CN114303416A

CN114303416A - Power control for radio resource management in a telecommunications system

Info

Publication number: CN114303416A
Application number: CN201980099408.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 贺敬; T·恩托南; A·阿里; J·凯科南; M·劳里德森
Original assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Current assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd; Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Priority date: 2019-08-16
Filing date: 2019-08-16
Publication date: 2022-04-08
Also published as: WO2021030999A1

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for power control for measurement Radio Resource Management (RRM). The method comprises determining, at a first device, a priority of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device; generating control information for at least one measurement based on the priority; and transmitting the control information to the second device. In this way, the solution proposed by the invention enables the network to control the terminal device itself without discarding any important measurement objects and to keep the necessary measurements maintained. Furthermore, the solution also enables saving of power of the terminal device by reducing measurements, while also maintaining mobility performance and network load balancing by using network controlled prioritized measurements.

Description

Power control for radio resource management in a telecommunications system

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to an apparatus, method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for power control of measurements for Radio Resource Management (RRM).

Background

One of the most important steps for handover is measurement reporting from RRM of the terminal device prior to handover. The network device may make a handover decision for the terminal device based on the measurement values from the terminal device. There are many different measurement items and many different ways to measure the signal quality of the serving cell and the candidate cell.

The five basic RRM measurements in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system are Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), reference signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio (RS-SINR), and carrier Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). For New Radios (NR), the power saving for the terminal device will be further studied and discussed. Power savings have been considered to be achieved by discarding certain measurements.

Disclosure of Invention

In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions for power control for measurements of RRM.

In a first aspect, a first device is provided. The first device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first device at least to determine a priority of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by the second device; generating control information for at least one measurement based on the priority; and transmitting the control information to the second device.

In a second aspect, a second apparatus is provided. The second device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus at least to receive, from the first apparatus, control information for at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by the second apparatus, the control information being generated based on a priority of the at least one measurement; determining a mode for controlling at least one measurement based on the control information; and performing at least one measurement based on the pattern.

In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises the following steps: determining, at a first device, a priority of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device; generating control information for at least one measurement based on the priority; and transmitting the control information to the second device.

In a fourth aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises the following steps: receiving, from a first device, control information of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device, the control information being generated based on a priority of the at least one measurement; determining a mode for controlling at least one measurement based on the control information; and performing at least one measurement based on the pattern.

In a fifth aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for determining, at a first device, a priority of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device; means for generating control information for at least one measurement based on the priority; and means for transmitting the control information to the second device.

In a sixth aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from a first device, control information for at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device, the control information being generated based on a priority of the at least one measurement; means for determining a mode for controlling at least one measurement based on the control information; and means for performing at least one measurement based on the pattern.

In a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform the method according to the third aspect.

In an eighth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, having stored thereon a computer program, which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform the method according to the fourth aspect.

Other features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will also become apparent from the following description of the specific embodiments, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the embodiments of the disclosure.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present disclosure are presented by way of example, and their advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 illustrates an example communication network in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a power control procedure for measurements of RRM according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 3 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 300 for power control for measurements of RRM, in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 400 for power control for measurements of RRM, in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an example computer-readable medium, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers refer to the same or similar elements.

Detailed Description

The subject matter described herein will now be discussed with reference to several example embodiments. It should be understood that these examples are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thereby implement the subject matter described herein, and are not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of the subject matter.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two functions or acts illustrated in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the functions or acts may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.

As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-advanced (LTE-a), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), New Radio (NR), and the like. Further, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network may be performed according to any suitable generational communication protocol, including, but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and/or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communications, there will, of course, be future types of communication techniques and systems in which the present disclosure may be implemented. It should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention to only the above-mentioned systems. For purposes of illustration, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to a 5G communication system.

The term "network device" as used herein includes, but is not limited to, Base Stations (BSs), gateways, registration management entities, and other suitable devices in a communication system. The term "base station" or "BS" denotes a node B (nodeb or NB), evolved nodeb (eNodeB or eNB), New Radio (NR) NB (also known as gNB), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Head (RH), Remote Radio Head (RRH), relay, low power node such as femto, pico, and the like.

