QOE MEASUREMENT AND REPORTING

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a wireless device, and methods performed thereby, for handling one or more indications. The present disclosure also relates generally to a network node and methods performed thereby for handling the one or more indications.

BACKGROUND

Wireless devices within a wireless communications network may be e.g., User Equipments (UE), stations (STAs), mobile terminals, wireless terminals, terminals, and/or Mobile Stations (MS). Wireless devices are enabled to communicate wirelessly in a cellular communications network or wireless communication network, sometimes also referred to as a cellular radio system, cellular system, or cellular network. The communication may be performed e.g., between two wireless devices, between a wireless device and a regular telephone and/or between a wireless device and a server via a Radio Access Network (RAN) and possibly one or more core networks, comprised within the wireless communications network. Wireless devices may further be referred to as mobile telephones, cellular telephones, laptops, or tablets with wireless capability, just to mention some further examples. The wireless devices in the present context may be, for example, portable, pocket-storable, hand-held, computer-comprised, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices, enabled to communicate voice and/or data, via the RAN, with another entity, such as another terminal or a server.

The wireless communications network covers a geographical area which may be divided into cell areas, each cell area being served by a network node, which may be an access node such as a radio network node, radio node or a base station, e.g., a Radio Base Station (RBS), which sometimes may be referred to as e.g., gNB, evolved Node B or E-UTRAN NodeB (“eNB”), “eNodeB”, “NodeB”, “B node”, Transmission Point (TP), or BTS (Base Transceiver Station), depending on the technology and terminology used. The base stations may be of different classes such as e.g., Wide Area Base Stations, Medium Range Base Stations, Local Area Base Stations, Home Base Stations, pico base stations, etc... , based on transmission power and thereby also cell size. A cell may be understood as the geographical area where radio coverage is provided by the base station or radio node at a base station site, or radio node site, respectively. One base station, situated on the base station site, may serve one or several cells. Further, each base station may support one or several communication technologies. The base stations communicate over the air interface operating on radio frequencies with the terminals within range of the base stations. The wireless communications network may also be a non-cellular system, comprising network nodes which may serve receiving nodes, such as wireless devices, with serving beams. In 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE), base stations, which may be referred to as eNodeBs or even eNBs, may be directly connected to one or more core networks. In the context of this disclosure, the expression Downlink (DL) may be used for the transmission path from the base station to the wireless device. The expression Uplink (UL) may be used for the transmission path in the opposite direction i.e., from the wireless device to the base station.

NR

The standardization organization 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently in the process of specifying a New Radio Interface called New Radio (NR) or 5G-Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), as well as a Fifth Generation (5G) Packet Core Network, which may be referred to as Next Generation (NG) Core Network, abbreviated as NG-CN, NGC or 5G CN.

In the current concept, gNB denotes an NR BS, where one NR BS may correspond to one or more transmission and/or reception points.

One of the main goals of NR is to provide more capacity for operators to serve ever increasing traffic demands and variety of applications. Because of this, NR may be able to operate on high frequencies, such as frequencies over 6 GHz, until 60 or even 100 GHz.

Operation in higher frequencies may make it possible to use smaller antenna elements, which may enable antenna arrays with many antenna elements. Such antenna arrays may facilitate beamforming, where multiple antenna elements may be used to form narrow beams and thereby compensate for the challenging propagation properties.

QoE measurements in legacy solution

Quality of Experience (QoE) measurements have been specified for LTE and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and they are being specified for NR. The purpose of application layer measurements may be understood to be to measure the end user experience when using certain applications. Currently, QoE measurements for streaming services and for Mobility Telephony Service for Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (MTSI) services may be supported.

The solutions in LTE and UMTS may be understood to be similar, with the overall principles as follows. Quality of Experience Measurement Collection may be understood to enable configuration of application layer measurements in a UE, and transmission of QoE measurement result files by means of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signalling. Application layer measurement configuration received from Operations and Maintenance (QAM or O&M) or Core Network (CN) may be encapsulated in a transparent container, which may be forwarded to a UE in a downlink RRC message. Application layer measurements received from a UE's higher layer may be encapsulated in a transparent container and sent to the network in an uplink RRC message. The result container may be forwarded to a Trace Collector Entity (TCE).

In 3GPP release 17, a study item for “Study on NR QoE management and optimizations for diverse services” for NR has been carried out. The purpose of the study item was to study solutions for QoE measurements in NR. QoE management in NR may not just collect the experience parameters of streaming services, but also consider the typical performance requirements of diverse services, e.g., Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) and Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC).

The measurements may be initiated towards the Radio Access Network (RAN) in a management-based manner, e.g., from an O&M node in a generic way, e.g., for a group of UEs, or they may also be initiated in a signaling-based manner, e.g., initiated from CN to RAN, e.g., for a single UE. The configuration of the measurement may include the measurement details, which may be encapsulated in a container that may be transparent to the RAN.

When initiated via the core network, the measurement may be started towards a specific UE. For the LTE case, the "TRACE START" S1 Application Protocol (S1AP) message may be used, which may carry, among others, the details about the measurement configuration the application may have to collect, e.g., in the “Container for application layer measurement configuration” Information Element (IE), transparent to the RAN, and the details to reach the trace collection entity to which the measurements may have to be sent. S1 may be understood to be the interface between the RAN and the CN in LTE.

RAN may not be aware of when the streaming session may be ongoing in the UE. Access Stratum (AS) may also not be aware of when the measurements may be ongoing. It may be an implementation decision when the RAN may stop the measurements. Typically, it may be performed when the UE has moved outside the measured area.

One opportunity provided by legacy methods may be also to be able to keep the QoE measurement for the whole session, even during a handover situation.

QoS measurement in Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)

E-UTRAN - Application layer measurement capabilities

For E-UTRAN, the UE capability transfer may be used to transfer UE radio access capability information from the UE to E-UTRAN.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram depicting a UE capability transfer to a E-UTRAN. The UE-EUTRA-Capability IE may be used to convey the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) UE Radio Access Capability Parameters and the Feature Group Indicators for mandatory features to the network.

The E-UTRAN 1 may first send a UECapabilityEnquiry message 2 to a UE 3. In the response message “UECapabilitylnformation” 4, the UE may include the “UE-EUTRA- Capability” IE. The “UE-EUTRA-Capability “ IE may include the UE-EUTRA-Capability- v1530-IE, which may be used by the UE to indicate whether the UE supports or not QoE Measurement Collection for streaming services and/or MTSI services, as detailed in the “MeasParameters-v1530” encoding below.

E-UTRAN - Application layer measurement reporting

The purpose of the “Application layer measurement reporting” procedure described in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 36.331 , v. 16.5.0 and shown below may be understood to be to inform the E-UTRAN about an application layer measurement report.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram depicting application layer measurement reporting in E- UTRAN. A UE 3 capable of application layer measurement reporting in RRC_CONNECTED may initiate the procedure when configured with application layer measurement, e.g., when measConfigAppLayer may have been configured by E-UTRAN 1 , e.g., in an RRC connection reconfiguration 21. Upon initiating the procedure, the UE 3 may be required to:

1> if configured with application layer measurement, and Signaling Radio Bearer 4 (SRB4) is configured, and the UE 3 has received application layer measurement report information from upper layers: 2>set the measReportAppLayerContainer in the MeasReportAppLayer message to the value of the application layer measurement report information;

2>set the serviceType in the MeasReportAppLayer message to the type of the application layer measurement report information;

2> submit the MeasReportAppLayer message 22 to lower layers for transmission via SRB4.

E-UTRAN - QoE measurement configuration setup and release - RRC signaling

The RRCConnectionReconfiguration message 21 may be used to reconfigure the UE to setup or release the UE for Application Layer measurements. This may be signaled in the measConfigAppLayer-15 IE within the “OtherConfig” IE.

The setup may include the transparent container measConfigAppLayerContainer, which may specify the QoE measurement configuration for the Application of interest and the serviceType IE to indicate the Application, or service, for which the QoE measurements may be being configured. Supported services may be streaming and MTSI.

The details for the measConfigAppLayer IE are shown below. measConfigAppLayerContainer

The field contains configuration of application layer measurements, see Annex L (normative) in TS 26.247 , v. 16.4.1, and clause 16.5 in TS 26.114, v. 17.1.0. serviceType

Indicates the type of application layer measurement. Value qoe indicates Quality of Experience Measurement Collection for streaming services, value qoemtsi indicates Enhanced Quality of Experience Measurement Collection for MTSI.

E-UTRAN - QoE measurement reporting - RRC signaling

As specified in 3GPP TS 36.331 , v. 16.5.0, the MeasReportAppLayer RRC message may be used by the UE to send to the E-UTRAN node the QoE measurement results of an Application, or service. The service for which the report may be being sent may be indicated in the “serviceType” IE.

The details for the MeasReportAppLayer message are shown below, sent using Signalling Radio Bearer, SRB4. MeasReportAppLayer message

The field contains container of application layer measurements, see Annex L (normative) in TS 26.247, v. 16.4.1, and clause 16.5 in TS 26.114 , v. 17.1.0. j i serviceType i Indicates the type of application layer measurement. Value qoe indicates Quality of i Experience Measurement Collection for streaming services, value qoemtsi indicates Quality of Experience Measurement Collection for MTSI.

Figure 3 is a signalling diagram of QoE Measurement Collection (QMC) activation and reporting in LITRAN, according to Figure 4.1.1-1 of 3GPP SA5 specification TS 28.405, v. 16.0.0. As depicted in the Figure, at 31 , the Network Manager (NM) 32 may send an Activate measurement job indication to the Domain Manager (DM)/Element Manager (EM) 33 that may control the impacted eNB(s) 34, and may include the parameters: serviceType, areaScope, Measurement Collector Entity (MCE) 35 Address, pLMNTarget, QMCTarget or QoE Target, QoEReference and QMC configuration file. At 36, the DM/EM 33 may forward the activate measurement job indication to the impacted eNB(s) 34, and may include the parameters: serviceType, areaScope, MCE 35 Address, PLMNTarget, QMCTarget, QoEReference and QMC configuration file. At 37, the eNB 34 may start finding the UE that may match the criteria of the Activate measurement job activation. When a connection may be found that may have the UE Application Layer Measurement Capability, the eNB 34 may at 38 send the message RRCConnectionReconfiguration to the UE AS 39, and include the following: serviceType, QoEReference and QMC configuration file, along with a UE Request Session Identifier/ldentity (ID). The AS in the UE 39 may then at 40 send the command +CAPPLEVMC to the application level 41 and include the following: serviceType, QoEReference, UE Request Session ID and QMC configuration file. At 42, the application may start and the QMC may be initiated. At 43, the application layer 41 may send the command +CAPPLEVMR including a recording session indication to the AS 39. The UE AS 39 may then send the message MeasurementReport including the recording session indication to the eNB 34 at 44. At 45, the eNB 34 may send a notification including the recording session indication to the NM 32. When the QMC may be completed, the recorded information may be collected in a QMC report, including QoEReference and recordingSessionld. At 46, the application layer 41 may send the AT command +CAPPLEVMR including QoEReference and the QMC report to the AS 39. The UE AS 39 may then send at 47 the message MeasurementReport including QoEReference, QoE report, QoE reference, UE ID and Recording ID to the eNB 34. The eNB 34 may the send the report to the MCE 35 associated to the QoEReference at 48.

According to existing methods QMC activation and reporting in UTRAN may lead to high signalling load and waste of resources in a communications network.

SUMMARY

As part of the development of embodiments herein, one or more challenges with the existing technology will first be identified and discussed.

According to the 3GPP SA5 specification TS 28.405, v. 16.0.0, an application configured with QoE configurations may send a session start indication, e.g., a Recording Session Indication, to the UE AS, and the UE AS may send the indication to the RAN node.

This signal is discussed in 3GPP to be specified as part of RRC specifications, with the purpose to be used to support the QoE configuration for ongoing sessions when the UE may move outside the configured area for the QoE measurements, with the intention to allow ongoing sessions with associated QoE measurements to conclude before the QoE measurement configuration may be released.

However, session start/stop indications may be understood to imply signaling load, which is undesirable in general, and in particular during situations of RAN overload.

According to the foregoing, it is an object of embodiments herein to improve the handling of one or more indications in a wireless communications network.

According to a first aspect of embodiments herein, the object is achieved by a method, performed by a wireless device. The method is for handling one or more indications. The wireless device operates in the wireless communications network. The wireless device determines whether or not to send a first indication of a first type to a network node operating in the wireless communications network. The determining is based on a first determination of whether or not a previous indication has been received from the network node. The previous indication indicates whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device, of another indication of another type is allowed. The wireless device also processes the first indication, based on a first result of the determining of whether or not to send the first indication.

According to a second aspect of embodiments herein, the object is achieved by a method, performed by a network node. The method is for handling the one or more indications. The network node operates in the wireless communications network. The network node sends the previous indication to the wireless device operating in the wireless communications network. The network node receives, based on the sent previous indication, the first indication of the first type from the wireless device. The previous indication indicates whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device, of the another indication of the another type is allowed. The network node then processes the received first indication.

According to a third aspect of embodiments herein, the object is achieved by the wireless device, for handling the one or more indications. The wireless device operates in the wireless communications network. The wireless device determines whether or not to send the first indication of the first type to the network node configured to operate in the wireless communications network. The determining is configured to be based on the first determination of whether or not the previous indication has been received from the network node. The previous indication is configured to indicate whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device, of the another indication of the another type is allowed. The wireless device also processes the first indication, based on the first result of the determining of whether or not to send the first indication.

According to a fourth aspect of embodiments herein, the object is achieved by the network node, for handling the one or more indications. The network node is configured to operate in the wireless communications network. The network node is further configured to send the previous indication to the wireless device configured to operate in the wireless communications network. The network node is also configured to receive, based on the previous indication configured to be sent, the first indication of the first type from the wireless device. The previous indication is configured to indicate whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device, of the another indication of the another type is allowed. The network node is additionally configured to process the first indication configured to be received.

By the wireless device determining whether or not to send the first indication of the first type to the network node and processing the first indication accordingly, the wireless device may be enabled to dynamically, based on conditions/situations/circumstances in the RAN, decide whether to send the first indication, e.g., a Session Start Indication, or not, governed by configuration from the network, e.g., from the network node, and/or its own assessments. The wireless device may therefore be enabled to send the indications received from the upper layer to the network node in an appropriate way, taking current conditions into account. Such indications may not be always useful for the network node to receive and hence the wireless device may be enabled to handle these indications in a more efficient way without unnecessary signaling in the uplink. This may be understood to reduce energy consumption by the wireless device as well as load and interference in the uplink.

By the network node receiving the first indication from the wireless device based on the sent previous indication indicating whether or not uplink transmission by the wireless device of the another indication of another type is allowed, the network node may be enabled to receive the first indication in a more efficient way without unnecessary signaling in the uplink. This may be understood to reduce energy consumption by the wireless device as well as load and interference in the uplink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of embodiments herein are described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and according to the following description.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram depicting a UE capability transfer to a E-UTRAN, according to existing methods.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram depicting application layer measurement reporting in E- LITRAN, according to existing methods.

Figure 3 is a signalling diagram depicting a non-limiting example of a QMC activation and reporting method, according to existing methods.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a wireless communications network, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 5 is a flowchart depicting an example of a method performed by a wireless device, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 6 is a flowchart depicting an example of a method performed by a network node, according to embodiments herein. Figure 7 is a signalling diagram depicting a non-limiting example of a method performed by a wireless communications network, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 8 is a signalling diagram depicting another non-limiting example of a method performed by a wireless communications network, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram illustrating two non-limiting examples, a) and b), of a wireless device, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram illustrating two non-limiting examples, a) and b), of a network node, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a telecommunication network connected via an intermediate network to a host computer, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 12 is a generalized block diagram of a host computer communicating via a base station with a user equipment over a partially wireless connection, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 13 is a flowchart depicting embodiments of a method in a communications system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 14 is a flowchart depicting embodiments of a method in a communications system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 15 is a flowchart depicting embodiments of a method in a communications system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, according to embodiments herein.

Figure 16 is a flowchart depicting embodiments of a method in a communications system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment, according to embodiments herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to this challenge or other challenges. There are, proposed herein, various embodiments which address one or more of the issues disclosed herein.

As a general overview, embodiments herein relate to a UE’s action upon receiving indications from the upper layers. Particularly, embodiments herein may relate to methods to handle indications, e.g., Session Start indication, received from the applications, which may be configured with QoE configurations, in an efficient way. One non-limiting example scenario may be to avoid sending a Session Start indication when QoE measurement reporting may have been paused by the network, e.g., based on the radio network condition. In a non-limiting example, when QoE measurement reporting may be paused at RAN overload condition..

