Fault recovery in wireless communications

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for techniques for preventing or reducing failures at a central unit of a base station. In one embodiment, a wireless communication method comprises: a first network element receiving a signaling connection establishment completion message from a user equipment, the signaling connection establishment completion message indicating connection establishment of a signaling message between the user equipment and a network device associated with the first network element; the first network element determines whether a second network element supports a network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message; and under the condition of determining that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message, the first network element sends the signaling message and information about the network slice to a third network element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent document generally relates to wireless communications. Background Art

[0002] Mobile communication technologies are driving the world towards an increasingly connected and networked society. The rapid growth of mobile communications and technological advances have led to greater demands for capacity and connectivity. Other aspects, such as energy consumption, equipment cost, spectrum efficiency and latency, are also critical to meeting the needs of various communication scenarios. Various technologies are being discussed, including new ways to provide higher quality of service, longer battery life and improved performance. Summary of the invention

[0003] Among other things, this patent document describes techniques for preventing or reducing failures at a central unit (CU) of a base station.

[0004] In one aspect, a data communication method is disclosed. The method includes: a first network element receives a signaling connection establishment completion message from a user equipment, wherein the signaling connection establishment completion message indicates the establishment of a connection of a signaling message between the user equipment and a network device associated with the first network element, the first network element determines whether a second network element supports a network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message, and if it is determined that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message, the first network element sends the signaling message and information about the network slice to a third network element.

[0005] In another aspect, a data communication method is disclosed. The method includes: a second network element receives a signaling container and a delivery message for delivering a signaling message from a first network element, wherein the signaling container includes at least one of a signaling connection establishment request message or a signaling connection establishment completion message, wherein the signaling connection establishment request message requests a connection for the signaling message, and the signaling connection establishment completion message indicates the establishment of a connection for the signaling message, the second network element determines whether the second network element supports a network slice corresponding to the signaling message, and if it is determined that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling message, the second network element sends the signaling message and information about the network slice to a third network element.

[0006] In another aspect, a data communication method is disclosed. The method includes: a first network element transmitting a request message and information about the number of user equipment being served by a network device associated with the first network element to a second network element, the first network element receiving a response message from the second network element, and allocating the user equipment between different control planes of the second network element associated with the network device based on the information about the number of user equipment being served by the network device.

[0007] In another exemplary aspect, a wireless communication apparatus is disclosed, comprising a processor configured to perform the above method.

[0008] In another exemplary aspect, a computer storage medium is disclosed having stored thereon code for implementing the above method.

[0009] These and other aspects are described in this patent document. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system based on some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0011] Figure 2 is a block diagram representation of a portion of an apparatus based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology.

[0012] Figure 3 An exemplary architecture of separating gNB-CU-CP and gNB-CU-UP is shown.

[0013] Figure 4 An example of an F1 application protocol (F1AP) process for dedicated central units (CUs) for network slicing based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0014] Figure 5 Another example of an F1AP process for dedicated CUs for network slicing through a rerouting process based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0015] Figure 6 An example of a process for evenly distributing F1APs of users based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0016] Figure 7 Another example of a F1AP process for evenly distributing users based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0017] Figure 8An example of a wireless communication process based on some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0018] Fig. 9 Another example of a wireless communication process based on some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0019] Fig.10 Another example of a wireless communication process based on some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Section headings are used in this patent document only for ease of understanding and are not intended to limit the scope of an embodiment to the subsection that describes the embodiment. In addition, although the embodiments are described with reference to 5G examples, the disclosed technology can be applied to wireless systems that use other protocols other than 5G or 3GPP protocols.

[0021] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G, or New Radio (NR) cellular network) including a BS 120 and one or more user equipments (UEs) 111, 112, and 113 is shown. In some embodiments, uplink transmissions (131, 132, 133) may include uplink control information (UCI), high-layer signaling (e.g., UE assistance information or UE capabilities), or uplink information. In some embodiments, downlink transmissions (141, 142, 143) may include DCI or high-layer signaling or downlink information. The UE may be, for example, a smart phone, a tablet, a mobile computer, a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, a terminal, a mobile device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.