The term "terminal device" as used herein includes, but is not limited to, "User Equipment (UE)" and other suitable terminal devices capable of communicating with network devices. By way of example, "terminal equipment" may refer to a terminal, a Mobile Terminal (MT), a Subscriber Station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a Mobile Station (MS), or an Access Terminal (AT).

The term "circuitry" as used herein may refer to one or more or all of the following:

(A) hardware-only circuit implementations (such as implementations in analog and/or digital circuitry only) and

(b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable):

(i) hardware circuit(s) for analog and/or digital and

a combination of software/firmware, and

(ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s), software, and memory(s) that work together to cause a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions) and

(c) hardware circuit(s) and/or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or part of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which may not be present when it is not required for operation.

This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including all uses in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses implementations in hardware circuitry only or a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuitry or a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and/or firmware. By way of example, and where applicable to particular claim elements, the term circuitry also encompasses baseband or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

Fig. 1 illustrates an example communication network 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Network 100 includes a first device 110 (hereinafter may be referred to as network device 110) and second devices 120-1 and 120-2 (hereinafter collectively referred to as second device 120 or terminal device 120 alone) served by network device 110. The service area of network device 110 is referred to as a cell 102. It should be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices is for illustration purposes only and does not imply any limitation. Network 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and terminal devices suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Although not shown, it should be appreciated that one or more terminal devices may be in cell 102 and served by network device 110.

Communications in network 100 may conform to any suitable standard including, but not limited to, New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE evolution, LTE advanced (LTE-a), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), and so forth. Further, the communication may be performed according to any generational communication protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, and fifth generation (5G) communication protocols.

As mentioned above, one of the most important steps of the handover is the measurement reporting from the RRM of the terminal device prior to the handover. The network device may make a handover decision for the terminal device based on the measurement values from the terminal device. There are many different measurement items and many different ways to measure the signal quality of the serving cell and the candidate cell.

The five basic RRM measurements in the LTE system are CQI, RSRP, RSRQ, RS-SINR, and RSSI. For NR, it is desirable to further develop power saving for terminal devices. For example, new objects are added for measurement relaxation of the network configuration.

The objectives of terminal device power savings may include the following: a network configuration mechanism may be specified to broaden intra-frequency and inter-frequency RRM measurements for neighboring cells of RRC IDLE/INACTIVE with minimal mobility performance impact.

Currently, proposals for power saving of terminal devices focus only on network configured enable/disable indications or thresholds to control RRM measurement relaxation of the terminal devices. For example, when the network device indicates "enabled" to the terminal device, the terminal device may discard any configured intra-frame-f, inter-frame-f, or inter-RAT measurements to reduce power consumption. Vice versa, the indicated "disabling" means that the terminal device is not allowed to discard any measurements for power saving purposes.

Furthermore, the network device may configure the terminal device with one predetermined threshold for a specific RRM measurement, such as RSRP, RSPQ, RS-SINR or RSSI. When the value of a particular RRM measurement measured by the terminal device is better than the threshold, some configured measurements will be discarded on the terminal device side to save power, since in this case the terminal device may be located in the cell center area and lack the possibility to make a handover. In this case, the mobility state (e.g., stationary or fast moving) of the terminal device will also be considered.

The proposed mechanisms may configure the terminal device by means of a System Information Block (SIB) to control all terminal devices with this capability in the whole cell or by means of dedicated signalling to control one specific terminal device with this capability. Even with such network control, which measurements are to be discarded when it is determined in the terminal device that the criterion is fulfilled is entirely decided by the terminal device itself. In some cases, the terminal device may discard some important measurements by itself to save power, but this may not be an expected behavior from the network, as such measurements are configured to have special intents, e.g., targeting Cell Global Identity (CGI) reporting for load balancing, Space Frequency Transmit Diversity (SFTD) measurement for time difference detection, or for Automatic Neighbor Relation (ANR).

It has been proposed that for the in-band frequency standard deployed by the cooperating stations, the number of measured frequencies can be reduced in the inter-frequency RRM measurement relaxation. Further, in order to reduce inter-frequency RRM measurement, the association between the measured frequencies and the measured frequency group may be indicated to the terminal device in the system information or the measurement configuration information, and the terminal device may randomly select one of the frequency layers in the same group to perform the RRM measurement.

