阅读说明：本技术 用于频率测量的装置、方法、计算机程序 (Apparatus, method, computer program for frequency measurement ) 是由 贺敬 张力 A·阿里 于 2018-03-22 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种装置,包括至少一个处理器和至少一个存储器,该至少一个存储器包括计算机程序代码,其中至少一个存储器和计算机程序代码被配置为与至少一个处理器一起,使该装置：操作该装置的计数器处的计数,计数包括由与该装置通信的用户设备测量的载波频率的计数；从该装置向用户设备发送载波频率测量指令；从用户设备接收响应于该指令的信息；以及响应于从用户设备接收的信息,选择性地更新计数器处的计数。(An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: operating a count at a counter of the apparatus, the count comprising a count of carrier frequencies measured by user equipment in communication with the apparatus; transmitting a carrier frequency measurement instruction from the apparatus to the user equipment; receiving information from the user equipment in response to the instruction; and selectively updating the count at the counter in response to information received from the user equipment.)

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

operating a count at a counter of the apparatus, the count comprising a count of carrier frequencies being measured by user equipment in communication with the apparatus;

transmitting, from the apparatus to the user equipment, a carrier frequency measurement instruction;

receiving information from the user equipment in response to the instruction; and

selectively updating the count at the counter in response to the information received from the user equipment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user equipment is in dual or multi-connection with the apparatus and at least one second apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus comprises one of a primary node and a secondary node, and the at least one second apparatus comprises the other of the primary node and the secondary node.

4. The apparatus of any of claims 1-3, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprising a request for the user equipment to perform measurements for a carrier frequency specified by the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: decreasing the count of the counter when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is to perform a measurement for the requested carrier frequency as a new measurement in response to the instruction.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: not change the count of the counter when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is already performing measurements for the requested carrier frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: setting a value of the count to zero when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment does not have a capability to perform the requested measurement of the carrier frequency.

8. The apparatus of any of claims 1-3, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprising a request from the apparatus to stop measurement for a carrier frequency.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to, when it is determined that a previous request to perform measurements of the requested carrier frequency has previously caused the apparatus to decrease the count of the counter, increase the count of the counter when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment will stop measurements for the requested carrier frequency according to the instruction.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: not change the count of the counter when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is already performing measurements for the requested carrier frequency.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the apparatus storing a plurality of counts, each count being associated with a different user equipment.

12. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receiving a carrier frequency measurement instruction from a node;

determining how the apparatus is to operate in response to the instruction, the operation in response to the instruction comprising one of: implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency measurement; implementing the instructions as ongoing carrier frequency measurements; not implementing the instruction; and

and sending information of the determined result to the node.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is in dual or multi-connectivity with the node and at least one second node.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the node comprises one of a primary node and a secondary node, and the at least one second node comprises the other of the primary node and the secondary node.

15. The apparatus according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request for the apparatus to perform measurements for a carrier frequency specified by the node.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: when determining how the device will operate in response to the instruction, determining whether the device has the capability to measure the requested carrier frequency.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: sending information to the node indicating that the request exceeds the capability of the user equipment when the apparatus does not have the capability to measure the requested carrier frequency and will not effect the instruction being determined.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: when it is determined that the apparatus is already performing the requested measurement of the carrier frequency, sending information to the node indicating that the measurement for the requested carrier frequency is already being performed by the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: sending information to the node indicating that the apparatus is to implement the instruction when the apparatus has not performed the requested measurement of the carrier frequency and the request is not to exceed the capability of the user equipment is determined.

20. The apparatus according to any of claims 12 to 19, the apparatus comprising a user equipment.

21. A system, comprising:

a user equipment configured for dual connection with a primary base station and a secondary base station;

the master base station comprises a first counter operating a count of carrier frequencies being measured by the user equipment as requested by the master base station;

the secondary base station comprises a second counter operating a count of carrier frequencies being measured by the user equipment as requested by the secondary base station;

the primary base station and the secondary base station are each configured to transmit a carrier frequency measurement instruction to the user equipment;

the user equipment is configured to transmit information to the primary base station and the secondary base station regarding whether the user equipment will execute the instruction based on the determination performed by the user equipment;

the master base station and the secondary base station are configured to selectively update their respective counters based on the information received from the user equipment.

22. A method, comprising:

operating a count at a counter of an apparatus, the count comprising a count of carrier frequencies being measured by user equipment in communication with the apparatus;

transmitting, from the apparatus to the user equipment, a carrier frequency measurement instruction;

receiving information from the user equipment in response to the instruction; and

selectively updating the count at the counter in response to the information received from the user equipment.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the user equipment is in dual or multi-connection with the apparatus and at least one second apparatus.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the apparatus comprises one of a primary node and a secondary node, and the at least one second apparatus comprises the other of the primary node and the secondary node.

25. The method of any of claims 22 to 24, wherein the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request for the user equipment to perform measurements for a carrier frequency specified by the apparatus.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the method comprises: decreasing the count of the counter when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is to perform a measurement for the requested carrier frequency as a new measurement in response to the instruction.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the method comprises: not change the count of the counter when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is already performing measurements for the requested carrier frequency.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the method comprises: setting a value of the count to zero when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment does not have a capability to perform the requested measurement of the carrier frequency.

29. The method of any of claims 22 to 24, wherein the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request from the device to stop measurement for a carrier frequency.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the method comprises: when a previous request to perform a measurement of the requested carrier frequency has previously been determined to have caused the apparatus to decrease the count of the counter, increasing the count of the counter when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment will cease measurements for the requested carrier frequency in accordance with the instruction.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the method comprises: not change the count of the counter when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is already performing measurements for the requested carrier frequency.

