CN115211174B

CN115211174B - Measurement reporting in handover

Info

Publication number: CN115211174B
Application number: CN202080098071.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 贺敬; M·托马拉; T·恩托南; 袁平
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: 2020-03-03
Filing date: 2020-03-03
Publication date: 2023-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 2040-03-03
Also published as: WO2021174429A1; CN115211174A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to measurement reporting in handover. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission of the first measurement of the signal strength on the first frequency band is associated with the transmission of the second measurement of the signal strength on the second frequency band. The secondary gNB procedure to the appropriate secondary node starts earlier. In this way, a fast measurement of the second frequency band is achieved.

Description

Measurement reporting in handover

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to communication technology and, more particularly, relate to methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for measurement reporting in handover.

Background

As communication systems develop, more and more technologies are proposed. For example, a 5G New Radio (NR) dual connection has been proposed. The term evolved universal terrestrial radio access new radio (EN-DC) refers to E-UTRA NR dual connectivity. This feature allows the mobile device to exchange data between itself and the NR base station, and to make a simultaneous connection with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) base station. This is possible when a tight interworking is established between LTE and 5G NR base stations. When the terminal device is in the dual connectivity state, a handover procedure of the terminal device is supported.

Disclosure of Invention

In general, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and corresponding apparatus for measurement reporting in handover.

In a first aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises the following steps: at a first device, a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band and a second configuration for a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band are received from a second device. The method further includes performing a first measurement of signal strength on the first frequency band and a second measurement of signal strength on the second frequency band. The method further comprises the steps of: in accordance with a determination that at least one of a first result of the first measurement or a second result of the second measurement exceeds a threshold intensity, a determination is made as to whether the second measurement is related to the first measurement based on the first configuration or the second configuration. The first device is also caused to: in accordance with a determination that the second measurement is related to the first measurement, the first result and the available second result are transmitted to the second device.

In a second aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises the following steps: a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band is transmitted from a second device to a first device, the first measurement being related to a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band. The method also includes receiving, from the first device, information indicating at least a first result of the first measurement. The method also includes transmitting, to the third device, a request for a handoff from the second device to the third device, the request including at least the received information.

In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises the following steps: at a third device, a request for a handoff from a second device to the third device is received, the request indicating at least a first result of a first measurement of signal strength over a first frequency band. The method further comprises the steps of: in response to receiving the request, an acknowledgement is transmitted to the second device including at least a first switching configuration for switching from the second device to the third device.

In a fourth aspect, a first device is provided. The first device includes 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 device to: a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band and a second configuration for a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band are received from a second device. The first device is also caused to: a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band and a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band are performed. The first device is also caused to: in accordance with a determination that at least one of a first result of the first measurement or a second result of the second measurement exceeds a threshold intensity, a determination is made as to whether the second measurement is related to the first measurement based on the first configuration or the second configuration. The method further comprises the steps of: in accordance with a determination that the second measurement is related to the first measurement, the first result and the available second result are transmitted to the second device.

In a fifth aspect, a second device is provided. The second device includes 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 device to: a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band is transmitted to a first device, the first measurement being related to a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band. The second device is also caused to: information is received from the first device indicating at least a first result of the first measurement. The second device is also caused to: a request for a handover from the second device to the third device is transmitted to the third device, the request comprising at least the received information.

In a sixth aspect, a third apparatus is provided. The third device includes 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 third device to: a request for a handoff from the second device to the third device is received at the third device, the request indicating at least a first result of a first measurement of signal strength on the first frequency band. The third device is also caused to: an acknowledgement is transmitted to the second device in response to receiving the request, the acknowledgement including at least a first switching configuration for switching from the second device to the third device.

In a seventh aspect, an apparatus is provided. The device comprises: means for receiving, at the first device, a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band and a second configuration for a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band from the second device; means for performing a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band and a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band; means for determining whether the second measurement is related to the first measurement based on the first configuration or the second configuration in accordance with determining that at least one of the first result of the first measurement or the second result of the second measurement exceeds a threshold intensity; and means for transmitting the first result and the available second result to the second device in accordance with determining that the second measurement is related to the first measurement.

In an eighth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The device comprises: means for transmitting, from the second device to the first device, a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band, the first measurement being related to a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band; means for receiving information from the first device indicating at least a first result of the first measurement; and means for transmitting a request to the third device for a handover from the second device to the third device, the request including at least the received information.

In a ninth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The device comprises: means for receiving, at a third device, a request for a handoff from a second device to the third device, the request indicating at least a first result of a first measurement of signal strength over a first frequency band; and means for transmitting an acknowledgement to the second device in response to receiving the request, the acknowledgement including at least a first switching configuration for a switch from the second device to the third device.

In a tenth aspect, there is provided a computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method according to the first, second or third aspects above.

In an eleventh aspect, there is provided a computer program product stored on a computer readable medium and comprising machine executable instructions, wherein the machine executable instructions when executed cause a machine to perform a method according to the first, second or third aspects described above.

It should be understood that the summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description.

Drawings

Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication system according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of interactions between devices according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 3A and 3B illustrate schematic diagrams of interactions between devices according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 4A and 4B illustrate schematic diagrams of interactions between devices according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of a method according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure; and

fig. 9 illustrates a block diagram of an example computer-readable medium, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

The same or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements.

Detailed Description

Principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are described merely for the purpose of illustrating and helping one skilled in the art to understand and practice the present disclosure and are not meant to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. The disclosure described herein may be implemented in various other ways besides those described below.

