TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to communications, and more particularly to communication methods and related devices and nodes supporting wireless communications.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The current 5G RAN (NG-RAN) architecture is illustrated in Figure 1 and described in TS 38.401vl5.4.0, Reference [1]

[0003] Figure 1 illustrates an Overall architecture of a fifth generation radio access network (5G RAN) architecture.

[0004] The NG-RAN architecture can be further described as follows. The NG-RAN includes a set of new radio (NR) NodeBs (gNodeBs (also referred to as gNBs)) connected to the fifth generation core (5GC) through the next generation (NG) interface. An gNB can support frequency division duplex (FDD) mode, time division duplex (TDD) mode or dual mode operation. gNBs can be interconnected through the Xn interface. A gNB may include a gNB- centralized unit (gNB-CU) and gNB -distributed units (gNB-DUs). A gNB-CU and a gNB-DU are connected via an Fl logical interface. One gNB-DU is connected to only one gNB-CU. For resiliency, a gNB-DU may be connected to multiple gNB-CUs by appropriate implementation. NG, Xn and Fl are logical interfaces. The NG-RAN is layered into a Radio Network Layer (RNL) and a Transport Network Layer (TNL). The NG-RAN architecture, i.e., the NG-RAN logical nodes and interfaces between them, is defined as part of the RNL. For each NG-RAN interface (NG, Xn, Fl) the related TNL protocol and the functionality are specified. The TNL provides services for user plane transport and signalling transport.

[0005] A gNB may also be connected to an long term evolution (LTE) eNodeB (eNB) via the X2 interface. Another architectural option is that where an LTE eNB connected to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network is connected over the X2 interface with a so called NR- gNB. The latter is a gNB not connected directly to a core network (CN) and connected via X2 to an eNB for the sole purpose of performing dual connectivity.

[0006] The architecture in Figure 1 can be expanded by spitting the gNB-CU into two entities. One gNB-CU-UP, which serves the user plane (UP) and hosts the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocol and one gNB-CU-CP, which serves the control plane (CP) and hosts the PDCP and radio resource control (RRC) protocol. For completeness it should be said that a gNB-DU hosts the radio link control/medium access control/physical layer (RLC/MAC/PHY) protocols.

[0007] Existing Class 1 Elementary Procedures for XnAP are discussed below.

[0008] The following table illustrates the defined Class 1 Elementary procedure for XnAP, TS 38.423 vl6.2.0 (Reference [2]):

[0009] Existing Class 2 Elementary Procedures for XnAP are discussed below.

[0010] The following table illustrates the defined Class 2 Elementary procedure for XnAP, TS 38.423 vl6.2.0 (Reference [2]):

[0011] Existing Class 1 Elementary Procedures for X2AP are discussed below.

[0012] The following table illustrates the defined Class 1 Elementary procedure for X2AP, TS 36.423 vl6.2.0 (Reference [3]):

[0013] Existing Class 2 Elementary Procedures for X2AP are discussed below.

[0014] The following table illustrates the defined Class 2 Elementary procedure for X2AP, TS 36.423 vl6.2.0 (Reference [3]):

[0015] Existing XnAP/X2AP procedures, however, may not adequately support attempts to support network improved/optimized network operations.

SUMMARY

[0016] According to some embodiments of inventive concepts, a method of operating a first radio access network RAN node in a network including a second RAN node is provided. A measurement transfer request message is transmitted to the second RAN node. The measurement transfer request message includes an indication to initiate transfer of measurements from the second RAN node to the first RAN node. A measurement transfer response message is received from the second RAN node. The measurement transfer response message includes an indication regarding initiation of the transfer of measurements.

[0017] According to some other embodiments of inventive concepts, a method of operating a second radio access network RAN node in a network including a first RAN node is provided. A measurement transfer request message is received from the first RAN node. The measurement transfer request message includes an indication to initiate transfer of measurements from the second RAN node to the first RAN node. A measurement transfer response message is transmitted to the first RAN node. The measurement transfer response message includes an indication regarding initiation of the transfer of measurements.

[0018] According to some embodiments, by supporting the transfer of measurements between RAN nodes, improved decisions regarding network operations may be facilitated. For example, machine learning ML and/or artificial intelligence Al algorithms residing at the network nodes may use the transferred measurements to provide improved/optimized network operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of inventive concepts. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a 5G RAN architecture;

[0021] Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C are message diagrams illustrating measurement transfer operations according to some embodiments of inventive concepts;

[0022] Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C are message diagrams illustrating coverage and capacity improvement/optimization (CCO) transfer operations according to some embodiments of inventive concepts;

[0023] Figures 3D, 3E, and 3F are message diagrams illustrating minimization of drive test (MDT) transfer operations according to some embodiments of inventive concepts;

[0024] Figure 4 is a message diagram illustrating successful operation of a measurement transfer initiation according to some embodiments of inventive concepts;

[0025] Figure 5 is a message diagram illustrating unsuccessful operation of a measurement transfer initiation according to some embodiments of inventive concepts; [0026] Figure 6 is a message diagram illustrating successful operation of a measurement transfer according to some embodiments of inventive concepts;

[0027] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless device UE according to some embodiments of inventive concepts;

[0028] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a radio access network RAN node (e.g., a base station eNB/gNB) according to some embodiments of inventive concepts;

[0029] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating a core network CN node (e.g., an access management function (AMF) node, a session management function (SMF) node, etc.) according to some embodiments of inventive concepts;

[0030] Figures 10 and 11 are flow charts illustrating operations of a RAN node of Figure 8 according to some embodiments of inventive concepts; and

[0031] Figure 12 is a block diagram of a wireless network in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Inventive concepts will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. Components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present/used in another embodiment.

[0033] The following description presents various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. These embodiments are presented as teaching examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosed subject matter. For example, certain details of the described embodiments may be modified, omitted, or expanded upon without departing from the scope of the described subject matter.

[0034] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating elements of a communication device UE 300 (also referred to as a mobile terminal, a mobile communication terminal, a wireless device, a wireless communication device, a wireless terminal, mobile device, a wireless communication terminal, user equipment, UE, a user equipment node/terminal/device, etc.) configured to provide wireless communication according to embodiments of inventive concepts. (Communication device 300 may be provided, for example, as discussed below with respect to wireless device 4110 of Figure 12.) As shown, communication device UE may include an antenna 307 (e.g., corresponding to antenna 4111 of Figure 12), and transceiver circuitry 301 (also referred to as a transceiver, e.g., corresponding to interface 4114 of Figure 12) including a transmitter and a receiver configured to provide uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) radio communications with a base station(s) (e.g., corresponding to network node 4160 of Figure 12, also referred to as a RAN node) of a radio access network. Communication device UE may also include processing circuitry 303 (also referred to as a processor, e.g., corresponding to processing circuitry 4120 of Figure 12) coupled to the transceiver circuitry, and memory circuitry 305 (also referred to as memory, e.g., corresponding to device readable medium 4130 of Figure 12) coupled to the processing circuitry. The memory circuitry 305 may include computer readable program code that when executed by the processing circuitry 303 causes the processing circuitry to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, processing circuitry 303 may be defined to include memory so that separate memory circuitry is not required. Communication device UE may also include an interface (such as a user interface) coupled with processing circuitry 303, and/or communication device UE may be incorporated in a vehicle.

[0035] As discussed herein, operations of communication device UE may be performed by processing circuitry 303 and/or transceiver circuitry 301. For example, processing circuitry 303 may control transceiver circuitry 301 to transmit communications through transceiver circuitry 301 over a radio interface to a radio access network node (also referred to as a base station) and/or to receive communications through transceiver circuitry 301 from a RAN node over a radio interface. Moreover, modules may be stored in memory circuitry 305, and these modules may provide instructions so that when instructions of a module are executed by processing circuitry 303, processing circuitry 303 performs respective operations (e.g., operations discussed below with respect to Example Embodiments relating to wireless communication devices). According to some embodiments, a communication device UE 300 and/or an element(s)/function(s) thereof may be embodied as a virtual node/nodes and/or a virtual machine/machines.

