Devices, Methods, Apparatuses, and Computer-Readable Media for IAB Communication

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for IAB communication. A first device determines first information about at least one of a network slice supported by a second device or a network slice associated with a third device, and sends the first information to a fourth device in a request for switching the second device from the first device to the fourth device, where the second device communicates with the first device and the third device is served by the second device. The fourth device receives the request for the handover and performs control over the access of the second device to the fourth device based on the first information in the request. In this way, slice-aware admission control for IAB node HO can be achieved, the HO success rate can be improved, and the user experience can be enhanced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for integrated access and backhaul (IAB) communication. Background Art

[0002] IAB communication enables wireless relaying of NR access by using new radio (NR) for backhauling. The relay node is referred to as an IAB node. The terminating node of the NR backhaul on the network side is referred to as an IAB donor. The IAB donor represents a gNB with an attachment function that supports IAB. The backhaul can occur via a single hop of the IAB node or multiple hops of the IAB node. The IAB node includes: a mobile terminal or mobile termination (MT) part that acts as a user equipment (UE) towards its parent IAB node or donor IAB node; and a distributed unit (DU) part that acts as a base station towards the next-hop IAB node or UE.

[0003] Network slicing is a key feature in the fifth generation (5G) system to support different services using the same underlying mobile network infrastructure. To enable mobile slice awareness in the case of network slicing, single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) is introduced as part of the protocol data unit (PDU) session information that can be transmitted during mobile signaling. This enables slice-aware admission and congestion control.

[0004] However, current slice-related mechanisms are mainly developed for terminal devices or for access nodes. Considering that the IAB node is a combination of terminal device operation and access node operation, slice support for IAB should be provided. Therefore, a slice-aware mechanism should be studied for IAB communication to provide slice support for IAB nodes. Here, slice and network slice can be used interchangeably. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Generally speaking, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for slice-aware IAB communication.

[0006] In a first aspect, a first device is provided. The first device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the first device to: determine first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device and the third device being served by the second device; and send the first information to a fourth device in a request for switching the second device from the first device to the fourth device.

[0007] In a second aspect, a fourth device is provided. The fourth device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the fourth device to: receive, at the fourth device and from a first device, a request for switching a second device from the first device to the fourth device, the request including first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by the second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device and the third device being served by the second device; and perform control over access of the second device to the fourth device based on the first information.

[0008] In a third aspect, a method implemented at a device is provided. The method includes: determining, at a first device, first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device and the third device being served by the second device; and sending the first information to a fourth device in a request for switching the second device from the first device to the fourth device.

[0009] In a fourth aspect, a method implemented at a device is provided. The method includes: receiving, at the fourth device and from a first device, a request for switching a second device from the first device to the fourth device, the request including first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by the second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device and the third device being served by the second device; and performing control over access of the second device to the fourth device based on the first information.

[0010] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided, including: means for determining, at a first device, first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device and the third device being served by the second device; and means for sending the first information to a fourth device in a request for switching the second device from the first device to the fourth device.

[0011] In a sixth aspect, there is provided an apparatus, comprising: means for receiving, at the fourth device and from a first device, a request for switching a second device from the first device to the fourth device, the request including first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by the second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device and the third device being served by the second device; and means for controlling access of the second device to the fourth device based on the first information.

[0012] In a seventh aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising a computer program for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to the third aspect above.

[0013] In an eighth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising a computer program for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to the fourth aspect above.

[0014] It should be understood that the summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 An example communication network in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 A signaling diagram is shown, which shows a communication process during IAB node handover or donor-intermediate topology adaptation between IAB donors according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 A flowchart of a method implemented at a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method implemented at a fourth device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 5 A simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0021] Figure 6 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] In all the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation Modes

[0023] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that the description of these embodiments is for illustrative purposes only and helps those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, without implying any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways different from those described below.

[0024] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0025] References in the specification to "an embodiment", "embodiment", "example embodiment", etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not necessarily every embodiment includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an example embodiment, it should be considered that, whether or not explicitly described, affecting that feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0026] It should be understood that although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the example embodiments, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may be referred to as the first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items.

[0027] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "contains", and / or "including" when used herein specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0028] As used in this application, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0029] (a) Only hardware circuit implementation (e.g., only implementation in analog and / or digital circuits) and

[0030] (b) A combination of hardware circuits and software, e.g., (as applicable):

[0031] (i) A combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0032] (ii) Any part of a hardware processor with software (including a digital signal processor, software, and memory, which work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or a server to perform various functions), and

[0033] (c) A hardware circuit and / or a processor, such as a microprocessor or a part of a microprocessor, whose operation requires software (such as firmware), but the software may be absent when the operation does not require it.

[0034] This definition of a circuit applies to all uses of the term in this application, including all uses in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuit also encompasses an implementation that is merely a hardware circuit or a processor (or processors) or a part of a hardware circuit or a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuit also encompasses a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network devices.

[0035] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that follows any suitable communication standard, such as a fifth-generation (5G) system, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between a terminal device and a network device in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) communication protocol, and / or any other protocol known currently or developed in the future. Embodiments of the present invention can be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communication, of course, there will also be future types of communication technologies and systems in which the present invention can be implemented. The scope of the present disclosure should not be regarded as limited to the above systems.

[0036] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, the network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP) such as Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), NR next-generation Node B (gNB), remote radio unit (RRU), radio header (RH), remote radio head (RRH), relay, low-power node such as femto node (femto), pico node (pico), etc. The radio access network (RAN) split architecture includes: a gNB central unit (gNB CU) that hosts radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP); and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) that controls multiple gNB distributed units (gNB-DU) which host radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY).

[0037] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, the terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), user station (SS), portable user station, mobile station (MS) or access terminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, IP voice (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDA), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, game terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless terminals, mobile stations, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop embedded equipment (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premise equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMD), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (such as remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in an industrial and / or automation processing chain environment), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0038] While in various example embodiments, the functions described herein may be performed in fixed and / or wireless network nodes, in other example embodiments, the functions may be implemented in user equipment devices (e.g., mobile phones or tablets or laptop computers or desktop computers or mobile IoT devices or fixed IoT devices). For example, the user equipment device may be suitably equipped with the corresponding capabilities as described in connection with fixed and / or wireless network nodes. The user equipment device may be a user equipment and / or a control device, such as a chipset or a processor, configured to control the user equipment when installed in the user equipment. Examples of such functions include a bootstrapping server function and / or a home subscriber server, which may be implemented in the user equipment device by providing software (configured to cause the user equipment device to act from the perspective of these functions / nodes) to the user equipment device.

[0039] As mentioned previously, network slicing is a key 5G feature that enables different services to use the same underlying mobile network infrastructure. Network slices can differ in their service requirements (such as ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) and enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)) or the tenants providing these services. To make mobility slice-aware in the case of network slicing, the S-NSSAI is introduced as part of the PDU session information that can be conveyed during mobility signaling. This enables slice-aware admission and congestion control.