In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

References in the present disclosure to "one embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an example embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

It will be understood that, although the terms "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

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," "comprising," "has," "including," and/or "includes" when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

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

(a) A pure hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation using only analog and/or digital circuitry), and

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

(i) Combination of analog and/or digital hardware circuit(s) and software/firmware, and

(ii) Any portion of the hardware processor(s) (including digital signal processor (s)), software, and memory(s) with software 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 a portion of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware)

The operation is performed, but the software may not exist when the operation is not required.

The definition of circuitry is applicable to all uses of that term in the present application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this disclosure, the term circuitry also encompasses hardware-only circuitry or processor (or multiple processors) or an implementation of a hardware circuit or portion of a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and/or firmware. For example, if applicable to the particular claim elements, the term circuitry also encompasses a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

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), narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT), new Radio (NR), and the like. Furthermore, communication between a terminal device and a network device in a communication network may be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including, but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.55G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and/or any other protocols currently known or developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied in various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communications, there will of course also be future types of communication technologies and systems that may embody the present disclosure. And should not be taken as limiting the scope of the present disclosure to only the above-described systems.

As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. A network device may refer to a Base Station (BS) or an Access Point (AP), such as a node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Header (RH), a Remote Radio Head (RRH), relay, integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) nodes, low power nodes (such as femto, pico), etc., depending on the terminology and technology applied.

The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device that may be capable of wireless communication. By way of example, and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user Equipment (UE), subscriber Station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile Station (MS), or Access Terminal (AT). The terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, notebook computer embedded devices (LEEs), notebook computer mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless client devices (CPE), internet of things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head Mounted Displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., tele-surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and/or other wireless devices operating in an industrial and/or automated processing chain environment), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and/or industrial wireless networks, and the like. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

As described above, when the terminal device is in the dual connection state, the handover procedure of the terminal device is supported. According to the conventional art, inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) handover to EN-DC is not supported. The network device can only switch one terminal device from NR to LTE and then make a Secondary Node (SN) addition after the switch to configure EN-DC. The newly arrived at requirement is to introduce direct inter-RAT handover from NR to EN-DC, which can reduce signaling overhead and ensure consistent high data rate for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services. This procedure may also be referred to as a handover from one radio access technology (RAT, e.g., NR) to another radio access technology (RAT, e.g., LTE) using Secondary Node (SN) addition. It also applies to direct inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) handover or intra-Radio Access Technology (RAT) handover to NR-DC, NE-DC and NG EN-DC.

For example, in EN-DC, the measurement of the potential target master node should be one LTE frequency indicated by the measurement result triggered by event B1 or B2. The measurement of the potential target secondary node should be an A3, A4 or A5 to NR frequency. When the serving cell becomes better than the threshold, LTE event A1 is triggered. When the serving cell becomes worse than the threshold, LTE event A2 is triggered. LTE event A3 is triggered when the neighbor cell becomes offset better than the serving cell. LTE event A4 is triggered when the neighbor cell becomes better than the threshold. Event A5 is triggered when the serving cell becomes worse than threshold 1 and the neighbor cell becomes better than threshold 2. Event A6 is triggered (introduced in release 10 of CA) when the on-channel neighbors become better than the Scell offset. LTE event B1 is triggered when the neighboring inter-RAT cell becomes better than the threshold. LTE event B2 is triggered when the serving cell becomes worse than threshold 1 and the neighboring inter-RAT cell becomes better than threshold 2.

In the current measurement mechanism, there is no guarantee that the network receives both the B1/B2 measurement and the A3/A4/A5 measurement simultaneously, as both measurements can be triggered separately in the terminal device. In general, the source NR network will initiate an inter-RAT handover to the target LTE node based solely on the B1/B2 measurements. No additional measurement (via A3/A4/A5) that considers SN frequency is associated in the handover request message to add SN as secondary serving node. The target network will only consider the handover measurements triggered from the terminal device (B1 or B2 triggered) to instruct the terminal device to access the target home node (MN) first. The target MN can then either blindly configure the SN configuration without measurement of the SN frequency (fast but inaccurate configuration) or configure the SN configuration after measurement of the relative NR frequency (slow but accurate configuration). SN may appear weak in terms of signal level and may not be the best choice of cell to perform the SN addition procedure.

In order to support inter-RAT direct handover to EN-DC, a solution is needed for achieving a fast measurement of the target SN frequency. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission of the first measurement of the signal strength on the first frequency band is associated with the transmission of the second measurement of the signal strength on the second frequency band. The SgNB procedure to the appropriate SN starts earlier. In this way, a fast measurement of the second frequency band is achieved.

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a communication system in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. The communication system 100, which is part of a communication network, includes devices 110-1, 110-2, … …, 110-N (which may be collectively referred to as first device(s) 110 "). The communication system 100 further comprises a second device 120, a third device 130 or a fourth device 130. The communication system 100 may also include a core network device 150 that may be omitted. One or more devices are associated with and covered by a cell. It should be understood that the number of devices and cells shown in fig. 1 is given for illustrative purposes and is not meant to be limiting in any way. Communication system 100 may include any suitable number of devices and cells. In the communication system 100, the first device 110 and the second device 120 may communicate data and control information with each other. In the case where the first device 110 is a terminal device and the second device 120 is a network device, the link from the second device 120 to the first device 110 is referred to as a Downlink (DL), and the link from the first device 110 to the second device 120 is referred to as an Uplink (UL). The number of devices shown in fig. 1 is given for illustrative purposes and is not meant to be limiting in any way. The second device 120, the third device 130, and the fourth device 140 may be network devices.