[0036] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating elements of a radio access network RAN node 400 (also referred to as a network node, base station, eNodeB/eNB, gNodeB/gNB, etc.) of a Radio Access Network (RAN) configured to provide cellular communication according to embodiments of inventive concepts. (RAN node 400 may be provided, for example, as discussed below with respect to network node 4160 of Figure 12.) As shown, the RAN node may include transceiver circuitry 401 (also referred to as a transceiver, e.g., corresponding to portions of interface 4190 of Figure 12) including a transmitter and a receiver configured to provide uplink and downlink radio communications with mobile terminals. The RAN node may include network interface circuitry 407 (also referred to as a network interface, e.g., corresponding to portions of interface 4190 of Figure 12) configured to provide communications with other nodes (e.g., with other base stations) of the RAN and/or core network CN. The network node may also include processing circuitry 403 (also referred to as a processor, e.g., corresponding to processing circuitry 4170 of Figure 12) coupled to the transceiver circuitry, and memory circuitry 405 (also referred to as memory, e.g., corresponding to device readable medium 4180 of Figure 12) coupled to the processing circuitry. The memory circuitry 405 may include computer readable program code that when executed by the processing circuitry 403 causes the processing circuitry to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, processing circuitry 403 may be defined to include memory so that a separate memory circuitry is not required.

[0037] As discussed herein, operations of the RAN node may be performed by processing circuitry 403, network interface 407, and/or transceiver 401. For example, processing circuitry 403 may control transceiver 401 to transmit downlink communications through transceiver 401 over a radio interface to one or more mobile terminals UEs and/or to receive uplink communications through transceiver 401 from one or more mobile terminals UEs over a radio interface. Similarly, processing circuitry 403 may control network interface 407 to transmit communications through network interface 407 to one or more other network nodes and/or to receive communications through network interface from one or more other network nodes. Moreover, modules may be stored in memory 405, and these modules may provide instructions so that when instructions of a module are executed by processing circuitry 403, processing circuitry 403 performs respective operations (e.g., operations discussed below with respect to Example Embodiments relating to RAN nodes). According to some embodiments, RAN node 400 and/or an element(s)/function(s) thereof may be embodied as a virtual node/nodes and/or a virtual machine/machines.

[0038] According to some other embodiments, a network node may be implemented as a core network CN node without a transceiver. In such embodiments, transmission to a wireless communication device UE may be initiated by the network node so that transmission to the wireless communication device UE is provided through a network node including a transceiver (e.g., through a base station or RAN node). According to embodiments where the network node is a RAN node including a transceiver, initiating transmission may include transmitting through the transceiver.

[0039] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating elements of a core network CN node (e.g., an SMF node, an AMF node, etc.) of a communication network configured to provide cellular communication according to embodiments of inventive concepts. As shown, the CN node may include network interface circuitry 507 (also referred to as a network interface) configured to provide communications with other nodes of the core network and/or the radio access network RAN. The CN node may also include a processing circuitry 503 (also referred to as a processor) coupled to the network interface circuitry, and memory circuitry 505 (also referred to as memory) coupled to the processing circuitry. The memory circuitry 505 may include computer readable program code that when executed by the processing circuitry 503 causes the processing circuitry to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, processing circuitry 503 may be defined to include memory so that a separate memory circuitry is not required.

[0040] As discussed herein, operations of the CN node may be performed by processing circuitry 503 and/or network interface circuitry 507. For example, processing circuitry 503 may control network interface circuitry 507 to transmit communications through network interface circuitry 507 to one or more other network nodes and/or to receive communications through network interface circuitry from one or more other network nodes. Moreover, modules may be stored in memory 505, and these modules may provide instructions so that when instructions of a module are executed by processing circuitry 503, processing circuitry 503 performs respective operations (e.g., operations discussed below with respect to Example Embodiments relating to core network nodes). According to some embodiments, CN node 500 and/or an element(s)/function(s) thereof may be embodied as a virtual node/nodes and/or a virtual machine/machines.

[0041] The existing XnAP and X2AP procedures may not provide sufficient support for transfer of measurements between two neighbour nodes.

[0042] According to some embodiments of inventive concepts, methods may be provided to transfer measurements collected at one RAN node to another RAN node.

[0043] According to some embodiments of inventive concepts, methods may be performed by a first network node to initiate the transfer of information from a second network node associated with one or more networking functions/operations. Such methods may include:

• Transmitting a MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST to a second network node indicating to initiate the transfer of measurements collected at the second RAN node and which the first RAN node may use for improvement/optimization purposes; and

• Receiving a MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE from the second network node indicating that the requested transfer, for all or for a subset of the measurement objects included in the request for measurement is successfully initiated. [0044] The measurement transfer procedure between the first network node and the second network node may additionally be associated with one or more specific operation(s)/function(s) of the network nodes, such as:

• Coverage and Capacity optimization (CCO)

• Minimization of drive tests (MDT)

[0045] The RAN node transferring the measurements may have collected such measurements directly or indirectly. The types of measurements transferred from the second RAN node to the first RAN node may be associated with

• CCO measurements

• MDT measurements o E.g. measurements filtered over the MDT configuration area or a portion of such area, or the area within which the UE has agreed to privacy terms

[0046] As an example of MDT related measurements, the following table may be specified in TS 38.331 as information reported by a terminal equipment:

LogMeaslnfo-rl6 ::= SEQUENCE ]

Iocationlnfo-rl6 Locationlnfo-rl6 OPTIONAL, relativeTimeStamp-rl6 INTEGER (0..7200), servCellldentity-rl6 CGI-lnfo-Logging-rl6, measResultServingCell-rl6 MeasResultServingCell-rl6 OPTIONAL, measResultNeighCells-rl6 SEQUENCE { measResultNeighCellListNR MeasResultListLogging2NR-rl6 OPTIONAL, measResultNeighCellListEUTRA MeasResultList2EUTRA-rl6 OPTIONAL anyCellSelectionDetected-rl6 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL

}

Such measurements or a filtered version of it could be subject to methods of the present invention, being subject to measurement transfer.

[0047] According to some embodiments, a network operator may be enabled to make more informed decisions to improve/optimize the radio network based on the transfer of measurements between network nodes. Machine leaming/artificial intelligence (ML/ Al) algorithms residing in the network nodes may use additional information e.g. for network improvement/optimization purposes. [0048] According to some embodiments of inventive concepts, methods performed at a first RAN node and at a second RAN node may be provided to transfer measurements associated with a network function of the first or the second network node.

[0049] Methods and embodiments for the first network node are discussed below.

[0050] According to some embodiments, methods may be performed by a first network node to initiate the transfer of information from a second network node associated with one or more networking functions/operations. The method may include:

• Transmitting a MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST to a second RAN node indicating to initiate the transfer of measurements collected at the second RAN node and which the first RAN node may use for improvement/optimization purposes; and

• Optionally indicating the nature of the problem that needs to be analyzed and resolved by means of such measurements. For example, the first RAN node may indicate to the second RAN node that the measurements are needed to analyze coverage. The second RAN node may signal the first RAN node measurements that can provide insights on network capacity. In this embodiment there might not be the need to describe the measurements that the first network node is requesting to the second network node for reporting, but such measurement choice may be left to the second network node.

Receiving a MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE from the second network node indicating that the requested transfer, for all or for a subset of the measurement objects included in the request for measurement is successfully initiated; o If the Measurement Transfer Request indicated only the problem the measurements are needed for, the second RAN node may reply with a list of the measurements that were identified and successfully configured for reporting to the first network node

[0051] Figure 2A is a message diagram illustrating a method to initiate measurement transfer between two network nodes.

