have a more infrequent periodicity compared to ‘first-config-SSBs’.

48. The method of any of the previous embodiments, wherein the UE can assume that the SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration are transmitted based on an explicit indication via the SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE (e.g. along with indication of activation of the SCell).

49. The method of any of embodiments 1 to 47, wherein the UE can assume that the SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration are not transmitted based on an explicit indication via the SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE (e.g. along with indication of deactivation of the SCell).

50. The method of any of embodiments 1 to 47, wherein the UE can assume that the SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration are transmitted upon activation of the SCell via SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE (e.g. along with indication of activation of the SCell).

51. The method of embodiment 50, wherein the UE can assume that the SSBs associated with the first SSB burst configuration are not transmitted based on an explicit indication via the SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE (e.g. along with indication of deactivation of the SCell), thereby enabling pre-configured SSBs that are always present upon SCell activation, while they can turned off or kept on upon SCell deactivation.

52. The method of any of the previous embodiments, wherein the legacy deactivation message can be sent to deactivate an SCell but still keep the SSB transmission ongoing.

53. The method of any of the previous embodiments, wherein the UE receives an SCell activation/deactivation command.

54. The method of embodiment 53, wherein the command includes at least one bitmap that indicates an activation/deactivation information for one or more SCells.

55. The method of embodiment 53 or 54, wherein the activation/deactivation command may be received in a first slot (slot n) of a serving cell (e.g. a PCell or another already activated SCell).

56. The method of embodiment 53, 54, or 55, wherein the UE may send an acknowledgement corresponding to reception of the activation/deactivation command in a second slot on another serving cell (e. g. of the PCell or another SCell), which may be in a reference slot n+k.

57. The method of any of embodiment 53 to 56, wherein the UE may assume that triggerable or on-demand SSB(s) for the SCell are transmitted starting from the first occasion of SSB that is no earlier than a third slot (n + k + Km), wherein Km is an offset value greater than 0. Km may typically be set to provide MAC CE processing time of about 3ms. The slot numbers can be with reference to the slots used for PUCCH transmissions (e. g. i.e. based on SCS of the cell on which the PUCCH corresponding to the acknowledgment is transmitted).

58. The method of any of embodiments 53 to 57, wherein upon reception of an activation command in slot n indicating activation of the SCell, the UE assumes that SSB burst(s) for the Scell are transmitted starting from the first occasion of an SSB with the lowest index within the burst that starts no earlier than an offset relative to the slot/symbol in which the activation command is received. This enables the UE to start receiving SSBs within full bursts instead of receiving partial SSB bursts. This also allows gNB to flexibly schedule the activation/deactivation messages without having to unnecessarily transmit partial SSB bursts.

59. The method of any of embodiments 53 to 58, wherein upon reception of an activation/deactivation command in slot/symbol n indicating deactivation of the Scell, the UE can assume no transmission of the SSB burst for the Scell starting from the first occasion of an SSB within the burst the lowest index that occurs no earlier than an offset relative to the slot/symbol in which the command is received.

60. The method of any of the previous embodiments, wherein the SCell may be operated using an on-demand SSB and/or a periodic SSB transmissions.

61. The method of embodiment 60, wherein the UE is configured with a first SSB configuration for an SCell.

62. The method of embodiment 60 or 61, wherein the SSB configuration may include at least one or more of: a bitmap indicating SSB positions in a burst and SSB periodicity; second SSB configuration for the SCell; a bitmap indicating SSB position in a burst and SSB periodicity.

63. The method of embodiments 60, 61, or 62, wherein the SSBs associated with the first SSB configuration may be transmitted or omitted based on signalling such as MAC command/Ll signaling; and/or the SSBs associated with the second SSB configuration may be always transmitted (e.g. assumed to be present upon SCell configuration, etc).

64. The method of any of embodiments 60 to 63, wherein the first SSB configuration may be defined as an extension of the second SSB configuration (e.g. with a second periodicity, etc).

65. The method of any of embodiments 60 to 64, wherein a/the bitmap indicating SSB positions in a burst is identical for both the first and second SSB configuration.