[0040] During a handover (HO) procedure, the terminal device is configured with measurement events that take into account the signal quality levels of the source cell and the neighboring cell. When a measurement event is triggered, if the Xn interface is available between the source cell and the target cell, the source cell can determine candidate cells for handover considering the current radio conditions and the slice support information of the target cell received via the Xn interface. When the Xn interface is not available between the source cell and the target cell, the slice support information of the neighboring cell can be pre-configured in the source cell. In the HO request, slice information such as the S-NSSAI for each PDU is included, and the target cell decides on the admitted and rejected PDU sessions. If the target cell proposed by the source cell is not available, the target cell can consider the slice information of the terminal device and select another cell as the target cell.

[0041] In an IAB network architecture, an IAB node supports the gNB-DU function to terminate the NR access interfaces to the terminal devices and sub-IAB nodes, and supports the F1 interface to the gNB-CU on the IAB donor. The IAB node also supports the NR Uu radio interface, known as the MT function, to connect to the DU of another IAB node or the IAB donor and connect to the gNB-CU on the IAB donor via the RRC connection. The IAB node can be directly connected to the IAB donor. The IAB node can also be connected to the IAB donor via multiple parent IAB nodes. The IAB node can be connected to the core network via the IAB donor and multiple parent IAB nodes. Each IAB node can serve a group of terminal devices, where the terminal devices can be associated with different slices. For the terminal devices served by a given slice, both the IAB node and the IAB donor will support that slice.

[0042] There can be different implementation options or operating modes for the IAB node. For example, the IAB node can be installed on fixed infrastructure, such as a lamppost or street facility. Such an IAB node can be called a fixed IAB node. Depending on the channel conditions on the wireless backhaul, the fixed IAB node can migrate from one donor IAB node to an adjacent donor IAB node. Another IAB node implementation can be the case where the IAB node is installed on a vehicle and is active (i.e., serving the UE) when the IAB is static or slowly moving and especially when the serving UE is outside the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle is parked, the IAB node can serve the UE outside the vehicle. When the nomadic IAB is not active, i.e., not working, it can enter an idle mode, such as similar to RRC idle or RRC inactive. Such an IAB node can be called a nomadic IAB node. The nomadic IAB node can be integrated into vehicles in, for example, a car-sharing fleet or a taxi fleet. The nomadic IAB node can be used to provide coverage and / or capacity enhancement. Another concept of IAB has been recently proposed, i.e., the mobile IAB. The mobile IAB node is located on a moving object (e.g., a vehicle or a balloon or a drone) and provides wireless access to the UE inside or outside the moving object.

[0043] In some scenarios, such as due to a possible failure on the backhaul (BH) connection or a change in the IAB topology or the movement of the IAB node, the IAB node may need to change its serving node or its parent node under the same or different donors. In the latter case, the IAB node can change its attachment point from the source IAB donor (also referred to as the source donor node in this article) to a target IAB donor different from the source IAB donor (also referred to as the target donor node in this article). Such a topology adaptation can be called inter-donor topology adaptation. For convenience, the IAB node that changes its attachment point is referred to as the migrating IAB node in this article.

[0044] In the case where an IAB node switches from a source donor node to a target donor node or the IAB node performs inter-donor topology adaptation, slice awareness is required for both the IAB node and / or one or more terminal devices served by the IAB node. However, there is still a need to provide slice-aware IAB node HO. For example, during the handover preparation process for an IAB-MT, the HANDOVER REQUEST message only includes PDU session information for the IAB-MT. The IAB-MT may not have any PDU sessions or may only have one PDU session for operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM). Additionally, there is no information about the slice information of the terminal devices connected to the migrating IAB node, so slice-aware handover of the terminal devices may not be achievable. This may be even worse when the target donor node selects another cell that may not support the slices of the terminal devices as the target.

[0045] It can be seen that since the IAB node is a combination of an MT (UE operation) and a DU (access node operation), and the current slice-related HO mechanisms are mainly developed for UEs. Considering these and that neither UE-specific signaling nor access-node-specific signaling can be used alone to provide slice support for the IAB node, slice support for the IAB should be provided.

[0046] To at least partially address the above and other potential issues, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for communicating during IAB node HO or during inter-donor topology adaptation. In this solution, information about at least one of the network slices supported by the migrating IAB node or the network slices associated with the terminal devices served by the migrating IAB node (also referred to herein as first information) is sent in a handover request from a source IAB donor to a target IAB donor. If the migrating IAB node has a sub-IAB node, information about at least one of the network slices supported by the sub-IAB node or the network slices associated with the terminal devices served by the sub-IAB node (also referred to herein as second information) can also be sent in the handover request. In this way, a slice-aware IAB node HO mechanism can be provided. Therefore, the handover success rate can be increased and the user experience can be enhanced. The principles and implementations of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 6 The various embodiments proposed here can be applied to different HO processes, such as baseline HO (BHO), group HO, conditional HO (CHO), dual active protocol stack (DAPS) HO, or make-before-break HO.

[0047] Figure 1FIG. 0 shows an example communication network 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. The communication network 100 may include a first device 110, a second device 120, a third device 130, a fourth device 140, a fifth device 150, and a sixth device 160. In this example, the first device 110 and the fourth device 140 are shown as IAB donors (also referred to as IAB donor devices), the second device 120 and the fifth device 150 are shown as IAB nodes (also referred to as IAB node devices), and the third device 130 and the sixth device 160 are shown as terminal devices. The first device 110 and the fourth device 140 serve the second device 120. The second device 120 serves the third device 130 and the fifth device 150, and the fifth device 150 is shown as a sub-IAB node of the second device 120. The fifth device 150 serves the sixth device 160. In this example, the IAB node (second device 120) is directly connected to the IAB donors (first device 110 and fourth device 140). It should be understood that the IAB node (second device 120) may also be connected to the IAB donors (first device 110, fourth device 140) via multiple intermediate IAB nodes.

[0048] In this example, the sub-IAB node (fifth device 150) is directly connected to the IAB node (second device 120). It should be understood that the sub-IAB node (fifth device 150) may also be connected to the IAB node (second device 120) via multiple intermediate IAB nodes. In this case, these intermediate IAB nodes are also considered to be sub-IAB nodes of the IAB node (second device 120).

[0049] It should be understood that the numbers of the first device, the second device, the third device, the fourth device, the fifth device, and the sixth device are given for illustrative purposes and do not imply any limitation to the present disclosure. The communication network 100 may include any suitable number of the first device, the second device, the third device, the fourth device, the fifth device, and the sixth device suitable for implementing the implementation of the present disclosure. In addition, there may be cases where the third device or the sixth device (e.g., terminal device) is not actively served by the second device or the fifth device (e.g., IAB node).