32. The method of any of claims 22 to 31, wherein the method comprises storing a plurality of counts, each count being associated with a different user equipment.

33. A computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform:

operating a count at a counter of the apparatus, the count comprising a count of carrier frequencies being measured by user equipment in communication with the apparatus;

transmitting, from the apparatus to the user equipment, a carrier frequency measurement instruction;

receiving information from the user equipment in response to the instruction; and

selectively updating the count at the counter in response to the information received from the user equipment.

34. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a device, a carrier frequency measurement instruction from a node;

determining how the apparatus is to operate in response to the instruction, the operation in response to the instruction comprising one of: implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency measurement; implementing the instructions as ongoing carrier frequency measurements; not implementing the instruction; and

and sending information of the determined result to the node.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the apparatus is in dual or multi-connectivity with the node and at least one second node.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the node comprises one of a primary node and a secondary node, and the at least one second node comprises the other of the primary node and the secondary node.

37. The method of any of claims 34 to 36, wherein the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request for the device to perform measurements for a carrier frequency specified by the node.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the method comprises: when determining how the device will operate in response to the instruction, determining whether the device has the capability to measure the requested carrier frequency.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the method comprises: sending information to the node indicating that the request exceeds the capability of the user equipment when the apparatus does not have the capability to measure the requested carrier frequency and will not effect the instruction being determined.

40. The method of claim 37 or claim 38, wherein the method comprises: when it is determined that the apparatus is already performing the requested measurement of the carrier frequency, sending information to the node indicating that the measurement for the requested carrier frequency is already being performed by the apparatus.

41. The method of claim 37 or claim 38, wherein the method comprises: sending information to the node indicating that the apparatus is to implement the instruction when the apparatus has not performed the requested measurement of the carrier frequency and the request is not to exceed the capability of the user equipment is determined.

42. The method of any of claims 34 to 41, wherein the apparatus comprises a user equipment.

43. A computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform:

receiving a carrier frequency measurement instruction from a node;

determining how the apparatus is to operate in response to the instruction, the operation in response to the instruction comprising one of: implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency measurement; implementing the instructions as ongoing carrier frequency measurements; not implementing the instruction; and

and sending information of the determined result to the node.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to communications, and more particularly, to apparatus, methods and computer programs for use in wireless communication systems. Examples of the present disclosure relate to counting of carrier frequencies measured by a user equipment.

Background

A communication system can be seen as a facility that enables communication between two or more devices, such as user terminals, machine-like terminals, base stations and/or other nodes, by providing communication channels for carrying information between the communicating devices. A communication system may be provided, for example, by means of a communication network and one or more compatible communication devices.

In a wireless system, at least a portion of the communication is over a wireless interface. A wireless system may be divided into cells and is therefore commonly referred to as a cellular system. The base station may provide at least one cell.

The user may access the communication system by means of a suitable communication device or terminal capable of communicating with the base station. The communication devices of the users are commonly referred to as User Equipment (UE).

A communication system and associated devices typically operate in accordance with a given standard or specification which sets out what the various entities associated with the system are permitted to do and how that should be achieved.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: operating a count at a counter of the apparatus, the count comprising a count of carrier frequencies measured by user equipment in communication with the apparatus; transmitting a carrier frequency measurement instruction from the apparatus to the user equipment; receiving information from the user equipment in response to the instruction; and selectively updating the count at the counter in response to information received from the user equipment.

According to an example, the user equipment is in dual or multi-connection with the apparatus and at least one second apparatus.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises one of a primary node and a secondary node, and the at least one second apparatus comprises the other of the primary node and the secondary node.

According to an example, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request for the user equipment to perform measurements for a carrier frequency specified by the apparatus.

According to an example, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is to perform a measurement for the requested carrier frequency as a new measurement in response to the instruction, the count of the counter is decreased.

According to an example, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is already performing measurements for the requested carrier frequency, the count of the counter is not changed.

According to an example, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment does not have the capability to perform the measurement of the requested carrier frequency, the value of the count is set to zero.

According to an example, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request from the apparatus to stop measurement for the carrier frequency.

According to an example, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to, when a previous request to perform a measurement of a requested frequency has previously caused the apparatus to decrease the count of the counter, increase the count of the counter when the information received from the user equipment comprises information that the user equipment is to stop the measurement for the requested carrier frequency according to the instruction.

According to an example, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is already performing measurements for the requested carrier frequency, the count of the counter is not changed.

According to an example, the apparatus stores a plurality of counts, each count associated with a different user device.

According to a second aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for operating a count at a counter of the apparatus, the count comprising a count of carrier frequencies being measured by user equipment in communication with the apparatus; means for transmitting a carrier frequency measurement instruction from the apparatus to the user equipment; means for receiving information from the user device in response to the instruction; and means for selectively updating the count at the counter in response to information received from the user equipment.

According to an example, the user equipment is in dual or multi-connection with the apparatus and at least one second apparatus.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises one of a primary node and a secondary node, and the at least one second apparatus comprises the other of the primary node and the secondary node.

According to an example, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request for the user equipment to perform measurements for a carrier frequency specified by the apparatus.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises means for: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is to perform a measurement for the requested carrier frequency as a new measurement in response to the instruction, the count of the counter is decreased.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises means for: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is already performing measurements for the requested carrier frequency, the count of the counter is not changed.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises means for: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment does not have the capability to perform the measurement of the requested carrier frequency, the value of the count is set to zero.