66. The method of any of embodiments 60 to 65, wherein a/the periodicity used for the first and second SSB configuration are distinct. The second periodicity (e.g. 160ms) may be a multiple of the first periodicity (20ms).

67. The method of any of embodiments 60 to 66, wherein the UE uses a/the first SSB configuration for determining SSB resources for PDSCH rate-matching when SSBs associated with the first SSB configurations indicated as transmitted.

68. The method of any of embodiments 60 to 67, wherein a/the first and second SSB configuration may be associated with the same SSB configuration and/or each one may be associated with a different periodicity (e.g. 160 ms and 20 ms, respectively).

69. The method of any of embodiments 60 to 68k wherein instead of lowest index within the SSB burst, a reference index may also be used, wherein the reference index is fixed or indicated by higher layers.

70. The method of any of embodiments 1 to 69, further comprising an/the enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC CE.

71. The method of embodiment 70, wherein a/the bitmap is included in the MAC CE for SCell activation/deactivation and a bit of the bitmap to indicate the activation/deactivation of an SCell. 72. The method of embodiment 71, wherein a/the bitmap is included in the MAC CE and a bit of the bitmap to indicate the transmission/absence of SSB/SSB burst associated with an SCell.

73. The method of any of embodiments 70 to 72, wherein the MAC CE contents comprise:

• R: Reserved bit, set to 0.

74. The method of any of embodiments 70 to 73, wherein the MAC CE may include an indicator to indicate which particular SSBs within an SSB burst of a SCell are transmitted.

75. The method of any of embodiments 70 to 74, wherein MAC CE can trigger on-demand SSB and also TRS that can be used for fast SCell activation (e.g. one or two bursts of TRS).

76. The method of any of embodiments 70 to 75, wherein the command includes at least one bitmap that indicates an activation/deactivation information for one or more SCells as well as indication of additional reference signals such a TRS for an activated SCell, as well as presence/absence of SSB/SSB burst associated with an SCell. An example is shown below:

• Ci: If there is an SCell configured for the MAC entity with SCelllndex i as specified in TS 38.331 [5], this field indicates the activation/deactivation status of the SCell with SCelllndex i, else the MAC entity shall ignore the Ci field. The Ci field is set to 1 to indicate that the SCell with SCelllndex i shall be activated and that a TRS IDj field is included for the SCell. The Ci field is set to 0 to indicate that the SCell with SCelllndex i shall be deactivated and that no TRS ID field is included for this SCell;

• R: Reserved bit, set to 0.

77. The method of any of embodiments 70 to 76, wherein the MAC CE has a single octet (up to 7 SCells), or additional octets (such four octets, or up to 32 Scells).

78. The method of any of the previous embodiments, wherein the UE receives an SCell activation/deactivation command.

79. The method of embodiment 78, wherein the command includes at least one bitmap that indicates an activation/deactivation information for one or more SCells and an explicit indication of the transmission/no transmission of triggerable_or on-demand SSBs for one or more SCells.

80. The method of embodiment 78 or 79, wherein the UE receives an SCell activation/deactivation command.

81. The method of any of embodiments 78 to 80, wherein the command includes at least one bitmap and at least a bit of the bitmap indicates that an SCell is deactivated, and the command further includes at least a second field and the second field indicates omission/transmission of triggerable or on-demand SSBs for that SCell. This allows a gNB to deactivate an SCell using legacy MAC command CE without having to turn off the triggerable or on-demand SSBs that are being transmitted (e.g. if there are legacy UEs, SSBs can be kept on). Later, the gNB can send explicit MAC CE to turn off transmission of triggerable or on-demand SSBs. 82. The method of any of embodiments 78 to 81, wherein the command includes at least one bitmap and at least a bit of the bitmap indicates that an SCell is activated, and the command further includes at least a second field and the second field indicates transmission of triggerable or on- demand.SSBs for that SCell. The UE subsequently receives a second SCell activation/deactivation command that indicates the SCell is deactivated. The second command can be a legacy Scell activation/deactivation MAC command.