[0050] As Figure 1As shown, the communication network 100 may also include a core network (CN) 170. The CN 170 may include many core network elements that provide different network functions, such as a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), a Unified Data Repository (UDM), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), an Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM), a Network Function (NF) Repository Function, a Session Management Function (SMF), a Policy Control Function (PCF), a Network Exposure Function (NEF), etc. For convenience, the CN 170 is shown as including a core network element 171. The first device 110 and the fourth device 140, which are IAB donors, may communicate with the core network element 171 in the CN 170. For example, the core network element 171 may be an AMF. Of course, the core network element 171 may be in any suitable form.

[0051] An IAB donor (e.g., the first device 110 or the fourth device 140) consists of an IAB donor CU (e.g., CU 112 or CU 142) and one or more IAB donor DUs (e.g., DU 111 or DU 141). In the case of separation of the control plane and the user plane, the IAB donor may consist of an IAB donor central unit control plane (IAB-donor-CU-CP), multiple IAB donor central unit user planes (IAB-donor-CU-UP), and multiple IAB-donor-DUs.

[0052] The first device 110 includes a DU 111 to support the MT of the terminal device and one or more downstream IAB nodes. The first device 110 also includes a CU 112 for the DUs of all IAB nodes and for its own DU (e.g., DU 111). Similarly, the fourth device 140 includes one or more DUs, such as DU 141, to support the MT of the terminal device and one or more downstream IAB nodes. The fourth device 140 also includes a CU 142 for the DUs of all IAB nodes and for its own DU (e.g., DU 141).

[0053] It should be understood that although the DU 111 and the CU 112 are shown as being implemented on a single entity, the DU 111 and the CU 112 may be implemented on separate entities, such as in the case of cloud-based deployment. Similarly, the DU 141 and the CU 142 may be implemented on a single entity or separate entities.

[0054] The first device 110 and the fourth device 140, which are IAB donors, may communicate with each other via the Xn interface. It should be understood that the Xn interface is merely an example, and any suitable communication interface may be used between the first device 110 and the fourth device 140.

[0055] The second device 120 includes an MT 121 and a DU 122, and the fifth device 150 includes an MT 151 and a DU 152. Via the MT 121, the second device 120 is connected to the first device 110 or the fourth device 140. Via the DU 122, the second device 120 can establish RLC channels to the third device 130 and to the MT 151 of the fifth device 150. The DU 122 has a connection to the control plane (CP) of an IAB donor CU (IAB-donor CU-CP), the F1 control plane interface (F1-C). For example, the DU 122 can have an F1 interface with the CU 112 in the first device 110 or an F1 interface with the CU 142 in the fourth device 140.

[0056] Via the DU 152, the fifth device 150 can establish RLC channels to the sixth device 160 and to the MT of a downstream IAB node (not shown). The DU 152 has an F1-C connection to the CP of an IAB donor CU (IAB-donor CU-CP). For example, the DU 152 can have an F1 interface with the CU 112 in the first device 110 or an F1 interface with the CU 142 in the fourth device 140. It is assumed that the DU on the IAB node can establish an F1 interface only with one IAB donor CU-CP. This IAB donor can be changed by topology adaptation or handover.

[0057] In some example embodiments, the DU 122 in the second device 120 can be connected to the CU 112 in the first device 110 using an F1 interface. Both the F1 control plane interface (F1-C) and the F1 user plane interface (F1-U) operate on the RLC channel on the wireless backhaul between the MT 121 in the second device 120 and the DU 111 in the first device 110. It should be understood that the F1 interface is merely an example, and any suitable communication interface can be used between the second device 120 and the first device 110.

[0058] Although the second device 120 and the fifth device 150 are shown as IAB nodes, the communication network 100 can also include one or more upstream IAB nodes connected between the second device 120 and the first device 110 or between the second device 120 and the fourth device 140. Of course, the communication network 100 can also include one or more downstream IAB nodes connected downstream of the fifth device 150. Alternatively, the communication network 100 may not include the fifth device 150 and the terminal devices it serves. In addition, although only one third device communicating with the second device 120 is shown, the communication network 100 can also include more third devices communicating with the second device 120. Although only one sixth device served by the fifth device 150 is shown, the communication network 100 can also include more sixth devices served by the fifth device 150.

[0059] The communication in the communication system 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and fifth generation (5G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as those of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or any other protocol known currently or developed in the future. In addition, the communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), and / or any other technology known currently or to be developed in the future.

[0060] In some scenarios, the second device 120 can switch from the DU 111 in the first device 110 to the DU 141 in the fourth device 140, resulting in the IAB donor CU changing from the CU 112 in the first device 110 to the CU 142 in the fourth device 140. For convenience, the CU 112 is also referred to as the source CU, and the CU 142 is also referred to as the target CU.

[0061] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at the time of HO decision, the following information is sent in a handover request from a source IAB donor to a target IAB donor: information about at least one network slice supported by the migrating IAB node, information about at least one network slice supported by its sub-IAB nodes (if any), and information about at least one network slice associated with the terminal devices served by the migrating IAB node and its sub-IAB nodes (if any). When there is a direct interface such as an Xn interface between the source IAB node and the target IAB node, the handover signaling can be directly exchanged between the source IAB node and the target IAB node. When there is no direct interface such as an Xn interface between the source IAB node and the target IAB node, the handover signaling can be exchanged between the source IAB node and the target IAB node via one or more core network nodes. In this way, a slice-aware IAB node HO mechanism can be provided. Therefore, the handover success rate can be increased and the user experience can be enhanced. A more detailed description will be given with reference to Figure 2 will be given a more detailed description.

[0062] Figure 2 A signaling diagram is shown, which shows the communication process 200 during IAB node HO or donor-inter topology adaptation between IAB donors according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For convenience, the process 200 will be described in conjunction with Figure 1 the example of Figure 1The process 200 is described in the communication network 100, but this process can also be applied to other communication scenarios. This example assumes a direct interface between the source IAB node and the target IAB node, such as the Xn interface. When there is no direct interface, such as the Xn interface, between the source IAB node and the target IAB node, the process is similar. In this case, the handover signaling is exchanged between the source IAB node and the target IAB node via one or more core network nodes.

[0063] As Figure 2 shown, during the establishment of the F1 interface between the DU 122 of the second device 120 and the CU 112 of the first device 110, the second device 120 may send 201 (via the DU 122) information about at least one network slice supported by the second device 120 to the first device 110 (e.g., to the CU 112). In some embodiments, the second device 120 may send this information to the first device 110 in an F1 establishment request (SETUP REQUEST) message. In some embodiments, this information may be provided according to a tracking area (TA), and the information may be in the form of a set of slice IDs. For example, the slice ID may be an S-NSSAI. In some other embodiments, when there is an intermediate IAB node between the second device 120 and the first device 110, the second device 120 sends 201 information about at least one network slice supported by the second device 120 to the first device 110 via the intermediate IAB node.

