Enabling a flexible MDT configuration

1 . An apparatus for a Radio Access Network (RAN) node comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

receive, from an Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) function, a trace session activation request message that comprises:

an original Minimization of Driving Test (MDT) configuration, wherein the original MDT configuration comprises one or more parameters for configuring MDT measurements;

a job type field specifying at least one of a logged MDT, an immediate MDT, or a combination of the logged MDT and the immediate MDT; and

a flag indicating whether the original MDT configuration is modifiable;

wherein the flag is set to a first value to indicate that the original MDT configuration is modifiable, and the flag is set to a second value to indicate that the original MDT configuration is not modifiable,

wherein, in response to the flag being set to the first value, the trace session activation request message further comprises one or more modifications to the original MDT configuration,

wherein the one or more modifications are classified as a restricted type or an unrestricted type, and

wherein the unrestricted type authorizes the apparatus to update the one or more parameters based on a predefined data requirement of the apparatus, and

wherein the restricted type provides a list of modifiable parameters from the one or more parameters or at least one rule to modify the one or more parameters;

store the received one or more parameters in a non-user equipment associated context;

receive, from an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) within one of an Initial Context Setup Request message or a handover request message, a management-based MDT allowed Information Element (IE) comprising a management-based MDT Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) list, wherein the PLMN list includes a plurality of PLMNs;

based on the PLMN list, serve one or more User Equipments (UEs);

store, within a UE context associated with each of the one or more UEs, an indication that the management-based MDT is allowed;

select at least one UE, from the one or more UEs, for MDT data collection, wherein the apparatus selects the at least one UE based on at least one of:

area information received via the original MDT configuration;

an area where the at least one UE is located; and

user consent information received, from the AMF, in the management-based MDT allowed Information Element (IE);

determine that the flat is set to the first value;

based on the flag being set to the first value, determine to modify the original MDT configuration;

based on the determination to modify the original MDT configuration, generate a modified MDT configuration by modifying the original MDT configuration, wherein modifying the original MDT configuration comprises one of:

in response to the modifications being defined as the unrestricted type, modifying the original MDT configuration based on the predefined data requirement of the RAN node; or

in response to the modifications being defined as the restricted type, modifying the original MDT configuration based on the provided list of modifiable parameters or the at least one rule;

transmit, the modified MDT configuration, to a Trace Collection Entity (TCE) and the selected at least one UE;

based on the received original MDT configuration, determine an anonymization level for the MDT data to be collected from the at least one UE;

in response to determining that the anonymization level requires an International Mobile Equipment Identity-Type Allocation Code (IMEI-TAC) in the MDT data, transmit, to the AMF, a cell traffic trace message comprising a trace recording session reference (TRSR), a trace reference (TR), a serving cell global identifier (CGI), an IP address, and a privacy indicator, wherein the privacy indicator indicates, to the AMF, to:

retrieve IMEI-TAC of the selected at least one UE from AMF database, and

transmit, to the TCE, the IMEI-TAC, the TRSR, and the TR; and

in response to determining that the anonymization level does not require the IMEI-TAC in the MDT data, refrain from transmitting the cell traffic trace message to the AMF thereby avoiding transmission of an identity of the selected at least one UE to the TCE;

receive, from the selected at least one UE, the MDT data collected based on the modified MDT configuration;

store the received MDT data in a trace record; and

transmit the trace record to the TCE.

2 . He apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the modified MDT configuration is configured for the selected at least one UE.