83. The method of any of the previous embodiments, wherein regarding TRS assumption, the SSBs are QCL source for TRS. Thus, unless SSBs are received, a UE may not be able to receive or process TRS signaling from the gNB. Thus, a gNB may be able to turn off TRS to save energy and start transmitting TRS upon transmission of on-demand SSBs from the SCells. In an embodiment, the UE can assume presence of TRS in a TRS occasion only when at least one SSB occasion associated with the TRS occasion has SSB present.

Group B Embodiments

84. A method performed by a network node for provisioning/configuring/notifying a UE for on-demand or periodic SSBs or absence thereof, the method comprising: signaling an indication of on-demand or periodic SSBs, wherein the signaling includes one or more details of SSB/SSB burst timing relative to the signaling used to trigger on-demand SSBs.

85. A method performed by a network node for provisioning/configuring/notifying a UE for on-demand or periodic SSBs or absence thereof, the method comprising: transmitting SCell configuration information.

86. The method of embodiment 84 or 85, wherein the network node comprises at least one of: a PCell; a SCell; a gNB.

87. The method of any of embodiments 84 to 86, wherein the one or more details/configuration information comprise one or more of: timing from reception of signaling to slot/symbol in which the on-demand SSB is present; a certain time offset; 88. The method of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the signalling/one or more detrails/configuration information comprise MAC CE for triggering/indication on-demand SSB.

89. The method of embodiment 88, wherein the MAC CE contents trigger TRS.

90. The method of any of embodiments 84 to 89, further comprising transmitting information about one or more TRS bursts that can aid for faster SCell activation through an enhanced SCell activation/deactivation MAC command CE.

9E The method of any of embodiments 84 to 90, wherein the one or more details/configuration information comprises one or more of: received via higher layers (such as RRC); Scell activation/deactivation message; received via Scell activation/deactivation MAC command control element (CE); received via LI signaling; received via higher layer signaling (e.g., direct SCell activation).

92. The method of any of embodiments 84 to 91, wherein cell operation is solely based on On- demand SSB; or cell operation based on On-demand SSB along with periodic SSB.

Group C Embodiments

93. A user equipment for being provisioned/configured/notified for on-demand or periodic SSBs or absence thereof, comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

94. A network node for provisioning/configuring/notifying a UE for on-demand or periodic SSBs or absence thereof, the network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments; power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry. 95. A system for provisioning/configuring/notifying a UE for on-demand or periodic SSBs or absence thereof, comprising: processing circuitry; and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the system is operative to: signal an indication of on-demand or periodic SSBs, wherein the signaling includes one or more details of SSB/SSB burst timing relative to the signaling used to trigger on- demand SSBs; and/or transmit SCell configuration information.

96. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions executable by processing circuitry to perform any of the methods of claims 1 to 92.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method (1800) performed by a user equipment, UE (2200), for performing Synchronization System Block, SSB, operations, the method comprising: receiving (1810) a first SSB configuration for a Secondary Cell, SCell; receiving (1820) a second SSB configuration for the SCell; and performing (1830) one or more SSB operations according to the first or second SSB configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more SSB operations comprise receiving a SSB in the SCell.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the SSB comprises at least one of: an on-demand SSB; a periodic SSB.

4. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first SSB configuration and/or second SSB configuration comprise at least one of: an on-demand SSB configuration; a periodic SSB configuration.

5. The method of any of claims 1 to 4, further comprising receiving one or more SSBs according to the first SSB configuration and/or the second SSB configuration.

6. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first and/or second SSB configurations comprise at least one of: a bitmap indicating SSB positions in a burst; SSB periodicity.

7. The method of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first SSB configuration is defined with a different periodicity than the second SSB configuration.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein a bitmap indicating positions in a burst is identical for both the first and second SSB configuration.

9. The method of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first SSB configuration and/or second SSB configuration defines a start time of an on-demand SSB burst as a time offset after receipt of an activation command.

10. The method of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first SSB configuration and/or second SSB configuration configures on-demand SSBs by indicating a number of SSB bursts.

11. The method of any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first SSB configuration and/or second SSB configuration is received via higher layer signaling.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first SSB configuration and/or second SSB configuration is received via Radio Resource Control, RRC, messaging.

