System and method for configuring unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) services between and within systems using cross-system radio access technology (RAT)

Abstract

Systems and methods for configuring unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) services between and within systems using cross-system radio access technology (RAT) are disclosed. A wireless communication node may send a first message requesting a handover from the first wireless communication node to a second wireless communication node. The first message may include one or more configuration containers. The one or more configuration containers may include various information associated with the terminal service. The first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may respectively correspond to different radio access technologies (RATs).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods for inter-system and intra-system provisioning of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) services utilizing cross-mode radio access technologies (RATs). Background Art

[0002] The third generation partnership project (3GPP), a standardization organization, is currently developing 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 terminal (UE). In order to facilitate the implementation of different data services and requirements, the elements of 5GC (also known as network functions) have been simplified, some of which are software-based and some are hardware-based so that they can be adjusted according to requirements. Summary of the invention

[0003] The example embodiments disclosed herein are intended to solve problems related to one or more of the problems arising in the prior art, and are intended to provide additional functionality, which will become apparent when combined with the accompanying drawings by reference to the following specific embodiments. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example rather than by way of 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 relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A wireless communication node may send a first message requesting a handover from the first wireless communication node to a second wireless communication node. The first message may include one or more configuration containers. The one or more configuration containers may include various information associated with a terminal service. The first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may correspond to different RATs, respectively.

[0005] In some embodiments, the various information may include at least one of the following: a wireless communication device (e.g., UAV) identification, which is configured to identify the wireless communication device; wireless communication device subscription information, which is configured to notify the wireless communication node that the wireless communication device is eligible to use the wireless communication device service; one or more reporting receiver addresses, and the wireless communication device data is collected to the one or more reporting receiver addresses; wireless communication device location information, which configures wireless communication device location measurement and reporting; altitude report information associated with the wireless communication device; flight path information associated with the wireless communication device; or measurement information, which includes frequency-related information of the wireless communication device.

[0006] In some embodiments, before sending the first message, the one or more configuration containers may have included both of the RAT_A configuration container or the RAT_B configuration container. The wireless communication node may send the first message to the core network. In response to the core network receiving the first message, the second wireless communication node may receive a second message from the core network. The second message may include the one or more configuration containers.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may belong to the same wireless communication system. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may belong to different wireless communication systems, respectively. The first wireless communication node may be a RAT_A node, and the second wireless communication node may be a RAT_B node. In some embodiments, the RAT_A node may be a next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) node, and the RAT_B node may be an evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) node. In some embodiments, the RAT_A node may be an E-UTRAN node, and the RAT_B node may be an NG-RAN node.

[0008] In some embodiments, before sending the first message, the one or more configuration containers may have included only one of the RAT_A configuration container or the RAT_B configuration container. The first wireless communication node may send the first message to the core network. In response to the core network receiving the first message, the second wireless communication node may receive a second message from the core network. The second message may include the one or more configuration containers.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may belong to the same wireless communication system. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may belong to different wireless communication systems respectively. The first wireless communication node may be a RAT_A node, and the second wireless communication node may be a RAT_B node. In some embodiments, the RAT_A node may be a NG-RAN node, and the RAT_B node may be an E-UTRAN node. In some embodiments, the RAT_A node may be an E-UTRAN node, and the RAT_B node may be a NG-RAN node.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node may optionally send a second message to the core network, the second message including at least some of the various information and an indicator indicating a UAV configuration, the UAV configuration being used for a RAT associated with the second wireless communication node. In response to the second message from the core network, the first wireless communication node may optionally receive a third message. The first wireless communication node may send the first message to the second wireless communication node. The one or more configuration containers may include at least one of a RAT_A configuration container or a RAT_B configuration container. In some embodiments, the RAT_A configuration container may be a long term evolution (LTE) configuration container. The RAT_B configuration container may be a new air interface (NR) configuration container. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Various example embodiments of the present technical solution will be described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and only depict example embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be regarded as limiting the breadth, scope or applicability of the present technical solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of description, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0012] Figure 1 An exemplary cellular communication network is shown in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 A block diagram showing an exemplary base station and user terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 3 A sequence diagram showing 5GS to EPS handover in single registration mode using N26 interface according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figure 4 A sequence diagram showing EPS to 5GS handover using the N26 interface during a preparation phase according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 5 An overall architecture for UAV services according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is presented;

