Patent Application
20240179606
Various example embodiments relate to dual connectivity, more specifically to conditional change of primary cell of secondary cell group.
Dual connectivity (DC) allows a user equipment (UE) to simultaneously transmit and receive data on multiple component carriers from two serving nodes or cell groups. Conditional change of primary cell of secondary cell group is a procedure where the UE is configured to change the primary cell of a secondary cell group when a condition, also configured to the UE, is met.
According to some aspects, there is provided the subject-matter of the independent claims. Some example embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. The scope of protection sought for various example embodiments is set out by the independent claims. The example embodiments and features, if any, described in this specification that do not fall under the scope of the independent claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding various example embodiments.
According to a first aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform: receiving, from a network node, configuration for a conditional change of primary cell of a secondary cell group; performing evaluation of one or more conditions for the conditional change; selecting a primary cell based on the evaluation; determining an activation status to be applied for a target secondary cell group associated with the selected primary cell based on at least one of the following: activation status of a source secondary cell group, the received configuration, pre-configuration; executing the conditional change to the selected primary cell; and applying the determined activation status for the target secondary cell group associated with the selected primary cell.
According to a second aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform: transmitting, to a user equipment, UE, a configuration for a conditional change of primary cell of a secondary cell group, wherein the configuration causes the UE to determine an activation status based on at least one of an activation status of a source secondary cell group, the transmitted configuration, and pre-configuration, and wherein the configuration further causes the UE to apply the determined activation status for a target secondary cell group associated with a selected primary cell.
According to a third aspect, there is provided a method comprising: receiving, by a user equipment from a network node, configuration for a conditional change of primary cell of a secondary cell group; performing evaluation of one or more conditions for the conditional change; selecting a primary cell based on the evaluation; determining an activation status to be applied for a target secondary cell group associated with the selected primary cell based on at least one of the following: activation status of a source secondary cell group, the received configuration, pre-configuration; executing the conditional change to the selected primary cell; and applying the determined activation status for the target secondary cell group associated with the selected primary cell.
According to a fourth aspect, there is provided computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a user equipment to at least perform: receiving, by the user equipment from a network node, configuration for a conditional change of primary cell of a secondary cell group; performing evaluation of one or more conditions for the conditional change; selecting a primary cell based on the evaluation; determining an activation status to be applied for a target secondary cell group associated with the selected primary cell based on at least one of the following: activation status of a source secondary cell group, the received configuration, pre-configuration; executing the conditional change to the selected primary cell; and applying the determined activation status for the target secondary cell group associated with the selected primary cell.
According to a further aspect, there is provided a method comprising transmitting, by a network node to a user equipment, UE, a configuration for a conditional change of primary cell of a secondary cell group, wherein the configuration causes the UE to determine an activation status based on at least one of an activation status of a source secondary cell group, the transmitted configuration, and pre-configuration, and wherein the configuration further causes the UE to apply the determined activation status for a target secondary cell group associated with a selected primary cell.
According to an embodiment, the configuration is transmitted as at least one radio resource control message.
According to an embodiment, the at least one radio resource control message is indicative of at least one of the following: a type of the conditional change of primary cell; an inheritance indication that causes the UE to determine the activation status of the source secondary cell group and apply the determined activation status of the source secondary cell group for the target secondary cell group; an activation status to be applied by the UE for the target secondary cell group.
According to a further aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium comprising program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a network node to at least perform transmitting, by the network node to a user equipment, UE, a configuration for a conditional change of primary cell of a secondary cell group, wherein the configuration causes the UE to determine an activation status based on at least one of an activation status of a source secondary cell group, the transmitted configuration, and pre-configuration, and wherein the configuration further causes the UE to apply the determined activation status for a target secondary cell group associated with a selected primary cell.
According to a further aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising means for performing receiving, by a user equipment from a network node, configuration for a conditional change of primary cell of a secondary cell group; performing evaluation of one or more conditions for the conditional change; selecting a primary cell based on the evaluation; determining an activation status to be applied for a target secondary cell group associated with the selected primary cell based on at least one of the following: activation status of a source secondary cell group, the received configuration, pre-configuration; executing the conditional change to the selected primary cell; and applying the determined activation status for the target secondary cell group associated with the selected primary cell.