Furthermore, it is proposed that in order to enable early solutions in the art such that the measurement effort and burden of the terminal device can be reduced while still maintaining network deployment flexibility, the network device may indicate any carrier aggregation Component Carrier (CC) set information to the terminal device. That is, the network device will indicate to the terminal device whether the terminal device can assume the same channel conditions for CCs (e.g., in-band CCs) and thus will allow the terminal device to relax measurement requirements for some CCs — as compared to the primary CC.

A method has been proposed for enabling a terminal device to perform relaxed RRM measurements until the network is enabled or when a condition configured by the network is met. An "enable" indication solution for power saving is proposed.

Furthermore, it has been proposed that the number of measured intra-frequency cells should be reduced to save power of the terminal device in NR. For example, additional thresholds may be introduced to reduce the number of intra-frequency measurements that are enhanced based on S measurements.

However, none of the conventional approaches suggests a power saving mechanism for network control of the terminal device to ensure that the terminal device will not drop any important measurement objects on the one hand and reduce power consumption while maintaining mobility performance and network load balancing on the other hand.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure propose a network control mechanism for RRM measurements of terminal devices. The network device may generate control information for RRM measurements based on the priority of the measurements. The priority may be associated with a measured attribute or a desired power consumption level of the terminal device.

The principles and implementations of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 2, where fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a power control procedure 200 for RRM measurements according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. For purposes of discussion, the process 200 will be described with reference to fig. 1. Process 200 may include network device 110 and terminal device 120 as illustrated in fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 2, the network device 110 determines 210 a priority of at least one RRM measurement to be performed at the terminal device 120.

In some example embodiments, the priority may be associated with at least one attribute of the RRM measurements. For example, the properties of the RRM measurement may include an object of the measurement, a type of the measurement, and an identification of the measurement or a frequency range to be measured for the at least one measurement. It should be understood that the above listed attributes are merely illustrative and do not limit the present disclosure. Any other property associated with RRM measurements will also be considered as the above property of the measurements.

For example, the attribute-based priority may indicate that intra-frequency measurements are more important than inter-frequency measurements, such as for terminal device 120.

Further, an attribute may also refer to a set of parameters associated with a measurement report. The relevant parameters may include a time period for reporting the measurement result, a triggering event for reporting, a CGI or a System Frame Number (SFN), and a frame timing difference (SFTD). It should be understood that the above listed reporting parameters are merely illustrative and do not limit the present disclosure. Any other parameter associated with the measurement report will also be considered a measured reporting parameter.

The network device 110 may determine a priority of RRM measurements related to the at least one of the above-mentioned properties of the measurements.

In some example embodiments, the priority may also be associated with a particular power consumption level of the terminal device 120. For example, the network device 110 may determine an expected power consumption level for the terminal device 120 and a power consumption level for each RRM measurement to be performed, respectively. The network device 110 may then determine a priority of the RRM measurements based on the expected power consumption level and the determined power consumption level for each RRM measurement.

For example, the expected power consumption level of terminal device 120 may be expressed as a percentage, i.e., 100% power consumption, 50% power consumption, or 30% power consumption, etc. Accordingly, the network device 110 may determine a priority of a particular level of RRM measurements based on the power consumption required for the RRM measurements.

Furthermore, network device 110 may also determine the time consumed for each RRM measurement to be performed at terminal device 120, as the time taken for the terminal device to perform the RRM measurement may affect the power consumption level of terminal device 120. For example, the measurement requiring the shortest measurement time may have the highest priority to be performed.

After determining the priority, the network device 110 generates control information for RRM measurements to be performed at the terminal device 120.

In some example embodiments, the control information may include at least one mode for controlling the at least one measurement. The mode for controlling the at least one measurement may be determined based on the determined priority related to the at least one property of the RRM measurement and the expected power consumption level.

In some example embodiments, network device 120 may determine the mode based on the priority and the attributes. For example, the mode may indicate an order for dropping particular measurements, such as which RRM measurement or which RRM measurement may be dropped first and which RRM measurement may be dropped second, and so on. For example, the mode may also indicate which measurements cannot be discarded.