[0022] Figure 2It is a block diagram representation of a portion of an apparatus based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology. The apparatus 205 (such as a network apparatus or a base station or a wireless apparatus (or UE)) may include a processor electronic device 210 (such as a microprocessor) that implements one or more of the technologies disclosed in this patent document. The apparatus 205 may include a transceiver electronic device 215 that sends and / or receives wireless signals through one or more communication interfaces such as an antenna 220. The apparatus 205 may include other communication interfaces for sending and receiving data. The apparatus 205 may include one or more memories (not shown) configured to store information such as data and / or instructions. In some embodiments, the processor electronic device 210 may include at least a portion of the transceiver electronic device 215. In some embodiments, at least some of the disclosed technologies, modules, or functions are implemented using the apparatus 205.

[0023] In a wireless communication network, a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) architecture may be segmented by a single logical gNB-CU-CP connected to multiple logical gNB-DUs and multiple logical gNB-CU-UPs for each segmentation. In addition, a failure at a gNB-CU (e.g., a gNB-CU-CP) may result in the interruption of multiple user plane (UP) services and the disconnection of multiple UEs. The disclosed technology may be implemented in some embodiments to address these issues.

[0024] Figure 3 An exemplary architecture of separating gNB-CU-CP and gNB-CU-UP is shown.

[0025] In some embodiments, a base station (e.g., a gNB) may include a control plane of a central unit (e.g., a gNB-CU-CP), multiple user planes of a control unit (e.g., a gNB-CU-UP), and multiple distributed units (e.g., a gNB-DU). In some embodiments, the gNB-CU-CP is connected to the gNB-DU via an interface (e.g., an F1-C interface). In some embodiments, the gNB-CU-UP is connected to the gNB-DU via another interface (e.g., an F1-U interface). In some embodiments, the gNB-CU-UP is connected to the gNB-CU-CP via an E1 interface. In some embodiments, one gNB-DU is connected to only one gNB-CU-CP. In some embodiments, one gNB-CU-UP is connected to only one gNB-CU-CP.

[0026] In some embodiments, for resiliency purposes, the gNB-DU and / or gNB-CU-UP may be connected to multiple gNB-CU-CPs.

[0027] In an implementation where the gNB-DU and / or gNB-CU-UP is connected to multiple gNB-CU-CPs, one gNB-DU or gNB-CU-UP can be connected to multiple gNB-CU-UPs at the same time.

[0028] In an embodiment of the disclosed technology, failures of gNB-CU-CP can be prevented or reduced by differentiating central unit (CU) functions across services. In some embodiments, different gNB-CUs may be assigned to different network slices to support different services. In this case, there may be two scenarios. In a scenario where the gNB-CU does not support the selected slice, the gNB-DU may send a radio resource control (RRC) message with slice information to a backup gNB-CU. In a scenario where the gNB-CU detects a failure and it cannot support the selected slice, the gNB-CU may reroute the RRC message with slice information to the backup gNB-CU.

[0029] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, failure of a gNB-CU (gNB-CU-CP) may be prevented or reduced by evenly distributing users (or user equipment (UE)) among different gNB-CU-CPs. In addition, the number of users in different gNB-CU-CPs may be transmitted from the gNB-DU / gNB-CU-UP to the gNB-CU-CP via F1AP / E1AP messages. In this case, even if a specific gNB-CU-CP detects a failure, user plane (UP) traffic and connections of UEs located in other gNB-CU-CPs are not affected.

[0030] Embodiment 1: Supporting network slice dedicated CU for different services.

[0031] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, after parsing the RRC message with slice information, the gNB-DU transmits the RRC message to the standby gNB-CU.

[0032] Figure 4 An example of an F1 application protocol (F1AP) process for dedicated central units (CUs) for network slicing based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0033] In step 1, the UE sends an RRC Setup Request message to the gNB-DU. In step 2, the gNB-DU transmits an Initial Uplink (UL) RRC message to the gNB-CU. In step 3, the gNB-CU transmits a Downlink (DL) RRC Messaging Transfer message to the gNB-DU. In step 4, the gNB-DU transmits an RRC Setup message to the UE. In step 5, the UE sends an RRC Setup Complete message to the gNB-DU. Steps 1-5 may be a common initial access procedure on F1.

[0034] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, after executing step 5, the gNB-DU parses the RRC setup completion message and detects that the gNB-CU does not support a certain slice / slices (e.g., network slices).

[0035] In step 6, the gNB-DU transmits a UE context release request message with a cause value "CU does not support S-NSSAI (slice)" to the gNB-CU. Here, the cause value may indicate a release cause value.

[0036] In step 7, the gNB-DU transmits an initial UL RRC message with an RRC container to the standby gNB-CU. The RRC container may include at least one of an RRC setup request message or an RRC setup complete message.