According to an example, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request from the apparatus to stop measurement for the carrier frequency.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises means for: when a previous request to perform a measurement of the requested frequency has previously been determined to have caused the apparatus to decrease the count of the counter, the count of the counter is increased when the information received from the user equipment comprises information that the user equipment will stop the measurement for the requested carrier frequency according to the instruction.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises means for: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is already performing measurements for the requested carrier frequency, the count of the counter is not changed.

According to an example, the apparatus includes means for storing a plurality of counts, each count associated with a different user device.

According to a third aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receiving a carrier frequency measurement instruction from a node; determining how the apparatus is to operate in response to the instruction, the operation in response to the instruction comprising one of: implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency measurement; implementing the instruction as an ongoing carrier frequency measurement; the instruction is not implemented; and transmitting information of the determined result to the node.

According to an example, the apparatus is in dual or multi-connectivity with a node and at least one second node.

According to an example, the node comprises one of a primary node and a secondary node, and the at least one second node comprises the other of the primary node and the secondary node.

According to an example, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request for the apparatus to perform measurements for a carrier frequency specified by the node.

According to an example, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: when determining how the device will operate in response to the instruction, it is determined whether the device has the capability to measure the requested carrier frequency.

According to an example, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: when the apparatus does not have the capability to measure the requested carrier frequency and it is determined that the instruction will not be implemented, sending information to the node indicating that the request exceeds the capability of the user equipment.

According to an example, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: when it is determined that the apparatus is already performing measurements of the requested carrier frequency, information is sent to the node indicating that measurements for the requested carrier frequency are already being performed by the apparatus.

According to an example, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: when the apparatus has not performed a measurement of the requested carrier frequency and the request will not exceed the capability of the user equipment is determined, sending information to the node indicating that the apparatus will implement the instruction.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises a user equipment.

In a fourth aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for receiving a carrier frequency measurement instruction from a node; means for determining how the apparatus will operate in response to the instruction, the operation in response to the instruction comprising one of: implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency measurement; implementing the instruction as an ongoing carrier frequency measurement; the instruction is not implemented; and means for sending information of the result of the determination to the node.

According to an example, the apparatus is in dual or multi-connectivity with a node and at least one second node.

According to an example, the node comprises one of a primary node and a secondary node, and the at least one second node comprises the other of the primary node and the secondary node.

According to an example, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request for the apparatus to perform measurements for a carrier frequency specified by the node.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises means for: when determining how the device will operate in response to the instruction, it is determined whether the device has the capability to measure the requested carrier frequency.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises means for: when the apparatus does not have the capability to measure the requested carrier frequency and it is determined that the instruction will not be implemented, sending information to the node indicating that the request exceeds the capability of the user equipment.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises means for: when it is determined that the apparatus is already performing measurements of the requested carrier frequency, information is sent to the node indicating that measurements for the requested carrier frequency are already being performed by the apparatus.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises means for: when the apparatus has not performed a measurement of the requested carrier frequency and the request will not exceed the capability of the user equipment is determined, sending information to the node indicating that the apparatus will implement the instruction.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises a user equipment.

According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a system comprising: a user equipment configured for dual connection with a primary base station and a secondary base station; the master base station comprises a first counter operating a count of carrier frequencies being measured by the user equipment as requested by the master base station; the secondary base station comprises a second counter operating a count of carrier frequencies being measured by the user equipment as requested by the secondary base station; the primary base station and the secondary base station are each configured to transmit a carrier frequency measurement instruction to the user equipment; the user equipment is configured to transmit information to the primary base station and the secondary base station as to whether the user equipment will execute the instruction based on the determination performed by the user equipment; the primary and secondary base stations are configured to selectively update their respective counters based on information received from the user equipment.

According to a sixth aspect, there is provided a method comprising: operating a count at a counter of an apparatus, the count comprising a count of carrier frequencies being measured by user equipment in communication with the apparatus; transmitting a carrier frequency measurement instruction from the apparatus to the user equipment; receiving information from the user equipment in response to the instruction; and selectively updating the count at the counter in response to information received from the user equipment.

According to an example, the user equipment is in dual or multi-connection with the apparatus and at least one second apparatus.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises one of a primary node and a secondary node, and the at least one second apparatus comprises the other of the primary node and the secondary node.

According to an example, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request for the user equipment to perform measurements for a carrier frequency specified by the apparatus.

According to an example, the method comprises: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is to perform a measurement for the requested carrier frequency as a new measurement in response to the instruction, the count of the counter is decreased.

According to an example, the method comprises: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment is already performing measurements for the requested carrier frequency, the count of the counter is not changed.

According to an example, the method comprises: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment does not have the capability to perform the measurement of the requested carrier frequency, the value of the count is set to zero.

According to an example, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request from the apparatus to stop measurement for the carrier frequency.

According to an example, the method comprises: when a previous request to perform a measurement of the requested frequency has previously been determined to have caused the apparatus to decrease the count of the counter, the count of the counter is increased when the information received from the user equipment comprises information that the user equipment will stop the measurement for the requested carrier frequency according to the instruction.

According to an example, the method comprises: when the information received from the user equipment includes information that the user equipment has performed measurements for the requested carrier frequency, the count of the counter is not changed.

According to an example, the method includes storing a plurality of counts, each count associated with a different user device.

According to a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following: operating a count at a counter of the apparatus, the count comprising a count of carrier frequencies being measured by user equipment in communication with the apparatus; transmitting a carrier frequency measurement instruction from the apparatus to the user equipment; receiving information from the user equipment in response to the instruction; and selectively updating the count at the counter in response to information received from the user equipment.