[0052] Embodiments associated with the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST are discussed below.

[0053] In some embodiments of the method, the first RAN node transmits a MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST comprising an indication of one or more triggers which generated the request.

[0054] The MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST may optionally contain elements, for example, indicating: conditions impacting the information transfer, such as e.g. which type of measurement should be transferred • the reasons that triggered the information transfer start, stop, pause or resume

• the event triggering the start, stop, pause or resume of the information transfer,

• the periodicity of the information transfer,

• the average, minimum, maximum amount of information to be transfer.

• the area (either in terms of list of RATs (radio access technology) or frequencies or cell identities or beam identities or in terms of geographical coordinates, or in terms of locations with coverage from certain specific or any WLAN access points (APs) or in terms of locations with coverage from certain specific or any Bluetooth beacons or a combination of the above) from which the measurements are to be collected and transferred. o In the example area configuration related to a list of radio access technologies (RATs), the first node includes a list of RATs in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message. The second node configures the UE to perform measurements on the associated RATs and if the UE has coverage from one or more cells on the said RAT, then the measurements are sent to the first node via MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message. o In the example area configuration related to a list of frequencies, the first node includes a list of frequencies (ARFCN values where the UE is supposed to perform the measurements) in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message. The second node configures the UE to perform measurements on the associated frequencies and if the UE has coverage from one or more cells on the said frequency, then the measurements are sent to the first node via MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message. o In the example area configuration related to a list of cells, the first node includes a list of cells (globally unique identifiers) in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message. The second node configures the UE to perform measurements on the associated cells and if the UE has coverage from one or more of these cells, then the measurements are sent to the first node via MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message. o In the example area configuration related to a list of beams, the first node includes a list of beams and the associated cells (globally unique identifiers) in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message. The second node configures the UE to perform measurements on the associated cells and also requests the UE to include the beam level measurements. If the UE has coverage from one or more of these cells, then the second node further checks if the UE has coverage from the said beam identities and if so, then the measurements are sent to the first node via MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message. o In the example area configuration related to a list of WLAN APs, the first node includes a list of WLAN APs in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message. The second node configures the UE to perform WLAN measurements on the associated WLAN APs and if the UE has coverage from one or more of these WLAN APs, then the measurements are sent to the first node via MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message. o In the example area configuration related to WLAN APs, the first node includes an indication (a flag) in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message which indicates to the second node that it is interested in the measurement report if there is a WLAN AP coverage. The second node configures the UE to perform WLAN measurements and if the UE has coverage from one or more of WLAN APs, then the measurements are sent to the first node via MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message. o In the example area configuration related to a list of Bluetooth beacons, the first node includes a list of Bluetooth beacons in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message. The second node configures the UE to perform Bluetooth measurements on the associated Bluetooth beacons and if the UE has coverage from one or more of these Bluetooth beacons, then the measurements are sent to the first node via MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message. o In the example area configuration related to Bluetooth beacons, the first node includes an indication (a flag) in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message which indicates to the second node that it is interested in the measurement report if there is a Bluetooth beacon coverage. The second node configures the UE to perform Bluetooth measurements and if the UE has coverage from one or more of Bluetooth beacons, then the measurements are sent to the first node via MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message.

[0055] In some embodiments, the first network node transmits a request for information comprising a list of requested measurements, which may include one or a combination of measurement types in the group of:

CCO measurements associated with one or more network nodes

MDT measurements reports associated with one or more user devices [0056] In case of CCO measurements, the requested measurements could be further associated with:

• One or more serving cells of a network node, such as the configuration of the serving cell.

• The coverage area of one or more reference signals (RS) beams of a serving cell of a network node.

[0057] In case of CCO measurements, the requested measurements could include:

• Per beam/cell reference signal (RS) measurement associated with one or more user devices in the coverage area of the second network node, such as reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), channel quality information (CQI), etc.

• Per beam/cell RS measurement associated with one or more user devices in the coverage area of a neighbor node of the second network node, such as RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, CQI, etc.

• Location information associated with per beam/cell RS measurements for one or more user devices in the coverage area of the second network node, such as RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, CQI, etc.

• Location information associated with per beam/cell RS measurement for one or more user devices in the coverage area of a neighbor node of the second network node, such as RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, CQI, etc.

• Uplink interference measurement associated with cell/RS beams of the second network node

• Uplink interference measurement associated with cell/RS beams of a neighbor node of the second network node

[0058] In the case of MDT measurements, the requested measurements could be associated with one or more user devices that could have been or are in the coverage area of a serving cell of the second network node and are configured to transmit MDT measurements reports. In one example, the request may be associated with an area of the network, such as a group of serving cells, for which the mobile has agreed to privacy terms.

[0059] In addition, in the case of MDT measurements, the requested measurements could be

Management based MDT measurements

Signalling based MDT measurements [0060] In one example, the first network node requests the second network node to provide MDT measurement reports associated with one or more user devices. In another example, the first network node requests the second network node to provide filtered MDT measurement reports. For instance, a processed version of MDT reports collected from one or more user devices (e.g., aggregated, averaged, filtered). In this case, the network node provides MDT measurements that can be associated with a serving cell, or a specific area of the serving cell, such as the coverage area of a reference signal beam (e.g. synchronization signal block (SSB) beam or channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) beam).

[0061] In another embodiment, the first network node can list the measurements it requests to be reported by the second RAN node. Such measurements can be selected amongst the overall list of measurements available for CCO, MDT.

[0062] In another embodiment, the first network node identifies, by using its own collected measurements, key performance indicators (KPIs), performance counters and/or similar information, a potential issue that may need to be better analyzed and/or addressed. The first network node sends a request to the second network node with the indication of the identified issue (instead of an explicit list of measurements to be retrieved). The second network nodes decides upon the list of measurements to be reported, or such list may be completely or partially predefined.

[0063] Such issue may include, for example, one or more of the following:

• Capacity issue: the issue may be associated with one or more cell or beam areas for which capacity issues are detected

• Coverage issue: the issue may be associated with one or more cell or beam areas for which capacity issues are detected

• Interference issue: the issue may be associated with one or more cell or beam areas for which capacity issues are detected

[0064] Embodiments associated with the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE are discussed below.

[0065] In some embodiments, the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE transmitted from the second network node to the first network node may indicate a list of available measurements that can or shall be reported by the second network node to the first network node. The list of reported measurements may include a full or a partial list of the measurements requested by the first network node as well as a list of measurements not explicitly requested by the first network node. In this case, the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message indicates explicitly or implicitly that the request for measurement is successfully initiated. [0066] In one embodiment of the invention, the list of not explicitly requested measurements may be determined as a consequence of the issue to be solved indicated in the Measurement Transfer Request.

[0067] In other embodiments, the second network node transmits an indication to the first network node, either explicitly or implicitly, that the request for measurement is unsuccessfully initiated. A failure indication is transmitted by the second network node to the first network node. Such indication may be transmitted, either implicitly or explicitly within the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE, or in a dedicated message, such as a MEASUREMENT TRANSFER FAILURE message, as illustrated in Figure 2B. In one example, the second network node may indicate that none of the requested measurements is available. Additionally, the second network node may indicate a list of available measurements that the first network node can use to restart the measurement transfer procedure successfully.

[0068] Figure 2B is a message diagram illustrating an embodiment wherein the measurement transfer procedure fails to be initiated. A failure indication is transmitted by the second network node to the first network node. Such indication may be transmitted, either implicitly or explicitly within the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE, or in a dedicated message, such as a MEASUREMENT TRANSFER FAILURE message.

[0069] Embodiments associated with the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER UPDATE are discussed below.

[0070] In some embodiments, methods executed by the first network node may further include:

• Receiving one or more MEASUREMENT TRANSFER UPDATE from the second network node including the measurement data based on the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST and/or the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE.

