DU switching method and device, source DU, target DU and CU

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a DU switching method and device, a source DU, a target DU and a CU, and relates to the technical field of satellite communication, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining a target instruction from the CU under the condition that a measurement report is received from UE; generating a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction; sending a UE context creation instruction to the target DU to enable the target DU to create a UE context, and generating and sending a UE context creation response to the source DU; in response to the UE context creation response, sending a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response to the CU, and sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU; and forwarding the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, so that the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU, and determining that the UE completes DU switching. By applying the scheme provided by the embodiment of the invention, the DU switching time can be shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and in particular to a DU switching method, device, source DU, target DU and CU. Background Art

[0002] A network architecture is proposed in the related art. Under the network architecture, a wireless access network is divided into a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU).

[0003] When a UE (User Equipment) moves from the coverage of a DU managed by a CU to the coverage of another DU managed by the CU, an intra-CU inter-DU handover will be performed. In the related art, the DU handover process is usually led by the CU. During the DU handover process, the CU needs to perform signaling interaction with the source CU (DU before handover) and the target DU (DU after handover). The CU also needs to perform signaling interaction with the UE through the source DU or the target DU. Due to the high orbital position of the CU, the propagation delay of the instructions interacting with the CU during the DU handover process is relatively large, resulting in a long DU handover delay. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a DU switching method, device, source DU, target DU and CU to shorten the DU switching time. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching method, which is applied to a source distributed unit DU, and the method includes:

[0006] In case of receiving a measurement report from a user equipment UE, obtaining a target instruction from a centralized unit CU, the target instruction comprising: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message for the UE;

[0007] In response to the UE context modification instruction, generating a UE context modification response;

[0008] Sending the UE context creation instruction to the target DU so that the target DU creates a UE context, and after completing the UE context creation, generating and sending a UE context creation response to the source DU;

[0009] In response to the UE context creation response, sending the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU, and sending the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU;

[0010] The RRC reconfiguration completion message is forwarded to the target DU, so that the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU, and determines that the UE completes the DU switching.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, after forwarding the RRC reconfiguration complete message to the target DU, the method further includes:

[0012] Sending UE information of the UE to the target DU so that the target DU and the UE perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the UE information, wherein the UE information includes: status information indicating the data transmission status of the UE and user data information indicating the user data of the UE cached by the source DU.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sending the UE information of the UE to the target DU includes:

[0014] UE information including a sequence number of user data of the UE cached by the source DU, a sequence number of uplink data to be transmitted, and a sequence number of downlink data to be transmitted is sent to the target DU.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the source DU is configured with a target interface for data transmission with the target DU, and the sending the UE context creation instruction to the target DU includes:

[0016] Sending the UE context creation instruction to the target DU through the target interface;

[0017] The sending, in response to the UE context creation response, the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU includes:

[0018] In response to the UE context creation response received through the target interface, sending the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU;

[0019] The forwarding the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU includes:

[0020] The RRC reconfiguration complete message is forwarded to the target DU via the target interface.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sending the UE context creation instruction to the target DU includes:

[0022] When it is determined that there is no congestion in the channel between the source DU and the target DU, the UE context creation instruction is sent to the target DU.

[0023] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching method, which is applied to a target distributed unit DU, and the method includes:

[0024] In response to a user equipment UE context creation instruction received from a source DU, a UE context is created, and after the UE context creation is completed, a UE context creation response is generated and sent to the source DU, so that the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends a UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to a centralized unit CU, and sends a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU;

[0025] The UE context creation instruction is obtained after the source DU obtains a target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from the UE, generates the UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction contained in the target instruction, and sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU, and the target instruction includes: the UE context modification instruction for the source DU, the UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and the RRC reconfiguration message for the UE;

[0026] In response to the RRC reconfiguration completion message received from the source DU, the RRC reconfiguration completion message is sent to the CU to determine that the UE completes the DU switching, and the RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU.

[0027] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching method, which is applied to a centralized unit CU, and the method includes:

[0028] Sending a target instruction to a source distributed unit DU, so that the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from a user equipment UE, the target instruction including: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message for the UE;

[0029] receiving a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response sent from the source DU;

[0030] The UE context modification response and the UE context creation response are obtained after the source DU generates a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction, sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU, so that the target DU creates a UE context, generates and sends a UE context creation response to the source DU after completing the UE context creation, and the source DU responds to the UE context creation response and sends the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU;

[0031] receiving an RRC reconfiguration complete message sent from the target DU, and determining that the UE completes the DU switching;

[0032] The RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU, so that the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, and the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, after receiving the RRC reconfiguration completion message sent from the target DU and determining that the UE completes the DU switching, the method further includes:

[0034] For the UE, the corresponding relationship between the Packet Data Convergence Protocol PDCP entity corresponding to the CU and the Radio Link Control RLC entity corresponding to the source CU is deleted, and a corresponding relationship between the PDCP entity corresponding to the CU and the RLC entity corresponding to the target CU is established.

[0035] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching device, applied to a source distributed unit DU, the device comprising:

[0036] An instruction acquisition module is used to acquire a target instruction from a centralized unit CU when a measurement report is received from a user equipment UE, wherein the target instruction includes: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message for the UE;

[0037] A modification instruction response module, configured to generate a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction;

[0038] A creation instruction sending module, configured to send the UE context creation instruction to the target DU so that the target DU creates a UE context, and after completing the UE context creation, generate and send a UE context creation response to the source DU;

[0039] a response sending module, configured to send the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU in response to the UE context creation response, and send the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU;

[0040] The response forwarding module is used to forward the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, so that the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU to determine that the UE completes the DU switching.

[0041] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching device, applied to a target distributed unit DU, the device comprising:

[0042] An instruction response module is used to create a UE context in response to a user equipment UE context creation instruction received from a source DU, and after completing the UE context creation, generate and send a UE context creation response to the source DU, so that the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends a UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to a centralized unit CU, and sends a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU;

[0043] The UE context creation instruction is obtained after the source DU obtains a target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from the UE, generates the UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction contained in the target instruction, and sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU, and the target instruction includes: the UE context modification instruction for the source DU, the UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and the RRC reconfiguration message for the UE;

[0044] an acknowledgment response module, configured to send the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU in response to the RRC reconfiguration completion message received from the source DU, and determine that the UE completes the DU switching, wherein the RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU.

