Systems and methods and apparatus for inter-host migration

Abstract

Systems, methods, devices, or computer-readable media and devices for inter-host migration are presented. A first network node may receive information related to handover of a wireless communication device from a second network node. The first network node may send configuration update information to a third network node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods and apparatus for inter-host migration. Background Art

[0002] The third generation partnership project (3GPP), a standards organization, is currently specifying a new radio interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR) and the next generation packet core network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR will have three main components: 5G access network (5G-AN), 5G core network (5GC) and user equipment (UE). To facilitate the implementation of different data services and requirements, the elements of 5GC (also known as network functions) have been simplified, and some of them are software-based so that they can be adjusted as needed. Summary of the invention

[0003] The example embodiments disclosed herein are intended to solve problems associated with one or more difficulties present in the prior art, and to provide additional features, which will become apparent when referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example, not limitation, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who read this disclosure that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium for migrating an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node. A first network node may receive / obtain / collect / acquire information related to a handover / migration / switching (e.g., an operation / procedure of a handover) of a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) from a second network node. The first network node may send / transmit / provide / communicate configuration update information to a third network node.

[0005] In some embodiments, the third network node may include an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node. In some cases, the first network node may include (e.g., correspond to, be associated with, belong to, or have) a target IAB host (donor), and the second network node may include a source IAB host. In some other cases, the first network node may include a source IAB host, and the second network node may include a target IAB host.

[0006] In some embodiments, the handover-related information may include at least one of the following: an IP address of a second network node of a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a third network node of a control plane or a user plane, a gNB centralized unit (gNB-CU) user equipment (UE) F1 application protocol (F1AP) identifier (ID) assigned by the second network node, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1AP ID assigned by the third network node, a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) assigned by the second network node, a GTP TEID assigned by the third network node, an identifier of the second network node, an identifier of the third network node, an identifier of the wireless communication device, an indication of the migration type, and / or backhaul (BH) information.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first network node may receive handover-related information from the second network node via a user equipment (UE) associated message or a non-UE associated message. In some embodiments, the first network node may send response information to the second network node. The response information may include at least one of the following: a differentiated services code point (DSCP), an IPv6 flow label, and / or a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) control protocol data unit (PDU) radio link control (RLC) channel (CH) list.

[0008] In some embodiments, the configuration update information may include at least one of the following: an IP address of a first network node of a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a second network node of a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a third network node of a control plane or a user plane, a gNB centralized unit (gNB-CU) user equipment (UE) F1 application protocol (F1AP) identifier (ID) allocated by the first network node, a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID allocated by the second network node, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1AP ID allocated by the third network node, a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) allocated by the first network node, a GTP TEID allocated by the second network node, a GTP TEID allocated by the third network node, an identifier of the first network node, an identifier of the second network node, an identifier of the wireless communication device, an indication of a migration type, and / or backhaul (BH) information.

[0009] In some embodiments, the indication of the migration type may include: partial migration, full migration, distributed unit (DU) migration, migration of wireless communication devices (e.g., UE migration), F1 transport migration, F1 handover indication, source logical DU indication, target logical DU indication, or new integrated access and backhaul (IAB) host indication. In some embodiments, the BH information may include at least one of the following: backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) routing ID, next hop BAP address and / or egress BH radio link control (RLC) channel (CH) ID. In some embodiments, the first network node may send configuration update information to the third network node via a user equipment (UE) associated message or a non-UE associated message.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first network node may receive a response message from the third network node. The response message may include at least one of the following: an IP address of the first network node for the control plane or user plane, an IP address of the second network node for the control plane or user plane, an IP address of the third network node for the control plane or user plane, a new IP address of the third network node for the control plane or user plane, a gNB centralized unit (gNB-CU) user equipment (UE) F1 application protocol (F1AP) identifier (ID) assigned by the first network node, a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the second network node, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1AP ID assigned by the third network node, a new gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by the third network node, a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) assigned by the first network node, a GTP TEID assigned by the second network node, a GTP TEID assigned by the third network node, a new GTP TEID assigned by the third network node, and / or an identification of the wireless communication device. In some implementations, the first network node may receive the response message from the third network node via a user equipment (UE) associated message or a non-UE associated message.

[0011] In some implementations, the first network node may send / transmit / provide the second configuration update information to the second network node. The second configuration update information may include at least one of the following: an IP address of a first network node of a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a second network node of a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a third network node of a control plane or a user plane, a new IP address of a third network node of a control plane or a user plane, a gNB centralized unit (gNB-CU) user equipment (UE) F1 application protocol (F1AP) identifier (ID) allocated by the first network node, a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID allocated by the second network node, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1APID allocated by the third network node, a new gNB-DU UE F1AP ID allocated by the third network node, a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) allocated by the first network node, a GTP TEID allocated by the second network node, a GTP-TEID allocated by the third network node, a new GTP TEID allocated by the third network node, an identifier of the third network node, or an identifier of the wireless communication device.