[0037] In step 8, the gNB-CU triggers the UE context release procedure to release the UE context.

[0038] In step 9, the standby gNB-CU triggers the UE context establishment procedure with the gNB-DU.

[0039] In the case of dedicated CU for network slicing, even if one of the gNB-CUs does not support slicing, the gNB-DU is able to reselect a new suitable gNB-CU to support the same type of service.

[0040] Embodiment 2: Implementing network slicing dedicated CU through rerouting process.

[0041] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the gNB-CU directly transmits an RRC message with slice information to the backup gNB-CU after it detects a failure.

[0042] Figure 5 Another example of an F1AP process for dedicated CUs for network slicing through a rerouting process based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0043] In step 1, the UE sends an RRC Setup Request message to the gNB-DU. In step 2, the gNB-DU transmits an Initial Uplink (UL) RRC message to the gNB-CU. In step 3, the gNB-CU transmits a Downlink (DL) RRC Messaging Transfer message to the gNB-DU. In step 4, the gNB-DU transmits an RRC Setup message to the UE. In step 5, the UE sends an RRC Setup Complete message to the gNB-DU. Steps 1-5 may be a common initial access procedure on F1.

[0044] In step 6, the gNB-DU transmits an uplink (UL) RRC message transfer message to the gNB-CU using an RRC container. The RRC container may include at least one of an RRC setup request message or an RRC setup complete message, and the slice information is included in the RRC message.

[0045] In step 7, the gNB-CU detects a failure, but it cannot support slicing, and the gNB-CU can transmit an RRC message with slice information to the standby gNB-CU by performing a rerouting RRC request procedure (e.g., XnAP signaling). In some embodiments, the rerouting RRC request procedure can be a Class 1 procedure or a Class 2 procedure. In addition to XnAP signaling, the rerouting RRC procedure can be handled by using a user plane method (such as a data forwarding procedure).

[0046] In step 8, the standby gNB-CU triggers the UE context establishment procedure with the gNB-DU.

[0047] In the case of dedicated CU for network slicing, even if one of the gNB-CUs detects a failure, the gNB-DU is able to reselect a new suitable gNB-CU to support the same type of services as the old gNB-CU.

[0048] Embodiment 3: Evenly distribute users among different gNB-CU-CPs.

[0049] In some embodiments of the disclosed technology, the gNB-CU-CP transmits the number of users to the gNB-DU / gNB-CU-UP.

[0050] Figure 6 An example of a process for evenly distributing F1APs of users based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0051] In step 1, the gNB-CU transmits an F1 Application Protocol (F1AP) request message to the gNB-DU together with the number of users it serves. In some embodiments, the F1AP request message can be one of a gNB-CU configuration update message, a UE context establishment request message, or a Backhaul Adaptation Protocol (BAP) mapping configuration message.

[0052] In step 2, the gNB-DU replies with a corresponding F1AP response message, which includes one of the following: a gNB-CU configuration update confirmation message, a UE context establishment response message, or a BAP mapping configuration confirmation message.

[0053] Figure 7 Another example of a F1AP process for evenly distributing users based on some embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0054] In step 1, the gNB-CU-CP sends an E1AP request message to the gNB-CU-UP, which has the number of users served by the gNB-CU-CP. In addition, the E1AP request message can be one of the gNB-CU-CP configuration update message or the bearer context establishment request message.

[0055] In step 2, the gNB-CU-UP replies to the E1AP request message with a corresponding E1 application protocol (E1AP) response message, which E1AP response message includes one of the following: gNB-CU-CP configuration update confirmation message or bearer context establishment response message.

[0056] Regarding user allocation, even if one of the multiple gNB-CU-CPs detects a failure, it does not affect all UP traffic and UE connectivity. For example, in a scenario where there are a total of 100 users served by the gNB-DU, 40 users can be allocated to gNB-CU-CP 1 and 60 users can be allocated to gNB-CU-CP 2, if the gNB-CU-CP detects a failure, the remaining 60 users can be connected and UP traffic can be maintained.

[0057] In case of dedicated CU for network slicing, if the gNB-CU does not support the selected slice, the gNB-DU triggers the UE Context Release Request procedure with cause value "CU does not support S-NSSAI (slice)". In addition, the gNB-DU transfers the RRC container with the slice information to the standby gNB-CU.