According to an eighth aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following: operating a count at a counter of an apparatus, the count comprising a count of carrier frequencies being measured by user equipment in communication with the apparatus; transmitting a carrier frequency measurement instruction from the apparatus to the user equipment; receiving information from the user equipment in response to the instruction; and selectively updating the count at the counter in response to information received from the user equipment.

According to a ninth aspect, there is provided a method comprising: receiving, at a device, a carrier frequency measurement instruction from a node; determining how the apparatus is to operate in response to the instruction, the operation in response to the instruction comprising one of: implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency measurement; implementing the instruction as an ongoing carrier frequency measurement; the instruction is not implemented; and transmitting information of the determined result to the node.

According to an example, the apparatus is in dual or multi-connectivity with a node and at least one second node.

According to an example, the node comprises one of a primary node and a secondary node, and the at least one second node comprises the other of the primary node and the secondary node.

According to an example, the carrier frequency measurement instruction comprises a request for the apparatus to perform measurements for a carrier frequency specified by the node.

According to an example, the method comprises: when determining how the device will operate in response to the instruction, it is determined whether the device has the capability to measure the requested carrier frequency.

According to an example, the method comprises: when the apparatus does not have the capability to measure the requested carrier frequency and it is determined that the instruction will not be implemented, sending information to the node indicating that the request exceeds the capability of the user equipment.

According to an example, the method comprises: when it is determined that the apparatus is already performing measurements of the requested carrier frequency, information is sent to the node indicating that measurements for the requested carrier frequency are already being performed by the apparatus.

According to an example, the method comprises: when the apparatus has not performed a measurement of the requested carrier frequency and the request will not exceed the capability of the user equipment is determined, sending information to the node indicating that the apparatus will implement the instruction.

According to an example, the apparatus comprises a user equipment.

According to a tenth aspect, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following instructions: receiving, at a device, a carrier frequency measurement instruction from a node; determining how the apparatus is to operate in response to the instruction, the operation in response to the instruction comprising one of: implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency measurement; implementing the instruction as an ongoing carrier frequency measurement; the instruction is not implemented; and transmitting information of the determined result to the node.

According to an eleventh aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least: receiving, at a device, a carrier frequency measurement instruction from a node; determining how the apparatus is to operate in response to the instruction, the operation in response to the instruction comprising one of: implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency measurement; implementing the instruction as an ongoing carrier frequency measurement; the instruction is not implemented; and transmitting information of the determined result to the node.

Drawings

The invention will now be described in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the following examples and the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 shows a schematic example of a wireless communication system in which the present invention may be implemented;

FIG. 2 shows an example of a communication device;

fig. 3 shows an example of a control device;

fig. 4 shows an example of a UE in dual connectivity with a primary node and a secondary node;

fig. 5A is a signaling diagram according to an example method;

fig. 5B is a signaling diagram according to an example method, taken from fig. 5A;

fig. 6 is a flow diagram of a method according to an example from the perspective of a base station;

fig. 7 is a flow diagram of a method according to an example from the perspective of a user device.

Detailed Description

Before explaining an example in detail, certain general principles of a wireless communication system and a mobile communication device are briefly explained with reference to fig. 1 to 2 to help understand the underlying technology of the example.

In a wireless communication system 100 such as that shown in fig. 1, wireless access is provided to wireless communication devices (e.g., User Equipment (UE) or MTC devices 102, 104, 105) via at least one base station or similar wireless transmitting and/or receiving wireless infrastructure node or point. Such a node may be, for example, a base station or enodeb (enb), or in a 5G system, a next generation nodeb (gnb) or other wireless infrastructure node. These nodes are often referred to as base stations. The base stations are typically controlled by at least one suitable controller means to effect their operation and management of the mobile communications devices communicating with the base stations. The controller device may be located in a radio access network (e.g., the wireless communication system 100) or a Core Network (CN) (not shown) and may be implemented as one central device, or its functionality may be distributed over several devices. The controller means may be part of the base station and/or provided by a separate entity such as a radio network controller. In fig. 1, the control means 108 and 109 are shown as controlling the respective macro base stations 106 and 107. In some systems, the control means may additionally or alternatively be provided in a radio network controller. Other examples of radio access systems include those provided by base stations of systems based on technologies such as 5G or New Radio (NR), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and/or WiMax (worldwide interoperability for microwave access). A base station may provide coverage for an entire cell or similar radio service area.

In fig. 1, base stations 106 and 107 are shown connected to a wider communications network 113 via a gateway 112. Further gateway functionality may be provided to connect to another network.

Smaller base stations 116, 118 and 120 may also be connected to the network 113, for example, through separate gateway functions and/or via controllers of macro-level stations. Base stations 116, 118, and 120 may be pico or femto base stations, and the like. In this example, stations 116 and 118 are connected via gateway 111, while station 120 is connected via controller device 108. In some embodiments, smaller stations may not be provided.

In some examples, a UE may be connected to two base stations simultaneously. For example, the UE 104 may be in dual connectivity with a first (or primary) base station 118 and a second (or secondary) base station 120. Dual connectivity may, for example, improve UE throughput and support load balancing between UEs.