[0045] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching device, applied to a centralized unit CU, the device comprising:

[0046] An instruction sending module is used to send a target instruction to a source distributed unit DU, so that the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from a user equipment UE, and the target instruction includes: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for a target DU, and a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message for the UE;

[0047] A first response receiving module, configured to receive a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response sent from the source DU;

[0048] The UE context modification response and the UE context creation response are obtained after the source DU generates a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction, sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU, so that the target DU creates a UE context, generates and sends a UE context creation response to the source DU after completing the UE context creation, and the source DU responds to the UE context creation response and sends the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU;

[0049] A second response receiving module is used to receive an RRC reconfiguration completion message sent from the target DU to determine that the UE completes the DU switching;

[0050] The RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU, so that the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, and the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU.

[0051] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a source distributed unit DU, comprising a processor, a communication interface, a memory and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus;

[0052] Memory, used to store computer programs;

[0053] The processor is used to implement the DU switching method steps described in any one of the first aspects when executing the program stored in the memory.

[0054] In an eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a target distributed unit DU, comprising a processor, a communication interface, a memory and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus;

[0055] Memory, used to store computer programs;

[0056] The processor is used to implement the DU switching method steps described in the second aspect when executing the program stored in the memory.

[0057] In a ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a centralized unit CU, comprising a processor, a communication interface, a memory and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus;

[0058] Memory, used to store computer programs;

[0059] The processor is used to implement the DU switching method steps described in any one of the third aspects when executing the program stored in the memory.

[0060] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the DU switching method described in any one of the first aspects are implemented.

[0061] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the DU switching method described in the second aspect are implemented.

[0062] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the DU switching method described in any one of the third aspects are implemented.

[0063] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any DU switching method described in the first aspect.

[0064] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the DU switching method described in the second aspect above.

[0065] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any DU switching method described in the third aspect.

[0066] Beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention:

[0067] In the DU switching method provided by the embodiment of the present invention, when the source DU receives a measurement report from the UE, the source DU obtains a target instruction from the CU, and the target instruction includes instructions for interaction between the CU and the source DU, the CU and the target DU, and the CU and the UE, so that after the target instruction is obtained, the source DU can replace the CU to control the sending of the target instruction, so that there is no need to perform signaling interaction through the CU, the number of signaling interactions with the CU is reduced, and the DU switching time is shortened. .

[0068] Of course, it is not necessary to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time to implement any product or method of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0069] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other embodiments can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0070] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a DU switching scenario provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0071] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a process of controlling DU switching through a CU provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0072] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a first DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0073] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a second DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0074] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a third DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0075] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a fourth DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0076] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a fifth DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0077] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a sixth DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0078] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a seventh DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0079] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a first DU switching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0080] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a second DU switching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0081] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a third DU switching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0082] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the structure of a source DU provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0083] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the structure of a target DU provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0084] Fig.15 A schematic diagram of the structure of a CU provided in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0085] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the present invention belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0086] For ease of understanding, the DU switching scenario is first described. Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a DU switching scenario provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The curve in is used to indicate that the source DU and the target DU are in the same orbit, the source DU and the target DU are managed by the CU in a higher orbit, and the source DU and the target DU are connected to the CU through the F1 interface. When the UE moves from the coverage of the source DU managed by the CU to the coverage of the target DU managed by the CU, the UE needs to switch from the source DU to the target DU, that is, the UE needs to disconnect the original connection with the source DU (corresponding to the solid line in the figure) and establish a new connection with the target DU (corresponding to the dotted line in the figure) to ensure that the UE can subsequently communicate normally with the CU through the target DU.

[0087] In the related art, the DU switching process is usually led by the CU, see Figure 2 , Figure 2A flow chart of controlling DU switching through CU is provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The DU switching process is divided into a switching preparation phase and a switching execution phase. Before the switching, the UE transmits data with the CU through the source DU. Specifically, the UE transmits uplink data and downlink data with the CU through the source DU. The DU switching process may specifically include the following steps S201-S2014.

[0088] S201: The UE sends a measurement report (Measurement Report) to the source DU.

[0089] S202: The source DU forwards the measurement report to the CU via an uplink RRC (Radio Resource Control) message (ULRRC MESSAGE TRANSFER).

[0090] S203: The CU sends a UE context modification request (UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST) to the source DU.

[0091] S204: The source DU sends a UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION RESPONSE to the CU.

[0092] S205: The CU sends a UE context creation instruction (UE CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST) to the target DU.

[0093] S206: The target DU sends a UE CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE to the CU.

[0094] S207: The CU sends a UE context modification instruction including an RRC reconfiguration message to the source DU.

[0095] Among them, the RRC reconfiguration message can be used to instruct the UE to stop data transmission with the source DU, end the connection with the source DU, and establish a connection with the target DU through a random access process.

[0096] S208: The source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE.

[0097] After receiving the RRC reconfiguration message, the UE stops data transmission with the source DU.

[0098] S209: The source DU sends a UE context modification response to the CU.

[0099] The above UE context modification response includes a message that the source DU disconnects from the UE.

[0100] The above steps S201-S209 are the handover preparation stage of the DU handover process.

[0101] S2010: Through the random access procedure, the UE establishes a connection with the target DU.

[0102] S2011: The UE sends an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message to the target DU.

[0103] S2012: The target DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU via an uplink RRC transmission message.

[0104] After executing step S2012, the UE transmits uplink data and downlink data with the CU through the target DU.

[0105] S2013: The CU sends a UE CONTEXT RELEASE COMMAND to the source DU.

[0106] S2014: The source DU sends a UE CONTEXT RELEASE COMPLETE message to the CU.

[0107] The above steps S2010-S2014 are the switching execution phase of the DU switching process.