[0064] The current 3GPP specifications allow a terminal device to be connected and served by up to eight S-NSSAIs simultaneously. On the other hand, each cell can support a large number of network slices: a cell can support dozens or even hundreds of S-NSSAIs.

[0065] An S-NSSAI may include a slice service type (SST) and a slice differentiator (SD) field with a total length of 32 bits, or only include the SST field part, in which case the length of the S-NSSAI is only 8 bits. The SST field may have standardized and non-standardized values. Values 0 to 127 belong to the standardized SST range. For example, an SST value of 1 may indicate that the slice is suitable for handling 5G eMBB, and an SST value of 2 is suitable for handling URLLC, etc. The SD is only defined by the operator.

[0066] Of course, the slice ID can also be in any other suitable form. In addition, this information can also be sent in any other suitable way and is not limited to the above examples.

[0067] In some cases, a second device 120 acting as an IAB node may have a sub-IAB node (e.g., a fifth device 150). Thus, during the establishment of an F1 interface between the DU 152 of the fifth device 150 and the CU 112 of the first device 110, the fifth device 150 may also send (via the DU 152) information about at least one network slice supported by the fifth device 150 to the first device 110 (e.g., to the CU 112).

[0068] As Figure 2 shown, a core network element 171 may send 202 information about at least one network slice associated with a third device 130 to the first device 110. In some embodiments, the CU 112 of the first device 110 may terminate a Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) procedure for the third device 130. When the core network element 171 initiates an NGAP PDU session resource establishment procedure, the core network element 171 may send PDU session resource related information to the first device 110, and the PDU session resource related information includes information about at least one network slice associated with the third device 130.

[0069] Similarly, the core network element 171 may also send information about at least one network slice associated with a sixth device 160 to the first device 110. In some embodiments, the CU 112 of the first device 110 may terminate an NGAP procedure for the sixth device 160. When the core network element 171 initiates an NGAP PDU session resource establishment procedure, the core network element 171 may send PDU session resource related information to the first device 110, and the PDU session resource related information includes information about at least one network slice associated with the sixth device 160.

[0070] In this way, the first device 110 may obtain information about at least one network slice supported by the migrating IAB node and at least one network slice associated with the terminal device served by the migrating IAB node. In the case where the migrating IAB node has its sub-IAB node, the first device 110 may also obtain information about at least one network slice supported by the sub-IAB node and at least one network slice associated with the terminal device served by the sub-IAB node.

[0071] In some embodiments, the MT 121 of the second device 120 may send a channel quality measurement report for adjacent nodes to the CU 112 of the first device 110. Based on the measurement report, the CU 112 of the first device 110 may make a HO decision. For example, it may be decided to perform a handover of the second device 120 from the first device 110 to the fourth device 140. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may perform a baseline HO (BHO). In some alternative embodiments, the first device 110 may perform a conditional HO (CHO). In some alternative embodiments, the first device 110 may perform a DAPS HO.

[0072] Based on the HO decision, the first device 110 determines 203 information about at least one of the network slices supported by the second device 120 or the network slices associated with the third device 130. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may determine a first set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device 120. In some additional or alternative embodiments, the first device 110 may determine a second set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device 130.

[0073] In this example, the fifth device 150 communicates with the second device 120. Thus, the first device 110 may further determine 203' information about at least one of the network slices supported by the fifth device 150 or the network slices associated with the sixth device 160. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may determine a third set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device 150. In some additional or alternative embodiments, the first device 110 may determine a fourth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device 160.

[0074] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may generate a fifth set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device 120 and the fifth device 150 based on the first set of identifiers and the third set of identifiers. In some additional or alternative embodiments, the first device 110 may generate a sixth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device 130 and the sixth device 160 based on the second set of identifiers and the fourth set of identifiers. In this way, the slice support of the migrating IAB node and its sub-IAB nodes (i.e., the fifth set of identifiers) may be considered the maximum slice set, and the slice information of the terminal devices served by the migrating IAB node and its sub-IAB nodes (i.e., the sixth set of identifiers) may be considered the minimum slice set. For example, an IAB node may support 10 slices, but the current terminal devices may only use 5 slices. This is just an example, and any other number is also feasible.

[0075] Then, the first device 110 may send the first information and the second information to the fourth device 140 in a handover request. In some embodiments, the handover request may be an Xn HO Request message sent directly to the fourth device 140. In some embodiments, the handover request may be an NG HO Required message sent to the core network, and then the core network sends an NG HO Request message to the fourth device 140. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may send the first information and the second information in one or more IEs independent of the current PDU session IE in the Xn handover request message or the NG HO Required message or the NG HO Request message.

[0076] In some embodiments where the migrating IAB node has no sub-IAB nodes, the first device 110 sends the first set of identifiers or the second set of identifiers. Of course, the first device 110 may send both the first set of identifiers and the second set of identifiers. In this case, the first set of identifiers is considered the maximum slice set, and the second set of identifiers is considered the minimum slice set.

[0077] In some embodiments where the migrating IAB node has sub-IAB nodes, in addition to at least one of the first set of identifiers or the second set of identifiers, the first device 110 may send at least one of the third set of identifiers or the fourth set of identifiers. In some alternative embodiments, the first device 110 may send at least one of the fifth set of identifiers or the sixth set of identifiers. In this case, the fifth set of identifiers is considered the maximum slice set, and the sixth set of identifiers is considered the minimum slice set.

[0078] In some embodiments, the first information may be associated with at least one of the following of the second device 120: Physical Cell Identifier (PCI), or Cell Global Identifier (CGI), or Tracking Area Code (TAC), or Quality of Service (QoS) information for each network slice. In some embodiments, the second information may be associated with at least one of the following of the fifth device 150: PCI, or CGI, or TAC, or QoS information for each network slice. Using the PCI or CGI, the target IAB donor can match the PCI or CGI to a TA received, for example, via the NG RAN configuration update procedure. Using the TAC, the target IAB donor has information about slice support for each TA (received, for example, via the NG RAN configuration update procedure and / or the Xn establishment procedure).

[0079] Accordingly, the fourth device 140 receives information about at least one network slice (also referred to herein as received slice information). Refer to Figure 2, the fourth device 140 performs 205 control on the access of the second device 120 to the fourth device 140 based on the received slice information. That is, the fourth device 140 performs slice-aware admission control on the second device 120 by, for example, considering the received network slice information and / or the quality of service information of each network slice. In some embodiments where the fourth device 140 receives both the fifth identifier set and the sixth identifier set, the fourth device 140 may first consider the fifth identifier set (the largest set) to perform the control. If the control is not satisfied, the fourth device 140 may consider the sixth identifier set (the smallest set) to perform the control. In this way, the implementation of slice-aware admission control can be promoted.

[0080] In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may perform resource allocation for access based on the received slice information. For example, when performing resource allocation such as transmission network resources or user plane resources in the IAB donor CU-UP, the CU 142 of the fourth device 140 may consider the received slice information.