[0017] Figure 6 A sequence diagram for intra-AMF / UPF handover according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 7 A sequence diagram for intra-system cross-standard RAT switching according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 8 A sequence diagram for intra-system cross-standard RAT switching according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Fig. 9 A sequence diagram for intra-system cross-standard RAT switching according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Fig.10 A sequence diagram for inter-system handover according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Fig.11 A sequence diagram for intra-system switching according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0023] Fig.12 A sequence diagram for inter-system handover according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0024] Fig.13 A sequence diagram for inter-system handover according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0025] Fig.14 A flowchart of configuring UAV services between systems and within a system using cross-standard RAT according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] 1. Mobile Communication Technology and Environment

[0027] Figure 1An example wireless communication network and / or system 100 is shown in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 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 terminal device 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104"; also referred to as a wireless communication device), which may 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 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 with its allocated bandwidth to provide adequate wireless coverage to its intended users.

[0028] For example, BS 102 may operate under an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage to UE 104. BS 102 and UE 104 may communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In the present disclosure, BS 102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes", and generally, they may practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of the present technical solution, such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0029] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of the present technology is shown. The system 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features, which need not be described in detail herein. In an illustrative embodiment, as described above, the system 200 may be used in applications such as Figure 1 Data symbols are communicated (eg, transmitted and received) in the wireless communication environment 100 of the wireless communication environment.

[0030] The system 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS202") and a user terminal device 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE204"). BS202 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 via a data communication bus 220 as needed. UE204 includes a UE (user terminal) 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 via a data communication bus 240 as needed. BS202 communicates with UE204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for transmitting the data herein.

[0031] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the system 200 may also include Figure 2 Any number of modules outside the modules shown. 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 can be implemented with 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 according to their functions. This functionality is implemented in the form of hardware, firmware, or software, depending on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the entire system. People familiar with this concept can implement such functionality in an appropriate manner for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0032] 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 of which includes a circuit system coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or the uplink receiver to the uplink antenna in a time division duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210, which includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes a circuit system coupled to an antenna 212. The downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or the downlink 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 so that the uplink receiver circuit system is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 so as to receive transmissions on the wireless transmission link 250 while the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 can be coordinated in time such that a downlink receiver coupled to the downlink antenna 212 receives transmissions on the wireless transmission link 250 at the same time as an uplink transmitter coupled to the uplink antenna 232. In some embodiments, there is closed time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0033] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and 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 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as 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. Instead, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 can be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0034] 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 microbase station. In 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 computer, a wearable computing device, etc. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized with the following items designed to perform the functions described herein: 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. In this way, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. 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, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0035] In addition, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented directly in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. 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, memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, so that processor modules 210 and 230 may read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, 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 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.

[0036] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic and / or other components of the base station 202, which can perform two-way communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and 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, but not limited to, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface so that the base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a traditional Ethernet-based computer network. In this way, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)) for connecting to a computer network. The terms "configured for", "configured to" and their variations as 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.

[0037] 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 divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual set of services provided to its upper and lower layers. The OSI model also defines a logical network and effectively describes computer packet transmission 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 a non-access stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is another layer.

[0038] Various example embodiments of the present technical solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art can make and use the present technical solution. It is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present technical solution. Therefore, the present technical solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and shown herein. In addition, the specific order or hierarchy of the steps in the method disclosed herein is merely an exemplary manner. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of the steps of the disclosed method or process can be rearranged while still within the scope of the present technical solution. Therefore, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in an example order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, the present technical solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0039] 2. System and method for configuring UAV services between and within systems using cross-standard RAT

[0040] The Rel-18 NR specification may support UAV-related features. In some cases, UAV-related features may not be supported in NR. By using the procedures introduced in the present invention, the network can transmit UAV configuration between the source node and the target node during handover. Therefore, in most cases, ongoing UAV functions can continue during / after handover. In addition, some UAV features are already supported in LTE. Therefore, a method is introduced in the present invention to maintain UAV service continuity during inter-system (e.g., between NR and LTE) handover and intra-system cross-RAT (e.g., between gNB and ng-eNB) handover.