A possible wireless communication device will now be described in more detail with reference to fig. 2, which fig. 2 shows a schematic partial cut-away view of a communication device 200. Such communication devices are commonly referred to as User Equipment (UE) or terminals. Suitable mobile communication devices may be provided by any device capable of sending and receiving radio signals. Non-limiting examples include a Mobile Station (MS) or mobile device such as a mobile phone or so-called "smart phone", a computer provided with a wireless interface card or other wireless interface facility (e.g., a USB dongle), a Personal Data Assistant (PDA) or tablet computer with wireless communication capabilities, or any combination of these devices, etc. Mobile communication devices may provide for communication of data, e.g., for carrying communications such as voice, electronic mail (email), text messages, multimedia, etc. Thus, many services may be offered and provided to a user via the user's communication device. Non-limiting examples of such services include two-way or multi-way calling, data communication or multimedia services, or simply access to a data communication network system such as the internet. Broadcast or multicast data may also be provided to the user. Non-limiting examples of content include downloads, television and radio programs, videos, advertisements, various alerts, and other information.

The wireless communication device may be, for example, a mobile device, i.e., a device that is not fixed to a particular location, or may be a fixed device. Wireless devices may require human interaction to communicate or may not require human interaction to communicate. In the present teachings, the term UE or "user" is used to refer to any type of wireless communication device.

The wireless device 200 may receive signals over the air or radio interface 207 via appropriate means for receiving and may transmit signals via appropriate means for transmitting radio signals. In fig. 2, a transceiver device is schematically represented by block 206. The transceiver device 206 may be provided, for example, by means of a radio part and associated antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement may be arranged inside or outside the wireless device.

The wireless device is typically provided with at least one data processing entity 201, at least one memory 202, and possibly other components 203 for use in software and hardware assisted execution of tasks that the wireless device is designed to perform, including control of access to and communication with access systems and other communication devices. Data processing, storage and other related control means may be provided on an appropriate circuit board and/or in a chipset. This feature is denoted by reference numeral 204. The user may control the operation of the wireless device by means of a suitable user interface such as a keyboard 205, voice commands, touch sensitive screen or touch pad, combinations thereof or the like. A display 208, a speaker, and a microphone may also be provided. Further, the wireless communication device may include appropriate connectors (wired or wireless) to other devices and/or for connecting external accessories (e.g., hands-free devices) thereto. The communication devices 102, 104, 105 may access the communication system based on various access technologies.

Fig. 3 shows an example of a control arrangement for a communication system, e.g. a station to be coupled to and/or for controlling an access system, such as a RAN node, e.g. a base station, a gNB, a node of a central unit or core network of a cloud architecture (such as an MME or S-GW), a scheduling entity such as a spectrum management entity, or a server or host. The control means may be integrated with or external to the nodes or modules of the core network or RAN. In some embodiments, the base station comprises a separate control device unit or module. In other embodiments, the control apparatus may be another network element, such as a radio network controller or a spectrum controller. In some embodiments, each base station may have such control means and the control means provided in the radio network controller. The control means 300 may be arranged to provide control of communications in the service area of the system. The control device 300 comprises at least one memory 301, at least one data processing unit 302, 303 and an input/output interface 304. The control means may be coupled to the receiver and the transmitter of the base station via the interface. The receiver and/or transmitter may be implemented as a radio front end or a remote radio head. For example, the control device 300 or the processor 201 may be configured to execute suitable software code to provide the control functionality.

As explained above with respect to fig. 1, in some cases, a user equipment may communicate with two nodes or base stations simultaneously. A first base station (e.g., eNB or gNB) may be designated as a master or Master Node (MN), while a second base station (e.g., eNB or gNB) may be designated as a slave or Secondary Node (SN). Accordingly, the UE can communicate with the MN and the SN during dual connectivity. In Dual Connectivity (DC), multiple RX/TX UEs in RRC _ CONNECTED (RRC CONNECTED) state are configured to utilize radio resources provided by the MN and the SN.

Fig. 4 shows an example scenario in which UE 404 is connected to MN418 and SN 420. For example, UE 404 may be in dual connectivity with MN418 and SN420, or in multi connectivity with MN418 and SN420 and one or more additional nodes or base stations. There may be appropriate restrictions (e.g., restrictions imposed by the network) on how often MN418 and SN420 can communicate information directly with each other, such as measurement request information. UE 404 may communicate with MN418 and SN420 using the Uu interface. In the example of fig. 4, MN418 and SN420 are communicatively connected over an X2-C interface. In the example of fig. 4, the operation of MN418 and SN420 is controlled by a network entity 406, which network entity 406 may for example be an MME (mobility management entity). For example, node 406 and MN418 may communicate over the S1-MME interface. In some examples, there is no direct communication between node 406 and SN420, but rather information is relayed by MN418 from node 406 to SN 420.

In this example, MN418 includes counter 419 and SN420 includes counter 421. The purpose of the counter will be explained in further detail below.

RAN2 has agreed in some respects on the coordination of measurements between MN and SN. These include:

(a) the UE receives independent measurement configurations from the MN and the SN. The UE does not perform any parameter operation to make the measurement configuration consistent. In other words, the network is responsible for ensuring that the measurement configuration is consistent when the network wants to ensure that the measurement configuration is treated as a single measurement layer.

(b) There will be signaling to coordinate the number of frequency layers to be used in the MN and SN.

(c) The MN indicates the number of frequency layers that can be used in the SN.

(d) Renegotiation is not supported (SN signals MN in order to request more frequency layers) (at least in Rel-15).

This means that the MN and SN can be configured for measurements independently of the UE. On the other hand, there are certain UE capabilities (discussed and agreed by RAN 4) across different Radio Access Technologies (RATs) that need to be noted by the MN and the SN. One such capability is the number of carriers, and the RAN2 has agreed to:

(a) the total number of carriers measured on LTE and NR needs to be coordinated between MN and SN so that it does not exceed UE capability.

(b) If both the MN and the SN configure the measurement object on the same carrier frequency, the measurement object needs to be configured consistently.

