Conditional cell change

Abstract

The invention relates to conditional cell change. The embodiment of the invention relates to equipment, a method, a device and a computer readable storage medium for conditional cell change. In one method, a network device transmits to a plurality of candidate target network devices an indication of a plurality of candidate target cells of the plurality of candidate target network devices. A network device receives, from a plurality of candidate target network devices, first information related to measurements for changes between a plurality of candidate target cells. The network device then transmits second information related to the measurement to the terminal device for performing a change of the first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell between the plurality of candidate target cells after a handover from the source cell to the first candidate target cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and in particular, to devices, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for conditional cell change. Background Art

[0002] The service and target cell radio resource configuration are provided to the UE using the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol. In selective activation, the UE is able to maintain the target cell configuration for the primary and secondary cell (PSCell) change upon conditional primary and secondary cell change (CPC) and continue to evaluate subsequent changes. For conditional execution, the required reporting configuration and measurement ID are generated by the source spoke node (SN) that triggers the conditional configuration. In the case where the UE switches from one target SN to another, the target SN is unaware of the other SN, resulting in the UE not having the reporting configuration and measurement ID for the other target SN cell configuration. Summary of the invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided. The network device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory for storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the network device to at least perform the following operations: transmit indications of multiple candidate target cells of multiple candidate target network devices to multiple candidate target network devices; receive first information related to measurement of changes between multiple candidate target cells from the multiple candidate target network devices; and send second information related to measurement to a terminal device, for performing a change from a first candidate target cell in the multiple candidate target cells to a second candidate target cell after switching from a source cell to the first candidate target cell.

[0004] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory for storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the terminal device to at least perform the following operations: receiving second information related to measurement of changes between multiple candidate target cells for multiple candidate target network devices from a network device; and based on the second information, after switching from a source cell to a first candidate target cell, performing measurement on a change from a first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell among the multiple candidate target cells.

[0005] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a candidate target network device is provided. The candidate target network device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the candidate target network device to at least perform the following operations: receive indications of multiple candidate target cells of the candidate target network device and at least one other candidate target network device from a network device; and transmit first information related to measurements of changes between the multiple candidate target cells to the network device.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: sending indications of multiple candidate target cells in multiple candidate target network devices to multiple candidate target network devices; receiving first information related to measurement for changes between multiple candidate target cells from the multiple candidate target network devices; and transmitting second information related to the measurement to a terminal device for performing a change from a first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell in the multiple candidate target cells after switching from a source cell to the first candidate target cell.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving second information related to change measurement between multiple candidate target cells for multiple candidate target network devices from a network device; and performing measurement for a change from a first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell among the multiple candidate target cells after switching from a source cell to the first candidate target cell based on the second information.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: receiving an indication of multiple candidate target cells of the candidate target network device and at least another candidate target network device from a network device; and transmitting first information related to a measurement of a change between the multiple candidate target cells to the network device.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided. The first device includes: a device for transmitting an indication of multiple candidate target cells of multiple candidate target network devices to multiple candidate target network devices; a device for receiving first information related to measurement for a change between multiple candidate target cells from the multiple candidate target network devices; and a device for transmitting second information related to measurement to a terminal device, so as to perform a change from a second candidate target cell among the multiple candidate target cells after switching from a source cell to a first candidate target cell.

[0010] In an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a second device is provided. The second device includes: a device for receiving second information related to change measurement between multiple candidate target cells for multiple candidate target network devices from a network device; and a device for performing measurement on the change from the first candidate target cell to the second candidate target cell among the multiple candidate target cells based on the second information after switching from the source cell to the first candidate target cell.

[0011] In a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a third device is provided. The third device includes: a device for receiving an indication of a plurality of candidate target cells of a candidate target network device and at least another candidate target network device from a network device; and a device for transmitting first information related to a measurement of a change between the plurality of candidate target cells to the network device.

[0012] In a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon, and is used to cause a device to at least execute the method according to the fourth aspect, the fifth aspect, or the sixth aspect.

[0013] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1A An example structure of an RRC message is shown;

[0016] Figure 1B and Figure 1C An example flow chart of CPC initiated by SN without MN participation and with MN participation is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 An example communication environment is shown in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0018] Figure 3 A signaling diagram illustrating an example communication process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating an example process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 6A flowchart of a method implemented at a terminal device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 7 A flowchart of a method implemented on a candidate target network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0023] Figure 8 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0024] Fig. 9 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is shown according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The principle of the present disclosure will now be described in conjunction with some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are only for illustrative purposes and are helpful for those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways except for the way described below.

[0027] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0028] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the embodiment may include certain features, structures, or characteristics, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the certain features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a certain feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it should be understood that those skilled in the art may affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0029] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. in front of nouns may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element and do not limit the order of the nouns. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0030] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions, where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, mean at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0031] As used herein, unless explicitly stated, performing a step “in response to A” does not mean that the step is performed immediately after “A” occurs, and may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0032] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" used herein are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms "include", "comprises", "has", "has" and / or "includes" and / or "comprising" used herein specify the presence of the features, elements and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0033] The term "circuitry" as used in this application may refer to one, more, or all of the following:

[0034] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry) and

[0035] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable):

[0036] (i) a combination of analog and / or (multiple) digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0037] (ii) (multiple) hardware processors and software (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software and any portion of (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions) and (c) (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors, which (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors require software (e.g., firmware) to run, but the software may not be present when the software is not needed to run.

[0038] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" also covers an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuitry" also covers, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device, if applicable to a particular claim element.