Communication in communication system 100 may be implemented in accordance with any suitable communication protocol(s) including, but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), etc., cellular communication protocols, wireless local area network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, etc., and/or any other protocols currently known or developed in the future. Further, the communication may utilize any suitable wireless communication technology including, but not limited to: code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), frequency Division Duplex (FDD), time Division Duplex (TDD), multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), and/or any other technique currently known or to be developed in the future.

Fig. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of interactions 200 between devices according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Interaction 200 may be implemented at any suitable device. For illustration purposes only, the interaction 200 is described as being implemented at the first device 110-1, the second device 120, the third device 130, the fourth device 140, and the core network device 150. It should be noted that the interaction 200 is only an example and not limiting. It should be noted that the term "handover request" as used herein may also be referred to as "required handover". For example, if a handover request is transmitted from a source network device to a core network, the handover request is referred to as a required handover. Further, the target network device may reply to the handover request Ack to the core network, and the core network transmits a handover command to the source network device.

The second device 120 generates 2005 a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band and a second configuration for a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band. The first measurement and the second measurement are correlated. In some embodiments, if one of the results of the first measurement and the results of the second measurement meets the transmission condition, the two results may be transmitted to the second device together or separately.

For example, to switch directly to EN-DC, the first configuration configured by the second device 120 may include a B1/B2 measurement object for measuring signal strength on LTE frequency. The second configuration configured by the second device 120 may include an A3/A4/A5 measurement object for measuring signal strength on an NR frequency, which may be a secondary frequency of the LTE frequency. It should be noted that the first frequency band and the second frequency band may be any suitable frequency bands. Further, the indication may be expressed as a list of frequencies, a list of cell IDs, or a format identifying associations of the first configuration and the second configuration.

The first measurement and the second measurement are associated with each other. For example, in some example embodiments, the second device 120 may generate an indication indicating that the second measurement is related to the first measurement. For example, the indication may be included in the first configuration. Alternatively, the second configuration may include the indication. The first frequency band may be an LTE frequency band. Alternatively, the first frequency band may be an NR frequency band. The second frequency band may be an LTE frequency band. In other embodiments, the second frequency band may be an NR frequency band.

The second device 120 transmits 2010 the first configuration and/or the second configuration to the first device 110. The first device 110-1 performs 2015 the first measurement and/or the second measurement. In some embodiments, the first measurement and/or the second measurement may instruct the first device 110-1 to measure a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP). Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may measure a Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ).

The first device 110-1 transmits 2020 information to the second device 120. The information indicates at least a first result of the first measurement. In other embodiments, the information may also indicate an available second result of the second measurement, either together with or separately from the information indicating the first result of the first measurement. For example, the first device 110-1 may transmit the most current second result to the second device 120. Details of interactions in portion 210 are described with reference to fig. 3A and 3B, fig. 3A and 3B respectively showing example signaling in accordance with some example embodiments.

As shown in fig. 3A, after generating 3005 the first configuration and the second configuration, the second device 120 transmits 3010 the first configuration to the first device 110-1 and transmits 3015 the second configuration. The first configuration and the second configuration may be transmitted simultaneously by separate Measurement Objects (MO).

If received, the first device 110-1 performs 3020 the first measurement and the second measurement simultaneously. In some example embodiments, the first configuration may include an indication to indicate that the second measurement is related to the first measurement, wherein the indication may be a list of frequencies of the second measurement to be measured, a list of measured cell IDs of the second measurement, or an identification associated with measObjectID, measID, or other available IDs that may identify the second measurement. Alternatively, the indication may be in a second configuration, the indication may be a list of frequencies of the first measurement to be measured, a list of measured cell IDs of the first measurement, or an identification associated with measObjectID, measID, or other available IDs that may identify the first measurement. In other words, if the first device 110-1 triggers a first measurement report, the first device 110-1 may also trigger a second measurement report, regardless of the current event state.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 transmits 3025 information indicative of at least the first result if at least one of the first result of the first measurement and the second result of the second measurement exceeds a threshold strength. In an example embodiment, if the first result exceeds the threshold strength but the second result is below the threshold strength, the information may indicate the first result and the available second result even if the second result does not meet the transmission condition. Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may determine a difference between the second result and the threshold intensity. The first device 110-1 may transmit 3025 information indicating the first result and the difference value.

Fig. 3B illustrates example signaling for implementing signaling in portion 210 according to some example embodiments. Similar to the above, after generating 3105 the first configuration and the second configuration, the second device 120 transmits 3110 the first configuration to the first device 110-1. The first device 110-1 performs 3115 a first measurement on the first frequency band and transmits 3120 a first result to the second device 120. The second device 120 transmits 3125 the second configuration to the first device 110-1 after receiving the first result. The second configuration may include an indication for requesting the first device 110-1 to immediately take measurements and report a second result; or include a timer for requiring the first device 110-1 to take measurements and report the second result before the timer expires. In some embodiments, the second configuration may indicate the indication. The first device 110-1 performs 3130 a second measurement on the second frequency band. The first device 110-1 immediately transmits the second result of the second measurement. In some embodiments, the second configuration may indicate a timer. In this case, the first device 110-1 needs to transmit the second result before the timer expires.