13. The method of any of claims 1 to 12, further comprising receiving an indication via one or more of: Medium Access Control - Control Element, MAC-CE; Layer 1, LI, signaling; higher layer signaling; wherein the indication indicates that one or more SSBs can be received by the UE according to the first SSB configuration and/or the second SSB configuration.

14. The method of any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first or second SSB configuration define at least one type of SSB burst configuration.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one type of SSB burst configuration comprises at least one of: first SSB burst configuration only; first and second SSB burst configuration.

16. The method of claim 14 or 15, wherein the first SSB burst configuration indicates a number of SSB bursts for an SCell.

17. The method of any of claims 14 to 16, wherein a second SSB burst configuration includes a number of SSB within a burst or a periodicity of a SSB burst.

18. The method of any of claims 14 to 17, wherein each SSB within an SSB burst has an index.

19. The method of any of claims 14 to 18, further comprising receiving a first SSB burst from a network node at a reference time.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the reference time is based at least in part on a reception time of at least one of: a Medium Access Control - Control Element, MAC-CE; Layer 1, LI, signaling; higher layer signaling.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first SSB burst is the SSB burst that has the SSB with the lowest index starting no earlier than an offset relative to the slot and/or symbol in which the indication is received.

22. A method (2000) performed by a network node (3300) for configurating a user equipment, UE (2200), for Synchronization System Block, SSB, operation, the method comprising: transmitting (2010), to the UE, a first SSB configuration for a Secondary Cell, SCell; transmitting (2020), to the UE, a second SSB configuration for the SCell; and performing (2030) one or more SSB operations according to the first or second SSB configuration.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising sending, to the UE, an indication to perform the one or more SSB operations.

24. The method of claim 22 or 23, wherein first SSB configuration and/or second SSB configuration comprises at least one of: a bitmap indicating SSB positions in a burst; SSB periodicity; a time offset; timing from reception of signaling to slot and/or symbol in which an on- demand SSB is present.

25. The method of any of claims 22 to 24, wherein the one or more SSB operations comprise sending, to the UE, an SSB in the SCell.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the SSB comprises at least one of: an on-demand SSB; a periodic SSB.

27. The method of any of claims 22 to 26, wherein the first SSB configuration and/or second SSB configuration comprise at least one of: an on-demand SSB configuration; a periodic SSB configuration.

28. The method of any of claims 22 to 27, wherein the transmitting is done via at least one of: Radio Resource Control, RRC, messaging; Medium Access Control-Control Element, MAC-CE; Layer 1 signaling; higher layer signaling.

29. The method of any of claims 22 to 28, wherein cell operation is solely based on at least one of: On-demand SSB; or cell operation based on On-demand SSB along with periodic SSB.

30. A user equipment (2200) for Synchronization System Block, SSB, operation, comprising: processing circuitry (2202) configured to perform any of the steps of any of claims 1 to 21; and power supply circuitry (2208) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

31. A network node (3300) for configurating a user equipment, UE (2200), for Synchronization System Block, SSB, operation, the network node comprising: processing circuitry (3302) configured to perform any of the steps of any of claims 22 to 29; power supply circuitry (3308) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

32. A user equipment (2200) for Synchronization System Block, SSB, operation, comprising: processing circuitry (2202); a memory (2210) comprising instructions whereby the processing circuitry is operable to perform the steps of; receiving a first SSB configuration for a Secondary Cell, SCell; receiving a second SSB configuration for the SCell; and performing one or more SSB operations according to the first or second SSB configuration.

33. The user equipment of claim 32, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to perform any of the steps of any of claims 2 to 21.

34. A network node (3300) for configurating a user equipment, UE (2200), for Synchronization System Block, SSB, operation, the network node comprising: processing circuitry (3302); a memory (3304) comprising instructions whereby the processing circuitry is operable to perform the steps of; transmitting, to the UE, a first SSB configuration for a Secondary Cell, SCell; transmitting, to the UE, a second SSB configuration for the SCell; and performing one or more SSB operations according to the first or second SSB configuration.

35. The network node of claim 34, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to perform any of the steps of any of claims 23 to 29.