[0039] The term "communication network" used herein refers to a network that complies with any appropriate communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal device and the network device in the communication network can be carried out according to any appropriate generation of communication protocols, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G) communication protocols and / or any other currently known or future protocols to be developed. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that can embody the present disclosure. This should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present disclosure to the above-mentioned systems.

[0040] The term "network device" as used herein refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from it. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), for example, a NodeB (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node (such as femto, pico), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a non-ground network device (such as a satellite network device, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, and a geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellite), an aircraft network device, etc. In some example embodiments, a radio access network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) at an IAB donor node. The IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) part, which behaves like a UE to a parent node, and a DU part of the IAB node behaves like a base station to a next-hop IAB node.

[0041] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, a user equipment (UE), a user station (SS), a portable user station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT). The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a voice over IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a tablet computer, a wearable terminal device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable computer, a desktop computer, an image capture terminal device (such as a digital camera), a game terminal device, a music storage and playback device, a vehicle-mounted wireless terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a notebook embedded device (LEE), a notebook mounted device (LME), a USB dongle, a smart device, a wireless client device (CPE), an Internet of Things (IoT) device, a watch or other wearable device, a head mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial equipment and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronic devices, devices running on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal device may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) part of an IAB node (eg, a relay node).In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0042] The terms "resource", "transmission resource", "resource block", "physical resource block" (PRB), "uplink resource" or "downlink resource" used in this document may refer to any resource used to perform communication (e.g., communication between a terminal device and a network device), such as time domain resources, frequency domain resources, space domain resources, code domain resources, or any other combination of time, frequency, space and / or code domain resources that enable communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated, some example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described using frequency domain and time domain resources as examples of transmission resources. It should be noted that the example embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0043] As described above, the serving and target cell radio resource configurations are provided to the UE using the RRC protocol. The RRC message sent to the UE is an RRC reconfiguration message, which contains the configuration of the serving cell (e.g., bandwidth part (BWP), security keys, beam configuration, beam failure handling configuration, etc.). In addition, in the case of mobility configuration, the message contains the measurement configuration of the (multiple) target cells so that the UE can have all the fields required to connect to the cell after performing the cell change. The preceding statements represent both baseline handover commands and conditional cell changes (both conditional handover (CHO) and conditional primary and secondary cell addition change (CPAC)), including the selective activation introduced in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release-18 or the selective activation of PSCell-change (SA / SAPC).

[0044] Figure 1A An example structure of an RRC message 100 is shown. A descriptive representation is provided of how the target cell configuration is provided to the UE and how it is linked to the reporting configuration and the measurement configuration.

[0045] like Figure 1A As shown, RRC reconfiguration 102 includes (among other information elements (IEs)) MeasConfig IE 104 and conditionalReconfiguration IE 106. The former is actually the configuration of the measurement (e.g., MeasObjtoAddMod IE 108), the configuration of the measurement event (e.g., ReportConfigToAddMod IE 110), and their combination with the RRC configuration of the target cell in MeasIdtoAddMod IE 112 (e.g., using measId IE 114). measId IE 114 is also part of CondReconfigToAddMod 116 (which is part of CondReconfigToAddModList IE 118, which in turn is part of conditionalReconfiguration IE 106 in RRC reconfiguration 102).

[0046] Here, the measObjectNR IE 120 is used to tell the UE which reference signals (RS) to measure on which frequencies, and which cell individual offsets (CIOs) to use to evaluate any condition. ReportConfigNR 122 specifies the type of condition to be evaluated by the UE, for example, events A3, A4, A5, etc., as well as the hysteresis, trigger time, and event offset value used to evaluate the execution condition. It also specifies whether the event is for reporting or execution purposes. In the condreconfigToAddMod IE 116, the network provides the UE with a conditional reconfiguration, such as an RRC reconfiguration within an RRC reconfiguration (i.e., the target cell configuration performed by the UE). The configuration comes with a measurement ID. The measID IE 114 is mapped to the reportConfigNRIE 122 and the MeasObjectNR IE 120 via the measIDtoAddMod IE 112, so that the UE associates the conditional reconfiguration with the correct condition and knows what to measure to evaluate the condition.

[0047] As shown in the figure, Figure 1A Related to Conditional Handover (CHO) and SN-initiated CPC without Master Node (MN) involvement (i.e., using SRB3). Figure 1B A signaling diagram showing an example process 124 of CPC initiated by a spoke node (SN) without MN participation is shown. Figure 1C A signaling diagram of an example process 126 of CPC initiated by a SN with the participation of a MN is shown. Figure 1B As shown in FIG. 1 , the entire process of SN 128 initiating CPC does not involve the MN. Figure 1C As shown, in the case of SN initiated CPC with MN participation, SN 128 can provide RRC configuration to MN 130. MN 130 can include it in the Mrdc-SecondaryCellGroupConfig IE of the RRC configuration provided to UE 132 to indicate that this is a configuration related to PSCell change. Mrdc-SecondaryCellGroupConfig IE contains nested RRC configuration for CPC.

[0048] In the selective activation scenario, the UE is able to maintain the target cell configuration for PSCell change at CPC and continue to evaluate subsequent changes. During the SN-initiated inter-SN SAPC process, the UE has an active dual connection with the MN and a cell (e.g., PSCell) from an SN (denoted as SN1). The UE then provides a measurement report to SN1, which decides to start inter-SN SAPC with cells (to be configured as PSCells) from the other two SNs (denoted as SN2 and SN3). SN1 sends the message required for the SN change, which provides a list of candidate PSCells and the conditions for accessing the PSCell. The report configuration and measurement ID required for the conditional execution are generated by the source SN (SN1) configured by the triggering condition.