Referring again to fig. 2, the second device 120 determines 2025 the third device 130 based on the first result of the first measurement. For example, the selected third device 130 may have the strongest signal strength. The second device 120 transmits 2030 a handover request to the core network device 150. The handover request may indicate a first result. Alternatively, the handover request may also indicate the second result. The core network device 150 transmits 2035 a handover request to the third device 130. The handover request may be determined based on receipt of the second result. The third device 130 may determine the fourth device 140 as a secondary node based on the second result. The third device 130 transmits 2040SN request to the fourth device 140. The fourth device 140 transmits 2045SN acknowledgement to the third device. Details of interactions in portion 220 are described with reference to fig. 4A and 4B, fig. 4A and 4B respectively showing example signaling in accordance with some example embodiments.

As shown in fig. 4A, the second device 120 determines 4005 a third device 130 based on a first result of the first measurement. The first device 110-1 transmits 4010 the second result before the second device 120 transmits the handover request. In other words, the second result is received prior to the transmission of the request. The second device 120 transmits 4015 a request to the core network device 150 indicating the first result and the second result. For example, RRM-Config in the handover request needs to be extended to include Candida eCallInfoListSN-NR for EN-DC (same as Candida eCallInfoListSN-EUTRA defined for NE-DC). The core network device 150 transmits 4020 a handover request to the third device 130.

Fig. 4B illustrates example signaling for implementing signaling in portion 220 according to some example embodiments. As shown in fig. 4B, the second device 120 determines 4105 a third device 130 based on a first result of the first measurement. The second device 120 transmits 4110 the request. The request may indicate a first result. The core network device 150 transmits 4115 the request to the third device 130. After the second device 120 transmits 4110 the request, the first device 110-1 transmits 4120 the second result. In other words, the second result is received after the transmission of the request. The second device 120 transmits 4125 to the core network device 150 a further request comprising the second result. Alternatively, the second device 120 may transmit an inter-node message to the third device 130 to inform the second result. The core network device 150 transmits 4130 a further request to the third device 130.

In another example embodiment, if the second device 120 does not receive the second result, the second device 120 may transmit a list of frequencies or cell identities of the serving cells to the third device 130. The list of frequencies or cell identities of the serving cell may be transmitted in a further handover request. Alternatively, the second device 120 may transmit a list of frequencies or cell identities of the serving cells in the request. In some example embodiments, if the handover request also indicates a second result of a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency, the second device 120 may transmit a list of frequencies or cell identities of the serving cells to the third device 130. Alternatively, if the second device transmits a further handover request indicating a second result of the second measurement of the signal strength on the second frequency prior to the reception of the acknowledgement, the list of frequencies or cell identities of the serving cells may be transmitted to the third device 130.

In some example embodiments, if the transmission of the further handover request indicating the second result of the second measurement of the signal strength on the second frequency is after receipt of the acknowledgement, the list of frequencies or cell identities of the serving cell may be transmitted to the third device 130.

Referring now again to fig. 2, the third device 130 generates 2050 a confirmation of the handover request. For example, the third device 130 may allocate resources for the handover. In some embodiments, the third device 130 may generate a first switching configuration (e.g., MN configuration) for the third device. Alternatively or additionally, a second switching configuration (e.g., SN configuration) of the fourth device 140 may be generated by the fourth device 140 and transmitted to the third device 130.

In some example embodiments, if the second result is transmitted in the handover request, the third device 130 may transmit 2055 an acknowledgement to the core network device 150 comprising the first handover configuration and the second handover configuration. Alternatively, if the second result is received in a further handover request or another inter-node message prior to the transmission of the acknowledgement, the third device 130 may initiate an SN addition procedure and the third device 130 may also transmit 2055 an acknowledgement comprising the first handover configuration and the second handover configuration to the core network device 150.

In other example embodiments, if the second result is received in a further handover request or another inter-node message after the transmission of the acknowledgement, the third device 130 may transmit 2055 an acknowledgement comprising the first handover configuration to the core network device 150. The third device 130 may initiate the SN addition procedure as a pre-configuration.

The core network device 150 may transmit 2060 an acknowledgement to the second device 120. The second device 120 may transmit 2065 a handoff instruction to the first device 110-1. The handover indication may include a first handover configuration. Further, the handover indication may include a second handover configuration.

The first device 110-1 may initiate 2070 Random Access Channel (RACH) access to the third device 130 based on the handover indication. If the second handover configuration is received, the first device 110-1 may initiate 2075 RACH access to the fourth device 140.

In some embodiments, the third device 130 may transmit the second handover configuration to the first device 110-1 via RRC signaling if the second handover configuration is not received in the handover indication. For example, after the first device 110-1 successfully accesses the third device 130, the third device 130 may transmit an RRC connection reconfiguration message indicating the second handover configuration. The first device 110-1 may connect to the fourth device 140 based on the second handover configuration in RRC signaling.

Fig. 5 shows a flowchart of a method 500 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Method 500 may be implemented at any suitable device. For example, the method may be implemented at the first device 110-1.

At block 510, the first device 110-1 receives a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band and a second configuration for a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band. The first measurement and the second measurement are correlated. In some embodiments, if one of the results of the first measurement and the results of the second measurement meets the transmission condition, the two results may be transmitted to the second device together or separately.

For example, to switch directly to EN-DC, the first configuration configured by the second device 120 may include a B1/B2 measurement object for measuring signal strength on LTE frequency. The second configuration may include an A3/A4/A5 measurement object for measuring signal strength on an NR frequency, which may be a secondary frequency of the LTE frequency. It should be noted that the first frequency band and the second frequency band may be any suitable frequency bands. In some embodiments, an indication may be generated indicating that the second measurement is related to the first measurement. For example, the indication may be included in the first configuration. Alternatively, the second configuration may include the indication. The first configuration and the second configuration may be transmitted simultaneously by separate Measurement Objects (MO).