According to a further aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising means for performing transmitting, by a network node to a user equipment, UE, a configuration for a conditional change of primary cell of a secondary cell group, wherein the configuration causes the UE to determine an activation status based on at least one of an activation status of a source secondary cell group, the transmitted configuration, and pre-configuration, and wherein the configuration further causes the UE to apply the determined activation status for a target secondary cell group associated with a selected primary cell.
The example of
The user device, or user equipment UE, typically refers to a portable computing device that includes wireless mobile communication devices operating with or without a subscriber identification module (SIM), including, but not limited to, the following types of devices: a mobile station (mobile phone), smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), handset, device using a wireless modem (alarm or measurement device, etc.), laptop and/or touch screen computer, tablet, game console, notebook, and multimedia device.
Additionally, although the apparatuses have been depicted as single entities, different units, processors and/or memory units (not all shown in
5G enables using multiple input—multiple output (MIMO) technology at both UE and gNB side, many more base stations or nodes than the LTE (a so-called small cell concept), including macro sites operating in co-operation with smaller stations and employing a variety of radio technologies depending on service needs, use cases and/or spectrum available. 5G mobile communications supports a wide range of use cases and related applications including video streaming, augmented reality, different ways of data sharing and various forms of machine type applications (such as (massive) machine-type communications (mMTC), including vehicular safety, different sensors and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely below 7 GHz, cmWave and mmWave, and also being integratable with existing legacy radio access technologies, such as the LTE. Below 7 GHz frequency range may be called as FR1, and above 24 GHz (or more exactly 24-52.6 GHz) as FR2, respectively. Integration with the LTE may be implemented, at least in the early phase, as a system, where macro coverage is provided by the LTE and 5G radio interface access comes from small cells by aggregation to the LTE. In other words, 5G is planned to support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as below 7 GHz—cmWave, below 7 GHz—cmWave—mmWave). One of the concepts considered to be used in 5G networks is network slicing in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual sub-networks (network instances) may be created within the same infrastructure to run services that have different requirements on latency, reliability, throughput and mobility.
The communication system is also able to communicate with other networks, such as a public switched telephone network or the Internet 112, or utilize services provided by them. The communication network may also be able to support the usage of cloud services, for example at least part of core network operations may be carried out as a cloud service (this is depicted in
Edge cloud may be brought into radio access network (RAN) by utilizing network function virtualization (NVF) and software defined networking (SDN). Using edge cloud may mean access node operations to be carried out, at least partly, in a server, host or node operationally coupled to a remote radio head or base station comprising radio parts. It is also possible that node operations will be distributed among a plurality of servers, nodes or hosts. Application of cloud RAN architecture enables RAN real time functions being carried out at the RAN side (in a distributed unit, DU 104) and non-real time functions being carried out in a centralized manner (in a centralized unit, CU 108).
5G may also utilize satellite communication to enhance or complement the coverage of 5G service, for example by providing backhauling. Each satellite 106 in the constellation may cover several satellite-enabled network entities that create on-ground cells. The on-ground cells may be created through an on-ground relay node 104 or by a gNB located on-ground or in a satellite.
Dual connectivity (DC) allows a user equipment (UE) to simultaneously transmit and receive data on multiple component carriers from two serving nodes or cell groups. Dual connectivity is allowed between two serving nodes operating in the same technology, or operating in different radio access technologies (RATs). A case wherein the nodes are operating in different radio access technologies may be referred to as Multi-RAT dual connectivity. Example configurations of multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC) include EN-DC (E-UTRA—NR Dual Connectivity), NR-DC (New Radio Dual Connectivity), NGEN-DC (NG-RAN—E-UTRA Dual Connectivity) and NE-DC (NR—E-UTRA Dual Connectivity).
In MR-DC, a group of serving cells associated with a secondary node (SN) 220 is referred to as a secondary cell group (SCG). The SCG of a UE configured with dual connectivity comprises a primary cell (PSCell) and optionally one or more secondary cells (SCells).