[0108] As can be seen from the above, in the related art, the DU switching process is usually led by the CU. During the DU switching process, the CU needs to perform signaling interaction with the source CU and the target DU, and also needs to perform signaling interaction with the UE through the source DU or the target DU. However, due to the high orbital position of the CU, the propagation delay of the instructions interacting with the CU during the DU switching process is large, resulting in a long DU switching delay.

[0109] In order to shorten the DU switching time, the embodiments of the present invention provide a DU switching method, device, source DU, target DU and CU, which are described in detail below.

[0110] The embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching method, which is applied to the source DU, see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flow chart of a first DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The method may include the following steps S301-S306.

[0111] S301: When a measurement report is received from a UE, a target instruction is obtained from a CU.

[0112] The above UE may be a mobile phone, a smart terminal, a multimedia device, a streaming media device, etc.

[0113] In one example, in order to achieve faster switching, the above measurement report can be an L1 measurement report, which can quickly detect signal fading without going through L3 filtering and waiting for event trigger conditions to be met, and avoid the occurrence of RLF (Radio link failure) caused by untimely switching. The subsequent source DU can prepare for and execute switching based on the L1 measurement results in the L1 measurement report.

[0114] Among them, the target instructions obtained by the source DU from the CU are instructions that need to be sent through the CU during the DU switching process. The above target instructions may specifically include: UE context modification instructions for the source DU, UE context creation instructions for the target DU, and RRC reconfiguration messages for the UE.

[0115] Furthermore, since the CU control plane is unique, any object that subsequently receives the target instruction will consider the object that sends the target instruction to be the CU.

[0116] S302: In response to the UE context modification instruction, generate a UE context modification response.

[0117] In order to reduce the interaction between the DU and the CU during the DU switching process, the UE context modification response generated by the source DU will be sent to the CU together with the UE context creation response in the subsequent step S305.

[0118] S303: Send a UE context creation instruction to the target DU so that the target DU creates a UE context. After completing the UE context creation, generate and send a UE context creation response to the source DU.

[0119] Specifically, it is determined whether the UE needs to be switched according to the measurement report sent by the UE. If it is determined that the UE needs to be switched, the above step S303 is executed.

[0120] See also Figure 2 In the related technology shown, the UE context creation instruction is sent to the target DU through the CU, while the embodiment of the present invention obtains the UE context creation instruction from the CU in the above step S301, and sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU through the source DU, and no longer sends the UE context creation instruction through the CU, thereby reducing the interaction with the CU during the DU switching process.

[0121] S304: In response to the UE context creation response, a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response are sent to the CU.

[0122] S305: Send an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU.

[0123] Specifically, when the source DU sends a UE context creation response to the CU, an F1 address indicator identifying the target DU may be attached to indicate that the UE context creation response is generated for the target DU.

[0124] Furthermore, after receiving the RRC reconfiguration message, the UE stops data transmission with the source DU and starts switching to the target DU. When the UE successfully switches to the target DU, an RRC reconfiguration completion message is generated and sent to the source DU.

[0125] See also Figure 2 In the related technology shown, the UE context modification response is sent by the source DU to the CU, and the UE context creation response is sent by the target DU to the CU. The two responses correspond to two interactions of the CU respectively. In the embodiment of the present invention, the two responses are sent to the CU directly through the source DU, without the need for two interactions of the CU, thereby reducing the interaction with the CU during the DU switching process.

[0126] in addition, Figure 2 In the related art shown, the RRC reconfiguration message needs to be sent to the source DU through the UE context modification instruction sent by the CU, and the RRC reconfiguration message is forwarded to the UE via the source DU, and after the forwarding is completed, the source DU also needs to send a UE context modification response to the CU. In the embodiment of the present invention, the RRC reconfiguration message is directly sent to the UE through the source DU, the UE context modification instruction and the UE context modification response between the source DU and the CU are omitted, the DU switching steps are simplified, and the robustness of the DU switching is enhanced.

[0127] S306: Forward the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, so that the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU, and determines that the UE completes the DU switching.

[0128] Specifically, the target DU may forward the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU via an uplink RRC transmission message.

[0129] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the source DU receives a measurement report from the UE, it obtains a target instruction from the CU, where the target instruction includes instructions for interaction between the CU and the source DU, the CU and the target DU, and the CU and the UE. Therefore, after obtaining the target instruction, the source DU can control the sending of the target instruction instead of the CU, so that there is no need to perform signaling interaction through the CU, thereby reducing the number of signaling interactions with the CU and shortening the DU switching time.

[0130] Moreover, the orbital position of the source DU is relatively low relative to the CU, so that the DU switching process led by the source DU is moved closer to the UE, making the DU switching process more stable and reliable.

[0131] in addition, Figure 2 The related technology shown involves multiple signaling interactions between the CU and the source DU. In this case, if the CU and the source DU have difficulty interacting, the instruction transmission between the CU and the source DU will be interrupted, and then the switching will be interrupted. In the embodiment of the present invention, since the source DU leads the switching process, the switching process is mostly achieved through the signaling interaction between the source DU and the target DU. Therefore, even if the CU and the source DU have difficulty interacting, the switching process can still be achieved through the signaling interaction between the source DU and the target DU, thereby ensuring that the DU switching process can proceed normally.

[0132] Figure 2 The related technology shown does not support the interaction of instructions and messages between the source DU and the target DU, but in the embodiment of the present invention, the interaction of signaling and messages between the source DU and the target DU is supported during the DU switching process, so that the DU switching process can proceed normally based on the interaction of signaling and messages between the source DU and the target DU.

[0133] also, Figure 2 In the related art shown, since the CU leads the DU switching process, the signaling interaction is usually based on L3 (layer 3), which often involves more complicated processing. In the embodiment of the present invention, the source DU leads the DU switching process, so that the DU switching can instruct the UE to perform DU switching through L1 (layer 1) and L2 (layer 2) instructions, avoiding the complex processing involving L3 instructions, shortening the delay of the DU switching process, and thus reducing the probability of DU switching interruption.

