Enhanced Mobility for URLLC Services and Redundant PDU Sessions

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to enhanced mobility for URLLC services and redundant PDU sessions. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, there is at least one method and apparatus to perform: receiving, by a network node of a communication network, information from a network device regarding a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing a secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session, where the information includes an indication of at least one of the following: a packet data unit session pair, quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session, or required redundancy level; based on the information, establishing a secondary packet data unit session; based on the establishment, sending an indication to the network device that the secondary packet data unit session is being established; storing information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request; and forwarding at least a portion of the information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request to at least one target node during a mobility procedure.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 110,397, filed on November 6, 2020. The content of the previously filed application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The teachings of exemplary embodiments according to the present invention generally relate to enhanced ultra-reliable low-latency communication services, and more particularly, to enhanced ultra-reliable low-latency communication services using redundant packet data unit sessions. Background Art

[0004] This section is intended to provide background or context for the present invention as recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that may be pursued, but not necessarily concepts that have been previously conceived or pursued. Thus, unless otherwise indicated herein, the content described in this section is not prior art to the specification and claims of the present application and cannot be admitted as prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0005] Certain abbreviations that may be found in the specification and / or drawings are defined herein as follows:

[0006] AC: Admission Control

[0007] AMF: Access and Mobility Management Function

[0008] CA: Carrier Aggregation

[0009] CHO: Conditional Handover

[0010] DC: Dual Connectivity

[0011] DRB: Dedicated Radio Bearer

[0012] HO: Handover

[0013] HW: Hardware

[0014] NG-RAN: Next Generation Radio Access Network

[0015] PDU: Protocol Data Unit

[0016] QoE: Quality of Experience

[0017] QoS: Quality of Service

[0018] RSN: Redundant Sequence Number

[0019] SMF: Session Management Function

[0020] SN: Secondary Node

[0021] SW: Software

[0022] TEI: Technical Enhancement or Improvement

[0023] UE: User Equipment

[0024] URLLC: Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication

[0025] Mobile communication technologies have evolved significantly during and prior to the emergence of this application. This evolution has led to the next-generation wireless communication systems, such as the fifth-generation (5G) or New Radio (NR) communication systems, which provide access to at least high-speed information, applications, and data sharing.

[0026] Ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) is required to achieve such high-speed information, applications, and data sharing. During the time of this application, packet duplication (PD) can be used to transport URLLC, where two redundant links are used to improve reliability without increasing the latency of URLLC.

[0027] Example embodiments of the present invention are dedicated to improving at least these types of operations Summary of the Invention

[0028] In an example aspect of the present invention, there is a device for communication, such as a network-side device, 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 device to at least: receive, from a network node of a communication network, information regarding a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing a secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session, wherein the information includes an indication of at least one of the following: a packet data unit session pair, the quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session, or the required redundancy level; based on the information, establish the secondary packet data unit session; based on the establishment, send an indication to the network device that the secondary packet data unit session is being established; store information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request; and forward at least a portion of the information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request to at least one target network node during a mobility procedure.

[0029] In another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is a method for communication, including: receiving, by a network node of a communication network, information from a network device, the information being a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing a secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session, where the information includes an indication of at least one of the following: a packet data unit session pair, the quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session, or the required redundancy level; based on the information, establishing a secondary packet data unit session; based on the establishment, sending an indication to the network device that the secondary packet data unit session is being established; storing information about the secondary packet data unit session request; and forwarding at least a portion of the information about the secondary packet data unit session request to at least one target network node during a mobility procedure.

[0030] In another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code for communication, the program code being executed by at least one processor to perform a method. The method may include: receiving, by a network node of a communication network, information from a network device, the information being a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing a secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session, where the information includes an indication of at least one of the following: a packet data unit session pair, the quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session, or the required redundancy level; based on the information, establishing a secondary packet data unit session; based on the establishment, sending an indication to the network device that the secondary packet data unit session is being established; storing information about the secondary packet data unit session request; and forwarding at least a portion of the information about the secondary packet data unit session request to at least one target network node during a mobility procedure.

[0031] In another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is a device for communication, including: means for receiving, by a network node of a communication network, information from a network device, the information being a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing a secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session, where the information includes an indication of at least one of the following: a packet data unit session pair, the quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session, or the required redundancy level; means for establishing a secondary packet data unit session based on the information; means for sending, based on the establishment, an indication to the network device that the secondary packet data unit session is being established; means for storing information about the secondary packet data unit session request; and means for forwarding at least a portion of the information about the secondary packet data unit session request to at least one target network node during a mobility procedure.

[0032] In an example aspect of the present invention, there is a device for communication, such as a user-side device, 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 device to at least: receive, by a user equipment of a communication network, information from a network node, the information including an indication of a secondary packet data unit session established by the network node based on at least one of a quality of service or a redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session; receive a configuration to be configured with a handover or conditional handover target network node; and prioritize the target network node for a mobility procedure based on at least one of information on a quality of service associated with the target network node or information on a redundancy level.

[0033] In another example aspect of the present invention, there is a method for communication, comprising: receiving, by a user equipment of a communication network, information from a network node, the information including an indication of a secondary packet data unit session established by the network node based on at least one of a quality of service or a redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session; receiving a configuration to be configured with a handover or conditional handover target network node; and prioritizing the target network node for a mobility procedure based on at least one of information on a quality of service associated with the target network node or information on a redundancy level.

[0034] In another example aspect of the present invention, there is a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code for communication, the program code being executed by at least one processor to perform a method. The method may include: receiving, by a user equipment of a communication network, information from a network node, the information including an indication of a secondary packet data unit session established by the network node based on at least one of a quality of service or a redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session; receiving a configuration to be configured with a handover or conditional handover target network node; and prioritizing the target network node for a mobility procedure based on at least one of information on a quality of service associated with the target network node or information on a redundancy level.

[0035] In another example aspect of the present invention, there is an apparatus for communication, comprising: a component for receiving information by a user equipment of a communication network from a network node, the information including an indication of a secondary packet data unit session established by the network node based on at least one of a quality of service or a redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session; a component for receiving a configuration of a target network node to be configured with a handover or conditional handover; and a component for prioritizing the target network node for a mobility procedure based on at least one of information on the quality of service or information on the redundancy level associated with the target network node.

[0036] A communication system includes at least one network side device and a user equipment side device for performing the above operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The above and other aspects, features and benefits of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used to represent the same or equivalent elements. The illustrated drawings are intended to facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale, in which:

[0038] Figure 1 shows the message sequence admission control of a PDU to a session according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 shows a high-level block diagram of various devices used to perform various aspects of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 NG-RAN node AC procedures for a PDU session pair are shown;

[0041] Figure 4 shows a message sequence with a switch of a PDU session pair request; and

[0042] Figure 5A , Figure 5B ,and Figure 5C Each shows a method according to an example embodiment of the present invention which can be performed by an apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In the present invention, a new method for improving enhanced ultra-reliable low-latency communication services using redundant packet data unit sessions is proposed.

[0044] At the time of this application, 3GPP is actively discussing system enhancements for redundant PDU sessions to further enable URLLC use cases.