[0012] At least one aspect is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium for migrating an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node. A second network node may send / transmit / provide information related to a handover of a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) to a first network node. The first network node may send configuration update information to a third network node. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Various example embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only example embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for the sake of clarity and ease of illustration, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0014] Figure 1 An example cellular communication network is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented;

[0015] Figure 2 A block diagram showing an example base station and user equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0016] Figure 3 A block diagram of an environment for mobile integrated access and backhaul (IAB) is shown in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

[0017] Figure 4Ashows a block diagram of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) architecture using a standalone (SA) mode with a next generation core (NGC) in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

[0018] Figure 4B shows a block diagram of an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) architecture using Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System New Radio (EN-DC) in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

[0019] Figure 5 shows a block diagram of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node in a parent and child relationship in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

[0020] Fig. 6A A block diagram of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) mobile terminal (MT) migrating from a first host distributed unit (DU1) of a first centralized unit (CU1) to a second host distributed unit (DU2) of a second host centralized unit (CU2) is shown in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

[0021] Figure 6B A block diagram showing an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) mobile terminal (MT) migrating from a second host distributed unit (DU2) of a second host centralized unit (CU2) to a third host distributed unit (DU3) of a third host centralized unit (CU3) in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

[0022] Figure 6C A block diagram showing an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) distributed unit (DU) migrating from a first host centralized unit (CU1) to a third host centralized unit (CU3) according to an illustrative embodiment; and

[0023] Figure 7 A flow chart of a method and apparatus for inter-host migration is shown in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Various example embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present solution. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications may be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the example embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. In addition, the specific order and / or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely example approaches. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in a sample order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0025] 1. Mobile communication technology and environment

[0026] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network and / or system 100 is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100." Such an example network 100 includes: a base station 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 102"; also referred to as a wireless communication node) and a user equipment 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104"; also referred to as a wireless communication device) that can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138 and 140 covering a geographic area 101. In Figure 1 1, BS 102 and UE 104 are contained within the respective geographic boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating within its assigned bandwidth to provide adequate radio coverage to its intended users.

[0027] For example, BS 102 can operate under the assigned channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage to UE 104. BS 102 and UE 104 can communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 can be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, and subframes 120 / 127 can include data symbols 122 / 128. In the present disclosure, BS 102 and UE 104 are generally described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes", which can practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of the present solution, such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0028] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of the present solution is shown. The system 200 may include components and elements configured to support well-known or conventional operating features that need not be described in detail herein. In an illustrative embodiment, the system 200 may be used in a communication environment such as Figure 1 Data symbols are communicated (eg, transmitted and received) in the wireless communication environment 100 of the wireless communication environment, as described above.

[0029] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 202") and a user equipment 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 204"). BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled and interconnected to each other as needed via a data communication bus 220. UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled and interconnected to each other as needed via a data communication bus 240. BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for data transmission as described herein.

[0030] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, in addition to Figure 2In addition to the modules shown, system 200 may also include any number of modules. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any actual combination thereof. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described in terms of their functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on specific applications and design constraints imposed on the entire system. A technician familiar with the concepts described herein may implement this functionality in a suitable manner for each specific application, but this implementation decision should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0031] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each including circuits coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternately couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each including circuits coupled to an antenna 212. The downlink duplex switch may alternately couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time division duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that while the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212, the uplink receiver circuit is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. Stated conversely, the operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that while the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232, the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with minimal guard times between changes in duplex direction.

[0032] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and to cooperate with an appropriately configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 capable of supporting a specific wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to specific standards and associated protocols in application. More specifically, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0033] According to various embodiments, BS 202 may be, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtocell or a microcell. According to some embodiments, UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user equipment, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop, a wearable computing device, etc. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. In this way, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, or the like. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0034] In addition, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by the processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, the memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, so that the processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to the memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, the memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0035] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic and / or other components of the base station 202, which enables two-way communication between the BS transceiver 210 and other network components and the communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 can be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, without limitation, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface so that the base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a computer network based on a conventional Ethernet. In this way, the network communication module 218 can include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). The terms "configured for...", "configured to..." and their word forms used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted and / or arranged to perform a specified operation or function.

[0036] The open systems interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "open systems interconnection model") is a concept and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is decomposed into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual set of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines a logical network and effectively describes computer packet transmissions performed using different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be referred to as a seven-layer OSI model or a seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be a physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be a medium access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be a radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be a radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be one of a non-access stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is another layer.

[0037] 2. Systems, methods and devices for inter-donor migration

[0038] Reference now Figure 3 , depicting a block diagram of an environment for mobile Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB). Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) can support wireless backhaul via New Radio (NR), enabling flexible and very dense deployment of NR cells while reducing the need for wired transmission infrastructure. An intra-host centralized unit (CU) migration procedure can be provided, where both the source and target parent nodes are served by the same IAB-donor-CU. However, inter-host CU migration in a migrating (mobile) IAB node can be static. In the depicted mobile IAB usage scenario, performing inter-host migration can be difficult. In the mobile IAB use case, the IAB node is installed in a vehicle and can provide coverage and capacity enhancement for user equipment (UE) onboard or in the surroundings.