[0134] In one embodiment of the present invention, see Figure 4 , Figure 4 The flowchart of the second DU switching method provided by the embodiment of the present invention may further include the following step S307 after step S306.

[0135] S307: Send UE information of the UE to the target DU, so that the target DU and the UE perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the UE information.

[0136] The UE information includes: status information indicating the data transmission status of the UE and user data information indicating the user data of the UE cached by the source DU.

[0137] In one example, the state information may include: uplink data to be transmitted, downlink data to be transmitted. The user data information is user data of the UE cached by the source DU. When the target DU receives the transmitted uplink data and downlink data included in the state information, it is confirmed that the state synchronization is completed.

[0138] In one example, the user data information may directly include the user data of the UE cached by the source DU. When the target DU receives the user data, it confirms that the data synchronization is completed.

[0139] In an embodiment of the present invention, the source DU sends UE information to the target DU, so that the target DU can perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the UE information, so that after the UE switches from the source DU to the target DU, the target DU can inherit the data transmission status of the source DU, so that the transmission of uplink data and downlink data that has not yet been transmitted can be continued subsequently.

[0140] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above step S307 can be specifically implemented by the following step A.

[0141] Step A: Send UE information including the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted, and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted to the target DU, so that the target DU and the UE perform data synchronization based on the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, and perform status synchronization based on the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted.

[0142] Specifically, when the target DU receives UE information including the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, the target DU obtains the user data under the sequence number from the source DU to achieve data synchronization. When the target DU receives UE information including the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted, state synchronization is achieved, and the target DU will subsequently obtain the uplink data to be transmitted corresponding to the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted from the UE, and transmit the downlink data to be transmitted corresponding to the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted to the UE.

[0143] In an embodiment of the present invention, the UE information sent to the target DU includes the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted, and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted, so that the target DU can perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the sequence number, ensuring that each cached user data can be synchronized to the target DU, and the status of each data to be transmitted can also be synchronized to the target DU, so as to avoid the loss of user data and uplink data and downlink data that have not yet been transmitted.

[0144] In one embodiment of the present invention, the source DU is configured with a target interface for data transmission with the target DU.

[0145] If a target interface is configured between the source DU and the target DU, see Figure 5 , Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a third DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the Figure 3 In the embodiment, step S303 may specifically include S303A, step S304 may specifically include S304A, and step S306 may specifically include S306A.

[0146] S303A: Send a UE context creation instruction to the target DU through the target interface, so that the target DU creates a UE context. After completing the UE context creation, generate and send a UE context creation response to the source DU.

[0147] S304A: In response to the UE context creation response received through the target interface, send a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response to the CU.

[0148] S306A: Forward the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU through the target interface, so that the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU, and determines that the UE completes the DU switching.

[0149] In addition, the source DU may send the semi-static scheduling configuration to the target DU through the target interface, so that the target DU may inherit the semi-static scheduling configuration for subsequent data transmission.

[0150] In the embodiment of the present invention, by configuring a target interface between a source DU and a target DU, the delay of signaling or data interaction between the two is shortened, thereby improving the rate at which the UE performs DU switching.

[0151] In one embodiment of the present invention, see Figure 6 , Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a fourth DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the Figure 3 Step S303 in the embodiment may specifically include S303B.

[0152] S303B: When it is determined that there is no congestion in the channel between the source DU and the target DU, a UE context creation instruction is sent to the target DU so that the target DU creates a UE context. After the UE context creation is completed, a UE context creation response is generated and sent to the source DU.

[0153] Specifically, when the channel transmission load between the source DU and the target DU is small or the channel communication signal is good, the UE context creation instruction may be sent to the target DU.

[0154] In an embodiment of the present invention, when there is no congestion in the channel between the source DU and the target DU, sending a UE context creation instruction to the target DU can enable the UE context creation instruction to be sent normally to the target DU, so that subsequent processes can proceed normally on this basis.

[0155] The embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching method, which is applied to the target DU. Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic flow chart of a fifth DU switching method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The method may include the following steps S701-S702.

[0156] S701: In response to the UE context creation instruction received from the source DU, a UE context is created. After the UE context creation is completed, a UE context creation response is generated and sent to the source DU, so that the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response to the CU, and sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU.

[0157] Among them, the UE context creation instruction is obtained after the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from the UE, generates a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction contained in the target instruction, and sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU. The target instruction includes: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and an RRC reconfiguration message for the UE.

[0158] S702: In response to the RRC reconfiguration complete message received from the source DU, an RRC reconfiguration complete message is sent to the CU to determine that the UE completes the DU switching.

[0159] The RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU.

[0160] In the embodiment of the present invention, the target DU performs subsequent interactions according to the instructions received from the source DU, and the source DU takes the lead in executing the steps in the DU switching process without signaling interaction with the CU, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0161] In one embodiment of the present invention, after the above step S702, the above method may further include:

[0162] Step (1): The target DU obtains UE information from the source DU, and performs data synchronization and status synchronization between the target DU and the UE based on the UE information.

[0163] The UE information includes: status information indicating the data transmission status of the UE and user data information indicating the user data of the UE cached by the source DU. Received UE context creation instruction.

[0164] In an embodiment of the present invention, by acquiring UE information, the target DU can perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the UE information, so that after the UE switches from the source DU to the target DU, the target DU can inherit the data transmission status of the source DU, so that the transmission of uplink data and downlink data that have not yet been transmitted can be continued subsequently.

[0165] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above step (1) may specifically include:

[0166] Step (1.1): The target DU obtains UE information including the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted, and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted from the source DU, and performs data synchronization based on the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, and performs state synchronization based on the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted.

[0167] In an embodiment of the present invention, by obtaining UE information including the sequence number of user data of the UE cached by the source DU, the sequence number of uplink data to be transmitted, and the sequence number of downlink data to be transmitted from the source DU, the target DU can perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the sequence number, ensuring that each cached user data can be synchronized to the target DU, and the status of each data to be transmitted can also be synchronized to the target DU, so as to avoid the loss of user data and uplink data and downlink data that have not yet been transmitted.