[0041] UAV services are supported in the LTE specification. UAV is not supported in the Rel-18 NR specification. In the Work Item Description (WID), enterprises may prefer to support UAV features in NR and consider LTE mechanisms as a baseline. Inter-system handover procedures (e.g., from 5GC to EPS and / or from EPS to 5GC) are described in the Figure 3 Displayed in.

[0042] Reference Figure 5 , XnAP and NGAP can be used for control plane data transmission between gNB and ng-eNB and / or between ng-eNB and access and mobility management function (AMF) / user plane function (UPF). Therefore, intra-system cross-RAT handover is defined in the NR specification. Figure 6 A procedure is used as a reference, and a call flow is shown in the figure.

[0043] Implementation Example 1: UAV Configuration Container (for Cross-RAT Mobility)

[0044] This implementation example explains why a UAV configuration container may be introduced for cross-RAT handovers. For heterogeneous networks, inter-system handover (HO) (e.g., HO between gNB and eNB with simultaneous access and core network (CN) change between AMF and Mobility Management Entity (MME)) and intra-system cross-RAT handover (e.g., HO between gNB and ng-eNB, the CN may be AMF) may be performed during UE mobility. To maximize UAV service continuity, the same UAV-related configuration with different encoding / format for both NR and LTE may be configured to RAN nodes in different containers. During HO, the UE may keep using UAV-related functions regardless of the different RATs used between RAN nodes. The UAV configuration container may be configured to the UE before or during HO.

[0045] In some embodiments, at least one of the following information may be added to both the NR container and the LTE container: UAV identification (ID), UAV subscription information, (one or more) report receiver addresses, UAV location configuration, altitude reporting configuration, flight path information configuration, or measurement configuration. The UAV ID may be used / configured to identify the UAV. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use the UAV service. The address of the report receiver may include an IP address or URL for the UAV data collector. Different UAV data types may have the same destination or different destinations. The UAV location configuration may include information about UAV location measurement and reporting (e.g., the precise requirements for the UAV location), which positioning method can be used, measurement / reporting frequency, and / or integrity requirements. The altitude reporting configuration may include criteria for when the UE can report its altitude, measurement / reporting frequency, accuracy of altitude measurements, and / or integrity requirements. The flight path information configuration may include UE flight path history or prediction, formula, flight path (e.g., cell ID, RAN node ID, list of coordinates), number of points in the flight path list, timestamp requirements, accuracy requirements, integrity requirements and / or reporting destination (e.g., IP or URL). The measurement configuration may include UE frequency-related measurement information (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) of the cell).

[0046] Implementation Example 2: UAV service continuity during intra-system cross-RAT mobility; NG-based HO; container has been configured to NG-RAN node before HO

[0047] Figure 7It is a call flow for inter-system cross-RAT HO (container has been configured before HO). The source node here can be gNB or ng-eNB. The source node and the target node may belong to different RATs, but use NR CN.

[0048] In step 1, the CN may configure both the LTE configuration container and the NR configuration container to the NG-RAN node (source node).

[0049] In step 2, the source node may send a Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) message (e.g., handover requirement) to the 5G Core (5GC). At least one of the following information may be included in the NGAP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration container. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration container may include (one or more) LTE configuration containers and / or (one or more) NR configuration containers.

[0050] In step 3, the 5GC may send an NGAP message (e.g., a handover request) to the target node. At least one of the following information may be included in the NGAP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration container. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration container may include (one or more) LTE configuration containers and / or (one or more) NR configuration containers.

[0051] In step 4, the target node may receive the NGAP message in step 3 and may respond to the NGAP message (e.g., handover request ACK) to the 5GC.

[0052] In step 5, the 5GC may respond to the source node with an NGAP message (e.g., a handover command).

[0053] In step 6, the source node may send a radio resource control (RRC) message (eg, a handover command) to the UE.

[0054] Implementation Example 3: UAV service continuity during intra-system cross-RAT mobility; NG-based HO; during HO, the container has been configured to the target node

[0055] Figure 8It is a call flow for intra-system cross-RAT HO. The container can be configured during HO. The source node here can be a gNB or ng-eNB. The source node and the target node may belong to different RATs, but both of them can be connected to the NR CN (e.g., 5GC).

[0056] In step 1, the CN (5GC) may configure both the LTE configuration container and the NR configuration container to the NG-RAN node (source node).