[0045] RAN3 preferably selects the SMF to provide PDU session pair information to obtain flexibility in SN selection and gNB-CU / DU selection. Since the UE has knowledge of redundant sessions, it is recommended that the UE provide an indication to the SMF that the PDU session is linked, so that the SMF can provide this indication to the RAN, and the RAN can ultimately use it for SN selection and gNB CU / DU selection. This will allow two PDU sessions to be established independently without any restrictions on the selected SMF.

[0046] The UE should include an indication for the two PDU sessions, which means that both the first PDU session and the second PDU session include an indication identifying the paired PDU session, and the SMF sends the paired PDU session indication to the NG-RAN for each PDU session.

[0047] Then, if the UE releases the first PDU session in the pair and establishes a third PDU session, the paired PDU session indication can still be used for coordination.

[0048] As specified in the current standard, redundant indications from the UE may also be valuable for solving scenarios, such as for two UE scenarios with two different PDU sessions.

[0049] When the NG-RAN node is requested to perform the establishment of a PDU session pair, it will initiate an admission control process to ensure that it has sufficient resources to establish the PDU session pair with the requested QoS or a possible alternative QoS (if provided by the SMF). The NG-RAN node will target different nodes (master / slave) to admit the PDU of the pair to maximize the provided redundancy.

[0050] The NG-RAN node knows the UE's request to establish a PDU session pair. It is possible for the NG-RAN node to admit the DRB request for one or both of the redundant PDU sessions with a QoS lower than the requested QoS. In this case, the DRB of the PDU session pair remains established with the lower QoS until the DRB is released via the RRC release process. Note that in this case, the lower associated QoS of the PDU session pair will be maintained during the handover process.

[0051] During the admission control (AC) process, the NG-RAN node may not be able to admit the PDU sessions of the pair on different nodes for reliability purposes, thus reducing the provided redundancy and reliability. The UE will establish with reduced redundancy / reliability until the PDU session is released. Due to mobility, the redundancy and QoS propagated during the life cycle of the PDU session using the current process may continuously decrease when the UE propagates from one node to another.

[0052] Example embodiments of the present invention are intended to enable at least the following aspects for redundant PDU sessions:

[0053] 1) When establishing a DRB for one PDU session in a PDU session pair, as part of the admission control process, the NG-RAN node may consider alternative QoS for a single admitted PDU session, which may be different from the alternative QoS considered for the other PDU session in the pair;

[0054] 2) The NG-RAN node may check the possibility of re-trying the admission control process for the DRB corresponding to a PDU session pair with an established lower QoS based on certain internal events / triggers (such as resource availability, load change greater than XX%, etc.) or periodically;

[0055] 3) If, after the initial UE request, the admission control process for a rejected redundant PDU session is successful, the NG-RAN node may notify the SMF to trigger a PDU session modification via a notification control process;

[0056] 4) Even if the NG-RAN node cannot select a different radio node as part of the DRB establishment request during the PDU session establishment of one PDU session in a PDU session pair, the NG-RAN node will perform the following:

[0057] a. The NG-RAN uses the same radio node to establish the DRB, stores the PDU session pair information, and responds to the SMF that the DRB has been established without redundancy / reliability;

[0058] b. When switching from the source NG-RAN node to the target NG-RAN node, it forwards the information about the rejected PDU session or the admitted PDU session pair on a single node to the target NG-RAN during the mobility process;

[0059] c. The target NG-RAN node will use the PDU session pair and the redundant PDU session request establishment to select an NG-RAN node that may be different from the linked PDU session.

[0060] Note that steps 4a), 4b) and 4c) can also be applied to the scenario where the DRB of the PDU session pair is admitted with a lower QoS than requested; and

[0061] 5) During the mobility scenario (HO, CHO), the target node may use the dual connectivity (DC) / carrier aggregation (CA) configuration to establish the UE, even for the scenario where DC / CA is not configured in the source node. This may be intended to meet higher QoS, reliability, and / or redundancy requirements.

[0062] However, before describing the example embodiments of the present invention in more detail, referenceFigure 2 Detailed description is provided to illustrate simplified block diagrams of various electronic devices that are suitable for use in practicing the exemplary embodiments of this invention.

[0063] Figure 2 A block diagram of one possible and non-limiting exemplary system in which an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be practiced is shown. Figure 2 In the embodiment, user equipment (UE) 10 communicates wirelessly with a wireless network 1 or a network 1, such as Figure 2 shown. Figure 2 The wireless network 1 or network 1 in the present invention may include a communication network (such as a mobile network), for example, a mobile network 1 or a network such as disclosed herein. Figure 2 A mobile network that is part of network 1 in this paper. Figure 2 Any reference to wireless network 1 in the specification may be considered a reference to any wireless network disclosed herein. Figure 2 The wireless network 1 in the embodiment may also include hard-wired features that may be required by the communication network. The UE is a wireless, usually mobile device that can access the wireless network. The UE may be, for example, a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone) and / or a computer with mobile terminal functions. For example, the UE or mobile terminal may also be a portable, pocket, handheld, computer-embedded or vehicle-mounted mobile device that performs voice signaling and / or data exchange with the RAN.

[0064] UE 10 comprises one or more processors DP 10A, one or more memories MEM 10B and one or more transceivers TRANS 10D interconnected by one or more buses. Each of the one or more transceivers TRANS 10D comprises a receiver and a transmitter. The one or more buses may be address, data or control buses and may comprise any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fiber or other optical communication devices, etc. The one or more transceivers TRANS 10D may optionally be connected to one or more antennas to communicate with NN 12 and NN 13. The one or more memories MEM 10B comprise computer program code PROG 10C. UE 10 communicates with NN 12 and / or NN 13 via wireless link 11 and / or wireless link 14, respectively.

[0065] NN 12 (NR / 5G Node B, Evolved NB or LTE equipment) is associated with equipment (such as Figure 2a network node (such as a master node or a secondary node base station (e.g., for NR or LTE long term evolution)) that communicates with the NN 13 and the UE 10). The NN 12 provides access to wireless devices (such as the UE 10) to the wireless network 1. The NN 12 includes one or more processors DP 12A, one or more memories MEM 12C, and one or more additional transceivers TRANS 12D interconnected by one or more buses. According to an example embodiment, these TRANS 12D may include X2 and / or Xn interfaces for implementing the example embodiments of the present invention. Each of the one or more transceivers TRANS 12D includes a receiver and a transmitter. The one or more transceivers TRANS 12D may optionally be connected to one or more antennas to communicate with the UE 10 via at least the wireless link 11. The one or more memories MEM 12B and the computer program code PROG 12C are configured to cause the one or more processors DP 12A, the NN 12 to perform one or more operations as described herein. The NN 12 may communicate with another gNB or eNB or a device such as the NN13, for example, via the wireless link 14. In addition, the wireless link 11, the wireless link 14, and / or any other link may be wired or wireless or both, and may implement, for example, the X2 or Xn interface. In addition, the wireless link 11 and / or the wireless link 14 may pass through other network devices, such as but not limited to NCE / SGW / AMF / UPF devices, such as Figure 2 the NCE / MME / SGW / UDM / PCF / AMM / SMF14. The NN 12 may or may not include an MME (Mobility Management Entity) or an SGW (Serving Gateway), and may perform the functions of an MME (Mobility Management Entity) or an SGW (Serving Gateway), such as user plane functions, and / or access management functions of LTE and similar functions of 5G.