At block 520, if received, the first device 110-1 performs the first measurement and the second measurement simultaneously. In some embodiments, the first measurement and/or the second measurement may instruct the first device 110-1 to measure a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP). Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may measure a Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ).

At block 530, if one or more of the first result and the second result exceeds the threshold intensity, the first device 110-1 determines whether the second measurement is related to the first measurement. For example, the first configuration or the second configuration may explicitly indicate that the first measurement and the second measurement are associated.

At block 540, the first device 110-1 transmits information to the second device 120. The information indicates at least a first result of the first measurement. In other embodiments, the information may also indicate a second result of the second measurement.

In some example embodiments, the first device 110-1 transmits information indicating at least the first result if at least one of the first result of the first measurement and the second result of the second measurement exceeds a threshold strength. In an example embodiment, if the first result exceeds the threshold strength but the second result is below the threshold strength, the information may indicate the first result and the available second result even if the second result does not meet the transmission condition. Alternatively, if the second result is below the threshold intensity, the first device 110-1 may determine a difference between the second result and the threshold intensity. The first device 110-1 may transmit information indicating the first result and the difference value.

Alternatively, the first device 110-1 may receive the second configuration from the second device 120 after transmitting the first result. The second configuration may include an indication for requesting the first device to immediately take the measurement and report the second result; or a timer for requesting the first device to take measurements and report the second result before the timer expires. The first device 110-1 transmits a second result of the second measurement after performing the second measurement of the second frequency band.

In some embodiments, the first device 110-1 may receive a handoff indication from the second device 120. The handover indication may include a first handover configuration for the third device 130 for a handover from the second device 120 to the third device 130. Alternatively, the second handover configuration for the handover from the second device 120 to the third device 130 and the fourth device 140 may be directly transmitted to the first device 110-1 via radio resource signaling. In this case, after the first device 110-1 successfully accesses the third device 130, the third device 130 may transmit an RRC connection reconfiguration message indicating the second handover configuration. The first device 110-1 may connect to the fourth device 140 based on the second handover configuration in RRC signaling.

Fig. 6 shows a flow chart of a method 600. Method 600 may be implemented at any suitable device. For example, the method may be implemented at the second device 120.

At block 610, the second device 120 transmits the first configuration to the first device 110-1. In some example embodiments, the first configuration and the second configuration may be transmitted simultaneously. Alternatively, the transmission of the second configuration may be triggered by the receipt of the first result.

At block 620, the second device 120 receives information indicating at least a first result of the first measurement. In other embodiments, the information may also indicate a second result of the second measurement.

In some example embodiments, the second device 120 receives information indicating at least the first result if at least one of the first result of the first measurement and the second result of the second measurement exceeds a threshold strength. In one example embodiment, if the first result exceeds the threshold strength but the second result is below the threshold strength, the information may indicate the first result and the second result even if the second result does not meet the transmission condition. Alternatively, if the second result is below the threshold intensity, the information may indicate the first result, and a difference between the second result and the threshold intensity. In this way, the second measurement is transmitted earlier.

In some embodiments, the second device 120 may transmit the second configuration to the first device 110-1 after receiving the first result from the first device 110-1. Thus, the order of transmission of the second configuration and receipt of the first result may be changed.

At block 630, the second device 120 transmits a handoff request from the second device 120 to the third device 130. The request indicates at least the information received at block 620. The handover request may indicate a first result. Alternatively, the handover request may also indicate the second result. In some embodiments, the second device 120 may determine the third device 130 based on the first result of the first measurement. For example, the selected third device 130 may have the strongest signal strength.

In some embodiments, the second device 120 may receive the second result prior to transmitting the handover request. In other words, the second result is received prior to transmission of the handover request. The second device 120 may transmit a handover request to the core network device 150 indicating the first result and the second result. For example, RRM-Config in the handover request needs to be extended to include Candida eCallInfoListSN-NR for EN-DC (same as Candida eCallInfoListSN-EUTRA defined for NE-DC).

In other example embodiments, the second device 120 may receive the second result after transmitting the handover request. In other words, the second result is received after transmission of the handover request. The second device 120 may transmit a further handover request comprising the second result to the core network device 150. Alternatively, the second device 120 may transmit an inter-node message to the core network device 150 to inform the second result.

The second device 120 may receive the first switching configuration from the third device 130. Alternatively, the second device 120 may receive the first switching configuration and the second switching configuration.

Fig. 7 shows a flow chart of a method 700. Method 700 may be implemented at any suitable device. For example, the method may be implemented at the third device 130.

At block 710, the third device 130 receives a handoff request from the second device 120 to the third device 130. In some embodiments, the third device may generate an acknowledgement of the request. For example, the third device 130 may allocate resources for the handover. In some embodiments, the third device 130 may generate a first switching configuration (e.g., MN configuration) for the third device. Alternatively or additionally, a second switching configuration (e.g., SN configuration) of the fourth device 140 may be generated by the fourth device 140 and transmitted to the third device 130.

In response to receiving the request, the third device 130 transmits an acknowledgement to the second device 120 including at least the first switching configuration of the third device 130, block 720. In some example embodiments, if the second result is transmitted in the handover request, the third device 130 may transmit an acknowledgement including the first handover configuration and the second handover configuration to the core network device 150. Alternatively, if the second result is received in a further handover request or another inter-node message before the transmission of the acknowledgement, the third device 130 may initiate the SN addition procedure and the third device 130 may also transmit an acknowledgement comprising the first handover configuration and the second handover configuration to the core network device 150.