[0071] Figure 2C is a message diagram illustrating an example of such embodiments.

[0072] Figure 2C is a message diagram illustrating embodiments wherein the measurement transfer procedure between two network nodes is successfully initiated, and measurements are transferred from the second network node to the first network node in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER UPDATE message.

[0073] The information to transfer from the second network node (also referred to as the second RAN node) to the first network node (also referred to as the first RAN node) may be collected at the second RAN node directly or may be received by the second RAN node from another RAN node and forwarded to the first RAN node. [0074] Embodiments associated with CCO Measurement Transfer are discussed below.

[0075] In some embodiments, the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST/RESPONSE/FAILURE/UPDATE messages are associated to coverage and capacity optimization (CCO) function executed by the first and/or second network node.

[0076] Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C are message diagrams illustrating methods to initiate CCO measurement transfer between two network nodes.

[0077] Embodiments associated for MDT Measurement Transfer are discussed below.

[0078] In some embodiments, the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST/RESPONSE/UPDATE messages are associated with minimization of driving tests (MDT) function executed by the first and/or second network node.

[0079] Figures 3D, 3E, and 3F are message diagrams illustrating methods to initiate MDT measurement transfer between two network nodes.

[0080] Embodiments associated with the type of nodes (i.e., network scenarios) are discussed below.

[0081] The first and the second network node may belong to the same or different radio access technologies (RAT), such as a 3rd generation partnership project (3 GPP) LTE radio access network, a 3GPP NG-RAN radio access network, a WiFi radio access network, etc.

[0082] In some embodiments, the first and second network nodes can be any of the following:

• an NG-RAN node, an eNB, an en-gNB, a gNB-CU of a NG-RAN node, a gNB-DU of an NG-RAN node.

[0083] . Thereby, different combination of first and second network node types, may require the measurement transfer to occur over different inter-node communication interfaces, such as:

• An X2 interface when the first and second network node both belong to a 3 GPP LTE system(s) (e.g., two eNBs) or at least one of the first or second network node belongs to a 3GPP system (e.g., such as in a E-UTRAN new radio - dual connectivity (EN-DC) scenario including an eNB and a 3 GPP NG-NR node)

• An Xn interface when the first and the second network node are both NG-RAN nodes, such as two gNBs or two gNB central units (i.e. gNB-CU s).

• An Fl interface when the first and/or the second network node is a gNB-CU and the other network node is a gNB -distributed unit (gNB-DU).

[0084] Methods and embodiments for the second network node are discussed below. [0085] According to some embodiments, a method is performed by a second network node to transfer information associated with one or more networking functions/operations to a first network node, the method including:

• receiving a MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST from a first network node indicating to initiate the transfer of measurements collected at the second network node and which the first network node may use for improvement/optimization purposes; and

• Transmitting a MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE to the first network node indicating that the requested transfer, for all or for a subset of the measurement objects included in the request for measurement is successfully initiated.

[0086] The method may additionally include:

• Transmitting one or more MEASUREMENT TRANSFER UPDATE messages to the first network node including measurement data based on the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST and/or the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE.

[0087] In another embodiment, the second network node transmits an indication to the first network node, either explicitly or implicitly, that the request for measurement is unsuccessfully initiated. A failure indication is transmitted by the second network node to the first network node. Such indication may be transmitted, either implicitly or explicitly within the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message, or in a dedicated message, such as a MEASUREMENT TRANSFER FAILURE message, as illustrated in Figure 2B. In one example, the second network node may indicate that none of the requested measurements is available. In another example, the second network node may indicate a list of available measurements that the first network node can use to restart the measurement transfer procedure successfully.

[0088] An example of possible implementation according to some embodiments is discussed below. For simplicity this may relate to NR, but this should not be considered as limiting. The text below indicates modifications of 3GPP TS 38.423 vl6.2.0 according to some embodiments of inventive concepts. The Section number 8.1 refers to a proposed modification of an existing section of the standard according to some embodiments of inventive concepts, and Section numbers including xx, xy, and/or z (i.e., 8.4.xx, 8.4.xx.l, 8.4.xx.2, 8.4.xx.3, 8.4.xy, 8.4.xy.l, 8.4.xy.3, 9.1.3.zl, 9.1.3.z2, 9.1.3.z3, and 9.1.3.z4) refer to proposed sections in the standard according to some embodiments of inventive concepts.

8.1 Elementary procedures (EPs)

[0089] In the following tables, all EPs are divided into Class 1 and Class 2 EPs.

[0090] A revised version of Table 8.1-1 (Class 1 Elementary Procedures) is provided below:

[0091] A revised version of Table 8.1-2 (Class 2 Elementary Procedures) is provided below:

[0092] According to other embodiments of inventive concepts, the measurement transfer procedure could be associated with a particular function/operation of the network node, such as:

• Coverage and capacity improvement/optimization (CCO)

• Minimization of driving tests (MDT)

[0093] Therefore, the elementary procedure may more explicitly reflect the function to which the measurement transfer procedure is applied. In one possible implementation, the tables defining Class 1 Elementary Procedures and Class 2 Elementary Procedures comprise one new raw, respectively, as follows: • For a measurement transfer procedure associated with CCO function: o New row for Table defining Class 1 Elementary Procedures: o New row for Table defining Class 2 Elementary Procedures:

• For a measurement transfer procedure associated with MDT measurement transfer: o New row for Table defining Class 1 Elementary Procedures: o New row for Table defining Class 2 Elementary Procedures:

8.4. xx Measurement Transfer Initiation

8.4.xx. l General

This procedure is used by an NG-RAN node to request another NG-RAN node to transfer measurements available at another NG-RAN node.

The procedure uses non UE-associated signalling.

8.4.xx.2 Successful Operation

Figure 8.4.10.2-1 : Measurement Transfer Initiation, successful operation (provided as Figure 4)

NG-RAN nodel initiates the procedure by sending the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message to NG-RAN node2 to start or stop the transfer of measurement. Upon receipt, NG-RAN node2: • shall initiate the requested transfer of measurement according to the parameters given in the request in case the Measurement Transfer Request IE set to "start"; or

• shall terminate the reporting in case the Measurement Transfer Request IE is set to "stop".

If NG-RAN node2 is capable to transfer the requested measurements, it shall respond with the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message. Interaction with other procedures

When starting a measurement transfer, the Measurement Transfer Characteristics IE in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST indicates the type of objects NG-RAN node2 shall transfer.

NG-RAN node2 shall include in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER UPDATE message:

• the CCO Measurements Info Container IE, if the first bit, "CCO Measurements" of the Measurement Transfer Characteristics IE included in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message is set to 1.

• the MDT Measurements Info Container IE, if the second bit, "MDT Measurements" of the Measurement Transfer Characteristics IE included in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST message is set to 1.

If the Measurement Transfer Periodicity IE in the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST is present, this indicates the periodicity for the transfer of measurements. If the Measurement Transfer Periodicity IE is absent, the NG- RAN node2 shall transfer the measurements only once.

8.4.xx.3 Unsuccessful Operation

Figure 8.4.xx.3-l : Measurement Transfer Initiation, unsuccessful operation (provided as Figure 5)

If the NG-RAN node2 node is not able to transfer any of the requested measurements or a failure occurs during the S-NG-RAN node Addition Preparation, the NG-RAN node2 node sends the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER FAILURE message with an appropriate cause value to the NG-RAN nodel node.

8.4.xy Measurement Transfer

8.4.xy. l General This procedure is initiated by an NG-RAN node to send the result of measurements admitted by the NG-RAN node following a successful Measurement Transfer Initiation procedure.

The procedure uses non UE-associated signalling.