Further, the pattern may also indicate an order for performing the at least one measurement, an order for recovering the discarded at least one measurement, or a particular type of measurement to maintain.

In addition to the examples listed above, it should be appreciated that the pattern used to control the measurements may be represented in any form that relates to priority, attributes, or expected power consumption levels.

Network device 120 may generate control information based on the determined mode. Two example control information are shown in the table below.

As an example, if the mode indicates that the measurement of frequency F1 cannot be discarded. The control information may be expressed as follows.

Table 1: patterns associated with MeasObjectNR

It can be seen that in the case of MeasObject (ssb Frequency ═ F1) and a mode indicating "F1 candot pulled (F1 cannot be discarded)", the control information may include "PowersavingPriorityInfo" indicating that a specific measurement cannot be discarded.

As another example, if the mode indicates that all intra-frequency measurements will be maintained when the terminal device 120 decides to relax the measurements. The control information may be expressed as follows.

Table 2: mode associated with MeasConfig

It can be seen that in case the MeasConfig indicates "Intra-F candidate dropped", the control information may include "PowersavingPriorityInfo" indicating that the specific RRM measurement cannot be dropped.

In some example embodiments, the control information may be a one-bit indication as the simplest format, such as "the measurement object may or may not be discarded", "the measurement for FR1 or FR2 may or may not be discarded", or "the measurement for a reportType may or may not be discarded".

In some example embodiments, the network device 120 may determine the mode based on a priority and an expected power consumption level related to any one of the at least one property of the RRM measurements, the power consumption level required for the RRM measurements, and the time interval for performing the RRM measurements. Network device 120 may also generate control information based on the pattern.

For example, the mode may indicate an association between an expected power consumption level, the attribute information and a power consumption level required for RRM measurements. For example, the mode may also indicate an association between the expected power consumption level, the attribute information and the time interval for performing the RRM measurements.

For example, the mode may indicate what kind/type of measurements should be maintained or discarded for 30% power consumption. The corresponding control information may be denoted as "level 1 RRM measurements-discarded first, level 2 RRM measurements-discarded after all level 1 RRM measurements have been discarded, level 3 RRM measurements-discarded after all level 2 measurements have been discarded". The level of RRM measurements may depend on the determined measurement priority.

Example control information may be shown in the following table. For example, if the mode indicates that 50% of the measurement activity should be maintained when the terminal device 120 decides to relax the measurement. The control information may be expressed as follows.

Table 3: mode associated with MeasConfig

It can be seen that in case the MeasConfig indicates "50% measurement activity", the control information may comprise "PowersavingPriorityInfo" indicating that a specific RRM measurement cannot be discarded/maintained.

Referring back to fig. 2, after generating the control information, network device 110 sends 220 the control information to terminal device 120.

In some example embodiments, if control information is specified for terminal device 120, the control information may be sent to terminal device 120 via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. If control information for controlling a plurality of terminal devices is generated, network device 110 may broadcast the control information.

Terminal device 120 may receive control information from network device 110 and determine 230 a mode for controlling at least one measurement based on the control information.

As an option, the terminal device 120 may determine an order for dropping or maintaining certain types of RRM measurements, e.g. "drop inter-RAT measurements first, then drop inter-frequency measurements".

As another option, the terminal device 120 may determine the time interval for a particular type or level of RRM measurement, e.g., "first increase the inter-frequency measurements periodically to T1 ms, then increase the intra-frequency measurements periodically to T2 ms, then discard the inter-frequency measurements, then increase the intra-frequency measurements periodically to T3 ms, but not more than T3 ms".

The terminal device 120 may measure RSRP/RSRQ and determine RRM measurements to perform or discard based on the measured RSRP/RSRQ and the mode. For example, the terminal device 120 may be allowed to discard inter-frequency measurements, but the terminal device 120 is allowed to discard inter-frequency measurements only when the intra-frequency RSRP is below a predetermined value.