A mobility procedure preconfigured to the UE that changes the UE's PSCell is referred to as a conditional PSCell change (CPC). The UE may execute the CPC once a predefined execution condition, e.g. defined in terms of measurement events, is fulfilled. For example, the UE may receive RRC reconfiguration message with CPC configuration, and start to evaluate the CPC execution conditions for candidate PSCell(s). If at least one CPC candidate PSCell satisfies the corresponding CPC execution condition, the UE completes the CPC execution procedure. The UE detaches from the source PSCell, applies the stored corresponding configuration and synchronises to the selected candidate PSCell, i.e. a target PSCell. Source PSCell is comprised in the source SCG controlled by a source SN. The target PSCell is comprised in the target SCG controlled by a target SN.
Type of the CPC may be either intra-SN CPC or inter-SN CPC. In intra-SN CPC, the SN configured to control a secondary cell group (SCG) of the UE stays the same. In other words, the source SN, or the SN controlling the source SCG, is the same as a target SN, i.e. the SN controlling the target SCG.
In inter-SN CPC, the SN controlling the SCG of the UE changes. In other words, the source SN, or the SN controlling the source SCG before the CPC execution is different than a target SN controlling the target SCG after the CPC execution.
Before and after the CPC execution, the SCG of the UE may be either in activated or deactivated state. In a deactivated state, the SCG is in a power-saving state, and the UE might not monitor physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on any serving cell, which is part of the SCG. In other words, the UE might not receive or transmit any data over the SCG, when the SCG is in deactivated state. When the SCG is in deactivated state, the network and UE energy consumption are saved.
Before the CPC is executed, the source SN or MN may change the SCG activation status, which may be either activated or deactivated.
For example, let us consider that the UE assumes that the SCG is in activated state, and the target SN assumes that the SCG is in deactivated state. If a UE assumption of activated SCG is not matched on network side, the UE may use physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources that might not be configured to it and monitor PDCCH unnecessarily.
As another example, let us consider that the target SN assumes that the SCG is in activated state, and the UE assumes that the SCG is in deactivated state. If a target SN assumption of activated SCG is not matched on UE side, the target SN may schedule downlink user plane that is not received by the UE, since the UE does not monitor physical downlink control channel or physical downlink shared channel (PDCCH/PDSCH) when the SCG is in deactivated state. Then, the target SN may falsely conclude that the SCG radio link has failed.
Thus, it may be beneficial to ensure that the UE and the target SN would have the same and correct knowledge of the activation status of the SCG of the UE, once UE executes CPC.
The method as disclosed herein reduces signalling between entities, since a continuous synchronization of the activation status of the SCG might not be needed. The method as disclosed herein reduces signalling between entities, since a target SN does not need to confirm the activation status with the MN, for example, which may add delay to proper starting of SCG utilization in a case where it is supposed to be activated at the time of CPC execution. The method as disclosed herein allows flexible changing of the activation status of SCG without disrupting network services.
The UE receives 430 configuration for a conditional PSCell change (CPC). The configuration from the network node may be received as a radio resource control (RRC) message. The configuration comprises at least one or more conditions for the CPC.
When the type of CPC is intra-SN CPC, the configuration message may be generated by and received from a source SN. For example, the configuration may be sent over signalling radio bearer 3 (SRB3) using source SN radio link or signalling radio bearer 1 (SRB1).
In case of inter-SN CPC, the configuration may be generated by and received from the MN. For example, the configuration may be sent over SRB1.
UE evaluates 432 the condition(s) for the CPC, and based on the evaluation, selects a primary cell in a target SCG. At least one CPC candidate PSCell has satisfied the corresponding CPC execution condition, that is, the CPC condition is met 434.
UE determines 436 an activation status to be applied for a target SCG associated with the selected primary cell. UE may perform the determination of the activation status based on at least one of the following: activation status of a source SCG, the received configuration, pre-configuration. The activation status may be activated or deactivated.
Upon execution 438 of the CPC to the PSCell in the target SCG, the UE applies 440 the determined activation status for the target SCG associated with the selected PSCell. Thus, if the applied activation status for the target SCG is deactivated, after completion of the CPC the UE does not monitor PDCCH on any serving cell part of the target SCG, and will not receive or transmit any data over the target SCG. If the applied activation status for the target SCG is activated, the UE may monitor PDCCH, for example.