[0081] In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may determine the target cell to which the second device 120 is to be switched from the first device 110 based on the received slice information. For example, the fourth device 140 may determine whether the cell recommended by the CU 112 for the handover of the first device 110 supports the slice requested by the CU 112 in the received slice information. In this way, the fourth device 140 can determine whether the cell is suitable to be used as the target cell. If the cell supports the slice requested by the CU 112, the fourth device 140 may determine that the cell is suitable as the target cell. The determination may also consider the quality of service information of each network slice requested by the CU 112 in the received slice information.

[0082] In one example, when the CU 112 does not have an Xn interface with the CU 142, the CU 112 does not know the slices supported in the cell of the CU 142 before the handover. In this case, the CU 112 may select an inappropriate target cell that meets the radio standard but does not support the slice. If so, the CU 142 of the fourth device 140 may select another cell that may not be very suitable from a radio perspective but supports the slice as the target cell.

[0083] In another example, there may be multiple candidate cells in the CU 142 that can meet the radio standard, and the target cell recommended by the CU 112 may be highly loaded or highly loaded for one or more specific slices. If so, the CU 142 of the fourth device 140 may consider the received slice information to select another cell as the target cell.

[0084] In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may determine whether the radio link control channel for the backhaul (BH) supports network slicing. For example, the CU 142 of the fourth device 140 may use the received slice information and the quality of service information of each network slice to check whether the BH RLC channel is sufficient. This may occur when the operator requests to separate the traffic belonging to a specific slice on the transmission interface. This may involve migrating all the BH channels between the IAB node (in this example, the second device 120) and the new parent node (in this example, the fourth device 140), between the intermediate IAB nodes (in this example, the second device 120 and the fifth device 150), and between the migrating IAB node (in this example, the second device 120) and the DU of the new parent node (in this example, the DU 141 of the fourth device 140).

[0085] In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may adapt the IAB topology for access based on the received slice information. For example, when the intermediate IAB node (in this example, the fifth device 150) may be highly loaded or congested for one or more specific slices after a handover, the CU 142 of the fourth device 140 may change the topology. In one example, the CU 142 may move the sub-IAB node of the intermediate node to another parent node to accommodate the cut-in of the migrating IAB node. It should be noted that the above examples are for illustration only and do not limit the present application.

[0086] Return Figure 2 , the fourth device 140 may send a response to the handover request 206 to the first device 110. The response includes information about at least one network slice supported by the fourth device 140 (also referred to as the third information here). In some embodiments, when there is a direct interface (e.g., the Xn interface) between the first device 110 and the fourth device 140, the CU 142 of the fourth device 140 may reply to the CU 112 of the first device 110 with an Xn Handover Request Acknowledge message. In some other embodiments, the CU 142 of the fourth device 140 may reply to the core network 171 with an NG Handover Request acknowledge message, and when there is no direct interface (e.g., the Xn interface) between the first device 110 and the fourth device 140, the core network 171 sends an NG Handover Command message to the CU 112 of the first device 110.

[0087] In some embodiments, the CU 112 of the first device 110 may initiate multiple handover preparations for the MT 121 of the second device 120 to the fourth device 140 and other different neighboring donor CUs. In these embodiments, the fourth device 140 or other different neighboring donor CUs may send information about at least one network slice supported by the fourth device 40 or other different neighboring donor CUs (also referred to herein as the third information) in response to the handover request.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first device 110 instructs the second device 120 to perform a handover based on the response received from the fourth device 140. In some other embodiments, upon receiving the third information, the first device 110 may determine, based on the third information, 207 the target cell to which the second device 120 is to hand over from the first device 110. In some embodiments, based on the received Xn handover request confirmation message or NG handover command message including slice support information from multiple neighboring donor CUs, the CU 112 of the first device 110 may select an appropriate target cell and instruct the second device 120 to perform a handover. For example, the CU 112 may select a target cell that supports all the required slices. Alternatively, the CU 112 may select a target cell that supports more slices than other candidate cells.

[0089] Although the above description is made in connection with Xn-based handover, the above process is also applicable to NG-based handover. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may send a handover request to the fourth device 140 via the core network device 171. For example, the first device 110 may send 204' a handover request (such as a handover requirement message) to the core network device 171, and the core network device 171 may send 204" a handover request message to the fourth device 140. In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may send a response to the request to the first device 110 via the core network device 171. For example, the fourth device 140 may send 206' a handover request confirmation to the core network device 171, and the core network device 171 may send 206" a handover command to the first device 110.

[0090] Using Figure 2 the process, a basic process for slice support for IAB node HO can be provided. In this way, the HO success rate can be increased and the user experience can be enhanced. Corresponding to Figure 2 the process, the present disclosure also provides example methods implemented at the source IAB donor and the target IAB donor. This will be described below with reference to Figure 3 and Figure 4 for description.

[0091] Figure 3FIG. 0 shows a flowchart of an example method 300 implemented at a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 300 may be implemented at a device acting as a source IAB donor, such as Figure 1 the first device 110 in Figure 1 . For convenience, method 300 will be described with reference to

[0092] At block 310, the first device 110 determines first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a second device 120 or a network slice associated with a third device 130. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may cause at least one of the following to be included in the first information: a first set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device 120; or a second set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device 130.

[0093] At block 320, the first device 110 sends the first information to a fourth device 140 in a request to switch the second device 120 from the first device 110 to the fourth device 140. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may send the request to the fourth device 140 via a core network element (e.g., core network element 171).

[0094] The above process may be applied to the case where the migrating IAB node has no sub-IAB nodes. In some embodiments, the migrating IAB node has one or more sub-IAB nodes. In these embodiments, the first device 110 may also determine second information and send the second information to the fourth device 140 in the handover request, the second information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a fifth device 150 or a network slice associated with a sixth device 160.

[0095] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may cause at least one of the following to be included in the second information: a third set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device 150; or a fourth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device 160.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first information may be associated with at least one of the following of the second device 120: PCI, or CGI, or TAC, or QoS information for each network slice. In some embodiments, the second information may be associated with at least one of the following of the fifth device 150: PCI, or CGI, or TAC, or QoS information for each network slice.

[0097] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may determine at least one of the following: a fifth set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device 120 and the fifth device 150; or a sixth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device 130 and the sixth device 160, and send at least one of the fifth set of identifiers or the sixth set of identifiers to the fourth device 140 in a handover request.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may receive, from the second device 120, a first set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device 120, and receive, from the fifth device 150, a third set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device 150. The first device 110 may determine the fifth set of identifiers based on the first set of identifiers and the third set of identifiers. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may receive, from the core network element 171, a second set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device 130, and receive, from the core network element 171, a fourth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device 160. The first device 110 may determine the sixth set of identifiers based on the second set of identifiers and the fourth set of identifiers.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may receive a response to the request from the fourth device 140. In some embodiments, the response may include third information about a network slice supported by the fourth device 140. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may receive a response to the request from the fourth device 140 via a core network element (e.g., the core network element 171). In some embodiments, the first device 110 instructs the second device to perform a handover to a target cell. In some embodiments, for example, when the first device 110 initiates multiple handover preparations to different neighboring devices and the first device 110 receives multiple responses from each neighboring device, the first device 110 may determine the target cell to which the second device 120 is to hand over from the first device 110 based on the third information.