Furthermore, the terminal device 120 may also determine a mode for resuming the discarded RRM measurements. For example, the pattern may indicate "first discard inter-RAT measurements, then discard inter-frequency measurements, i.e. keep only intra-frequency measurements, then measure inter-frequency layers again when the intra-frequency RSRP exceeds a predetermined value (e.g. x dBm), and finally perform inter-RAT measurements if the intra-frequency RSRP is y dBm (where y > x)". In this case, the x and y levels will be different from the standard levels that trigger drop to avoid the ping-pong effect, i.e., there is a lag between the egress and ingress "x".

Then, the terminal device 120 may perform RRM measurement based on the determined mode for controlling at least one measurement.

Furthermore, the network device 110 may adjust the control information according to the traffic steering/load, the moving speed of the terminal device, which means that the priority may be changed in different load scenarios or different traffic types.

For example, if the mode indicates an association between different power consumption levels and corresponding measurement groups, the terminal device 120 may also select a mode for controlling at least one measurement based on the required power consumption level.

In this way, the solution proposed by the invention enables the network to control the terminal device itself without discarding any important measurement objects and to keep the necessary measurements maintained. Furthermore, the solution also enables saving of power of the terminal device by reducing measurements, while also maintaining mobility performance and network load balancing by using network controlled prioritized measurements.

Alternatively, the above method may be applied to power saving control between network devices via appropriate signaling, in addition to power saving control between terminal devices and network devices.

Further details of example embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to fig. 3-4.

Fig. 3 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 300 for power control of RRM measurements, in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 300 may be implemented at network device 110 as shown in fig. 1. For discussion purposes, the method 300 will be described with reference to fig. 1.

At 310, network device 110 determines a priority of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by terminal device 120.

In some example embodiments, network device 110 may obtain the at least one measured at least one attribute, including at least one of: an object of the at least one measurement, a type of the at least one measurement, an identity of the at least one measurement, a frequency range of the at least one measurement, and a parameter associated with reporting of the at least one measurement. Network device 110 may determine a priority based on the attribute information.

In some example embodiments, the parameters associated with the report include at least one of: a time period for reporting a result of the at least one measurement, a trigger condition for reporting the result, a cell global identity for the report, and a System Frame Number (SFN) and a frame timing difference (SFTD) for the report.

In some example embodiments, network device 110 may determine a time interval for performing at least one measurement and an expected power consumption level for terminal device 120. Network device 110 may also determine a priority based on the time interval and the expected power consumption level.

At 320, network device 110 generates control information for at least one measurement based on the priority.

In some example embodiments, network device 110 may obtain the at least one measured at least one attribute. Network device 110 may determine a mode for controlling at least one measurement based on the at least one attribute and the priority. Network device 110 may generate control information based on the pattern.

In some example embodiments, network device 110 may obtain an expected power consumption level for terminal device 120. Network device 110 may determine a mode for controlling at least one measurement based on an expected power consumption level, a priority, and at least one of: at least one attribute of the at least one measurement, a power consumption level required for the at least one measurement; and a time interval for performing the at least one measurement. Network device 110 may also generate control information based on the pattern.

In some example embodiments, the pattern may include at least one of: an order for performing the at least one measurement, an order for discarding the at least one measurement, an order for recovering the at least one measurement, a first measurement portion of the at least one measurement to be performed, a time interval for performing the first measurement portion, a second measurement portion of the at least one measurement to be discarded, and a time interval for recovering the second measurement portion, an association between the expected power consumption level, the attribute information, and a power consumption level required for the at least one measurement, and an association between the expected power consumption level, the attribute information, and the time interval for performing the at least one measurement.

At 330, network device 110 sends control information to terminal device 120.

In some example embodiments, network device 110 may send the control information to the second device via RRC signaling.

In some example embodiments, network device 110 may broadcast control information.

Fig. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 400 for power control of RRM measurements, in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 400 may be implemented at terminal device 120 as shown in fig. 1. For discussion purposes, the method 400 will be described with reference to fig. 1.

At 410, the terminal device 120 receives control information of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by the second device from the network device 110, the control information being generated based on a priority of the at least one measurement.

At 420, terminal device 120 determines a mode for controlling the at least one measurement based on the control information.

At 430, network device 110 performs at least one measurement based on the pattern.

In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 300 (e.g., implemented at network device 110) may include means for performing the respective steps of method 300. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises means for determining, at a first device, a priority of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device; means for determining control information for the at least one measurement based on the priority; and means for transmitting the control information to the second device.

