Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method of beam failure handling. The method can include performing beam quality measurement of one or more beams transmitted from a base station (BS) at a user equipment (UE) in a beamformed wireless communication system, determining a beam failure occurs based on the beam quality measurement, and performing a beam recovery process that includes at least one of a contention-free beam recovery process or a contention-based beam recovery process. The one or more beams are used for transmitting physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs).

Abstract: Various examples pertaining to reflective quality of service (QoS) control in wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) receives from a wireless network control signaling that activates support of reflective QoS by the UE. The UE determines whether a predefined condition exists. The UE then indicates to the wireless network a change in a capability of the UE to support the reflective QoS responsive to the determining indicating that the predefined condition exists. When the UE receives from the wireless network control signaling that activates support of reflective QoS by the UE, the UE deletes one or more UE-derived QoS rules among a plurality of active UE-derived QoS rules each with a respective reflective QoS (RQ) timer running.

Abstract: Methods are provided to perform multiple-connectivity operation in the heterogeneous network. In one novel aspect, multiple-connectivity is configured with one microwave macro cell and multiple small cells. UE establishes control plane connectivity with the microwave macro cell, where the S1-MME interface is terminated. Multiple small-cell base stations provide traffic data together to the UE and are connected with Xn interfaces. One small-cell base station in the set of the configured small base stations is an UP anchor small-cell base station, where S1-U interface is terminated. Other small base stations are UP assistance small base station. In one embodiment, the set of small base stations and the UP anchor small base stations can be changed based on the measurement report/results of the different cells as well as the cell loading status. The anchor base station can be changed either by the UE or through network configuration.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a processing circuit in an electronic apparatus and a method to switch the electronic apparatus during an inter-system handover (HO) process from a source network system to a target network system. The processing circuit can include an inter-system HO signal processing module and a mapping module. The inter-system HO signal processing module can be configured to obtain a mapping relationship between a set of source bearers associated with the source network system and a first set of target bearers associated with the target network system based on quality of service (QoS) characteristics associated with the set of source bearers and the first set of target bearers. The mapping module can be configured to obtain a second set of target bearers based on resources allocated to the first set of target bearers by the target network system and to obtain a third set of target bearers that is based on the first and second set of target bearers.

Abstract: A wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) is configured in dual connectivity with a master cell group and a secondary cell group. Uplink (UL) data is sent in an active one of the master cell group and the secondary cell group as an active UL transmission cell group. It is determined whether a UL transmission is to be switched to an alternate one of the master cell group and the secondary cell group and the UL traffic is switched from the active UL transmission cell group to the alternate cell group in response to the determination that the UL transmission is to be switched.

Abstract: Blockage detection in a wireless transmit receive unit includes performing a radio link measurement on one or more reference signals. The radio link measurement is compared to a comparing threshold and a blockage condition is indicated in response to the comparing of the radio link measurement meeting a threshold criterion on the comparing threshold.

Abstract: A method of control Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) reporting and discovery using AT commands is proposed. In communications networks, the MTU of a communication protocol of a layer is the size (in bytes or octets) of the largest protocol data unit that the layer can pass onwards. In an IP network, IP packets may be fragmented if the supported MTU size is smaller than the packet length. In accordance with one novel aspect, the packet data protocol (PDP) context of a packet data network (PDN) connection comprises MTU information. By introducing MTU information to the PDP contexts, TE can use AT commands to query MTU parameters from the network and thereby avoid fragmentation. TE can also use AT command to set MTU parameters and thereby control MTU discovery.

Abstract: A method of supporting group communication over LTE MBMS is provided. A UE first establishes a unicast bearer in a network for group communication. The UE belongs to a communication group having a communication group ID. The UE receives access information from the network for monitoring downlink (DL) multicast traffic of the DL group communication based on a multicast decision. The UE is then ready for monitoring a multicast Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) bearer for receiving the DL multicast traffic. In one embodiment, The UE requests to switch the DL multicast traffic from the multicast MBMS bearer to the unicast bearer upon detecting that the UE is approaching an MBMS coverage boundary. In another embodiment, the UE transmits an indication of preferred target cells to the network before performing a handover and thereby maintaining multicast service continuity of the group communication.

Abstract: A method of control Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) reporting and discovery using AT commands is proposed. In communications networks, the MTU of a communication protocol of a layer is the size (in bytes or octets) of the largest protocol data unit that the layer can pass onwards. In an IP network, IP packets may be fragmented if the supported MTU size is smaller than the packet length. In accordance with one novel aspect, the packet data protocol (PDP) context of a packet data network (PDN) connection comprises MTU information. By introducing MTU information to the PDP contexts, TE can use AT commands to query MTU parameters from the network and thereby avoid fragmentation. TE can also use AT command to set MTU parameters and thereby control MTU discovery.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided to handle the intermittent disconnections in an mmW system. In one novel aspect, the beam tracking failure is determined upon detection of one or more tracking failure conditions. In one embodiment, the UE further considers potential recoveries to avoid frequent triggering of the beam-tracking failure condition. In another novel aspect, the UE performs one or more recovery procedures based on one or more recovery conditions. In one embodiment, the UE performs the initial alignment procedure to recover the connection. In another embodiment, the UE performs the beam-switching request procedure before triggers the initial alignment procedure. In one embodiment, timers are used to supervise the recovery procedures. In another embodiment, macro-assisted procedures are used for the beam-switching request procedure. In yet another novel aspect, the UE performs reestablishment of a new connection at the upper layer upon receiving the beam-tracking failure indicator.