[0039] Reference now Figure 4A , depicts a block diagram of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) architecture using standalone (SA) mode with next generation core (NGC). Integrated access and backhaul (IAB) can implement wireless relay in NG-RAN. Relay nodes, referred to as IAB nodes, can support access and backhaul via NR. The terminating node of the NR backhaul on the network side can be referred to as an IAB-donor, which can represent a gNB with additional functions to support IAB. The backhaul can be performed via a single hop or via multiple hops.

[0040] The IAB node may support gNB-DU functionality on the IAB-host to terminate the NR access interface to the UE and the next-hop IAB node, and / or terminate the F1 protocol to the gNB-CU functionality. The gNB-DU functionality on the IAB node may also be referred to as the IAB distributed unit (DU) (IAB-DU). In addition to the gNB-DU functionality, the IAB node may also support a subset of UE functionality called the IAB mobile terminal (MT), which may include, for example, physical layer, layer-2, radio resource control (RRC), and non-access stratum (NAS) functionality to connect to the gNB-DU of another IAB node or IAB-host, to the gNB-CU on the IAB-host, and to the core network, etc.

[0041] Reference now Figure 4B , depicts a block diagram of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) architecture using Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System New Radio (EN-DC). IAB nodes can access the network using SA mode or EN-DC. In EN-DC, the IAB node is also connected to the MeNB via E-UTRA, and the IAB-host terminates X2-C as an SgNB (e.g., as defined in TS 37.340).

[0042] Reference now Figure 5 , depicts a block diagram of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node in a parent and child relationship. All IAB nodes connected to the IAB-host via one or more hops may form a directed acyclic graph (DAG) topology with the IAB-host at its root. In the DAG topology, adjacent nodes on the IAB-DU interface may be referred to as child nodes, and adjacent nodes on the IAB-MT interface may be referred to as parent nodes. The direction toward the child node may further be referred to as downstream, while the direction toward the parent node may be referred to as upstream. The IAB-host may perform centralized resource, topology, and routing management for the IAB topology.

[0043] refer to Fig. 6A , depicts a block diagram of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) mobile terminal (MT) migrating from a first host distributed unit (DU1) of a first centralized unit (CU1) to a second host distributed unit (DU2) of a second host centralized unit (CU2) (e.g., MT migration). As depicted, the mobile IAB-MT may migrate from host DU1 (which belongs to host CU1) to host DU2 (which belongs to host CU2). However, the mobile IAB-DU may maintain its F1 connection with host CU1, and the UE context may remain in / with host CU1. F1-C / U traffic between host CU1 and the mobile IAB-DU may be transmitted via host DU2.

[0044] refer to Figure 6B , depicts a block diagram of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) mobile terminal (MT) migrating from a second host distributed unit (DU2) of a second host centralized unit (CU2) to a third host distributed unit (DU3) of a third host centralized unit (CU3). As depicted, the mobile IAB-MT may migrate from host DU2 (which belongs to host CU2) to host DU3 (which belongs to host CU3). However, the mobile IAB-DU may maintain its F1 connection with host CU1, and the UE context may remain in / with host CU1. F1-C / U traffic between host CU1 and the mobile IAB-DU may be transmitted via host DU3.

[0045] refer to Figure 6C , depicts a block diagram of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) distributed unit (DU) migrating from a first host centralized unit (CU1) to a third host centralized unit (CU3). As depicted, a mobile IAB-DU may migrate from host CU1 to host CU3. A UE may be handed over (or undergo a handover / migration / switching) from host CU1 to host CU3. F1-C / U traffic between host CU3 and mobile IAB-DU may be transmitted via host DU3.

[0046] like Fig. 6A -C, the corresponding host CU may be associated or correspond to at least one of the source IAB host, the target IAB host, or the initial IAB host. For example, the source IAB host may represent a host including a host DU that was previously connected to or communicated with the mobile IAB-MT or UE104. The target IAB host may represent a host CU to which the mobile IAB-MT or UE migrates. The initial IAB host may represent at least one IAB host having an F1-C connection with the mobile IAB node, or an IAB host that is the source IAB host of the UE, or an IAB host that is serving the UE 104 (e.g., a gNB, BS102, or a host CU serving the UE 104). In the following, the mobile IAB-node and / or the mobile IAB-DU may sometimes be generally referred to as an IAB node and / or an IAB-DU, respectively.

[0047] I. Implementation Method 1 of UE Migration Procedure Triggered by MT Migration Procedure

[0048] In certain deployments or environments of network communications, a migration or handover of a UE 104 (e.g., an operation / procedure of UE migration / handover / switching) may need to be performed after or after an IAB-MT migration (e.g., an operation / procedure of MT migration / handover / switching). In a UE handover / migration procedure, a CU (e.g., an IAB-host-CU (sometimes generally referred to as a host CU), a gNB, or a BS 102) serving one or more UEs 104 may be changed / switched / transferred / exchanged / handed over (e.g., with another IAB-host / to another IAB-host), while a DU (e.g., an IAB-host DU (sometimes generally referred to as a host DU)) serving the UE 104 may be maintained, maintained, or remain unchanged (e.g., the host DU continues to serve the UE 104 or remains connected to the UE 104). However, a conventional system may not support a UE handover / migration operation / procedure (e.g., an operation / procedure of enabling MT migration after UE migration) that occurs due to, in response to, according to, based on, or triggered by MT migration. The systems, methods, apparatuses and / or computer readable media discussed herein may provide operations / procedures for UE handover / migration / switching due to MT migration.