8.4.xy.2 Successful Operation

Figure 8.4.xx.2-l : Measurement Transfer, successful operation (provided as Figure 6)

The Measurement Transfer procedure is initiated by the NG-RAN node2 sending NG-RAN node2 shall send the results of the admitted measurements in MEASUREMENT TRANSFER UPDATE message. The admitted measurements are the measurements that were successfully initiated during the preceding Measurement Transfer Initiation procedure.

8.4.xy.3 Unsuccessful Operation

Not applicable.

9.1.3.Z1 MEASUREMENT TRANSFER REQUEST

This message is sent by NG-RAN nodei to NG-RAN node2 to start or stop the transfer of the requested measurement according to the parameters given in the message.

Direction: NG-RAN nodei

Tables of Section 9.1.3.zl (illustrating information elements IES of the MEASUREMENT

TRANSFER REQUEST message) are provided in the following two figures:

9.1.3 ,z2 MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE

This message is sent by NG-RAN node2 to NG-RAN nodei to indicate that the requested transfer of measurements, for all or for a subset of the measurement objects included in the measurement is successfully initiated.

Direction: nodei

The Table of Section 9.1.3.z2 (illustrating IES of the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER RESPONSE message) is provided as follows:

9.1.3 ,z3 MEASUREMENT TRANSFER FAILURE

This message is sent by the NG-RAN node2 to NG-RAN nodei to indicate that for any of the requested measurement objects the measurements cannot be transferred.

Direction: nodei.

The Table of Section 9.1.3 ,z3 (illustrating IES or the MEASUREMENT TRANSFER FAILURE message) is provided as follows:

9.1.3 z4 MEASUREMENT TRANSFER UPDATE

This message is sent by NG-RAN node2 to NG-RAN nodei to transfer the requested measurements.

Direction: nodei.

The Table of Section 9.1.3.z4 (illustrating IEs of the MEASUREMENT TRANFER UPDATE message) is provided as follows:

[0094] Operations of a first RAN node 400 (implemented using the structure of Figure 8) will now be discussed with reference to the flow chart of Figure 10 according to some embodiments of inventive concepts. For example, modules may be stored in memory 405 of Figure 8, and these modules may provide instructions so that when the instructions of a module are executed by respective RAN node processing circuitry 403, processing circuitry 403 performs respective operations of the flow chart.

[0095] According to some embodiments at block 1003, processing circuitry 403 transmits (through network interface 407) a measurement transfer request message to a second RAN node. The measurement transfer request message includes an indication to initiate transfer of measurements from the second RAN node to the first RAN node.

[0096] According to some embodiments at block 1005, processing circuitry 403 receives (through network interface 407) a measurement transfer response message from the second RAN node. The measurement transfer response message includes an indication regarding initiation of the transfer of measurements.

[0097] According to some embodiments, the indication regarding initiation of the transfer of measurements may indicate failure to initiate the transfer of measurements. For example, the measurement transfer response message may be a measurement transfer failure message.

[0098] According to some other embodiments the indication to initiate transfer of measurements may include an indication to initiate transfer of a plurality of measurement objects. For example, the indication regarding the initiation of the transfer of measurements may include an indication of successful initiation of transfer of at least one of the plurality of measurement objects and/or a subset of the plurality of measurement objects. According to such embodiments at block 1007, processing circuitry may receive (through network interface 407) a measurement transfer update message from the second RAN node, wherein the measurement transfer update message includes at least one measurement corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of measurement objects of the indication of successful initiation of transfer and/or wherein the measurement transfer update message includes a plurality of measurements corresponding to the subset of the plurality of measurement objects.

[0099] Various operations of Figure 10 are discussed in greater detail below with respect to Example Embodiments 1-11. [0100] Various operations from the flow chart of Figure 10 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of RAN nodes and related methods. Regarding methods of example embodiment 1 (set forth below), for example, operations of block 1007 of Figure 10 may be optional.

[0101] Operations of a RAN node 400 (implemented using the structure of Figure 8) will now be discussed with reference to the flow chart of Figure 11 according to some embodiments of inventive concepts. For example, modules may be stored in memory 405 of Figure 8, and these modules may provide instructions so that when the instructions of a module are executed by respective RAN node processing circuitry 403, processing circuitry 403 performs respective operations of the flow chart.

[0102] According to some embodiments at block 1103, processing circuitry 403 receives (through network interface 407) a measurement transfer request message from the first RAN node. The measurement transfer request message includes an indication to initiate transfer of measurements from the second RAN node to the first RAN node.

[0103] According to some embodiments at block 1105, processing circuitry 403 transmits (through network interface 407) a measurement transfer response message to the first RAN node. The measurement transfer response message includes an indication regarding initiation of the transfer of measurements.

[0104] According to some embodiments, the indication regarding initiation of the transfer of measurements may indicate failure to initiate the transfer of measurements. For example, the measurement transfer response message may be a measurement transfer failure message.

[0105] According to some other embodiments, the indication to initiate transfer of measurements may include an indication to initiate transfer of a plurality of measurement objects. For example, the indication regarding the initiation of the transfer of measurements may include an indication of successful initiation of transfer of at least one of the plurality of measurement objects, and/or the indication regarding the initiation of the transfer of measurements may include an indication of successful initiation of transfer of a subset of the plurality of measurement objects.

[0106] According such embodiments at block 1107, processing circuitry 403 may transmit (through network interface 407) a measurement transfer update message to the first RAN node, wherein the measurement transfer update message includes at least one measurement corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of measurement objects of the indication of successful initiation of transfer, and/or wherein the measurement transfer update message includes a plurality of measurements corresponding to the subset of the plurality of measurement objects.

[0107] Various operations of Figure 11 are discussed in greater detail below with respect to Example Embodiments 12-22.

[0108] Various operations from the flow chart of Figure 11 may be optional with respect to some embodiments of RAN nodes and related methods. Regarding methods of example embodiment 12 (set forth below), for example, operations of block 1107 of Figure 11 may be optional.

[0109] Example embodiments are discussed below.

1. A method of operating a first radio access network, RAN, node in a network including a second RAN node, the method comprising: transmitting (1003) a measurement transfer request message to the second RAN node, wherein the measurement transfer request message includes an indication to initiate transfer of measurements from the second RAN node to the first RAN node; and receiving (1005) a measurement transfer response message from the second RAN node, wherein the measurement transfer response message includes an indication regarding initiation of the transfer of measurements.

2. The method of Embodiment 1, wherein the indication regarding initiation of the transfer of measurements indicates failure to initiate the transfer of measurements.

3. The method of Embodiment 2, wherein the measurement transfer response message comprises a measurement transfer failure message.

4. The method of Embodiment 1, wherein the indication to initiate transfer of measurements includes an indication to initiate transfer of a plurality of measurement objects, and wherein the indication regarding the initiation of the transfer of measurements includes an indication of successful initiation of transfer of at least one of the plurality of measurement objects.

5. The method of Embodiment 4, further comprising: receiving (1007) a measurement transfer update message from the second RAN node, wherein the measurement transfer update message includes at least one measurement corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of measurement objects of the indication of successful initiation of transfer.

6. The method of Embodiment 1, wherein the indication to initiate transfer of measurements includes an indication to initiate transfer of a plurality of measurement objects, and wherein the indication regarding the initiation of the transfer of measurements includes an indication of successful initiation of transfer of a subset of the plurality of measurement objects.

7. The method of Embodiment 6, further comprising: receiving (1007) a measurement transfer update message from the second RAN node, wherein the measurement transfer update message includes a plurality of measurements corresponding to the subset of the plurality of measurement objects.

8. The method of any of Embodiments 5 or 7, wherein the measurement transfer request message includes an indication of a periodicity for transfer of measurements, and wherein receiving the measurement transfer update message comprises receiving one of a plurality of measurement transfer update messages in accordance with the periodicity for transfer of measurements.