[0049] In addition, the MN sends an SN Add Request to the target SN, requesting the RRC configuration of the candidate PSCell, and the target SN provides these configurations in the SN Add Request Acknowledgement. The MN creates an RRC reconfiguration message by combining the target cell configuration with the conditions for accessing the PSCell from the source SN (i.e., SN1). The MN performs RRC reconfiguration preparation. The MN then provides the RRC reconfiguration to the UE, which responds with an RRC reconfiguration complete message, which the MN also notifies SN1. The UE evaluates the SAPC conditions, and once the SAPC conditions for the cell are met, the UE notifies the MN using an RRC reconfiguration complete message. The UE maintains the target PSCell configurations because they are configured for selective activation. In addition, the UE accesses the target cell and evaluates the conditions for consecutive cell changes.

[0050] It should be noted that the report configuration and measurement ID required for conditional execution are generated by the source SN of the triggering condition configuration, where "source" refers to the serving SN when CPAC is executed. The candidate PScell ​​configuration is generated by the target node (ie, the target SN).

[0051] In SAPC, when SN1 is the serving SN, it starts the preparation of SN2 and SN3 PSCells. When the UE switches to SN2, the preparation of SN3 remains unchanged. For the UE to switch from SN2 to SN3, the UE needs to configure the appropriate measurement and reporting configuration according to SN2 in advance. However, currently, the target SN2 is not aware of all other potential targets, and it does not provide any SCPAC configuration for SN3. Therefore, at the first execution, the UE does not have the reporting configuration and measurement ID configured for other target SN cells.

[0052] The embodiment of the present invention proposes a configuration maintenance solution, through which information related to the change measurement between candidate target cells involved in the handover from the source cell can be transmitted to the terminal in the corresponding candidate target network device through a certain network device (such as MN). In this way, after the terminal device switches from the source cell to the first candidate target cell, it can have a configuration that can be used for another cell handover from the candidate target cell (referred to as the first candidate target cell) to another candidate target cell (referred to as the second candidate target cell). In this way, the cell handover can be implemented more efficiently and the network performance can be improved.

[0053] It should be noted that although the problem originates from the SAPC scenario, the solution proposed in this article can be generally applied to the master cell group (MCG) selective activation scenario and other selective activation scenarios. Some example embodiments will be described below using the SAPC scenario as an example, and the example embodiments of this article can be generally applied to other selective activation scenarios.

[0054] Figure 2 An example communication environment 200 is shown in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0055] The communication environment 200 includes a terminal device 210 and four network devices, wherein the network devices may include a network device 220, a source network device 230, and a plurality of candidate target network devices, the plurality of candidate target network devices including a first candidate target network device 240-1 and a second candidate target network device 240-2. In some example embodiments, in a secondary cell group (SCG) selective activation, the network device 220 may operate as an MN, the source network device 230 may operate as a source SN, and the candidate target network devices 240-1 and 240-2 may operate as target SNs (also referred to as T-SNs). In an MCG selective activation, the network device 220 may operate as a source MN, and the other network devices may operate as target MNs.

[0056] It should be understood that the number and type of devices shown in FIG. 1 are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent any limitation. For example, the communication environment 100 may include any number of candidate target network devices. For ease of discussion, the candidate target network devices will be referred to individually or collectively as candidate target network devices 240.

[0057] In some example embodiments, the link from network device 220 to terminal device 210 is referred to as a downlink (DL), and the link from terminal device 210 to network device 220 is referred to as an uplink (UL). In DL, network device 220 is a transmission (TX) device (or transmitter), and terminal device 210 is a reception (RX) device (or receiver). In UL, terminal device 210 is a TX device (or transmitter), and network device 220 is an RX device (or receiver).

[0058] The terminal device 210 and the network devices 220, 230, and 240 can communicate with each other, and the communication in the communication environment 100 can be implemented according to any appropriate communication protocol, including but not limited to cellular communication protocols such as the first generation (1G), the second generation (2G), the third generation (3G), the fourth generation (4G), the fifth generation (5G), and the sixth generation (6G), wireless local area network communication protocols (such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, etc., and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. In addition, the communication can utilize any appropriate wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread spectrum OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) and / or any other currently known or future developed technology.

[0059] In the communication environment 100, the network device 220 may inform all candidate target network devices 240 of potential target cells (i.e., PSCells of other T-SNs). Each candidate target network device 240 generates information (referred to as first information) related to measurements for changes between potential target cells (including intra-SN and inter-SN cell changes). The network device 220 generates second information (e.g., including 'condReconfigId and MeasId') indicating the final configuration for each candidate target network device 240 based on the first information received from the candidate target network devices 240. Then, the network device 220 transmits the second information to the terminal device 210.

[0060] Figure 3 A signaling diagram of an example communication process 300 between a terminal device 210, a network device 220, and a candidate target network device 240 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The operations and actions at the candidate target network device 240 will be described below by taking the first candidate target network device 240-1 as an example. It should be understood that these operations and actions can also be implemented at the second candidate target network device 240-2.

[0061] like Figure 3 As shown, the network device 220 transmits (310) indications of multiple candidate target cells of the multiple candidate target network devices to multiple candidate target network devices 240 including the first candidate target network device 240-1 and the second candidate target network device 240-2. For example, the network device 220 can inform the candidate target network devices 240 of potential target cells (e.g., PSCells of other T-SNs).