[0049] In various embodiments, during UE handover / migration, a UE-associated logical F1-connection and / or F1-U tunnel (e.g., sometimes referred to as F1-C / U) may be switched / migrated / transferred from a source CU (e.g., source IAB-host or source host) of UE 104 (e.g., source CU associated with UE 104) to a target CU (e.g., target IAB-host or target host) of UE 104 (e.g., target CU associated with UE 104). For example, as a first step, the source CU of UE 104 (e.g., of a first network node) may transmit / send / provide UE handover preparation information (e.g., information related to the handover / migration of UE 104) to the target CU of UE 104 (e.g., of a second network node). The UE handover preparation information may include at least one of the following:

[0050] 1) IP address of the source CU (e.g., of the first network node) of the control plane (e.g., carrying signaling traffic) and / or the user plane (e.g., carrying user data);

[0051] 2) IP address of the IAB-DU of the control plane or user plane (e.g., of the third network node or IAB node);

[0052] 3) gNB Centralized Unit (gNB-CU) (e.g., IAB-Host-CU) User Equipment (UE) F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) Identifier (ID) assigned by the source CU, which may correspond to the UE identity used in the F1 interface assigned by the source CU;

[0053] 4) gNB-DU UE F1AP ID allocated by IAB-DU (e.g., CU UE F1AP ID and DU UE F1AP ID may be used to identify one F1 association), which may correspond to the UE identity used in the F1 interface allocated by IAB-DU;

[0054] 5) a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (TEID) assigned by the source CU, which may correspond to the GTP tunnel identity used in the F1 interface assigned by the source CU;

[0055] 6) GTP TEID allocated by IAB-DU, which may correspond to the GTP tunnel identifier used in the F1 interface allocated by IAB-DU;

[0056] 7) Identification of the source CU;

[0057] 8) Identification of the IAB-DU (e.g., BAP address, which can be assigned to the IAB node by the host CU for each logical DU);

[0058] 9) UE identification; and / or

[0059] 10) An indication of the type of migration, which may include at least one of the following: partial migration, full migration, DU migration, UE migration, F1 transport migration and / or F1 switching indication. Partial migration may include migrating / handing over / switching the IAB-MT to a parent node under or associated with a different IAB-host-CU, while the collocated IAB-DU and / or (one or more) descendant IAB-nodes (e.g., if any) may terminate at the initial IAB-host-CU. Full migration may include migrating a boundary IAB node and / or (one or more) descendant IAB nodes (e.g., both RRC and F1 connections) from a first IAB host CU to a second IAB host CU. DU migration may include migrating an IAB-DU from one IAB host to another IAB host. UE migration may include migrating UE104 from one radio access network (RAN) node to another RAN node. F1 transport migration may include migrating the transmission path of F1 traffic from one path to another.

[0060] The source CU may send UE handover preparation information to the target CU via a UE-associated message (e.g., a message specific to, assigned to, or designated to a certain UE 104) and / or a non-UE-associated XnAP message (e.g., a message not specific to a particular UE 104 or a message for one or more UEs 104). As a second step, additionally or optionally, the target CU (e.g., of the second network node) may send / transmit / provide response information (e.g., a response message or signaling) to the source CU (e.g., of the first network node). The response information may include at least one of the following: a differentiated services code point (DSCP), an IPv6 flow label, and / or a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) control protocol data unit (PDU) radio link control (RLC) channel (CH) list.

[0061] As a third step, the target CU may send configuration update information to the IAB node (eg, the third network node). The configuration update information may include at least one of the following:

[0062] 1) IP address of the source CU (e.g., of the first network node) of the control plane or user plane;

[0063] 2) IP address of the target CU of the control plane or user plane (e.g., of the second network node);

[0064] 3) IP address of the IAB-DU of the control plane or user plane (e.g., of the third network node or IAB node);

[0065] 4) gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the source CU;

[0066] 5) gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the target CU;

[0067] 6) gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by IAB-DU;

[0068] 7) GTP TEID allocated by the source CU;

[0069] 8) GTP TEID allocated by the target CU;

[0070] 9) GTP TEID allocated by IAB-DU;

[0071] 10) an identification of the source CU (eg, sometimes referred to as a source CU ID);

[0072] 11) an identity of the UE (eg, sometimes referred to as a UE ID);

[0073] 12) BH information, which may include at least one of the following: BAP routing ID, next hop BAP address and / or egress BHRLC CH ID; and / or

[0074] 13) An indication of the migration type, which may include at least one of the following: partial migration, full migration, DU migration, UE migration, F1 transport migration, F1 switching indication, source logical DU indication (e.g., BAP address), target logical DU indication (e.g., BAP address) and / or new IAB host indication.