9. The method of any of Embodiments 4-8, wherein the plurality of measurement objects relates to coverage and capacity optimization, CCO, measurements and/or minimization of drive tests, MDT, measurements.

10. The method of any of Embodiments 1-9, wherein the indication to initiate transfer of measurements comprises an indication to initiate transfer of measurements relating to coverage and capacity optimization, CCO, measurements and/or minimization of drive tests, MDT, measurements.

11. The method of any of Embodiments 1-10, wherein the indication to initiate transfer of measurements includes an indication to initiate transfer of a plurality of measurements belonging to an area wherein the area is defined by at least one of a set of radio access technologies, a set of frequencies, a set of cells, a set of synchronization signal blocks, SSBs, a set of Channel State Information Reference signals, CSI-RS, and/or a set of geographical coordinates. 12. A method of operating a second radio access network, RAN, node in a network including a first RAN node, the method comprising: receiving (1103) a measurement transfer request message from the first RAN node, wherein the measurement transfer request message includes an indication to initiate transfer of measurements from the second RAN node to the first RAN node; and transmitting (1105) a measurement transfer response message to the first RAN node, wherein the measurement transfer response message includes an indication regarding initiation of the transfer of measurements.

13. The method of Embodiment 12, wherein the indication regarding initiation of the transfer of measurements indicates failure to initiate the transfer of measurements.

14. The method of Embodiment 13, wherein the measurement transfer response message comprises a measurement transfer failure message.

15. The method of Embodiment 12, wherein the indication to initiate transfer of measurements includes an indication to initiate transfer of a plurality of measurement objects, and wherein the indication regarding the initiation of the transfer of measurements includes an indication of successful initiation of transfer of at least one of the plurality of measurement objects.

16. The method of Embodiment 15, further comprising: transmitting (1107) a measurement transfer update message to the first RAN node, wherein the measurement transfer update message includes at least one measurement corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of measurement objects of the indication of successful initiation of transfer.

17. The method of Embodiment 12, wherein the indication to initiate transfer of measurements includes an indication to initiate transfer of a plurality of measurement objects, and wherein the indication regarding the initiation of the transfer of measurements includes an indication of successful initiation of transfer of a subset of the plurality of measurement objects.

18. The method of Embodiment 17, further comprising: transmitting (1107) a measurement transfer update message to the first RAN node, wherein the measurement transfer update message includes a plurality of measurements corresponding to the subset of the plurality of measurement objects.

19. The method of any of Embodiments 16 or 18, wherein the measurement transfer request message includes an indication of a periodicity for transfer of measurements, and wherein transmitting the measurement transfer update message comprises transmitting one of a plurality of measurement transfer update messages in accordance with the periodicity for transfer of measurements.

20. The method of any of Embodiments 15-19, wherein the plurality of measurement objects relates to coverage and capacity optimization, CCO, measurements and/or minimization of drive tests, MDT, measurements.

21. The method of any of Embodiments 12-20, wherein the indication to initiate transfer of measurements comprises an indication to initiate transfer of measurements relating to coverage and capacity optimization, CCO, measurements and/or minimization of drive tests, MDT, measurements.

22. The method of any of Embodiments 12-21, wherein the indication to initiate transfer of measurements includes an indication to initiate transfer of a plurality of measurements belonging to an area wherein the area is defined by at least one of a set of radio access technologies, a set of frequencies, a set of cells, a set of synchronization signal blocks, SSBs, a set of Channel State Information Reference signals, CSI-RS, and/or a set of geographical coordinates.

23. A first radio access network, RAN, node (400) comprising: processing circuitry (403); and memory (405) coupled with the processing circuitry, wherein the memory includes instructions that when executed by the processing circuitry causes the first RAN node to perform operations according to any of Embodiments 1-11.

24. A first radio access network, RAN, node (400) adapted to perform according to any of Embodiments 1-11. 25. A computer program comprising program code to be executed by processing circuitry (403) of a first radio access network, RAN, node (400), whereby execution of the program code causes the first RAN node (400) to perform operations according to any of embodiments 1-11.

26. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium including program code to be executed by processing circuitry (403) of a first radio access network, RAN, node (400), whereby execution of the program code causes the first RAN node (400) to perform operations according to any of embodiments 1-11.

27. A second radio access network, RAN, node (400) comprising: processing circuitry (403); and memory (405) coupled with the processing circuitry, wherein the memory includes instructions that when executed by the processing circuitry causes the second RAN node to perform operations according to any of Embodiments 12-22.

28. A second radio access network, RAN, node (400) adapted to perform according to any of Embodiments 12-22.

29. A computer program comprising program code to be executed by processing circuitry (403) of a second radio access network, RAN, node (400), whereby execution of the program code causes the second RAN node (400) to perform operations according to any of embodiments 12-22.

30. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium including program code to be executed by processing circuitry (403) of a second radio access network, RAN, node (400), whereby execution of the program code causes the second RAN node (400) to perform operations according to any of embodiments 12-22.

[0110] References are identified below.

[1] 3GPP TS 38.401 V15.4.0

[2] 3GPP TS 38.423 vl6.2.0

[3] 3GPP TS 36.423 vl6.2.0

[OHl] Additional explanation is provided below. [0112] Generally, all terms used herein are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is clearly given and/or is implied from the context in which it is used. All references to a/an/the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any methods disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as following or preceding another step and/or where it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment, wherever appropriate. Likewise, any advantage of any of the embodiments may apply to any other embodiments, and vice versa. Other objectives, features and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will be apparent from the following description.

[0113] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Other embodiments, however, are contained within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0114] Figure 12 illustrates a wireless network in accordance with some embodiments.

[0115] Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any appropriate type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are described in relation to a wireless network, such as the example wireless network illustrated in Figure 12. For simplicity, the wireless network of Figure 12 only depicts network 4106, network nodes 4160 and 4160b, and WDs 4110, 4110b, and 4110c (also referred to as mobile terminals). In practice, a wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable to support communication between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device, such as a landline telephone, a service provider, or any other network node or end device. Of the illustrated components, network node 4160 and wireless device (WD) 4110 are depicted with additional detail. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate the wireless devices’ access to and/or use of the services provided by, or via, the wireless network.

[0116] The wireless network may comprise and/or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, and/or radio network or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be configured to operate according to specific standards or other types of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, particular embodiments of the wireless network may implement communication standards, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and/or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards; wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the IEEE 802.11 standards; and/or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave and/or ZigBee standards.

[0117] Network 4106 may comprise one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTNs), packet data networks, optical networks, wide-area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks to enable communication between devices.

[0118] Network node 4160 and WD 4110 comprise various components described in more detail below. These components work together in order to provide network node and/or wireless device functionality, such as providing wireless connections in a wireless network. In different embodiments, the wireless network may comprise any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and/or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and/or signals whether via wired or wireless connections.

[0119] As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and/or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless device and/or with other network nodes or equipment in the wireless network to enable and/or provide wireless access to the wireless device and/or to perform other functions (e.g., administration) in the wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR. NodeBs (gNBs)). Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and may then also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units and/or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Yet further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell/multicast coordination entities (MCEs), core network nodes (e.g., MSCs, MMEs), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLCs), and/or MDTs. As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node as described in more detail below. More generally, however, network nodes may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) capable, configured, arranged, and/or operable to enable and/or provide a wireless device with access to the wireless network or to provide some service to a wireless device that has accessed the wireless network.

[0120] In Figure 12, network node 4160 includes processing circuitry 4170, device readable medium 4180, interface 4190, auxiliary equipment 4184, power source 4186, power circuitry 4187, and antenna 4162. Although network node 4160 illustrated in the example wireless network of Figure 12 may represent a device that includes the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise network nodes with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that a network node comprises any suitable combination of hardware and/or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Moreover, while the components of network node 4160 are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, a network node may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component (e.g., device readable medium 4180 may comprise multiple separate hard drives as well as multiple RAM modules).