Some of the embodiments contemplated will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples are shown. In this section, the embodiments herein will be illustrated in more detail by a number of exemplary embodiments. 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. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments herein are not mutually exclusive. Components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present in another embodiment and it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art how those components may be used in the other exemplary embodiments.

Note that although terminology from LTE/5G has been used in this disclosure to exemplify the embodiments herein, this should not be seen as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein to only the aforementioned system. Other wireless systems with similar features, may also benefit from exploiting the ideas covered within this disclosure.

Figure 4 depicts, in each of panel a) and panel b), two non-limiting examples of a wireless communications network 100, sometimes also referred to as a wireless communications system, cellular radio system, or cellular network, in which embodiments herein may be implemented. The wireless communications network 100 may typically be a 5G system, 5G network, NR-ll or Next Gen System or network, Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA), or MulteFire network. The wireless communications network 100 may support a younger system than a 5G system. The wireless communications network 100 may support other technologies, such as, for example Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced I LTE- Advanced Pro, e.g. LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD), LTE Half-Duplex Frequency Division Duplex (HD-FDD), LTE operating in an unlicensed band, etc... Other examples of other technologies the wireless communications network 100 may support may be Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) TDD, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) network, GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN) network, Ultra-Mobile Broadband (UMB), network comprising of any combination of Radio Access Technologies (RATs) such as e.g. Multi-Standard Radio (MSR) base stations, multi-RAT base stations etc., any 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) cellular network, WiFi networks, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Internet of Things (loT), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-loT), or any cellular network or system. Thus, although terminology from 5G/NR and LTE may be used in this disclosure to exemplify embodiments herein, this should not be seen as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein to only the aforementioned systems.

As depicted in Figure 4, the wireless communications network 100 comprises a network node 110. The network node 110 may be a radio network node, as depicted in the nonlimiting example of panel a) in Figure 4, or a core network node, as depicted in the non-limiting example of panel b) in Figure 4. As a radio network node, the network node 110 may be a RAN node, that is, a transmission point such as a radio base station, for example, a Radio base station in NR (gNB), eNB, en-gNB, ng-eNB, gNB-Central Unit (CU), gNB-CU-Control Plane (CP), gNB-CU-User Plane (UP), gNB-Distributed Unit (DU), eNB-CU, eNB-CU-CP, eNB-CU-UP, eNB-DU, Integrated Access and Backhaul (lAB)-nodes, lAB-donors, lAB-donor- CU, lAB-donor-CU-CP, lAB-donor-CU-UP, lAB-donor-DU, lAB-Mobile Termination (MT), O- CU, O-CU-CP, O-CU-UP, O-DU, O-Radio Unit (RU), O-eNB, or any other network node with similar features capable of serving a wireless device, such as a user equipment or a machine type communication device, in the wireless communications network 100. In typical examples, the network node 110 may be a base station, such as a gNB. In other examples, the network node 110 may be a distributed node, such as a virtual node in the cloud, and may perform its functions entirely on the cloud, or partially, in collaboration with a radio network node. As a core network node, the network node 110 may be e.g., an CAM node, or a Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) node. As depicted in the non-limiting example of panel b), as a core network node, the network node 110 may be located in the cloud 115, and communicative with the wireless device 130 via a radio network node 111.

The wireless communications network 100 may cover a geographical area, which in some embodiments may be divided into cell areas, wherein each cell area may be served by a radio network node, although, one radio network node may serve one or several cells. In the examples of Figure 4, the network node 110 serves a cell 120. The network node 110 may be of different classes, such as, e.g., macro eNodeB, home eNodeB or pico base station, based on transmission power and thereby also cell size. In some examples, the network node 110 may serve receiving nodes with serving beams. The radio network node may support one or several communication technologies, and its name may depend on the technology and terminology used. Any of the radio network nodes that may be comprised in the communications network 100 may be directly connected to one or more core networks.

A plurality of wireless devices may be comprised in the wireless communication network 100, whereof a wireless device 130, is depicted in the non-limiting examples of Figure 4. The wireless device 130 comprised in the wireless communications network 100 may be a wireless communication device such as a 5G UE, or a UE, which may also be known as e.g., mobile terminal, wireless terminal and/or mobile station, a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) a mobile telephone, cellular telephone, or laptop with wireless capability, just to mention some further examples. Any of the wireless devices comprised in the wireless communications network 100 may be, for example, portable, pocket-storable, hand-held, computer-comprised, or a vehicle-mounted mobile device, enabled to communicate voice and/or data, via the RAN, with another entity, such as a server, a laptop, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), or a tablet, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) device, device equipped with a wireless interface, such as a printer or a file storage device, modem, or any other radio network unit capable of communicating over a radio link in a communications system. The wireless device 130 comprised in the wireless communications network 100 is enabled to communicate wirelessly in the wireless communications network 100. The communication may be performed e.g., via a RAN, and possibly the one or more core networks, which may be comprised within the wireless communications network 100. In particular embodiments, the wireless device 130 may be a RedCap device, or an Enhanced Reduced Capability NR Devices (eRedCap). In particular embodiments, the wireless device 130 may be an loT device.

The wireless device 130 may be configured to communicate within the wireless communications network 100 with the radio network node 110 over a first link 141 , e.g., a radio link, for example a first beam. The network node 110 may be configured to communicate within the wireless communications network 100 with the radio network node 111 over a second link 142, e.g., a radio link or a wired link.

In general, the usage of “first”, “second”, “third”, “fourth”, “fifth”, “sixth”, “seventh” and/or “eighth” herein may be understood to be an arbitrary way to denote different elements or entities, and may be understood to not confer a cumulative or chronological character to the nouns they modify.

Several embodiments are comprised herein. It should be noted that the examples herein are not mutually exclusive. Components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present in another embodiment and it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art how those components may be used in the other exemplary embodiments.

More specifically, the following are embodiments related to a network node, such as the network node 110, e.g., a gNB, and embodiments related to a wireless device, such as the wireless device 130, e.g., a UE.

Some embodiments herein will be further described with some non-limiting examples.

In the following description, any reference to a/the network, and/or the network node, and/or “gNB”, and/or “the network”, and/or “the RAN”, and/or “the RAN node” may be understood to equally refer to the network node 110; any reference to a/the UE, and/or a/the wireless terminal may be understood to equally refer the wireless device 130. General

The terms “UE”, “terminal equipment”, “wireless terminal” and “terminal”, “wireless device” may be used interchangeably.

The terms “QoE measurement report”, “QoE report”, “measurement report” and “report” may be used interchangeably.

The terms UE RRC configuration, UE RRC context, RRC configuration, RRC context, or just configuration and context may be used interchangeably.

The terms “QoE measurement configuration”, QoE measurement and reporting configuration”, “QoE configuration” may be used interchangeably. Note that the term “QoE measurement” also may refer to a measurement or data collection performed for the purpose of determining one or more QoE metric(s).

The terms “Session Start indication”, “Recording Session Indication”, and in some cases “indication” may be to a large extent used interchangeably.

The Session Start Indication may be used as an example and embodiments herein may be applied to any indication that a UE AS may receive from the upper layer/applications.

The terms “service” and “application” may be used interchangeably.

The terms Measurement Collector Entity (“MCE”) and “TCE” may be used interchangeably and may both be seen as example realizations of a QoE Collector Entity (CE).

The term “pause”, such as in “pause indication”, may be often used herein as equivalent to “pause QoE measurement reporting”. Similarly, the term “resume”, such as in “resume indication”, may be often used herein as equivalent to “resume QoE measurement reporting”.

A network node may be a RAN node, a gNB, eNB, en-gNB, ng-eNB, gNB-CU, gNB-CU- CP, gNB-CU-UP, gNB-DU, eNB-CU, eNB-CU-CP, eNB-CU-UP, eNB-DU, lAB-nodes, IAB- donors, lAB-donor-CU, lAB-donor-CU-CP, lAB-donor-CU-UP, lAB-donor-DU, IAB-MT, O-CU, O-CU-CP, O-CU-UP, O-DU, O-RU, O-eNB, a Core Network node, an QAM node, an SMO node.

It may be noted that embodiments herein have been described in the context of RAN overload, but embodiments herein may be used in other situations in which the AS decision of the wireless device 130 for sending indication(s) received from the upper layer, e.g. the application layer, to a RAN node such as the network node 110 may have to be made by the AS of the wireless device 130 and based on the RAN condition and situation.

Embodiments of a method performed by a wireless device, such as the wireless device 130, will now be described with reference to the flowchart depicted in Figure 5. The method may be understood to be handling one or more indications. The wireless device 130 operates in the wireless communications network 100.

The wireless communications network 100 may be a 5G network or an LTE network. The method may be performed by an AS of the wireless device 130, or one or more lower layers in the wireless device 130, or one or more radio related layers in the wireless device 130, or one or more non-application layers in the wireless device 130.

In some embodiments, the wireless device 130 may be a UE, e.g., a 5G UE or a UE supporting LTE.

As an overview, the method proposed in embodiments herein may provide a mechanism for the AS of the wireless device 130 to handle the indications, e.g., a session start indication, received from the applications, based on the radio network 110 condition. In a non-limiting example, when QoE measurement reporting may be paused at RAN overload condition.

Several embodiments are comprised herein. In some embodiments all the actions may be performed. In some embodiments, one or more actions may be performed. It should be noted that the examples herein are not mutually exclusive. One or more embodiments may be combined, where applicable. All possible combinations are not described to simplify the description. Components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present in another embodiment and it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art how those components may be used in the other exemplary embodiments. A non-limiting example of the method performed by the wireless device 130 is depicted in Figure 5. In Figure 5, actions which may be optional in some examples are depicted with dashed boxes.

Some actions may be performed in a different order than that shown in Figure 5. For example, Action 508 may be performed before Action 507, e.g., when processing in Action 507 may comprise sending the indication.

Action 501

According to embodiments herein, as will be described later in relation to Action 506, the wireless device 130 may determine whether or not to send a first indication. The first indication may have been received from an upper layer of the wireless device 130, e.g., a nonradio related layer in the wireless device 130 or an application layer in the wireless device 130.

The first indication may be of a first type. In some embodiments, the first indication of the first type may be at least one of: i) a Session Start indication, ii) a Session Stop indication, and iii) a different indication received from an upper layer of the wireless device 130. The first indication, e.g., the Session Start Indication may pertain to an application for which QoE measurements may have been configured.

Examples of embodiments herein are described using the Session Start Indication as an illustrative example. However, it may be noted that this is for illustrative purposes only and non-limiting. There may be other indications beside the Session Start Indication, such as Session Stop Indication or other indications, and if any of these indications are used, embodiments herein may be used to assist the wireless device 130 in decisions for transmission of such indications to the network node 110, or the behavior of the wireless device 130 in general with regards to such indications.

In this Action 501 , the wireless device 130 may send, to the network node 110, at least one of: i) a first prior instance of the first indication, e.g., a previous Session Start indication, and ii) a first prior instance of a second indication. The second indication may be of a second type other than the first type. For example, the second indication of the second type may be one of: i) a Session Start indication, ii) a Session Stop indication, and iii) a different indication received from an upper layer of the wireless device 130. For example, the second indication of the second type may be, e.g., a Session Stop indication, e.g., wherein the first indication may be a Session Start indication. The first prior instance of the second indication may in such an example be, e.g., a previous Session Stop indication.

Sending may be performed, e.g., via the first link 141.

Action 502

In this Action 502, the wireless device 130 may store, in a memory of the wireless device 130, at least one of: i) a third indication of a respective first time of receipt of the first prior instance of the first indication from the upper layer within the wireless device 130, and ii) a fourth indication of a respective second time of receipt of the first prior instance of the second indication from the upper layer within the wireless device 130.

By storing at least one of the third indication and the fourth indication in this Action 502, the wireless device 130 may be enabled to keep or store information about each first prior instance of the first indication each first prior instance of the second indication, e.g, Session Start Indication, received in a register/memory with a timer measuring the time elapsed from the time that the respective prior instance of the first indication or the second indication, e.g., a Session Start Indication, may have been received from the upper layers, e.g., application. The same may be done with each Session Stop indication received from the application layer.

Action 503

In this Action 503, the wireless device 130 may receive a previous indication from the network node 110.

The previous indication may indicate whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device 130, of another indication of another type may be allowed. The another indication of the another type may be one of: a) a report of one or more measurements, e.g., of a quality of experience (QoE), that is, of a report of one or more QoE measurements, such as QoE measurements for some or all of the applications, or for some or all service types, b) conventional QoE reporting, such as QoE reporting that may be transparent to RAN, and c) reporting of RAN visible QoE, such as a QoE reporting decodable by the RAN.

For example, the previous indication may indicate, e.g., whether uplink transmission of the another indication by the wireless device 130 is to be not allowed, e.g., to pause, or to be allowed, e.g., to be resumed, e.g., after it may have been paused. For example, the network node 110 may be in overload condition or for any other reason it may decide to pause QoE measurement reporting from the UE.

The uplink transmission of the another indication may be QoE measurement reporting.

In some particular examples, the previous indication may indicate whether or not QoE reporting is to be pause or resumed.

Receiving may be performed, e.g., via the first link 141.

By receiving the previous indication from the network node 110 in this Action 503, the wireless device 130 may be enabled to determine, as will be described in Action 506, whether to send the first indication, e.g., a session start indication, to the network node 110, or to discard the indication based on the above information. This may in turn enable the wireless device 130 to handle these indications in a more efficient way without unnecessary signaling in the uplink. This may be understood to reduce energy consumption by the wireless device 130 as well as load and interference in the uplink.

Action 504

In this Action 504, the wireless device 130 may receive the first indication from the upper layer within the wireless device 130. The receiving of the indication may be after receiving the previous indication. For example, an application for which QoE measurements may have been configured may start a new session at this time, when QoE reporting may have been paused. The application may send a Session Start Indication to the wireless device 130.

Receiving may be performed, e.g., via the first link 141.

Action 505

In this Action 505, the wireless device 130 may start a first timer based on a respective first time of receipt of the first indication. The wireless device 130 may therefore register or login the respective first time of receipt of the first indication. Action 506

In this Action 506, the wireless device 130 determines whether or not to send the first indication of the first type to the network node 110 operating in the wireless communications network 100. Determining may be understood as calculating, deciding, or deriving.

The determining in this Action 506 is based on a first determination 506a. The first determination 506a is of whether or not the previous indication has been received from the network node 110. As stated earlier, the previous indication indicates whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device 130, of the another indication of the another type is allowed.

In some embodiments, at least one of the following may apply. According to a first option, the first indication of the first type may be one of: i) the Session Start indication, ii) the Session Stop indication, and iii) the different indication received from the upper layer of the wireless device 130. According to a second option, the another indication of the another type may be one of: a) the report of one or more measurements, e.g., of the quality of experience, QoE, such the QoE measurements for some or all of the applications, or for some or all service types, b) conventional QoE reporting, such as QoE reporting that is transparent to RAN, and c) reporting of RAN visible QoE, such as the QoE reporting decodable by the RAN. According to the second option, the uplink transmission of the another indication may be QoE measurement reporting. According to a third option, the uplink transmission of the another indication may be QoE measurement reporting.

In some embodiments, the determining in this Action 506 of whether or not to send the first indication to the network node 110 may be further based on a second determination 506b. The second determination 506b may be of whether or not: i) one or more prior instances of the first indication of the first type, e.g., a previous Session Start indication, or ii) one or more prior instances of the second indication of the second type other than the first type and the another type, e.g., a previous Session Stop indication, e.g., wherein the first indication is a Session Start indication, may have already been sent to the network node 110, e.g., in Action 501. In such embodiments, the second indication of the second type may be one of: i) a Session Start indication, ii) a Session Stop indication, and iii) a different indication received from an upper layer of the wireless device 130.

In some embodiments, the second determination 506b may comprise determining whether or not: i) a previous start of a session indication, e.g., pertaining to a same session as the first indication, has been sent to the network node 110, and ii) a previous end of a session indication corresponding to the previous start of the session indication has been sent to the network node 110. In some embodiments, the determining in this Action 506 of whether or not to send the first indication to the network node 110 may be further based on: a third determination 506c and a fourth determination 506d. The third determination 506c may be of whether or not one or more instances of at least one of the first indication and the second indication of the second type have been received from the upper layer of the wireless device 130 for transmission to the network node 110. The fourth determination 506d may be of whether or not an instance of the second indication is for the same session as an instance of the first indication. For example, the fourth determination may comprise determining whether one or more Session Start indications may have already been sent to the network node 110 without sending a corresponding Session Stop/End indication for the same session.