(c) For Master Cell Group (MCG) and Secondary Cell Group (SCG) measurements (object/ID/reportConfigs), these can be configured independently by LTE RRC (inter-RAT measurements on NR) and NR RRC (intra-NR measurements on serving and non-serving frequencies).

The following is understood by RAN 2: if two measurement objects are configured by the MN and the SN consistently, they should be considered as one layer of UE measurement capability. The RAN4 has agreed that the UE should support measurements on at least seven (7) NR layers.

Using the RAN2 protocol, the MN and SN statically split the UE capabilities of multiple NR carriers. For example, the MN may indicate the number of frequency layers that may be used in the SN. As an example, the MN may allocate 4 frequency layers to the SN, and the MN may allocate 3 frequency layers to itself.

As described above, the MN and the SN may independently perform measurement configuration. This may include measuring object configurations. This means that one node may not know whether another node has configured a consistent object, and configuring such an object does not cost the allocated UE capabilities. In some examples, a measurement "object" referred to herein includes a carrier frequency on which a UE performs measurements. The measurements may for example comprise RSRP (reference signal received power) and/or RSRQ (reference signal received quality). For example, the measurements may include RSRP and/or RSRQ of different cells on the carrier frequency. The measurements may additionally or alternatively include total received power on the carriers. In some examples, due to complexity issues, the UE can only measure a certain number of carriers. In NR, 7 is defined as the minimum number of carriers that the UE can measure. Some UEs may support more than 7 carriers.

In one example, assume that the SN has an initial allocation of 4 frequency measurements for which the SN may be configured to the UE. If the SN configures the UE to measure carrier F1 (and F1 has not been configured to the UE), it indicates that a capability or count is obtained from the quota or allocation of SNs. Thus, the remaining allocation of SN is 3 (i.e., 4-1). The SN then has the capability to subsequently configure 3 other carriers for the UE to measure.

Now, if the MN also configures the same UE to measure F1 (assuming other attributes are also agreed upon by RAN 4), the number of layers measured does not increase from the UE's perspective. However, since the MN does not know that the SN has configured F1, the quota of the MN is also reduced. For example, the MN would then operate based on the following understanding: the MN can only configure the other 2 carriers (assuming an initial allocation of 3 frequency carriers for the MN). In fact, the "fact" may be that the MN may still be allocated 3 frequency carriers.

One possible approach to solving this problem is for the MN and the SN to coordinate the carrier frequencies that have been configured to the UE. However, such coordination is per UE per measurement object, so there may be a very frequent necessity to generate coordination, thus making the network implementation rather complex.

Another approach is for the MN to exchange information with the SN about the carriers on which the UE can be configured to make measurements, and the SN also informs the MN of the same information. This may avoid MN/SN coordination each time a UE's measurement object is configured by the MN or SN, but this is a non-standardized solution and may not be applicable to situations where the MN and SN belong to different vendors. Also, such an approach may not fully enable optimal utilization of UE capabilities, for example, when the total number of carriers MN and SN that can be configured is greater than the number that can be supported by the UE.

Some examples will now be described that enable flexible use of UE measurement capabilities over multiple carriers.

According to an example, for example, nodes (e.g., MN and SN) communicating with the UE independently maintain a count of carrier frequency assignments that can instruct the UE to measure. In some examples, each of the MN and the SN maintains and operates counters (e.g., counters 419 and 421 as shown in fig. 4) for this purpose. The MN and SN counters may be initially set to initial or starting values. In some examples, the initial value comprises a preconfigured allocation. For example, it may be preconfigured as follows: initially, the MN may have an allocation of 3 carrier frequencies that the UE may be instructed to measure, and the SN may initially have an allocation of 4 carrier frequencies that the UE may be instructed to measure. Alternatively, the initial allocation may be configured each time an allocation is needed, and may be configured in a different manner. In some examples, the allocation is configured by the MME. In some examples, the assignment is configured by the MN.

In some examples, the counter of the MN and the counter of the SN operate on a count that is not specifically tied to a corresponding carrier frequency value (at least in terms of the counters). For example, consider 7 carrier frequencies that may be measured by a UE, e.g., f1, f2, f3, f4, f5, f6, f 7. Initially, the MN has an allocation of 3 frequencies that can be instructed to be measured by the UE, while the SN has an allocation of 4 frequencies that can be instructed to be measured by the UE. In some examples, the MN and SN are not limited to which of the frequencies f 1-f 7 they may instruct the UE, but rather operate and maintain a count of how many frequencies they have successfully instructed the UE.

In some examples, during operation, the MN and SN instruct the UE to measure a particular carrier frequency. In some examples, this may be based on information received directly or indirectly from the MME at the MN and SN.

This can be more fully understood from the examples shown in fig. 5A and 5B, which are signaling diagrams illustrating communications between UE504, MN518, and SN 520. Fig. 5B is a continuation of fig. 5A.

At S1, the counters of MN518 and SN 520 are set to initial values. At S1, the MN counter becomes N and the SN counter becomes M. In one example, the UE has the capability to measure up to 7 frequencies. These may be considered frequencies f1, f2, f3, f4, f5, f6, and f 7. In one example, N-3 and M-4. Of course, in other examples, a different number of carrier frequencies may be measured (e.g., f1 … fx), in which case the initial values of N and M may be different.

At S2, a message is sent from MN518 and received at UE 504. In this example, the message includes instructions for the UE504 to start measurement of the carrier frequency (carrier frequency f1 in this example). The instruction transmitted at S2 can be regarded as an instruction for the user equipment to perform measurement for a carrier frequency specified by the MN. The instruction transmitted at S2 may be transmitted as part of an RRC connection reconfiguration message. The term "instruction" may also be referred to as a "request", or it may be considered to include a request, for example a request to start measuring a carrier frequency.