In some example embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing method 400 (e.g., implemented at terminal device 120) may include means for performing the respective steps of method 400. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for receiving, from a first device, control information for at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device, the control information generated based on a priority of the at least one measurement; means for determining a mode for controlling the at least one measurement based on the control information; and means for performing the at least one measurement based on the pattern.

Fig. 5 is a simplified block diagram of a device 500 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 500 may be provided to implement communication devices such as terminal device 120 and network device 110 shown in fig. 1. As shown, the device 500 includes one or more processors 510, one or more memories 540 coupled to the processors 510, and one or more transmitters and/or receivers (TX/RX)540 coupled to the processors 510.

TX/RX 540 is used for bi-directional communication. TX/RX 540 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

The processor 510 may be of any type suitable to the local technology network, and may include one or more of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture, as non-limiting examples. The apparatus 500 may have multiple processors, such as an application specific integrated circuit chip that is time dependent from a clock synchronized to the host processor.

Memory 520 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, Read Only Memory (ROM)524, Electrically Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), flash memory, a hard disk, a Compact Disk (CD), a Digital Video Disk (DVD), and other magnetic and/or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, Random Access Memory (RAM)522 and other volatile memory that does not persist for the duration of the power down.

The computer programs 530 include computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 510. The program 530 may be stored in the ROM 520. Processor 510 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading programs 530 into RAM 520.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by way of program 530 to enable device 500 to perform any of the processes of the present disclosure as discussed with reference to fig. 2-4. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of hardware and software.

In some embodiments, program 530 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 500 (such as in memory 520) or in other storage accessible to device 500. Device 500 may load program 530 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 522 for execution. The computer readable medium may include any type of tangible, non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, a hard disk, a CD, a DVD, etc. Fig. 6 shows an example of a computer-readable medium 600 in the form of a CD or DVD. The computer readable medium has a program 530 stored thereon.

In general, the various embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device. While various aspects of the embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques or methods described herein may be implemented in, as non-limiting examples, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, that are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the

methods

300 and 400 as described above with reference to fig. 3-4. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or split between program modules as desired. Machine-executable instructions for program modules may be executed within a local device or within a distributed device. In a distributed facility, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage media.

Program code for carrying out methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes may be provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the program codes, when executed by the processor or controller, cause the functions/operations specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram to be performed. The program code may execute entirely on the machine, partly on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine or entirely on the remote machine or server.

In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carrier waves include signals, computer readable media, and the like.

The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

Further, while operations are described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In some scenarios, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Also, while the above discussion contains several specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device, 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 first apparatus at least to:

determining a priority of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by the second device;

generating control information for the at least one measurement based on the priority; and

and sending the control information to the second equipment.

2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to determine the priority by:

obtaining at least one attribute of the at least one measurement, the at least one attribute comprising at least one of:

the at least one object of measurement is,

the type of the at least one measurement is,

an identification of the at least one measurement,

a range of frequencies for said at least one measurement, an

A parameter associated with the reporting of the at least one measurement; and

determining the priority based on the attribute information.

3. The first device of claim 2, wherein the parameters associated with the report include at least one of:

a time period for reporting a result of the at least one measurement,

a trigger condition for reporting the result is set,

a cell global identity for said report, an

A System Frame Number (SFN) and a frame timing difference (SFTD) for the report.

4. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to determine the priority by:

determining a required power consumption level for the at least one measurement;

determining a desired power consumption level for the second device; and

determining the priority based on the required power consumption level and the desired power consumption level.

5. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to determine the priority by:

determining a time interval for performing the at least one measurement;

determining a desired power consumption level for the second device; and

determining the priority based on the time interval and the desired power consumption level.

6. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to generate the control information by:

obtaining at least one attribute of the at least one measurement;

determining a mode for controlling the at least one measurement based on the at least one attribute and the priority; and

generating the control information based on the pattern.

7. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to generate the control information by:

obtaining a desired power consumption level for the second device;

determining a mode for controlling the at least one measurement based on the desired power consumption level, the priority, and at least one of:

at least one property of the at least one measurement,

a required power consumption level for the at least one measurement; and

a time interval for performing the at least one measurement; and

generating the control information based on the pattern.