By the wireless device 130 determining whether or not to send the first indication of the first type to the network node 110 in this Action 506, the wireless device 130 may be enabled to dynamically, based on conditions/situations/circumstances in the RAN, decide whether to send the first indication, e.g., a Session Start Indication, or not, governed by configuration from the network, e.g., from the network node 110, and/or its own assessments. The wireless device 130 may therefore be enabled to send the indications received from the upper layer to the network node 110 in an appropriate way, taking current conditions into account. Such indications may not be always useful for the network node 110 to receive and hence the wireless device 130 may be enabled to handle these indications in a more efficient way without unnecessary signaling in the uplink. This may be understood to reduce energy consumption by the wireless device 130 as well as load and interference in the uplink.

Action 507

In this Action 507, the wireless device 130 processes the first indication. The processing in this Action 507 may be based on a first result of the determining 506 of whether or not to send the first indication.

The processing in this Action 507 may comprise one or more of the following options.

According to a first option, the processing in this Action 507 may comprise sending the first indication to the network node 110. According to the first option, the sending of the first indication may be, e.g., with the proviso that at least one of: a) the previous indication indicates that transmission of the another indication is not allowed, e.g., is to pause, and it has not been received, and b) the previous indication indicates that transmission of the another indication is allowed, e.g., is to resume, and it has been received.

According to a second option, the processing in this Action 507 may comprise refraining from sending the first indication to the network node 110. The refraining from sending the first indication may be, e.g., with the proviso that: the previous indication indicates that transmission of the another indication is not allowed and the previous indication has been received.

According to a third option, the processing in this Action 507 may comprise discarding the first indication.

According to a fourth option, the processing in this Action 507 may comprise storing the first indication.

According to a fifth option, the processing in this Action 507 may comprise refraining from storing the first indication.

According to a sixth option, the processing in this Action 507 may comprise registering/retrieving, or both, a time of arrival of the first indication from an upper layer of the wireless device 130.

According to a seventh option, the processing in this Action 507 may comprise sending to the network node 110 a first additional indication indicating that a session has occurred.

According to an eighth option, the processing in this Action 507 may comprise selecting the first indication for transmission, with the proviso multiple instances of the first indication have been received.

According to a ninth option, the processing in this Action 507 may comprise deleting a previously received configuration, e.g., a QoE configuration, not yet applied.

According to a tenth option, the processing in this Action 507 may comprise sending a subsequent indication to the upper layer of the wireless device 130, the subsequent indication indicating to refrain from sending more indications for transmission to the network node 110.

Further description about these embodiments may be found below, under the subheading “The AS layer inhibiting the application/upper layer from sending Session Start/Stop Indication to the AS”.

In some of the embodiments, the processing in this Action 507 may be further based on at least one of the third determination 506c and the fourth determination 506d, and it may comprise one of: i) refraining from sending at least one of the first indication and the second indication, e.g., at least the second instance of the first indication and the second indication; ii) refraining from sending both of the first indication and the second indication, e.g., the second instance of both of the first indication and the second indication; iii) discarding one of the first indication and the second indication, e.g., the second instance of one of the first indication and the second indication, and iv) sending a subsequent indication to the upper layer of the wireless device 130. The subsequent indication may indicate to refrain from sending more indications for transmission to the network node 110.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first indication and a previous second indication of one or more previous second indications, as received from an upper layer of the wireless device 130 may comprise, respectively, at least one of: i) a first identifier of the instance of the first indication, e.g., a second instance of the first indication, ii) a second identifier of an application to which the first indication or the second indication belongs, iii) a third identifier of the first indication or the second indication, e.g., RRC ID or Short ID, iv) a reference of the first indication or the second indication, e.g., a QoE reference, v) a fourth identifier of a session, e.g., Session ID, Recording Session ID, e.g., a session to which the first indication belongs, vi) a fifth identifier for a service type, vii) a sixth identifier of a subservice type or a service subtype, viii) a seventh identifier of a vendor of the application, and ix)an eighth identifier of a brand of the application.

In some embodiments wherein the wireless device 130 may send the first indication to the network node 110, the first indication may further comprise, in at least one or more additional indications, at least one of: i) the second indication, e.g., the second instance of the second indication, ii) the first indication and the second indication placed together, iii) the first identifier of the instance of the first indication, e.g., a second instance of the first indication, iv) the second identifier of the application to which the first indication belongs, v) the third identifier of the previous indication, e.g., of the one or more measurements, e.g., RRC ID or Short ID, vi) the reference of the first indication, e.g., the QoE reference, vii)the fourth identifier of the session, e.g., Session ID, Recording Session ID, viii) the fifth identifier for the service type, ix) the sixth identifier of the subservice type or the service subtype, x) the seventh identifier of the vendor of the application, and xi) the eighth identifier of the brand of the application.

In some embodiments, the previous indication may have been received and the previous indication may indicate how the wireless device 130 is to process the first indication. For example, the previous indication may, e.g., comprise a fifth indication indicating whether or not the wireless device 130 is to stop sending at least one of the first indication and the second indication. In a more particular example, the previous indication may indicate to pause QoE reporting, and it may further indicate to stop sending Start Session indications.

In some particular embodiments at least one of the following may apply. In some embodiments, the previous indication may be a request to pause QoE reporting, the first indication may be a Start Session indication, and the processing in this Action 507 may comprise refraining from sending the first indication. In some embodiments, the previous indication may be a request to resume QoE reporting, the first indication may be a Start Session indication, and the processing in this Action 507 may comprise sending, retroactively, the first indication.

The first indication may be sent retroactively with the second indication for the same session, and/or multiple first indications and any associated second indications, which may have been received from the upper layer and may have not yet been sent to the network node 110 when the previous indication may be received.

In some embodiments, the processing in this Action 507 may be further based on at least one of: a reason for receiving the previous indication, a service type associated to the previous indication, a timer, e.g., the first timer, associated with the first indication, a category of an application to which the first indication belongs, one or more existing configurations, e.g., QoE configurations, and one or more conditions, e.g., of the radio access network.

For the purpose of the further description of the approach described herein and its embodiments, the following categories may be introduced for application sessions for which QoE measurements may be configured, where the category of an application session may depend on the timing of the start and end of the application session in relation to the period(s) when the QoE measurement reporting may have been/was paused:

Category 1 : Application sessions that were started before the QoE measurement reporting was paused, and for which a Session Start Indication was forwarded to the network, e.g., the network node 110, and ended while the QoE measurement reporting was paused, where the triggered Session Stop Indication thus was not forwarded to the network, e.g., the network node 110.

Category 2: Application sessions that were both started and stopped while the QoE measurement reporting was paused, and for which hence no Session Start/Stop Indications was forwarded to the network node, e.g., the network 110.

Category 3: Application sessions that were started while the QoE measurement reporting was paused, and for which hence no Session Start Indications was forwarded to the network, e.g., the network node 110, and which are still ongoing when the QoE measurement reporting is resumed.

Category 4: Application sessions that started before the QoE measurement reporting was paused and are still ongoing when the QoE measurement reporting is resumed.

Note that the categories may only apply to application sessions for which QoE measurements may be configured, while application sessions for which no QoE measurements may be configured may be understood to be of no interest in this context.

Action 508

In this Action 508, the wireless device 130 may stop the first timer. The stopping in this Action 508 of the first timer may be based on a respective second time of processing 507 of the first indication, e.g., sending to the network node 110. The first indication may be sent to the network node 110 with a sixth indication of the respective first time of receipt of the first indication and the respective second time second time of processing 507 of the first indication. The sixth indication may indicate, for example, the time elapsed between the first time and the second time.

In some examples, the stopping of the first timer may be performed before the processing in Action 507 of the first indication, e.g., before the sending of the first indication to the network node 110. The wireless device 130 may therefore register or login the respective second time of processing 507 of the first indication.

For illustrative purposes, different examples of the embodiments on the actions of the AS of the wireless device 130 in Action 507 and/or Action 508 are explained in the section entitled “The action of the AS of the wireless device 130 upon receiving Session Start Indication from the upper layers (applications)”, which is described next.

The action of the AS of the wireless device 130 upon receiving Session Start Indication from the upper layers (applications)

In the methods according to embodiments herein, the radio layers in a wireless terminal such as the wireless device 130, e.g., the AS (AS) layers in a UE operating according to the 3GPP NR or LTE standard, upon receiving a Session Start Indication from the upper layers, such as the application layer, may perform one of the following actions.

In one example, if the AS of the wireless device 130 already received a QoE measurement report pausing indication from the network, e.g., the network node 110 in Action 503, it may, according to Action 507, store the indication, e.g., first indication, received from the upper layers, until it may receive a QoE measurement report resume command from the network, e.g., the network node 110. Upon receiving a QoE measurement reporting resume command from the network, e.g., the network node 110, the AS of the wireless device 130 may, according to Action 507, transmit to the network, e.g., the network node 110 the received and stored indication from the application layer.

The AS of the wireless device 130 may run a timer, referred to herein as the first timer, from the time it received the indication, e.g., first indication, from the upper layer, to the time it may transmit the indication, e.g., first indication, received form the upper layers to the network, e.g., the network node 110 in Action 507.

When the AS of the wireless device 130 may be about to send the indication, e.g., first indication, to the network, e.g., the network node 110, it may stop the timer in Action 508, and log the timer value beside the indication, e.g., first indication, and send both the indication, e.g., first indication, and the timer value to the network, e.g., the network node 110.

In a non-limiting example, a RAN node such as the network node 110 may use the first timer values to align and correlate the Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT) and QoE reports provided at QoE measurement reporting pause. Alternatively, the AS of the wireless device 130 may, according to Action 505, log/store a timestamp together with the indication, e.g., first indication, when the indication, e.g., first indication, may be received from the upper layer, that is, the respective first time of receipt. When QoE measurement reporting may be resumed, the AS of the wireless device 130 may send the indication, e.g., first indication, and the timestamp to the network, e.g., the network node 110.

In another example, if the AS of the wireless device 130 already received another indication, which may be called First Session Start Indication, for the same service type from the applications, and the First Session Start Indication is already sent to the network, e.g., the network node 110 in Action 501 , the wireless device 130 may, in Action 507, discard the first indication, that is, newly received indication, the Second Session Start Indication, from the application. This may be due to the fact that in one interpretation, the network, e.g., the network node 110 may only need to know whether there is an ongoing session for the applications for a given service type configured with the QoE measurements. This way, the network, e.g., the network node 110 may avoid overriding, releasing or modifying that QoE configuration for the ongoing session.

To this end, in one example, the AS of the wireless device 130 may keep track of the number of Session Start Indications and the number of Session Stop Indications it may receive from the upper layers, e.g., the application layer, for the same service type, e.g., for which the same configured QoE measurement configuration may apply, and only forward the first received Session Start Indication and the last received Session Stop Indication to the network, e.g., the network node 110. That is, if the AS of the wireless device 130 has received N Session Start Indications for the concerned service type, the AS of the wireless device 130 may keep track of the number of Session Stop Indications it may receive for the same service type and, according to Action 507, forward only the Nth received Session Stop Indication to the network, e.g., the network node 110. The rationale may be understood to be that the first Session Start Indication may indicate a change from the state that no application session is ongoing for the concerned service type to the state that at least one application session is ongoing for the service type, which the network, e.g., the network node 110 may need to be aware of, and the last received Session Stop Indication may indicate a change from the state where at least one application session is ongoing for the concerned service type to the state that no application session is ongoing for the concerned service type, which the network, e.g., the network node 110 may need to be aware of.

In another example, the above described track-keeping of the number of ongoing application sessions of the same service type, for which the same configured QoE measurement configuration may apply, may be performed at a higher layer than the AS of the wireless device 130, e.g. the application layer, which may thus transfer a Session Start Indication to the AS of the wireless device 130 only for the first started application session of the concerned service type, and transfer a Session Stop Indication to the AS of the wireless device 130 only when the last of the application sessions of the concerned service type may end.

In yet another example, the wireless device 130 may send every indication, e.g., first indication, it may have received from the upper layers to the network, e.g., the network node 110. The wireless device 130 may include the identifiers produced by the application for that session, e.g., the fourth identifier, and its associated QoE measurements.

The network, e.g., the network node 110, may use this indication, e.g., first indication, and its relevant identifier produced at the application layer to decide on new configuration, modifying the existing configuration or releasing the existing configuration for the applications and service types. In other words, the network node 110 may reconfigure or modify or release the existing configurations for the applications for which it may not have received any Session Start Indications.

In another example, when the AS of the wireless device 130 may receive, e.g., from the application layer and forward to the network, e.g., the network node 110, immediately or delayed, e.g. until paused QoE measurement reporting may have been resumed, multiple Session Start/Stop indications for the same service type, or for sessions for which the same QoE configuration may apply, the AS of the wireless device 130 may associate a, possibly internally generated, Session ID, e.g., the fourth identifier, with each indication, so that the RAN may match subsequent Session Stop indications with the correct Session Start indications. As one option, the Session ID may be the Recording Session Id, but it may also be an entirely new parameter/identifier. It may be noted that this mechanism may be applied not only when QoE measurement reporting may be paused, or may have been paused and resumed, triggering retroactive sending of Session Start/Stop indications, but also in situations of parallel application sessions during regular operation, without paused or previously paused QoE measurement reporting, or paused or previously paused sending of Session Start/Stop indications.

In another example, when a UE such as the wireless device 130, after a period of paused QoE measurement reporting, e.g., due to a RAN overload condition, may retroactively send multiple Session Start Indications, and possibly multiple Session Stop Indications, to the RAN, e.g., the network node 110, an option, which may be seen as an alternative to the above described Session ID for the purpose of associating a Session Stop Indication with the corresponding Session Start Indication, may be to order, or place, the Session Start Indications and Session Stop Indications in corresponding pairs in the retroactive report of Session Start/Stop Indications, such that each pair of Session Start Indication I Session Stop Indication pertaining to the same application session may be placed together, as substructures or as an ordered list of session related indications, e.g., ordered with the earliest Session Start Indication, and its associated Session Stop Indication, first.

In another example, when the AS of the wireless device 130 may receive, e.g., from the application layer, and forward to the network, e.g., the network node 110, immediately or delayed, e.g., until paused QoE measurement reporting may have been resumed, multiple Session Start/Stop indications for the same service type, or for sessions for which the same QoE configuration may apply, the AS of the wireless device 130 may indicate service type, subservice type, specific application, application vendor/brand/app identifier, when there may be multiple applications performing the same/equivalent service, together with each forwarded Session Start/Stop indication, or only together with each Session Start indication or together with selected Session Start/Stop indications or together with selected Session Start indications. It may be noted that this mechanism may be applied not only when QoE measurement reporting may be paused, or may have been paused and resumed, triggering retroactive sending of Session Start/Stop indications, but also in situations of parallel application sessions during regular operation, without paused or previously paused QoE measurement reporting, or paused or previously paused sending of Session Start/Stop indications.

In another example, when the AS of the wireless device 130 may receive, e.g., from the application layer, and forward to the network, e.g., the network node 110, immediately or delayed, e.g., until paused QoE measurement reporting may have been resumed, multiple Session Start/Stop indications for the same service type, or for sessions for which the same QoE configuration may have been applied, the AS of the wireless device 130 may not send any further information to the network node 110 to assist the network, e.g., the network node 110, to make sense of the situation, e.g., in terms of which Session Start indication a Session Stop indication may be associated with or the number of ongoing application sessions. Instead, the network, e.g., the network node 110, e.g., the RAN, may keep track of the number of received Session Start indications and Session Stop indications, e.g., pertaining to the same QoE configuration, the same service type, the same subservice type, or service subtype, the same specific application, and/or the same application vendor/brand/application identifier, when there may be multiple apps performing the same/equivalent service, and based on this may keep track of the number of ongoing parallel application sessions of the same service type, the same subservice type, or service subtype, the same specific application, and/or the same application vendor/brand/ application identifier, when there may be multiple applications performing the same/equivalent service, or the number of ongoing parallel application sessions to which the same QoE measurement configuration may be applied. This information may also be passed from a source gNB to a target gNB during inter-gNB handover. It may be noted that this mechanism may be applied not only when QoE measurement reporting may be paused, or may have been paused and resumed, triggering retroactive sending of Session Start/Stop indications, but also in situations of parallel application sessions during regular operation, without paused or previously paused QoE measurement reporting, or paused or previously paused sending of Session Start/Stop indications.

In a general example, a UE such as the wireless communications device 130 may include the QoE measurements RRC ID, produced by the RAN node, e.g., the network node 110, to the indication e.g., the first indication, received from the applications. The wireless device 130 may also provide the application identifier to the RAN, e.g., the network node 110 as part of the indication, e.g., first indication, received from the relevant applications.

In another example, the the AS of the wireless device 130, for redundancy reasons, may receive for a specific session of an application, more than one Application Layer indication of the same type, e.g., the Session Start indication may be received twice, in which case the AS of the wireless device 130 may select which one of the multiple indications may need to be considered to apply the methods of embodiments herein.

