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WO2025231713A1 - Amélioration de l'activation d'une cellule secondaire (scell) à l'aide d'un rapport de mesure précoce (emr) - Google Patents

Amélioration de l'activation d'une cellule secondaire (scell) à l'aide d'un rapport de mesure précoce (emr)

Info

Publication number
WO2025231713A1
WO2025231713A1 PCT/CN2024/091938 CN2024091938W WO2025231713A1 WO 2025231713 A1 WO2025231713 A1 WO 2025231713A1 CN 2024091938 W CN2024091938 W CN 2024091938W WO 2025231713 A1 WO2025231713 A1 WO 2025231713A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
measurement
rrc
target cells
emr
network
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
PCT/CN2024/091938
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jie Cui
Yang Tang
Dawei Zhang
Dan Wu
Hong He
Qiming Li
Ankit Bhamri
Yuexia Song
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Apple Inc
Original Assignee
Apple Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Apple Inc filed Critical Apple Inc
Priority to PCT/CN2024/091938 priority Critical patent/WO2025231713A1/fr
Publication of WO2025231713A1 publication Critical patent/WO2025231713A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L27/00—Modulated-carrier systems
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W24/00—Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
    • H04W24/10—Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W36/00—Hand-off or reselection arrangements

Definitions

  • Embodiments of the invention relate to wireless communications, including apparatuses, systems, and methods for enhancing Secondary Cell (SCell) activation with Early Measurement Report (EMR) by a user equipment (UE) in a cellular communications network.
  • SCell Secondary Cell
  • EMR Early Measurement Report
  • Wireless communication systems are rapidly growing in usage.
  • wireless devices such as smart phones and tablet computers have become increasingly sophisticated.
  • many mobile devices now provide access to the internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the global positioning system (GPS) and are capable of operating sophisticated applications that utilize these functionalities.
  • GPS global positioning system
  • LTE Long Term Evolution
  • 5G NR Fifth Generation New Radio
  • 5G-NR also simply referred to as NR
  • NR provides, as compared to LTE, a higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users, while also supporting device-to-device, ultra-reliable, and massive machine type communications with lower latency and/or lower battery consumption.
  • NR may allow for more flexible UE scheduling as compared to current LTE. Consequently, efforts are being made in ongoing developments of 5G-NR to take advantage of higher throughputs possible at higher frequencies.
  • Embodiments relate to wireless communications, and more particularly to apparatuses, systems, and methods for an apparatus of a user equipment (UE) , the apparatus comprising one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: decode, from a network, configuration information to enable the UE to send an EMR comprising: inter-frequency measurement results or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results for two or more target cells obtained by the UE during an Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC_IDLE) mode or a Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC_Inactive) mode, wherein the UE is configured to send the EMR after the UE enters Radio Resource Control Connected (RRC_Connected) mode, where the configuration information includes a request for the UE to report a signal-to-Interference-plus-noise Ratio (SINR) measurement as a measurement quality with one or more of an reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement or an reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurement of the two or more target cells (which may be s
  • a base station e.g., base station (base station)
  • the apparatus comprising one or more processors, coupled to a memory, configured to: encode, for transmission to a user equipment (UE) , configuration information to enable the UE to send an EMR comprising inter-frequency measurement results or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results for two or more target cells obtained by the UE during an Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC_IDLE) mode or a Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC_Inactive) mode, wherein the UE is configured to send the EMR after the UE enters Radio Resource Control Connected (RRC_Connected) mode, where the configuration information includes a request for the UE to report a signal-to-Interference-plus-noise Ratio (SINR) measurement as a measurement quality with one or more of an reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement or an reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurement of the two or more target cells; where the configuration information enables the
  • UAVs unmanned aerial vehicles
  • UACs unmanned aerial controllers
  • base stations access points
  • cellular phones tablet computers
  • wearable computing devices portable media players, and any of various other computing devices.
  • FIG. 1A illustrates an example wireless communication system according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 1B illustrates an example of a base station and an access point in communication with a user equipment (UE) device, according to some embodiments.
  • UE user equipment
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an example block diagram of a base station, according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates an example block diagram of a server according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an example block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates an example block diagram of cellular communication circuitry, according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE, according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates an example block diagram of an interface of baseband circuitry according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a control plane protocol stack in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a user plane protocol stack in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 10 illustrates example components of a core network in accordance with some embodiments.
  • FIG. 11 illustrates an example illustration of a user equipment UE performing multiple cell measurements under varying SINR conditions.
  • FIG. 12 illustrates an example illustration of a wireless communication system for enhancing Secondary Cell (SCell) activation with Early Measurement Results (EMR) in accordance with some embodiments.
  • SCell Secondary Cell
  • EMR Early Measurement Results
  • FIG. 13A illustrates an example Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN. 1) code for configuring a UE to report SINR as a measurement quantity together with RSRP/RSRQ in accordance with some embodiments.
  • ASN. 1 Abstract Syntax Notation One
  • FIG. 13B illustrates an example of Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN. 1) code for configuring a SINR threshold for EMR reporting in accordance with some embodiments.
  • ASN. 1 Abstract Syntax Notation One
  • FIG. 14 illustrates an example flow chart of a method of enhancing Secondary Cell (SCell) activation with Early Measurement Results (EMR) by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, according to some embodiments.
  • SCell Secondary Cell
  • EMR Early Measurement Results
  • FIG. 15 illustrates an example flow chart of a method of enhancing SCell activation with EMR by a network in a wireless communication system according to some embodiments.
  • Memory Medium Any of various types of non-transitory memory devices or storage devices.
  • the term “memory medium” is intended to include an installation medium, e.g., a CD-ROM, floppy disks, or tape device; a computer system memory or random-access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; a non-volatile memory such as a Flash, magnetic media, e.g., a hard drive, or optical storage; registers, or other similar types of memory elements, etc.
  • the memory medium may include other types of non-transitory memory as well or combinations thereof.
  • the memory medium may be located in a first computer system in which the programs are executed or may be located in a second different computer system which connects to the first computer system over a network, such as the Internet. In the latter instance, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution.
  • the term “memory medium” may include two or more memory mediums which may reside in different locations, e.g., in different computer systems that are connected over a network.
  • the memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., embodied as computer programs) that may be executed by one or more processors.
  • Carrier Medium a memory medium as described above, as well as a physical transmission medium, such as a bus, network, and/or other physical transmission medium that conveys signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals.
  • a physical transmission medium such as a bus, network, and/or other physical transmission medium that conveys signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals.
  • Programmable Hardware Element includes various hardware devices comprising multiple programmable function blocks connected via a programmable interconnect. Examples include FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) , PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices) , FPOAs (Field Programmable Object Arrays) , and CPLDs (Complex PLDs) .
  • the programmable function blocks may range from fine grained (combinatorial logic or look up tables) to coarse grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores) .
  • a programmable hardware element may also be referred to as "reconfigurable logic” .
  • Computer System any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC) , mainframe computer system, workstation, network appliance, Internet appliance, personal digital assistant (PDA) , television system, grid computing system, or other device or combinations of devices.
  • PC personal computer system
  • mainframe computer system workstation
  • network appliance Internet appliance
  • PDA personal digital assistant
  • television system grid computing system, or other device or combinations of devices.
  • computer system can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.
  • UE User Equipment
  • UE Device any of various types of computer systems devices which are mobile or portable and which performs wireless communications.
  • UE devices include mobile telephones or smart phones (e.g., iPhone TM , Android TM -based phones) , portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS TM , PlayStation Portable TM , Gameboy Advance TM , iPhone TM ) , laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smart watch, smart glasses) , PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones) , UAV controllers (UACs) , and so forth.
  • UAVs unmanned aerial vehicles
  • UACs UAV controllers
  • Base Station has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning, and at least includes a wireless communication station installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.
  • Processing Element refers to various elements or combinations of elements that are capable of performing a function in a device, such as a user equipment or a cellular network device.
  • Processing elements may include, for example: processors and associated memory, portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) , programmable hardware elements such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) , as well any of various combinations of the above.
  • ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit
  • FPGA field programmable gate array
  • channel widths may be variable (e.g., depending on device capability, band conditions, etc. ) .
  • LTE may support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20MHz.
  • 5G NR can support scalable channel bandwidths from 5 MHz to 100 MHz in Frequency Range 1 (FR1) and up to 400 MHz in FR2.
  • WLAN channels may be 22 MHz wide while Bluetooth channels may be 1 MHz wide.
  • Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels.
  • some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, e.g., different channels for uplink or downlink and/or different channels for different uses such as data, control information, etc.
  • band has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning, and at least includes a section of spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or set aside for the same purpose.
  • spectrum e.g., radio frequency spectrum
  • Automatically refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuitry, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc. ) , without user input directly specifying or performing the action or operation.
  • a computer system e.g., software executed by the computer system
  • device e.g., circuitry, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.
  • An automatic procedure may be initiated by input provided by the user, but the subsequent actions that are performed “automatically” are not specified by the user, i.e., are not performed “manually” , where the user specifies each action to perform.
  • a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information is filling out the form manually, even though the computer system will update the form in response to the user actions.
  • the form may be automatically filled out by the computer system where the computer system (e.g., software executing on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills in the form without any user input specifying the answers to the fields.
  • the user may invoke the automatic filling of the form but is not involved in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user is not manually specifying answers to fields but rather they are being automatically completed) .
  • the present specification provides various examples of operations being automatically performed in response to actions the user has taken.
  • Concurrent refers to parallel execution or performance, where tasks, processes, or programs are performed in an at least partially overlapping manner.
  • concurrency may be implemented using “strong” or strict parallelism, where tasks are performed (at least partially) in parallel on respective computational elements, or using “weak parallelism” , where the tasks are performed in an interleaved manner, e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads.
  • 3GPP Legacy -The 3rd Generation Partnership Project
  • 3GPP specifications cover cellular telecommunications technologies, including radio access, core network and service capabilities, which provide a complete system description for mobile telecommunications.
  • 3GPP uses a system of parallel “Releases” that provides developers with a stable platform for the implementation of features at a given point and then allows for the addition of new functionality in subsequent releases. Release 17 was released in 2022. Release 18 (Rel-18) , at the time of this disclosure, is nearing release on June 22, 2024, as its specifications have been largely defined. Accordingly, implementations and concepts compatible with Rel-18, or previous Releases, are sometimes referred to herein as “Legacy Releases. ” One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be adopted in future Releases, e.g., Release 19.
  • Various components may be described as “configured to” perform a task or tasks.
  • “configured to” is a broad recitation generally meaning “having structure that” performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the component can be configured to perform the task even when the component is not currently performing that task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors may be configured to electrically connect a module to another module, even when the two modules are not connected) .
  • “configured to” may be a broad recitation of structure generally meaning “having circuitry that” performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the component can be configured to perform the task even when the component is not currently on.
  • the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to “configured to” may include hardware circuits.
  • the example embodiments may be further understood with reference to the following description and the related appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals.
  • the example embodiments relate to enhancing Secondary Cell (SCell) activation with Early Measurement Report (EMR) .
  • SCell Secondary Cell
  • EMR Early Measurement Report
  • the example embodiments are described with regard to communication between a network (e.g., a base station) and a user equipment (UE) .
  • a network e.g., a base station
  • UE user equipment
  • the example embodiments may be utilized with any electronic component that may establish a connection to a network and is configured with the hardware, software, and/or firmware to support enhancing SCell activation with EMR. Therefore, the base station or UE as described herein is used to represent any appropriate type of electronic component.
  • the example embodiments are also described with regard to a fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) network that may configure a UE to control the UE side for enhancing Secondary Cell (SCell) activation with Early Measurement Report (EMR) .
  • 5G fifth generation
  • NR New Radio
  • SCell Secondary Cell
  • EMR Early Measurement Report
  • reference to a 5G NR network is merely provided for illustrative purposes.
  • the example embodiments may be utilized with any appropriate type of network.
  • a user equipment comprising one or more processors, coupled to a memory, may be configured to decode configuration information from a network to enable the UE to send an EMR comprising inter-frequency or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results for two or more SCells obtained during Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC_IDLE) or Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC_Inactive) mode, wherein the UE sends the EMR after entering Radio Resource Control Connected (RRC_Connected) mode.