The configuration from the network node may be received as a radio resource control (RRC) message. For example, the received configuration may indicate the activation status to be applied for the target SCG.
As another example, the received configuration may comprise an inheritance indication. The UE may, based on the inheritance indication, determine the activation status of the source SCG and apply the inherited activation status for the target SCG.
The RRC message received 430 from the network node 420 may comprise an indication of a type of the CPC, i.e. whether an intra-SN CPC or inter-SN CPC is to be executed.
UE evaluates 452 the condition(s) for the CPC, and based on the evaluation, selects a primary cell in a target SCG. At least one CPC candidate PSCell has satisfied the corresponding CPC execution condition, that is, the CPC condition is met 454.
The UE may determine the type of the CPC based on the received configuration. For example, the RRC message received 450 from the network node 420 may comprise an indication of a type of the CPC, i.e. whether an intra-SN CPC or inter-SN CPC is to be executed. The indication of the type of the CPC may be comprised in the RRC message as a type indicator.
As another example, the UE may determine 455 whether the type is intra-SN or inter-SN based on encoding of the RRC message, or structure of the RRC message, comprising the CPC configuration. In intra-SN CPC, the CPC condition may be part of the CPC configuration that is prepared by the source SN. In inter-SN CPC, the CPC condition is included by MN in the RRC reconfiguration which includes the CPC configuration that may be fetched from the prepared target SN. In this case, the CPC condition is outside of the CPC configuration that is prepared by the target SN. When or before the CPC condition is met 454, the UE may decode the corresponding CPC configuration and will know the type of the CPC by checking the indication provided by the network in the RRC message, or from the encoding of the CPC conditions in the RRC reconfiguration message.
Let us consider that the type of CPC is the intra-SN CPC, that is, the source SCG and the target SCG are controlled by the same SN. In this case, the UE 410 determines 456 activation status of the source SCG to be applied for the target SCG. The activation status may be activated or deactivated. The UE is considered to be aware of the activation status of the current SCG, that is, the source SCG. For example, if the activation status of the SCG is changed to deactivated state, the network node may indicate this change to the UE, e.g. by RRC reconfiguration message.
Upon execution 458 of the CPC to the PSCell in the target SCG, the UE applies 460 the determined activation status of the source SCG for the target SCG.
This kind of inheritance of the activation status of the source SCG enables both the UE and the target SN to be aware of the activation status of the target SCG at the time of CPC execution. In intra-SN CPC, the target SN is aware of the activation status of the source SCG, since the SN stays the same.
If the type of CPC is inter-SN CPC, the UE may determine the activation status based on the received configuration and/or the pre-configuration. For example, the received configuration may indicate the activation status to be applied for the target SCG, or the activation status to be applied may be pre-configured (e.g. by a network entity, such as the network node, or the UE may be pre-configured via one or more settings of the UE). For example, if the activation status has been pre-configured, the UE may assume that the target SCG is in activated state. This scenario has been described in the context of
UE evaluates 472 the condition(s) for the CPC, and based on the evaluation, selects a primary cell in a target SCG. At least one CPC candidate PSCell has satisfied the corresponding CPC execution condition, that is, the CPC condition is met 474.
It may be, e.g. in case of inter-SN CPC, that the UE cannot determine that the activation status of the source SCG is inherited to be applied for the target SCG at CPC execution. Then, the activation status of the target SN may be determined independently of the activation status of the source SCG. For example, the received 470 configuration may comprise an indication of the SCG activation status to be applied for the target SCG at the time of CPC execution. As another example, the activation status to be applied for the target SCG at the time of CPC execution may be specified in a standard.
Thus, upon execution 476 of the CPC, the UE may apply 478 the activation status as indicated in the received 470 configuration or the activation status as specified in a standard for the target SCG.
UE evaluates 532 the condition(s) for the CPC, and based on the evaluation, selects a primary cell in a target SCG. At least one CPC candidate PSCell has satisfied the corresponding CPC execution condition, that is, the CPC condition is met 534.
The type of CPC is the inter-SN CPC in the example of
In case of inter-SN CPC, the activation status for the target SCG is assigned or determined 536 as activated. The activation status may be indicated in a pre-configuration.