[0066] NN 13 may be associated with a mobile functional device (such as an AMF or an SMF). In addition, NN 13 may include an NR / 5G node B or a possible evolved NB base station that communicates with devices (such as NN 12 and / or UE 10 and / or the wireless network 1), such as (for example, for NR or LTE long-term evolution) a master node or a secondary node base station. NN 13 includes one or more processors DP 13A, one or more memories MEM 13B, one or more network interfaces, and one or more transceivers TRANS 13D interconnected by one or more buses. According to an example embodiment, these network interfaces of NN 13 may include an X2 and / or an Xn interface for implementing the example embodiments of the present invention. Each of the one or more transceivers TRANS 13D includes a receiver and a transmitter, which may optionally be connected to one or more antennas. The one or more memories MEM 13B include computer program code PROG 13C. For example, the one or more memories MEM 13B and the computer program code PROG 13C are configured to cause NN 13 to perform one or more operations as described herein, together with the one or more processors DP 13A. NN 13 may communicate with another mobile functional device and / or an eNB (such as NN 12 and UE 10) or any other device using, for example, the wireless link 11 or another link. As Figure 2 shown, the wireless link 14 may be used for communication between NN12 and NN13. These links may be wired or wireless or both, and may implement, for example, an X2 or an Xn interface. In addition, as described above, the wireless link 11 and / or the wireless link 14 may pass through other network devices, such as but not limited to the core network elements of the network 1, and / or for example, such as but not limited to NCE / MME / SGW devices, such as Figure 2 the NCE / MME / SGW / UDM / PCF / AMM / SMF 14.

[0067] Figure 2 The one or more buses of the device may be an address, data, or control bus and may include any interconnect mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or an integrated circuit, an optical fiber or other optical communication device, a wireless channel, etc. For example, one or more of the transceivers TRANS 12D, TRANS 13D, and / or TRANS 10D may be implemented as a remote radio head (RRH), and other elements of NN 12 are physically located at a different location from the RRH, and one or more of the buses 157 may be partially implemented as an optical cable to connect the other elements of NN 12 to the RRH.

[0068] It should be noted that although Figure 2Shows network nodes such as NN 12 and NN 13. Any of these nodes can be incorporated into or incorporated into an eNodeB or eNB or gNB (such as for LTE and NR) and will still be configurable to perform example embodiments of the present invention.

[0069] Also note that the descriptions herein indicate that a "cell" performs functions, but it should be clear that the gNB and / or user equipment and / or mobility management functional devices forming the cell can perform these functions. In addition, a cell forms part of a gNB, and each gNB can have multiple cells.

[0070] Wireless network 1 or any network it may represent may or may not include NCE / MME / SGW / UDM / PCF / AMM / SMF 14, which may include network control element (NCE) functions, MME (mobility management entity) / SGW (serving gateway) functions, and / or serving gateway (SGW), and / or MME (mobility management entity) and / or SGW (serving gateway) functions, and / or user data management function (UDM), and / or PCF (policy control) function, and / or access and mobility management (AMM) function, and / or session management (SMF) function, and / or authentication server (AUSF) function, and provide connectivity to additional networks such as a telephone network and / or a data communication network (e.g., the Internet), and is configured to perform any 5G and / or NR operations in addition to or instead of other standard operations at the time of this application. NCE / MME / SGW / UDM / PCF / AMM / SMF 14 can be configured to perform operations in any of LTE, NR, 5G, and / or any standard-based communication technology being performed or discussed at the time of this application, in accordance with example embodiments of the present invention. In addition, note that operations according to example embodiments of the present invention, such as those performed by NN12 and / or NN 13, can also be performed at NCE / MME / SGW / UDM / PCF / AMM / SMF 14.

[0071] The NCE / MME / SGW / UDM / PCF / AMM / SMF 14 includes one or more processors DP 14A, one or more memories MEM 14B, and one or more network interfaces (N / WI / F) interconnected via one or more buses (such as being coupled to the link 13). According to an example embodiment, these network interfaces may include X2 and / or Xn interfaces for implementing the example embodiments of the present invention. One or more memories MEM 14B include computer program code PROG 14C. One or more memories MEM 14B and the computer program code PROG 14C are configured to, together with one or more processors DP 14A, cause the NCE / MME / SGW / UDM / PCF / AMM / SMF 14 to perform one or more operations that may be required to support operations according to the example embodiments of the present invention.

[0072] The wireless network 1 may implement network virtualization, which is a process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functions into a single, software-based management entity, a virtual network. Network virtualization involves platform virtualization, usually in combination with resource virtualization. Network virtualization is divided into external, which combines many networks or parts of networks into a virtual unit, or internal, which provides network-like functions for software containers on a single system. Note that the virtualized entities produced by network virtualization are still implemented to some extent using hardware (such as processors DP10, DP12A, DP13A, and / or DP14A and memories MEM 10B, MEM 12B, MEM 13B, and / or MEM 14B), and such virtualized entities also produce technical effects.

[0073] The computer-readable memories MEM 12B, MEM 13B, and MEM 14B can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The computer-readable memories MEM 12B, MEM 13B, and MEM 14B can be components for performing storage functions. The processors DP10, DP12A, DP13A, and DP14A can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and, as non-limiting examples, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computers, dedicated computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures. The processors DP10, DP12A, DP13A, and DP14A can be components for performing functions, such as controlling the UE10, NN 12, NN 13, and other functions described herein.

[0074] Figure 1Shows a message sequence of operations according to an example embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The message sequence in [reference] provides more detailed information on handling redundant PDU session admission.

[0075] As Figure 1 shown in step 10 of [reference], the UE requests the establishment of a PDU session pair. The UE includes an indicator of some type that notifies the SMF that the PDU is part of a pair. Regarding step 10:

[0076] 1) The UE sends a PDU session request along with an indicator of redundant PDU session establishment (RSN) and a PDU session pair indication (to indicate that this is one of the PDU sessions in a PDU session pair) as part of an N2 SM container.

[0077] As Figure 1 shown in step 20 of [reference], the serving AMF selects an SMF and ensures that the context for the requested PDU session is created (as in Figure 1 step 30 of [reference]). Regarding these steps 20 and / or 30:

[0078] 2) The AMF selects a suitable SMF for the PDU session and forwards the N2 SM container. The SMF processes the PDU session establishment request and determines, based on the UE's request and the local policy for a given DNN / NSSAI, whether a redundant PDU session needs to be established. If applicable, the SMF initiates secondary PDU session authentication;

[0079] In Figure 1 step 40 of [reference], the PDU session authentication and authorization process is performed. In Figure 1 step 50 of [reference], the SMF notifies the NG-RAN node that the PDU session requested by the UE is part of a pair, i.e., one PDU session is redundant and ideally should be served by a different node (different from other PDU sessions) to increase the redundancy of the U-plane path. Additionally, in step 50, the SMF may also optionally provide an alternative QoS list to be used for the PDU session and / or an alternative QoS list to be applied when the NG-RAN only allows a single PDU in the session pair. Regarding step 50, the SMF may include a PDU session pair indication, an RSN indicator, and alternative QoS in the request sent to the NG-RAN node. This enables the NG-RAN node to have a prioritized list of alternative QoS for:

[0080] · The PDU session pair, where each PDU session in the pair may have a different QoS

[0081] · A single PDU session in the pair, which can be tried when there is a higher QoS requirement and the RAN is unable to support the PDU session pair.