[0057] In step 2, the source node may send a Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) message (e.g., handover requirement) to the 5G Core (5GC). At least one of the following information may be included in the NGAP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration for only one RAT. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration for only one RAT may be NR or LTE, depending on the source node.

[0058] In step 3, the CN (5GC) may receive the NGAP message and may discover / determine that the UAV configuration may be used for only one RAT (NR or LTE, depending on the source node type). Another type of UAV configuration may be added to the NGAP message (e.g., a handover request). The CN (5GC) may send an NGAP message (e.g., a handover request) to the target node. At least the following information may be included in the message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration container. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration container may include (one or more) LTE configuration containers and / or (one or more) NR configuration containers.

[0059] In step 4, the target node may receive the NGAP message in step 3 and may respond to the NGAP message (e.g., handover request ACK) to the CN (5GC).

[0060] In step 5, the 5GC may respond to the source node with an NGAP message (e.g., a handover command).

[0061] In step 6, the source node may send a radio resource control (RRC) message (eg, a handover command) to the UE.

[0062] Implementation Example 4: UAV Service Continuity During Intra-System Inter-RAT Mobility; Xn-based HO

[0063] Fig. 9 This is a call flow for intra-system cross-RAT handover using Xn-based HO.

[0064] In (optional) step 1, before the handover procedure occurs, the source node may recognize that the target node may not use the same RAT as the source node (e.g., the source node is a gNB and the target node is an ng-eNB, or vice versa). The source node may have only a UAV configuration for its own RAT. In order to request the same UAV configuration for the RAT of the target node, the source node may send a NGAP message to the 5GC. At least one of the following information may be included in the NGAP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration for another RAT indicator. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration for another RAT indicator may include a flag (the flag is used / configured for the source gNB) to request a UAV configuration with the same information but a different format / encoding for the RAT of the target node.

[0065] In (optional) step 2, the 5GC may receive the request from the source node and may send a reply NGAP message with at least one of the following information to the source node: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration for another RAT. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration for another RAT may include a UAV configuration with the same information but a different format / coding for the RAT of the target node.

[0066] The above two procedures are optional. They can only be used when the source node does not have a UAV configuration for the RAT of the target node.

[0067] In step 3, the source node may send an Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) message (e.g., a handover request) to the target node. At least one of the following information may be included in the message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration container. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration container may include (one or more) LTE configuration containers and / or (one or more) NR configuration containers.

[0068] In step 4, the target node may respond with an XnAP message (eg, a handover request ACK) to the source node.

[0069] In step 5, the source node may send an RRC message (eg, a handover command) to the UE.

[0070] Implementation Example 5: UAV service continuity during inter-system mobility (NR to LTE); container has been provisioned to NG-RAN before HO

[0071] Fig.10 is the call flow for inter-system HO. Before HO, the container has been configured to NG-RAN. The label "CN" used in this implementation example includes both the access and AMF in NR and the MME in LTE. The interaction performed between the AMF and MME for inter-system handover may not be a key point of this implementation example.

[0072] In step 1, the CN may configure both the LTE UAV container and the NR UAV container to the NG-RAN node (e.g., source node).

[0073] In step 2, the source NG-RAN node may trigger an inter-system handover. The NG-RAN may send an NGAP message (e.g., handover requirement) to the CN (e.g., AMF). At least one of the following information may be included in the NGAP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration container. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration container may include (one or more) LTE configuration containers and / or (one or more) NR configuration containers.

[0074] In step 3, after the CN (e.g., AMF) receives the NGAP message, the CN (e.g., MME) may forward the received information to the target E-UTRAN node via an S1AP message (e.g., Handover Request). At least one of the following information may be included in the S1AP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration container. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration container may include (one or more) LTE configuration containers and / or (one or more) NR configuration containers.

[0075] In step 4, the target node may send an acknowledgement S1AP message (eg, handover request ACK) to the CN.

[0076] In step 5, the CN may send a NGAP message (eg, a handover command) to the source node.

[0077] In step 6, the source node may send an RRC message (eg, a handover command) to the UE.

[0078] Implementation Example 6: UAV Service Continuity during Inter-System Mobility (NR to LTE); Configuring Containers during HO

[0079] Fig.11 is the call flow for inter-system HO. Before HO, the container has been configured to NG-RAN. The label "CN" used in this implementation example includes both the access and AMF in NR and the MME in LTE. The interaction performed between the AMF and MME for inter-system handover may not be a key point of this implementation example.