  • inter-RAT inter-frequency or inter-Radio Access Technology
  • the configuration information enables the UE to report signal-to-Interference-plus-noise Ratio (SINR) , reference signal received power (RSRP) , or reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements of the SCells.
  • SINR signal-to-Interference-plus-noise Ratio
  • RSRP reference signal received power
  • RSRQ reference signal received quality
  • FIGs. 1A and 1B Communication Systems
  • FIG. 1A illustrates a simplified example wireless communication system, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the system of FIG. 1A is merely one example of a possible system, and that features of this disclosure may be implemented in any of various systems, as desired.
  • the example wireless communication system includes a base station 102A which communicates over a transmission medium with one or more user devices 106A, 106B, etc., through 106N.
  • Each of the user devices may be referred to herein as a “user equipment” (UE) .
  • UE user equipment
  • the user devices 106 are referred to as UEs or UE devices.
  • the base station (BS) 102A may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or cell site (a “cellular base station” ) and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with the UEs 106A through 106N.
  • BTS base transceiver station
  • cellular base station a “cellular base station”
  • the communication area (or coverage area) of the base station may be referred to as a “cell. ”
  • the base station 102A and the UEs 106 may be configured to communicate over the transmission medium using any of various radio access technologies (RATs) , also referred to as wireless communication technologies, or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces) , LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) , 5G new radio (5G NR) , HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD) , etc.
  • RATs radio access technologies
  • GSM Global System for Mobile communications
  • UMTS associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces
  • LTE LTE-Advanced
  • 5G NR 5G new radio
  • 3GPP2 CDMA2000 e.g., 1xRT
  • the base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, also referred to as the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN, it may alternately be referred to as an 'eNodeB' or ‘eNB’ .
  • E-UTRAN Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network
  • eNB Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network
  • the base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternately be referred to as ‘gNodeB’ or ‘base station’ .
  • the base station 102A may also be equipped to communicate with a network 100 (e.g., a core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunication network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) , and/or the Internet, among various possibilities) .
  • a network 100 e.g., a core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunication network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) , and/or the Internet, among various possibilities
  • PSTN public switched telephone network
  • the base station 102A may facilitate communication between the user devices and/or between the user devices and the network 100.
  • the cellular base station 102A may provide UEs 106 with various telecommunication capabilities, such as voice, SMS and/or data services.
  • Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or a different cellular communication standard may thus be provided as a network of cells, which may provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping service to UEs 106A-N and similar devices over a geographic area via one or more cellular communication standards.
  • each UE 106 may also be capable of receiving signals from (and possibly within communication range of) one or more other cells (which might be provided by base stations 102B-N and/or any other base stations) , which may be referred to as “neighboring cells” .
  • Such cells may also be capable of facilitating communication between user devices and/or between user devices and the network 100.
  • Such cells may include “macro” cells, “micro” cells, “pico” cells, and/or cells which provide any of various other granularities of service area size.
  • base stations 102A-B illustrated in FIG. 1A might be macro cells, while base station 102N might be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.
  • base station 102A may be a next generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or “base station” .
  • a base station may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and/or to a NR core (NRC) network.
  • EPC legacy evolved packet core
  • NRC NR core
  • a base station cell may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs) .
  • TRPs transition and reception points
  • a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more base stations.
  • a UE 106 may be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards.
  • the UE 106 may be configured to communicate using a wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and/or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc. ) in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces) , LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD) , etc. ) .
  • GSM Global System for Mobile communications
  • UMTS associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces
  • LTE Long Term Evolution
  • LTE-A Long Term Evolution
  • 5G NR Fifth Generation
  • HSPA High Speed Packet Access
  • the UE 106 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigational satellite systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS) , one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M/H or DVB-H) , and/or any other wireless communication protocol, if desired.
  • GNSS global navigational satellite systems
  • mobile television broadcasting standards e.g., ATSC-M/H or DVB-H
  • any other wireless communication protocol if desired.
  • Other combinations of wireless communication standards including more than two wireless communication standards are also possible.
  • FIG. 1B illustrates user equipment 106 (e.g., one of the devices 106A through 106N) in communication with a base station 102 and an access point 112, according to some embodiments.
  • the UE 106 may be a device with both cellular communication capability and non-cellular communication capability (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and so forth) such as a mobile phone, a hand-held device, a computer or a tablet, or virtually any type of wireless device.
  • non-cellular communication capability e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and so forth
  • the UE 106 may include a processor that is configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively, or in addition, the UE 106 may include a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) that is configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein, or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.
  • a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) that is configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein, or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein.
  • the UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies.
  • the UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT /1xEV-DO /HRPD /eHRPD) , LTE/LTE-Advanced, or 5G NR using a single shared radio and/or GSM, LTE, LTE-Advanced, or 5G NR using the single shared radio.
  • the shared radio may couple to a single antenna, or may couple to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communications.
  • a radio may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc. ) , or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation as well as other digital processing) .
  • the radio may implement one or more receive and transmit chains using the aforementioned hardware.
  • the UE 106 may share one or more parts of a receive and/or transmit chain between multiple wireless communication technologies, such as those discussed above.
  • the UE 106 may include separate transmit and/or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol with which it is configured to communicate.
  • the UE 106 may include one or more radios which are shared between multiple wireless communication protocols, and one or more radios which are used exclusively by a single wireless communication protocol.
  • the UE 106 might include a shared radio for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or LTE or 1xRTTor LTE or GSM) , and separate radios for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.
  • FIG. 2 Block Diagram of a Base Station
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an example block diagram of a base station 102, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the base station of FIG. 2 is merely one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 may include processor (s) 204 which may execute program instructions for the base station 102. The processor (s) 204 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 240, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor (s) 204 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read only memory (ROM) 250) or to other circuits or devices.
  • MMU memory management unit
  • the base station 102 may include at least one network port 270.
  • the network port 270 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide a plurality of devices, such as UE devices 106, access to the telephone network as described above in FIGs. 1a, 1b and 2.
  • the network port 270 may also or alternatively be configured to couple to a cellular network, e.g., a core network of a cellular service provider.
  • the core network may provide mobility related services and/or other services to a plurality of devices, such as UE devices 106.
  • the network port 270 may couple to a telephone network via the core network, and/or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., among other UE devices serviced by the cellular service provider) .
  • base station 102 may be a next generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or “base station” .
  • base station 102 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and/or to a NR core (NRC) network.
  • EPC legacy evolved packet core
  • NRC NR core
  • base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and reception points (TRPs) .
  • TRPs transition and reception points
  • a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more base stations.
  • the base station 102 may include at least one antenna 234, and possibly multiple antennas.
  • the at least one antenna 234 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE devices 106 via radio 230.
  • the antenna 234 communicates with the radio 230 via communication chain 232.
  • Communication chain 232 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain or both.
  • the radio 230 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including, but not limited to, 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.
  • the base station 102 may be configured to communicate wirelessly using multiple wireless communication standards.
  • the base station 102 may include multiple radios, which may enable the base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies.
  • the base station 102 may include an LTE radio for performing communication according to LTE as well as a 5G NR radio for performing communication according to 5G NR.
  • the base station 102 may be capable of operating as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station.
  • the base station 102 may include a multi-mode radio which is capable of performing communications according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc. ) .
  • multiple wireless communication technologies e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.
  • the BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting implementation of features described herein.
  • the processor 204 of the base station 102 may be configured to implement or support implementation of part or all of the methods described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium) .
  • the processor 204 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) , or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) , or a combination thereof.
  • processor 204 of the BS 102 in conjunction with one or more of the other components 230, 232, 234, 240, 250, 260, 270 may be configured to implement or support implementation of part or all of the features described herein.
  • processor (s) 204 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor (s) 204. Thus, processor (s) 204 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of processor (s) 204. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc. ) configured to perform the functions of processor (s) 204.
  • circuitry e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc.
  • radio 230 may be comprised of one or more processing elements.
  • one or more processing elements may be included in radio 230.
  • radio 230 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of radio 230.
  • each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc. ) configured to perform the functions of radio 230.
  • FIG. 3 Block Diagram of a Server
  • FIG. 3 illustrates an example block diagram of a server 104, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the server of FIG. 3 is merely one example of a possible server. As shown, the server 104 may include processor (s) 344 which may execute program instructions for the server 104. The processor (s) 344 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 374, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor (s) 344 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 364 and read only memory (ROM) 354) or to other circuits or devices.
  • MMU memory management unit
  • the server 104 may be configured to provide a plurality of devices, such as base station 102, and UE devices 106 access to network functions, e.g., as further described herein.
  • the server 104 may be part of a radio access network, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) radio access network.
  • the server 104 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and/or to a NR core (NRC) network.
  • EPC legacy evolved packet core
  • NRC NR core
  • the server 104 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting implementation of features described herein.
  • the processor 344 of the server 104 may be configured to implement or support implementation of part or all of the methods described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium) .
  • the processor 344 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) , or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) , or a combination thereof.
  • the processor 344 of the server 104 in conjunction with one or more of the other components 354, 364, and/or 374 may be configured to implement or support implementation of part or all of the features described herein.
  • processor (s) 344 may be comprised of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor (s) 344.
  • processor (s) 344 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of processor (s) 344.
  • each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc. ) configured to perform the functions of processor (s) 344.
  • FIG. 4 Block Diagram of a User Equipment
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an example simplified block diagram of a communication device 106, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the block diagram of the communication device of FIG. 4 is only one example of a possible communication device.
  • communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device) , a tablet, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) , a UAV controller (UAC) and/or a combination of devices, among other devices.
  • the communication device 106 may include a set of components 400 configured to perform core functions.
  • this set of components may be implemented as a system on chip (SOC) , which may include portions for various purposes.
  • SOC system on chip
  • this set of components 400 may be implemented as separate components or groups of components for the various purposes.
  • the set of components 400 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to various other circuits of the communication device 106.
  • the communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash 410) , an input/output interface such as connector I/F 420 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; dock; charging station; input devices, such as a microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices, such as speakers; etc. ) , the display 460, which may be integrated with or external to the communication device 106, and cellular communication circuitry 430 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 (e.g., Bluetooth TM and WLAN circuitry) .
  • communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown) , such as a network interface card, e.g., for Ethernet.
  • the cellular communication circuitry 430 may couple (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 435 and 436 as shown.
  • the short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 may also couple (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 437 and 438 as shown.
  • the short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 may couple (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to the antennas 435 and 436 in addition to, or instead of, coupling (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to the antennas 437 and 438.
  • the short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 and/or cellular communication circuitry 430 may include multiple receive chains and/or multiple transmit chains for receiving and/or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) configuration.
  • MIMO multiple-input multiple output
  • cellular communication circuitry 430 may include dedicated receive chains (including and/or coupled to, e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly. dedicated processors and/or radios) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR) .
  • cellular communication circuitry 430 may include a single transmit chain that may be switched between radios dedicated to specific RATs.
  • a first radio may be dedicated to a first RAT, e.g., LTE, and may be in communication with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with an additional radio, e.g., a second radio that may be dedicated to a second RAT, e.g., 5G NR, and may be in communication with a dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.
  • a first RAT e.g., LTE
  • a second radio may be dedicated to a second RAT, e.g., 5G NR, and may be in communication with a dedicated receive chain and the shared transmit chain.
  • the communication device 106 may also include and/or be configured for use with one or more user interface elements.
  • the user interface elements may include any of various elements, such as display 460 (which may be a touchscreen display) , a keyboard (which may be a discrete keyboard or may be implemented as part of a touchscreen display) , a mouse, a microphone and/or speakers, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and/or any of various other elements capable of providing information to a user and/or receiving or interpreting user input.
  • the communication device 106 may further include one or more smart cards 445 that include SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC (s) (Universal Integrated Circuit Card (s) ) cards 445.
  • SIM Subscriber Identity Module
  • UICC Universal Integrated Circuit Card
  • SIM entity is intended to include any of various types of SIM implementations or SIM functionality, such as the one or more UICC (s) cards 445, one or more eUICCs, one or more eSIMs, either removable or embedded, etc.
  • the UE 106 may include at least two SIMs. Each SIM may execute one or more SIM applications and/or otherwise implement SIM functionality.
  • each SIM may be a single smart card that may be embedded, e.g., may be soldered onto a circuit board in the UE 106, or each SIM 410 may be implemented as a removable smart card.