[0100] In some embodiments, each of the first device 110 and the fourth device 140 is an IAB donor device, each of the second device 120 and the fifth device 150 is an IAB node device, and each of the third device 130 and the sixth device 160 is a terminal device.

[0101] Figure 4 A flowchart of an example method 400 implemented at a fourth device in accordance with some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 400 may be implemented at a device acting as a target IAB donor, such as Figure 1 the fourth device 140 in Figure 1 . For convenience, the method 400 will be described with reference to

[0102] At block 410, a fourth device 140 receives, from a first device 110, a request to handover a second device 120 from the first device 110 to the fourth device 140. In some embodiments, the request includes first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by the second device 120 or a network slice associated with a third device 130. In some embodiments, the first information may include at least one of the following: a first set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device 120; or a second set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device 130.

[0103] In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may receive the request from the first device 110 via a core network element (e.g., core network element 171). This may apply to an NG-based handover.

[0104] In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may also receive, in the handover request, second information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a fifth device 150 or a network slice associated with a sixth device 160. In some embodiments, the second information may include at least one of the following: a third set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device 150; or a fourth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device 160.

[0105] In some embodiments, the first information may be associated with at least one of the following of the second device: PCI, or CGI, or TAC, or QoS information for each network slice. In some embodiments, the second information may be associated with at least one of the following of the fifth device: PCI, or CGI, or TAC, or QoS information for each network slice.

[0106] In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may receive, in the request, at least one of a fifth set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device 120 and the fifth device 150 or a sixth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device 130 and the sixth device 160. In this way, slice information may be conveyed in the form of information regarding network slices supported by IAB nodes and information regarding network slices associated with terminal devices served by IAB nodes.

[0107] At block 410, the fourth device 140 performs control over the access of the second device 120 to the fourth device 140, for example, considering the received network slice information and / or the quality of service information of each network slice. In this way, slice-aware admission control can be achieved. In some embodiments where the fourth device 140 receives both the fifth identification set and the sixth identification set, the fourth device 140 may perform control based on the fifth identification set; and if the control is not achieved based on the fifth identification set, the fourth device 140 may perform the control based on the sixth identification set.

[0108] In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may perform resource allocation for access. In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may determine the target cell to which the second device is to handover from the first device 110. In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may determine whether the radio link control channel for backhaul supports network slicing. In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may adapt the IAB topology for access. Of course, any other suitable control may also be performed based on the received slice information.

[0109] In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may send a response to the request to the first device 110. In some embodiments, the fourth device 140 may send a request to the first device via a core network element (e.g., core network element 171). This may be applied to NG-based handovers.

[0110] In some embodiments, the response may include third information about the network slices supported by the fourth device 140. This may be applied to the case where the CU 112 of the first device 110 initiates multiple handover preparations for the MT121 of the second device 120 to different adjacent donor nodes. In this way, the first device 110 may facilitate determining the target cell based on the third information from the adjacent donor CUs.

[0111] In some embodiments, each of the first device 110 and the fourth device 140 is an IAB donor device, each of the second device 120 and the fifth device 150 is an IAB node device, and each of the third device 130 and the sixth device 160 is a terminal device.

[0112] It should be understood that the description of the features also applies to methods 300 and 400 and has the same effect. Therefore, the details of these features are omitted. Figure 2

[0113] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., the first device 110) capable of performing any method 300 may include components for performing the respective steps of method 300. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in circuitry or software modules.

[0114] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises: components for determining, at a first device, first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device and the third device being served by the second device; and components for sending the first information to a fourth device in a request for switching the second device from the first device to the fourth device.

[0115] In some embodiments, the components for determining the first information may include components for causing at least one of the following to be included in the first information: a first set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device; or a second set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device.

[0116] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise: components for determining second information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a fifth device or a network slice associated with a sixth device, the fifth device communicating with the second device and the sixth device being served by the fifth device; and components for sending the second information to the fourth device in the handover request.

[0117] In some embodiments, the components for determining the second information may include components for causing at least one of the following to be included in the second information: a third set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device; or a fourth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device.

[0118] In some embodiments, the first information may be associated with at least one of the following of the second device: PCI, or CGI, or TAC, or QoS information for each network slice. In some embodiments, the second information may be associated with at least one of the following of the fifth device: PCI, or CGI, or TAC, or QoS information for each network slice.

[0119] In some embodiments, the components for determining the first information and the second information may include components for determining at least one of the following: a fifth set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device and the fifth device; or a sixth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device and the sixth device. In these embodiments, the components for sending the first information and the second information may include components for sending at least one of the fifth set of identifiers or the sixth set of identifiers in the handover request.

[0120] In some embodiments, the component for determining the fifth identification set may include: a component for receiving, from the second device, a first identification set regarding at least one network slice supported by the second device; a component for receiving, from the fifth device, a third identification set regarding at least one network slice supported by the fifth device; and a component for determining the fifth identification set based on the first identification set and the third identification set.

[0121] In some embodiments, the component for determining the sixth identification set may include: a component for receiving, from a core network element, a second identification set regarding at least one network slice associated with the third device; a component for receiving, from the core network element, a fourth identification set regarding at least one network slice associated with the sixth device; and a component for determining the sixth identification set based on the second identification set and the fourth identification set.

[0122] In some embodiments, the component for sending a request may include a component for sending a request to the fourth device via a core network element.

[0123] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include: a component for receiving, from the fourth device, a response to the request, the response including third information regarding at least one network slice supported by the fourth device; and a component for performing a handover of the second device to a target cell based on the third information. In some embodiments, the component for receiving the response may include a component for receiving the response from the fourth device via a core network element. In some embodiments, the component for performing the handover may include a component for determining the target cell based on the third information and a component for handing over the second device to the target cell.

[0124] In some embodiments, each of the first device and the fourth device is an IAB donor device, each of the second device and the fifth device is an IAB node device, and each of the third device and the sixth device is a terminal device.

[0125] In some example embodiments, a device (e.g., the fourth device 140) capable of performing any method 400 may include components for performing the respective steps of method 400. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0126] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes: components for receiving, at the fourth device and from a first device, a request for switching a second device from the first device to the fourth device, the request including first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by the second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device and the third device being served by the second device; and components for performing control over access of the second device to the fourth device based on the first information.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first information may include at least one of the following: a first set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device; or a second set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device.