Abstract: Blockage detection in a wireless transmit receive unit includes performing a radio link measurement on one or more reference signals. The radio link measurement is compared to a comparing threshold and a blockage condition is indicated in response to the comparing of the radio link measurement meeting a threshold criterion on the comparing threshold.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for reflective quality of service (QoS) control and management at a user equipment (UE). The method can include creating a derived QoS rule belonging to a session and having a QoS flow identifier (QFI). The derived QoS rule includes a precedence value that is set to one of a precedence value associated with a session identifier (ID) of the session received from a core network (CN) of a wireless communication system during a session establishment procedure for establishing the session, a precedence value associated with the QFI received from the CN during the session establishment procedure for establishing the session or when a downlink QoS flow having the QFI is added to the session, or a precedence value that is defined by an operator of the wireless communication system.

Abstract: A method to manage call continuity in a network environment including a circuit-switched network and an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) network is provided. A UE monitors one or more ongoing sessions in an IMS network, and the ongoing sessions contain at least one conference call. The UE detects a network-switching event for the UE to switch from the IMS network to a circuit-switched CS network. The UE then determines the one or more ongoing sessions within the IMS network to be released or transferred to the CS network. Finally, the UE performs a session transfer procedure for transferring the determined sessions.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method of beam failure handling. The method can include performing beam quality measurement of one or more beams transmitted from a base station (BS) at a user equipment (UE) in a beamformed wireless communication system, determining a beam failure occurs based on the beam quality measurement, and performing a beam recovery process that includes at least one of a contention-free beam recovery process or a contention-based beam recovery process. The one or more beams are used for transmitting physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs).

Abstract: Millimeter-wave (mmWave) band communication is a very promising technology for 5G small cells. In practice, such a new system will coexist with legacy or evolved microwave band systems, such as E-UTRAN LTE macro-cell cellular systems, for a long time to come. Considering the typical scenarios where a macro cell offers umbrella coverage for clusters of small cells, several user plane (U-plane) architectural choices of macro-assisted 5G mmWave systems from both UE and network's perspectives are evaluated. The proposed On-demand Reconfiguration U-Plane Architecture (ORUA) for Macro-assisted Millimeter Wave (mmWave) small cells is designed to meet 5G expectations of dense deployment of small cells and UEs and beamformed intermittent Gbps links.

Abstract: Millimeter-wave (mmWave) band communication is a very promising technology for 5G small cells. In practice, such a new system will coexist with legacy or evolved microwave band systems, such as E-UTRAN LTE macro-cell cellular systems, for a long time to come. Considering the typical scenarios where a macro cell offers umbrella coverage for clusters of small cells, several control plane (C-plane) architectural choices of macro-assisted 5G mmWave systems from both UE and network's perspectives are evaluated. Termed macro-assisted mmWave, an effective end-to-end integration of the futuristic mmWave small cells and microwave macro cells shall promise the benefits of both yet avoid individual limitations. The proposed On-demand Reconfiguration C-Place Architecture (ORCA) for Macro-assisted Millimeter Wave (mmWave) small cells is designed to meet 5G expectations of dense deployment of small cells and UEs and beamformed intermittent Gbps links.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for reflective quality of service (QoS) control and management at a user equipment (UE). The method can include creating a derived QoS rule belonging to a session and having a QoS flow identifier (QFI). The derived QoS rule includes a precedence value that is set to one of a precedence value associated with a session identifier (ID) of the session received from a core network (CN) of a wireless communication system during a session establishment procedure for establishing the session, a precedence value associated with the QFI received from the CN during the session establishment procedure for establishing the session or when a downlink QoS flow having the QFI is added to the session, or a precedence value that is defined by an operator of the wireless communication system.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a UE. The UE receives a radio bearer configuration. The UE also configures, based on the received radio bearer configuration, a radio bearer including a first logical channel on a first carrier and a second logical channel on a second carrier. The UE further determines whether to activate the radio bearer to perform duplication. In response to a determination to activate the radio bearer to perform duplication, the UE communicates a first packet on the first logical channel and communicates a duplicated first packet on the second logical channel.

Abstract: A UE including a wireless transceiver and a controller is provided. The controller constructs an end-marker control PDU for a QoS flow in response to a QoS flow to DRB mapping rule being configured for the QoS flow or in response to receiving a DL SDAP data PDU including an RDI set to 1 for the QoS flow, maps the end-marker control PDU to a default DRB in response to there being no stored QoS flow to DRB mapping rule for the QoS flow, maps the end-marker control PDU to a DRB according to a stored QoS flow to DRB mapping rule in response to the stored QoS flow to DRB mapping rule being different from the configured QoS flow to DRB mapping rule for the QoS flow, and sends the end-marker control PDU to the cellular station via the wireless transceiver.

Abstract: A network-based solution of supporting IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) call setup in a next generation system (5GS) is proposed. During an attach or registration area update procedure, a serving base station sends an indication to a UE indicating whether IMS voice over PS session is supported or not. Upon receipt of the indication that IMS VoPS is supported, the UE triggers an IMS registration procedure. However, when an MO/MT call happens, the network determines that the UE may be in conditions where voice service is not supported because the network is not able to provide a successful IMS VoPS over the current serving cell connected to 5G core network. The network then triggers a RAT change or a EPS fallback procedure such that the UE is handover to a target cell that supports IMS VoPS.