[0062] Accordingly, the first candidate target device 240-1 receives an indication of a plurality of candidate target cells for the first candidate target network device 240-1 and at least the second candidate target network device 240-2 from the network device 220. In some example embodiments, the first candidate target network device 240-1 determines (320) first information related to a measurement of a change between the plurality of candidate target cells for the first candidate target network device 240-1 and at least the second candidate target network device 240-2.

[0063] In some example embodiments, the first information may include a configuration related to the measurement and / or an identification (ID) of the measurement (also referred to as a measurement ID). For example, in a SAPC scenario, the first candidate target network device 240-1 (operating as a target SN providing one or more PSCells) may generate a measurement configuration and a measurement ID for switching from its prepared PSCell to other prepared PSCells (e.g., the PSCell of the candidate target network device 240-2) during preparation for all potential candidate cells proposed by the source SN.

[0064] In some example embodiments, the change between multiple candidate target cells may include: a change between a first candidate target cell list of a first candidate target network device among the multiple candidate target network devices and / or a change from the first candidate target cell list to a second candidate target cell list of a second candidate target network device (also referred to as an additional candidate target network device) among the multiple candidate target network devices. In one example, the change includes intra-SN and inter-SN cell changes for each target SN. Intra-SN cell change refers to switching between T-SN preparations. For example, if PScell-A and PSCell-B are prepared and controlled by the same T-SN, or if the UE switches to PScell-A, the later switch from PSCell-A to PSCell-B will be intra-SN CPAC.

[0065] Then, the first candidate target network device 240-1 transmits (330) the first information to the network device 220. Accordingly, the network device 220 receives the first information related to the measurement of the change between the plurality of candidate target cells from the plurality of candidate target network devices 240 including the first candidate target network device 240-1 and the second candidate target network device 240-2.

[0066] Thereafter, network device 220 transmits (340) second information related to the measurement of the change between the plurality of candidate target cells to terminal device 210. For example, network device 220 may generate a final configuration including "condReconfigId and MeasId" for each candidate target network device 240 based on the received mapping and the prepared final list of candidate cells. The final configuration may be indicated by third information. In some example embodiments, the third information may include the second information.

[0067] Accordingly, the terminal device 210 receives second information related to measurement of changes between multiple candidate target cells for the multiple candidate target network devices 240 from the network device 220. Afterwards, the terminal device 210 performs measurement (350) on the change from the first candidate target cell to the second candidate target cell among the multiple candidate target cells based on the second information after switching from the source cell to the first candidate target cell.

[0068] In an example embodiment, if the first candidate target network device 240-1 serves the first candidate target cell, the first candidate target network device 240-1 may transmit a preparation configuration for switching from the source cell to the first candidate target cell to the network device 220. The preparation configuration is associated with first information for a change from the first candidate target cell to at least a second candidate target cell among the plurality of candidate target cells. Then, the network device 220 may transmit a preparation configuration for switching from the source cell to the first candidate target cell to the terminal device 210, the preparation configuration being associated with second information for a change from the first candidate target cell to at least the second candidate target cell. Accordingly, the terminal device 210 may receive a preparation configuration associated with the mapped second information from the network device.

[0069] If the network device 220 will notify all possible candidate target cells to all candidate target network devices 240, there may be a situation where (some) of the candidate target network devices 240 (such as the second candidate target network device 240-1) reject the SN add request. In order to further improve the efficiency of the cell change, in some example embodiments, some invalid information in the first information from the candidate target network device 240 may not be provided to the terminal device 210. Such invalid information may include an isolated measurement ID or a measurement configuration and / or execution condition without a mapping, or an isolated configuration without a mapped measurement ID.

[0070] In some example embodiments, network device 220 may determine invalid information from the first information and generate the second information by removing the invalid information from the first information. In one example, for the determination of invalid information, if network device 220 determines that there is a measurement ID without a corresponding measurement configuration and / or execution condition, network device 220 may determine that the measurement ID is invalid information. In one example, network device 220 may parse the RRC configuration provided by candidate target network device 240 and then merge the RRC reconfiguration message accordingly.

[0071] In some example embodiments, the removal of invalid information may be implemented by the terminal device 210. In some example embodiments, the terminal device 210 may determine the invalid information before performing the measurement and remove it from the second information. In one example, when SAPC is executed, the terminal device 210 may identify an invalid / orphan pair of MeasId, CondRRCReconfig and then remove it.

[0072] The following will refer to Figure 4 to describe some example implementations.

[0073] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example process 400 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. In this example, UE 402 acts as Figure 2 210 in the example implementation of the terminal device 210, MN 404 as Figure 2 406 operates as an example implementation of the source network device 230, and the target SN2 408 and the target SN3 410 operate as example implementations of the first and second candidate target network devices 240-1 and 240-2.

[0074] like Figure 4 As shown, in process 400, at 420, UE 402 has active dual connectivity with MN 404 and a cell (e.g., PSCell) from SN1 406. At 422, UE 404 provides a measurement report to SN1 406. At 424, SN1 406 may decide to prepare for Inter-SN Selective Activation for PSCell Change (SAPC) with cells from SN2 408 and SN3 410 (e.g., to be configured as PSCells).