[0075] The target CU may send configuration update information to the IAB node via a UE-associated message and / or a non-UE-associated F1AP message. As a fourth step, the IAB node (e.g., a third network node) may send / transmit / provide a response message or signal to the target CU. The IAB node may transmit a response message in response to receiving the configuration update information from the target CU or after or after receiving the configuration update information from the target CU. The response message may include at least one of the following:

[0076] 1) IP address of the source CU of the control plane or user plane;

[0077] 2) IP address of the target CU of the control plane or user plane;

[0078] 3) IP address of the IAB-DU of the control plane or user plane (e.g., old / previous / existing IP address);

[0079] 4) New IP address of IAB-DU in control plane or user plane;

[0080] 5) gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the source CU;

[0081] 6) gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the target CU;

[0082] 7) gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by IAB-DU (e.g., old / previous / existing gNB-DU UE F1AP ID);

[0083] 8) New gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by IAB-DU;

[0084] 9) GTP TEID allocated by the source CU;

[0085] 10) GTP TEID allocated by the target CU;

[0086] 11) the GTP TEID assigned by the IAB-DU (e.g., the old / previous / existing GTP TEID); and / or

[0087] 12) New GTP TEID allocated by IAB-DU.

[0088] The IAB node (e.g., a third network node) may send the above information (e.g., information of the response message) to the target CU via a UE-associated message and / or a non-UE-associated F1AP message. Based on the configuration update information, the F1 control plane and the user plane of the UE may be migrated or handed over (or undergo handover / migration / switching) from one host CU to another host CU (e.g., the initial CU to the target CU and / or the source CU to the target CU).

[0089] II. Implementation Method 2 of UE Migration Procedure Triggered by MT Migration Procedure

[0090] In certain deployments or environments of network communications, a migration or handover of a UE 104 (e.g., an operation / procedure of UE migration / handover / switching) may need to be performed after or after an IAB-MT migration (e.g., an operation / procedure of MT migration / handover / switching). In a UE handover / migration procedure, a CU (e.g., an IAB-host CU (sometimes generally referred to as a host CU), a gNB, or a BS 102) serving one or more UEs 104 may be changed / switched / transferred / exchanged / handed over (e.g., with another IAB-host / to another IAB-host), while a DU (e.g., an IAB-host DU (sometimes generally referred to as a host DU)) serving the UE 104 may be maintained, maintained, or remain unchanged (e.g., the host DU continues to serve the UE 104 or remains connected to the UE 104). However, a conventional system may not support a UE handover / migration operation / procedure generated as a result of, in response to, according to, based on, or triggered by an MT migration procedure. The systems, methods, apparatuses and / or computer readable media discussed herein may provide operations / procedures for UE handover / migration / switching due to MT migration.

[0091] In various embodiments, during UE handover / migration, the UE-associated logical F1-connection and / or F1-U tunnel (e.g., sometimes referred to as F1-C / U) may be switched / migrated / transferred from a source CU (e.g., a source IAB-host or a source host) to a target CU (e.g., a target IAB-host or a target host). As a first step, the target CU (e.g., of the first network node) may send UE handover related information to the source CU (e.g., of the second network node). The UE handover related information may include at least one of the following:

[0092] 1) an IP address of a target CU (e.g., of a first network node) of a control plane (e.g., carrying signaling traffic) and / or a user plane (e.g., carrying user data);

[0093] 2) IP address of the IAB-DU of the control plane or user plane (e.g., of the third network node or IAB node);

[0094] 3) gNB Centralized Unit (gNB-CU) (e.g., IAB-Host-CU) User Equipment (UE) F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) Identifier (ID) assigned by the target CU;

[0095] 4) gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by IAB-DU (e.g., CU UE F1AP ID and DU UE F1AP ID can be used to identify one F1 association);

[0096] 5) General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (TEID) assigned by the target CU;

[0097] 6) GTP TEID allocated by IAB-DU;

[0098] 7) Identification of the target CU;

[0099] 8) Identification of the IAB-DU (e.g., BAP address);

[0100] 9) UE identification;

[0101] 10) an indication of a migration type, which may include at least one of the following: partial migration, full migration, DU migration, UE migration, F1 transport migration and / or F1 switching indication; and / or

[0102] 11) BH information, which may include at least one of the following: BAP routing ID, next hop BAP address and / or egress BHRLC CH ID. The BH information may be used for uplink (UL) mapping or BH RLC channel mapping update / configuration at the IAB node.

[0103] The target CU (e.g., of the first network node) may send UE handover preparation information to the source CU (e.g., of the second network node) via a UE-associated message (e.g., a message specific to, assigned to, or designated for a certain UE 104) and / or a non-UE-associated XnAP message (e.g., a message not specific to a particular UE 104 or a message for one or more UEs 104). As a second step, the source CU (e.g., of the second network node) may send / transmit / provide configuration update information to an IAB node (e.g., a third network node or a network node serving UE 104). The configuration update information may include at least one of the following:

[0104] 1) IP address of the source CU (e.g., of the second network node) of the control plane or user plane;

[0105] 2) the IP address of the target CU (e.g., of the first network node) of the control plane or user plane;

[0106] 3) IP address of the IAB-DU of the control plane or user plane (e.g., of the third network node or IAB node);

[0107] 4) gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the source CU;