[0121] Similarly, network node 4160 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and a RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which network node 4160 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeB’s. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, network node 4160 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device readable medium 4180 for the different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 4162 may be shared by the RATs). Network node 4160 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 4160, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node 4160. [0122] Processing circuitry 4170 is configured to perform any determining, calculating, or similar operations (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being provided by a network node. These operations performed by processing circuitry 4170 may include processing information obtained by processing circuitry 4170 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and/or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination.

[0123] Processing circuitry 4170 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and/or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 4160 components, such as device readable medium 4180, network node 4160 functionality. For example, processing circuitry 4170 may execute instructions stored in device readable medium 4180 or in memory within processing circuitry 4170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 4170 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0124] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 4170 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 4172 and baseband processing circuitry 4174. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 4172 and baseband processing circuitry 4174 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 4172 and baseband processing circuitry 4174 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0125] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB or other such network device may be performed by processing circuitry 4170 executing instructions stored on device readable medium 4180 or memory within processing circuitry 4170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 4170 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device readable medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a device readable storage medium or not, processing circuitry 4170 can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to processing circuitry 4170 alone or to other components of network node 4160, but are enjoyed by network node 4160 as a whole, and/or by end users and the wireless network generally. [0126] Device readable medium 4180 may comprise any form of volatile or nonvolatile computer readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and/or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and/or computerexecutable memory devices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may be used by processing circuitry 4170. Device readable medium 4180 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc. and/or other instructions capable of being executed by processing circuitry 4170 and, utilized by network node 4160. Device readable medium 4180 may be used to store any calculations made by processing circuitry 4170 and/or any data received via interface 4190. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 4170 and device readable medium 4180 may be considered to be integrated.

[0127] Interface 4190 is used in the wired or wireless communication of signalling and/or data between network node 4160, network 4106, and/or WDs 4110. As illustrated, interface 4190 comprises port(s)/terminal(s) 4194 to send and receive data, for example to and from network 4106 over a wired connection. Interface 4190 also includes radio front end circuitry 4192 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, antenna 4162. Radio front end circuitry 4192 comprises filters 4198 and amplifiers 4196. Radio front end circuitry 4192 may be connected to antenna 4162 and processing circuitry 4170. Radio front end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 4162 and processing circuitry 4170. Radio front end circuitry 4192 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. Radio front end circuitry 4192 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 4198 and/or amplifiers 4196. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna 4162. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 4162 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuitry 4192. The digital data may be passed to processing circuitry 4170. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components.

[0128] In certain alternative embodiments, network node 4160 may not include separate radio front end circuitry 4192, instead, processing circuitry 4170 may comprise radio front end circuitry and may be connected to antenna 4162 without separate radio front end circuitry 4192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of RF transceiver circuitry 4172 may be considered a part of interface 4190. In still other embodiments, interface 4190 may include one or more ports or terminals 4194, radio front end circuitry 4192, and RF transceiver circuitry 4172, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and interface 4190 may communicate with baseband processing circuitry 4174, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0129] Antenna 4162 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and/or receive wireless signals. Antenna 4162 may be coupled to radio front end circuitry 4192 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and/or signals wirelessly. In some embodiments, antenna 4162 may comprise one or more omnidirectional, sector or panel antennas operable to transmit/receive radio signals between, for example, 2 GHz and 66 GHz. An omni-directional antenna may be used to transmit/receive radio signals in any direction, a sector antenna may be used to transmit/receive radio signals from devices within a particular area, and a panel antenna may be a line of sight antenna used to transmit/receive radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some instances, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In certain embodiments, antenna 4162 may be separate from network node 4160 and may be connectable to network node 4160 through an interface or port.

[0130] Antenna 4162, interface 4190, and/or processing circuitry 4170 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and/or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and/or signals may be received from a wireless device, another network node and/or any other network equipment. Similarly, antenna 4162, interface 4190, and/or processing circuitry 4170 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and/or signals may be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node and/or any other network equipment.

[0131] Power circuitry 4187 may comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry and is configured to supply the components of network node 4160 with power for performing the functionality described herein. Power circuitry 4187 may receive power from power source 4186. Power source 4186 and/or power circuitry 4187 may be configured to provide power to the various components of network node 4160 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). Power source 4186 may either be included in, or external to, power circuitry 4187 and/or network node 4160. For example, network node 4160 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry 4187. As a further example, power source 4186 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry 4187. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0132] Alternative embodiments of network node 4160 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 12 that may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and/or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, network node 4160 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into network node 4160 and to allow output of information from network node 4160. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node 4160.

[0133] As used herein, wireless device (WD) refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and/or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and/or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise noted, the term WD may be used interchangeably herein with user equipment (UE). Communicating wirelessly may involve transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and/or other types of signals suitable for conveying information through air. In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to transmit and/or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a WD may be designed to transmit information to a network on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the network. Examples of a WD include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a cell phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless cameras, a gaming console or device, a music storage device, a playback appliance, a wearable terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a tablet, a laptop, a laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), a laptop-mounted equipment (LME), a smart device, a wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, etc. A WD may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3 GPP standard for sidelink communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle- to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and may in this case be referred to as a D2D communication device. As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (loT) scenario, a WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and/or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and/or measurements to another WD and/or a network node. The WD may in this case be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may in a 3 GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the WD may be a UE implementing the 3 GPP narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) standard. Particular examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices such as power meters, industrial machinery, or home or personal appliances (e.g. refrigerators, televisions, etc.) personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, a WD may represent a vehicle or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and/or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation. A WD as described above may represent the endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, a WD as described above may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

[0134] As illustrated, wireless device 4110 includes antenna 4111, interface 4114, processing circuitry 4120, device readable medium 4130, user interface equipment 4132, auxiliary equipment 4134, power source 4136 and power circuitry 4137. WD 4110 may include multiple sets of one or more of the illustrated components for different wireless technologies supported by WD 4110, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, just to mention a few. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or set of chips as other components within WD 4110.

[0135] Antenna 4111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays, configured to send and/or receive wireless signals, and is connected to interface 4114. In certain alternative embodiments, antenna 4111 may be separate from WD 4110 and be connectable to WD 4110 through an interface or port. Antenna 4111, interface 4114, and/or processing circuitry 4120 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a WD. Any information, data and/or signals may be received from a network node and/or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front end circuitry and/or antenna 4111 may be considered an interface.

[0136] As illustrated, interface 4114 comprises radio front end circuitry 4112 and antenna 4111. Radio front end circuitry 4112 comprise one or more filters 4118 and amplifiers 4116. Radio front end circuitry 4112 is connected to antenna 4111 and processing circuitry 4120, and is configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 4111 and processing circuitry 4120. Radio front end circuitry 4112 may be coupled to or a part of antenna 4111. In some embodiments, WD 4110 may not include separate radio front end circuitry 4112; rather, processing circuitry 4120 may comprise radio front end circuitry and may be connected to antenna 4111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry 4122 may be considered a part of interface 4114. Radio front end circuitry 4112 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. Radio front end circuitry 4112 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 4118 and/or amplifiers 4116. The radio signal may then be transmitted via antenna 4111. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 4111 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by radio front end circuitry 4112. The digital data may be passed to processing circuitry 4120. In other embodiments, the interface may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components.