[0168] In one embodiment of the present invention, the target DU is configured with a target interface for data transmission with the source DU.

[0169] In the embodiment of the present invention, by configuring a target interface between a source DU and a target DU, the delay of signaling or data interaction between the two is shortened, thereby improving the rate at which the UE performs DU switching.

[0170] In one embodiment of the present invention, the UE context creation instruction may be obtained after the source DU determines that there is no congestion in the channel between the source DU and the target DU and sends it to the target DU.

[0171] In the embodiment of the present invention, when there is no congestion in the channel between the source DU and the target DU, a UE context creation instruction is received from the source DU so that the instruction can be normally received by the target DU, thereby enabling subsequent processes to proceed normally on this basis.

[0172] The embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching method, which is applied to CU, see Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a flow chart of a sixth DU switching method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The method may include the following steps S801-S803.

[0173] S801: Send a target instruction to a source DU, so that the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from the UE.

[0174] The target instructions include: UE context modification instructions for source DU, UE context creation instructions for target DU, and RRC reconfiguration messages for UE.

[0175] S802: Receive a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response sent from the source DU.

[0176] The UE context modification response and the UE context creation response are obtained after the source DU generates a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction, sends a UE context creation instruction to the target DU, so that the target DU creates a UE context, generates and sends a UE context creation response to the source DU after completing the UE context creation, and the source DU responds to the UE context creation response and sends a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response to the CU;

[0177] S803: Receive an RRC reconfiguration completion message sent from the target DU, and determine that the UE completes the DU switching.

[0178] Among them, the RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU, so that the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, and the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU.

[0179] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the source DU receives a measurement report from the UE, it obtains the target instruction from the CU, so that after obtaining the target instruction, the source DU controls the sending of the target instruction instead of the CU, and subsequently sends the response of the source DU and the response of the target DU to the CU together, so that during the entire switching process, the CU only needs to perform one signaling interaction with the source DU, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0180] In one embodiment of the present invention, after receiving the RRC reconfiguration completion message sent from the target DU and determining that the UE completes the DU switching, the method further includes:

[0181] For the UE, the correspondence between the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) entity corresponding to the CU and the RLC (Radio Link Control) entity corresponding to the source CU is deleted, and a correspondence between the PDCP entity corresponding to the CU and the RLC entity corresponding to the target CU is established.

[0182] After the UE completes DU switching, the UE has switched from the source DU to the target DU. Therefore, the correspondence between the PDCP entity corresponding to the CU and the entity corresponding to the source CU established before the UE switching no longer conforms to the current situation. It is necessary to delete the correspondence and re-establish the correspondence between the PDCP entity corresponding to the CU and the RLC entity corresponding to the target CU for the UE to update the correspondence.

[0183] In an embodiment of the present invention, by updating the correspondence between the PDCP entity and the RLC entity of the UE, subsequent data transmission can be performed based on the correspondence between the PDCP entity corresponding to the updated CU and the RLC entity corresponding to the target CU, thereby ensuring that subsequent data transmission can proceed normally.

[0184] In an example, the DU switching process is explained in combination with the interaction between the CU, source DU, target DU, and UE. Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 This is a flow chart of a seventh DU switching method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The method may include the following steps S901-S9011.

[0185] S901: The UE sends a measurement report to the source DU.

[0186] S902: When receiving the measurement report, the source DU obtains a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and an RRC reconfiguration message for the UE from the CU.

[0187] After receiving the UE context modification instruction, the source DU generates a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction.

[0188] S903: The source DU sends a UE context creation instruction to the target DU.

[0189] S904: The target DU generates and sends a UE context creation response to the source DU in response to the UE context creation instruction.

[0190] Specifically, the target DU creates a UE context in response to the UE context creation instruction, and after completing the UE context creation, generates and sends a UE context creation response to the source DU.

[0191] S905: The source DU sends a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response to the CU in response to the UE context creation response.

[0192] S906: The source DU sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE.

[0193] S907: The UE sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU.

[0194] Specifically, after receiving the RRC reconfiguration message, the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU.

[0195] S908: The source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU.

[0196] S909: The target DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU via an uplink RRC transmission message.

[0197] S9010: The source DU sends, to the target DU, UE information including status information indicating the data transmission status of the UE and user data information indicating user data of the UE cached by the source DU.

[0198] S9011: Data synchronization and status synchronization are performed between the target DU and the UE based on the UE information.

[0199] After data synchronization and state synchronization are completed between the target DU and the UE, it is determined that the UE completes the DU switching, and the UE can perform data transmission with the CU through the target DU.

[0200] The embodiment of the present invention further provides a DU switching device, which is applied to a source DU, see Fig.10 , Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a first DU switching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, the device comprising:

[0201] The instruction acquisition module 1001 is used to acquire target instructions from the CU when a measurement report is received from the UE. The target instructions include: UE context modification instructions for the source DU, UE context creation instructions for the target DU, and RRC reconfiguration messages for the UE.

[0202] The modification instruction response module 1002 is configured to generate a UE context modification response in response to a UE context modification instruction.

[0203] The creation instruction sending module 1003 is used to send a UE context creation instruction to the target DU so that the target DU creates a UE context, and after completing the UE context creation, generate and send a UE context creation response to the source DU.

[0204] The response sending module 1004 is used to respond to the UE context creation response, send the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU, and send an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU.

[0205] The response forwarding module 1005 is used to forward the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, so that the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU to determine that the UE completes the DU switching.

[0206] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the source DU receives a measurement report from the UE, it obtains a target instruction from the CU, where the target instruction includes instructions for interaction between the CU and the source DU, the CU and the target DU, and the CU and the UE. Therefore, after obtaining the target instruction, the source DU can control the sending of the target instruction instead of the CU, so that there is no need to perform signaling interaction through the CU, thereby reducing the number of signaling interactions with the CU and shortening the DU switching time.

[0207] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned device includes: a data synchronization module, which is used to send UE information of the UE to the target DU after forwarding the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, so that the target DU and the UE perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the UE information.