In another example, if the AS of the wireless device 130 has not yet sent to RAN, e.g., the network node 110 a Session Start Indication, or a different Application Layer indication, or the AS of the wireless device 130 has not sent a first Application Layer indication before receiving a second Application Layer indication linked to the first, e.g., a Session Stop/End indication, the AS of the wireless device 130 may delete a previously received QoE configuration or radio related configuration which has not yet resulted in an action of the AS of the wireless device 130. An example of this case may be a pending MDT configuration as described in P100540, filed as PCT/SE2021/050929, “Methods for QoE and MDT coordination”, wherein: a) the AS of the wireless device 130 received from the RAN, e.g., the network node 110 a QoE configuration and an MDT configuration. The MDT configuration is accepted, but no radio measurements are started, pending MDT configuration; b) the AS of the wireless device 130 may receive a Session Start indication from the UE Application Layer; and c) upon reception of the Session Start Indication, the AS of the wireless device 130 may start performing radio measurements according to the configured MDT configuration.

In another example, the AS of the wireless device 130 may determine whether a Session Stop/End indication may be received for the same session for which a Session Start indication may be pending, in which case different actions may be possible, e.g.: (1) The AS of the wireless device 130 may refrain from sending to the RAN, e.g., the network node 110 only one of the Session Start indication or the Session Stop/End indication; (2) The AS of the wireless device 130 may, according to Action 507, refrain from sending both Session Start indication and the corresponding Session Stop/End indication, and (3) e.g., for monitoring purposes, and when RAN overload may be solved, the AS of the wireless device 130 may send to the RAN, e.g., the network node 110, indications that a session has occurred.

For example, the AS of the wireless device 130 may send at least one or a combination of: a) Session Start indication and Session Stop/End indication together or linked in some form, b) a flag indicating that a Session has occurred, c) values to indicate the time of Session Start and/or time of Session End, d) a value indicating the Session duration, e) only one of the Session Start or Session Stop/End.

In another example, the AS of the wireless device 130 may, in Action 506, decide whether to send or not a Session Start Indication based on certain RAN conditions. a. In one example, the reception of a “pause QoE measurement reporting” indication may correspond to the start, or restart, of a UE timer, e.g., T_wait_AppLayer_lndication, indicating to the AS of the wireless device 130 the amount of time a AS of the wireless device 130 may wait before sending Application Layer related indications, wherein such a timer may be reset/stopped e.g., at reception of a “resume QoE measurement reporting” indication, or at the release of the QoE configuration. b. In other examples, a similar UE Access Stratum timer may be started in combination with the reception of a “pause QoE measurement reporting” indication, or independently of the reception of a “pause QoE measurement reporting” indication, provided that other conditions may occur, e.g.: (1) after a certain number of unsuccessful attempts of sending at least one Application Layer Indication; (2) upon detection of a radio related event, e.g., a Radio Link Failure (RLF); (3) upon initiation/completion of a procedure, e.g., at handover preparation or execution, e.g., connection to a target cell. c. The same timer may be used to indicate to the AS of the wireless device 130, that, upon timer expiration: (1) pending Application Layer indication may be discarded, or (2) the AS of the wireless device 130 may try to send the Application Layer indication(s), or (3) the AS of the wireless device 130 may try to send to the RAN, e.g., the network node 110, possibly at a future time, aggregated information concerning Application Layer indication(s), e.g., number of sessions, or session durations.

In another example, the AS of the wireless device 130 may have received from the RAN, e.g., the network node 110 - in one RRC message or in subsequent RRC messages - QoE measurement configurations pertaining to more than one service type, or service subtype. Based on this, the AS of the wireless device 130 may decide how to treat a second, or third, fourth..., Application Layer indication, e.g., a Session Start Indication, pertaining to a second, third, fourth, service type, or service subtype, or QoE measurement configuration, and received after a preceding, e.g., first, Application Layer indication pertaining to a service type or service subtype, e.g., a first service type, for which one of said QoE measurement configurations may apply. The following may be non-limiting examples of actions the Access Stratum of the wireless device 130 may perform in this situation: (1) all the Application Layer indications may be sent to a RAN node, e.g., the network node 110 at the same time, (2) all the Application Layer indications may be kept pending until the wireless device 130 may receive a “resume QoE measurement reporting” indication, (3) only a part of the Application Layer indications may be further sent to the RAN node, e.g., the network node 110.

In another example, the wireless device 130 may receive from a RAN node such as the network node 110, together with or in addition to a “pause QoE measurement reporting” indication pertaining to all or part of the QoE measurements, other indications, such as a cause value indicating the reason for the pause or a priority value to be used by the wireless device 130 to prioritize among Application Layer indications of different service types or different service subtypes, e.g., prioritize which indications to be forwarded - immediately or later, e.g., when QoE measurement reporting may have been resumed. Such indications may be used by the wireless device 130 to check whether specific actions may be performed in relation to at least one pending Application Layer indication and/or Application Layer indications arriving from the application layer to the AS of the wireless device 130 later, but while the QoE measurement reporting may be still paused.

In another example, the AS of the wireless device 130 may delete pending Application Layer indications when it, after the expiration of a timer, may receive a “resume QoE measurement reporting” indication, indicating that the corresponding QoE measurement reporting, or QoE measurement configurations, is resumed.

In one possible scenario, an AS of the wireless device 130, e.g., the RRC layer, may receive, together with an Application Layer indication, an associated timer or time indication, e.g., indicating, together with a Session Start Indication, an expected duration time for the session, or, together with a Session End/Stop Indication, an expected time before a subsequent session may be due to start. In this case, the AS of the wireless device 130, e.g., the RRC layer may use such timer or time indication to decide, in Action 506, whether to transmit/forward the received Application Layer indication(s) to the RAN, e.g., the network node 110, or the received Application Layer indication(s) may be postponed, or to decide whether multiple Application Layer indications may have to be sent, and for how long the AS of the wireless device 130, e.g., the RRC layer, may wait before sending them to the RAN, e.g., the network node 110. The same timer or time indication may be used by the wireless device 130 to decide whether to discard the Application Layer Indication in case of timer expiration or when a certain offset of time may have passed. In some examples, the AS of the wireless device 130 may, according to Action 507, refrain from forwarding Session Start/Stop Indications to the network, e.g., the network node 110, while QoE measurement reporting may be paused, and when QoE measurement reporting may be resumed, the AS of the wireless device 130 may send a compressed/summarizing version of the information represented by the Session Start/Stop Indications the AS of the wireless device 130 may have received from the upper layers, e.g., the application layer, but not forwarded to the network, e.g., the network node 110. In some examples, such a compressed/summarizing retroactive “report” may contain information about category 1 application sessions, category 2 application sessions and category 3 application sessions, or any subset thereof, according to the description of categories provided earlier.

In one example, the compressed/summarizing retroactive “report” may contain Session Stop Indications for category 1 application sessions and Session Start Indications for category 3 application sessions, but no information about category 2 and 4 application sessions. As one option, timestamps may be associated with the retroactively reported Session Start/Stop Indications.

In one example, the compressed/summarizing retroactive “report” may contain Session Stop Indications for category 1 application sessions, Session Start Indications for category 3 application sessions, but the information about category 2 application sessions may be limited to indicating duration information. Such duration information may be e.g.: i) the duration for each category 2 application session; ii) the sum of the durations of all category 2 application sessions per service type, or per QoE measurement configuration; iii) the total duration that at least one category 2 application session was ongoing per service type, or per QoE measurement configuration; iv) the sum of the durations of all category 2 application sessions irrespective of service type, and irrespective of their respective associated QoE measurement configuration; As one option, also the durations of category 4 application sessions during the period of paused QoE measurement reporting, which may thus be equal to the duration of the period of paused QoE measurement reporting, may be included in this sum; v) the total duration that at least one category 2 application session was ongoing irrespective of service type, and irrespective of the application sessions’ respective associated QoE measurement configuration; As one option, also the category 4 application sessions may be taken into account, which may be understood to mean that if there is at least one category 4 application session, the retroactively reported total duration may be equal to the duration of the period of paused QoE measurement reporting.

In some examples, the AS of the wireless device 130 may send Session Stop Indications for category 1 application sessions and may not include any information about category 1 application sessions in the retroactive “report”, while the other application session categories may be covered by the retroactive “report” as described in any of the above examples and options above.

In one example, the retroactive “report” may indicate the number of currently ongoing application sessions per service type, or per QoE measurement configuration.

In one example, the retroactive “report” may indicate per service type, or per QoE measurement configuration, whether at least one application session may be currently ongoing.

If the wireless device 130 after a handover to another cell, and possibly another RAN node, retroactively sends Session Start/Stop indications, that may have been pending while the QoE measurement reporting was paused, to the network, e.g., the network node 110, the receiving (target) RAN node, e.g., an eNB or a gNB, may forward this information, or selected parts of it, to the source RAN node, e.g., the RAN node that initiated the handover, e.g., the network node 110, so that the source RAN node may benefit from this information when optimizing various configuration parameters based, at least partly, on application session statistics. Optionally, the target RAN node may determine whether to forward the received information to the source RAN node, and/or determine which parts of the received information to forward to the source RAN node, based on time stamps, or indications of elapsed time, associated with the retroactively received Session Start/Stop indications. For instance, the target RAN node may determine to forward to the source RAN node information which, according to the timestamps or time indications, may be associated with events, e.g., start/stop of application sessions, that may have occurred prior to the wireless device 130’s handover to the target RAN node. Optionally, the target RAN node may instead forward the received retroactive application session information to the O&M system, or both to the source RAN node and the O&M system, wherein the transfer of the information to the O&M system may be delayed, e.g., first logged in the target RAN node and later fetched by the O&M system.

In one example, if the AS of the wireless device 130 does not store Session Start/Stop indications it may receive during periods of paused QoE measurement reporting, and the AS of the wireless device 130 neither sends these Session Start/Stop indications immediately nor retroactively, when QoE measurement reporting may have been resumed, the AS of the wireless device 130 may, in Action 507, instruct the upper layers, e.g., the application layer, not to convey any Session Start/Stop Indications to the AS of the wireless device 130, e.g., until further notice, e.g., by sending the subsequent indication.

In some examples, the RAN, e.g., the network node 110, may indicate together with the QoE measurement reporting pause indication, whether Session Start/Stop indications may have to be sent immediately, stored and reported retroactively or discarded. Optionally, the RAN, e.g., the network node 110, may indicate this per QoE configuration, per service type, per subservice type, or service subtype, per specific application, or per application vendor/brand/ application identifier, when there may be multiple applications performing the same/equivalent service, or generally to be applied to all Session Start/Stop indications.

In other examples, the network, e.g., the network node 110, may indicate as a part of the QoE measurement configuration, or together with the QoE measurement configuration, e.g., in the same message as the QoE measurement configuration, but not part of the actual QoE measurement configuration, how Session Start/Stop indications may have to be handled during subsequent possible period(s) of paused QoE measurement reporting. These instructions may include indications related to any of the previously described Session Start/Stop related behaviors/instructions and may be indicated per QoE configuration, per service type, per subservice type, or service subtype, per specific application, or per application vendor/brand/ application identifier, when there may be multiple applications performing the same/equivalent service, or generally to be applied to all Session Start/Stop indications.

In some examples, the AS of the wireless device 130 may apply any of the previously described instructions/behaviors with regards to Session Start/Stop Indications, e.g., until further notice, selectively for certain QoE configuration(s), service types, or various combinations of service types, subservice types, or service subtypes, application vendors and/or any other service or application instance qualifier. The AS of the wireless device 130 may do this, and/or decide to do this, autonomously, e.g., based on situational/contextual aspects/conditions, including information received from the network, e.g., the network node 110, or as instructed by the network, e.g., the network node 110.

As one example, the network, e.g., the network node 110 may pause and resume Session Start/Stop indications independently of pausing/resuming of QoE measurement reporting. Optionally, the network, e.g., the network node 110 may do this per QoE configuration, per service type, per subservice type, or service subtype, per specific application, or per application vendor/brand/ application identifier, when there may be multiple applications performing the same/equivalent service, or generally for all Session Start/Stop indications. As another option, the network, e.g., the network node 110, may also send any other instruction related to the treatment of Session Start/Stop indications during a certain time period independently of the QoE measurement reporting pause/resume indications. The “certain time period” may be determined and signaled together with the instructions or may be open-ended at the time of sending of the instructions, e.g., the AS of the wireless device 130 may apply the instructions immediately, or after a signaled time offset, and kept applied until further notice, e.g., until new instructions, e.g., cancellation of the previously signaled instructions - may be received from the network, e.g., the network node 110.

The AS layer inhibiting the application/upper layer from sending Session Start/Stop Indication to the AS

In the above section, it has been described how the AS in the wireless device 130 may handle Session Start/Stop indications from upper layers during an overload situation.

Another approach of addressing the problem may be that the AS may indicate to the upper layers, e.g., by sending the subsequent indication in Action 507, that the upper layers may not send Session Start/Stop indications to the AS. The AS may subsequently not send any Session Start/Stop indications to the network, e.g., the network node 110. The AS may send such indication to upper layers for example in response to receiving an indication from the network, e.g., the network node 110, of an overload situation or in response to some indication that the wireless device 130 may not send Session Start/Stop indications to the network, e.g., an indication that QoE reports may not be sent.

The upper layers may in response to receiving such an indication from the AS, refrain from sending Session Start/Stop indications to the AS.

If for example the network e.g., the network node 110, indicates to the wireless device 130 that the wireless device 130 may resume sending Session Start/Stop indications to the network e.g., the network node 110, the AS in the wireless device 130 may indicate to the upper layers in the wireless device 130 that the upper layers may resume sending Session Start/Stop indications to the AS.

In one example where QoE reports may be stored in the application layer or upper layer, during the pause of the QoE reporting, the AS layer may send, as an example of the subsequent indication, a Pause indication to the application layer. This Pause indication may also be used as an indication to the application layer that it may not send any session start or session stop indication to the AS layer. When the reporting resumes, the AS layer may send a Resume indication to the application layer, and this Resume indication may indicate, in addition to that the reporting resumes, that the application layer may send session start or session stop indication to the AS layer again.

Above it has been described examples for how the AS in the wireless device 130 may store information about Session Start/Stop indications in response to receiving an indication from the network e.g., the network node 110, that the wireless device 130 may not send Session Start/Stop indications to the network e.g., the network node 110. Analogously, when the AS may have indicated that the upper layers may not send Session Start/Stop indications to the AS, the upper layers in the wireless device 130 may store information about Session Start/Stop indications which the upper layers may refrain from sending to the AS. The examples described in the above may be applied also by the upper layers, for example the upper layers may send information about sessions which have been started in response to getting an indication from AS that Session Start/Stop indications may now be sent. Embodiments of a method, performed by a network node, such as the network node 110, will now be described with reference to the flowchart depicted in Figure 6. The method may be understood to be for handling the one or more indications. The network node 110 operates in the wireless communications network 100.

Several embodiments are comprised herein. In some embodiments all the actions may be performed. In some embodiments, three or more actions may be performed. It should be noted that the examples herein are not mutually exclusive. One or more embodiments may be combined, where applicable. All possible combinations are not described to simplify the description. Components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present in another embodiment and it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art how those components may be used in the other exemplary embodiments. A non-limiting example of the method performed by the network node 110 is depicted in Figure 6. Some actions may be performed in a different order than that shown Figure 6.

In Figure 6, optional actions are indicated with dashed boxes.

The detailed description of some of the features described for the method performed by the network node 110 corresponds to that already provided when describing the method performed by the wireless device 130 and will therefore not be repeated here. For example, in some embodiments, the wireless device 130 may be a 5G UE. In some embodiments, the network node 110 may be a gNB.

Action 601

In this Action 601, the network node 110 may receive, from the wireless device 130, at least one of: i) the first prior instance of the first indication, and ii) the first prior instance of the second indication.

Receiving may be performed, e.g., via the first link 141.

Action 602

In this Action 602, the network node 110 sends the previous indication to the wireless device 130 operating in the wireless communications network 100.

The sending may be performed, e.g., via the first link 141.

Action 603

The network node 110 in this Action 603, receives, based on the sent previous indication, the first indication of the first type from the wireless device 130.

In some embodiments, at least one of the following options may apply. According to a first option, the first indication of the first type may be one of: i) a Session Start indication, ii) a Session Stop indication, and iii) a different indication. According to a second option, the another indication of the another type may be one of: the report of one or more measurements, conventional QoE reporting, and reporting of RAN visible QoE. According to a third option, the uplink transmission of the another indication may be QoE measurement reporting.

The previous indication indicates whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device 130, of the another indication of the another type is allowed, e.g., whether uplink transmission of the another indication by the wireless device 130 is to pause or to be resumed.

The receiving in this Action 603 may be from the access stratum of the wireless device 130.

The receiving may be performed, e.g., via the first link 141.

In some embodiments, the receiving in this Action 603 of the first indication based on the sent previous indication may comprise receiving the first indication with the proviso that the previous indication indicates that transmission of the another indication is allowed, e.g., it is to resume.