In other example embodiments, the third device 130 may transmit an acknowledgement comprising the first handover configuration to the core network device 150 if the second result is received in a further handover request or another inter-node message after the transmission of the acknowledgement. The third device 130 may initiate an SN addition procedure as a pre-configuration.

In some embodiments, if the second handover configuration is not received in the handover indication, the third device 130 may transmit the second handover configuration directly to the first device 110-1 via RRC signaling. For example, after the first device 110-1 successfully accesses the third device 130, the third device 130 may transmit an RRC connection reconfiguration message indicating the second handover configuration directly to the first device 110-1. The first device 110-1 may connect to the fourth device 140 based on the second handover configuration in RRC signaling.

In an embodiment, an apparatus (e.g., first device 110-1) for performing method 500 may include respective means for performing corresponding steps in method 500. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, it may be implemented by circuitry or software modules.

In some embodiments, the apparatus includes means for receiving, at a first device, a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band and a second configuration for a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band from a second device; means for performing a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band and a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band; means for determining whether the second measurement is related to the first measurement based on the first configuration or the second configuration in accordance with determining that at least one of a first result of the first measurement or a second result of the second measurement exceeds a threshold intensity; and means for transmitting the first result and the available second result to the second device in accordance with determining that the second measurement is related to the first measurement.

In some embodiments, the means for transmitting the first result and the available second result comprises means for transmitting the available second result with the first result; or means for transmitting the available second result separately from the first result.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for determining a difference between the second result and the threshold intensity in accordance with determining that the second result of the second measurement is below the threshold intensity; and means for transmitting the first result and the difference to the second device.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for receiving a handover indication from the second device, the handover indication comprising a first handover configuration for a handover from the second device to a third device.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for receiving, from the third device via radio resource signaling, a second handover configuration for a handover from the second device to the third device and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band.

In some embodiments, the first device is a terminal device, the second device is a network device, and the third device is a further network device.

In an embodiment, an apparatus (e.g., second device 120) for performing method 600 may include respective components for performing corresponding steps in method 600. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, it may be implemented by circuitry or software modules.

In some embodiments, the apparatus includes means for transmitting, from the second device to the first device, a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on the first frequency band, the first measurement being related to a second measurement of signal strength on the second frequency band, the second configuration for the second measurement being transmitted to the first device; means for receiving information from the first device indicating at least a first result of the first measurement; and means for transmitting a handover request from the second device to the third device, the request including at least the received information.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting a second configuration for the second measurement in response to receiving the information indicative of the first result, the second configuration indicating an indication or timer for the first device to transmit the second result.

In some embodiments, the first configuration indicates that the second measurement is related to the first measurement.

In some embodiments, the request is transmitted in response to receiving the second result.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting, to the third device, a further request for a handoff from the second device to the third device and a fourth device on the second frequency band in response to receiving the second result after the transmission of the request, the further request indicating the second result.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting a cell list associated with the second frequency band to the third device.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for receiving an acknowledgement of the request from the third device, the acknowledgement indicating at least the handover configuration.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for receiving the first result from the first device and a difference between the second result and the threshold intensity in accordance with determining that the second result of the second measurement is below the threshold intensity.

In some embodiments, the first device is a terminal device, the second device is a network device, the third device is a further network device, and the fourth device is a further network device.

In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., third device 130) for performing method 700 may include respective components for performing corresponding steps in method 700. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, it may be implemented by circuitry or software modules.

In some embodiments, the apparatus includes means for receiving, at a third device, a handover request from a second device to the third device, the request indicating at least a first result of a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band; and means for transmitting, to the second device, in response to receiving the request, an acknowledgement including at least a first handover configuration for a handover from the second device to the third device.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for transmitting, to the second device, an acknowledgement of a second handover configuration comprising a handover from the second device to the third device and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band in accordance with a second result of determining that the request also indicates a second measurement of signal strength on the second frequency.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for generating a second switching configuration for switching from the second device to the third device and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band in response to receiving a further request indicating a second result of a second measurement of signal strength on the second frequency prior to transmission of the first switching configuration; and means for transmitting an acknowledgement including the second handover configuration to the second device.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for generating a second switching configuration for switching from the second device to the third device and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band in response to receiving a further request indicating a second result of a second measurement of signal strength on the second frequency after transmission of the first switching configuration; and means for transmitting the second handover configuration to the first device via radio resource signaling.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for receiving a cell list associated with a second frequency band from a second device; and means for determining a fourth device to switch to (a fourth device to switch from the second device) based on the cell list.

In some embodiments, the second device comprises a network device and the third device comprises a further network device.

Fig. 8 is a simplified block diagram of a device 800 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 800 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as the first device 110, the second device 120, the third device 130, the fourth device 140 as shown in fig. 1. As shown, the device 800 includes one or more processors 810, one or more memories 820 coupled to the processors 810, and one or more communication modules 840 coupled to the processors 810.

The communication module 840 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 840 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary to communicate with other network elements.

The processor 810 may be of any type suitable to the local technology network and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of the following: general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital Signal Processors (DSPs), and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture. The device 800 may have multiple processors, such as an application specific integrated circuit chip that is slaved in time to a clock that is synchronized to the master processor.