[0082] In addition, as Figure 1 shown in step 60, the NG-RAN node shall perform admission control on the PDU session pair based on the QoS criteria requested by the UE or using the alternative QoS provided by the SMF. The NG-RAN node shall prioritize maximizing the redundancy (HW / SW) of the PDU session pair and provide the best possible QoS available in the alternative QoS. A detailed flowchart of the process that the NG-RAN node can follow is shown in Figure 3 and is further explained below.

[0083] It should be noted that in step 60, if during the AC process, the NG-RAN determines that the PDU session cannot be admitted by the redundant node, the NG-RAN accepts admission by the same node but stores the request from the SMF so that it can retry after a period of time and / or based on the triggering of certain events, and / or it can forward this as part of the UE QoS requirement during the handover request process to the target NG-RAN node.

[0084] As Figure 1 shown in step 100, the PDU session is admitted with a lower QoS and / or is admitted on a single node. As Figure 1 shown in step 110, there is a storage of the original request for the PDU session pair. As Figure 1 shown in step 120, there may be an attempt at admission control for the accepted PDU session with alternative QoS for a single PDU session and may include: N2 message: Notification control: and / or using the alternative QoS for the PDU session establishment with a single node.

[0085] In Figure 1 step 130, there is PDU session establishment. As Figure 1 shown in step 140, there is an event-based or periodic admission check on the original PDU session pair request. As Figure 1 shown in step 300, the PDU session pair is admitted. Then as Figure 1 shown in step 310, there is the following process specified by 3GPP.

[0086] As Figure 1 shown in step 60, if during the AC process in step 60, the NG-RAN determines that the PDU session cannot be admitted with the best possible QoS as in the alternative QoS list, the NG-RAN accepts it with the possible QoS parameters at that point in time but stores the request from the SMF so that it can retry after a period of time and / or based on the triggering of certain events, and / or it can forward this as part of the UE QoS requirement during the handover request process to the target NG-RAN node.

[0087] In addition, regardingFigure 1 :

[0088] 3) The NG-RAN node understands that the PDU session request is one of the PDU sessions in a redundant PDU session pair and requires redundancy with different SW / HW. The NG-RAN node shall perform admission control on the PDU session pair based on the QoS criteria requested by the UE or adopt the alternative QoS provided by the SMF. The NG-RAN node shall prioritize maximizing the redundancy (HW / SW) of the PDU session pair and provision the best possible QoS present in the alternative QoS;

[0089] 4) If during the AC process as shown in Figure 1 step 60, the NG-RAN determines that the PDU session cannot be admitted by the redundant node, the NG-RAN accepts but stores the request from the SMF in the same node [step 110], so that it can retry after a period of time and / or based on an internal trigger, and / or it can forward this as part of the UE QoS requirement to the target NG-RAN node during the handover request process. If during Figure 1 the AC process as shown in step 60, the NG-RAN determines that the PDU session cannot be admitted with the best possible QoS in the alternative QoS list, the NG-RAN accepts it with the QoS parameters possible at that point in time but stores the request from the SMF [step 110], so that it can retry after a period of time, and / or it can forward this as part of the UE QoS requirement to the target NG-RAN node, such as a non-limiting example during the handover request process;

[0090] 5) In this case, for example in Figure 1 step 120, the NG-RAN node also indicates that the PDU session request is successful but not established in the redundant node in response to the SMF including the established QoS. This is done as part of the NGAP message (PDU session establishment response or N2 notification control);

[0091] 6) In Figure 1 step 130, the SMF continues the PDU session establishment with the UE; and

[0092] 7) According to Figure 1 step 140, the NG-RAN node can perform admission control periodically (i.e., timer T1) or based on an event trigger during the time established by timer T1.

[0093] During mobility scenarios (HO, CHO), the target node can use the DC / CA configuration to establish the UE, even for scenarios where DC / CA is not configured in the source node. This may be aimed at meeting higher QoS, reliability, and / or redundancy requirements.

[0094] Figure 3 The NG-RAN admission control process for a PDU session pair is depicted.

[0095] Figure 3 The NG-RAN node AC process for a PDU session pair is shown. As Figure 3 shown in step 310 of [], there is a request for admission of a PDU session pair. As Figure 3 shown in step 320 of [], the NG-RAN node may attempt to admit the PDU session pair with maximized redundancy and the original QoS request. If successful, then as Figure 3 shown in step 330 of [], the normal 3GPP process may be followed. As Figure 3 shown in step 340 of [], the admission of the PDU session pair with maximum redundancy and alternative QoS is attempted. As Figure 1 shown in step 350 of [], the admission of the PDU session pair with compromise redundancy and the original QoS is attempted. As Figure 3 shown in step 360 of [], the admission of the PDU session pair with compromise redundancy and alternative QoS is attempted. As Figure 3 shown in each of steps 340, 350, and 360 of [], if successful, then as shown in step 390, timer T1 and timer T2 are started. As Figure 3 shown in step 391 of [], it is determined whether timer T1 has expired. If so, then as Figure 3 shown in step 394 of [], the normal 3GPP process is followed here. As Figure 3 shown in step 392 of [], it is determined whether timer T2 has expired or whether an event-based threshold has been triggered. If so here, the operation returns to step 320.

[0096] Further regarding Figure 3 , when a request is made to establish a PDU session pair 310, the node may evaluate whether it has the ability to provide the desired QoS and redundancy for the pair at Figure 3 step 320. If the node can successfully admit the pair, it will follow the normal 3GPP process for PDU session handling, as Figure 3 shown in step 330 of []. If the NG-RAN node cannot admit the pair according to the QoS and redundancy requirements, provided that it shall store the original PDU session pair request and continue, as Figure 3 shown in step 340 of []. At Figure 3In steps 340, 350, and 360, the NG-RAN node evaluates its ability to admit PDU session pairs with impaired capabilities in terms of QoS and / or redundancy. If admission control is successful in any of these steps, the node will periodically or based on event-based triggers re-attempt the AC process during the time period established by timer T1. Timer T1 can be configurable in the NG-RAN node, for example, as shown in Figure 3 steps 390 to 392.

[0097] More specifically, as shown in Figure 3 step 340, AC is performed to prioritize maximum redundancy, but an alternative QoS list is adopted for each PDU session in the pair that may have been provided to the NG-RAN node.

[0098] As shown in Figure 3 step 350, the NG-RAN node evaluates the possibility of admitting PDU session pairs with compromised redundancy, for example, the same computing node but different SW instances. If unsuccessful, as shown in Figure 3 step 360, AC is performed for compromised redundancy and an alternative QoS list that may have been provided to the NG-RAN node is adopted.

[0099] If a PDU session is admitted with QoS or redundancy characteristics that do not meet the target established by the original request, as in Figure 3 step 390, timer Tl starts, during which the NG-RAN node can re-attempt the AC process. Additionally, in Figure 3 step 390, timer T2 starts. This timer is used to determine when the periodic evaluation of AC should be performed during the T1 period. In addition to allowing periodic checks of the AC of PDU session pairs, event-based checks are also allowed. These event-based criteria can be defined based on load changes in components, interfaces, or resources within the control range of the NG-RAN node. For example, the trigger for re-attempting the AC process can be established based on the U-plane computing capacity of the NG-RAN node dropping below a predefined threshold.