In some embodiments, the receiving in this Action 603 may be further based on whether or not: i) the one or more prior instances of the first indication of the first type, e.g., a previous Session Start indication, or ii) the one or more prior instances of the second indication of the second type other than the first type and the another type, e.g., the previous Session Stop indication, have already been received from the wireless device 130. In such embodiments, as described earlier, the second indication of the second type may be one of: i) a Session Start indication, ii) a Session Stop indication, and iii) a different indication received from an upper layer of the wireless device 130.

In some embodiments, the receiving in this Action 603 may be further based on whether or not: i) the previous start of the session indication has been received from the wireless device 130, and ii) the previous end of the session indication corresponding to the previous start of the session indication has been received from the wireless device 130.

In some embodiments, the receiving in this Action 603 may be further based on whether or not the instance of the second indication may be for the same session as the instance of the first indication.

The first indication may further comprise, in at least one or more additional indications, at least one of: i) the second indication of the second type than the first type and the another type, e.g., the previous Session Stop indication, e.g., the second instance of the second indication; ii) the first indication and the second indication placed together; iii) the first identifier of the instance of the first indication, e.g., the second instance of the first indication; iv) the second identifier of the application to which the first indication belongs; v) the third identifier of the previous indication, e.g., of the one or more measurements, e.g., RRC ID or Short ID; vi) the reference of the first indication, e.g., the QoE reference, vii) the fourth identifier of the session, e.g., Session ID, Recording Session ID; viii) the fifth identifier for the service type; ix) the sixth identifier of the subservice type or the service subtype, x) the seventh identifier of the vendor of the application, and xi) the eighth identifier of the brand of the application.

In some embodiments, the receiving in this Action 603 may be further based on at least one of: the reason for sending the previous indication, the service type associated to the previous indication, the timer associated with the first indication, the category of the application to which the first indication belongs, the one or more existing configurations, and the one or more conditions, e.g., of the radio access network.

In some embodiments, at least one of the following may apply: a) the previous indication may be a request to pause QoE reporting, and the first indication may be a Start Session indication, and b) the previous indication may be a request to resume QoE reporting, the first indication may be a Start Session indication, and the first indication may be received retroactively.

Action 604

In this Action 604, the network node 110 processing 604 the received first indication.

The processing in this Action 604 may be based on the content, e.g., the one or more additional indications, of the receiving first indication.

In some embodiments, the previous indication may indicate how the wireless device 130 is to process the first indication, e.g., it may comprise the fifth indication indicating whether or not the wireless device 130 is to stop sending at least one of the first indication and the second indication.

In some embodiments, the first indication may be received from the wireless device 130 with the sixth indication of the respective first time of receipt of the first indication by the access stratum layer of the wireless device 130 from the upper layer at the wireless device 130 and the respective second time of transmission, by the wireless device 130, of the first indication.

In some examples, after the wireless device 130 may have sent multiple Session Start indications for the same service type, e.g., and QoE configuration, to the network node 110, the wireless device 130 may associate a, e.g., UE generated, Session ID with the indication, so that the network node 110 may match subsequent Session Stop indications with the correct Session Start indications.

In some examples, after the wireless device 130 may have sent multiple Session Start indications for the same service type, e.g., and QoE configuration, to the network node 110, no further information may be sent from the wireless device 130 to assist the network node 110 to make sense of the situation. Instead, the network node 110 may keep track of the number of received Session Start indications and Session Stop indications respectively and, based on this, may keep track of the number of ongoing parallel application sessions of the same service type. This information may also be passed from the network node 110, e.g., a source gNB to a target gNB during inter-gNB handover.

In some examples, the network node 110 may use the timer values to align and correlate the MDT and QoE reports provided at QoE measurement reporting pause.

In some examples, the processing of this Action 604 may further comprise taking a further action. For example, the network node 110 may use the first indication and its relevant identifier produced at the application layer to decide on new configuration, modifying the existing configuration or releasing the existing configuration for the applications and service types. In other words, the network node 110 may reconfigure or modify or release the existing configurations for the applications that it did not receive any Session Start Indications.

In some examples, the network node 110 may match subsequent Session Stop indications with the correct Session Start indications

In some examples, the information comprised in first indication, e.g., the one or more additional indications, may also be passed from a source gNB to a target gNB during inter- gNB handover.

In some examples, if the wireless device 130, after a handover to another cell, and possibly another RAN node, retroactively sends Session Start/Stop indications, that may have been pending while the QoE measurement reporting was paused, to the network, the receiving (target) RAN node, e.g., an eNB or a gNB, may forward this information, or selected parts of it, to the source RAN node, e.g., the RAN node that initiated the handover, so that the source RAN node may benefit from this information when optimizing various configuration parameters based, at least partly, on application session statistics. Optionally, the target RAN node may determine whether to forward the received information to the source RAN node, and/or determine which parts of the received information to forward to the source RAN node, based on time stamps, or indications of elapsed time, associated with the retroactively received Session Start/Stop indications. For instance, the target RAN node may determine to forward to the source RAN node information which, according to the timestamps or time indications, may be associated with events, e.g., start/stop of application sessions, that may have occurred prior to the UE’s handover to the target RAN node. Optionally, the target RAN node may instead forward the received retroactive application session information to the O&M system, or both to the source RAN node and the O&M system, wherein the transfer of the information to the O&M system may be delayed, e.g., first logged in the target RAN node and later fetched by the O&M system. Overview

As an overview of the foregoing, the methods proposed in embodiments herein may provide a mechanism for a UE Access Stratum, such as the AS of the wireless device 130, to handle the indications, e.g., session start indication, received from the applications, based on the radio network, e.g., the network node 110, condition. In a non-limiting example, when QoE measurement reporting may be paused at RAN overload condition. Some aspects of embodiments herein may be described in other words as follows.

A method in a wireless terminal, e.g., the wireless device 130, for sending indications, such as Session Start Indication or recording session indication, received from the upper layers to the RAN node, e.g., the network node 110, comprising that the wireless terminal may one or more of:

- Determine, according to Action 506a, whether the UE received QoE measurement reporting pause indication from the network, e.g., the network node 110, that is, whether QoE measurement reporting may have been paused by the network, e.g., the network node 110.

- Determining, according to Action 506b, whether one or more Session Start indication may have already been sent to the network, e.g., the network node 110 without sending a corresponding Session Stop/End indication for the same session.

- Determine, according to Action 506, whether to send the session start indication to the network, e.g., the network node 110, or to discard, according to Action 507, the indication based on the above information.

- Keep/Store, according to Action 505, each Session Start Indication information received in a register/memory with a timer measuring the time elapsed from the time that Session Start Indication may have been received from the upper layers, e.g., application. The same may be done, according to Action 508 with each Session Stop indication received from the application layer.

- Send, according to Action 507, each Session Start Indication and Session Stop Indication to the network, e.g., the network node 110 when the overload condition may be over, e.g., when the RAN, e.g., the network node 110, may have signaled that QoE measurement reporting is resumed, with a timer value associated with each Session Start and Session Stop indicating the elapsed time between receiving the Session Start/Stop Indication from the application layer and the time the indication is sent to the network, e.g., the network node 110.

- Send, according to Action 507, each Session Start Indication to the network, e.g., the network node 110, with an application identifier and the QoE measurement identifier at the RRC layer, e.g., denoted RRC ID or Short ID, the identifier that may have been assigned by the RAN node to the QoE configuration, e.g., mapping to the QoE reference. An alternative to using the QoE measurement identifier at the RRC layer may be to send the QoE reference together with the Session Start Indication. As an additional option, the QoE measurement identifier at the RRC layer, or the QoE reference, may be sent together with each Session Stop Indication too. Additional options may include that when the wireless device 130, after a period of paused QoE measurement reporting, e.g., due to a RAN overload condition, may retroactively send multiple Session Start Indications, and possibly multiple Session Stop Indications, to the RAN, e.g., the network node 110, the wireless device 130 may generate a Session ID to be associated with, and sent/reported together with, each pair of Session Start Indication and Session Stop Indication associated with the same session, to further facilitate for the RAN, e.g., the network node 110 to identify which Session Start Indication a certain Session Stop Indication may be associated with. Optionally, this Session ID may be the Recording Session Id, but it may also be a completely new parameter/identifier. Yet another option, which may be seen as an alternative to the above described Session ID for the purpose of associating a Session Stop Indication with the corresponding Session Start Indication, may be to order, or place, the Session Start Indications and Session Stop Indications in corresponding pairs in the retroactive report of Session Start/Stop Indications, such that each pair of Session Start Indication I Session Stop Indication pertaining to the same session may be placed together, e.g., as sub-structures or as an ordered list of session related indications, e.g. ordered with the earliest Session Start Indication, and its associated Session Stop Indication, first. Note that these mechanisms may be applied not only when QoE measurement reporting may be paused, or may have been paused and resumed, e.g., triggering retroactive sending of Session Start/Stop indications, but also in situations of parallel application sessions during regular operation, without paused or previously paused QoE measurement reporting, or paused or previously paused sending of Session Start/Stop indications.

- Determine, according to Action 506a, whether a Session Stop/End indication may be or may have been received for the same session for which the Session Start indication may be pending, in which case a possible alternative may be for the wireless device 130 to refrain from sending to the RAN, e.g., the network node 110 only one of the Session Start indication or Session Stop/End indication, or refrain from sending both Session Start indication and corresponding Session Stop/End indication, or, e.g., for monitoring purposes, send to the RAN, e.g., the network node 110 an indication that a session has occurred, e.g., sending both Session Start and Session Stop/End indications together or linked in some form, or sending a flag indicating the occurrence of a session, or only sending one of the Session Start or Session Stop/End, or a combination thereof. - Let the indication to pause QoE reporting, e.g., the previous indication, include an indication of whether application Session Start/Stop indications may have to still be sent. Not sending them may be understood to have the advantage that it may reduce the load, but sending them may be understood to have the advantage that the serving gNB, e.g., the network node 110, may be aware of any ongoing application session, and associated QoE measurement session, so that this information may be passed to the target gNB during a subsequent inter-gNB handover.

- When the wireless device 130 sends multiple Session Start indications for the same service type, e.g., and QoE configuration, to the network, e.g., the network node 110, the wireless device 130 may associate a, e.g., UE generated, Session ID with the indication, so that the RAN, e.g., the network node 110 may match subsequent Session Stop indications with the correct Session Start indications. As one option, the Session ID may be the Recording Session Id, but it may also be an entirely new parameter/identifier. Note that this mechanism may be applied not only when QoE measurement reporting may be paused, or may have been paused and resumed, e.g., triggering retroactive sending of Session Start/Stop indications, but also in situations of parallel application sessions during regular operation, without paused or previously paused QoE measurement reporting, or paused or previously paused sending of Session Start/Stop indications.

- When the wireless device 130 sends multiple Session Start indications for the same service type, e.g., and QoE configuration, to the network, e.g., the network node 110, the wireless device 130 may indicate subservice type, specific application, and/or application vendor/brand/application identifier, e.g., when there may be multiple applications performing the same/equivalent service, together with each Session Start Indication. The same may be done for Session Stop indications. Note that this mechanism may be applied not only when QoE measurement reporting may be paused, or may have been paused and resumed, triggering retroactive sending of Session Start/Stop indications, but also in situations of parallel application sessions during regular operation, without paused or previously paused QoE measurement reporting, or paused or previously paused sending of Session Start/Stop indications.

- When the wireless device 130 sends multiple Session Start indications for the same service type, e.g., and QoE configuration, to the network, e.g., the network node 110, no further information may be sent from the wireless device 130 to assist the RAN, e.g., the network node 110 to make sense of the situation. Instead, the RAN, e.g., the network node 110 may keep track of the number of received Session Start indications and Session Stop indications respectively and, based on this, may keep track of the number of ongoing parallel application sessions of the same service type. This information may also be passed from a source gNB such as the network node 110 to a target gNB during inter-gNB handover. Note that this mechanism may be applied not only when QoE measurement reporting may be paused, or may have been paused and resumed, triggering retroactive sending of Session Start/Stop indications, but also in situations of parallel application sessions during regular operation, without paused or previously paused QoE measurement reporting, or paused or previously paused sending of Session Start/Stop indications.

Further detailed description

Figure 7 is a signalling diagram depicting a non-limiting example of embodiments herein, of actions the AS of the wireless device 130 may perform upon receiving indications from the upper layers. Here, Session Start Indication is used to exemplify. In other words, Figure 7 shows the flowchart for the actions the AS of the wireless device 130 may perform upon receiving Session Start Indication. In Figure 7, the wireless device 130 is a UE and the network node 110 is indicated as a RAN node. Particularly, selected examples of a method according to embodiments herein are highlighted in the following. At 711 , the network node 110 may send a list of QoE configuration(s) to the AS 712 of the wireless device 130, depicted in the figure as “UE Access Stratum”. Alternatively, the network node 110 may send QoE configurations to the AS 712 of the wireless device 130 in subsequent independent messages. At 713, the AS 712 of the wireless device 130 may send the QoE configuration(s) to the upper layers 714, in particular, the application layer, and may configure itself to report the upcoming QoE measurement results to the network node 110. At 715, the AS 712 of the wireless device 130 may receive a Session Start Indication from the upper layers 714, e.g., the application layer, where the Session Start Indications may pertain to an application for which QoE measurements may have been , configured. At 716 the AS 712 of the wireless device 130 may log that it received the Session Start Indication, or may store the Session Start indication, and may send, in accordance with Action 501 , the first prior instance of the first indication to the network node 110. At 717, the AS 712 of the wireless device 130 may receive QoE measurement results, e.g., in the form of a QoE report, from the upper layers and may send them to the network node 110 at 718. At 719, the network node 110 may be in overload condition or for any other reason it may decide to pause QoE measurement reporting from the UE. At 720, the network node 110, in a nonlimiting example, may send a pause QoE measurement reporting indication to the AS 712 of the wireless device 130 to stop sending QoE measurement reports, in accordance with Action 503. At 721 , an application for which QoE measurements may have been configured may start a new session at this time, when QoE reporting is paused. At 722, the application may send a Session Start Indication to the wireless device 130, in accordance with Action 504. At 723, based on conditions/situations/circumstances in the RAN, the AS 712 of the wireless device 130 may decide, in accordance with Action 506, whether to send the Session Start Indication or not, governed by configuration from the network, e.g., the network node 110, and/or its own assessments. Different embodiments on actions of the AS 712 of the wireless device 130 have been explained in the section entitled “The action of the AS of the wireless device 130 upon receiving Session Start Indication from the upper layers (applications)”, which has already described above.

Example Implementation

A non-limiting example implementation of the method for handling received Session Start Indication from the application is shown highlighted in bold font and/or underline in the following excerpt of 3GPP TS 38.331 , v.16.5.0.

5.7.x Application layer measurement reporting

5.7.x.1 General

Figure 8 is a schematic representation corresponding to Figure 5.7.x.1-1 : Application layer measurement reporting of 3GPP TS 38.331 , v. 16.5.0. In this example implementation, the wireless device 130 corresponds to a UE and the network node 110 is referred to as the network. The RRC message MeasReportAppLayer may be used to report QoE measurements from the wireless device 130 to the network node 110. The various indications mentioned in embodiments herein, which may be sent by the wireless device 130, e.g., the first indication, and second indication, e.g., corresponding to the Session Start Indication, the Session Stop Indication and the App ID, may be sent within the MeasReportAppLayer message.

The purpose of this procedure is to inform the network about application layer measurement report.

Initiation

A UE capable of application layer measurement reporting in RRC_CONNECTED may initiate the procedure when configured with application layer measurement, i.e. when measConfigAppLayer has been configured by the network. The procedure can be initiated upon receiving a Session Start Indication or a Session Stop Indication.

Upon initiating the procedure, the UE may be required to, e.g., in accordance to Action 506:

1 > if configured with application layer measurement, and SRB4 is configured, and the UE has received application layer measurement report information from upper layers: 2>set the measReportAppLayerContainer in the MeasReportAppLayer message to the value of the application layer measurement report information;

2>set the serviceType in the MeasReportAppLayer message to the type of the application layer measurement report information;

2> submit the MeasReportAppLayer message to lower layers for transmission via SRB4.

1> if configured with application layer measurement, and SRB4 is configured, and the UE has received a Session Start Indication for a service type from the application

2> if the QoE measurement reporting is NOT paused for the associated service type and if no Session Start Indication signal is already sent to the network for the associated service type

3> set, e g., in accordance to Action 507, the serviceType in the MeasReportAppLayer message to the type indicated by the application sending the Session Start Indication

3> set, e g., in accordance to Action 507, the appID in the MeasuReportAppLayer message to the identifier of the application sending the Session Start Indication

3> set, e g., in accordance to Action 507, the measConfigAppLayerld

3> set, e g., in accordance to Action 507, the SessionStartlndication flag to true

3> submit, e g., in accordance to Action 507, the MeasReportAppLayer message including the SessionStartlndication to lower layers for transmission via SRB4.