[0128] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for receiving second information in the handover request, the second information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a fifth device or a network slice associated with a sixth device, the fifth device communicating with the second device and the sixth device being served by the fifth device. In some embodiments, the second information may include at least one of the following: a third set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device; or a fourth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first information may be associated with at least one of the following of the second device: PCI, or CGI, or TAC, or QoS information for each network slice. In some embodiments, the second information may be associated with at least one of the following of the fifth device: PCI, or CGI, or TAC, or QoS information for each network slice.

[0130] In some embodiments, the components for receiving the first information and the second information may include components for receiving at least one of the following in the request: a fifth set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device and the fifth device; a sixth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device and the sixth device. In some embodiments, the components for receiving may include components for receiving the request from the first device via a core network element.

[0131] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include components for sending a response to the first device, the response including third information regarding at least one network slice supported by the fourth device. In some embodiments, the components for sending the response include components for sending the request to the first device via a core network element.

[0132] In some embodiments, the component for receiving the first information and the second information may include a component for receiving a fifth set of identifiers and a sixth set of identifiers. In these embodiments, the component for performing control may include: a component for performing control based on the fifth set of identifiers; and a component for performing control based on the sixth set of identifiers according to a determination that the control is not satisfied based on the fifth set.

[0133] In some embodiments, the component for performing control may include at least one of the following: a component for performing resource allocation for the access; a component for determining a target cell to which the second device is to switch from the first device; a component for determining whether a radio link control channel for the backhaul supports the network slice; or a component for adapting the IAB topology for the access.

[0134] In some embodiments, each of the first device and the fourth device is an IAB donor device, each of the second device and the fifth device is an IAB node device, and each of the third device and the sixth device is a terminal device.

[0135] Figure 5 is a simplified block diagram of a device 500 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 500 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 the first device 110 or the fourth device 140 shown. As shown, the device 500 includes one or more processors 510, one or more memories 520 coupled to the processors 510, and one or more communication modules 540 coupled to the processors 510.

[0136] The communication module 540 is for two-way communication. The communication module 540 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.

[0137] The processor 510 may be of any type suitable for a local technical network and, by way of non-limiting example, may include one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. The device 500 may have multiple processors, such as an application-specific integrated circuit chip that is subordinate in time to a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0138] Memory 520 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 524, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, optical disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), and other magnetic and / or optical memories. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 522 and other volatile memories that do not persist during a power outage duration.

[0139] Computer program 530 includes computer-executable instructions to be executed by associated processor 510. Program 530 may be stored in ROM 524. Processor 510 may execute any suitable actions and processes by loading program 530 into RAM 522.

[0140] Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by program 530 so that device 500 may execute any process of the present invention referred to Figures 2 to 4 in the discussion. Embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0141] In some embodiments, program 530 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, which may include within device 500 (such as memory 520) or other storage devices accessible to device 500. Device 500 may load program 530 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 522 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 6 An example of a computer-readable medium 600 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. Program 530 is stored on the computer-readable medium.

[0142] Generally, various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in hardware or in special-purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, a microprocessor, or other computing devices. Although aspects of embodiments of the present invention are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other illustration, it should be understood that the block diagrams, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented as non-limiting examples in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers, or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0143] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in program modules, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the methods 300 and 400 described above with reference to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The methods 300 and 400. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functions of program modules can be combined or divided among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of program modules can be executed within local or distributed devices. In a distributed device, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0144] The program code for performing the method of the present invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device so that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram to be implemented. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine as an independent software package, partially on the machine, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0145] In the context of the present disclosure, the computer program code or related data can be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0146] The computer-readable media can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable media can include, but are not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0147] Moreover, although the operations are described in a particular order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed to obtain the desired result. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these details should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0148] Although the invention has been described in terms of specific structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the above specific features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first device to: determine first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device, and the third device being served by the second device; and send the first information to a fourth device in a request for switching the second device from the first device to the fourth device.

2. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to determine the first information by including at least one of the following in the first information: a first set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device; or a second set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device.

3. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to: determine second information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a fifth device or a network slice associated with a sixth device, the fifth device communicating with the second device, and the sixth device being served by the fifth device, and send the second information to the fourth device in the request for the switching.

4. The first device according to claim 3, wherein the first device is caused to determine the second information by including at least one of the following in the second information: a third set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device; or a fourth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device.

5. The first device according to claim 3, wherein the first information is associated with at least one of the following of the second device: physical cell identifier, or cell global identifier, or tracking area code, or quality of service information for each network slice; and wherein the second information is associated with at least one of the following of the fifth device: physical cell identifier, or cell global identifier, or tracking area code, or quality of service information for each network slice.

6. The first device according to claim 3, wherein the first device is caused to determine the first information and the second information by: determining at least one of the following: a fifth set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device and the fifth device; or a sixth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device and the sixth device, and wherein the first device is caused to send the first information and the second information by: sending at least one of the fifth set of identifiers or the sixth set of identifiers in the request for the switching.

7. The first device according to claim 6, wherein the first device is caused to determine the fifth set of identifiers by: Receive a first set of identifications of at least one network slice supported by the second device from the second device; Receive a third set of identifications of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device from the fifth device; And Determine the fifth set of identifications based on the first set of identifications and the third set of identifications.

8. The first device according to claim 6, wherein the first device is caused to determine the sixth set of identifications by: Receive a second set of identifications of at least one network slice associated with the third device from a core network element; Receive a fourth set of identifications of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device from the core network element; and Determine the sixth set of identifications based on the second set of identifications and the fourth set of identifications.

9. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to send the request by: Send the request to the fourth device via a core network element.

10. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is further caused to: Receive a response to the request from the fourth device, the response including third information about at least one network slice supported by the fourth device; and Perform a handover of the second device to a target cell based on the third information.

11. The first device according to claim 10, wherein the first device is caused to receive the response by: Receive the response from the fourth device via a core network element.

12. The first device according to claim 3, wherein each of the first device and the fourth device is an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor device, each of the second device and the fifth device is an IAB node device, and each of the third device and the sixth device is a terminal device.

13. A fourth device, comprising: At least one processor; And At least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the fourth device to: At the fourth device, receive a request for handing over a second device from the first device to the fourth device, the request including first information about at least one of a network slice supported by the second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device, and the third device being served by the second device; And Based on the first information, perform control over the access of the second device to the fourth device.

14. The fourth device according to claim 13, wherein the first information includes at least one of the following: A first set of identifications of at least one network slice supported by the second device; A second set of identifications of at least one network slice associated with the third device.

15. The fourth device according to claim 13, wherein the fourth device is further caused to: Receive second information in the request for the handover, the second information being related to at least one of a network slice supported by a fifth device or a network slice associated with a sixth device, the fifth device communicating with the second device, and the sixth device being served by the fifth device.

16. The fourth device according to claim 15, wherein the second information includes at least one of the following: A third identification set of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device; or A fourth identification set of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device.

