FIELD

Various embodiments described herein relate to the field of wireless communications and, particularly, to configuring one or more parameters of a radio resource control connection in a wireless network, e.g. a cellular communication system.

BACKGROUND

Radio access networks of cellular communication systems are constantly developed in order to improve capacity, speed, and efficiency. Machine learning techniques have also been incorporated to improve the performance of the radio access networks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Some aspects of the invention are defined by the independent claims.

Some embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

The embodiments and features, if any, described in this specification that do not fall under the scope of the independent claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding various embodiments of the invention. Some aspects of the disclosure are defined by the independent claims.

According to an aspect, there is provided a system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform the following: storing, in a database, an identifier of a terminal device and a first set of parameters of a first radio resource control connection of a terminal device; retrieving, from the database by using the identifier after the first radio resource control connection has been terminated, the parameters of the first radio resource control connection; and configuring, on the basis of the retrieved parameters of the first radio resource control connection, at least one operational parameter of a second radio resource control connection of the terminal device identified by the identifier.

In an embodiment, the identifier of the terminal device is a persistent identifier maintained across at least the first radio resource control connection and the second radio resource control connection in the database.

In an embodiment, the first set of parameters comprises at least one measured parameter of the first radio resource control connection.

In an embodiment, the identifier has an expiry time, and wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to discard the identifier and the first set of parameters upon expiry of the identifier.

In an embodiment, the at least one memory and computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to store the database in a radio access network of a cellular communication system.

In an embodiment, the at least one memory and computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: store a default mapping between values of an operational parameter of the at least one operational parameter and conditions of a radio resource control connection; and change, on the basis of the first set of parameters, the default mapping for the second radio resource control connection, wherein the change causes the mapping to be unique to the terminal device amongst a set of terminal devices served by an access node.

In an embodiment, the at least one memory and computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: acquire at least one of a subscriber identifier and an equipment identifier of the terminal device in connection with the first radio resource control connection, transmit a request message to an identifier allocator, the request message comprising the at least one of the subscriber identifier and the equipment identifier; receive, from the identifier allocator, a response message comprising the identifier of the terminal device; and store, during the first radio resource control connection, measurement data in the database by using the identifier.

In an embodiment, the at least one memory and computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: acquire the at least one of the subscriber identifier and the equipment identifier of the terminal device in connection with second first radio resource control connection, transmit a further request message to the identifier allocator, the further request message comprising the at least one of the subscriber identifier and the equipment identifier; receive, from the identifier allocator, a further response message comprising the identifier of the terminal device; and store, during the second radio resource control connection, measurement data in the database by using the identifier.

According to an aspect, there is provided a method comprising: storing, in a database, an identifier of a terminal device and a first set of parameters of a first radio resource control connection of a terminal device; retrieving, by a network element from the database by using the identifier after the first radio resource control connection has been terminated, the parameters of the first radio resource control connection; and configuring, by the network element on the basis of the retrieved parameters of the first radio resource control connection, at least one operational parameter of a second radio resource control connection of the terminal device identified by the identifier.

In an embodiment, the identifier has an expiry time, and wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to discard the identifier and the first set of parameters upon expiry of the identifier.

In an embodiment, the database is stored in a radio access network of a cellular communication system.

In an embodiment, the method further comprises: storing a default mapping between values of an operational parameter of the at least one operational parameter and conditions of a radio resource control connection; and changing, on the basis of the first set of parameters, the default mapping for the second radio resource control connection, wherein the change causes the mapping to be unique to the terminal device amongst a set of terminal devices served by an access node.

In an embodiment, the method further comprises: acquiring at least one of a subscriber identifier and an equipment identifier of the terminal device in connection with the first radio resource control connection, transmitting a request message to an identifier allocator, the request message comprising the at least one of the subscriber identifier and the equipment identifier; receiving, from the identifier allocator, a response message comprising the identifier of the terminal device; and storing, during the first radio resource control connection, measurement data in the database by using the identifier.

In an embodiment, the at least one of the subscriber identifier and the equipment identifier of the terminal device is acquired in connection with second first radio resource control connection, and the method further comprises: transmitting a further request message to the identifier allocator, the further request message comprising the at least one of the subscriber identifier and the equipment identifier; receiving, from the identifier allocator, a further response message comprising the identifier of the terminal device; and storing, during the second radio resource control connection, measurement data in the database by using the identifier.

According to an aspect, there is provided a computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising a computer program code readable by a computer, wherein the computer program code configures the computer to carry out a computer process comprising: storing, in a database, an identifier of a terminal device and a first set of parameters of a first radio resource control connection of a terminal device; retrieving, from the database by using the identifier after the first radio resource control connection has been terminated, the parameters of the first radio resource control connection; and configuring, on the basis of the retrieved parameters of the first radio resource control connection, at least one operational parameter of a second radio resource control connection of the terminal device identified by the identifier.