[0108] 5) gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the target CU;

[0109] 6) gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by IAB-DU;

[0110] 7) GTP TEID allocated by the source CU;

[0111] 8) GTP TEID allocated by the target CU;

[0112] 9) GTP TEID allocated by IAB-DU;

[0113] 10) an identification of the target CU (eg, sometimes referred to as a target CU ID);

[0114] 11) an identity of the UE (eg, sometimes referred to as a UE ID);

[0115] 12) BH information, which may include at least one of the following: BAP routing ID, next hop BAP address and / or egress BHRLC CH ID; and / or

[0116] 13) An indication of the migration type, which may include at least one of the following: partial migration, full migration, DU migration, UE migration, F1 transport migration, F1 switching indication, source logical DU indication (e.g., BAP address), target logical DU indication (e.g., BAP address) and / or new IAB host indication.

[0117] The source CU may send configuration update information to the IAB node via a UE-associated message and / or a non-UE-associated F1AP message. As a third step, the IAB node (e.g., a third network node) may send / transmit / provide a response message or signal to the source CU, such as in response to receiving the configuration update information or after receiving the configuration update information. The response message may include at least one of the following:

[0118] 1) IP address of the source CU of the control plane or user plane;

[0119] 2) IP address of the target CU of the control plane or user plane;

[0120] 3) IP address of the IAB-DU of the control plane or user plane (e.g., old / previous / existing IP address);

[0121] 4) New IP address of IAB-DU in control plane or user plane;

[0122] 5) gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the source CU;

[0123] 6) gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the target CU;

[0124] 7) gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by IAB-DU (e.g., old / previous / existing gNB-DU UE F1AP ID);

[0125] 8) New gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by IAB-DU;

[0126] 9) GTP TEID allocated by the source CU;

[0127] 10) GTP TEID allocated by the target CU;

[0128] 11) GTP TEID assigned by IAB-DU (e.g., old / previous / existing GTP TEID);

[0129] 12) A new GTP TEID assigned by the IAB-DU; and / or

[0130] 13) Identification of UE 104 (eg, UE ID or wireless communication device ID).

[0131] The IAB node (e.g., a third network node) may send a second (e.g., another) configuration update message to the source CU via a UE-associated message and / or a non-UE-associated F1AP message. The second configuration update message may include similar, additional, or alternative information compared to the configuration update message received from the source CU. The source CU may receive the second configuration update message from the IAB node.

[0132] As a fourth step, the source CU (e.g., of the second network node) may send second configuration update information to the target CU (e.g., of the first network node). The second configuration update information may include at least one of the following:

[0133] 1) IP address of the source CU of the control plane or user plane;

[0134] 2) IP address of the target CU of the control plane or user plane;

[0135] 3) IP address of the IAB-DU of the control plane or user plane (e.g., old / previous / existing IP address);

[0136] 4) New IP address of IAB-DU in control plane or user plane;

[0137] 5) gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the source CU;

[0138] 6) gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the target CU;

[0139] 7) gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by IAB-DU (e.g., old / previous / existing gNB-DU UE F1AP ID);

[0140] 8) New gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by IAB-DU;

[0141] 9) GTP TEID allocated by the source CU;

[0142] 10) GTP TEID allocated by the target CU;

[0143] 11) GTP TEID assigned by IAB-DU (e.g., old / previous / existing GTP TEID);

[0144] 12) New GTP TEID allocated by IAB-DU;

[0145] 13) IAB-DU logo; and / or

[0146] 14) Identification of UE 104 (eg, UE ID).

[0147] Based on the communication of information between network nodes (e.g., configuration update information, response message and / or UE handover preparation information, etc.), the UE's F1 control plane and / or user plane can be migrated / switched / handed over (e.g., undergo handover / migration / switching) to the target host based on the information.

[0148] Reference now Figure 7, depicting a flow chart of a method 700 and apparatus for inter-host migration. The method 700 may be implemented using or performed by any of the components described above, such as UE 104 or 204 and BS 102 or 202, etc. In general, a second network node may send / transmit / provide / signal information (702). A first network node may receive / obtain / collect / acquire the information (704). The first network node may send configuration update information (706). A third network node may receive the configuration update information (708). The third network node may send a response message (710). The first network node may receive the response message (712).

[0149] In more detail, the second network node (e.g., one of the source CU or the target CU) may receive, send / transmit / provide information related to the handover / migration / switching of the wireless communication device (e.g., UE) to the first network node (e.g., one of the other target CU or the source CU) (702). In some cases, the first network node may include a target IAB host (e.g., sometimes referred to as a target host), and the second network node may include a source IAB host (e.g., sometimes referred to as a source host). In some other cases, the first network node may include a source IAB host, and the second network node may include a target IAB host. For example, in some embodiments, the first network node and the second network node may include a target host and a source host, respectively, and in some other embodiments, the first network node and the second network node may include a source host and a target host, respectively.

[0150] In still other cases, the first network node or the second network node may be an initial CU, such as replacing a source CU or a target CU. Subsequently or after the transmission, the first network node may receive information from the second network node (704). The first network node may receive information related to the handover from the second network node via a UE-associated message or a non-UE-associated message.