MeasReportAppLayer

The MeasReportAppLayer message is used for sending application layer measurement report.

Signalling radio bearer: SRB4

RLC-SAP: AM

Logical channel: DCCH

Direction: UE to Network

MeasReportAppLayer message

— TAG-MEASREPORTAPPLAYER-STOP

— ASN1STOP

Further examples:

Particular examples of a method performed by the wireless device 130 may comprise the following actions, which may be combined with any of the embodiments and/or examples already described:

Further example 1 . A method in the Access Stratum of a wireless device for handling indications from an application/upper layer of the wireless device, the wireless device operating in a wireless communications network 100, the method comprising: receiving from a network node, e.g., the network node 110 an indication to pause QoE measurement reporting related to one or more QoE measurement configuration(s), pausing QoE measurement reporting related to the one or more QoE measurement configuration(s) in accordance with the received indication, receiving, from an application/upper layer of the wireless device, an indication related to an application, an application session or a QoE measurement configuration, e.g., related to an application session, e.g., an indication of start or stop of an application session, wherein the QoE measurement configuration or the QoE measurement configuration associated with the application or application session is one of the QoE measurement configurations for which QoE measurement reporting is paused, determining whether to forward the indication received from the application/upper layer to the network node, based on at least one of: whether a prior indication has been sent to the network node related to the same application session, the application or type of application the indication received from the application layer of the wireless device concerns, a priority associated with the application, application session, or the QoE measurement configuration the indication received from the application layer of the wireless device concerns, instructions previously received from the network node; this may be in the system information, in subsequent dedicated configuration or together with the “pause QoE measurement reporting” indication rules or a fixed behavior specified in a standard.

2. The method according to further example 1 , wherein the step of determining results is a decision to forward the received indication to the network node, if the indication received from the application layer of the wireless device is a Session Stop indication for an application session for which the Access Stratum of the wireless device has previously forwarded [to the network node] a Session Start indication received from the application layer of the wireless device.

3. The method according to further example 1 , further comprising that if the result of the step of determining is a decision not to forward the indication received from the application layer of the wireless device to the network node, the Access Stratum of the wireless device stores the indication received from the application layer of the wireless device [to enable later transmitting of it to the network node when the QoE measurement reporting is resumed for the QoE measurement configuration associated with [,e.g., applicable to,] the application session the indication received from the application layer of the wireless device is related],

4. The method according to further example 1 or further example 3, wherein the step of determining results in a decision not to forward the received indication to the network node, the method further comprising: receiving from the network node an indication to resume QoE measurement reporting for the QoE measurement configuration associated with [, e.g., applicable to,] the application which the indication received from the application layer of the wireless device is associated, transmitting, [retroactively,] the indication received from the application layer to the network node.

5. The method according to further example 4, further comprising that the Access Stratum of the wireless device transmits, together with the indication received from the application layer of the wireless device, a time indication enabling the network node to derive when the Access Stratum of the wireless device received the indication from the application layer of the wireless device.

6. The method according to further example 5, wherein the time indication is one of: a timestamp indicating when the Access Stratum received the indication from the application layer of the wireless device, an indication of the time duration that has elapsed since the Access Stratum of the wireless device received the indication from the application layer of the wireless device.

Any of the further examples may be performed by e.g., the wireless device 130, configured to perform the further examples, for example, with the components described in Figure 9.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s), which may be summarized as follows. Embodiments herein may enable the wireless device 130 to send the indications received from the upper layer to the network node 110 in an appropriate way, taking current conditions into account. Such indications may not be always useful for the network node 110 to receive and hence, the wireless device 130 may be enabled to handle these indications in a more efficient way without unnecessary signaling in the uplink. This may be understood to reduce energy consumption of the wireless device 130, as well as load and interference in the uplink.

Figure 9 depicts two different examples in panels a) and b), respectively, of the arrangement that the wireless device 130 may comprise. In some embodiments, the wireless device 130 may comprise the following arrangement depicted in Figure 9a. The wireless device 130 may be understood to be for handling the one or more indications. The wireless device 130 is configured to operate in the wireless communications network 100.

Several embodiments are comprised herein. It should be noted that the examples herein are not mutually exclusive. One or more embodiments may be combined, where applicable. All possible combinations are not described to simplify the description. Components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present in another embodiment and it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art how those components may be used in the other exemplary embodiments. The detailed description of some of the features described for the wireless device 130 corresponds to that already provided when describing the method performed by the wireless device 130 and will therefore not be repeated here. For example, in some embodiments, the wireless device 130 may be configured to be a 5G UE. In some embodiments, the network node 110 may be configured to be a gNB.

In Figure 9, optional units are indicated with dashed boxes.

The wireless device 130 may be configured to perform the determining of Action 506, e.g. by means of a determining unit 901 , configured to determine whether or not to send the first indication of the first type to the network node 110 configured to operate in the wireless communications network 100. The determining is configured to be based on the first determination 506a of whether or not the previous indication has been received from the network node 110. The previous indication is configured to indicate whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device 130, of the another indication of the another type is allowed.

The wireless device 130 is also configured to perform the processing of Action 507, e.g. by means of a processing unit 902, configured to process the first indication, based on the first result of the determining of whether or not to send the first indication.

In some embodiments, at least one of the following three options may apply. According to the first option, the first indication of the first type may be configured to be one of: i) the Session Start indication, ii) a Session Stop indication, and iii) the different indication configured to be received from the upper layer of the wireless device 130. According to the second option, the another indication of the another type may be configured to be one of: the report of one or more measurements, conventional QoE reporting, and reporting of RAN visible QoE. According to the third option, the uplink transmission of the another indication may be configured to be QoE measurement reporting.

In some embodiments, the processing may be configured to comprise one or more of the following options. According to the first option, sending the first indication to the network node 110, with the proviso that at least one of: a) the previous indication configured to indicate that transmission of the another indication is not allowed has not been received, b) the previous indication configured to indicate that transmission of the another indication is allowed has been received. According to the second option, refraining from sending the first indication to the network node 110, with the proviso that: a) the previous indication is configured to indicate that transmission of the another indication is not allowed and the previous indication has been received. According to the third option, discarding the first indication. According to the fourth option, storing the first indication. According to the fifth option, refraining from storing the first indication. According to the sixth option, registering, retrieving, or both, the time of arrival of the first indication from the upper layer of the wireless device 130. According to the seventh option, sending to the network node 110 the first additional indication configured to indicate that the session has occurred. According to the eighth option, selecting the first indication for transmission, with the proviso multiple instances of the first indication have been received. According to the ninth option, deleting the previously received configuration not yet applied. According to the tenth option, sending the subsequent indication to the upper layer of the wireless device 130. The subsequent indication may be configured to indicate to refrain from sending more indications for transmission to the network node 110.

In some embodiments, the determining of whether or not to send the first indication to the network node 110 may be configured to be further based on the second determination of whether or not: i) the one or more prior instances of the first indication of the first type, or ii) the one or more prior instances of the second indication of the second type other than the first type and the another type, have already been sent to the network node 110. The second indication of the second type may be configured to be one of: iii) the Session Start indication, iv) the Session Stop indication, and v) the different indication configured to be received from the upper layer of the wireless device 130.

In some embodiments, the second determination may be configured to comprise determining whether or not: i) the previous start of the session indication has been sent to the network node 110, and ii) the previous end of the session indication corresponding to the previous start of the session indication has been sent to the network node 110.

In some embodiments, the determining of whether or not to send the first indication to the network node 110 may be further configured to be based on: a) the third determination of whether or not the one or more instances of at least one of the first indication and the second indication of the second type have been received from the upper layer of the wireless device 130 for transmission to the network node 110, and b) the fourth determination of whether or not the instance of the second indication is for the same session as the instance of the first indication. In such embodiments, the processing may be further based on at least one of the third determination and the fourth determination and it may be configured to comprise one of: i) refraining from sending at least one of the first indication and the second indication, ii) refraining from sending both of the first indication and the second indication, iii) discarding one of the first indication and the second indication, and iv) sending the subsequent indication to the upper layer of the wireless device 130; the subsequent indication may indicate to refrain from sending more indications for transmission to the network node 110.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first indication and the previous second indication of one or more previous second indications, as configured to be received from the upper layer of the wireless device 130 may be configured to comprise, respectively, at least one of: i) the first identifier of the instance of the first indication, ii) the second identifier of the application to which the first indication or the second indication may be configured to belong, iii) the third identifier of the first indication or the second indication, iv) the reference of the first indication or the second indication, v) the fourth identifier of the session, vi) the fifth identifier for the service type, vii) the sixth identifier of the subservice type or the service subtype, viii) the seventh identifier of the vendor of the application, and ix) the eighth identifier of the brand of the application.

In some embodiments, the wireless device 130 may send the first indication to the network node 110, and the first indication may be further configured to comprise, in at least one or more additional indications, at least one of: i) the second indication, ii) the first indication and the second indication placed together, iii) the first identifier of the instance of the first indication, iv) the second identifier of the application to which the first indication may be configured to belong, v) the third identifier of the previous indication, vi) the reference of the first indication, vii) the fourth identifier of the session, viii) the fifth identifier for the service type, ix) the sixth identifier of the subservice type or the service subtype, x) the seventh identifier of the vendor of the application, and xi) the eighth identifier of the brand of the application.

The wireless device 130 may be further configured to perform the sending of Action 501 , e.g. by means of a sending unit 903, configured to send, to the network node 110, at least one of: i) the first prior instance of the first indication, and ii) the first prior instance of the second indication.

The wireless device 130 may be configured to perform the storing of Action 502, e.g. by means of a storing unit 904, configured to store, in the memory of the wireless device 130, at least one of: i) the third indication of the respective first time of receipt of the first prior instance of the first indication from the upper layer within the wireless device 130, and ii) the fourth indication of the respective second time of receipt of the first prior instance of the second indication from the upper layer within the wireless device 130.

In some embodiments, the previous indication may be configured to have been received and the previous indication may be configured to indicate how the wireless device 130 may have to process the first indication.

In some embodiments, the wireless device 130 may be further configured to at least one of the following four configurations.

The wireless device 130 may be configured to perform the receiving of Action 503, e.g. by means of a receiving unit 905, configured to receive the previous indication from the network node 110.

The wireless device 130 may be configured to perform the receiving of Action 504, e.g. by means of the receiving unit 905, configured to receive the first indication from the upper layer within the wireless device 130, after receiving the previous indication. The wireless device 130 may be configured to perform the starting of Action 505, e.g. by means of a starting unit 906, configured to start the first timer based on the respective first time of receipt of the first indication.

The wireless device 130 may be configured to perform the stopping of Action 508, e.g. by means of a stopping unit 907, configured to stop the first timer based on the respective second time of processing of the first indication. The first indication may be configured to be sent to the network node 110 with the sixth indication of the respective first time of receipt of the first indication and the respective second time of processing of the first indication.

In some embodiments, at least one of the following options may apply. According to a first option, the previous indication may be configured to be the request to pause QoE reporting. The first indication may be configured to be the Start Session indication, and the processing may be configured to comprise refraining from sending the first indication. According to a second option, the previous indication may be configured to be the request to resume QoE reporting. The first indication may be configured to be the Start Session indication, and the processing may be configured to comprise sending, retroactively, the first indication.

In some embodiments, the processing may be configured to be further based on at least one of: the reason for receiving the previous indication, the service type configured to be associated to the previous indication, the timer configured to be associated with the first indication, the category of the application to which the first indication may be configured to belong, the one or more existing configurations, and the one or more conditions.

In some embodiments, the wireless device 130 may be configured to be the access stratum of the wireless device 130.

Other units 908 may be comprised in the wireless device 130.

The embodiments herein in the wireless device 130 may be implemented through one or more processors, such as a processor 909 in the wireless device 130 depicted in Figure 9a, together with computer program code for performing the functions and actions of the embodiments herein. A processor, as used herein, may be understood to be a hardware component. The program code mentioned above may also be provided as a computer program product, for instance in the form of a data carrier carrying computer program code for performing the embodiments herein when being loaded into the wireless device 130. One such carrier may be in the form of a CD ROM disc. It is however feasible with other data carriers such as a memory stick. The computer program code may furthermore be provided as pure program code on a server and downloaded to the wireless device 130.

The wireless device 130 may further comprise a memory 910 comprising one or more memory units. The memory 910 is arranged to be used to store obtained information, store data, configurations, schedulings, and applications etc. to perform the methods herein when being executed in the wireless device 130.

In some embodiments, the wireless device 130 may receive information from, e.g., the network node 110, through a receiving port 911. In some embodiments, the receiving port 911 may be, for example, connected to one or more antennas in wireless device 130. In other embodiments, the wireless device 130 may receive information from another structure in the wireless communications network 100 through the receiving port 911. Since the receiving port 911 may be in communication with the processor 909, the receiving port 911 may then send the received information to the processor 909. The receiving port 911 may also be configured to receive other information.

The processor 909 in the wireless device 130 may be further configured to transmit or send information to e.g., the network node 110 and/or another structure in the wireless communications network 100, through a sending port 912, which may be in communication with the processor 909, and the memory 910.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the units 901-908 described above may refer to a combination of analog and digital circuits, and/or one or more processors configured with software and/or firmware, e.g., stored in memory, that, when executed by the one or more processors such as the processor 909, perform as described above. One or more of these processors, as well as the other digital hardware, may be included in a single Application- Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or several processors and various digital hardware may be distributed among several separate components, whether individually packaged or assembled into a System-on-a-Chip (SoC).

Also, in some embodiments, the different units 901-908 described above may be implemented as one or more applications running on one or more processors such as the processor 909.

Thus, the methods according to the embodiments described herein for the wireless device 130 may be respectively implemented by means of a computer program 913 product, comprising instructions, i.e., software code portions, which, when executed on at least one processor 909, cause the at least one processor 909 to carry out the actions described herein, as performed by the wireless device 130. The computer program 913 product may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium 914. The computer-readable storage medium 914, having stored thereon the computer program 913, may comprise instructions which, when executed on at least one processor 909, cause the at least one processor 909 to carry out the actions described herein, as performed by the wireless device 130. In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium 914 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as a CD ROM disc, or a memory stick. In other embodiments, the computer program 913 product may be stored on a carrier containing the computer program 913 just described, wherein the carrier is one of an electronic signal, optical signal, radio signal, or the computer-readable storage medium 914, as described above.

The wireless device 130 may comprise a communication interface configured to facilitate communications between the wireless device 130 and other nodes or devices, e.g., the network node 110 and/or another structure. The interface may, for example, include a transceiver configured to transmit and receive radio signals over an air interface in accordance with a suitable standard.

In other embodiments, the wireless device 130 may comprise the following arrangement depicted in Figure 9b. The wireless device 130 may comprise a processing circuitry 909, e.g., one or more processors such as the processor 909, in the wireless device 130 and the memory 910. The wireless device 130 may also comprise a radio circuitry 915, which may comprise e.g., the receiving port 911 and the sending port 912. The processing circuitry 909 may be configured to, or operable to, perform the method actions according to Figure 5, Figures 7-8 and/or Figures 12-16, in a similar manner as that described in relation to Figure 9a. The radio circuitry 915 may be configured to set up and maintain at least a wireless connection with the network node 110 and/or another structure. Circuitry may be understood herein as a hardware component.

Hence, embodiments herein also relate to the wireless device 130 operative to operate in the wireless communications network 100. The wireless device 130 may comprise the processing circuitry 909 and the memory 910, said memory 910 containing instructions executable by said processing circuitry 909, whereby the wireless device 130 is further operative to perform the actions described herein in relation to the wireless device 130, e.g., in Figure 5, Figures 7-8 and/or Figures 12-16.

Figure 10 depicts two different examples in panels a) and b), respectively, of the arrangement that the network node 110 may comprise. In some embodiments, the network node 110 may comprise the following arrangement depicted in Figure 10a. The network node 110 may be understood to be for handling the one or more indications. The network node 110 is configured to operate in the wireless communications network 100.

Several embodiments are comprised herein. It should be noted that the examples herein are not mutually exclusive. One or more embodiments may be combined, where applicable. All possible combinations are not described to simplify the description. Components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present in another embodiment and it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art how those components may be used in the other exemplary embodiments. The detailed description of some of the features described for the network node 110 corresponds to that already provided when describing the method performed by the wireless device 130 and will therefore not be repeated here. For example, in some embodiments, the wireless device 130 may be configured to be a 5G UE. In some embodiments, the network node 110 may be configured to be a gNB.

In Figure 10, optional units are indicated with dashed boxes.