  • the SIM (s) may be one or more removable smart cards (such as UICC cards, which are sometimes referred to as “SIM cards” )
  • the SIMs 410 may be one or more embedded cards (such as embedded UICCs (eUICCs) , which are sometimes referred to as “eSIMs” or “eSIM cards” ) .
  • one or more of the SIM (s) may implement embedded SIM (eSIM) functionality; in such an embodiment, a single one of the SIM (s) may execute multiple SIM applications.
  • Each of the SIMs may include components such as a processor and/or a memory; instructions for performing SIM/eSIM functionality may be stored in the memory and executed by the processor.
  • the UE 106 may include a combination of removable smart cards and fixed/non-removable smart cards (such as one or more eUICC cards that implement eSIM functionality) , as desired.
  • the UE 106 may comprise two embedded SIMs, two removable SIMs, or a combination of one embedded SIMs and one removable SIMs.
  • Various other SIM configurations are also contemplated.
  • the UE 106 may include two or more SIMs.
  • the inclusion of two or more SIMs in the UE 106 may allow the UE 106 to support two different telephone numbers and may allow the UE 106 to communicate on corresponding two or more respective networks.
  • a first SIM may support a first RAT such as LTE
  • a second SIM 410 supports a second RAT such as 5G NR.
  • Other implementations and RATs are of course possible.
  • the UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA) functionality.
  • DSDA Dual SIM Dual Active
  • the DSDA functionality may allow the UE 106 to be simultaneously connected to two networks (and use two different RATs) at the same time, or to simultaneously maintain two connections supported by two different SIMs using the same or different RATs on the same or different networks.
  • the DSDA functionality may also allow the UE 106 to simultaneously receive voice calls or data traffic on either phone number.
  • the voice call may be a packet switched communication.
  • the voice call may be received using voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology and/or voice over NR (VoNR) technology.
  • the UE 106 may support Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) functionality.
  • the DSDS functionality may allow either of the two SIMs in the UE 106 to be on standby waiting for a voice call and/or data connection. In DSDS, when a call/data is established on one SIM, the other SIM is no longer active.
  • DSDx functionality (either DSDA or DSDS functionality) may be implemented with a single SIM (e.g., a eUICC) that executes multiple SIM applications for different carriers and/or RATs.
  • the SOC 400 may include processor (s) 402, which may execute program instructions for the communication device 106 and display circuitry 404, which may perform graphics processing and provide display signals to the display 460.
  • the processor (s) 402 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 440, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor (s) 402 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 406, read only memory (ROM) 450, NAND flash memory 410) and/or to other circuits or devices, such as the display circuitry 404, short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429, cellular communication circuitry 430, connector I/F 420, and/or display 460.
  • the MMU 440 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or set up. In some embodiments, the MMU 440 may be included as a portion of the processor (s) 402.
  • the communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above features for a communication device 106 to communicate a scheduling profile for power savings to a network.
  • the processor 402 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium) .
  • processor 402 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) , or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) .
  • FPGA Field Programmable Gate Array
  • ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit
  • the processor 402 of the communication device 106 in conjunction with one or more of the other components 400, 404, 406, 410, 420, 429, 430, 440, 445, 450, 460 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein.
  • processor 402 may include one or more processing elements.
  • processor 402 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of processor 402.
  • each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc. ) configured to perform the functions of processor (s) 402.
  • cellular communication circuitry 430 and short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 may each include one or more processing elements.
  • one or more processing elements may be included in cellular communication circuitry 430 and, similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429.
  • cellular communication circuitry 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of cellular communication circuitry 430.
  • each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc. ) configured to perform the functions of cellular communication circuitry 430.
  • the short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429 may include one or more ICs that are configured to perform the functions of short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429.
  • each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc. ) configured to perform the functions of short to medium range wireless communication circuitry 429.
  • FIG. 5 Block Diagram of Cellular Communication Circuitry
  • FIG. 5 illustrates an example simplified block diagram of cellular communication circuitry, according to some embodiments. It is noted that the block diagram of the cellular communication circuitry of FIG. 5 is only one example of a possible cellular communication circuit.
  • cellular communication circuitry 530 which may be cellular communication circuitry 430, may be included in a communication device, such as communication device 106 described above.
  • communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device) , a tablet and/or a combination of devices, among other devices.
  • UE user equipment
  • the cellular communication circuitry 530 may couple (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 435a-b and 436 as shown (in FIG. 4) .
  • cellular communication circuitry 530 may include dedicated receive chains (including and/or coupled to, e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly. dedicated processors and/or radios) for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR) .
  • cellular communication circuitry 530 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520.
  • Modem 510 may be configured for communications according to a first RAT, e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A, and modem 520 may be configured for communications according to a second RAT, e.g., such as 5G NR.
  • a first RAT e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A
  • modem 520 may be configured for communications according to a second RAT, e.g., such as 5G NR.
  • modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 in communication with processors 512. Modem 510 may be in communication with a radio frequency (RF) front end 535.
  • RF front end 535 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals.
  • RF front end 535 may include receive circuitry (RX) 532 and transmit circuitry (TX) 534.
  • receive circuitry 532 may be in communication with downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335a.
  • DL downlink
  • modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 in communication with processors 522. Modem 520 may be in communication with an RF front end 540.
  • RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals.
  • RF front end 540 may include receive circuitry 542 and transmit circuitry 544.
  • receive circuitry 542 may be in communication with DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335b.
  • a switch 570 may couple transmit circuitry 534 to uplink (UL) front end 572.
  • switch 570 may couple transmit circuitry 544 to UL front end 572.
  • UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336.
  • switch 570 may be switched to a first state that allows modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain that includes transmit circuitry 534 and UL front end 572) .
  • switch 570 may be switched to a second state that allows modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain that includes transmit circuitry 544 and UL front end 572) .
  • the modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above features or for time division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operations, as well as the various other techniques described herein.
  • the processors 512 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium) .
  • processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) , or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) .
  • processor 512 in conjunction with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 535, 550, 570, 572, 335a, 335b, and 336 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein.
  • processors 512 may include one or more processing elements.
  • processors 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of processors 512.
  • each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc. ) configured to perform the functions of processors 512.
  • the processors 522 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein, e.g., by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium) .
  • processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) , or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) .
  • the processor 522 in conjunction with one or more of the other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335a, 335b, and 336 may be configured to implement part or all of the features described herein.
  • processors 522 may include one or more processing elements.
  • processors 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) that are configured to perform the functions of processors 522.
  • each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, etc. ) configured to perform the functions of processors 522.
  • FIG. 6 Block Diagram of a Baseband Processor Architecture for a UE
  • FIG. 6 illustrates example components of a device 600 in accordance with some embodiments. It is noted that the device of FIG. 6 is merely one example of a possible system, and that features of this disclosure may be implemented in any of various UEs, as desired.
  • the device 600 may include application circuitry 602, baseband circuitry 604, Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry 606, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 608, one or more antennas 610, and power management circuitry (PMC) 612 coupled together at least as shown.
  • the components of the illustrated device 600 may be included in a UE 106 or a RAN node 102A.
  • the device 600 may include less elements (e.g., a RAN node may not utilize application circuitry 602, and instead include a processor/controller to process IP data received from an EPC) .
  • the device 600 may include additional elements such as, for example, memory/storage, display, camera, sensor, or input/output (I/O) interface.
  • the components described below may be included in more than one device (e.g., said circuitries may be separately included in more than one device for Cloud-RAN (C-RAN) implementations) .
  • C-RAN Cloud-RAN
  • the application circuitry 602 may include one or more application processors.
  • the application circuitry 602 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors.
  • the processor may include any combination of general-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc. ) .
  • the processors may be coupled with or may include memory/storage and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory/storage to enable various applications or operating systems to run on the device 600.
  • processors of application circuitry 602 may process IP data packets received from an EPC.
  • the baseband circuitry 604 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors.
  • the baseband circuitry 604 may include one or more baseband processors or control logic to process baseband signals received from a receive signal path of the RF circuitry 606 and to generate baseband signals for a transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 606.
  • Baseband processing circuity 604 may interface with the application circuitry 602 for generation and processing of the baseband signals and for controlling operations of the RF circuitry 606.
  • the baseband circuitry 604 may include a third generation (3G) baseband processor 604A, a fourth generation (4G) baseband processor 604B, a fifth generation (5G) baseband processor 604C, or other baseband processor (s) 604D for other existing generations, generations in development or to be developed in the future (e.g., second generation (2G) , sixth generation (6G) , etc. ) .
  • the baseband circuitry 604 e.g., one or more of baseband processors 604A-D
  • baseband processors 604A-D may be included in modules stored in the memory 604G and executed via a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 604E.
  • the radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation/demodulation, encoding/decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc.
  • modulation/demodulation circuitry of the baseband circuitry 604 may include Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT) , precoding, or constellation mapping/demapping functionality.
  • FFT Fast-Fourier Transform
  • encoding/decoding circuitry of the baseband circuitry 604 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, or Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) encoder/decoder functionality.
  • LDPC Low Density Parity Check
  • the baseband circuitry 604 may include one or more audio digital signal processor (s) (DSP) 604F.
  • the audio DSP (s) 604F may be include elements for compression/decompression and echo cancellation and may include other suitable processing elements in other embodiments.
  • Components of the baseband circuitry may be suitably combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or disposed on a same circuit board in some embodiments.
  • some or all of the constituent components of the baseband circuitry 604 and the application circuitry 602 may be implemented together such as, for example, on a system on a chip (SOC) .
  • SOC system on a chip
  • the baseband circuitry 604 may provide for communication compatible with one or more radio technologies.
  • the baseband circuitry 604 may support communication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN) , a wireless local area network (WLAN) , a wireless personal area network (WPAN) .
  • EUTRAN evolved universal terrestrial radio access network
  • WMAN wireless metropolitan area networks
  • WLAN wireless local area network
  • WPAN wireless personal area network
  • multi-mode baseband circuitry Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry 604 is configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol.
  • RF circuitry 606 may enable communication with wireless networks using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium.
  • the RF circuitry 606 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wireless network.
  • RF circuitry 606 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 608 and provide baseband signals to the baseband circuitry 604.
  • RF circuitry 606 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry to up-convert baseband signals provided by the baseband circuitry 604 and provide RF output signals to the FEM circuitry 608 for transmission.
  • the receive signal path of the RF circuitry 606 may include mixer circuitry 606a, amplifier circuitry 606b and filter circuitry 606c.
  • the transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 606 may include filter circuitry 606c and mixer circuitry 606a.
  • RF circuitry 606 may also include synthesizer circuitry 606d for synthesizing a frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the transmit signal path.
  • the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 608 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 606d.
  • the amplifier circuitry 606b may be configured to amplify the down-converted signals and the filter circuitry 606c may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signals to generate output baseband signals.
  • Output baseband signals may be provided to the baseband circuitry 604 for further processing.
  • the output baseband signals may be zero-frequency baseband signals, although this is not a necessity.
  • mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path may comprise passive mixers, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.
  • the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path may be configured to up-convert input baseband signals based on the synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuitry 606d to generate RF output signals for the FEM circuitry 608.
  • the baseband signals may be provided by the baseband circuitry 604 and may be filtered by filter circuitry 606c.
  • the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature downconversion and upconversion, respectively.
  • the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection) .
  • the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 606a may be arranged for direct downconversion and direct upconversion, respectively.
  • the mixer circuitry 606a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 606a of the transmit signal path may be configured for super-heterodyne operation.
  • the output baseband signals, and the input baseband signals may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.
  • the output baseband signals, and the input baseband signals may be digital baseband signals.
  • the RF circuitry 606 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry and the baseband circuitry 604 may include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RF circuitry 606.
  • ADC analog-to-digital converter
  • DAC digital-to-analog converter
  • a separate radio IC circuitry may be provided for processing signals for each spectrum, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.
  • the synthesizer circuitry 606d may be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional N/N+1 synthesizer, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect as other types of frequency synthesizers may be suitable.
  • synthesizer circuitry 606d may be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer comprising a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.
  • the synthesizer circuitry 606d may be configured to synthesize an output frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 606a of the RF circuitry 606 based on a frequency input and a divider control input. In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 606d may be a fractional N/N+1 synthesizer.