[0080] In step 1, the CN may only configure the NR UAV configuration to the NG-RAN node.

[0081] In step 2, the source node may send a NGAP message (e.g., handover requirement) to the CN (e.g., AMF). At least one of the following information may be included in the NGAP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, UAV configuration for another RAT indicator, or UAV configuration for NR. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration for another RAT indicator may include a flag (the flag is used / configured for the source gNB) to request a UAV configuration with the same information but a different format / coding for the RAT of the target node.

[0082] In step 3, after the CN (e.g., AMF) receives the NGAP message, the CN (e.g., MME) may forward the received information to the target E-UTRAN node via an S1AP message (e.g., Handover Request). At least one of the following information may be included in the S1AP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration container. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration container may include (one or more) LTE configuration containers and / or (one or more) NR configuration containers.

[0083] In step 4, the target node may send an acknowledgement S1AP message (eg, handover request ACK) to the CN.

[0084] In step 5, the CN may send a NGAP message (eg, a handover command) to the source node.

[0085] In step 6, the source node may send an RRC message (eg, a handover command) to the UE.

[0086] Implementation Example 7: UAV Service Continuity during Inter-System Mobility (LTE to NR); Configuring Containers before HO

[0087] Fig.12 is the call flow for inter-system HO. Before HO, the container is configured to the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) node. The label "CN" used in this implementation example includes both the access and AMF in NR and the MME in LTE. The interaction performed between the AMF and MME for inter-system handover may not be a key point of this implementation example.

[0088] In step 1, the CN may configure both the LTE UAV container and the NR UAV container to the E-UTRAN node (e.g., source node).

[0089] In step 2, the source E-UTRAN node may trigger an inter-system handover. The source E-UTRAN node may send an S1AP message (e.g., handover requirement) to the CN (e.g., MME). At least one of the following information may be included in the S1AP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration container. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration container may include (one or more) LTE configuration containers and / or (one or more) NR configuration containers.

[0090] In step 3, after the CN (e.g., MME) receives the S1AP message, the CN (e.g., AMF) may forward the received information to the target NG-RAN node via an NGAP message (e.g., Handover Request). At least one of the following information may be included in the NGAP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration container. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration container may include (one or more) LTE configuration containers and / or (one or more) NR configuration containers.

[0091] In step 4, the target node may send an acknowledgement NGAP message (eg, handover request ACK) to the CN.

[0092] In step 5, the CN may send an S1AP message (eg, a handover command) to the source node.

[0093] In step 6, the source node may send an RRC message (eg, a handover command) to the UE.

[0094] Implementation Example 8: UAV Service Continuity during Inter-System Mobility (LTE to NR); During HO, the container has been configured

[0095] Fig.13 is the call flow for inter-system HO. During HO, the container may be configured to the NG-RAN node. The label "CN" used in this implementation example includes both the access and AMF in NR and the MME in LTE. The interaction performed between the AMF and the MME for inter-system handover may not be a key point of this implementation example.

[0096] In step 1, the CN may configure only the NR UAV container to the E-UTRAN node.

[0097] In step 2, the source node may send an S1AP message (e.g., handover requirement) to the CN (e.g., MME). At least one of the following information may be included in the S1AP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, UAV configuration for another RAT indicator, or UAV configuration for LTE. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration for another RAT indicator may include a flag (the flag is used / configured for the source E-UTRAN node) to request a UAV configuration with the same information but a different format / coding for the RAT of the target node (e.g., NRUAV configuration container for the target NG-RAN).

[0098] In step 3, after the CN (e.g., MME) receives the message, the CN (e.g., AMF) may forward the received information to the target NG_RAN node via an NGAP message (e.g., Handover Request). At least one of the following information may be included in the NGAP message: UE identification information (e.g., UE ID), UAV identification information (e.g., UAV ID), UAV subscription information, or UAV configuration container. The UAV subscription information may include a flag that is used / configured to notify the RAN node that the UE is eligible to use UAV services. The UAV configuration container may include (one or more) LTE configuration containers and / or (one or more) NR configuration containers.