The network node 110 may be configured to perform the sending in Action 602, e.g. by means of a sending unit 1001 within the network node 110, configured to send the previous indication to the wireless device 130 configured to operate in the wireless communications network 100.

The network node 110 may be configured to perform the receiving of Action 603, e.g. by means of a receiving unit 1002, configured to receive, based on the previous indication configured to be sent, the first indication of the first type from the wireless device 130. The previous indication is configured to indicate whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device 130, of the another indication of another type is allowed.

The network node 110 may be configured to perform the processing of Action 604, e.g. by means of a processing unit 1003, configured to process the first indication configured to be received.

In some embodiments, at least one of the following three options may apply. According to the first option, the first indication of the first type may be configured to be one of: i) the Session Start indication, ii) the Session Stop indication, and iii) the different indication configured to be received from the upper layer of the wireless device 130. According to the second option, the another indication of the another type may be configured to be one of: the report of the one or more measurements, conventional QoE reporting, and reporting of RAN visible QoE. According to the third option, the uplink transmission of the another indication may be configured to be QoE measurement reporting.

In some embodiments, receiving the first indication based on the previous indication configured to be sent may be configured to comprise receiving the first indication with the proviso that the previous indication is configured to indicate that transmission of the another indication is allowed.

In some embodiments, the receiving may be further configured to be based on whether or not i) the one or more prior instances of the first indication of the first type, or ii) the one or more prior instances of the second indication of the second type other than the first type and the another type, have already been received from the wireless device 130. The second indication of the second type may be configured to be one of: iii) the Session Start indication, iv) the Session Stop indication, and v) the different indication configured to be received from the upper layer of the wireless device 130. In some embodiments, the receiving may be further configured to be based on whether or not: i) the previous start of the session indication has been received from the wireless device 130, and ii) the previous end of the session indication corresponding to the previous start of the session indication has been received from the wireless device 130.

In some embodiments, the receiving may be further configured to be based on whether or not the instance of the second indication may be configured to be for the same session as the instance of the first indication.

In some embodiments, the first indication may be further configured to comprise, in at least one or more additional indications, at least one of: i) the second indication of the second type other than the first type and the another type, ii) the first indication and the second indication placed together, iii) the first identifier of the instance of the first indication, iv) the second identifier of the application to which the first indication may be configured to belong, v) the third identifier of the previous indication, vi) the reference of the first indication, vii) the fourth identifier of the session, viii) the fifth identifier for the service type, ix) the sixth identifier of the subservice type or the service subtype, x) the seventh identifier of the vendor of the application, and xi) the eighth identifier of the brand of the application.

The network node 110 may be configured to perform the receiving of Action 601 , e.g. by means of the receiving unit 1002 within the network node 110, configured to receive, from the wireless device 130, at least one of: i) the first prior instance of the first indication, and ii) the first prior instance of the second indication.

In some embodiments, the previous indication may be configured to indicate how the wireless device 130 may have to process the first indication.

In some embodiments, the first indication may be configured to be received from the wireless device 130 with the sixth indication of the respective first time of receipt of the first indication by the access stratum layer of the wireless device 130 from the upper layer at the wireless device 130 and the respective second time of transmission, by the wireless device 130, of the first indication.

In some embodiments, at least one of: a) the previous indication may be configured to be the request to pause QoE reporting, and the first indication may be configured to be the Start Session indication, and b) the previous indication may be configured to be the request to resume QoE reporting. In such embodiments, the first indication may be configured to be the Start Session indication, and the first indication may be configured to be received retroactively.

In some embodiments, the receiving may be configured to be further based on at least one of: the reason for sending the previous indication, the service type configured to be associated to the previous indication, the timer configured to be associated with the first indication, the category of the application to which the first indication may be configured to belong, the one or more existing configurations, and the one or more conditions.

In some embodiments, the receiving may be configured to be from the access stratum of the wireless device 130.

Other units 1004 may be comprised in the network node 110.

The embodiments herein in the network node 110 may be implemented through one or more processors, such as a processor 1005 in the network node 110 depicted in Figure 10a, together with computer program code for performing the functions and actions of the embodiments herein. A processor, as used herein, may be understood to be a hardware component. The program code mentioned above may also be provided as a computer program product, for instance in the form of a data carrier carrying computer program code for performing the embodiments herein when being loaded into the network node 110. One such carrier may be in the form of a CD ROM disc. It is however feasible with other data carriers such as a memory stick. The computer program code may furthermore be provided as pure program code on a server and downloaded to the network node 110.

The network node 110 may further comprise a memory 1006 comprising one or more memory units. The memory 1006 is arranged to be used to store obtained information, store data, configurations, schedulings, and applications etc. to perform the methods herein when being executed in the network node 110.

In some embodiments, the network node 110 may receive information from, e.g., the wireless device 130, through a receiving port 1007. In some embodiments, the receiving port 1007 may be, for example, connected to one or more antennas in network node 110. In other embodiments, the network node 110 may receive information from another structure in the wireless communications network 100 through the receiving port 1007. Since the receiving port 1007 may be in communication with the processor 1005, the receiving port 1007 may then send the received information to the processor 1005. The receiving port 1007 may also be configured to receive other information.

The processor 1005 in the network node 110 may be further configured to transmit or send information to e.g., the wireless device 130 and/or another structure in the wireless communications network 100, through a sending port 1008, which may be in communication with the processor 1005, and the memory 1006.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the units 1001-1004 described above may refer to a combination of analog and digital circuits, and/or one or more processors configured with software and/or firmware, e.g., stored in memory, that, when executed by the one or more processors such as the processor 1005, perform as described above. One or more of these processors, as well as the other digital hardware, may be included in a single Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or several processors and various digital hardware may be distributed among several separate components, whether individually packaged or assembled into a System-on-a-Chip (SoC).

Also, in some embodiments, the different units 1001-1004 described above may be implemented as one or more applications running on one or more processors such as the processor 1005.

Thus, the methods according to the embodiments described herein for the network node 110 may be respectively implemented by means of a computer program 1009 product, comprising instructions, i.e., software code portions, which, when executed on at least one processor 1005, cause the at least one processor 1005 to carry out the actions described herein, as performed by the network node 110. The computer program 1009 product may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium 1010. The computer-readable storage medium 1010, having stored thereon the computer program 1009, may comprise instructions which, when executed on at least one processor 1005, cause the at least one processor 1005 to carry out the actions described herein, as performed by the network node 110. In some embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium 1010 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as a CD ROM disc, or a memory stick. In other embodiments, the computer program 1009 product may be stored on a carrier containing the computer program 1009 just described, wherein the carrier is one of an electronic signal, optical signal, radio signal, or the computer-readable storage medium 1010, as described above.

The network node 110 may comprise a communication interface configured to facilitate communications between the network node 110 and other nodes or devices, e.g., the wireless device 130 and/or another structure in the wireless communications network 100. The interface may, for example, include a transceiver configured to transmit and receive radio signals over an air interface in accordance with a suitable standard.

In other embodiments, the network node 110 may comprise the following arrangement depicted in Figure 10b. The network node 110 may comprise a processing circuitry 1005, e.g., one or more processors such as the processor 1005, in the network node 110 and the memory 1006. The network node 110 may also comprise a radio circuitry 1011 , which may comprise e.g., the receiving port 1007 and the sending port 1008. The processing circuitry 1005 may be configured to, or operable to, perform the method actions according to Figure 6, Figures 7-8 and/or Figures 12-16, in a similar manner as that described in relation to Figure 10a. The radio circuitry 1011 may be configured to set up and maintain at least a wireless connection with the the wireless device 130 and/or another structure in the wireless communications network 100. Circuitry may be understood herein as a hardware component. Hence, embodiments herein also relate to the network node 110 operative to operate in the wireless communications network 100. The network node 110 may comprise the processing circuitry 1005 and the memory 1006, said memory 1006 containing instructions executable by said processing circuitry 1005, whereby the network node 110 is further operative to perform the actions described herein in relation to the network node 110, e.g., in Figure 6, Figures 7-8 and/or Figures 12-16.

As used herein, the expression “at least one of:” followed by a list of alternatives separated by commas, and wherein the last alternative is preceded by the “and” term, may be understood to mean that only one of the list of alternatives may apply, more than one of the list of alternatives may apply or all of the list of alternatives may apply. This expression may be understood to be equivalent to the expression “at least one of:” followed by a list of alternatives separated by commas, and wherein the last alternative is preceded by the “or” term.

When using the word "comprise" or “comprising” it shall be interpreted as non- limiting, i.e. meaning "consist at least of".

A processor may be understood herein as a hardware component.

The embodiments herein are not limited to the above described preferred embodiments. Various alternatives, modifications and equivalents may be used. Therefore, the above embodiments should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.

EXAMPLES of, or related to, embodiments herein

Examples related to embodiments herein may be as follows.

Example 1. A method performed by a wireless device (130), the method being for handling one or more indications, the wireless device (130) operating in a wireless communications network (100), the method comprising:

- determining (506) whether or not to send a first indication of a first type to a network node (110) operating in the wireless communications network (100), the determining (506) being based on: i. a first determination (506a) of whether or not a previous indication has been received from the network node (110), the previous indication indicating whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device (130), of another indication of another type is allowed, e.g., whether uplink transmission of the another indication by the wireless device (130) is to pause or to be resumed, and - processing (507) the first indication, based on a first result of the determining (506) of whether or not to send the first indication.

Example 2. The method according to example 1 , wherein at least one of: the first indication of the first type is one of: i. a Session Start indication, ii. a Session Stop indication, and iii. a different indication received from an upper layer of the wireless device (130),

- the another indication of the another type is one of: a report of one or more measurements, e.g., of a quality of experience, QoE, such as QoE measurements for some or all of the applications, or for some or all service types, conventional QoE reporting, such as QoE reporting that is transparent to RAN, reporting of RAN visible QoE, a QoE reporting decodable by the RAN, and

- the uplink transmission of the another indication is QoE measurement reporting.

Example 3. The method according to any of examples 1-2, wherein the processing (507) comprises one or more of: i. sending the first indication to the network node (110), e.g., with the proviso that at least one of: a) the previous indication indicating that transmission of the another indication is not allowed, e.g., is to pause, has not been received, b) the previous indication indicating that transmission of the another indication is allowed, e.g., is to resume, has been received. ii. refraining from sending the first indication to the network node (110), e.g., with the proviso that: a) the previous indication indicates that transmission of the another indication is not allowed and the previous indication has been received. iii. discarding the first indication, iv. storing the first indication, v. refraining from storing the first indication, vi. registering/retrieving a time of arrival of the first indication from an upper layer of the wireless device (130), vii. sending to the network node (110) a first additional indication indicating that a session has occurred, viii. selecting the first indication for transmission, with the proviso multiple instances of the first indication have been received, ix. deleting a previously received configuration, e.g., a QoE configuration, not yet applied, x. sending a subsequent indication to the upper layer of the wireless device (130), the subsequent indication indicating to refrain from sending more indications for transmission to the network node (110).

Example 4. The method according to any of examples 1-3, wherein the determining (506) of whether or not to send the first indication to the network node (110) is further based on:

- a second determination (506b) of whether or not: i. one or more prior instances of the first indication of the first type, e.g., a previous Session Start indication, or ii. one or more prior instances of a second indication of a second type other than the first type and the another type, e.g., a previous Session Stop indication, have already been sent to the network node (110), e.g., for a same session.

Example 5. The method according to example 4, wherein the second determination (506b) comprises determining whether or not: iii. a previous start of a session indication, e.g., pertaining to the same session as the first indication, has been sent to the network node (110), and iv. a previous end of a session indication corresponding to the previous start of the session indication has been sent to the network node (110).

Example 6. The method according to any of examples 4-5, wherein the determining (506) of whether or not to send the first indication to the network node (110) is further based on:

- a third determination (506c) of whether or not one or more instances of at least one of the first indication and the second indication of the second type have been received from an upper layer of the wireless device (130) for transmission to the network node (110), and - a fourth determination (506d) of whether or not an instance of the second indication is for the same session as an instance of the first indication, and wherein the processing (507) is further based on at least one of the third determination and the fourth determination and it comprises one of: i. refraining from sending at least one of the first indication and the second indication, e.g., at least the second instance of the first indication and the second indication, ii. refraining from sending both of the first indication and the second indication, e.g., the second instance of both of the first indication and the second indication, iii. discarding one of the first indication and the second indication, e.g., the second instance of one of the first indication and the second indication, iv. sending a subsequent indication to the upper layer of the wireless device (130), the subsequent indication indicating to refrain from sending more indications for transmission to the network node (110).

Example 7. The method according to any of examples 4-6, wherein at least one of the first indication and a previous second indication of the one or more previous second indications, as received from an upper layer of the wireless device (130) comprises, respectively, at least one of: v. a first identifier of the instance of the first indication, e.g., a second instance of the first indication, vi. a second identifier of an application to which the first indication or the second indication belongs, vii. a third identifier of the first indication or the second indication, e.g., RRC ID or Short ID, viii. a reference of the first indication or the second indication, e.g., a QoE reference, and ix. a fourth identifier of a session, e.g., Session ID, Recording Session ID, x. a fifth identifier for a service type, xi. a sixth identifier of a subservice type or a service subtype, xii. a seventh identifier of a vendor of the application, and xiii. an eighth identifier of a brand of the application. Example 8. The method according to example 7, wherein the wireless device (130) sends the first indication to the network node (110), and wherein the first indication further comprises, in at least one or more additional indications, at least one of: xiv. the second indication, e.g., the second instance of the second indication, xv. the first indication and the second indication placed together, xvi. the first identifier of the instance of the first indication, e.g., a second instance of the first indication, xvii. the second identifier of the application to which the first indication belongs, and xviii. the third identifier of the previous indication, e.g., of the one or more measurements, e.g., RRC ID or Short ID, xix. the reference of the first indication, e.g., the QoE reference, and xx. the fourth identifier of the session, e.g., Session ID, Recording Session ID, xxi. the fifth identifier for the service type, xxii. the sixth identifier of the subservice type or the service subtype, xxiii. the seventh identifier of the vendor of the application, and xxiv. the eighth identifier of the brand of the application.

Example 9. The method according to any of examples 4-8, further comprising:

- sending (501), to the network node (110), at least one of: i. a first prior instance of the first indication, and ii. a first prior instance of the second indication, and

- storing (502), in a memory of the wireless device (130), at least one of: i. a third indication of a respective first time of receipt of the first prior instance of the first indication from the upper layer within the wireless device (130), and ii. a fourth indication of a respective second time of receipt of the first prior instance of the second indication from the upper layer within the wireless device (130).

Example 10. The method according to any of examples 4-9, wherein the previous indication has been received and wherein the previous indication indicates how the wireless device (130) is to process the first indication, e.g., comprises a fifth indication indicating whether or not the wireless device (130) is to stop sending at least one of the first indication and the second indication.

Example 11. The method according to any of examples 1-10, further comprising at least one of:

- receiving (503) the previous indication from the network node (110),

- receiving (504) the indication from the upper layer within the wireless device (130), after receiving the previous indication,

- starting (505) a first timer based on a respective first time of receipt of the indication, and

- stopping (508) the first timer based on a respective second time of processing (507), e.g., sending to the network node (110), of the first indication, wherein the indication is sent to the network node (110) with a sixth indication of the first time and the second time.

Example 12. The method according to any of examples 11, wherein at least one of:

- the previous indication is a request to pause QoE reporting, wherein the first indication is a Start Session indication, and wherein the processing (507) comprises refraining from sending the first indication, and

- the previous indication is a request to resume QoE reporting, wherein the first indication is a Start Session indication, and wherein the processing (507) comprises sending, retroactively, the first indication.

Example 13. The method according to any of examples 1-12, wherein the processing (507) is further based on at least one of:

- a reason for receiving the previous indication,

- a service type associated to the previous indication,

- a timer associated with the first indication,

- a category of an application to which the first indication belongs,

- one or more existing configurations,

- one or more conditions, e.g., of the radio access network.

Example 14. The method according to any of examples 1-13, wherein the method is performed by the access stratum of the wireless device (130). Example 15. A method performed by a network node (110), the method being for handling one or more indications, the network node (110) operating in a wireless communications network (100), the method comprising:

- sending (602) a previous indication to a wireless device (130) operating in the wireless communications network (100),

- receiving (603), based on the sent previous indication, a first indication of a first type from the wireless device (130), wherein the previous indication indicates whether or not uplink transmission, by the wireless device (130), of another indication of another type is allowed, e.g., whether uplink transmission of the another indication by the wireless device (130) is to pause or to be resumed, and

- processing (604) the received first indication.

Example 16. The method according to example 15, wherein at least one of: the first indication of the first type is one of: i. a Session Start indication, ii. a Session Stop indication, and iii. a different indication,

- the another indication of the another type is one of: a report of one or more measurements, e.g., of a quality of experience, QoE, such as QoE measurements for some or all of the applications, or for some or all service types, conventional QoE reporting, such as QoE reporting that is transparent to RAN, reporting of RAN visible QoE, a QoE reporting decodable by the RAN, and

- the uplink transmission of the another indication is QoE measurement reporting.