[0208] The UE information includes: status information indicating the data transmission status of the UE and user data information indicating the user data of the UE cached by the source DU.

[0209] In an embodiment of the present invention, the source DU sends UE information to the target DU, so that the target DU can perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the UE information, so that after the UE switches from the source DU to the target DU, the target DU can inherit the data transmission status of the source DU, so that the transmission of uplink data and downlink data that has not yet been transmitted can be continued subsequently.

[0210] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned data synchronization module can be specifically used to: after forwarding the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, send UE information including the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted, and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted to the target DU, so that the target DU and the UE perform data synchronization based on the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, and perform status synchronization based on the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted.

[0211] In an embodiment of the present invention, the UE information sent to the target DU includes the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted, and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted, so that the target DU can perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the sequence number, ensuring that each cached user data can be synchronized to the target DU, and the status of each data to be transmitted can also be synchronized to the target DU, so as to avoid the loss of user data and uplink data and downlink data that have not yet been transmitted.

[0212] In one embodiment of the present invention, the source DU is configured with a target interface for data transmission with the target DU.

[0213] In the embodiment of the present invention, by configuring a target interface between a source DU and a target DU, the delay of signaling or data interaction between the two is shortened, thereby improving the rate at which the UE performs DU switching.

[0214] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned creation instruction sending module 1003 can be specifically used to: when it is determined that there is no congestion in the channel between the source DU and the target DU, send a UE context creation instruction to the target DU so that the target DU creates a UE context, and after completing the UE context creation, generate and send a UE context creation response to the source DU.

[0215] In an embodiment of the present invention, when there is no congestion in the channel between the source DU and the target DU, sending a UE context creation instruction to the target DU can enable the UE context creation instruction to be sent normally to the target DU, so that subsequent processes can proceed normally on this basis.

[0216] The embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching device, which is applied to a target DU. Fig.11 , Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a second DU switching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, the device comprising:

[0217] The instruction response module 1101 is used to create a UE context in response to a UE context creation instruction received from a source DU, and after completing the UE context creation, generate and send a UE context creation response to the source DU, so that the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response to the CU, and sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU.

[0218] Among them, the UE context creation instruction is obtained after the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from the UE, generates a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction contained in the target instruction, and sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU. The target instruction includes: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and an RRC reconfiguration message for the UE.

[0219] The acknowledgment response module 1102 is configured to send an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU in response to the RRC reconfiguration completion message received from the source DU, and determine that the UE completes the DU switching.

[0220] The RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU.

[0221] In the embodiment of the present invention, the target DU performs subsequent interactions according to the instructions received from the source DU, and the source DU takes the lead in executing the steps in the DU switching process without signaling interaction with the CU, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0222] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above device may further include:

[0223] The data synchronization module is used for the target DU to obtain UE information from the source DU, and to perform data synchronization and status synchronization between the target DU and the UE based on the UE information.

[0224] The UE information includes: status information indicating the data transmission status of the UE and user data information indicating the user data of the UE cached by the source DU. Received UE context creation instruction.

[0225] In an embodiment of the present invention, by acquiring UE information, the target DU can perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the UE information, so that after the UE switches from the source DU to the target DU, the target DU can inherit the data transmission status of the source DU, so that the transmission of uplink data and downlink data that have not yet been transmitted can be continued subsequently.

[0226] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned data synchronization module can be specifically used for: the target DU obtains UE information including the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted, and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted from the source DU, and performs data synchronization based on the sequence number of the user data of the UE cached by the source DU, and performs status synchronization based on the sequence number of the uplink data to be transmitted and the sequence number of the downlink data to be transmitted.

[0227] In an embodiment of the present invention, by obtaining UE information including the sequence number of user data of the UE cached by the source DU, the sequence number of uplink data to be transmitted, and the sequence number of downlink data to be transmitted from the source DU, the target DU can perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the sequence number, ensuring that each cached user data can be synchronized to the target DU, and the status of each data to be transmitted can also be synchronized to the target DU, so as to avoid the loss of user data and uplink data and downlink data that have not yet been transmitted.

[0228] In one embodiment of the present invention, the target DU is configured with a target interface for data transmission with the source DU.

[0229] In the embodiment of the present invention, by configuring a target interface between a source DU and a target DU, the delay of signaling or data interaction between the two is shortened, thereby improving the rate at which the UE performs DU switching.

[0230] In one embodiment of the present invention, the UE context creation instruction responded in the instruction response module 1101 may be obtained after the source DU sends the instruction to the target DU when the source DU determines that there is no congestion in the channel between the source DU and the target DU.

[0231] In the embodiment of the present invention, when there is no congestion in the channel between the source DU and the target DU, a UE context creation instruction is received from the source DU so that the instruction can be normally received by the target DU, thereby enabling subsequent processes to proceed normally on this basis.

[0232] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a DU switching device, which is applied to a CU, see Fig.12 , Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of a third DU switching device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, the device comprising:

[0233] The instruction sending module 1201 is used to send a target instruction to the source DU so that the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from the UE. The target instruction includes: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and an RRC reconfiguration message for the UE.

[0234] The first response receiving module 1202 is configured to receive a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response sent from a source DU.

[0235] Among them, the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response are obtained after the source DU responds to the UE context modification instruction, generates a UE context modification response, sends a UE context creation instruction to the target DU, so that the target DU creates a UE context, and after completing the UE context creation, generates and sends a UE context creation response to the source DU, and the source DU responds to the UE context creation response and sends a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response to the CU.

[0236] The second response receiving module 1203 is used to receive the RRC reconfiguration completion message sent from the target DU, and determine that the UE completes the DU switching.

[0237] Among them, the RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU, so that the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, and the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU.

[0238] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the source DU receives a measurement report from the UE, it obtains the target instruction from the CU, so that after obtaining the target instruction, the source DU controls the sending of the target instruction instead of the CU, and subsequently sends the response of the source DU and the response of the target DU to the CU together, so that during the entire switching process, the CU only needs to perform one signaling interaction with the source DU, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0239] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned device also includes: a relationship update module, which is used to, after receiving the RRC reconfiguration completion message sent from the target DU and determining that the UE completes the DU switching, delete the corresponding relationship between the PDCP entity corresponding to the CU and the RLC entity corresponding to the source CU for the UE, and establish a corresponding relationship between the PDCP entity corresponding to the CU and the RLC entity corresponding to the target CU.