[0075] At 426, SN1 406 sends a message required for SN change to MN 404. The message required for SN change may provide a list of candidate PSCells (e.g., for both SN2 408 and SN3 410). The message required for SN change may also provide conditions for accessing PSCells from the current serving PSCell to all candidate PSCells. It should be noted that the reporting configuration and measurement ID required for conditional execution are generated by the node that triggers the conditional configuration (i.e., the source SN). In this article, the measurement configuration, conditions, and measurement ID of the first PSCell change from SN1 406 to SN2 408 and from SN1 406 to SN3PSCell will be provided by SN1 406. However, the subsequent SCPAC configuration from SN2PSCell to SN1 406 and SN3PSCell and from SN3PSCell to SN1 406 and SN2PSCell may not be provided by SN1 406 (because this is the responsibility of SN2 408 and SN3 410).

[0076] At 428 and 430, MN 404 sends an SN add request to the target SN (e.g., SN2 408 and SN3 410), requesting the RRC configuration of the candidate PSCells of the contacted SN. In addition, the SN add request may provide candidate PSCells from other SNs. For example, SN2 408 may receive a PSCell list of SN3 410 in addition to SN2 PSCell, and SN3 410 may receive a PSCell list of SN2 408 in addition to SN3 PSCell.

[0077] At 432 and 434, the target SN may create an RRC configuration for the PSCell for which it is responsible, and create a measurement configuration and measurement ID for the PSCell change during the preparation of all potential candidate cells (e.g., intra-SN and inter-SN cells of each target SN) proposed by the source SN. For example, SN2 408 may create a measurement configuration and condition for a PSCell change between the prepared PSCells of SN2 408. SN2 may further create a measurement configuration and condition for a PSCell change from a prepared SN2PSCell to a SN3PSCell, which are additionally notified to SN2 408. In another example, SN3 410 may create a measurement configuration and condition for a PSCell change between the prepared PSCells of SN3 410. SN3410 may also create a measurement configuration and condition for a PSCell change from a prepared SN3PSCell to a SN2PSCell, which are additionally notified to SN3 410. In another example, SN2 408 and SN3 410 may generate a measID mapping for each configuration provided to MN 404, ie, measIDtoAddMod for mapping reportconfig, measobject, and condreconfig to each other by measID.

[0078] At 436 and 438, the target SN in the SN Add Request Acknowledgement may provide the RRC configuration for the PSCell for which it is responsible, as well as the measurement configuration and measurement ID of its PSCell change during preparation for all potential candidate cells proposed by the source SN (e.g., intra-SN and inter-SN of each target SN), which have been created at 432 and 434.

[0079] At 440, the MN 404 creates an RRC reconfiguration message by combining the target cell configuration with the conditions for accessing the PSCell from the source SN (ie, SN1 406).

[0080] At 442, MN 404 provides RRC reconfiguration to UE 402. At 444, UE 402 may respond with an RRC reconfiguration complete message. At 446, MN 404 may also notify SN1 406 of the completion of UE 402's SCPAC preparation configuration.

[0081] At 448, UE 402 evaluates the SCPAC condition. At 450, if a certain cell (eg, SN2 408) satisfies the SCPAC condition, UE 402 applies the SCPAC configuration associated with the cell that satisfies the condition, and at 452, UE 402 notifies MN 404 using an RRC reconfiguration complete message.

[0082] At 454, UE 402 maintains unused target PSCells configurations, eg, all other SCPAC configurations, as they are configured for selective activation.

[0083] At 456, UE 402 accesses the target cell via a secondary cell group (SCG) random access channel (RACH), and evaluates the same conditions for consecutive cell changes as 446 at 456, but uses the new measurement configuration known to the UE after performing the SCPAC configuration and the conditions of the retained SCPAC configuration, because each SCPAC configuration merged by MN 404 provides new configurations and conditions for subsequent cell changes. In addition to the configuration change, UE 402 can repeat the steps after 448, and the UE switches between prepared SCPAC cells without restarting the configuration or reconfiguration.

[0084] In some example embodiments, the message exchange process is Figure 4 The same as 436 and 438 described above. In this example, at 436 and 438, each T-SN provides a configuration in an IE that can be read from MN 404 instead of in a transparent container. There are some other differences from 440 described above. In this example, at 440, MN 404 can parse the RRC configuration provided by each TSN, and can check the invalid / isolated pairs of MeasId and CondRRCReconfig and remove them. MN 404 can create a clean RRCReconfig, a conditionalReconfig for each prepared PSCell of SCPAC (including parsed and reorganized measurements), and a conditional configuration for subsequent cell changes. Then, MN 404 can provide each conditionalReconfig to UE 402. In this way, the isolated measurement ID problem can be alleviated by MN parsing the RRC configuration provided by the target SN and merging the RRC reconfiguration message accordingly.

[0085] Alternatively, the target SN provides only necessary configurations in a non-transparent container to the MN 404. In this way, the MN 404 is able to merge RRC configurations without requiring all SN configurations to be in a non-transparent container.

[0086] In some example embodiments, the message exchange process is Figure 4 The same, and different from the aforementioned 454. In this example, at 454, when accessing the target cell, UE 402 can identify the isolated pair of MeasId, CondRRCReconfig and remove them. UE 402 can update the RRC configuration and remove them instead of continuing to perform measurements. In this way, UE 402 can not only stop performing the evaluation of the conditions for changing the cell, but also stop performing measurements because UE 402 updated the measurement configuration. In this way, by UE 402 identifying isolated configurations and removing them when SAPC is executed, the isolated measurement ID problem can be alleviated.

[0087] Example Method

[0088] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 implemented at a network device 220 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purpose of discussion, Figure 2 Method 500 is described from the perspective of network device 220 in FIG.