3 . A method performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node comprising:

receiving, from an Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) function, a trace session activation request message that comprises:

an original Minimization of Driving Test (MDT) configuration, wherein the original MDT configuration comprises one or more parameters for configuring MDT measurements;

a job type field specifying at least one of a logged MDT, an immediate MDT, or a combination of the logged MDT and the immediate MDT; and

a flag indicating whether the original MDT configuration is modifiable, wherein the flag is set to a first value to indicate that the original MDT configuration is modifiable, and the flag is set to a second value to indicate that the original MDT configuration is not modifiable,

wherein when the flag is set to the first value, the trace session activation request message further comprises one or more modifications to the original MDT configuration,

wherein the one or more modifications are classified as a restricted type or an unrestricted type,

wherein the unrestricted type authorizes the apparatus to update the one or more parameters based on a predefined data requirement of the apparatus, and

wherein the restricted type provides a list of modifiable parameters from the one or more parameters or at least one rule to modify the one or more parameters;

storing the received one or more parameters in a non-user equipment associated context;

receiving, from an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) within one of an Initial Context Setup Request message or a handover request message, a management-based MDT allowed Information Element (IE) comprising a management-based MDT Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) list, wherein the PLMN list includes a plurality of PLMNs;

based on the PLMN list, serving one or more User Equipments (UEs);

storing, within a UE context associated with each of the one or more UEs, an indication that the management-based MDT is allowed;

selecting at least one UE from the one or more UEs for MDT data collection, wherein the apparatus selects the at least one UE based on:

area information received via the original MDT configuration;

an area where the at least one UE is located; and

user consent information received from the AMF in the management-based MDT allowed Information Element (IE);

determine the flag is set to the first value;

based on the flag being set to the first value, determining to modify the original MDT configuration;

based on the determination to modify the original MDT configuration, generating a modified MDT configuration by modifying the original MDT configuration, wherein modifying the original MDT configuration comprises one of:

in response to the modifications being defined as the unrestricted type, modifying the original MDT configuration based on the predefined data requirement of the RAN node; or

in response to the modifications being defined as the restricted type, modifying the original MDT configuration based on the provided list of modifiable parameters or the at least one rule;

transmitting, the modified MDT configuration, to a Trace Collection Entity (TCE) and the selected at least one UE;

based on the received original MDT configuration, determining an anonymization level for the MDT data to be collected from the at least one UE;

in response to determining that the anonymization level does not require the IMEI-TAC in the MDT data, refraining from transmitting the cell traffic trace message to the AMF and avoiding transmission of an identity of the selected at least one UE to the TCE;

receiving, from the selected at least one UE, the MDT data collected based on the modified MDT configuration;

storing the received MDT data in a trace record; and

transmitting the trace record to the TCE.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the modified MDT configuration is configured for the selected at least one UE.

5 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for a Radio Access Network (RAN) node which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus at least to:

receiving, from an Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) function, a trace session activation request message that comprises:

an original, Minimization of Driving Test (MDT) configuration, wherein the original MDT configuration comprises one or more parameters for configuring MDT measurements;

a job type field specifying at least one of a logged MDT, an immediate MDT, or a combination of the logged MDT and the immediate MDT; and

a flag indicating whether the original MDT configuration is modifiable,

wherein the flag is set to a first value to indicate that the original MDT configuration is modifiable, and the flag is set to a second value to indicate that the original MDT configuration is not modifiable,

wherein, in response to the flag being set to the first value, the trace session activation request message further comprises one or more modifications to the original MDT configuration,

wherein the one or more modifications are classified as a restricted type or an unrestricted type, and

wherein the unrestricted type authorizes the apparatus to update the one or more parameters based on a predefined data requirement of the apparatus, and

wherein the restricted type provides a list of modifiable parameters from the one or more parameters or at least one rule to modify the one or more parameters:

store the received one or more parameters in a non-user equipment associated context;

receiving, from an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) within one of an Initial Context Setup Request message or a handover request message, a management-based MDT allowed Information Element (IE) comprising a management-based MDT Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) list, wherein the PLMN list includes a plurality of PLMNs;

based on the PLMN list, serving one or more User Equipments (UEs);

storing, within a UE context associated with each of the one or more UEs, an indication that the management-based MDT is allowed;

selecting at least one UE, from the one or more UEs, for MDT data collection, wherein the apparatus selects the at least one UE based on at least one of:

area information received via the original MDT configuration;

an area where the at least one UE is located; and

user consent information received, from the AMF, in the management-based MDT allowed Information Element (IE);