  • frequency input may be provided by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) , although that is not a necessity.
  • VCO voltage controlled oscillator
  • Divider control input may be provided by either the baseband circuitry 604 or the applications processor 602 depending on the desired output frequency.
  • a divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a look-up table based on a channel indicated by the applications processor 602.
  • Synthesizer circuitry 606d of the RF circuitry 606 may include a divider, a delay-locked loop (DLL) , a multiplexer and a phase accumulator.
  • the divider may be a dual modulus divider (DMD) and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA) .
  • the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by either N or N+1 (e.g., based on a carry out) to provide a fractional division ratio.
  • the DLL may include a set of cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump and a D-type flip-flop.
  • the delay elements may be configured to break a VCO period up into Nd equal packets of phase, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line.
  • Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line.
  • synthesizer circuitry 606d may be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and divider circuitry to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency with multiple different phases with respect to each other.
  • the output frequency may be a LO frequency (fLO) .
  • the RF circuitry 606 may include an IQ/polar converter.
  • FEM circuitry 608 may include a receive signal path which may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 610, amplify the received signals and provide the amplified versions of the received signals to the RF circuitry 606 for further processing.
  • FEM circuitry 608 may also include a transmit signal path which may include circuitry configured to amplify signals for transmission provided by the RF circuitry 606 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 610.
  • the amplification through the transmit or receive signal paths may be done solely in the RF circuitry 606, solely in the FEM 608, or in both the RF circuitry 606 and the FEM 608.
  • the FEM circuitry 608 may include a TX/RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation.
  • the FEM circuitry may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path.
  • the receive signal path of the FEM circuitry may include an LNA to amplify received RF signals and provide the amplified received RF signals as an output (e.g., to the RF circuitry 606) .
  • the transmit signal path of the FEM circuitry 608 may include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify input RF signals (e.g., provided by RF circuitry 606) , and one or more filters to generate RF signals for subsequent transmission (e.g., by one or more of the one or more antennas 610) .
  • PA power amplifier
  • the PMC 612 may manage power provided to the baseband circuitry 604.
  • the PMC 612 may control power-source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-to-DC conversion.
  • the PMC 612 may often be included when the device 600 is capable of being powered by a battery, for example, when the device is included in a UE.
  • the PMC 612 may increase the power conversion efficiency while providing desirable implementation size and heat dissipation characteristics.
  • FIG. 6 shows the PMC 612 coupled only with the baseband circuitry 604, in other embodiments the PMC 612 may be additionally or alternatively coupled with, and perform similar power management operations for, other components such as, but not limited to, application circuitry 602, RF circuitry 606, or FEM 608.
  • the PMC 612 may control, or otherwise be part of, various power saving mechanisms of the device 600. For example, if the device 600 is in a radio resource control_Connected (RRC_Connected) state, where it is still connected to the RAN node as it expects to receive traffic shortly, then it may enter a state known as Discontinuous Reception Mode (DRX) after a period of inactivity. During this state, the device 600 may power down for brief intervals of time and thus save power.
  • RRC_Connected radio resource control_Connected
  • DRX Discontinuous Reception Mode
  • the device 600 may transition off to an RRC_Idle state, where it disconnects from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback, handover, etc.
  • the device 600 goes into a very low power state and it performs paging where again it periodically wakes up to listen to the network and then powers down again.
  • the device 600 may not receive data in this state, in order to receive data, it will transition back to RRC_Connected state.
  • An additional power saving mode may allow a device to be unavailable to the network for periods longer than a paging interval (ranging from seconds to a few hours) . During this time, the device is totally unreachable to the network and may power down completely. Any data sent during this time incurs a large delay and it is assumed the delay is acceptable.
  • Processors of the application circuitry 602 and processors of the baseband circuitry 604 may be used to execute elements of one or more instances of a protocol stack.
  • processors of the baseband circuitry 604 alone or in combination, may be used execute Layer 3, Layer 2, or Layer 1 functionality, while processors of the application circuitry 604 may utilize data (e.g., packet data) received from these layers and further execute Layer 4 functionality (e.g., transmission communication protocol (TCP) and user datagram protocol (UDP) layers) .
  • Layer 3 may comprise a radio resource control (RRC) layer, described in further detail below.
  • RRC radio resource control
  • Layer 2 may comprise a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, described in further detail below.
  • Layer 1 may comprise a physical (PHY) layer of a UE/RAN node, described in further detail below.
  • the baseband circuitry 604 can be used to encode a message for transmission between a UE and a base station, or decode a message received between a UE and a base station.
  • FIG. 7 Block Diagram of an Interface of Baseband Circuitry
  • FIG. 7 illustrates example interfaces of baseband circuitry in accordance with some embodiments. It is noted that the baseband circuitry of FIG. 7 is merely one example of a possible circuitry, and that features of this disclosure may be implemented in any of various systems, as desired.
  • the baseband circuitry 604 of FIG. 6 may comprise processors 604A-604E and a memory 604G utilized by said processors.
  • Each of the processors 604A-604E may include a memory interface, 704A-704E, respectively, to send/receive data to/from the memory 604G.
  • the baseband circuitry 604 may further include one or more interfaces to communicatively couple to other circuitries/devices, such as a memory interface 712 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from memory external to the baseband circuitry 604) , an application circuitry interface 714 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from the application circuitry 602 of FIG. 6) , an RF circuitry interface 716 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from RF circuitry 606 of FIG.
  • a memory interface 712 e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from memory external to the baseband circuitry 604
  • an application circuitry interface 714 e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from the application circuitry 602 of FIG.
  • an RF circuitry interface 716 e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from RF circuitry 606 of FIG.
  • a wireless hardware connectivity interface 718 e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from Near Field Communication (NFC) components, components (e.g., Low Energy) , components, and other communication components
  • NFC Near Field Communication
  • components e.g., Low Energy
  • components e.g., Low Energy
  • components e.g., Low Energy
  • components e.g., Low Energy
  • components e.g., Low Energy
  • a power management interface 720 e.g., an interface to send/receive power or control signals to/from the PMC 612.
  • FIG. 8 Control Plane Protocol Stack
  • FIG. 8 is an illustration of a control plane protocol stack in accordance with some embodiments.
  • a control plane 800 is shown as a communications protocol stack between the UE 106a (or alternatively, the UE 106b) , the RAN node 102A (or alternatively, the RAN node 102B) , and the mobility management entity (MME) 621.
  • MME mobility management entity
  • the PHY layer 801 may transmit or receive information used by the MAC layer 802 over one or more air interfaces.
  • the PHY layer 801 may further perform link adaptation or adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) , power control, cell search (e.g., for initial synchronization and handover purposes) , and other measurements used by higher layers, such as the RRC layer 805.
  • AMC link adaptation or adaptive modulation and coding
  • the PHY layer 801 may still further perform error detection on the transport channels, forward error correction (FEC) coding/decoding of the transport channels, modulation/demodulation of physical channels, interleaving, rate matching, mapping onto physical channels, and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna processing.
  • FEC forward error correction
  • MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output
  • the MAC layer 802 may perform mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC service data units (SDUs) from one or more logical channels onto transport blocks (TB) to be delivered to PHY via transport channels, de-multiplexing MAC SDUs to one or more logical channels from transport blocks (TB) delivered from the PHY via transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs onto TBs, scheduling information reporting, error correction through hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) , and logical channel prioritization.
  • SDUs MAC service data units
  • TB transport blocks
  • HARQ hybrid automatic repeat request
  • the RLC layer 803 may operate in a plurality of modes of operation, including: Transparent Mode (TM) , Unacknowledged Mode (UM) , and Acknowledged Mode (AM) .
  • the RLC layer 803 may execute transfer of upper layer protocol data units (PDUs) , error correction through automatic repeat request (ARQ) for AM data transfers, and concatenation, segmentation and reassembly of RLC SDUs for UM and AM data transfers.
  • PDUs protocol data units
  • ARQ automatic repeat request
  • the RLC layer 803 may also execute re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs for AM data transfers, reorder RLC data PDUs for UM and AM data transfers, detect duplicate data for UM and AM data transfers, discard RLC SDUs for UM and AM data transfers, detect protocol errors for AM data transfers, and perform RLC re-establishment.
  • the PDCP layer 804 may execute header compression and decompression of IP data, maintain PDCP Sequence Numbers (SNs) , perform in-sequence delivery of upper layer PDUs at re-establishment of lower layers, eliminate duplicates of lower layer SDUs at re-establishment of lower layers for radio bearers mapped on RLC AM, cipher and decipher control plane data, perform integrity protection and integrity verification of control plane data, control timer-based discard of data, and perform security operations (e.g., ciphering, deciphering, integrity protection, integrity verification, etc. ) .
  • security operations e.g., ciphering, deciphering, integrity protection, integrity verification, etc.
  • the main services and functions of the RRC layer 805 may include broadcast of system information (e.g., included in Master Information Blocks (MIBs) or System Information Blocks (SIBs) related to the non-access stratum (NAS) ) , broadcast of system information related to the access stratum (AS) , paging, establishment, maintenance and release of an RRC connection between the UE and E-UTRAN (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection modification, and RRC connection release) , establishment, configuration, maintenance and release of point to point Radio Bearers, security functions including key management, inter radio access technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting.
  • SIBs may comprise one or more information elements (IEs) , which may each comprise individual data fields or data structures.
  • the UE 106a and the RAN node 102A may utilize a Uu interface (e.g., an LTE-Uu interface) to exchange control plane data via a protocol stack comprising the PHY layer 801, the MAC layer 802, the RLC layer 803, the PDCP layer 804, and the RRC layer 805.
  • a Uu interface e.g., an LTE-Uu interface
  • the non-access stratum (NAS) protocols 806 form the highest stratum of the control plane between the UE 601 and the MME 621.
  • the NAS protocols 806 support the mobility of the UE 601 and the session management procedures to establish and maintain IP connectivity between the UE 601 and the P-GW 623.
  • the S1 Application Protocol (S1-AP) layer 815 may support the functions of the S1 interface and comprise Elementary Procedures (EPs) .
  • An EP is a unit of interaction between the RAN node 102A and the CN 100.
  • the S1-AP layer services may comprise two groups: UE-associated services and non UE-associated services. These services perform functions including, but not limited to: E-UTRAN Radio Access Bearer (E-RAB) management, UE capability indication, mobility, NAS signaling transport, RAN Information Management (RIM) , and configuration transfer.
  • E-RAB E-UTRAN Radio Access Bearer
  • RIM RAN Information Management
  • the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) layer (alternatively referred to as the SCTP/IP layer) 814 may ensure reliable delivery of signaling messages between the RAN node 102A and the MME 621 based, in part, on the IP protocol, supported by the IP layer 813.
  • the L2 layer 812 and the L1 layer 811 may refer to communication links (e.g., wired or wireless) used by the RAN node and the MME to exchange information.
  • the RAN node 102A and the MME 621 may utilize an S1-MME interface to exchange control plane data via a protocol stack comprising the L1 layer 811, the L2 layer 812, the IP layer 813, the SCTP layer 814, and the S1-AP layer 815.
  • Wireless communication systems provide mobility by enabling user equipment (UEs) to move between cells via a process referred to as handover.
  • Handover occurs when a mobile UE switches from one cell to another neighboring cell.
  • Mechanisms have been established to help ensure a smooth transition between cells.
  • NR supports different types of handover that were not supported in the previous 4G LTE specification.
  • the basic handover in NR has been based on LTE handover mechanisms in which the network controls UE mobility based on UE measurement reporting. This measurement reporting typically involves Layer 3 (L3) measurements of neighbor cells and reporting from the UE to the eNB.
  • L3 Layer 3
  • RLF radio link failure
  • UE user equipment
  • RLF refers to cases where the radio link quality deteriorates below certain thresholds such that communication between a user equipment (UE) and serving base station is disrupted.
  • the current RLF procedure has some limitations in that it reacts to failures only after they have already occurred, rather than proactively avoiding them.
  • the procedure also relies on a limited set of reference signal measurements that may not fully capture emerging radio link problems. Additionally, downlink signals and uplink signals are assessed independently even though they are often correlated in indicating radio link conditions.
  • FIG. 9 User Plane Protocol Stack
  • FIG. 9 is an illustration of an example of a user plane protocol stack in accordance with some embodiments.