Memory 820 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) 824, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact Disks (CD), digital Video Disks (DVD), and other magnetic and/or optical storage. Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random Access Memory (RAM) 822 and other volatile memory that does not persist during a power outage.

The computer program 830 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 810. Program 830 may be stored in ROM 824. Processor 810 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 830 into RAM 822.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by the program 820 such that the device 800 may perform any of the processes of the present disclosure as discussed with reference to fig. 2 and 7. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented in hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

In some example embodiments, the program 830 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 800 (such as the memory 520) or other storage device accessible to the device 800. Device 800 may load program 830 from a computer readable medium into RAM 822 for execution. The computer readable medium may include any type of tangible, non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Fig. 9 shows an example of a computer readable medium 900 in the form of a CD or DVD. The computer readable medium has stored thereon a program 830.

It should be appreciated that future networks may utilize Network Function Virtualization (NFV), a network architecture concept that proposes virtualizing network node functions as "building blocks" or entities that may be operatively connected or linked together to provide services. A Virtualized Network Function (VNF) may comprise one or more virtual machines that run computer program code using standard or generic types of servers instead of custom hardware. Cloud computing or data storage may also be used. In radio communication, this may mean that the node operations are performed at least in part in a central/centralized unit CU (e.g., server, host, or node) operatively coupled to the distributed units DU (e.g., radio heads/nodes). Node operations may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. It should also be appreciated that the allocation of work between core network operation and base station operation may vary depending on implementation.

In one embodiment, a server may generate a virtual network through which the server communicates with the distributed units. In general, virtual networks may involve a process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functions into a single software-based management entity (virtual network). Such virtual networks may provide flexible operational distribution between servers and radio heads/nodes. In practice, any digital signal processing task may be performed in a CU or DU, and the boundaries of the transfer of responsibilities between the CU and the DU may be chosen according to the implementation.

Thus, in one embodiment, a CU-DU architecture is implemented. In this case, the device 800 may be included in a central unit (e.g., control unit, edge cloud server, server) operatively coupled (e.g., via a wireless or wired network) to a distributed unit (e.g., remote radio heads/nodes). That is, the central unit (e.g., edge cloud server) and the distributed units may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection. Alternatively, they may be in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection or the like. An edge cloud or edge cloud server may serve multiple distributed units or radio access networks. In one embodiment, at least some of the described processes may be performed by a central unit. In another embodiment, the apparatus 500 may instead be included in a distributed unit, and at least some of the described processes may be performed by a distributed unit.

In one embodiment, the execution of at least some of the functions of device 500 may be shared between two physically separate devices (DU and CU) that form one operational entity. Thus, the apparatus may be seen as depicting an operational entity comprising one or more physically separate devices for performing at least some of the described processes. In one embodiment, such a CU-DU architecture may provide flexible operation distribution between CUs and DUs. In practice, any digital signal processing task may be performed in a CU or DU, and the boundaries of the transfer of responsibilities between the CU and the DU may be chosen according to the implementation. In one embodiment, the apparatus 500 controls the execution of a process regardless of the location of the device and where the process/function is performed.

In general, the various embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented using 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 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 comprises computer executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, 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 and 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 of program modules may be executed within local or distributed devices. In a distributed device, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage media.

Program code for carrying out the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program code 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 code, when executed by the processor or controller, causes the functions/operations specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram to be implemented. 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 this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable an apparatus, device or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers 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. The 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 a computer-readable storage medium would include 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 construed 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 cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Also, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, 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 for communication, comprising:

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 to:

receiving, from the second device, a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on the first frequency band and a second configuration for a second measurement of signal strength on the second frequency band;

performing the first measurement of signal strength on the first frequency band and the second measurement of signal strength on the second frequency band;

in accordance with a determination that at least one of a first result of the first measurement or a second result of the second measurement exceeds a threshold intensity, determining whether the second measurement is related to the first measurement based on the first configuration or the second configuration; and

in accordance with a determination that the second measurement is related to the first measurement, the first result and an available second result are transmitted to the second device.

2. The first device of claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to transmit the first result and the available second result to the second device by:

Transmitting the available second result with the first result; or alternatively

The second result is transmitted separately from the first result.

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

in accordance with a determination that the second result of the second measurement is below the threshold intensity, determining a difference between the second result and the threshold intensity; and

transmitting the first result and the difference to the second device.

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

a handover indication is received from the second device, the handover indication comprising a first handover configuration for a handover from the second device to a third device.

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

a second handover configuration is received from a third device via radio resource signaling, the second handover configuration for a handover from the second device to the third device, and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band.

6. The first device of any of claims 4 to 5, wherein the first device is a terminal device, the second device is a network device, and the third device is a further network device.

7. A second device for communication, comprising:

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 device to:

transmitting, to a first device, a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band, the first measurement being related to a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band;

receiving, from the first device, information indicating at least a first result of the first measurement; and

transmitting a request to a third device for a handover from the second device to the third device, the request including at least the received information;

wherein the second device is further caused to perform at least one of:

transmitting, to the first device, a second configuration for the second measurement in response to receiving the information indicative of the first result, the second configuration comprising an indication or a timer for the first device to transmit a second result of the second measurement; or (b)

Information is received from the first device indicating at least a second result of the second measurement, and wherein the request is transmitted in response to receiving the second result.

8. The second device of claim 7, wherein the first configuration indicates that the second measurement is related to the first measurement.

9. The second device of claim 7, wherein the second device is further caused to:

in response to receiving the second result after the transmission of the request, transmitting to the third device a further request for a handoff from the second device to the third device, and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band, the further request indicating the second result.