[0089] At block 510 , the network device 220 transmits an indication of a plurality of candidate target cells of the plurality of candidate target network devices to the plurality of candidate target network devices.

[0090] At block 520 , the network device 220 receives first information related to measurements for a change between the plurality of candidate target cells from the plurality of candidate target network devices.

[0091] At block 530 , the network device 220 transmits second information related to measurements to the terminal device for performing a change from the first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell among the plurality of candidate target cells after handover from the source cell to the first candidate target cell.

[0092] In some example embodiments, the first information includes at least one of: a configuration related to the measurement, or an identification of the measurement.

[0093] In some example embodiments, the second information includes the first information.

[0094] In some example embodiments, network device 220 may determine invalid information from the first information; and generate the second information by removing the invalid information from the first information.

[0095] In some example embodiments, the change between the plurality of candidate target network devices comprises at least one of: a change between a first candidate target cell list of a first candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices, or a change from the first candidate target cell list to a second candidate target cell list of a second candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the first candidate target network device serves the first candidate target cell. In these example embodiments, the network device 220 may receive a preparation configuration for handover from the source cell to the first candidate target cell from the first candidate target network device. The preparation configuration is associated with first information for a change from the first candidate target cell to at least a second candidate target cell among the plurality of candidate target cells. Then, the network device 220 may transmit a preparation configuration to the terminal device, the preparation configuration being associated with second information for a change from the first candidate target cell to at least a second candidate target cell among the plurality of candidate target cells.

[0097] In some example embodiments, network device 220 comprises a primary node and the candidate target network devices comprise secondary nodes.

[0098] Figure 6 1 is a flow chart showing an example method 600 implemented at a terminal device 210 according to some example embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 Method 600 is described from the perspective of terminal device 210 in FIG.

[0099] At block 610 , the terminal device 210 receives second information related to measurements of changes between a plurality of candidate target cells for a plurality of candidate target network devices from a network device.

[0100] At block 620 , the terminal device 210 performs measurement on a change from the first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell among the plurality of candidate target cells based on the second information after switching from the source cell to the first candidate target cell.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the second information includes at least one of: a configuration related to the measurement, or an identification of the measurement.

[0102] In some example embodiments, the third information includes the second information.

[0103] In some example embodiments, the terminal device 210 may remove invalid information from the second information before performing the measurement.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the change between the plurality of candidate target network devices comprises at least one of: a change between a first candidate target cell list of a first candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices, or a change from the first candidate target cell list to a second candidate target cell list of a second candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices.

[0105] In some example embodiments, the first candidate target network device serves the first candidate target cell. In these example embodiments, the terminal device 210 may receive a preparation configuration for handover from the source cell to the first candidate target cell from the network device, the preparation configuration being associated with second information for a change from the first candidate target cell to at least a second candidate target cell among the plurality of candidate target cells.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the network device comprises a primary node and the candidate target network device comprises a secondary node.

[0107] Figure 7 A flowchart of an example method 700 implemented at a candidate target network device 240 according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purpose of discussion, Figure 2 Method 700 is described from the perspective of candidate target network device 240 in FIG.

[0108] At block 710 , the candidate target network device 240 receives from a network device an indication of a plurality of candidate target cells for the candidate target network device and at least one additional candidate target network device.

[0109] At block 730 , the candidate target network device 240 transmits first information related to measurements for a change between a plurality of candidate target cells to a network device.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the first information includes at least one of: a configuration related to the measurement, or an identification of the measurement.

[0111] In some example embodiments, the change between the plurality of candidate target network devices comprises at least one of: a change between a first candidate target cell list of the candidate target network devices, or a change from a first candidate target cell list to a second candidate target cell list of another candidate target network device.

[0112] In some example embodiments, the candidate target network device 240 may transmit to the network device a preparation configuration for switching from the source cell to a first candidate target cell in the first candidate target cell list, the preparation configuration being associated with first information for a change from the first candidate target cell to at least a second candidate target cell in the plurality of candidate target cells.

[0113] In some example embodiments, the network device comprises a primary node and the candidate target network device comprises a secondary node.

[0114] Example devices, equipment, and media

[0115] In some example embodiments, a first device (eg, Figure 2The network device 220 in the embodiment may include a device for performing the corresponding operations of the method 500. The device may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the device may be implemented in the form of a circuit system or a software module. The first device may be implemented as Figure 2 The network device 220 or included in Figure 2 In the network device 220.

[0116] In some example embodiments, the first device includes: a device for transmitting an indication of multiple candidate target cells of the multiple candidate target network devices to the multiple candidate target network devices; a device for receiving first information related to measurements for changes between the multiple candidate target cells from the multiple candidate target network devices; and a device for transmitting second information related to the measurements to the terminal device for performing a change from the first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell among the multiple candidate target cells after switching from the source cell to the first candidate target cell.

[0117] In some example embodiments, the first information includes at least one of: a configuration related to the measurement, or an identification of the measurement.

[0118] In some example embodiments, the second information includes the first information.

[0119] In some example embodiments, the first device includes: means for determining invalid information from the first information; and means for generating the second information by removing the invalid information from the first information.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the change between the plurality of candidate target network devices comprises at least one of: a change between a first candidate target cell list of a first candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices, or a change from the first candidate target cell list to a second candidate target cell list of a second candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices.