[0240] In an embodiment of the present invention, by updating the correspondence between the PDCP entity and the RLC entity of the UE, subsequent data transmission can be performed based on the correspondence between the PDCP entity corresponding to the updated CU and the RLC entity corresponding to the target CU, thereby ensuring that subsequent data transmission can proceed normally.

[0241] The embodiment of the present invention also provides a source DU, such as Fig.13 As shown, Fig.13A schematic diagram of the structure of a source DU provided in an embodiment of the present invention includes a processor 1301, a communication interface 1302, a memory 1303 and a communication bus 1304, wherein the processor 1301, the communication interface 1302, and the memory 1303 communicate with each other through the communication bus 1304.

[0242] Memory 1303, used for storing computer programs;

[0243] The processor 1301 is configured to implement any of the above steps of the DU switching method applied to the source DU when executing the program stored in the memory 1303.

[0244] When the source DU provided in the embodiment of the present invention is applied to perform DU switching, the source DU obtains a target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from the UE. The target instruction includes instructions for interaction between the CU and the source DU, the CU and the target DU, and the CU and the UE. Therefore, after obtaining the target instruction, the source DU can control the sending of the target instruction instead of the CU, so that there is no need to perform signaling interaction through the CU, thereby reducing the number of signaling interactions with the CU and shortening the DU switching time.

[0245] The embodiment of the present invention also provides a target DU, such as Fig.14 As shown, Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the structure of a target DU provided in an embodiment of the present invention includes a processor 1401, a communication interface 1402, a memory 1403 and a communication bus 1404, wherein the processor 1401, the communication interface 1402, and the memory 1403 communicate with each other through the communication bus 1404.

[0246] Memory 1403, used for storing computer programs;

[0247] The processor 1401 is configured to implement any of the above steps of the DU switching method applied to the target DU when executing the program stored in the memory 1403.

[0248] When the target DU provided in the embodiment of the present invention is used for DU switching, the target DU performs subsequent interactions according to the instructions received from the source DU, and the steps in the DU switching process are executed by the source DU without signaling interaction with the CU, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0249] The embodiment of the present invention further provides a CU, such as Fig.15 As shown, Fig.15A schematic diagram of a CU structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a processor 1501, a communication interface 1502, a memory 1503 and a communication bus 1504, wherein the processor 1501, the communication interface 1502, and the memory 1503 communicate with each other through the communication bus 1504.

[0250] Memory 1503, used for storing computer programs;

[0251] The processor 1501 is configured to implement any of the above steps of the DU switching method applied to the CU when executing the program stored in the memory 1503.

[0252] When the CU provided in the embodiment of the present invention is used to perform DU switching, the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving the measurement report from the UE, so that after obtaining the target instruction, the source DU controls the sending of the target instruction instead of the CU, and subsequently sends the response of the source DU and the response of the target DU to the CU together, so that during the entire switching process, the CU only needs to perform one signaling interaction with the source DU, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0253] The communication bus mentioned in the above electronic device (source DU, target DU or CU) can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The communication bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, only one thick line is used in the figure, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0254] The communication interface is used for communication between the above electronic device and other devices.

[0255] The memory may include a random access memory (RAM) or a non-volatile memory (NVM), such as at least one disk memory. Optionally, the memory may also be at least one storage device located away from the aforementioned processor.

[0256] The above-mentioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components.

[0257] In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of any of the above-mentioned DU switching methods applied to the source DU are implemented.

[0258] When the computer program stored in the computer-readable storage medium provided by the embodiment of the present invention is applied to perform DU switching, the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving the measurement report from the UE, and the target instruction includes instructions for interaction between the CU and the source DU, the CU and the target DU, and the CU and the UE, so that after obtaining the target instruction, the source DU can control the sending of the target instruction instead of the CU, so that there is no need to perform signaling interaction through the CU subsequently, reducing the number of signaling interactions with the CU, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0259] In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of any of the above-mentioned DU switching methods applied to the target DU are implemented.

[0260] When the computer program stored in the computer-readable storage medium provided by the embodiment of the present invention is applied to perform DU switching, the target DU performs subsequent interactions according to the instructions received from the source DU, and the steps in the DU switching process are executed by the source DU without the need for signaling interaction with the CU, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0261] In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of any of the above-mentioned DU switching methods applied to a CU are implemented.

[0262] When the computer program stored in the computer-readable storage medium provided by the embodiment of the present invention is applied to perform DU switching, the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving the measurement report from the UE, so that after obtaining the target instruction, the source DU controls the sending of the target instruction instead of the CU, and subsequently sends the response of the source DU and the response of the target DU to the CU together, so that the CU only needs to perform one signaling interaction with the source DU during the entire switching process, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0263] In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product including instructions is provided. When the computer program product is executed on a computer, the computer executes any DU switching method applied to a source DU in the above embodiments.

[0264] When the computer program product provided by the embodiment of the present invention is applied to perform DU switching, the source DU obtains a target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from the UE. The target instruction includes instructions for interaction between the CU and the source DU, the CU and the target DU, and the CU and the UE. Therefore, after obtaining the target instruction, the source DU can control the sending of the target instruction instead of the CU, so that there is no need to perform signaling interaction through the CU, thereby reducing the number of signaling interactions with the CU and shortening the DU switching time.

[0265] In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product including instructions is provided. When the computer program product is executed on a computer, the computer executes any DU switching method applied to a target DU in the above embodiments.

[0266] When the computer program product provided by the embodiment of the present invention is applied to perform DU switching, the target DU performs subsequent interactions according to the instructions received from the source DU, and the steps in the DU switching process are executed by the source DU without signaling interaction with the CU, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0267] In another embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product including instructions is provided. When the computer program product is executed on a computer, the computer executes any DU switching method applied to a CU in the above embodiments.