10. The second device of claim 7, wherein the second device is further caused to:

transmitting to the third device a list of frequencies or cell identities of serving cells associated with the second frequency band.

11. The second device of claim 7, wherein the second device is further caused to:

an acknowledgement of the request is received from the third device, the acknowledgement indicating at least a handover configuration.

12. The second device of claim 7, wherein the second device is further caused to:

in accordance with a determination that a second result of the second measurement is below a threshold intensity, the first result is received from the first device, and a difference between the second result and the threshold intensity.

13. The second device of claim 9, wherein the first device is a terminal device, the second device is a network device, the third device is a further network device, and the fourth device is a further network device.

14. A third device for communication, comprising:

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 third device to:

at a third device, receiving a request from a second device for a handoff from the second device to the third device, the request indicating at least a first result of a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band; and

transmitting an acknowledgement to the second device in response to receiving the request, the acknowledgement including at least a first switching configuration for a switch from the second device to the third device;

wherein the third device is further caused to perform at least one of:

transmitting the acknowledgement to the second device in accordance with a second result of determining that the request also indicates a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band, the acknowledgement including a second handover configuration for a handover from the second device to the third device and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band;

Generating a second handover configuration for a handover from the second device to the third device and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band in response to receiving a further request from the second device prior to the transmission of the first handover configuration indicating a second result of a second measurement of signal strength over a second frequency band; and transmitting the acknowledgement including the second handover configuration to the second device; or (b)

Generating a second handover configuration for a handover from the second device to the third device and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band in response to receiving a further request from the second device after the transmission of the first handover configuration indicating a second result of a second measurement of signal strength over a second frequency band; and transmitting the second handover configuration directly to the first device via radio resource signaling.

15. The third device of claim 14, wherein the third device is further caused to:

receiving a list of frequencies or cell identities of serving cells associated with a second frequency band from the second device; and

a fourth device to be handed over from the second device is determined based on the list of frequencies or cell identities of services.

16. The third device of claim 14, wherein the second device comprises a network device and the third device comprises a further network device.

17. A method for communication, comprising:

at the first device, receiving from the second device a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on the first frequency band and a second configuration for a second measurement of signal strength on the second frequency band;

18. The method of claim 17, wherein transmitting the first result and the available second result to the second device comprises:

The second result is transmitted separately from the first result.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting the first result and the difference to the second device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

a second handover configuration is received from a third device via radio resource signaling, the second handover configuration being for a handover from the second device to the third device and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band.

22. The method of any of claims 20 to 21, wherein the first device is a terminal device, the second device is a network device, and the third device is a further network device.

23. A method for communication, comprising:

Transmitting, from the second device to the first device, a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band, the first measurement being related to a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band;

wherein the method further comprises at least one of:

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first configuration indicates that the second measurement is related to the first measurement.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the first device is a terminal device, the second device is a network device, the third device is a further network device, and the fourth device is a further network device.

30. A method for communication, comprising:

the method further comprises at least one of:

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the second device comprises a network device and the third device comprises a further network device.

33. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for receiving, at the first device, a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on the first frequency band and a second configuration for a second measurement of signal strength on the second frequency band from the second device;

Means for performing the first measurement of signal strength on the first frequency band and the second measurement of signal strength on the second frequency band;

means for determining whether the second measurement is related to the first measurement based on the first configuration or the second configuration in accordance with determining that at least one of a first result of the first measurement or a second result of the second measurement exceeds a threshold intensity; and

in accordance with a determination that the second measurement is related to the first measurement, transmitting the first result and an available second result to the second device.

34. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for transmitting, from the second device to the first device, a first configuration for a first measurement of signal strength on a first frequency band, the first measurement being related to a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band;

means for receiving information from the first device indicating at least a first result of the first measurement; and

means for transmitting a request to a third device for a handover from the second device to the third device, the request including at least the received information;

The apparatus further comprises at least one of:

means for transmitting a second configuration for the second measurement to the first device in response to receiving the information indicative of the first result, the second configuration comprising an indication or timer for the first device to transmit a second result of the second measurement; or (b)

Means for receiving information from the first device indicating at least a second result of the second measurement, and wherein the request is transmitted in response to receiving the second result.

35. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for receiving, at a third device, a request from a second device for a handover from the second device to the third device, the request indicating at least a first result of a first measurement of signal strength over a first frequency band; and

means for transmitting an acknowledgement to the second device in response to receiving the request, the acknowledgement comprising at least a first handover configuration for a handover from the second device to the third device;

the apparatus further comprises at least one of:

means for transmitting the acknowledgement to the second device in accordance with a second result of determining that the request also indicates a second measurement of signal strength on a second frequency band, the acknowledgement including a second handover configuration for a handover from the second device to the third device, and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band;

Means for generating a second handover configuration for a handover from the second device to the third device, and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band, in response to receiving a further request from the second device prior to the transmission of the first handover configuration indicating a second result of a second measurement of signal strength over a second frequency band; and means for transmitting the acknowledgement including the second handover configuration to the second device; or (b)

Means for generating a second handover configuration for a handover from the second device to the third device, and a fourth device associated with the second frequency band, in response to receiving a further request from the second device after the transmission of the first handover configuration indicating a second result of a second measurement of signal strength over a second frequency band; and means for transmitting the second handover configuration directly to the first device via radio resource signalling.

36. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon, which when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 17 to 22.

37. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon, which when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 23 to 29.

38. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon, which when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 30 to 32.