[0121] In some example embodiments, the first candidate target network device serves a first candidate target cell, and the first apparatus includes: an apparatus for receiving, from the first candidate target network device, a preparation configuration for switching from a source cell to the first candidate target cell, the preparation configuration being associated with first information for a change from the first candidate target cell to at least a second candidate target cell among a plurality of candidate target cells; and an apparatus for transmitting, to a terminal device, the preparation configuration associated with second information for a change from the first candidate target cell to at least a second candidate target cell among a plurality of candidate target cells.

[0122] In some example embodiments, the network device comprises a primary node and the candidate target network device comprises a secondary node.

[0123] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises means for performing the method 500 or other operations in some example embodiments of the network device 220. In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, result in the execution of the first apparatus.

[0124] In some example embodiments, a second device (eg, Figure 2 The terminal device 210 in the embodiment may include a device for performing the corresponding operation of the method 600. The device may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the device may be implemented in the form of a circuit system or a software module. The second device may be implemented as Figure 2 The terminal device 210 or the terminal device 210 included in Figure 2 In the terminal device 210.

[0125] In some example embodiments, the second device includes: a device for receiving second information related to measurement of changes between multiple candidate target cells for multiple candidate target network devices from a network device; and a device for performing measurements of changes from the first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell among the multiple candidate target cells based on the second information after switching from the source cell to the first candidate target cell.

[0126] In some example embodiments, the second information includes at least one of: a configuration related to the measurement, or an identification of the measurement.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the third information includes the second information.

[0128] In some example embodiments, the second means comprises means for removing invalid information from the second information prior to performing the measurement.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the change between the plurality of candidate target network devices comprises at least one of: a change between a first candidate target cell list of a first candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices, or a change from the first candidate target cell list to a second candidate target cell list of a second candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the first candidate target network device serves a first candidate target cell, and the second apparatus includes: means for receiving, from the network device, a preparation configuration for switching from a source cell to the first candidate target cell, the preparation configuration being associated with second information for a change from the first candidate target cell to at least a second candidate target cell of the plurality of candidate target cells.

[0131] In some example embodiments, the network device comprises a primary node and the candidate target network device comprises a secondary node.

[0132] In some example embodiments, the second apparatus further comprises means for performing the method 600 or other operations in some example embodiments of the terminal device 210. In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, result in the execution of the second apparatus.

[0133] In some example embodiments, a third device (eg, Figure 2 The candidate target network device 240 in the method 700 may include a device for performing the corresponding operation of the method 700. The device may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the device may be implemented in the form of a circuit system or a software module. The third device may be implemented as Figure 2 The candidate target network device 240 or is included in Figure 2 Among the candidate target network devices 240.

[0134] In some example embodiments, the third apparatus comprises: means for receiving, from the network device, an indication of a plurality of candidate target cells of the candidate target network device and at least another candidate target network device; and means for transmitting, to the network device, first information relating to measurements of changes between the plurality of candidate target cells.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the first information includes at least one of: a configuration related to the measurement, or an identification of the measurement.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the change between the plurality of candidate target network devices comprises at least one of: a change between a first candidate target cell list of the candidate target network devices, or a change from a first candidate target cell list to a second candidate target cell list of another candidate target network device.

[0137] In some example embodiments, the third device includes a device for transmitting to the network device a preparation configuration for switching from the source cell to a first candidate target cell in the first candidate target cell list, the preparation configuration being associated with first information for switching from the first candidate target cell to at least a second candidate target cell in the plurality of candidate target cells.

[0138] In some example embodiments, the network device comprises a primary node and the candidate target network device comprises a secondary node.

[0139] In some example embodiments, the third apparatus further comprises means for performing other operations in some example embodiments of method 700 or candidate target network device 240. In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, result in execution of the third apparatus.

[0140] Figure 8 8 is a simplified block diagram of a device 800 suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 800 may be used to implement a communication device, such as Figure 2 The terminal device 210, the network device 220 or the candidate target network device 240 is shown. As shown in the figure, the device 800 includes one or more processors 810, one or more memories 820 coupled to the processors 810, and one or more communication modules 840 coupled to the processors 810.

[0141] The communication module 840 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 840 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements. In some example embodiments, the communication module 840 may include at least one antenna.

[0142] Processor 810 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network, and may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture (as non-limiting examples). Device 800 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips, which are time-slaved to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0143] The memory 820 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 824, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk (CD), digital video disk (DVD), optical disk, laser disk, and other magnetic and / or optical memories. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 822 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0144] The computer program 830 includes computer executable instructions executed by the associated processor 810. The instructions of the program 830 may include instructions for performing the operations / actions of some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The program 830 may be stored in a memory, such as ROM 824. The processor 810 may perform any appropriate actions and processes by loading the program 830 into the RAM 822.

[0145] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by means of a program 830 so that the device 800 may execute the procedures described in reference to Figures 3 to 7 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0146] In some example embodiments, the program 830 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in the device 800 (e.g., in the memory 820) or in other storage devices accessible to the device 800. The device 800 may load the program 830 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 822 for execution. In some example embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. The term "non-transitory" as used herein is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), not a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0147] Fig. 9 One example of a computer readable medium 900 is shown, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disk, on which program 830 is stored.

[0148] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described in block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that the boxes, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware, or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof, as non-limiting examples.