[0137] Processing circuitry 4120 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and/or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other WD 4110 components, such as device readable medium 4130, WD 4110 functionality. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, processing circuitry 4120 may execute instructions stored in device readable medium 4130 or in memory within processing circuitry 4120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0138] As illustrated, processing circuitry 4120 includes one or more of RF transceiver circuitry 4122, baseband processing circuitry 4124, and application processing circuitry 4126. In other embodiments, the processing circuitry may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components. In certain embodiments processing circuitry 4120 of WD 4110 may comprise a SOC. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry 4122, baseband processing circuitry 4124, and application processing circuitry 4126 may be on separate chips or sets of chips. In alternative embodiments, part or all of baseband processing circuitry 4124 and application processing circuitry 4126 may be combined into one chip or set of chips, and RF transceiver circuitry 4122 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In still alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 4122 and baseband processing circuitry 4124 may be on the same chip or set of chips, and application processing circuitry 4126 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In yet other alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 4122, baseband processing circuitry 4124, and application processing circuitry 4126 may be combined in the same chip or set of chips. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuitry 4122 may be a part of interface 4114. RF transceiver circuitry 4122 may condition RF signals for processing circuitry 4120.

[0139] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by a WD may be provided by processing circuitry 4120 executing instructions stored on device readable medium 4130, which in certain embodiments may be a computer- readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 4120 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a device readable storage medium or not, processing circuitry 4120 can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to processing circuitry 4120 alone or to other components of WD 4110, but are enjoyed by WD 4110 as a whole, and/or by end users and the wireless network generally.

[0140] Processing circuitry 4120 may be configured to perform any determining, calculating, or similar operations (e.g., certain obtaining operations) described herein as being performed by a WD. These operations, as performed by processing circuitry 4120, may include processing information obtained by processing circuitry 4120 by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored by WD 4110, and/or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination.

[0141] Device readable medium 4130 may be operable to store a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc. and/or other instructions capable of being executed by processing circuitry 4120. Device readable medium 4130 may include computer memory (e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM) or Read Only Memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., a hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and/or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device readable and/or computer executable memory devices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may be used by processing circuitry 4120. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 4120 and device readable medium 4130 may be considered to be integrated.

[0142] User interface equipment 4132 may provide components that allow for a human user to interact with WD 4110. Such interaction may be of many forms, such as visual, audial, tactile, etc. User interface equipment 4132 may be operable to produce output to the user and to allow the user to provide input to WD 4110. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface equipment 4132 installed in WD 4110. For example, if WD 4110 is a smart phone, the interaction may be via a touch screen; if WD 4110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen that provides usage (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alert (e.g., if smoke is detected). User interface equipment 4132 may include input interfaces, devices and circuits, and output interfaces, devices and circuits. User interface equipment 4132 is configured to allow input of information into WD 4110, and is connected to processing circuitry 4120 to allow processing circuitry 4120 to process the input information. User interface equipment 4132 may include, for example, a microphone, a proximity or other sensor, keys/buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuitry. User interface equipment 4132 is also configured to allow output of information from WD 4110, and to allow processing circuitry 4120 to output information from WD 4110. User interface equipment 4132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, vibrating circuitry, a USB port, a headphone interface, or other output circuitry. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits, of user interface equipment 4132, WD 4110 may communicate with end users and/or the wireless network, and allow them to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0143] Auxiliary equipment 4134 is operable to provide more specific functionality which may not be generally performed by WDs. This may comprise specialized sensors for doing measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication such as wired communications etc. The inclusion and type of components of auxiliary equipment 4134 may vary depending on the embodiment and/or scenario.

[0144] Power source 4136 may, in some embodiments, be in the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic devices or power cells, may also be used. WD 4110 may further comprise power circuitry 4137 for delivering power from power source 4136 to the various parts of WD 4110 which need power from power source 4136 to carry out any functionality described or indicated herein. Power circuitry 4137 may in certain embodiments comprise power management circuitry. Power circuitry 4137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source; in which case WD 4110 may be connectable to the external power source (such as an electricity outlet) via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Power circuitry 4137 may also in certain embodiments be operable to deliver power from an external power source to power source 4136. This may be, for example, for the charging of power source 4136. Power circuitry 4137 may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from power source 4136 to make the power suitable for the respective components of WD 4110 to which power is supplied.

[0145] ABBREVIATIONS

[0146] At least some of the following abbreviations may be used in this disclosure. If there is an inconsistency between abbreviations, preference should be given to how it is used above. If listed multiple times below, the first listing should be preferred over any subsequent listing(s).

CGI Cell Global Identifier

E-SMLC Evolved-Serving Mobile Location Centre eNB E-UTRAN NodeB

E-SMLC evolved Serving Mobile Location Center E-UTRA Evolved UTRA E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN gNB Base station in NR HO Handover MME Mobility Management Entity MSC Mobile Switching Center OSS Operations Support System O&M Operation and Maintenance RSRP Reference Symbol Received Power OR

Reference Signal Received Power

RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality OR

Reference Symbol Received Quality

SON Self Optimized Network

UE User Equipment

UTRA Universal Terrestrial Radio Access

UTRAN Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network WCDMA Wide CDMA WLAN Wide Local Area Network

[0147] Further definitions and embodiments are discussed below.

[0148] In the above-description of various embodiments of present inventive concepts, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of present inventive concepts. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which present inventive concepts belong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0149] When an element is referred to as being "connected", "coupled", "responsive", or variants thereof to another element, it can be directly connected, coupled, or responsive to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected", "directly coupled", "directly responsive", or variants thereof to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Furthermore, "coupled", "connected", "responsive", or variants thereof as used herein may include wirelessly coupled, connected, or responsive. 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. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity. The term "and/or" (abbreviated “/”) includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. [0150] It will be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements/operations, these elements/operations should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element/operation from another element/operation. Thus a first element/operation in some embodiments could be termed a second element/operation in other embodiments without departing from the teachings of present inventive concepts. The same reference numerals or the same reference designators denote the same or similar elements throughout the specification.

[0151] As used herein, the terms "comprise", "comprising", "comprises", "include", "including", "includes", "have", "has", "having", or variants thereof are open-ended, and include one or more stated features, integers, elements, steps, components or functions but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, elements, steps, components, functions or groups thereof. Furthermore, as used herein, the common abbreviation "e.g.", which derives from the Latin phrase "exempli gratia," may be used to introduce or specify a general example or examples of a previously mentioned item, and is not intended to be limiting of such item. The common abbreviation "i.e.", which derives from the Latin phrase "id est," may be used to specify a particular item from a more general recitation.

[0152] Example embodiments are described herein with reference to block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations of computer-implemented methods, apparatus (systems and/or devices) and/or computer program products. It is understood that a block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by computer program instructions that are performed by one or more computer circuits. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor circuit of a general purpose computer circuit, special purpose computer circuit, and/or other programmable data processing circuit to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer and/or other programmable data processing apparatus, transform and control transistors, values stored in memory locations, and other hardware components within such circuitry to implement the functions/acts specified in the block diagrams and/or flowchart block or blocks, and thereby create means (functionality) and/or structure for implementing the functions/acts specified in the block diagrams and/or flowchart block(s).

[0153] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a tangible computer-readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer- readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the functions/acts specified in the block diagrams and/or flowchart block or blocks. Accordingly, embodiments of present inventive concepts may be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) that runs on a processor such as a digital signal processor, which may collectively be referred to as "circuitry," "a module" or variants thereof.

[0154] It should also be noted that in some alternate implementations, the functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the flowcharts. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. Moreover, the functionality of a given block of the flowcharts and/or block diagrams may be separated into multiple blocks and/or the functionality of two or more blocks of the flowcharts and/or block diagrams may be at least partially integrated. Finally, other blocks may be added/inserted between the blocks that are illustrated, and/or blocks/operations may be omitted without departing from the scope of inventive concepts. Moreover, although some of the diagrams include arrows on communication paths to show a primary direction of communication, it is to be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction to the depicted arrows.

[0155] Many variations and modifications can be made to the embodiments without substantially departing from the principles of the present inventive concepts. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of present inventive concepts. Accordingly, the above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the examples of embodiments are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments, which fall within the spirit and scope of present inventive concepts. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of present inventive concepts are to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the present disclosure including the examples of embodiments and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.