  • a user plane 900 is shown as a communications protocol stack between the UE 106A (or alternatively, the UE 106B or 106N) , the RAN node 102A (or alternatively, the RAN node 102B) , the S-GW 622, and the P-GW 623.
  • the user plane 900 may utilize at least some of the same protocol layers as the control plane 800.
  • the UE 601 and the RAN node 102A may utilize a Uu interface (e.g., an LTE-Uu interface) to exchange user plane data via a protocol stack comprising the PHY layer 801, the MAC layer 802, the RLC layer 803, the PDCP layer 804.
  • a Uu interface e.g., an LTE-Uu interface
  • the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol for the user plane (GTP-U) layer 904 may be used for carrying user data within the GPRS core network and between the radio access network and the core network.
  • the user data transported can be packets in any of IPv4, IPv6, or PPP formats, for example.
  • the UDP and IP security (UDP/IP) layer 903 may provide checksums for data integrity, port numbers for addressing different functions at the source and destination, and encryption and authentication on the selected data flows.
  • the RAN node 102A and the S-GW 622 may utilize an S1-U interface to exchange user plane data via a protocol stack comprising the L1 layer 811, the L2 layer 812, the UDP/IP layer 903, and the GTP-U layer 904.
  • the S-GW 622 and the P-GW 623 may utilize an S5/S8a interface to exchange user plane data via a protocol stack comprising the L1 layer 811, the L2 layer 812, the UDP/IP layer 903, and the GTP-U layer 904.
  • NAS protocols support the mobility of the UE 106 and the session management procedures to establish and maintain IP 913 connectivity between the UE 106 and the P-GW 623.
  • FIG. 10 Core Network
  • FIG. 10 illustrates an example architecture of a system 1000 including a core network (CN) 1020 in accordance with various embodiments.
  • the CN 1020 may be a core network for a 5G System (which may be referred to as a 5GC) .
  • the system 1000 is shown to include a UE 1001, which may be the same or similar to the UEs 106A, 106B, or 106N discussed previously; a (R) AN 1010, which may be the same or similar to the BSs 102A or 102N discussed previously; and a data network (DN) 1003, which may be, for example, operator services, Internet access, or 3rd party services; and a CN 1020.
  • a UE 1001 which may be the same or similar to the UEs 106A, 106B, or 106N discussed previously
  • R AN 1010
  • DN data network
  • the CN 1020 may include a number of network functions including an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 1022; an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 1021; a Session Management Function (SMF) 1024; a Network Exposure Function (NEF) 1023; a Policy Control Function (PCF) 1026; a Network Repository Function (NRF) 1025; a Unified Data Management (UDM) 1027; an Application Function (AF) 1028; a User Plane Function (UPF) 1002; and a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) 1029.
  • AUSF Authentication Server Function
  • AMF Access and Mobility Management Function
  • SMF Session Management Function
  • NEF Network Exposure Function
  • PCF Policy Control Function
  • NRF Network Repository Function
  • UDM Unified Data Management
  • AF Application Function
  • UPF User Plane Function
  • NSSF Network Slice Selection Function
  • the UPF 1002 may act as an anchor point for intra-RAT and inter-RAT mobility, an external packet data unit (PDU) session point of interconnect to DN 1003, and a branching point to support mufti-homed PDU session.
  • PDU session is a logical connection between the UE and the DN.
  • the UPF 1002 may also perform packet routing and forwarding, perform packet inspection, enforce the user plane part of policy rules, lawfully intercept packets (user plane (UP) collection) , perform traffic usage reporting, perform quality of service (QoS) handling for a user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL/DL rate enforcement) , perform Uplink Traffic verification (e.g., Service Data Flows (SDF) to QoS flow mapping) , transport level packet marking in the uplink and downlink, and perform downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering.
  • UPF 1002 may include an uplink classifier to support routing traffic flows to a data network.
  • the DN 1003 may represent various network operator services, Internet access, or third-party services. DN 1003 may include, or be similar to, application server 104 discussed previously.
  • the UPF 1002 may interact with the SMF 1024 via an N4 reference point between the SMF 1024 and the UPF 1002.
  • the AUSF 1022 may store data for authentication of UE 1001 and handle authentication-related functionality, The AUSF 1022 may facilitate a common authentication frame work for various access types.
  • the AUSF 1022 may communicate with the AMF 1021 via an N12 reference point between the AMF 1021 and the AUSF 1022; and may communicate with the UDM 1027 via an N13 reference point between the UDM 1027 and the AUSF 1022. Additionally, the AUSF 1022 may exhibit an Nausf service-based interface.
  • the AMF 1021 may be responsible for registration management (e.g., for registering UE 1001, etc. ) , connection management, reachability management, mobility management, and lawful interception of AMF-related events, and access authentication and authorization.
  • the AMF 1021 may be a termination point for an N11 reference point between the AMF 1021 and the SMF 1024.
  • the AMF 1021 may provide transport for SM messages between the UE 1001 and the SMF 1024, and act as a transparent proxy for routing SM messages.
  • AMF 1021 may also provide transport for Short Message Service (SMS) messages between UE 1001 and an SMSF (not shown by FIG. 10) .
  • SMS Short Message Service
  • AMF 1021 may act as a security anchor function (SEAF) , which may include interaction with the AUSF 1022 and the UE 1001, receipt of an intermediate key that was established as a result of the UE 1001 authentication process. Where Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) based authentication is used, the AMF 1021 may retrieve the security material from the AUSF 1022. AMF 1021 may also include a Security Context Management (SCM) function, which receives a key from the SEAF that it uses to derive access-network specific keys.
  • SEAF security anchor function
  • SCM Security Context Management
  • AMF 1021 may be a termination point of a RAN control plane (CP) interface, which may include or be an N2 reference point between the (R) AN 1010 and the AMF 1021; and the AMF 1021 may be a termination point of NAS (Nl) signaling and perform NAS ciphering and integrity protection.
  • CP RAN control plane
  • Nl NAS
  • AMF 1021 may also support NAS signaling with a UE 1001 over a non-3GPP Inter-Working Function (N3IWF) interface.
  • the N3IWF may be used to provide access to untrusted entities.
  • N3IWF may be a termination point for the N2 interface between the (R) AN 1010 and the AMF 1021 for the control plane and may be a termination point for the N3 reference point between the (R) AN 1010 and the UPF 1002 for the user plane.
  • the AMF 1021 may handle N2 signaling from the SMF 1024 and the AMF 1021 for PDU sessions and encapsulate/de-encapsulate packets for IPSec and N3 tunneling, mark N3 user-plane packets in the uplink, and enforce QoS corresponding to N3 packet marking while considering QoS requirements associated with such marking received over N2.
  • N3IWF may also relay uplink and downlink control plane non-access stratum (NAS) signaling between the UE 1001 and AMF 1021 via an N1 reference point between the UE 1001 and the AMF 1021, and relay uplink and downlink user-plane packets between the UE 1001 and UPF 1002.
  • NAS non-access stratum
  • the N3IWF also provides mechanisms for internet protocol security (IPsec) tunnel establishment with the UE 1001.
  • the AMF 1021 may exhibit an Namf service based interface and may be a termination point for an N14 reference point between two AMFs 1021 and an N17 reference point between the AMF 1021 and a 5G Equipment Identity Register (5G-EIR) (not shown by FIG. 10) .
  • 5G-EIR 5G Equipment Identity Register
  • the UE 1001 may need to register with the AMF 1021 in order to receive network services.
  • Registration Management is used to register or deregister the UE 1001 with the network (e.g., AMF 1021) , and establish a UE context in the network (e.g., AMF 1021) .
  • the UE 1001 may operate in an RM-REGISTERED state or an RM-DEREGISTERED state. In the RM-DEREGISTERED state, the UE 1001 is not registered with the network, and the UE context in AMF 1021 holds no valid location or routing information for the UE 1001 so the UE 1001 is not reachable by the AMF 1021.
  • the UE 1001 In the RM REGISTERED state, the UE 1001 is registered with the network, and the UE context in AMF 1021 may hold a valid location or routing information for the UE 1001 so the UE 1001 is reachable by the AMF 1021.
  • the UE 1001 In the RM-REGISTERED state, the UE 1001 may perform mobility registration update procedures, perform periodic registration update procedures triggered by expiration of the periodic update timer (e.g., to notify the network that the UE 1001 is still active) , and perform a Registration Update procedure to update UE capability information or to re-negotiate protocol parameters with the network, among others.
  • the AMF 1021 may store one or more RM contexts for the UE 1001, where each RM context is associated with a specific access to the network.
  • the RM context may be a data structure, database object, etc. that indicates or stores, inter glia, a registration state per access type and the periodic update timer.
  • the AMF 1021 may also store a 5GC mobility management (MM) context that may be the same or similar to the evolved packet services (EPS) Mobility Management (E) MM context discussed previously.
  • EPS evolved packet services
  • E Mobility Management
  • the AMF 1021 may store a CE mode B Restriction parameter of the UE 1001 in an associated MM context or registration management (RM) context.
  • the AMF 1021 may also derive the value, when needed, from the UE's usage setting parameter already stored in the UE context (and/or MM/RM context) .
  • CM Connection Management
  • the signaling connection is used to enable NAS signaling exchange between the UE 1001 and the CN 1020 and comprises both the signaling connection between the UE and the AN (e.g., RRC connection or UE-N3IWF connection for non-3GPP access) and the N2 connection for the UE 1001 between the AN (e.g., AN 1010) and the AMF 1021.
  • the UE 1001 may operate in one of two CM states, CM-IDLE mode or CM-CONNECTED mode.
  • the UE 1001 When the UE 1001 is operating in the CM-IDLE state/mode, the UE 1001 may have no NAS signaling connection established with the AMF 1021 over the N1 interface, and there may be (R) AN 1010 signaling connection (e.g., N2 and/or N3 connections) for the UE 1001. When the UE 1001 is operating in the CM-CONNECTED state/mode, the UE 1001 may have an established NAS signaling connection with the AMF 1021 over the Nl interface, and there may be a (R) AN 1010 signaling connection (e.g., N2 and/or N3 connections) for the UE 1001.
  • R NAS signaling connection
  • Establishment of an N2 connection between the (R) AN 1010 and the AMF 1021 may cause the UE 1001 to transition from CM-IDLE mode to CM-CONNECTED mode, and the UE 1001 may transition from the CM-CONNECTED mode to the CM-IDLE mode when N2 signaling between the (R) AN 1010 and the AMF 1021 is released.
  • the SMF 1024 may be responsible for session management (SM) session establishment, modify and release, including tunnel maintain between UPF and AN node) ; UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization) ; selection and control of UP function; configuring traffic steering at UPF to route traffic to proper destination; termination of interfaces toward policy control functions; controlling part of policy enforcement and QoS; lawful intercept (for SM events and interface to LI system) ; termination of SM parts of NAS messages; downlink data notification; initiating AN specific SM information, sent via AMF over N2 to AN; and determining SSC mode of a session.
  • SM session management
  • SM may refer to management of a PDU session
  • a PDU session or “session” may refer to a PDU connectivity service that provides or enables the exchange of PDUs between a UE 1001 and a data network (DN) 1003 identified by a Data Network Name (DNN) .
  • PDU sessions may be established upon UE 1001 request, modified upon UE 1001 and CN 1020 request, and released upon UE 1001 and CN 1020 request using NAS SM signaling exchanged over the N1 reference point between the UE 1001 and the SMF 1024.
  • the CN 1020 may trigger a specific application in the UE 1001.
  • the UE 1001 may pass the trigger message (or relevant parts/information of the trigger message) to one or more identified applications in the UE 1001.
  • the identified application (s) in the UE 1001 may establish a PDU session to a specific data network name (DNN) .
  • the SMF 1024 may check whether the UE 1001 requests are compliant with user subscription information associated with the UE 1001. In this regard, the SMF 1024 may retrieve and/or request to receive update notifications on SMF 1024 level subscription data from the UDM 1027.
  • the SMF 1024 may include the following roaming functionality: handling local enforcement to apply QoS SLAB virtual Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN) ; charging data collection and charging interface (VPLMN) ; lawful intercept (in VPLMN for SM events and interface to LI system) ; and support for interaction with external DN for transport of signaling for PDU session authorization/authentication by external DN.