[0151] In some embodiments, the handover / migration related information may include at least one of the following: an IP address of a second network node of a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a third network node of a control plane or a user plane (e.g., an IAB-DU of an IAB-node), a gNB centralized unit (gNB-CU) user equipment (UE) F1 application protocol (F1AP) identifier (ID) assigned by the second network node, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1AP ID assigned by the third network node, a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) assigned by the second network node, a GTP TEID assigned by the third network node, an identifier of the second network node, an identifier of the third network node (e.g., a BAP address), an identifier of the wireless communication device, an indication of the migration type, and / or backhaul (BH) information. The gNB-CU UE F1AP ID and gNB-DU UE F1AP ID may be used to identify at least one F1 association (e.g., during UE migration, the (one or more) old UE F1AP IDs of the F1 association may be replaced with (one or more) new UE F1AP IDs so that the UE's F1 association may be migrated from the source host to the target host). In various embodiments, this information may include other information related to the handover procedure / operation.

[0152] In some cases, the first network node may send response information to the second network node. In some other cases, the first network node may not send response information to the second network node, such as proceeding to step (706). The response information may include at least one of the following: a differentiated services code point (DSCP), an IPv6 flow label, and / or a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) control protocol data unit (PDU) radio link control (RLC) channel (CH) list.

[0153] After receiving the information related to the handover procedure, the first network node may send / transmit / provide configuration update information to the third network node (706). The third network node may include an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node (e.g., a gNB, a wireless communication node, or a BS). The third network node may receive the configuration update information from the first network node (708). In some embodiments, the first network node may transmit the configuration update information to the second network node. The second network node may forward the configuration update information to the third network node. The first network node (or the second network node) may transmit the configuration update information to the third network node via a user equipment (UE) associated message and / or a non-UE associated message.

[0154] In some embodiments, the configuration update information may include at least one of the following: an IP address of a first network node of a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a second network node of a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a third network node of a control plane or a user plane (e.g., an IAB-DU of an IAB-node), a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the first network node, a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the second network node, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1AP ID assigned by a third network node (e.g., IAB-DU), a GTP TEID assigned by the first network node, a GTP TEID assigned by the second network node, a GTP TEID assigned by the third network node, an identifier of the first network node, an identifier of the second network node, an identifier of the wireless communication device, an indication of a migration type, and / or backhaul (BH) information.

[0155] In various aspects, the indication of the migration type may include at least one of the following: partial migration, full migration, DU migration, migration of wireless communication devices (e.g., UE migration / switching / handover), F1 transport migration, F1 switching indication, source logical DU indication, target logical DU indication and / or new IAB host indication. In some embodiments / implementations, the BH information may include at least one of the following: BAP routing ID, next hop BAP address and / or egress BH RLC CH ID.

[0156] After receiving the configuration update information, the third network node (e.g., IAB node) may transmit / send a response message (710) to the first network node (or second network) (e.g., one of the source host or the target host) that provided the configuration information. Thus, the first network node may receive a response message (712) from the third network node. The first network node may receive / obtain / collect the response message from the third network node via a UE-associated message or a non-UE-associated message.

[0157] In various embodiments, the response message may include at least one of: an IP address of a first network node for a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a second network node for a control plane or a user plane, an (e.g., old / previous) IP address of a third network node for a control plane or a user plane, a new IP address of the third network node for a control plane or a user plane, a gNB centralized unit (gNB-CU) user equipment (UE) F1 application protocol (F1AP) identifier (ID) assigned by the first network node, a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the second network node, a (e.g., old / previous) gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1AP ID assigned by the third network node, a new gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by the third network node, a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID) assigned by the first network node, a GTP TEID assigned by the second network node, a (e.g., old / previous) GTP TEID assigned by the third network node, a new GTP TEID assigned by the third network node, and / or an identification of the wireless communication device.

[0158] In some embodiments, the first network node (e.g., source host) may send configuration update information (e.g., second configuration update information) to the second network node (e.g., target host). The configuration update information may be in addition to or in lieu of (e.g., replacing) the configuration update information sent from the first network node to the third network node. The configuration update information may include at least one of the following: an IP address of a first network node of a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a second network node of a control plane or a user plane, an IP address of a third network node of a control plane or a user plane (e.g., an IAB-DU of an IAB-node), a new IP address of the third network node of a control plane or a user plane, a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the first network node, a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID assigned by the second network node, a gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by the third network node, a new gNB-DU UE F1AP ID assigned by the third network node, a GTP TEID assigned by the first network node, a GTP TEID assigned by the second network node, a GTP TEID assigned by the third network node, a new GTP TEID assigned by the third network node, an identifier of the third network node and / or an identifier of the wireless communication device.

[0159] Although various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Similarly, various figures may depict example architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the example features and functions of the present solution. However, these personnel will understand that the present solution is not limited to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but may be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of an embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described illustrative embodiments.