[0100] Figure 4 shows a message sequence for a handover with a PDU session pair request. As shown in Figure 4 , there are UE 10, source NG-RAN node NN12, target NG-RAN node NN13, and SMF 14.

[0101] As shown in Figure 4 step 410, a measurement report is transmitted between UE 10 and source NG-RAN node NN12. As shown in Figure 4 step 420, source NG-RAN node NN12 performs target cell selection. As shown in Figure 4As shown in step 430, a handover request including information of the original PDU session pair request is transmitted between the source NG-RAN node NN12 and the target NG-RAN node NN13. As Figure 4 As shown in step 440, the target NG-RAN node NN13 performs an admission control process for the PDU session pair. As Figure 4 As shown in step 450, N2 message notification control is transmitted between the target NG-RAN node NN13 and the SMF 14. As Figure 4 As shown in step 460, a PDU session pair notification is transmitted between the target NG-RAN node NN13 and the SMF 14. As Figure 4 As shown in step 460, a PDU pair session modification is transmitted between the target NG-RAN node NN13 and the SMF 14. As Figure 4 As shown in step 470, a handover request confirmation is transmitted between the target NG-RAN node NN13 and the source NG-RAN node NN12. Then, as Figure 4 As shown in step 480, a handover command including the establishment of the PDU session pair is transmitted between the source NG-RAN node NN12 and the UE 10.

[0102] Regarding at least the Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 illustrated exemplary embodiments of the present invention, note the following operations:

[0103] 1) Based on the measurement report, the source NG-RAN node triggers HO and selects the target cell;

[0104] 2) The source NG-RAN node sends a HO request to the target NG-RAN node, and it includes a redundancy session indicator (RSN), a PDU session pair indicator, and an alternative QoS profile;

[0105] 3) The target NG-RAN node performs an AC process when considering the initially requested QoS, RSN, and PDU session pair indicator (even if the source node cannot meet the requirements when initially requested by the SMF). If the target NG-RAN node cannot meet the original or requested QoS requirements, an alternative QoS or a lower redundancy level can be adopted. In Figure 4 step 450, if the PDU session pair can be admitted with a different QoS from that currently established in the source node, the target node notifies the SMF to initiate a PDU pair session modification, as Figure 4 shown in step 460. In Figure 4 step 470, the source NG-RAN node is notified that the target node has successfully performed AC, and it notifies the source node of the result of the AC process for the PDU session pair; and

[0106] 4) In the case where the QoS established for the QoS flow within the PDU session is updated, the SMF initiates a PDU session modification procedure with the UE.

[0107] In addition, during mobility scenarios (HO, CHO), the target node can utilize the DC / CA configuration to provision the UE, even for scenarios where DC / CA is not configured in the source node. This may be aimed at meeting higher QoS, reliability, and / or redundancy requirements.

[0108] More specifically, Figure 4 A message sequence for the handover scenario is shown, where any one of the PDU sessions in the pair is rejected or admitted with requirements not met in terms of QoS or redundancy (HW / SW) compared to the original request. In Figure 4 step 410 of Figure 4 a measurement report provided by the UE can trigger the source NG-RAN node to evaluate the target cell for handover purposes, as shown in Figure 4 step 450 of Figure 4 The selected target cell will receive a handover request, which includes information about the original PDU session pair request, as shown in

[0109] · It is the only node reported by the UE;

[0110] · The node last attempted a PDU redundancy session with XX criteria lower than or equal to the AC of the request it successfully satisfied;

[0111] · There is no active backlist / barring timer associated with the target cell; and / or

[0112] · The number of nodes selected for evaluation as the target cell is less than YY

[0113] As Figure 4 shown in step 440 of Figure 4 the NG-RAN node performs an AC procedure for the PDU session pair. As shown in Figure 4 step 450 of Figure 4As shown in step 470, the source NG-RAN node is notified that the target node has successfully executed the AC, and it notifies the source NG-RAN node of the result of the AC process for the QoS and PDU session pair. The information provided to the source NG-RAN node may include:

[0114] · The QoS of the admitted PDU session; and / or

[0115] · If the PDU session pair is admitted, the level of redundancy achieved: hardware only, hardware and software, other.

[0116] Further in Figure 4 step 480, based on the ability of different target nodes to provide PDU session pair requirements, the source NG-RAN node may select the node that provides the highest redundancy and QoS as the node to which the UE should perform the HO process. Note that other target nodes evaluated as candidates may be provided with HO cancellation messages.

[0117] The above process also applies to the conditional HO scenario, where multiple target cells may be prepared. During step 480 for the conditional HO scenario, for example, in Figure 4 the UE may be notified of the level of redundancy that can be achieved via different target cells. This can be done by including information such as the following in step 480:

[0118] · The QoS of the admitted PDU session;

[0119] · If the PDU session pair is admitted, the level of redundancy achieved: hardware only, hardware and software, other; and / or

[0120] · DC / CA setup

[0121] The UE can use this information to prioritize target cells when performing measurements. The NG-RAN node or the UE can also scale the HO trigger criteria for different cells based on the level of redundancy provided by each cell. For example, the relative time of different target cells can be scaled to favor the cell that provides the highest redundancy. If multiple target cells are selected for HO, the target cells not used for HO or as HO candidates are released via HO cancellation.

[0122] In a mobility scenario, the serving NG-RAN node may preferably select a cell with the capacity and ability to support PDU session pairs. The HO target selection or conditional HO cells provided to the UE can be based on these criteria.

[0123] The technical effects of the operations according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include:

[0124] · Allowing maximization of redundancy, even if this cannot be achieved at the time of admission;

[0125] · Prevent redundancy propagation and QoS degradation during the PDU session lifetime;

[0126] · Allow improved QoS and improved redundancy / reliability during handover, even if the source node cannot support the expected redundancy and the best possible QoS;

[0127] · Enable automatic recovery of PDU session pair establishment in redundant nodes;

[0128] · The possibility of guiding the UE within the network based on the needs of the redundant PDU session request when it is admitted in a situation where it does not meet the requirements of the original request; and

[0129] · Allowing the source cell to probe multiple target nodes has the benefit of maximizing the QoE initially requested by the end user for its active service. This approach also allows the operator to perform non - homogeneous network deployments, i.e., not every single node in its network needs to be ready to support redundancy. Allowing the UE to return to the cell designated for this type of traffic by evaluating more than one target cell for PRS maximizes the end - user experience. Note that, in general, the cost is associated with better mobility, less interruption, and ultra - high reliability, which typically requires network capacity, reserved extra resources, and additional c - plane load to handle these.

[0130] Figure 5A and Figure 5B Each shows a method according to an example embodiment of the invention that can be performed by a device.