  • An N16 reference point between two SMFs 1024 may be included in the system 1000, which may be between another SMF 1024 in a visited network and the SMF 1024 in the home network in roaming scenarios. Additionally, the SMF 1024 may exhibit the Nsmf service-based interface.
  • the NEF 1023 may provide means for securely exposing the services and capabilities provided by 3GPP network functions for third party, internal exposure/re-exposure, Application Functions (e.g., AF 1028) , edge computing or fog computing systems, etc.
  • the NEF 1023 may authenticate, authorize, and/or throttle the AFS.
  • NEF 1023 may also translate information exchanged with the AF 1028 and information exchanged with internal network functions. For example, the NEF 1023 may translate between an AF-Service-Identifier and an internal SCC information.
  • NEF 1023 may also receive information from other network functions (NFs) based on exposed capabilities of other network functions. This information may be stored at the NEF 1023 as structured data, or at a data storage NF using standardized interfaces. The stored information can then be re-exposed by the NEF 1023 to other NFs and AFs, and/or used for other purposes such as analytics. Additionally, the NEF 1023 may exhibit an Nnef service-based interface.
  • NFs network
  • the NRF 1025 may support service discovery functions, receive NF discovery requests from NF instances, and provide the information of the discovered NF instances to the NF instances. NRF 1025 also maintains information of available NF instances and their supported services. As used herein, the terms “instantiate, " “instantiation, “ and the like may refer to the creation of an instance, and an “instance” may refer to a concrete occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during execution of program code. Additionally, the NRF 1025 may exhibit the Nnrf service-based interface.
  • the PCF 1026 may provide policy rules to control plane function (s) to enforce them and may also support unified policy framework to govern network behavior,
  • the PCF 1026 may also implement a front end (FE) to access subscription information relevant for policy decisions in a UDR of the UDM 1027.
  • the PCF 1026 may communicate with the AMF 1021 via an N15 reference point between the PCF 1026 and the AMF 1021, which may include a PCF 1026 in a visited network and the AMF 1021 in case of roaming scenarios.
  • the PCF 1026 may communicate with the AF 1028 via an NS reference point between the PCF 1026 and the AF 1028; and with the SMF 1024 via an N7 reference point between the PCF 1026 and the SMF 1024,
  • the system 1000 and/or CN 1020 may also include an N24 reference point between the PCF 1026 (in the home network) and a PCF 1026 in a visited network, Additionally, the PCF 1026 may exhibit an Npcf service-based interface.
  • the UDM 1027 may handle subscription-related information to support the network entities' handling of communication sessions, and may store subscription data of UE 1001. For example, subscription data may be communicated between the UDM 1027 and the AMF 1021 via an NS reference point between the UDM 1027 and the AMF.
  • the UDM 1027 may include two parts, an application FE and a UDR (the FE and UDR are not shown by FIG. 10) .
  • the UDR may store subscription data and policy data for the UDM 1027 and the PCF 1026, and/or structured data for exposure and application data (including PFDs for application detection, application request information for multiple UEs 1001) for the NEF 1023.
  • the Nadr service-based interface may be exhibited by the UDR 221 to allow the UDM 1027, PCF 1026, and NEF 1023 to access a particular set of the stored data, as well as to read, update (e.g., add, modify) , delete, and subscribe to notification of relevant data changes in the UDR.
  • the UDM may include a UDM-FE, which is in charge of processing credentials, location management, subscription management and so on. Several different front ends may serve the same user in different transactions.
  • the UDM-FE accesses subscription information stored in the UDR and performs authentication credential processing, user identification handling, access authorization, registration/mobility management, and subscription management.
  • the UDR may interact with the SMF 1024 via an Nl0 reference point between the UDM 1027 and the SMF 1024.
  • UDM 1027 may also support SMS management, wherein an SMS-FE implements the similar application logic as discussed previously. Additionally, the UDM 1027 may exhibit the Nudm service based interface.
  • the AF 1028 may provide application influence on traffic routing, provide access to the NCE, and interact with the policy framework for policy control.
  • the NCE may be a mechanism that allows the CN 1020 and AF 1028 to provide information to each other via NEF 1023, which may be used for edge computing implementations.
  • the network operator and third party services may be hosted close to the UE 1001 access point of attachment to achieve an efficient service delivery through the reduced end-to-end latency and load on the transport network.
  • the 5GC may select a UPF 1002 close to the UE 1001 and execute traffic steering from the UPF 1002 to DN 1003 via the N6 interface. This may be based on the UE subscription data, UE location, and information provided by the AF 1028.
  • the AF 1028 may influence UPF (re) selection and traffic routing. Based on operator deployment, when AF 1028 is considered to be a trusted entity, the network operator may permit AF 1028 to interact directly with relevant NFs. Additionally, the AF 1028 may exhibit an Naf service-based interface.
  • the NSSF 1029 may select a set of network slice instances serving the UE 1001.
  • the NSSF 1029 may also determine allowed Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) and the mapping to the subscribed single NSSAI (S-NSSAI) is, if needed.
  • the NSSF 1029 may also determine the AMF set to be used to serve the UE 1001, or a list of candidate AMF (s) 1021 based on a suitable configuration and possibly by querying the NRF 1025.
  • the selection of a set of network slice instances for the UE 1001 may be triggered by the AMF 1021 with which the UE 1001 is registered by interacting with the NSSF 1029, which may lead to a change of AMF 1021.
  • the NSSF 1029 may interact with the AMF 1021 via an N22 reference point between AMF 1021 and NSSF 1029; and may communicate with another NSSF 1029 in a visited network via an N31 reference point (not shown by FIG. 10) . Additionally, the NSSF 1029 may exhibit an Nnssf service-based interface.
  • the CN 1020 may include a short message service function (SMSF) , which may be responsible for SMS subscription checking and verification, and relaying SM messages to/from the UE 1001 to/from other entities, such as an SMS-GMSC/IWMSC/SMS-router.
  • SMS may also interact with AMF 1021 and UDM 1027 for a notification procedure that the UE 1001 is available for SMS transfer (e.g., set a UE not reachable flag, and notifying UDM 1027 when UE 1001 is available for SMS) .
  • SMS short message service function
  • the CN 1020 may also include other elements that are not shown by FIG. 10, such as a Data Storage system/architecture, a 5G-EIR, a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) , and the like.
  • the Data Storage system may include a Structured Data Storage Network Function (SDSF) , air Unstructured Data Storage Function (UDSF) , and/or the like.
  • SDSF Structured Data Storage Network Function
  • UDSF air Unstructured Data Storage Function
  • Any network function (NF) may store and retrieve unstructured data into/from the UDSF (e.g., UE contexts) , via N18 reference point between any NF and the UDSF (not shown by FIG.
  • Individual NFs may share a UDSF for storing their respective unstructured data or individual NFs may each have their own UDSF located at or near the individual NFs. Addition-ally, the UDSF may exhibit an Nudsf service-based interface (not shown by FIG. 10) .
  • the 5G-EIR may be an NF that checks the status of permanent equipment identifier (PEI) for determining whether particular equipment/entities are blacklisted from the network; and the SEPP may be a non-transparent proxy that performs topology hiding, message filtering, and policing on inter-PLMN control plane interfaces.
  • PEI permanent equipment identifier
  • SEPP may be a non-transparent proxy that performs topology hiding, message filtering, and policing on inter-PLMN control plane interfaces.
  • the CN 1020 may include an Nx interface, which is an inter-CN interface between a mobility management entity (MME) and the AMF 1021 in order to enable interworking between CN 1020 and a CN in a 4G system.
  • Nx interface is an inter-CN interface between a mobility management entity (MME) and the AMF 1021 in order to enable interworking between CN 1020 and a CN in a 4G system.
  • Other example interfaces/reference points may include an N5G-EIR service-based interface exhibited by a 5G-EIR, an N27 reference point between the NRF in the visited network and the NRF in the home network; and an N31 reference point between the NSSF in the visited network and the NSSF in the home network.
  • FIG. 11 Cell Measurements Performed by a UE Under Varying SINR conditions
  • EMR Early Measurement Reporting
  • SCell Secondary Cell
  • CA carrier aggregation
  • the existing/legacy SCell activation operations based on EMR have significant drawbacks such as, for example, the quality of the measurements are not considered when determining if a cell is suitable for fast activation.
  • a measurement such as received signal received power (RSRP)
  • RSRP received signal received power
  • the RSRP measurement may be made when there is significant noise in the channel.
  • the RSRP measurement of a neighboring cell may be made when there is no noise, but significant noise may occur at a later time after SCell activation. Accordingly, the value of the RSRP measurement alone, without additional information regarding the quality of the measurement, can be limiting. This limitation can lead to suboptimal SCell activation decisions and degraded performance.
  • FIG. 11 illustrates an example scenario that highlights this problem.
  • a UE performs multiple cell measurements on different frequencies or Radio Access Technologies (RATs) while in RRC_IDLE/RRC_Inactive mode. Some measurements may be performed under good signal to interference plus noise (SINR) conditions, such as Cell 1 with, an SINR of -3 decibels (dB) , while other measurements may be performed under poor SINR conditions such as, for example, Cell 2 with an SINR of -4 dB.
  • SINR signal to interference plus noise
  • FIG. 11 depicts a timeline where the UE initially has an idle or inactive status. During this period, the UE performs measurements on a target Cell 1 with an SINR of -2 dB and on target Cell 2 with an SINR of -4 dB. In other words, the UE performs multiple cells measurement on different frequencies or RATs, where some of measurements may be performed under relatively good SINR conditions but some measurements may be performed under relatively poor SINR condition such as, for example, as in cell 1 and cell 2 in Fig. 11.
  • the current EMR reporting and measurement result reporting rules do not provide a mechanism for the network to differentiate the neighbor cell measurements between reliable and unreliable measurement results. Consequently, the network may execute SCell activation decisions based on measurements with poor SINR conditions, leading to suboptimal performance.
  • the network may activate Cell 1 and Cell 2 as SCells based on the cell measurements, such as RSRP, that are reported by the UE.
  • the cell measurements such as RSRP
  • Fig. 11 illustrates the problem of relying solely on measurement freshness for determining the validity and suitability of cells for SCell activation, without considering the SINR conditions during the measurement process.
  • FIG. 12 Example illustration of SCell activation enhancement with EMR in wireless communication system.
  • FIG. 12 illustrates an example deployment scenario where a User Equipment (UE) performs measurements on multiple cells (Cell 1, Cell 2, and Cell 3) belonging to a base station (BS) .
  • the UE can measure and report the signal quality and strength of each cell to the BS, which can then use this information to configure and activate Secondary Cells (SCells) for the UE in order to enhance communication performance through carrier aggregation.
  • SCells Secondary Cells
  • the UE 106 may decode, from a network (e.g., via base station 102) , configuration information to enable the UE to send an EMR comprising: inter-frequency measurement results or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results for two or more SCells (e.g., cells 2 and 3) obtained by the UE during an Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC_IDLE) mode or a Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC_Inactive) mode, wherein the UE is configured to send the EMR after the UE enters Radio Resource Control Connected (RRC_Connected) mode, where the configuration information includes a request for the UE to report a signal-to-Interference-plus-noise Ratio (SINR) measurement as a measurement quality with one or more of an reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement or an reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurement of the two or more SCells.
  • SINR Signal-to-Interference-plus-noise Ratio
  • the UE 102 may perform inter-frequency measurements or inter-RAT measurements of the two or more SCells in the RRC_IDLE mode or the RRC_Inactive mode to obtain measurement results for the EMR, where the measurement results include the SINR measurement and one or more of the RSRP measurement, or the RSRQ measurement of the two or more SCells; and encode, for transmission to the network, one or more EMR including the measurement results of the two or more SCells obtained in the RRC_IDLE mode or the RRC_Inactive mode after the UE enters the RRC_Connected mode to enable fast SCell activation based on the SINR measurement and the one or more of the RSRP measurement and the RSRQ measurement.
  • the UE 106 may perform inter-frequency or inter-RAT measurements on the potential SCells (Cell 2 and Cell 3) and obtain measurement results, including SINR, RSRP, and/or RSRQ.
  • the UE may encode and send one or more EMRs to the base station 102 (in primary cell 1) , containing the measurement results for the potential SCells (Cell 2 and Cell 3) obtained during RRC_IDLE or RRC_Inactive mode.