Example 17. The method according to any of examples 15-16, wherein receiving (603) the first indication based on the sent previous indication comprises receiving the first indication with the proviso that the previous indication indicates that transmission of the another indication is allowed, e.g., it is to resume.

Example 18. The method according to any of examples 15-17, wherein the receiving (603) is further based on whether or not: i. one or more prior instances of the first indication of the first type, e.g., a previous Session Start indication, or ii. one or more prior instances of a second indication of a second type other than the first type and the another type, e.g., a previous Session Stop indication, have already been received from the wireless device (130).

Example 19. The method according to example 18, wherein the receiving (603) is further based on whether or not: iii. a previous start of a session indication has been received from the wireless device (130), and iv. a previous end of a session indication corresponding to the previous start of the session indication has been received from the wireless device (130).

Example 20. The method according to any of examples 18-19, wherein the receiving (603) is further based on whether or not an instance of the second indication is for the same session as an instance of the first indication.

Example 21. The method according to any of examples 15-20, wherein the first indication further comprises, in at least one or more additional indications, at least one of: v. a second indication of a second type other than the first type and the another type, e.g., a previous Session Stop indication, e.g., the second instance of the second indication, vi. the first indication and the second indication placed together, vii. a first identifier of the instance of the first indication, e.g., a second instance of the first indication, viii. a second identifier of the application to which the first indication belongs, and ix. a third identifier of the previous indication, e.g., of the one or more measurements, e.g., RRC ID or Short ID, x. a reference of the first indication, e.g., the QoE reference, and xi. a fourth identifier of the session, e.g., Session ID, Recording Session ID, xii. a fifth identifier for the service type, xiii. a sixth identifier of the subservice type or the service subtype, xiv. a seventh identifier of the vendor of the application, and xv. an eighth identifier of the brand of the application. Example 22. The method according to example 21 , further comprising:

- receiving (601), from the wireless device (130), at least one of: i. a first prior instance of the first indication, and ii. a first prior instance of the second indication.

Example 23. The method according to any of examples 15-22, wherein the previous indication indicates how the wireless device (130) is to process the first indication, e.g., comprises a fifth indication indicating whether or not the wireless device (130) is to stop sending at least one of the first indication and the second indication.

Example 24. The method according to any of examples 15-23, wherein the first indication is received from the wireless device (130) with a sixth indication of a respective first time of receipt of the indication by an access stratum layer of the wireless device (130) from an upper layer at the wireless device (130) and a respective second time of transmission, by the wireless device (130), of the first indication.

Example 25. The method according to any of examples 15-24, wherein least one of:

- the previous indication is a request to pause QoE reporting, and wherein the first indication is a Start Session indication, and

- the previous indication is a request to resume QoE reporting, wherein the first indication is a Start Session indication, and wherein the first indication is received retroactively.

Example 26. The method according to any of examples 15-25, wherein the receiving (603) is further based on at least one of:

- a reason for sending the previous indication,

- a service type associated to the previous indication,

- a timer associated with the first indication,

- a category of an application to which the first indication belongs,

- one or more existing configurations,

- one or more conditions, e.g., of the radio access network.

Example 27. The method according to any of examples 15-26, wherein the receiving (603) is from an access stratum of the wireless device (130).

Further Extensions And Variations Figure 11 : Telecommunication network connected via an intermediate network to a host computer in accordance with some embodiments

With reference to Figure 11 , in accordance with an embodiment, a communication system includes telecommunication network 1110 such as the wireless communications network 100, for example, a 3GPP-type cellular network, which comprises access network 1111 , such as a radio access network, and core network 1114. Access network 1111 comprises a plurality of network nodes such as the network node 110. For example, base stations 1112a, 1112b, 1112c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 1113a, 1113b, 1113c. Each base station 1112a, 1112b, 1112c is connectable to core network 1114 over a wired or wireless connection 1115. A plurality of wireless devices, such as the wireless device 130, are comprised in the wireless communications network 100. In Figure 11 , a first UE 1191 located in coverage area 1113c is configured to wirelessly connect to, or be paged by, the corresponding base station 1112c. A second UE 1192 in coverage area 1113a is wirelessly connectable to the corresponding base station 1112a. While a plurality of UEs 1191 , 1192 are illustrated in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to a situation where a sole UE is in the coverage area or where a sole UE is connecting to the corresponding base station 1112. Any of the UEs 1191 , 1192 are examples of the wireless device 130.

T elecommunication network 1110 is itself connected to host computer 1130, which may be embodied in the hardware and/or software of a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server or as processing resources in a server farm. Host computer 1130 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. Connections 1121 and 1122 between telecommunication network 1110 and host computer 1130 may extend directly from core network 1114 to host computer 1130 or may go via an optional intermediate network 1120. Intermediate network 1120 may be one of, or a combination of more than one of, a public, private or hosted network; intermediate network 1120, if any, may be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, intermediate network 1120 may comprise two or more sub-networks (not shown).

The communication system of Figure 11 as a whole enables connectivity between the connected UEs 1191 , 1192 and host computer 1130. The connectivity may be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1150. Host computer 1130 and the connected UEs 1191 , 1192 are configured to communicate data and/or signaling via OTT connection 1150, using access network 1111 , core network 1114, any intermediate network 1120 and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. OTT connection 1150 may be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which OTT connection 1150 passes are unaware of routing of uplink and downlink communications. For example, base station 1112 may not or need not be informed about the past routing of an incoming downlink communication with data originating from host computer 1130 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to a connected UE 1191. Similarly, base station 1112 need not be aware of the future routing of an outgoing uplink communication originating from the UE 1191 towards the host computer 1130.

In relation to Figures 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, which are described next, it may be understood that a UE is an example of the wireless device 130, and that any description provided for the UE equally applies to the wireless device 130. It may be also understood that the base station is an example of the network node 110, and that any description provided for the base station equally applies to the network node 110.

Figure 12: Host computer communicating via a base station with a user equipment over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments

Example implementations, in accordance with an embodiment, of the wireless device 130, e.g., a UE, the network node 110, e.g., a base station and host computer discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 12. In communication system 1200, such as the wireless communications network 100, host computer 1210 comprises hardware 1215 including communication interface 1216 configured to set up and maintain a wired or wireless connection with an interface of a different communication device of communication system 1200. Host computer 1210 further comprises processing circuitry 1218, which may have storage and/or processing capabilities. In particular, processing circuitry 1218 may comprise one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays or combinations of these (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. Host computer 1210 further comprises software 1211 , which is stored in or accessible by host computer 1210 and executable by processing circuitry 1218. Software 1211 includes host application 1212. Host application 1212 may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as UE 1230 connecting via OTT connection 1250 terminating at UE 1230 and host computer 1210. In providing the service to the remote user, host application 1212 may provide user data which is transmitted using OTT connection 1250.

Communication system 1200 further includes the network node 110, exemplified in Figure 12 as a base station 1220 provided in a telecommunication system and comprising hardware 1225 enabling it to communicate with host computer 1210 and with UE 1230. Hardware 1225 may include communication interface 1226 for setting up and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with an interface of a different communication device of communication system 1200, as well as radio interface 1227 for setting up and maintaining at least wireless connection 1270 with the wireless device 130, exemplified in Figure 12 as a UE 1230 located in a coverage area (not shown in Figure 12) served by base station 1220. Communication interface 1226 may be configured to facilitate connection 1260 to host computer 1210. Connection 1260 may be direct or it may pass through a core network (not shown in Figure 12) of the telecommunication system and/or through one or more intermediate networks outside the telecommunication system. In the embodiment shown, hardware 1225 of base station 1220 further includes processing circuitry 1228, which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays or combinations of these (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. Base station 1220 further has software 1221 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

Communication system 1200 further includes UE 1230 already referred to. Its hardware 1235 may include radio interface 1237 configured to set up and maintain wireless connection 1270 with a base station serving a coverage area in which UE 1230 is currently located. Hardware 1235 of UE 1230 further includes processing circuitry 1238, which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays or combinations of these (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. UE 1230 further comprises software 1231 , which is stored in or accessible by UE 1230 and executable by processing circuitry 1238. Software 1231 includes client application 1232. Client application 1232 may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via UE 1230, with the support of host computer 1210. In host computer 1210, an executing host application 1212 may communicate with the executing client application 1232 via OTT connection 1250 terminating at UE 1230 and host computer 1210. In providing the service to the user, client application 1232 may receive request data from host application 1212 and provide user data in response to the request data. OTT connection 1250 may transfer both the request data and the user data. Client application 1232 may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides.

It is noted that host computer 1210, base station 1220 and UE 1230 illustrated in Figure 12 may be similar or identical to host computer 1130, one of base stations 1112a, 1112b, 1112c and one of UEs 1191 , 1192 of Figure 11 , respectively. This is to say, the inner workings of these entities may be as shown in Figure 12 and independently, the surrounding network topology may be that of Figure 11.

In Figure 12, OTT connection 1250 has been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between host computer 1210 and UE 1230 via base station 1220, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices. Network infrastructure may determine the routing, which it may be configured to hide from UE 1230 or from the service provider operating host computer 1210, or both. While OTT connection 1250 is active, the network infrastructure may further take decisions by which it dynamically changes the routing (e.g., on the basis of load balancing consideration or reconfiguration of the network).

Wireless connection 1270 between UE 1230 and base station 1220 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to UE 1230 using OTT connection 1250, in which wireless connection 1270 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the latency, signalling overhead, and service interruption and thereby provide benefits such as reduced user waiting time, better responsiveness and extended battery lifetime.

A measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring OTT connection 1250 between host computer 1210 and UE 1230, in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and/or the network functionality for reconfiguring OTT connection 1250 may be implemented in software 1211 and hardware 1215 of host computer 1210 or in software 1231 and hardware 1235 of UE 1230, or both. In embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with communication devices through which OTT connection 1250 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or supplying values of other physical quantities from which software 1211 , 1231 may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of OTT connection 1250 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing etc.; the reconfiguring need not affect base station 1220, and it may be unknown or imperceptible to base station 1220. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling facilitating host computer 1210’s measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency and the like. The measurements may be implemented in that software 1211 and 1231 causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using OTT connection 1250 while it monitors propagation times, errors etc.

The wireless device embodiments relate to Figure 5, Figures 7-8, Figure 15 and Figures 12-16.

The wireless device 130 may also be configured to communicate user data with a host application unit in a host computer 1210, e.g., via another link such as 1250.

The wireless device 130 may comprise an arrangement as shown in Figure 9 or in Figure 12.

The network node embodiments relate to Figure 6, Figures 7-8, Figure 10 and Figures 12-16. The network node 110 may also be configured to communicate user data with a host application unit in a host computer 1210, e.g., via another link such as 1250.

The network node 110 may comprise an arrangement as shown in Figure 10 or in Figure 12.

Figure 13: Methods implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment in accordance with some embodiments

Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE which may be those described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only drawing references to Figure 13 will be included in this section. In step 1310, the host computer provides user data. In substep 1311 (which may be optional) of step 1310, the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 1320, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In step 1330 (which may be optional), the base station transmits to the UE the user data which was carried in the transmission that the host computer initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1340 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

Figure 14: Methods implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment in accordance with some embodiments

Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE which may be those described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only drawing references to Figure 14 will be included in this section. In step 1410 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional substep (not shown) the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 1420, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. The transmission may pass via the base station, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1430 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

Figure 15: Methods implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment in accordance with some embodiments Figure 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE which may be those described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only drawing references to Figure 15 will be included in this section. In step 1510 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 1520, the UE provides user data. In substep 1521 (which may be optional) of step 1520, the UE provides the user data by executing a client application. In substep 1511 (which may be optional) of step 1510, the UE executes a client application which provides the user data in reaction to the received input data provided by the host computer. In providing the user data, the executed client application may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE initiates, in substep 1530 (which may be optional), transmission of the user data to the host computer. In step 1540 of the method, the host computer receives the user data transmitted from the UE, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

Figure 16: Methods implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment in accordance with some embodiments

Figure 16 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system, in accordance with one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE which may be those described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only drawing references to Figure 16 will be included in this section. In step 1610 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the base station receives user data from the UE. In step 1620 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 1630 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

Any appropriate steps, methods, features, functions, or benefits disclosed herein may be performed through one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual apparatuses. Each virtual apparatus may comprise a number of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented via processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessor or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), special-purpose digital logic, and the like. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or several types of memory such as read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. Program code stored in memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunications and/or data communications protocols as well as instructions for carrying out one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the respective functional unit to perform corresponding functions according one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

The term unit may have conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices and/or electronic devices and may include, for example, electrical and/or electronic circuitry, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid state and/or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for carrying out respective tasks, procedures, computations, outputs, and/or displaying functions, and so on, as such as those that are described herein. Further numbered embodiments

I . A base station configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE), the base station comprising a radio interface and processing circuitry configured to perform one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the network node 110.

5. A communication system including a host computer comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the cellular network comprises a base station having a radio interface and processing circuitry, the base station’s processing circuitry configured to perform one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the network node 110.

6. The communication system of embodiment 5, further including the base station.

7. The communication system of embodiment 6, further including the UE, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with the base station.

8. The communication system of embodiment 7, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

I I . A method implemented in a base station, comprising one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the network node 110. 15. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, providing user data; and at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the base station, wherein the base station performs one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the network node 110.

16. The method of embodiment 15, further comprising: at the base station, transmitting the user data.

17. The method of embodiment 16, wherein the user data is provided at the host computer by executing a host application, the method further comprising: at the UE, executing a client application associated with the host application.

21. A user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a base station, the UE comprising a radio interface and processing circuitry configured to perform one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the wireless device 130.

25. A communication system including a host computer comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises a radio interface and processing circuitry, the UE’s processing circuitry configured to perform one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the wireless device 130.

26. The communication system of embodiment 25, further including the UE.

27. The communication system of embodiment 26, wherein the cellular network further includes a base station configured to communicate with the UE.

28. The communication system of embodiment 26 or 27, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the UE’s processing circuitry is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application. 31. A method implemented in a user equipment (UE), comprising one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the wireless device 130.

35. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, providing user data; and at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the base station, wherein the UE performs one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the wireless device 130.

36. The method of embodiment 35, further comprising: at the UE, receiving the user data from the base station.

41. A user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a base station, the UE comprising a radio interface and processing circuitry configured to perform one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the wireless device 130.

45. A communication system including a host computer comprising: a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a base station, wherein the UE comprises a radio interface and processing circuitry, the UE’s processing circuitry configured to: perform one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the wireless device 130.

46. The communication system of embodiment 45, further including the UE.

47. The communication system of embodiment 46, further including the base station, wherein the base station comprises a radio interface configured to communicate with the UE and a communication interface configured to forward to the host computer the user data carried by a transmission from the UE to the base station.

48. The communication system of embodiment 46 or 47, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application; and the UE’s processing circuitry is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data.

49. The communication system of embodiment 46 or 47, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing request data; and the UE’s processing circuitry is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data in response to the request data.

51. A method implemented in a user equipment (UE), comprising one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the wireless device 130.

52. The method of embodiment 51 , further comprising: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host computer via the transmission to the base station.

55. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, receiving user data transmitted to the base station from the UE, wherein the UE performs one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the wireless device 130.

56. The method of embodiment 55, further comprising: at the UE, providing the user data to the base station.

57. The method of embodiment 56, further comprising: at the UE, executing a client application, thereby providing the user data to be transmitted; and at the host computer, executing a host application associated with the client application.

58. The method of embodiment 56, further comprising: at the UE, executing a client application; and at the UE, receiving input data to the client application, the input data being provided at the host computer by executing a host application associated with the client application, wherein the user data to be transmitted is provided by the client application in response to the input data. 61. A base station configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE), the base station comprising a radio interface and processing circuitry configured to perform one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the network node 110.

65. A communication system including a host computer comprising a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a base station, wherein the base station comprises a radio interface and processing circuitry, the base station’s processing circuitry configured to perform one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the network node 110.

66. The communication system of embodiment 65, further including the base station.

67. The communication system of embodiment 66, further including the UE, wherein the UE is configured to communicate with the base station.

68. The communication system of embodiment 67, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application; the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data to be received by the host computer.

71. A method implemented in a base station, comprising one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the network node 110.

75. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: at the host computer, receiving, from the base station, user data originating from a transmission which the base station has received from the UE, wherein the UE performs one or more of the actions described herein as performed by the wireless device 130.

76. The method of embodiment 75, further comprising: at the base station, receiving the user data from the UE.

77. The method of embodiment 76, further comprising: at the base station, initiating a transmission of the received user data to the host computer.