[0160] It should also be understood that any reference to an element herein using names such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these names may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not mean that only two elements are utilized, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

[0161] In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be referenced in the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0162] It will also be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination thereof), firmware, various forms of programs or design codes in conjunction with instructions (for convenience, referred to herein as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of such hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. A skilled technician may implement the described functionality in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions do not result in a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0163] In addition, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC) including a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may also include antennas and / or transceivers to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or a combination of any other suitable configurations to perform the functions described herein.

[0164] If implemented in software, the function can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any media that enables a computer program or code to be transferred from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include: RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0165] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. In addition, for the purpose of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs associated functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

[0166] In addition, memory or other storage devices and communication components can be used in the embodiment of the present solution. It will be understood that, for the sake of clarity, the above description has described the embodiment of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains can be used without departing from the present solution. For example, the functionality to be performed by a separate processing logic element or controller can be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, reference to a specific functional unit is only a reference to a suitable device for providing the functionality, rather than an indication of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0167] Various modifications to the embodiments described in the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the claims below.

Claims

1. A method comprising: receiving, by the first network node, information related to a handover of a wireless communication device from the second network node; as well as The first network node sends configuration update information to the third network node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The third network node comprises an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node; and The first network node comprises a target IAB host, and the second network node comprises a source IAB host; or The first network node includes the source IAB host, and the second network node includes the target IAB host.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The information related to the handover includes at least one of the following: an IP address of the second network node of the control plane or the user plane, an IP address of the third network node of the control plane or the user plane, a gNB Centralized Unit (gNB-CU) User Equipment (UE) F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) identifier (ID) allocated by the second network node, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1AP ID allocated by the third network node, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (TEID) allocated by the second network node, a GTP TEID allocated by the third network node, an identifier of the second network node, an identifier of the third network node, an identification of the wireless communication device, an indication of the type of migration, or Backhaul (BH) information.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising: Information related to the handover is received by the first network node from the second network node via a user equipment (UE) associated message or a non-UE associated message.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising: The first network node sends response information to the second network node, wherein the response information includes at least one of the following: a differentiated services code point (DSCP), an IPv6 flow label, or a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) control protocol data unit (PDU) radio link control (RLC) channel (CH) list.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The configuration update information includes at least one of the following: an IP address of the first network node of the control plane or the user plane, an IP address of the second network node of the control plane or the user plane, an IP address of the third network node of the control plane or the user plane, a gNB Centralized Unit (gNB-CU) User Equipment (UE) F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) identifier (ID) allocated by the first network node, a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID allocated by the second network node, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1AP ID allocated by the third network node, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (TEID) allocated by the first network node, a GTP TEID allocated by the second network node, a GTP TEID allocated by the third network node, an identifier of the first network node, an identifier of the second network node, an identification of the wireless communication device, an indication of the type of migration, or Backhaul (BH) information.

7. The method according to claim 3 or 6, wherein: The indication of the migration type includes: partial migration, full migration, distributed unit (DU) migration, migration of wireless communication device, F1 transmission migration, F1 switching indication, source logical DU indication, target logical DU indication or new integrated access and backhaul (IAB) host indication.

8. The method according to claim 3 or 6, wherein: The BH information includes at least one of the following: a Backhaul Adaptation Protocol (BAP) routing ID, a next-hop BAP address, or an egress BH Radio Link Control (RLC) Channel (CH) ID.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising: The first network node sends the configuration update information to the third network node via a user equipment (UE) associated message or a non-UE associated message.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising: The first network node receives a response message from the third network node, where the response message includes at least one of the following: an IP address of the first network node of the control plane or the user plane, an IP address of the second network node of the control plane or the user plane, an IP address of the third network node of the control plane or the user plane, a new IP address of the third network node of the control plane or the user plane, a gNB Centralized Unit (gNB-CU) User Equipment (UE) F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) identifier (ID) allocated by the first network node, a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID allocated by the second network node, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1AP ID allocated by the third network node, a new gNB-DU UE F1AP ID allocated by the third network node, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (TEID) allocated by the first network node, a GTP TEID allocated by the second network node, a GTP TEID allocated by the third network node, a new GTP TEID allocated by the third network node, or An identification of the wireless communication device.

11. The method according to claim 10, comprising: A response message is received by the first network node from the third network node via a user equipment (UE) associated message or a non-UE associated message.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising: The first network node sends second configuration update information to the second network node, where the second configuration update information includes at least one of the following: an IP address of the first network node of the control plane or the user plane, an IP address of the second network node of the control plane or the user plane, an IP address of the third network node of the control plane or the user plane, a new IP address of the third network node of the control plane or the user plane, a gNB Centralized Unit (gNB-CU) User Equipment (UE) F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) identifier (ID) allocated by the first network node, a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID allocated by the second network node, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) UE F1AP ID allocated by the third network node, a new gNB-DU UE F1AP ID allocated by the third network node, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (TEID) allocated by the first network node, a GTP TEID allocated by the second network node, a GTP TEID allocated by the third network node, a new GTP TEID allocated by said third network node, an identifier of the third network node, or An identification of the wireless communication device.

13. A method comprising: The second network node sends information related to the handover of the wireless communication device to the first network node, The first network node sends configuration update information to the third network node.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, can cause the one or more processors to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-13.

15. An apparatus comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-13.

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