[0099] In step 4, the target node may send an acknowledgement NGAP message (eg, handover request ACK) to the CN.

[0100] In step 5, the CN may send a NGAP message (eg, a handover command) to the source node.

[0101] In step 6, the source node may send an RRC message (eg, a handover command) to the UE.

[0102] It should be understood that one or more features from the above-described implementation examples are not exclusive to that particular implementation example, but may be combined in any manner (eg, in any priority and / or order, simultaneously or otherwise).

[0103] Fig.14 A flowchart of a method 1400 for a first wireless communication node and a second wireless communication node corresponding to different RATs is shown. The method 1400 may be used in conjunction with the present invention. Figure 1 to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the method 1400 may be performed by a wireless communication node. Depending on the embodiment, additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in the method 1400. At least one aspect of the operation involves a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0104] A wireless communication node may send a first message requesting a handover from a first wireless communication node (e.g., a gNB or ng-eNB) to a second wireless communication node. The first message may include one or more configuration containers. The one or more configuration containers may include various information associated with a terminal service. The first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may correspond to different RATs, respectively.

[0105] In some embodiments, the various information may include at least one of the following: a wireless communication device (e.g., UAV) identification, which is configured to identify the wireless communication device; wireless communication device subscription information, which is configured to notify the wireless communication node that the wireless communication device is eligible to use the wireless communication device service; one or more reporting receiver addresses, and the wireless communication device data is collected to the one or more reporting receiver addresses; wireless communication device location information, which configures wireless communication device location measurement and reporting; altitude report information associated with the wireless communication device; flight path information associated with the wireless communication device; or measurement information, which includes frequency-related information of the wireless communication device.

[0106] In some embodiments, before sending the first message, the one or more configuration containers may have included both of the RAT_A configuration container or the RAT_B configuration container. The wireless communication node may send the first message to the core network. In response to the core network receiving the first message, the second wireless communication node may receive a second message from the core network. The second message may include the one or more configuration containers.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may belong to the same wireless communication system. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may belong to different wireless communication systems respectively. The first wireless communication node may be a RAT_A node, and the second wireless communication node may be a RAT_B node. In some embodiments, the RAT_A node may be a NG-RAN node, and the RAT_B node may be an E-UTRAN node. In some embodiments, the RAT_A node may be an E-UTRAN node, and the RAT_B node may be a NG-RAN node.

[0108] In some embodiments, before sending the first message, the one or more configuration containers may have included only one of the RAT_A configuration container or the RAT_B configuration container. The first wireless communication node may send the first message to the core network. In response to the core network receiving the first message, the second wireless communication node may receive a second message from the core network. The second message may include the one or more configuration containers.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may belong to the same wireless communication system. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may belong to different wireless communication systems respectively. The first wireless communication node may be a RAT_A node, and the second wireless communication node may be a RAT_B node. In some embodiments, the RAT_A node may be a NG-RAN node, and the RAT_B node may be an E-UTRAN node. In some embodiments, the RAT_A node may be an E-UTRAN node, and the RAT_B node may be a NG-RAN node.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node may optionally send a second message to the core network, the second message including at least some of the various information and an indicator indicating a UAV configuration, the UAV configuration being used for a RAT associated with the second wireless communication node. In response to the second message from the core network, the first wireless communication node may optionally receive a third message. The first wireless communication node may send the first message to the second wireless communication node. The one or more configuration containers may include at least one of a RAT_A configuration container or a RAT_B configuration container. In some embodiments, the RAT_A configuration container may be an LTE configuration container. The RAT_B configuration container may be an NR configuration container.

[0111] Although various embodiments of the present technical solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only as examples rather than as limitations. Similarly, various figures may depict exemplary architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the exemplary features and functions of the present technical solution. However, these technicians will understand that the present solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as will be appreciated 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-mentioned illustrative embodiments.

[0112] It should also be understood that any reference to an element using designations such as "first", "second", etc. herein does not generally limit the number or order of these elements. Rather, these designations may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or multiple instances of an element. Therefore, reference to a first and a second element does not mean that only two elements may be used or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

[0113] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of a variety of different technical means may be used to represent information and signals. 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.