  • the base station 102 can then use these measurement results, particularly the SINR measurements, to make fast SCell activation decisions. For example, if the measurement results indicate that Cell 2 has an ideal or good SINR, the base station 102 may quickly activate Cell 2 as an SCell for UE 106 to enhance communication performance through carrier aggregation.
  • mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments may perform the enhancing of SCell activation with EMR in wireless communication system using various options.
  • a network 1020 may configure the UE 106 to indicate the EMR measurement condition with the UE reporting the SINR together with one or more of the RSRP/RSRQ for the EMR.
  • the UE 106 supports the legacy ERM solution (e.g., the UE's capability to perform and report measurements of potential SCells while in Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC_IDLE) or Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC_Inactive) mode as introduced in 3GPP Release 16 (R16) ) based on existing measurements (e.g., the UE's capability to perform and report measurements of potential SCells while in Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC_IDLE) or Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC_Inactive) mode) , and the UE is also configured to support the information element (IE) idleInactiveNR-MeasReport-r16 or idleInactiveEUTRA-MeasReport-r16, or if the UE does not support the IE idleInactiveNR-MeasReport-r16 or idleInactiveEUTRA-MeasReport-r16 but supports the solution based on the existing measurement, then the network 1020 can configure the UE to report the inter-frequency
  • the network 1020 may indicate in the measurement configuration that the UE 106 is requested to indicate the qualified cells for fast SCell activation as known SCells, or the UE is requested to indicate which measured cell can be treated as a known SCell for fast SCell activation.
  • the UE will report one or more of the RSRP/RSRQ associated with a physical cell index (PCI) and/or a synchronization/physical broadcast channel (PBCH) signal block (SSB) index and will also indicate to the network which PCI or SSB index can be treated as a known SCell for fast SCell activation, or which PCI or SSB index can be used for fast SCell activation.
  • the UE may report the SINR according to a network configuration. Alternatively, the UE can report the SINR as a by-default behavior from 3GPP Release 19 (R19) .
  • FIG. 13A provides an example illustration of 3GPP ASN. 1 code used to configure the UE 106 to perform measurements on neighbor cells during RRC idle mode or RRC inactive mode.
  • the measIdleCarrierListNR-r16 IE indicates the new radio (NR) carriers to be measured during RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode by a UE configured to operate based on 3GPP Release 16.
  • measIdleCarrierListEUTRA-r16 IE indicates the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) carriers to be measured by the UE during RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode by a UE configured to operate based on 3GPP Release 16.
  • E-UTRA Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access
  • the measIdleCarrierWithSINR-r19 IE is used to indicate, to a UE configured to operate based on 3GPP Release 19, to provide an SINR measurement.
  • Option 1 includes two signaling options (Option A and Option B) to configure the UE to report SINR together with RSRP/RSRQ for the EMR.
  • the UE can report the SINR together with one or more of the RSRP or RSRQ for the EMR, with the SINR and corresponding RSRP/RSRQ associated with a same PCI and/or SSB index. For each detected SSB index of a cell, the UE can report the SINR and one or more of the corresponding RSRP or RSRQ.
  • the UE may report SINR according to a network configuration, as previously discussed.
  • the UE can report the SINR as a by-default behavior from 3GPP R19 using the measeIdleCarrierWithSINR-r19 IE set to true.
  • the legacy ERM solution allows the network 1020 to quickly configure and activate SCells for the UE 106 when it transitions to Radio Resource Control Connected (RRC_Connected) mode, based on the measurements reported by the UE.
  • RRC_Connected Radio Resource Control Connected
  • option 1 builds upon the legacy EMR solution by introducing additional enhancements, such as configuring the UE to report signal quality measurements along with the cell measurements performed by the UE.
  • SINR Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio
  • RSRP Reference Signal Received Power
  • RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality
  • This enhancement aims to provide the network 1020 with more comprehensive information in the EMR about the potential SCells' signal quality, enabling better SCell activation decisions based on the information in the EMR.
  • the network 1020 can configure an SINR threshold for the UE 106 to use for EMR reporting, with the UE reporting the RSRP/RSRQ measurements of potential SCells in the EMR when the SINR is above the configured threshold.
  • the network 1020 may configure a Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) threshold for the UE to report the inter-frequency or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results that were performed by the UE while the UE was in in an IDLE/Inactive mode.
  • the EMR can be sent by the EMR.
  • the SINR thresholds may be the same or different for different RATs or different purposes, such as fast SCell activation or fast Primary Secondary Cell (PSCell) addition.
  • PSCell Primary Secondary Cell
  • Option A and Option B are provided using Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN. 1) to configure the SINR threshold at the UE for EMR reporting.
  • the UE 106 will report the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) /Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) associated with the same Physical Cell Identity (PCI) and/or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) index, when the SINR measurement is above the SINR threshold.
  • RSRP Reference Signal Received Power
  • RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality
  • PCI Physical Cell Identity
  • SSB Synchronization Signal Block
  • Option A a new IE of measIdleCarrierSINR-Threshold-r19 is introduced for the network to send the SINR threshold value for the UE to use when performing and/or reporting the inter-frequency or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results.
  • the UE can be configured to perform and/or report the inter-frequency or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results by default when the measured SINR is greater than the measIdleCarrierSINR-Threshold-r19 value set by the network.
  • inter-RAT inter-frequency or inter-Radio Access Technology
  • the UE 106 may or may not need to report SINR measurement results together with RSRP/RSRQ.
  • the network can rely on the reported measurement results to determine which cells are suitable for fast SCell activation as known SCells.
  • the reported SSB index with PCI can indicate which ones are good for fast SCell activation.
  • the network 1020 may configure the UE 106 to indicate the EMR measurement condition, with the UE reporting the RSRP/RSRQ for EMR and also indicating which measurements can support fast SCell activation or Primary Secondary Cell (PSCell) addition.
  • PSCell Primary Secondary Cell
  • the UE 106 supports the existing Early Measurement Reporting (EMR) mechanism introduced in 3GPP R16 (e.g., the legacy ERM solution) , which allows the UE to perform and report measurements of potential Secondary Cells (SCells) while in Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC_IDLE) or Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC_Inactive) mode, and also supports the idleInactiveNR-MeasReport-r16 or idleInactiveEUTRA-MeasReport-r16 IE features, or if the UE supports the legacy ERM solution but does not support idleInactiveNR-MeasReport-r16 or idleInactiveEUTRA-MeasReport-r16 IEs, the network 1020 can configure the UE to report the inter-frequency or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results in IDLE/Inactive mode after the UE enters RRC_Connected mode.
  • EMR Early Measurement Reporting
  • the network may indicate in the measurement configuration that the UE is requested to indicate the qualified cells for fast SCell activation as known SCells, or the UE is requested to indicate which measured cell can be treated as a known SCell for fast SCell activation.
  • the UE will report Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) /Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) associated with Physical Cell Identity (PCI) and/or Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) index and will also indicate to the network which PCI or SSB index can be treated as a known SCell for fast SCell activation, or which PCI or SSB index can be used for fast SCell activation.
  • RSRP Reference Signal Received Power
  • RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality
  • PCI Physical Cell Identity
  • SSB Synchronization Signal Block
  • the network 1020 may indicate an enhancement to the validity checking rule for the UE 106 if the UE supports the feature of fast SCell activation or PSCell addition with EMR, with the validity rule changed to consider both the freshness and SINR condition of the measurement if the network indicates a validity rule change.
  • the network 1020 can indicate an enhancement to the validity checking rule to the UE.
  • EMR Early Measurement Reporting
  • the UE can apply the new validity checking rule to decide which Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) /Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) measurements will be reported to the network.
  • the validity rule is changed to consider both the freshness and Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) condition of the measurement if the network indicates a validity rule change.
  • the new validity checking rule is defined as follows: A UE supporting the existing EMR mechanism shall be able to report valid measurement results.
  • the measurement results are considered valid if the following conditions are met: 1) , the measurements are performed within the last [X] seconds before a msg1 transmission for radio resource control (RRC) resume/setup request, where X is a positive integer.
  • the value of X may be configured by the network 1020, the BS 102, or the UE 106.2) , the measurement results satisfy the measurement accuracy requirement at the measurement instance, and 3) , the SINR condition when the measurement is performed is greater than or equal to Y dB (where Y is higher than -4 dB) , or the SINR for reported Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) -RSRP/RSRQ is greater than or equal to Y dB. Otherwise, the measurement results are considered invalid.
  • the UE shall not report invalid measurement results when X is configured.
  • the network may configure two sets of EMR reports: the first set is similar to legacy EMR reporting for Carrier Aggregation (CA) /Dual Connectivity (DC) setup, and the second set of EMR reports is an enhanced EMR report for fast SCell activation or PSCell addition with EMR, with the UE 106 categorizing the measurement results together with the Physical Cell Identity (PCI) and Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) index into different sets after the measurement.
  • PCI Physical Cell Identity
  • SSB Synchronization Signal Block
  • the network configures two sets of EMR for the UE to report the inter-frequency or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results in Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC_IDLE) or Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC_Inactive) mode after the UE enters Radio Resource Control Connected (RRC_Connected) mode.
  • EMR Early Measurement Reporting
  • the first set of EMR report is similar to legacy Early Measurement Reporting (EMR) for Carrier Aggregation (CA) /Dual Connectivity (DC) setup, and the second set is an enhanced EMR report for fast Secondary Cell (SCell) activation or Primary Secondary Cell (PSCell) addition with EMR (as known SCells) .
  • EMR Early Measurement Reporting
  • SCell Secondary Cell
  • PSCell Primary Secondary Cell
  • the UE can categorize the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) /Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) measurement results together with the Physical Cell Identity (PCI) and Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) index into different sets.
  • RSRP Reference Signal Received Power
  • RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality
  • PCI Physical Cell Identity
  • SSB Synchronization Signal Block
  • the UE will report RSRP/RSRQ associated with different set indexes.
  • the network will only use cells in set 2 for fast SCell activation as known SCell cases.
  • FIG. 13A Measurement Configuration Information Element (MeasIdleConfigSIB) for configuring a UE to report SINR as a measurement quantity together with RSRP/RSRQ
  • FIG. 13A illustrates an example Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN. 1) code for the Measurement Configuration Information Element (IE) "MeasIdleConfigSIB" that is used to configure a User Equipment (UE) to report Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) as a measurement quantity along with Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and/or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) for Early Measurement Reporting (EMR) .
  • IE Measurement Configuration Information Element
  • SIdleConfigSIB Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio
  • RSRP Reference Signal Received Power
  • RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality
  • the "MeasIdleConfigSIB” IE is extended with an additional field “measIdleCarrierWithSINR-r19" of type ENUMERATED. When this field is present and set to "true, " it indicates that the UE should report SINR together with RSRP/RSRQ for EMR.
  • the ASN. 1 code of Fig. 13A also shows two options for incorporating this IE: Option A includes the "measIdleCarrierWithSINR-r19" field directly within the "MeasIdleConfigSIB” IE, while Option B includes it as a separate field within the "SIB11" message.
  • FIG. 13B Measurement Configuration Information Element (MeasIdleConfigSIB) for configuring an SINR threshold for EMR reporting
  • FIG. 13B illustrates an example of Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN. 1) code for configuring a SINR threshold for EMR reporting in accordance with some embodiments.
  • Fig. 13B illustrates the ASN. 1 code for the Measurement Configuration IE "MeasIdleConfigSIB" that is used to configure an SINR threshold for EMR reporting.
  • the "MeasIdleConfigSIB" IE is extended with a new field "measIdleCarrierSINR-Threshold-r19" of type SINR-Range. This field allows the network to set an SINR threshold that the UE should consider when reporting EMR measurements. The UE will only report RSRP/RSRQ measurements for carriers that meet or exceed the configured SINR threshold.
  • Option A includes the "measIdleCarrierSINR-Threshold-r19" field directly within the "MeasIdleConfigSIB” IE, while Option B includes it as a separate field within the "SIB11" message.
  • FIG. 14 Flow Chart for a Method of enhancing Secondary Cell (SCell) activation with Early Measurement Results (EMR) by UE.
  • SCell Secondary Cell
  • EMR Early Measurement Results
  • FIG. 14 illustrates an example flow chart of a method 1400 of enhancing Secondary Cell (SCell) activation with Early Measurement Results (EMR) by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, according to some embodiments.