Upon execution 538 of the CPC to the PSCell in the target SCG, the UE applies 540 activation status “activated” for the target SCG. The target SN may receive the information of the activation status for the target SCG based on negotiations with other node(s) when the CPC is prepared on the network side, for example. As another example, the activation status for the target SCG may be fixed in a standard.
A processor may comprise circuitry, or be constituted as circuitry or circuitries, the circuitry or circuitries being configured to perform phases of methods in accordance with example embodiments described herein. As used in this application, the term “circuitry” may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) hardware-only circuit implementations, such as implementations in only analog and/or digital circuitry, and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as, as applicable: (i) a combination of analog and/or digital hardware circuit(s) with software/firmware and (ii) any portions of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s)), software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or a network node, to perform various functions) and (c) hardware circuit(s) and or processor(s), such as a microprocessor(s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s), that requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when it is not needed for operation.
This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and/or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example and if applicable to the particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.
Device 600 may comprise memory 620. Memory 620 may comprise random-access memory and/or permanent memory. Memory 620 may comprise at least one RAM chip. Memory 620 may comprise solid-state, magnetic, optical and/or holographic memory, for example. Memory 620 may be at least in part accessible to processor 610. Memory 620 may be at least in part comprised in processor 610. Memory 620 may be means for storing information. Memory 620 may comprise computer instructions that processor 610 is configured to execute. When computer instructions configured to cause processor 610 to perform certain actions are stored in memory 620, and device 600 overall is configured to run under the direction of processor 610 using computer instructions from memory 620, processor 610 and/or its at least one processing core may be considered to be configured to perform said certain actions. Memory 620 may be at least in part external to device 600 but accessible to device 600.
Device 600 may comprise a transmitter 630. Device 600 may comprise a receiver 640. Transmitter 630 and receiver 640 may be configured to transmit and receive, respectively, information in accordance with at least one cellular or non-cellular standard. Transmitter 630 may comprise more than one transmitter. Receiver 640 may comprise more than one receiver. Transmitter 630 and/or receiver 640 may be configured to operate in accordance with global system for mobile communication, GSM, wideband code division multiple access, WCDMA, 5G, long term evolution, LTE, IS-95, wireless local area network, WLAN, Ethernet and/or worldwide interoperability for microwave access, WiMAX, standards, for example.
Device 600 may comprise a near-field communication, NFC, transceiver 650. NFC transceiver 650 may support at least one NFC technology, such as NFC, Bluetooth, Wibree or similar technologies.
Device 600 may comprise user interface, UI, 660. UI 660 may comprise at least one of a display, a keyboard, a touchscreen, a vibrator arranged to signal to a user by causing device 600 to vibrate, a speaker and a microphone. A user may be able to operate device 600 via UI 660, for example to accept incoming telephone calls, to originate telephone calls or video calls, to browse the Internet, to manage digital files stored in memory 620 or on a cloud accessible via transmitter 630 and receiver 640, or via NFC transceiver 650, and/or to play games.
Device 600 may comprise or be arranged to accept a user identity module 670. User identity module 670 may comprise, for example, a subscriber identity module, SIM, card installable in device 600. A user identity module 670 may comprise information identifying a subscription of a user of device 600. A user identity module 670 may comprise cryptographic information usable to verify the identity of a user of device 600 and/or to facilitate encryption of communicated information and billing of the user of device 600 for communication effected via device 600.
Processor 610 may be furnished with a transmitter arranged to output information from processor 610, via electrical leads internal to device 600, to other devices comprised in device 600. Such a transmitter may comprise a serial bus transmitter arranged to, for example, output information via at least one electrical lead to memory 620 for storage therein. Alternatively to a serial bus, the transmitter may comprise a parallel bus transmitter. Likewise processor 610 may comprise a receiver arranged to receive information in processor 610, via electrical leads internal to device 600, from other devices comprised in device 600. Such a receiver may comprise a serial bus receiver arranged to, for example, receive information via at least one electrical lead from receiver 640 for processing in processor 610. Alternatively to a serial bus, the receiver may comprise a parallel bus receiver.
Device 600 may comprise further devices not illustrated in
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2021/058419 | 3/31/2021 | WO |