At S3, the determination is performed at the UE 504. The determination at S3 may include determining whether the UE504 is already measuring a requested or instructed frequency, in this example frequency f 1. The determination at S3 may also include the UE504 determining whether the UE504 has the capability to measure the instructed frequency. For example, the UE may determine whether it has the capability to measure additional frequencies. For example, the capability of the UE504 may be 7 carrier frequencies that the UE may measure. Thus, the determination may include determining whether the instruction to add f1 would cause the UE504 to exceed 7 carrier frequencies to be measured.

The determination at S3 may be considered or include a determination as to how the user device will operate in response to the received instructions. The operation of the user equipment in response to the instruction may include any one of: implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency instruction; implementing the instruction as an ongoing carrier frequency instruction (i.e. continuing to measure the carrier frequency already measured by the UE); no instruction is implemented. The UE may then respond to the node sending the instruction with information of the result of the determination, i.e. the UE is implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency instruction; or implementing the instruction as an ongoing carrier frequency instruction; or not executing the instruction.

In an example where the instruction to add frequency f1 at S2 would cause the UE504 to exceed its capabilities, then the UE504 may send a response failure message to the MN 518. In this example, in response to receiving the failure message, the MN resets its counter to zero (0). In this way, the MN will not attempt to add more frequencies to the UE504 if it knows that it is fully loaded. In other words, when the information received from the UE includes information that the UE does not have the capability to perform measurements of the requested carrier frequency, this may in turn cause the node sending the request to reset its counter to zero.

In the example of fig. 5A, at S3, the UE504 determines that it has not measured frequency f1, and the UE504 has the capability to measure additional frequencies. Thus, at S4, the UE504 sends an indication to the MN518 that frequency f1 has not been configured at the UE504 and thus frequency f1 is "new" (currently not measured by the UE or not yet measured by the UE). In some examples, the UE504 sends the indication (i.e., f1 is "new") as part of an RRC connection reconfiguration complete message.

In response to receiving the indication at S4, MN518 decrements its counter by 1 (i.e., to N-1) at S5, because one of its allocations is now occupied by UE504, MN518 decrements its counter by 1 (i.e., to N-1) at S5. For example, if the MN's counter is initially at 3, it will be decremented to 2. In other words, when the information received from the UE includes information that the UE is to perform measurements for the requested carrier frequency in response to the instruction, then this causes the node sending the instruction to decrement its counter by 1.

At S6, the SN 520 sends the message received at the UE 504. In this example, the message includes an instruction for the UE504 to start measuring the frequency f 1. The message transmitted at S6 may include an RRC reconfiguration message.

At S7, the UE processes the instruction received at S6. This may include determining whether the UE504 has measured frequency f1 as instructed at S6. In the example of fig. 5A, the UE504 is already measuring frequency f1, and therefore, at S8, the UE sends an indication or message to the SN 520 indicating that the UE504 is already measuring frequency f 1. That is, in one example, the indication may be that the frequency f1 is "not new".

Therefore, as shown in S9, the counter of SN does not change. For example, the counter of SN may be kept at 4. In other words, when the information received from the UE includes information that the UE is already performing measurements for the requested carrier frequency, then this may cause the node sending the request not to change the count of the counter.

At S10, the SN 520 sends the message received at the UE 504. In this example, the message includes instructions for the UE504 to measure the carrier frequency f 2. The message transmitted at S10 may include an RRC reconfiguration message.

S11 includes the determination at the UE 504. At S11, the UE may determine whether it is already measuring frequency f 2. The determination may also include the UE504 determining whether it has the capability to measure another frequency.

In the example of fig. 5A, the UE504 determines that it has the capability to measure another frequency. At S11, the UE504 also determines that it has not measured frequency f 2.

At S12, the UE504 sends a message to the SN 520. In the example of fig. 5A, the UE504 indicates to the SN 520 that the frequency f2 is "new" (or currently not measured or not measured) at S12. The message transmitted at S12 may include an RRC reconfiguration complete message.

Thus, at S13, SN decrements its counter by 1, e.g., M-1. For example, the SN 520 may decrease its counter from 4 to 3.

According to some examples, in one network node, when the counter of the one network node is reduced to zero (0), the node may stop making new measurement configurations to the UE 504. Alternatively, the node may continue to configure new measurements to the UE504 as needed, but the follow-up action may be implemented based on the UE 504's response to the new measurements. For example, the follow-up action may include: if the UE504 responds to the "new" indication as part of the RRC connection reconfiguration complete message, the node should therefore stop or release one configured measurement to the UE504 and keep its counter to zero (0); if the UE504 responds to the "not new" indication as part of the RRC connection reconfiguration complete message, the node keeps its counter at zero (0); if the UE504 responds to a "full" indication as part of the uplink message, the node will then not instruct the UE to add more frequencies for measurement (or at least until an indication has been received that the UE again has greater capability).

Turning to fig. 5B, beginning with fig. 5A, at S14, MN518 sends a message to UE 504. In this example, the message includes an instruction for the UE504 to start measuring the frequency f 3. The message at S14 may include an RRC connection reconfiguration message.

At S15, the UE504 performs the determination. In the determination at S15, the UE determines whether it is already at the measurement frequency f 3. The UE504 also determines whether it has the capability to measure another frequency.