17. The fourth device according to claim 15, wherein the first information is associated with at least one of the following of the second device: a physical cell identification, or a cell global identification, or a tracking area code, or quality of service information for each network slice; and wherein the second information is associated with at least one of the following of the fifth device: a physical cell identification, or a cell global identification, or a tracking area code, or quality of service information for each network slice.

18. The fourth device according to claim 15, wherein the fourth device is caused to receive the first information and the second information by: Receiving at least one of the following in the request: A fifth identification set of at least one network slice supported by the second device and the fifth device; or A sixth identification set of at least one network slice associated with the third device and the sixth device.

19. The fourth device according to claim 13, wherein the fourth device is caused to receive the request by: Receiving the request from the first device via a core network element.

20. The fourth device according to claim 13, wherein the fourth device is further caused to: Send a response to the request to the first device, the response including third information about at least one network slice supported by the fourth device.

21. The fourth device according to claim 20, wherein the fourth device is caused to send the response by: Sending the request to the first device via a core network element.

22. The fourth device according to claim 18, wherein the fourth device is caused to receive the first information and the second information by receiving the fifth identification set and the sixth identification set, and wherein the fourth device is caused to perform the control by: Performing the control based on the fifth identification set; and Performing the control based on the sixth identification set according to a determination that the control is not satisfied based on the fifth identification set.

23. The fourth device according to claim 13, wherein the fourth device is caused to perform the control by at least one of the following: Performing resource allocation for the access, Determining a target cell to which the second device is to hand over from the first device, Determining whether a radio link control channel for the backhaul supports the network slice, or Adapting an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) topology for the access.

24. The fourth device according to claim 15, wherein each of the first device and the fourth device is an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor device, each of the second device and the fifth device is an IAB node device, and each of the third device and the sixth device is a terminal device.

25. A method for communication, comprising: determining, at a first device, first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device and the third device being served by the second device; and sending, in a request for switching the second device from the first device to a fourth device, the first information to the fourth device.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein determining the first information comprises: causing at least one of the following to be included in the first information: a first set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device; or a second set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device.

27. The method according to claim 25, further comprising: determining second information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a fifth device or a network slice associated with a sixth device, the fifth device communicating with the second device and the sixth device being served by the fifth device, and sending, in the request for the handover, the second information to the fourth device.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein determining the second information comprises: causing at least one of the following to be included in the second information: a third set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device; or a fourth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the first information is associated with at least one of the following of the second device: physical cell identifier, or cell global identifier, or tracking area code, or quality of service information for each network slice; and wherein the second information is associated with at least one of the following of the fifth device: physical cell identifier, or cell global identifier, or tracking area code, or quality of service information for each network slice.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein determining the first information and the second information comprises: determining at least one of the following: a fifth set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device and the fifth device; or a sixth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device and the sixth device, and wherein sending the first information and the second information comprises: sending, in the request for the handover, at least one of the fifth set of identifiers or the sixth set of identifiers.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein determining the fifth set of identifiers comprises: Receive a first set of identifiers for at least one network slice supported by the second device from the second device; Receive a third set of identifiers for at least one network slice supported by the fifth device from the fifth device; And Determine the fifth set of identifiers based on the first set of identifiers and the third set of identifiers.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein determining the sixth set of identifiers includes: Receive a second set of identifiers for at least one network slice associated with the third device from a core network element; Receive a fourth set of identifiers for at least one network slice associated with the sixth device from the core network element; And Determine the sixth set of identifiers based on the second set of identifiers and the fourth set of identifiers.

33. The method according to claim 25, wherein sending the request includes: Send the request to the fourth device via a core network element.

34. The method according to claim 25, further comprising: Receive a response to the request from the fourth device, the response including third information about at least one network slice supported by the fourth device; And Perform a handover of the second device to a target cell based on the third information.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein receiving the response includes: Receive the response from the fourth device via a core network element.

36. The method according to claim 27, wherein each of the first device and the fourth device is an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor device, each of the second device and the fifth device is an IAB node device, and each of the third device and the sixth device is a terminal device.

37. A method for communication, comprising: At a fourth device, receive a request for handing over a second device from the first device to the fourth device from the first device, the request including first information about at least one of a network slice supported by the second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device, and the third device being served by the second device; And Based on the first information, perform control over the access of the second device to the fourth device.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the first information includes at least one of the following: A first set of identifiers for at least one network slice supported by the second device; or A second set of identifiers for at least one network slice associated with the third device.

39. The method according to claim 37, further comprising: Receive second information in the request for the handover, the second information about at least one of a network slice supported by a fifth device or a network slice associated with a sixth device, the fifth device communicating with the second device, and the sixth device being served by the fifth device.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the second information includes at least one of the following: A third set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the fifth device; or A fourth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the sixth device.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein the first information is associated with at least one of the following of the second device: physical cell identifier, or cell global identifier, or tracking area code, or quality of service information for each network slice; and wherein the second information is associated with at least one of the following of the fifth device: physical cell identifier, or cell global identifier, or tracking area code, or quality of service information for each network slice.

42. The method according to claim 39, wherein receiving the first information and the second information comprises: Receiving in the request at least one of the following: a fifth set of identifiers of at least one network slice supported by the second device and the fifth device; or a sixth set of identifiers of at least one network slice associated with the third device and the sixth device.

43. The method according to claim 37, wherein receiving the request comprises: Receiving the request from the first device via a core network element.

44. The method according to claim 37, further comprising: Sending a response to the request to the first device, the response comprising third information about a network slice supported by the fourth device.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein sending the response comprises: Sending the request to the first device via a core network element.

46. The method according to claim 42, wherein receiving the first information and the second information comprises: Receiving both the fifth set of identifiers and the sixth set of identifiers, and wherein performing the control comprises: Performing the control based on the fifth set of identifiers; and Performing the control based on the sixth set of identifiers according to a determination that the control is not satisfied based on the fifth set of identifiers.

47. The method according to claim 37, wherein performing the control comprises at least one of the following: Performing resource allocation for the access, Determining a target cell to which the second device is to hand over from the first device, Determining whether a radio link control channel for the backhaul supports the network slice, or Adapting an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) topology for the access.

48. The method according to claim 39, wherein each of the first device and the fourth device is an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor device, each of the second device and the fifth device is an IAB node device, and each of the third device and the sixth device is a terminal device.

49. A device for communication, comprising: Components for determining, at a first device, first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by a second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device and the third device being served by the second device; And A component for sending the first information to the fourth device in a request for switching the second device from the first device to the fourth device.

50. A communication device, comprising: A component for receiving, at a fourth device, a request for switching a second device from a first device to the fourth device from the first device, the request including first information regarding at least one of a network slice supported by the second device or a network slice associated with a third device, the second device communicating with the first device, and the third device being served by the second device; and A component for controlling access of the second device to the fourth device based on the first information.

51. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising program instructions for causing a device to execute the method according to any one of claims 25 to 36.

52. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising program instructions for causing a device to execute the method according to any one of claims 37 to 48.

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