[0058] In case of dedicated CU for network slicing, if the gNB-CU detects a failure and cannot support slicing, the gNB-CU triggers the re-routing RRC request procedure to the standby gNB-CU.

[0059] Thus, in some embodiments, the disclosed techniques can be implemented to prevent failure of gNB-CU-CP and evenly distribute users in gNB-DU among different gNB-CU-CPs. In this case, even if one of the multiple gNB-CU-CPs detects a failure, it will not affect all UP traffic and UE connectivity. In addition, the gNB-CU-CP sends the number of served users to the gNB-DU / gNB-CU-UP via F1AP / E1AP signaling.

[0060] Figure 8 An example of a wireless communication process based on some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0061] In some embodiments, the wireless communication process 800 may include: step 810, a first network element receives a signaling connection establishment completion message from a user equipment, wherein the signaling connection establishment completion message indicates the establishment of a connection for a signaling message between the user equipment and a network device associated with the first network element; step 820, the first network element determines whether the second network element supports the network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message; and step 830, when it is determined that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message, the first network element sends the signaling message and information about the network slice to a third network element.

[0062] Fig. 9 Another example of a wireless communication process based on some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0063] In some embodiments, the wireless communication process 900 may include: step 910, the second network element receives a signaling container and a delivery message for delivering a signaling message from a first network element, wherein the signaling container includes at least one of a signaling connection establishment request message or a signaling connection establishment completion message, wherein the signaling connection establishment request message requests a connection for the signaling message, and the signaling connection establishment completion message indicates the establishment of a connection for the signaling message; step 920, the second network element determines whether the second network element supports the network slice corresponding to the signaling message; and step 930, in the case where it is determined that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling message, the second network element sends the signaling message and information about the network slice to a third network element.

[0064] Fig.10Another example of a wireless communication process based on some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology is shown.

[0065] In some embodiments, the wireless communication process 1000 may include: step 1010, a first network element transmitting a request message and information about the number of user devices being served by a network device associated with the first network element to a second network element; step 1020, the first network element receiving a response message from the second network element; and step 1030, based on the information about the number of user devices being served by the network device, allocating the user devices between different control planes of the second network element associated with the network device.

[0066] It should be understood that this patent document discloses techniques that can be implemented in various embodiments to determine downlink control information in a wireless network. The disclosure and other embodiments, modules and functional steps (operations) described in this patent document can be implemented in digital electronic circuits, or in computer software, firmware or hardware (including the structures disclosed in this patent document and their structural equivalents), or in a combination of one or more of them. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented as one or more computer program products, that is, one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution by a data processing device or control of the operation of the data processing device. The computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a material component that affects a machine-readable propagation signal, or a combination of one or more of them. The term "data processing device" includes all devices, devices and machines for processing data, including, for example, a programmable processor, a computer or multiple processors or computers. In addition to hardware, the device may include code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, for example, code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, eg, a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, that is generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus.

[0067] A computer program (also referred to as a program, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program may be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, in one or more coordinated files (e.g., files storing one or more modules, subroutines, or multiple portions of code). A computer program may be deployed to execute on a computer or multiple computers located at a site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0068] The processes and logic flows described in this patent document may be performed by one or more programmable processors that execute one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating outputs. The processes and logic flows may also be performed by dedicated logic circuits (e.g., Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) or Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs)), and the apparatus may also be implemented as dedicated logic circuits.

[0069] For example, processors suitable for executing computer programs include general and special purpose microprocessors and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Typically, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The basic elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, a computer will also include one or more large-capacity storage devices (e.g., magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks) for storing data or operably coupled to receive data from it or transmit data to it or both. However, a computer need not have such a device. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and memory devices, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and memory can be supplemented by or incorporated into a dedicated logic circuit.

[0070] Some embodiments may preferably implement one or more of the solutions listed below. The following solutions are supported and further described in the embodiments above and throughout this patent document. As used in the following solutions and claims, the wireless device can be a user equipment, a mobile station, or any other wireless terminal including a fixed node such as a base station. The network device includes a base station, which includes a next generation Node B (gNB), an enhanced Node B (eNB), or any other device as a base station.

[0071] Solution 1. A wireless communication method, comprising: a first network element receives a signaling connection establishment completion message from a user equipment, wherein the signaling connection establishment completion message indicates the establishment of a connection for a signaling message between the user equipment and a network device associated with the first network element; the first network element determines whether a second network element supports a network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message; and in the event that it is determined that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message, the first network element sends the signaling message and information about the network slice to a third network element.