  • SCell Secondary Cell
  • EMR Early Measurement Results
  • the method shown in FIG. 14 may be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices illustrated in the Figures, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired.
  • a method 1400 for enhancing SCell activation with EMR by a user equipment (UE) , comprises decoding, from a network, configuration information to enable the UE to send an EMR comprising inter-frequency measurement results or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results for two or more target cells obtained by the UE during an Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC_IDLE) mode or a Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC_Inactive) mode, wherein the UE is configured to send the EMR after the UE enters Radio Resource Control Connected (RRC_Connected) mode, where the configuration information includes a request for the UE to report a signal-to-Interference-plus-noise Ratio (SINR) measurement as a measurement quality with one or more of an reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement or an reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurement of the two or more target cells (e.g., Scells) , as in block 1410.
  • the cells measured during idle time comprises decoding, from a network,
  • the method 1400 further comprises performing, by the UE, inter-frequency measurements or inter-RAT measurements of the two or more target cells in the RRC_IDLE mode or the RRC_Inactive mode to obtain measurement results for the EMR, wherein the measurement results include the SINR measurement and one or more of the RSRP measurement, or the RSRQ measurement of the two or more Target cells, as in block 1420.
  • the method 1400 further comprises encoding, for transmission to the network, one or more EMR including the measurement results of the two or more Target cells obtained in the RRC_IDLE mode or the RRC_Inactive mode after the UE enters the RRC_Connected mode to enable fast SCell activation based on the SINR measurement and the one or more of the RSRP measurement and the RSRQ measurement, as in block 1430.
  • the fast SCell activation is performed on one or more of target cells.
  • the one or more EMR comprises the SINR measurement together with the RSRP measurement and the RSRQ measurement for each of the two or more Target cells in the one or more EMR, wherein the SINR measurement and the RSRP measurement and the RSRQ measurement are associated with the two or more second cells having one or more of a same physical cell identity (PCI) or a synchronization signal block (SSB) index.
  • PCI physical cell identity
  • SSB synchronization signal block
  • the one or more EMR comprises the SINR measurement and the RSRP measurement and the RSRQ measurement for each detected SSB index of the two or more secondary cells.
  • the one or more EMR comprises the SINR measurement of the two or more Target cells according to the configuration information received from the network.
  • the UE is configured to support one or more of an idleInactiveNR-MeasReport-r16 information element or an or idleInactiveEUTRA-MeasReport-r16 information element and the configuration information will indicate to the UE to perform the SINR measurement of the two or more Target cells in a measIdleCarrierWithSINR-r19 information element received from the network.
  • the method 1400 further comprises decoding, from the network, an SINR threshold for sending the one or more EMR from the UE after the UE enters the RRC_Connected mode; and encoding, for transmission to the network, the one or more EMR when the SINR measurement of one or more of the two or more Target cells is greater that the SINR threshold, wherein the one or more EMR comprises the SINR measurement and one or more of the RSRP measurement or the RSRQ measurement associated with the two or more Target cells.
  • the method 1400 further comprises the one or more EMR comprises the SINR measurement and one or more of the RSRP measurement or the RSRQ measurement associated with the two or more Target cells having one or more of a same physical cell identity (PCI) or a synchronization signal block (SSB) index.
  • PCI physical cell identity
  • SSB synchronization signal block
  • the SINR threshold is a same or a different value for the inter-frequency measurements of the two or more Target cells, the inter-RAT measurements of the two or more Target cells, fast SCell activation of one or more of the two or more secondary cells, or a fast primary secondary cell (PSCell) addition from the two or more secondary cells.
  • PSCell fast primary secondary cell
  • the method 1400 further comprises determining, by the UE, to report the SINR measurement results together with the RSRP and the RSRQ.
  • the SINR measurement in the one or more EMR enables the network to rely on the RSRP measurement or RSRQ measurement to determine those of the two or more Target cells that are capable of supporting fast SCell activation.
  • the SSB index with the PCI can indicate which of the two or more Target cells are capable of supporting fast SCell activation.
  • the method 1400 further comprises decoding, from the network, configuration information to enable the UE to obtain the inter-frequency measurement results or the inter-RAT measurement results for two or more Target cells obtained during the RRC_IDLE mode or the RRC_Inactive mode, and report the measurement results for the two or more Target cells after the UE enters the RRC_Connected mode; and decoding, from the network, an indication in the configuration information for the UE to indicate one or more of the two or more Target cells to be used for fast SCell activation based on the measurement results and one or more of the two or more Target cells that can be considered as a known SCell for fast SCell activation.
  • the method 1400 further comprises encoding, for transmission to the network, one or more of the RSRP measurement and the RSRQ measurement for the two or more Target cells, wherein the two or more Target cells are associated with one or more of a physical cell identity (PCI) and a synchronization signal block (SSB) index; and indicating, to the network, the PCI or the SSB index associated with an SCell of the two or more Target cells for fast SCell activation or the PCI or the SSB index that can be used for fast SCell activation.
  • PCI physical cell identity
  • SSB synchronization signal block
  • the method 1400 further comprises decoding, from the network, an indication to modify a validity checking rule; and applying, by the UE, the validity checking rule that is modified to determine to report to the network one or more of the RSRP measurement and the RSRQ measurement that are associated with the SINR measurement of the two or more Target cells.
  • the method 1400 further comprises the validity checking rule that is modified evaluates a time elapsed since a most recent measurement was performed one the two or more Target cells and an SINR condition of the measurement to determine a validity of the measurement when the network provides the indication to modify the validity checking rule.
  • the validity checking rule indicates a measurement as valid based on a plurality of conditions.
  • the plurality of conditions of the validity checking rule include RSRP and RSRQ measurements that are performed on the two or more Target cells within a defined time period prior to a first message transmission for an RRC resume request or an RRC setup request, where the defined time period is configured by the network.
  • the plurality of conditions of the validity checking rule include RSRP and RSRQ measurement results that comply with a measurement accuracy requirement at a measurement instance.
  • the plurality of conditions of the validity checking rule include an SINR condition when the measurement is performed that is greater than or equal to a defined decibel (dB) value, where the defined db Y is greater than -4 dB, or the SINR for reported SSB-RSRP and/or SSB-RSRQ is greater than or equal to Y dB where Y is a real number.
  • dB decibel
  • the measurement results are considered invalid when one or more of the plurality of conditions are not satisfied, and the UE does not report invalid measurement results when [X] is configured.
  • the method 1400 further comprises decoding, from the network, the configuration information for two sets of measurement results, wherein a first set is for a legacy EMR reporting for one or more of carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity (DC) setup, and a second set is for enhanced EMR reporting for one or more of fast SCell activation and PSCell addition with EMR as known SCells.
  • CA carrier aggregation
  • DC dual connectivity
  • the method 1400 further comprises categorizing, by the UE after performing the RSRP measurement or the RSRQ measurement, one or more of the RSRP or the RSRQ measurement results together with a physical cell identity (PCI) and a synchronization signal block (SSB) index into the first set or the second set of measurement results.
  • PCI physical cell identity
  • SSB synchronization signal block
  • the method 1400 further comprises encoding, for transmission to the network, one or more of the RSRP measurement results or the RSRQ measurement results associated with the first set or the second set.
  • one or more of a plurality of target cells in the second set for fast SCell activation are used by the network.
  • an apparatus is disclosed that is configured to cause a base station to perform any of the operations of the method 1400.
  • an apparatus is disclosed that is configured to cause a user equipment (UE) to assist with performing any of the operations of the method 1400.
  • UE user equipment
  • FIG. 15 Flow Chart for a Method of enhancing Secondary Cell (SCell) activation with Early Measurement Results (EMR) by network.
  • FIG. 15 illustrates an example flow chart of a method of enhancing SCell activation with EMR by a network in a wireless communication system according to some embodiments, according to some embodiments.
  • the method shown in FIG. 15 may be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices illustrated in the Figures, among other devices. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired.
  • a method 1500 for enhancing SCell activation with EMR by a network, comprises encoding, for transmission to a user equipment (UE) , configuration information to enable the UE to send an EMR comprising inter-frequency measurement results or inter-Radio Access Technology (inter-RAT) measurement results for two or more SCells obtained by the UE during an Radio Resource Control Idle (RRC_IDLE) mode or a Radio Resource Control Inactive (RRC_Inactive) mode, where the UE is configured to send the EMR after the UE enters Radio Resource Control Connected (RRC_Connected) mode, where the configuration information includes a request for the UE to report a signal-to-Interference-plus-noise Ratio (SINR) measurement as a measurement quality with one or more of an reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement or an reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurement of the two or more SCells; where the configuration information enables the UE to perform inter-frequency measurements or inter-RAT measurements of the two
  • SINR Signal-to
  • the method 1500 further comprise decoding, from the UE, one or more EMR including the measurement results of the two or more SCells obtained in the RRC_IDLE mode or the RRC_Inactive mode after the UE enters the RRC_Connected mode to enable fast SCell activation based on the SINR measurement and the one or more of the RSRP measurement and the RSRQ measurement SCells, as in block 1520.
  • an apparatus is disclosed that is configured to cause a base station to perform any of the operations of the method 1500.
  • an apparatus is disclosed that is configured to cause a user equipment (UE) to assist with performing any of the operations of the method 1500.
  • UE user equipment
  • a computer program product comprising computer instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, perform any of the operations described with respect to the method 1500.
  • a computer program product comprising computer instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, perform any of the operations described with respect to the method 1500.
  • Embodiments of the present disclosure may be realized in any of various forms. For example, some embodiments may be realized as a computer-implemented method, a computer readable memory medium, or a computer system. Other embodiments may be realized using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Still other embodiments may be realized using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.
  • a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium may be configured so that it stores program instructions and/or data, where the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, e.g., any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets.
  • a device e.g., a UE 106 may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, where the memory medium stores program instructions, where the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, where the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or, any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets) .
  • the device may be realized in any of various forms.
  • Any of the methods described herein for operating a user equipment may be the basis of a corresponding method for operating a base station, by interpreting each message/signal X received by the UE in the downlink as message/signal X transmitted by the base station, and each message/signal Y transmitted in the uplink by the UE as a message/signal Y received by the base station.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé d'amélioration de l'activation d'une cellule secondaire (SCell) à l'aide d'un rapport de mesure précoce (EMR). Le procédé consiste à décoder des informations de configuration en provenance d'un réseau pour permettre à l'UE d'envoyer un EMR comprenant des résultats de mesure inter-fréquence ou inter-technologie d'accès radio (inter-RAT) pour au moins deux cellules cibles obtenues pendant un mode veille de la commande de ressources radio (RRC_IDLE) ou un mode inactif de la commande de ressources radio (RRC_Inactive), l'UE envoyant l'EMR après l'entrée en mode connecté de la commande de ressources radio (RRC_Connected). Les informations de configuration demandent à l'UE de rapporter des mesures de rapport signal sur interférence plus bruit (SINR), de puissance reçue pour le signal de référence (RSRP), ou de qualité reçue pour le signal de référence (RSRQ) des cellules cibles. L'UE effectue des mesures inter-fréquences ou inter-RAT dans un mode RRC_IDLE ou RRC_Inactive pour obtenir les résultats d'EMR, comprenant des mesures de SINR et de RSRP ou de RSRQ, et code l'EMR en vue de sa transmission au réseau après l'entrée en mode RRC_Connected pour permettre une activation rapide de la SCell.
PCT/CN2024/091938 2024-05-09 2024-05-09 Amélioration de l'activation d'une cellule secondaire (scell) à l'aide d'un rapport de mesure précoce (emr) Pending WO2025231713A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/CN2024/091938 WO2025231713A1 (fr) 2024-05-09 2024-05-09 Amélioration de l'activation d'une cellule secondaire (scell) à l'aide d'un rapport de mesure précoce (emr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/CN2024/091938 WO2025231713A1 (fr) 2024-05-09 2024-05-09 Amélioration de l'activation d'une cellule secondaire (scell) à l'aide d'un rapport de mesure précoce (emr)

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2025231713A1 true WO2025231713A1 (fr) 2025-11-13

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PCT/CN2024/091938 Pending WO2025231713A1 (fr) 2024-05-09 2024-05-09 Amélioration de l'activation d'une cellule secondaire (scell) à l'aide d'un rapport de mesure précoce (emr)

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2025231713A1 (fr)

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