8. The first device of claim 6 or 7, wherein the mode comprises at least one of:

a sequence for performing the at least one measurement,

an order for discarding the at least one measurement,

for restoring the order of the at least one measurement,

a first part of the at least one measurement to be performed,

a time interval for performing the first partial measurement,

a second partial measurement of the at least one measurement to be discarded, an

A time interval for recovering the second partial measurement,

an association between the desired power consumption level, the attribute information and a power consumption level required for the at least one measurement, an

An association between the desired power consumption level, the attribute information, and the time interval for performing the at least one measurement.

9. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to transmit the control information by:

sending the control information to the second device via a dedicated command or signaling.

10. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to:

and broadcasting the control information.

11. The first device of any of claims 1-10, wherein the first device is a network device and the second device is a terminal device or another network device.

12. A second device, 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 second apparatus at least to:

receiving, from a first device, control information of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by the second device, the control information being generated based on a priority of the at least one measurement;

determining a mode for controlling the at least one measurement based on the control information; and

performing the at least one measurement based on the pattern.

13. The second device of claim 12, wherein the mode comprises at least one of:

a sequence for performing the at least one measurement,

an order for discarding the at least one measurement,

for restoring the order of the at least one measurement,

a first part of the at least one measurement to be performed,

a time interval for performing the first partial measurement,

A time interval for recovering the second partial measurement,

14. The second device of claim 12 or 13, wherein the first device is a network device and the second device is a terminal device or another network device.

15. A method, comprising:

determining, at a first device, a priority of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device;

and sending the control information to the second equipment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the priority comprises:

obtaining at least one property of the at least one measurement, including at least one of:

the at least one object of measurement is,

the type of the at least one measurement is,

an identification of the at least one measurement,

a range of frequencies for said at least one measurement, an

A parameter associated with the reporting of the at least one measurement; and

determining the priority based on the attribute information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the parameters associated with the report include at least one of:

a time period for reporting a result of the at least one measurement,

a trigger condition for reporting the result is set,

a cell global identity for said report, an

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the priority comprises:

determining an expected power consumption level of the second device; and

19. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the priority comprises:

determining a time interval for performing the at least one measurement;

determining a desired power consumption level for the second device; and

20. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the control information comprises:

obtaining at least one attribute of the at least one measurement;

generating the control information based on the pattern.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the control information comprises:

obtaining a desired power consumption level for the second device;

at least one property of the at least one measurement,

a required power consumption level for the at least one measurement; and

a time interval for performing the at least one measurement; and

generating the control information based on the pattern.

22. The method of claim 20 or 21, wherein the pattern comprises at least one of:

a sequence for performing the at least one measurement,

an order for discarding the at least one measurement,

for restoring the order of the at least one measurement,

a first part of the at least one measurement to be performed,

a time interval for performing the first partial measurement,

A time interval for recovering the second partial measurement,

23. The method of claim 15, wherein sending the control information comprises:

transmitting the control information to the second device via radio resource control, RRC, signaling.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

and broadcasting the control information.

25. The method according to any of claims 15-24, wherein the first device is a network device and the second device is a terminal device or another network device.

26. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a first device, control information of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device, the control information being generated based on a priority of the at least one measurement;

performing the at least one measurement based on the pattern.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the pattern comprises at least one of:

a sequence for performing the at least one measurement,

an order for discarding the at least one measurement,

for restoring the order of the at least one measurement,

a first part of the at least one measurement to be performed,

the time interval for performing the first part of the measurements,

A time interval for recovering the second partial measurement,

28. The method of claim 26 or 27, wherein the first device is a network device and the second device is a terminal device or another network device.

29. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining, at a first device, a priority of at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device;

means for generating control information for the at least one measurement based on the priority; and

means for transmitting the control information to the second device.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving, from a first device, control information for at least one measurement of radio resource management to be performed by a second device, the control information being generated based on a priority of the at least one measurement;

means for determining a mode for controlling the at least one measurement based on the control information; and

means for performing the at least one measurement based on the pattern.

31. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method of any one of claims 15-25.

32. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method of any one of claims 26-28.