[0072] Solution 2. The method according to Solution 1 also includes: the first network element sends a user equipment context release request message and a release reason value to the second network element, wherein the release reason value indicates that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message.

[0073] Solution 3. The method according to Solution 1 further includes: the first network element sending an initial signaling message and a signaling container to the third network element, wherein the signaling container includes at least one of a connection establishment request message or the signaling connection establishment completion message.

[0074] Solution 4. The method according to Solution 1, wherein the second network element triggers a user equipment context release procedure to release the established user equipment context.

[0075] Solution 5. The method according to Solution 1, wherein the third network element triggers a user equipment context establishment process to establish a user equipment context.

[0076] Solution 6. A wireless communication method, comprising: a second network element receives a signaling container and a delivery message for delivering a signaling message from a first network element, wherein the signaling container includes at least one of a signaling connection establishment request message or a signaling connection establishment completion message, wherein the signaling connection establishment request message requests a connection for the signaling message, and the signaling connection establishment completion message indicates the establishment of a connection for the signaling message; the second network element determines whether the second network element supports a network slice corresponding to the signaling message; and in the case of determining that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling message, the second network element sends the signaling message and information about the network slice to a third network element.

[0077] Solution 7. The method according to Solution 6, wherein the sending of the signaling message is a rerouting radio resource control (RRC) request process.

[0078] Solution 8. The method according to Solution 6, wherein the third network element triggers a user equipment context establishment process to establish a user equipment context.

[0079] Solution 9. The method according to any one of Solutions 1 to 8, wherein the first network element includes a distributed unit DU, the second network element includes a central unit CU, and the third network element includes a standby CU.

[0080] Solution 10. A method according to any one of Solutions 1 to 8, wherein the signaling includes radio resource control (RRC) signaling, wherein the connection establishment completion message is an RRC establishment completion message, the connection establishment request message is an RRC establishment request message, and the signaling container is an RRC container.

[0081] Solution 11. A wireless communication method, comprising: a first network element transmitting a request message and information about the number of user devices being served by a network device associated with the first network element to a second network element; the first network element receiving a response message from the second network element; and based on the information about the number of user devices being served by the network device, allocating the user devices between different control planes of the second network element associated with the network device.

[0082] Solution 12. The method according to Solution 11, wherein the first network element is a central unit CU of a base station, and the second network element is a distributed unit DU of the base station.

[0083] Solution 13. A method according to Solution 12, wherein the request message includes at least one of a next generation node B-central unit gNB-CU configuration update message, a user equipment UE context establishment request message, or a backhaul adaptation protocol BAP mapping configuration message.

[0084] Solution 14. A method according to Solution 12, wherein the response message includes a next generation node B-central unit gNB-CU configuration update confirmation message, a user equipment UE context establishment response message, or a backhaul adaptation protocol BAP mapping configuration confirmation message.

[0085] Solution 15. The method according to Solution 11, wherein the first network element is a control plane CP of a base station central unit CU, and the second network element is a user plane UP of the base station CU.

[0086] Solution 16. A method according to Solution 15, wherein the request message includes at least one of a gNB-CU-CP configuration update message or a bearer context establishment request message.

[0087] Solution 17. A method according to Solution 15, wherein the response message includes a gNB-CU-CP configuration update confirmation message or a bearer context establishment response message.

[0088] Solution 18. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the method according to any one of Solutions 1 to 17.

[0089] Solution 19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement a method according to any one of Solutions 1 to 17.

[0090] Some embodiments described in this patent document are described in the general context of a method or process, which in one embodiment can be implemented by a computer program product. The computer program product can be implemented in a computer-readable medium, which includes computer-executable instructions (such as program code) executed by a computer in a network environment. Computer-readable media may include removable and non-removable storage devices, including but not limited to read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVD), etc. Therefore, computer-readable media may include non-transitory storage media. Generally, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. Computer executable instructions or processor executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program codes for executing the steps of the method disclosed in this patent document. Such specific sequences of executable instructions or associated data structures represent examples of corresponding actions for implementing the functions described in such steps or processes.

