Carrier measurements for multi-carrier devices

An apparatus of a radio base station operable to assist a user equipment (UE) in performing carrier measurements in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to:

• send, to the UE, one or more switching parameters that indicate possible switching occasions for the UE, wherein the UE is configured to switch a radio frequency (RF) to another carrier frequency during the possible switching occasions in order to start performing carrier measurements or stop performing carrier measurements;
• and
• receive, from the UE, a switching notification that indicates an upcoming switching occasion is selected by the UE, wherein the switching notification is received in conjunction with a measurement value that indicates one or more of:
• selected carriers for which the UE is to start performing carrier measurements after an occurrence of the switching occasion or selected carriers for which the UE is to stop performing carrier measurements after the occurrence of the switching occasion.

At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon for performing carrier measurements at a user equipment (UE), the instructions when executed perform the following:

• receiving, using at least one processor of the UE, one or more switching parameters from a network element that indicate possible switching occasions for the UE, wherein the UE is configured to switch a radio frequency (RF) to another carrier frequency during the possible switching occasions in order to start performing carrier measurements or stop performing carrier measurements;
• and
• sending, using at least one processor of the UE, a switching notification to the network element that indicates an upcoming switching occasion is selected by the UE, wherein the switching notification is sent in conjunction with a measurement value that indicates one or more of:
• selected carriers for which the UE is to start performing carrier measurements after an occurrence of the switching occasion or selected carriers for which the UE is to stop performing carrier measurements after the occurrence of the switching occasion.