[0131] Figure 5A shows operations that can be performed by a network device such as, but not limited to, network nodes NN12 or NN13 or eNB in Figure 2 The network device receives, from a network node of a communication network, information regarding a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing a secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session, where the information includes an indication of at least one of the following: a packet data unit session pair, the quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session, or the required redundancy level, as shown in step 510 of Figure 5A shows a method according to an example embodiment of the invention that can be performed by a device. As shown in step 510 of Figure 5A Based on the information, a secondary packet data unit session is established, as shown in step 520 of Figure 5A Based on the establishment, an indication that the secondary packet data unit session is being established is sent to the network device, as shown in step 530 of Figure 5A The information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request is stored, as shown in step 540 of Figure 5A Then, as shown in Figure 5AAs shown in step 550, during the mobility process, at least a part of the information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request is forwarded to at least one target node.

[0132] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraph, wherein establishing includes: based on the information, determining whether at least one of the quality of service or redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session can be satisfied, and establishing the secondary packet data unit session with an alternative quality of service different from the quality of service required for pairing the packet data unit session, or establishing the secondary packet data unit session with an alternative redundancy level different from the required redundancy level.

[0133] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraph, wherein the secondary packet data unit session includes a redundant packet data unit session.

[0134] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraph, wherein at least based on the required quality of service or redundancy level not being satisfied, the method includes: starting a first timer to identify a duration during which the establishment can be retried.

[0135] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraph, during the duration of the first timer, a second timer is started, wherein the second timer is used to identify the time of retrying the establishment or to retry the establishment based on an event-based trigger.

[0136] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraph, wherein retrying includes: during the duration of the first timer, attempting to establish a secondary packet data unit session with at least one of redundant availability or a maximum quality of service capability level.

[0137] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraph, wherein the event-based trigger is based on at least one of resource availability or cell load change.

[0138] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraph, wherein the event-based trigger based on at least one of resource availability or load change satisfies one of the following: matching, exceeding, or being lower than a predefined threshold.

[0139] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraph, wherein retrying is in response to the secondary packet data unit session being established with a quality of service lower than the quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session and / or not being established with the required redundancy level.

[0140] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraph, wherein retrying is based on the stored information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request.

[0141] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the information includes at least one of an alternative quality of service or an alternative redundancy level for a pair of packet data unit sessions.

[0142] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the information targets the configuration of dual connectivity (DC) / carrier aggregation (CA), even for scenarios where DC / CA is not configured in the source node, with higher QoS, reliability, and / or redundancy requirements.

[0143] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the determination includes: determining information on at least one of the following: alternative quality of service, reliability / redundancy capabilities, and the dual connectivity or carrier aggregation configuration to which the redundant packet data unit session is admitted.

[0144] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the network node is configured with a redundant packet data unit session for conditional handover.

[0145] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the configuration for conditional handover to more than one target network node includes QoS / redundancy level information.

[0146] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the network node uses QoS / redundancy level information for handover or conditional handover target prioritization.

[0147] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the establishment is performed by the following to prioritize maximum redundancy: adopting a quality of service list for each packet data unit session.

[0148] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the information received from the network device includes an alternative QoS list.

[0149] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the information includes: an alternative QoS to be adopted for the primary packet data unit session in the case where the secondary PDU session is rejected.

[0150] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, receiving from at least one target network node an indication that the at least one target network node has successfully performed admission control for the secondary packet data unit session and / or information on at least one of the following: the admitted QoS and the achieved redundancy level.

[0151] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, selecting a target node for handover based on the indication.

[0152] According to an example embodiment of the present invention as described above, there is a device including: means for receiving, by a network node in a communication network, from a network device, information (such as TRANS 12D and / or TRANS 13D, MEM 12B and / or MEM 13B, PROG 12C and / or PROG 13C, and DP 12A and / or DP 13A in Figure 2 ), the information being regarding a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing a secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session (such as TRANS 12D and / or TRANS 13D, MEM 12B and / or MEM 13B, PROG 12C and / or PROG 13C, and DP 12A and / or DP 13A in Figure 2 ), where the information includes an indication of at least one of the following: a packet data unit session pair, quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session, or required redundancy level; based on the information, means for establishing (such as TRANS 12D and / or TRANS 13D, MEM 12B and / or MEM 13B, PROG 12C and / or PROG 13C, and DP 12A and / or DP 13A in Figure 2 ) the secondary packet data unit session; based on the establishment, means for sending (such as TRANS 12D and / or TRANS 13D, MEM 12B and / or MEM 13B, PROG 12C and / or PROG 13C, and DP 12A and / or DP 13A in Figure 2 ) an indication that the secondary packet data unit session is being established to the network device; means for storing (such as TRANS 12D and / or TRANS 13D, MEM 12B and / or MEM 13B, PROG 12C and / or PROG 13C, and DP 12A and / or DP 13A in Figure 2 ) information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request; and means for forwarding (such as TRANS 12D and / or TRANS 13D, MEM 12B and / or MEM 13B, PROG 12C and / or PROG 13C, and DP 12A and / or DP 13A in Figure 2 ) at least a portion of the information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request to at least one target node during a mobility procedure.

[0153] In an example aspect of the invention according to the above paragraphs, wherein the components for at least receiving, establishing, transmitting, storing, and forwarding include non-transitory computer-readable media [MEM 12B and / or MEM 13B], encoded with computer programs [PROG 12C and / or PROG 13C] executable by at least one processor [DP 12A and / or DP 13A].

[0154] Figure 5B Illustrates operations that may be performed by a network device such as, but not limited to, a UE10 Figure 2 such as in Figure 5B or a user equipment, Figure 5B Illustrates a method according to an example embodiment of the invention that may be performed by a device. As shown in step 570 of Figure 5B , the network device of a communication network receives information from a network node, the information including an indication of a secondary packet data unit session established by the network node based on at least one of a quality of service or a redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session. Then, as shown in step 580 of Figure 5B , the information is used during a handover procedure.

[0155] According to an example aspect of the invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein admission control includes: admission control of the secondary packet data unit session depends on at least one of the following: the required quality of service or redundancy level that can be met for performing admission of the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is established with at least one of the following: an alternative quality of service different from the quality of service required for the paired packet data unit session, or a redundancy level different from the required redundancy level.

[0156] According to an example aspect of the invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the secondary packet data unit session includes a redundant packet data unit session.

[0157] According to an example aspect of the invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the information includes an indication of the paired packet data unit session, the desired QoS and redundancy / reliability level, and an alternative quality of service of the paired packet data unit session.

[0158] According to an example aspect of the invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the information enables the network device to configure a dual connectivity (DC) configuration / carrier aggregation (CA) configuration, even for a scenario in which no DC / CA is configured in the network node, targeting at least one of the following: higher QoS, reliability, or redundancy requirements.

[0159] According to an example aspect of the invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the network device is configured with a redundant packet data unit session for conditional handover.

[0160] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the network device is configured for at least one of the following: prioritizing conditional handover cell measurements or prioritizing a target network node based on at least one of quality of service information or redundancy level information associated with the target network node.

[0161] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the configuration for conditional handover for more than one target network node includes QoS / redundancy level information.

[0162] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the network device uses QoS / redundancy level information for handover or conditional handover target prioritization.

[0163] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein admission control prioritizes maximum redundancy by adopting a quality of service list for each of at least one of a packet data unit, a quality of service flow, or a dedicated radio bearer of a packet data unit session.

[0164] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein admission control uses information from a network node, the information including an alternative QoS list.