In the example of fig. 5B, the UE504 determines that it is full in terms of carrier frequencies it can measure. For example, the UE504 may determine that it is already measuring 7 carrier frequencies. Therefore, the UE504 does not have the capability to measure the carrier frequency f3 as instructed.

At S16, UE504 sends a message to MN 518. In this example, the message indicates to MN518 that UE504 is full and therefore cannot measure frequency f3 as requested by MN 518. The message at S16 may include an RRC connection re-establishment message.

Therefore, in response to the "full" message of S16, the MN resets its own counter to zero (0) at S17. This has the following effect: the MN will then not instruct the UE to add more frequencies to make measurements (or at least until an indication that the UE again has more capability has been received). In other words, when the information received from the UE includes information that the UE does not have the capability of performing the measurement of the requested carrier frequency, the node that transmitted the request is caused to set the count value of its counter to zero.

At S18, the SN 520 sends the message received at the UE 504. In this example, the message includes an instruction for the UE504 to stop measuring the frequency f 2. The message at S18 may include an RRC reconfiguration message.

At S19, a determination is performed at the UE 504. The determination includes the UE504 determining that the f2 measurement is to be stopped by the UE.

At S20, the UE504 sends a message to the SN 20. In some examples, the message sent at S20 confirms to the SN 520 that the UE504 has stopped measuring f 2.

Therefore, in response to the message of S20, the SN increments its counter by 1 at S21. This is because, after the UE504 stops or discards the measurement of f2 (and the measurement of f2 configured by the SN was previously indicated by "new"), the SN knows that the UE now has the capability to assume additional carrier frequencies to make measurements. For example, the SN may increase its counter from M-1 to M, or from 3 to 4 in this example. In other words, when the information received from the UE includes information that the UE will stop the measurement for the requested carrier frequency according to the indication from the node, this will cause the node to increase the count of its counter (in this case by 1). In the example where the measurement of f2 configured by the SN was previously indicated as "not new", the SN will not change the count of its counter, i.e., the count value of the counter will not be changed.

In fig. 5A and 5B, it should be understood that whether (and in what way) the MNs or SNs update their counters depends on the information received from the UE. In other words, a node may be said to selectively update its counter's count in response to information received from a user equipment.

In some examples, each of the MN and the SN may perform multiple counts. This may be achieved by using multiple counters at each node, or by using a single counter at each node that is capable of performing multiple counts. In some examples, the ratio of the number of counts a node (e.g., MN or SN) is performing to the number of UEs it is connected to (or the number of DC UEs it is connected to) is 1: 1. in other words, in some examples, a node (e.g., MN and/or SN) is configured to store multiple counts, each count associated with a different user equipment.

Fig. 6 is a flow chart of a method from the perspective of the device. The apparatus may include a base station. The apparatus may comprise a primary or secondary node of a user equipment, for example, in a dual or multi-connection.

At S1, the method includes operating a count at a counter of the apparatus, the count including a count of carrier frequencies measured by user equipment in communication with the apparatus.

At S2, the method includes sending a carrier frequency measurement instruction from the apparatus to the user equipment.

At S3, the method includes receiving information from the user device in response to the instruction.

At S4, the method includes selectively updating the count at the counter in response to information received from the user device.

Fig. 7 is a flow chart of a method from the perspective of the device. For example, the apparatus may comprise a user equipment.

At S1, the method includes receiving, at the device, a carrier frequency measurement instruction from the node.

At S2, the method includes determining how the device will operate in response to the instruction, the operation in response to the instruction including one of: implementing the instruction as a new carrier frequency measurement; implementing the instructions as ongoing carrier frequency measurements; no instruction is implemented.

At S3, the method includes sending information of the determined result to the node.

As can be appreciated from the foregoing, coordination of carrier frequency allocation information by the primary and secondary nodes is provided without the need for direct communication of information between the primary and secondary nodes. This enables the UE to flexibly utilize the carrier frequency.

Although some examples have been described for dual connectivity, it should be understood that the described examples may apply equally to a multi-connectivity scenario.

In general, the various embodiments may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. Some aspects of the invention may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device, although the invention is not limited thereto. While various aspects of the invention may be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well known that these blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques or methods described herein may be implemented in, as non-limiting examples, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

Embodiments of the invention may be implemented by computer software executable by a data processor of a mobile device, such as in a processor entity, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. Computer software or programs (also referred to as program products) including software routines, applets and/or macros can be stored in any device-readable data storage medium and they include program instructions for performing particular tasks. The computer program product may comprise one or more computer-executable components configured to perform embodiments when the program is run. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one software code or a portion thereof.

Further in this regard it should be noted that any block of the logic flow as in the figures may represent a program step, or an interconnected logic circuit, block and function, or a combination of a program step and a logic circuit, block and function. The software may be stored on physical media such as memory chips or memory blocks implemented within the processor, magnetic media such as hard or floppy disks, and optical media such as, for example, DVDs and data variants CDs thereof. The physical medium is a non-transitory medium.

The memory may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory. The data processor may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment, and may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of the following: general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), FPGAs, gate level circuits, and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture.

Embodiments of the invention may be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit modules. The design of integrated circuits is generally a highly automated process. Complex and powerful software tools are available for converting a logic level design into a semiconductor circuit design ready to be etched and formed on a semiconductor substrate.

The foregoing description has provided by way of non-limiting examples a full and informative description of the exemplary embodiments of this invention. However, various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts in view of the foregoing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. However, all such and similar modifications of the teachings of this invention will still fall within the scope of this invention, which is defined in the appended claims. Indeed, there are additional embodiments that include a combination of one or more embodiments with any other embodiments previously discussed.