determining the flag is set to the first value;

based on the flag being set to the first value, determining to modify the original MDT configuration;

based on the determination to modify the original MDT configuration, generating a modified MDT configuration by modifying the original MDT configuration, wherein modifying the original MDT configuration comprises one of:

in response to the modifications being defined as the unrestricted type, modifying the original MDT configuration based on the predefined data requirement of the RAN node; or

in response to the modifications being defined as the restricted type, modifying the original MDT configuration based on the provided list of modifiable parameters or the at least one rule;

transmitting the modified MDT configuration to a Trace Collection Entity (TCE) and the selected at least one UE;

based on the received original MDT configuration, determining an anonymization level for the MDT data to be collected from the at least one UE;

based on determining that the anonymization level requires an International Mobile Equipment Identity-Type Allocation Code (IMEI-TAC) in the MDT data, transmit, to the AMF, a cell traffic trace message comprising a trace recording session reference (TRSR), a trace reference (TR), a serving cell global identifier (CGI), an IP address, and a privacy indicator, wherein the privacy indicator indicates, to the AMF, to:

retrieve IMEI-TAC of the selected at least one UE from AMF database, and

transmit, to the TCE, the IMEI-TAC, the TRSR, and the TR; and

receiving, from the selected at least one UE, the MDT data collected based on the modified MDT configuration;

storing the received MDT data in a trace record; and

transmiting the trace record to the TCE.

6 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 5 , wherein the modified MDT configuration is configured for the selected at least one UE.

7 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more parameters of the original MDT configuration comprise at least one of: a reporting trigger, a report interval, a report amount, an event threshold, a logging interval, a logging duration, a positioning method, or sensor information.

8 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 7 , wherein the job type field specifies logged MDT, and wherein generating the modified MDT configuration comprises modifying at least one of: a logged MDT logging interval, a logged MDT logging duration, an area configuration for neighboring cells, or a report type for logged MDT that switches between periodic logging and event-triggered logging.

9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 8 , wherein the job type field specifies immediate MDT, and wherein generating the modified MDT configuration comprises modifying at least one of: a set of immediate MDT measurements, a reporting trigger, a reporting interval, or an excess packet delay threshold for packet delay measurement.

10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein, when the modifications are classified as the restricted type, the list of modifiable parameters explicitly identifies at least one of: reporting trigger, report interval, logging interval, logging duration, event threshold, hysteresis, time-to-trigger, sensor information, or a positioning method, and the apparatus modifies only parameters included in the list.

11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein, when the modifications are classified as the restricted type, the at least one rule comprises at least one of: (i) selecting a modified periodicity from a set of alternative periodicities provided by the OAM function, (ii) selecting a modified logging interval from a set of alternative logging intervals provided by the OAM function, or (iii) selecting an event trigger from a set of alternative event triggers provided by the OAM function.

12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein, when the modifications are classified as the unrestricted type, the predefined data requirement comprises a data requirement associated with at least one AI/ML operation executed at the apparatus, the AI/ML operation comprising at least one of: training an AI/ML model, re-training an AI/ML model, monitoring AI/ML model performance, or executing AI/ML model inference.

13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to receive, from each of the one or more UEs, UE capability information indicating at least one of: an AI/ML capability of the UE, an available memory of the UE, or a UE power status, and wherein selecting the at least one UE further comprises selecting the at least one UE based on the UE capability information.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein transmitting the modified MDT configuration to the TCE comprises transmitting the modified MDT configuration only once per UE for which the modified MDT configuration is generated, and wherein the modified MDT configuration is identified at the TCE using at least one of a trace reference (TR) or a trace recording session reference (TRSR).

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein transmitting the modified MDT configuration to the selected at least one UE comprises transmitting, to the selected at least one UE, both (i) the original MDT configuration and (ii) the modified MDT configuration, and wherein the selected at least one UE performs MDT measurements according to both configurations and reports MDT data corresponding to each configuration to the apparatus.