Methods for Avoiding Adverse Effects Caused by NES

20250048261

18/229000

August 01, 2023

Methods and systems are provided for NES (network energy savings) operations in a network. A network node may transmit to user equipments (UEs) an indication about an NES operation activation for one or more cells. The UE(s) may send a reconfiguration request to modify the NES operation for one or more cells, for example to avoid a degradation in service that may negatively impact key performance indicators or quality of experience. In response, the network node may modify the NES operation. The network node may then send an updated indication about the modified NES operation for the one or more cells.

1. A method performed by a user equipment, UE, (2200) for preference signaling regarding Network Energy Saving, NES, operation, comprising: receiving from a network node an indication about an NES operation activation for one or more cells; and signaling to the network node UE feedback related to the NES operation for the one or more cells; and receiving from the network node an updated indication about a modified NES operation for the one or more cells.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the network node one or more possible configurations for the NES operation from which the UE can indicate a preference.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising adapting the signaling based on the received one or more possible configurations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises at least one of: characteristics of the NES operation; configuration of the NES operation; turning off completely; turning off one or more components; turning off one or more beams; turning off one or more serving cells; turning off one or more secondary cells; discontinuous transmission or reception cycle information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises one or more of: an intention by the network node to activate the NES operation at a future time; information about a first activation time of the NES operation; information indicating that the NES operation is currently activated; information about a time window during which the NES operation is supposed to be applicable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE feedback comprises one or more of: a preference by the UE for omitting the NES operation; modifying the NES operation parameters; invoking a different NES operation; delaying a first activation time of the NES operation; shortening a time window during which the NES operation is activated.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in case the indication identified a time window configured for UE feedback, signaling the UE feedback within the identified time window.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more configurations comprise at least one of: that the UE is allowed to provide NES operation-related requests; that the UE is disallowed to provide NES operation-related requests; that the UE is allowed to provide reconfiguration assistance; that the UE is disallowed to provide reconfiguration assistance; that the UE is allowed an exemption from a serving or neighboring network node's intention; that the UE is disallowed an exemption from a serving or neighboring network node's intention; that the UE is allowed to provide said NES operation-related requests, reconfiguration assistance, or exemption until a certain time before a first activation time, otherwise said NES operation-related requests, reconfiguration assistance, or exemption is not considered by the network node; a prohibition timer configuration for request signaling.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE feedback comprises one or more of: information about lack of suitable targets for conditional handover; preferred configuration information related to one or more possible handover target cells; information about an expected duration of time during which one or more serving cells and/or target cells are not desired to operate in said NES operation; a request to not deactivate a serving cell of the UE; information about preferred cell discontinuous transmission or reception configuration; a preferred on-duration offset; a period; an off-duration duration; information about lack of suitable target candidate primary secondary cells, PSCells, for Conditional PSCell Change, CPC; preferred configuration in terms of NES operation related to a current PSCell and/or one or more target candidate PSCells; a preference to not configure or continue a NES operation on the current PSCell and/or one or more target candidate PSCells; information about an expected duration of time during which the current PSCell and/or one or more target candidate PSCells are not desired to operate in said NES operation; assistance request; a complaint; an exemption request.

10. A method performed by a network (3300) for activation of a Network Energy Saving, NES, operation, comprising: signaling, to one or more user equipments, UEs, an indication about activation of a NES operation at one or more cells; receiving, from at least one of the one or more UEs, UE feedback related to the one or more cells; and modifying the NES operation based at least in part on the UE feedback.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting to a neighbor cell or neighbor node one or more of: a request to adapt the NES operation or configuration thereof based on the UE feedback; a forwarded at least a portion of the UE feedback via one or more network internal interfaces.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising signaling to at least one of the one or more UEs one or more of: an updated indication about the modified NES operation; one or more possible configurations for the NES operation from which the UE can indicate a preference.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication comprises one or more of: information about the NES operation; characteristics of the NES operation; configuration of the NES operation; discontinuous transmission or reception cycle; turning off completely one or more components; partially turning off one or more components; transmission of certain signals of the one or more cells; an intention to activate the NES operation at a future time; information about a first activation time of said NES operation; information that the NES operation is currently activated; information about a time window during which said NES operation is supposed to be applicable.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more network internal interfaces comprises one or more of: Xn; indirectly via core network, CN, Next Generation control plane interfaces, NG-C, where Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF, acts as a relay.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the UE feedback comprises one or more of: information about lack of suitable targets for conditional handover; preferred configuration information related to one or more possible handover target cells; information about an expected duration of time during which one or more serving cells and/or target cells are not desired to operate in said NES operation; a request to not deactivate a serving cell of the UE; information about preferred cell discontinuous transmission or reception configuration; a preferred on-duration offset; a period; an off-duration duration; information about lack of suitable target candidate primary secondary cells, PSCells, for Conditional PSCell Change, CPC; preferred configuration in terms of NES operation related to a current PSCell and/or one or more target candidate PSCells; a preference to not configure or continue a NES operation on the current PSCell and/or one or more target candidate PSCells; information about an expected duration of time during which the current PSCell and/or one or more target candidate PSCells are not desired to operate in said NES operation; assistance request; a complaint; an exemption request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein information about lack of suitable target candidate primary secondary cells, PSCells, of Conditional PSCell Change, CPC, is communicated between a master node, MN, and one or more secondary nodes, SNs, one or more source secondary nodes, S-SNs, and/or one or more target secondary nodes, T-SNs.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the MN performs at least one of: providing the information to the one or more S-SNs and/or one or more T-SNs about preferred configuration in terms of NES operation of a current PSCell and/or one or more target candidate PSCells, respectively; providing the information to the one or more S-SNs and/or one or more T-SNs about a UE preference to not configure or to continue a NES operation on the current PSCell and/or one or more target candidate PSCells, respectively; providing the information to the one or more S-SNs and/or one or more T-SNs about an expected duration of time during which a current PSCell and/or one or more target candidate PSCells are not desired by the UE to operate in said NES operation, respectively.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the modifying comprises at least one of: configuring a NES operation to not deactivate a serving cell of at least one of the one or more UEs; reconfiguring a cell discontinuous transmission or reception based on preferred cell discontinuous transmission or reception parameters; requesting a neighbor cell to adapt its NES operation; omitting the NES operation; modifying one or more parameters of the NES operation; invoking a different NES operation; delaying a first activation time of the NES operation; shortening a time window during which the NES operation is activated.

19. A network node (3300) for activation of a Network Energy Saving, NES, operation, the network node comprising: processing circuitry (3302) configured to perform the steps of; signaling, to one or more user equipments, UEs, an indication about activation of a NES operation at one or more cells; receiving, from at least one of the one or more UEs, UE feedback related to the one or more cells; and modifying the NES operation based at least in part on the UE feedback; and power supply circuitry (3308) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

20. The network node of claim 19, wherein the network node comprises at least one of: gNB; a base station; a serving cell of at least one of the one or more UEs; a neighboring cell of at least one of the one or more UEs; a master node; a secondary node.

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