[0165] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein if a secondary PDU session is rejected, the information from the network node includes an alternative QoS to be used for the primary packet data unit session.

[0166] According to an example embodiment of the present invention as described above, there is an apparatus including: means for receiving (such as TRANS 10D, MEM 10B, PROG 10C, and DP 10A in Figure 2 ) information from a network node by a network device (UE10) of a communication network, the information including an indication of a secondary packet data unit session established by the network node based on at least one of quality of service or redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session; and means for using (such as TRANS 10D, MEM 10B, PROG 10C, and DP 10A in Figure 2 ) the information during a mobility procedure.

[0167] In an example aspect of the present invention according to the above paragraphs, wherein at least the means for receiving and the means for using include a non-transitory computer-readable medium [MEM 10B] encoded with a computer program [PROG 10C] executable by at least one processor [DP 10A].

[0168] Figure 5C illustrates operations that can be performed by a network device such as, but not limited to, Figure 2 UE10 in Figure 5C As shown in step 590 of Figure 5C , information is received by a user equipment of a communication network from a network node, the information including an indication of a secondary packet data unit session established by the network node based on at least one of quality of service or redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session. As Figure 5C shown in step 594 of

[0169] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the information targets a configuration / carrier aggregation (CA) configuration of dual connectivity (DC), even for a scenario in which no DC / CA is configured in the network node, with higher QoS, reliability, or redundancy requirements.

[0170] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the user equipment is configured with redundant packet data unit sessions for conditional handover.

[0171] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, prioritize conditional handover cell measurements based on at least one of quality of service information or redundancy level information associated with the target network node.

[0172] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the configuration for conditional handover includes QoS / redundancy level information.

[0173] According to an example aspect of the present invention as described in the above paragraphs, wherein the user equipment employs QoS / redundancy level information for handover or conditional handover target prioritization.

[0174] According to an example embodiment of the present invention as described above, there is an apparatus including: for a user equipment (such as Figure 2 UE 10 in Figure 2 network 1 as in Figure 2 ) of a communication network to receive (such as Figure 2a component for receiving TRANS 10D, MEM 10B, PROG 10C, and DP10A) information, the information including an indication of a secondary packet data unit session established by a network node based on at least one of a quality of service or a redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, where the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session. For receiving a configuration to be configured (such as Figure 2 a component for receiving a configuration of a handover or conditional handover target network node in TRANS 10D, MEM 10B, PROG 10C, and DP 10A). For prioritizing a target network node for a mobility procedure based on at least one of information on a quality of service associated with the target network node or information on a redundancy level (such as Figure 2 in TRANS 10D, MEM 10B, PROG 10C, and DP 10A).

[0175] In an example aspect of the present invention according to the above paragraph, where at least the component for receiving, the component for receiving, and the component for prioritizing include a non-transitory computer-readable medium [MEM 10B] encoded with a computer program [PROG 10C] executable by at least one processor [DP 10A].

[0176] Furthermore, according to an example embodiment of the present invention, there is a circuit system for performing operations according to the example embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein. The circuit system may include any type of circuit system, including content encoding circuit systems, content decoding circuit systems, processing circuit systems, image generation circuit systems, data analysis circuit systems, etc.). Furthermore, the circuit system may include discrete circuit systems, application-specific integrated circuit systems (ASICs), and / or field-programmable gate array circuit systems (FPGAs), etc., as well as processors specifically configured by software to perform corresponding functions, or dual-core processors with software and corresponding digital signal processors, etc.). Furthermore, necessary inputs and outputs are provided to the circuit system, functions performed by the circuit system, and interconnections of the circuit system with other components that may include other circuit systems (possibly via inputs and outputs) to perform the example embodiments of the present invention as described herein.

[0177] According to an example embodiment of the present invention disclosed in the present application, the provided "circuit system" may include at least one or more or all of the following:

[0178] (a) A pure hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation only in analog and / or digital circuit systems);

[0179] (b) A combination of hardware circuits and software, such as (where applicable):

[0180] (i) A combination of (one or more) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware; and

[0181] (ii) Any portion of (one or more) hardware processors (including (one or more) digital signal processors), software, and (one or more) memories with software, which work together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone or a server) to perform various functions, such as functions or operations according to example embodiments of the present invention as disclosed herein; and

[0182] (c) (One or more) hardware circuits and / or (one or more) processors, such as (one or more) microprocessors or a portion of (one or more) microprocessors, which require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when it is not required for operation.

[0183] According to an example embodiment of the present invention, there is sufficient circuitry for performing at least the novel operations disclosed in the present application. This "circuitry" may be used herein to refer to at least the following:

[0184] (a) A pure hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry); and

[0185] (b) A combination of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as (where applicable): (i) A combination of (one or more) processors or (ii) A portion of (one or more) processors / software (including (one or more) digital signal processors), software, and (one or more) memories, which work together to cause a device (such as a mobile phone or a server) to perform various functions; and

[0186] (c) Circuitry that requires software or firmware to operate, such as (one or more) microprocessors or a portion of (one or more) microprocessors, even if the software or firmware is not actually present.

[0187] This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" will also cover an implementation that is only a processor (or processors) or a portion of a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuitry" will also cover, for example, if applicable to a particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit for a mobile phone or an application processor integrated circuit or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other network devices.

[0188] In general, the various embodiments may be implemented in hardware or in dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although the invention is not limited thereto. Although the various aspects of the invention may be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it is well understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented as non-limiting examples in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0189] 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. Sophisticated and powerful software tools are used to transform a logic level design into a semiconductor circuit design ready to be etched and formed on a semiconductor substrate.

[0190] The term "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or superior to other embodiments. The embodiments described in this detailed description are exemplary embodiments provided to enable a person skilled in the art to make or use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0191] The foregoing description has provided a complete and detailed description of the best mode and apparatus contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention by way of example and not limitation. However, various modifications and adaptations will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in light of the foregoing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. However, all such and similar modifications taught by the invention will still fall within the scope of the invention.

[0192] It should be noted that the terms "connected", "coupled", or any variation thereof refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between the two elements "connected" or "coupled" together. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. As used herein, by way of several non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" together by using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, and by using electromagnetic energy (such as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency region, microwave region, and optical (visible and invisible) regions).

[0193] In addition, some features of the preferred embodiments of the present invention can be advantageously used without the corresponding use of other features. Therefore, the above description should be considered as merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention and not as a limitation thereof.