[0114] Those of ordinary skill in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logic 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 of both), firmware, various forms of programs or design codes incorporating instructions (for convenience, referred to herein as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functions. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or as a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions will not result in a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0115] In addition, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, units, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented or performed within an integrated circuit (IC), which may include 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. The 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 plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

[0116] If implemented in software, these functions 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 computer storage media and communication media, which include any media that can transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. As an example and not a limitation, such a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage device, magnetic disk storage device or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store the required program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0117] In this document, the term "module" 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, as is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, according to an embodiment of the present technical solution, two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions.

[0118] In addition, memory or other storage devices and communication components can be used in the embodiments of the present technical solution. It should be understood that, for the sake of clarity, the above description describes the embodiments of the present technical solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is obvious that, without departing from the present technical solution, any appropriate functional distribution can be applied between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains. For example, the function shown as being performed by a separate processing logic element or controller can be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, a reference to a specific functional unit is merely a reference to an appropriate means for providing the function, rather than representing a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0119] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this 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 this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein as described in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: A first message is sent by a first wireless communication node, wherein the first message requests a handover from the first wireless communication node to a second wireless communication node; Wherein, the first message includes one or more configuration containers; wherein the one or more configuration containers include various information associated with the terminal service; and The first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node correspond to different radio access technologies RAT respectively.

2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein: The various information includes at least one of the following: a wireless communication device identifier configured to identify a wireless communication device; wireless communication device service subscription information configured to notify the wireless communication node that the wireless communication device is eligible to use the wireless communication device service; one or more reporting receiver addresses, wherein data of the wireless communication device is collected to the one or more reporting receiver addresses; Wireless communication device location information, configuring wireless communication device location measurement and reporting; altitude reporting information associated with the wireless communication device; flight path information associated with the wireless communication device; or The measurement information includes frequency-related information of the wireless communication device.

3. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein: Before sending the first message, the one or more configuration containers already include both of a RAT_A configuration container or a RAT_B configuration container.

4. The wireless communication method according to claim 3, further comprising: The first wireless communication node sends the first message to a core network; Wherein, in response to the core network receiving the first message, the second wireless communication node receives a second message from the core network; and The second message includes the one or more configuration containers.

5. The wireless communication method according to claim 4, wherein: The first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node belong to the same wireless communication system.

6. The wireless communication method according to claim 4, wherein: The first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node belong to different wireless communication systems respectively.

7. The wireless communication method according to claim 6, wherein: The first wireless communication node is a RAT_A node, and the second wireless communication node is a RAT_B node.

8. The wireless communication method according to claim 7, wherein: The RAT_A node is a Next Generation Radio Access Network NG-RAN node, and the RAT_B node is an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network E-UTRAN node.

9. The wireless communication method according to claim 7, wherein: The RAT_A node is an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) node, and the RAT_B node is a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) node.

10. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein: Prior to sending the first message, the one or more configuration containers have included only one of a RAT_A configuration container or a RAT_B configuration container.

11. The wireless communication method according to claim 10, further comprising: The first wireless communication node sends the first message to a core network; Wherein, in response to the core network receiving the first message, the second wireless communication node receives a second message from the core network; and The second message includes the one or more configuration containers.

12. The wireless communication method according to claim 11, wherein: The first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node belong to the same wireless communication system.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 11, wherein: The first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node belong to different wireless communication systems respectively.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 13, wherein: The first wireless communication node is a RAT-A node, and the second wireless communication node is a RAT-B node.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, wherein: The RAT_A node is a Next Generation Radio Access Network NG-RAN node, and the RAT_B node is an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network E-UTRAN node.

16. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, wherein: The RAT_A node is an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) node, and the RAT_B node is a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) node.

17. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: Optionally, the first wireless communication node sends a second message to a core network, the second message including at least some of the various information and an indicator indicating a UAV configuration, the UAV configuration being for a RAT associated with the second wireless communication node; Optionally, receiving, by the first wireless communication node, a third message in response to the second message from the core network; as well as The first message is sent by the first wireless communication node to the second wireless communication node, wherein the one or more configuration containers include at least one of a RAT-A configuration container or a RAT-B configuration container.

18. The wireless communication method according to claim 3, 10 or 17, wherein: The RAT_A configuration container is a long term evolution (LTE) configuration container, and the RAT_B configuration container is a new radio (NR) configuration container.

19. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein: The processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. A computer program product comprising computer readable program medium code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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