[0091] Some of the disclosed embodiments may be implemented as devices or modules using hardware circuits, software, or a combination thereof. For example, a hardware circuit implementation may include discrete analog and / or digital components that are, for example, integrated as part of a printed circuit board. Alternatively or additionally, the disclosed components or modules may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and / or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Some embodiments may additionally or alternatively include a digital signal processor (DSP), which is a dedicated microprocessor with an architecture optimized for the operational needs of digital signal processing associated with the functions disclosed in the present application. Similarly, different components or subcomponents within each module may be implemented in software, hardware, or firmware. Connectivity between modules and / or components within a module may be provided using any of the connection methods and media known in the art, including, but not limited to, communication over the Internet, wired, or wireless networks using appropriate protocols.

[0092] Although this patent document contains many details, these details should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the claimed invention or the scope of the claimed protection, but rather as descriptions of the features of a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment in this patent document may also be implemented in a single embodiment in combination. On the contrary, the different features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination. In addition, although the features may be described above as working in certain combinations and even initially claimed, one or more features from the claimed combination may be removed from the combination in some embodiments, and the claimed combination may involve a sub-combination or a variant of a sub-combination. Similarly, although steps (operations) are depicted in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be understood as requiring such steps (operations) to be performed in the particular order shown or in order, or requiring all steps (operations) shown to be performed to achieve the desired result.

[0093] This patent document describes only a few implementations and examples, but other implementations, enhancements, and variations can be made based on what is described and illustrated in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: The first network element receives a signaling connection establishment completion message from a user equipment, wherein the signaling connection establishment completion message indicates establishment of a connection for a signaling message between the user equipment and a network device associated with the first network element; The first network element determines whether the second network element supports the network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message; and When it is determined that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message, the first network element sends the signaling message and information about the network slice to a third network element.

2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first network element sends a user equipment context release request message and a release reason value to the second network element, wherein the release reason value indicates that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling connection establishment completion message.

3. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first network element sends an initial signaling message and a signaling container to the third network element, wherein the signaling container includes at least one of a connection establishment request message or the signaling connection establishment completion message.

4. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein: The second network element triggers a user equipment context release procedure to release the established user equipment context.

5. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein: The third network element triggers a user equipment context establishment process to establish a user equipment context.

6. A wireless communication method, comprising: The second network element receives a signaling container and a transfer message for transferring a signaling message from the first network element, wherein the signaling container includes at least one of a signaling connection establishment request message or a signaling connection establishment completion message, wherein the signaling connection establishment request message requests a connection of the signaling message, and the signaling connection establishment completion message indicates the establishment of a connection of the signaling message; The second network element determines whether the second network element supports the network slice corresponding to the signaling message; and In the case of determining that the second network element does not support the network slice corresponding to the signaling message, the second network element sends the signaling message and information about the network slice to a third network element.

7. The wireless communication method according to claim 6, wherein: The sending of the signaling message is a rerouting radio resource control RRC request process.

8. The wireless communication method according to claim 6, wherein: The third network element triggers a user equipment context establishment process to establish a user equipment context.

9. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The first network element includes a distributed unit DU, the second network element includes a central unit CU, and the third network element includes a standby CU.

10. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The signaling includes radio resource control RRC signaling, wherein the connection establishment completion message is an RRC establishment completion message, the connection establishment request message is an RRC establishment request message, and the signaling container is an RRC container.

11. A wireless communication method, comprising: The first network element transmits the request message and information about the number of user equipment being served by a network device associated with the first network element to a second network element; The first network element receives a response message from the second network element; as well as Based on the information about the number of the user equipment being served by the network device, the user equipment is allocated between different control planes of the second network element associated with the network device.

12. The wireless communication method according to claim 11, wherein: The first network element is a central unit CU of a base station, and the second network element is a distributed unit DU of the base station.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 12, wherein: The request message includes at least one of a next generation node B-central unit gNB-CU configuration update message, a user equipment UE context establishment request message, or a backhaul adaptation protocol BAP mapping configuration message.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 12, wherein: The response message includes a next generation node B-central unit gNB-CU configuration update confirmation message, a user equipment UE context establishment response message, or a backhaul adaptation protocol BAP mapping configuration confirmation message.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 11, wherein: The first network element is a control plane CP of a base station central unit CU, and the second network element is a user plane UP of the base station CU.

16. The wireless communication method according to claim 15, wherein: The request message includes at least one of a gNB-CU-CP configuration update message or a bearer context establishment request message.

17. The wireless communication method according to claim 15, wherein: The response message includes a gNB-CU-CP configuration update confirmation message or a bearer context establishment response message.

18. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor configured to execute the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having codes stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

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