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising: receiving, by a network node of a communication network, information from a network device, the information being about a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing a secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session, wherein the information includes an indication of at least one of the following: a packet data unit session pair, a quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session, or a required redundancy level; establishing the secondary packet data unit session based on the information; sending, based on the establishing, an indication that the secondary packet data unit session is being established to the network device; storing the information about the secondary packet data unit session request; and forwarding, during a mobility procedure, at least a part of the information about the secondary packet data unit session request to at least one target network node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the establishing includes: determining, based on the information, whether at least one of a quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session or a redundancy level can be satisfied; and establishing the secondary packet data unit session with an alternative quality of service different from the quality of service required for pairing the packet data unit session, or establishing the secondary packet data unit session with an alternative redundancy level different from the required redundancy level.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the secondary packet data unit session includes a redundant packet data unit session.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least based on the required quality of service or redundancy level not being satisfied, the method includes: starting a first timer to identify a duration during which the establishing can be retried.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising: starting, during the duration of the first timer, a second timer, wherein the second timer is used to identify the time of the retry of the establishing, or retrying the establishing based on an event-based trigger.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the retry includes: attempting to establish the secondary packet data unit session with at least one of redundant availability or a maximum quality of service capability level during the duration of the first timer.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the event-based trigger is based on at least one of resource availability or cell load change.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the event-based trigger is based on at least one of the resource availability or load change satisfying one of the following: matching, exceeding, or being lower than a predefined threshold.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the retry is in response to the secondary packet data unit session being established with a quality of service lower than the quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session and / or not being established with the required redundancy level.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the retry is based on the stored information about the secondary packet data unit session request.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one of an alternative quality of service or an alternative redundancy level for a pair of the packet data unit sessions.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein the determining includes: determining information of at least one of the following: the alternative quality of service, reliability / redundancy capability, and a dual connectivity or carrier aggregation configuration in which a redundant packet data unit session is admitted.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein the establishing is performed to prioritize maximum redundancy by adopting a quality of service list for each packet data unit session.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information includes an alternative QoS list.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information includes: An alternative QoS to be adopted for the primary packet data unit session in case the secondary PDU session is rejected.

16. The method according to claim 1, comprising: receiving, from the at least one target network node, an indication that the at least one target network node has successfully performed admission control for the secondary packet data unit session and / or information of at least one of the following: the admitted QoS and the achieved redundancy level.

17. The method according to claim 16, comprising: selecting a target network node for handover based on the indication that the at least one target network node has successfully performed admission control for the secondary packet data unit session and / or information of at least one of the following: the admitted QoS and the achieved redundancy level.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information includes a redundancy sequence number indicating the redundancy level.

19. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising: configuring a user equipment with a handover or conditional handover target network node, wherein the configuring includes configuring the user equipment to prioritize the target network node based on at least one of quality of service information or redundancy level information associated with the target network node.

20. A method for communication, comprising: receiving, by a user equipment of a communication network, from a network node, information including an indication of the secondary packet data unit session established by the network node based on at least one of a quality of service or a redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session; receiving a configuration to be configured with a handover or conditional handover target network node; and prioritizing a target network node for a mobility procedure based on at least one of information of a quality of service or a redundancy level associated with the target network node.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the information targets a configuration of dual connectivity (DC) / carrier aggregation (CA), even for a scenario in which no DC / CA is configured in the network node, for at least one of a higher QoS, reliability, or redundancy requirement.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: Prioritizing conditional handover cell measurements based on at least one of the information of the quality of service or the redundancy level associated with the target network node.

23. A device for communication, 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, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: receive information from a network device, the information being a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing a secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session, wherein the information includes an indication of at least one of the following: a packet data unit session pair, the quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session, or the required redundancy level; establish the secondary packet data unit session based on the information; send an indication that the secondary packet data unit session is being established to the network device based on the establishment; store the information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request; and forward at least a portion of the information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request to at least one target network node during a mobility procedure.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein when established, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to: determine whether at least one of the quality of service or redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session can be met based on the information; and establish the secondary packet data unit session with an alternative quality of service different from the quality of service required for pairing the packet data unit sessions, or establish the secondary packet data unit session with an alternative redundancy level different from the required redundancy level.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein the secondary packet data unit session includes a redundant packet data unit session.

26. The device according to claim 24, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to: start a first timer to identify a duration during which the establishment can be retried, at least based on the required quality of service or redundancy level not being met.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to: start a second timer during the duration of the first timer, wherein the second timer is used to identify the time of the retry of the establishment, or retry the establishment based on an event-based trigger.

28. The device according to claim 26, wherein when retrying, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to: establish the secondary packet data unit session with at least one of redundancy availability or maximum quality of service capability level during the duration of the first timer.

29. The device according to claim 27, wherein the event-based trigger is based on at least one of resource availability or cell load change.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the event-based trigger is based on at least one of the resource availability or the load change and satisfies one of the following: matching, exceeding, or being lower than a predefined threshold.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the re-attempt is in response to the secondary packet data unit session being established with a quality of service lower than the quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session and / or not being established with the required redundancy level.

32. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the re-attempt is based on the stored information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request.

33. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the information includes at least one of an alternative quality of service or an alternative redundancy level for the paired packet data unit sessions.

34. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein when determined, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: Determine information on at least one of the following: the alternative quality of service, the reliability / redundancy capability, and the dual connectivity or carrier aggregation configuration to which the redundant packet data unit session is admitted.

35. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the establishment is performed to prioritize maximum redundancy by adopting a quality of service list for each packet data unit session.

36. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the information includes an alternative QoS list.

37. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the information includes: The alternative QoS to be adopted for the primary packet data unit session in case the secondary PDU session is rejected.

38. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: Receive from the at least one target network node an indication that the at least one target network node has successfully performed admission control for the secondary packet data unit session and / or information on at least one of the following: the admitted QoS and the achieved redundancy level.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: Select a target network node for handover based on the indication that the at least one target network node has successfully performed admission control for the secondary packet data unit session and / or information on at least one of the following: the admitted QoS and the achieved redundancy level.

40. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the information includes a redundancy sequence number indicating the redundancy level.

41. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: Configuring a user equipment by switching or conditionally switching a target network node, wherein the configuration includes configuring the user equipment to prioritize the target network node based on at least one of quality of service information or redundancy level information associated with the target network node.

42. A device for communication, 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 device to at least: receive information from a network node, the information including an indication of the secondary packet data unit session established by the network node based on at least one of quality of service or redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session; receive a configuration to be configured with a switched or conditionally switched target network node; and prioritize the target network node for a mobility procedure based on at least one of information on quality of service associated with the target network node or information on redundancy level.

43. The device according to claim 42, wherein the information targets a dual connectivity (DC) / carrier aggregation (CA) configuration, even for a scenario where no DC / CA is configured in the network node, for at least one of: higher QoS, reliability, or redundancy requirements.

44. The device according to claim 42, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the device to prioritize conditional handover cell measurements based on at least one of the information on quality of service associated with the target network node or the information on redundancy level.

45. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code for communication, the program code being executed by at least one processor to perform a method, the method including: receiving information from a network device regarding a secondary packet data unit session request for pairing a secondary packet data unit session with a primary packet data unit session, wherein the information includes an indication of at least one of: a packet data unit session pair, the quality of service required for the secondary packet data unit session, or the required redundancy level; establishing the secondary packet data unit session based on the information; sending an indication to the network device that the secondary packet data unit session is being established based on the establishment; storing the information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request; and forwarding at least a portion of the information regarding the secondary packet data unit session request to at least one target network node during a mobility procedure.

46. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code for communication, the program code being executed by at least one processor to perform a method, the method including: Receive information from a network node, the information including an indication of the secondary packet data unit session established by the network node based on at least one of quality of service or redundancy level required for the secondary packet data unit session, wherein the secondary packet data unit session is paired with a primary packet data unit session; Receive a configuration to be configured with a handover or conditional handover target network node; And Prioritize a target network node for a mobility procedure based on at least one of information on quality of service associated with the target network node or information on redundancy level.

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