[0149] Some example embodiments of the present disclosure also provide at least one computer program product, which is tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable medium). The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions (such as instructions included in a program module) that are executed in a device on a target physical or virtual processor to perform any of the above methods. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functions of the program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine executable instructions of the program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0150] The program code for executing the disclosed method can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device, so that when the processor or controller executes the program code, the program code causes the function / operation specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be realized. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0151] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any appropriate carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform the above-mentioned various processes and operations. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0152] The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or apparatuses, or any suitable combination of the above. More specific examples of computer readable storage media would include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0153] In addition, although the operations are shown in a particular order, it should not be understood that these operations are required to be performed in the particular order or sequence shown, or that all of the shown operations must be performed to achieve the desired results. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, they should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but rather as descriptions of the features of specific embodiments. Unless explicitly stated, certain features described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless explicitly stated, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0154] Although the present disclosure has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the present disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Instead, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, when the instructions are executed by at least one processor, causes the network device to at least perform the following operations: transmitting, to a plurality of candidate target network devices, indications of a plurality of candidate target cells of the plurality of candidate target network devices; receiving, from the plurality of candidate target network devices, first information related to measurements for a change between the plurality of candidate target cells; as well as Transmitting second information related to the measurement to a terminal device for performing a change from the first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell among the plurality of candidate target cells after switching from a source cell to the first candidate target cell.

2. The network device according to claim 1, wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following: the configuration associated with the measurement in question, or The identification of the measurement. The network device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second information includes the first information.

4. The network device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one memory and the at least one processor enable the network device to perform the following operations: determining invalid information from the first information; and The second information is generated by deleting the invalid information from the first information.

5. The network device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the change between a plurality of candidate target network devices comprises at least one of the following: a change between the first candidate target cell list of a first candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices, or A change from the first candidate target cell list to a second candidate target cell list of a second candidate target network device of the plurality of candidate target network devices.

6. The network device according to claim 5, wherein the first candidate target network device serves the first candidate target cell, and the at least one memory and the at least one processor further cause the network device to: receiving, from the first candidate target network device, a preparation configuration for the handover from the source cell to the first candidate target cell, the preparation configuration being associated with the first information for the change from the first candidate target cell to at least the second candidate target cell of the plurality of candidate target cells; and The preparation configuration associated with the second information is transmitted to the terminal device for the change from the first candidate target cell to at least the second candidate target cell of the plurality of candidate target cells.

7. The network device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the network device comprises a primary node, and the candidate target network device comprises a secondary node.

8. A terminal device used in a communication network, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions, when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, causing the terminal device to at least perform the following operations: receiving, from the network device, second information related to measurements of a change between a plurality of candidate target cells for the plurality of candidate target network devices; as well as Based on the second information, after handover from the source cell to the first candidate target cell, measurements are performed for a change from the first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell among the plurality of candidate target cells.

9. The terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the second information includes at least one of the following: the configuration associated with the measurement in question, or The identification of the measurement.

10. The terminal device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the at least one memory and the at least one processor enable the terminal device to perform the following operations: Before performing the measurement, invalid information is deleted from the second information.

11. The terminal device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the change between the plurality of candidate target network devices comprises at least one of the following: a change between the first candidate target cell list of a first candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices, or A change from the first candidate target cell list to a second candidate target cell list of a second candidate target network device among the plurality of candidate target network devices.

12. The terminal device according to claim 11, wherein the first candidate target network device serves the first candidate target cell, and the at least one memory and the at least one processor further enable the terminal device to perform the following operations: A preparation configuration for the handover from the source cell to the first candidate target cell is received from the network device, the preparation configuration being associated with second information for the change from the first candidate target cell to at least the second candidate target cell of the plurality of candidate target cells.

13. The terminal device according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the network device comprises a primary node, and the candidate target network device comprises a secondary node.

14. A candidate target network device, comprising: at least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, when the instructions are executed by at least one processor, causes the candidate target network device to at least perform the following operations: receiving, from a network device, an indication of a plurality of candidate target cells of the candidate target network device and at least one further candidate target network device; as well as First information related to measurements of changes between the plurality of candidate target cells is transmitted to the network device.

15. The candidate target network device according to claim 14, wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following: the configuration associated with the measurement in question, or The identification of the measurement.

16. The candidate target network device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the change between the plurality of candidate target network devices comprises at least one of the following: a change between the first candidate target cell list of the candidate target network device, or A change from said first candidate target cell list to a second candidate target cell list of said further candidate target network device.

17. The candidate target network device of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the at least one processor enable the candidate target network device to perform the following operations: A preparation configuration for handover from a source cell to a first candidate target cell in the first candidate target cell list is transmitted to the network device, the preparation configuration being associated with the first information for a change from the first candidate target cell to at least a second candidate target cell in the plurality of candidate target cells.

18. The candidate target network device according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the network device comprises a primary node, and the candidate target network device comprises a secondary node.

19. A method for communication, comprising: transmitting, to a plurality of candidate target network devices, indications of a plurality of candidate target cells of the plurality of candidate target network devices; receiving, from the plurality of candidate target network devices, first information related to measurements for a change between the plurality of candidate target cells; as well as Transmitting second information related to the measurement to the terminal device for performing a change from the first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell among the multiple candidate target cells after switching from the source cell to the first candidate target cell.

20. A method for communication, comprising: receiving second information related to measurement of a change between a plurality of candidate target cells of a plurality of candidate target network devices; as well as Based on the second information, after handover from the source cell to the first candidate target cell, measurements are performed for a change from the first candidate target cell to a second candidate target cell among the plurality of candidate target cells.

21. A method for communication, comprising: receiving, from a network device, an indication of a plurality of candidate target cells of the candidate target network device and at least one further candidate target network device; as well as First information related to measurements of changes between the plurality of candidate target cells is transmitted to the network device.

22. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to claim 19, or the method according to claim 20, or the method according to claim 21.

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