[0268] When the computer program product provided by the embodiment of the present invention is applied to perform DU switching, the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving the measurement report from the UE, so that after obtaining the target instruction, the source DU controls the sending of the target instruction instead of the CU, and subsequently sends the response of the source DU and the response of the target DU to the CU together, so that during the entire switching process, the CU only needs to perform one signaling interaction with the source DU, thereby shortening the DU switching time.

[0269] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present invention is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website site, computer, server or data center to another website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state hard disk Solid State Disk (SSD)), etc.

[0270] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0271] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a related manner, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for the device, source DU, target DU, CU, and computer-readable storage medium embodiments, since they are basically similar to the method embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiments.

[0272] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention are included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A DU switching method, characterized in that: Applied to a source distributed unit DU, the method comprises: In case of receiving a measurement report from a user equipment UE, obtaining a target instruction from a centralized unit CU, the target instruction comprising: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message for the UE; In response to the UE context modification instruction, generating a UE context modification response; Sending the UE context creation instruction to the target DU so that the target DU creates a UE context, and after completing the UE context creation, generating and sending a UE context creation response to the source DU; In response to the UE context creation response, sending the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU, and sending the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU; The RRC reconfiguration completion message is forwarded to the target DU, so that the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU, and determines that the UE completes the DU switching.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that After forwarding the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, the method further includes: Sending UE information of the UE to the target DU so that the target DU and the UE perform data synchronization and status synchronization based on the UE information, wherein the UE information includes: status information indicating the data transmission status of the UE and user data information indicating the user data of the UE cached by the source DU.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The sending the UE information of the UE to the target DU includes: UE information including a sequence number of user data of the UE cached by the source DU, a sequence number of uplink data to be transmitted, and a sequence number of downlink data to be transmitted is sent to the target DU.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The source DU is configured with a target interface for performing data transmission with the target DU, and the sending the UE context creation instruction to the target DU includes: Sending the UE context creation instruction to the target DU through the target interface; The sending, in response to the UE context creation response, the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU includes: In response to the UE context creation response received through the target interface, sending the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU; The forwarding the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU includes: The RRC reconfiguration complete message is forwarded to the target DU via the target interface.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The sending the UE context creation instruction to the target DU includes: When it is determined that there is no congestion in the channel between the source DU and the target DU, the UE context creation instruction is sent to the target DU.

6. A DU switching method, characterized in that: Applied to a target distributed unit DU, the method comprises: In response to a user equipment UE context creation instruction received from a source DU, a UE context is created, and after the UE context creation is completed, a UE context creation response is generated and sent to the source DU, so that the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends a UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to a centralized unit CU, and sends a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU; The UE context creation instruction is obtained after the source DU obtains a target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from the UE, generates the UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction contained in the target instruction, and sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU, and the target instruction includes: the UE context modification instruction for the source DU, the UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and the RRC reconfiguration message for the UE; In response to the RRC reconfiguration completion message received from the source DU, the RRC reconfiguration completion message is sent to the CU to determine that the UE completes the DU switching, and the RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU.

7. A DU switching method, characterized in that: Applied to a centralized unit CU, the method comprises: Sending a target instruction to a source distributed unit DU, so that the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from a user equipment UE, the target instruction including: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message for the UE; receiving a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response sent from the source DU; The UE context modification response and the UE context creation response are obtained after the source DU generates a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction, sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU, so that the target DU creates a UE context, generates and sends a UE context creation response to the source DU after completing the UE context creation, and the source DU responds to the UE context creation response and sends the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU; receiving an RRC reconfiguration complete message sent from the target DU, and determining that the UE completes the DU switching; The RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU, so that the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, and the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that After receiving the RRC reconfiguration completion message sent from the target DU and determining that the UE completes the DU switching, the method further includes: For the UE, the corresponding relationship between the Packet Data Convergence Protocol PDCP entity corresponding to the CU and the Radio Link Control RLC entity corresponding to the source CU is deleted, and a corresponding relationship between the PDCP entity corresponding to the CU and the RLC entity corresponding to the target CU is established.

9. A DU switching device, characterized in that: Applied to a source distributed unit DU, the device comprises: An instruction acquisition module is used to acquire a target instruction from a centralized unit CU when a measurement report is received from a user equipment UE, wherein the target instruction includes: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message for the UE; A modification instruction response module, configured to generate a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction; A creation instruction sending module, configured to send the UE context creation instruction to the target DU so that the target DU creates a UE context, and after completing the UE context creation, generate and send a UE context creation response to the source DU; a response sending module, configured to send the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU in response to the UE context creation response, and send the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU; The response forwarding module is used to forward the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, so that the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU to determine that the UE completes the DU switching.

10. A DU switching device, characterized in that: Applied to a target distributed unit DU, the device comprises: An instruction response module is used to create a UE context in response to a user equipment UE context creation instruction received from a source DU, and after completing the UE context creation, generate and send a UE context creation response to the source DU, so that the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends a UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to a centralized unit CU, and sends a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, and generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU; The UE context creation instruction is obtained after the source DU obtains a target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from the UE, generates the UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction contained in the target instruction, and sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU, and the target instruction includes: the UE context modification instruction for the source DU, the UE context creation instruction for the target DU, and the RRC reconfiguration message for the UE; an acknowledgment response module, configured to send the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU in response to the RRC reconfiguration completion message received from the source DU, and determine that the UE completes the DU switching, wherein the RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU.

11. A DU switching device, characterized in that: Applied to a centralized unit CU, the device comprises: An instruction sending module is used to send a target instruction to a source distributed unit DU, so that the source DU obtains the target instruction from the CU when receiving a measurement report from a user equipment UE, and the target instruction includes: a UE context modification instruction for the source DU, a UE context creation instruction for a target DU, and a radio resource control RRC reconfiguration message for the UE; A first response receiving module, configured to receive a UE context modification response and a UE context creation response sent from the source DU; The UE context modification response and the UE context creation response are obtained after the source DU generates a UE context modification response in response to the UE context modification instruction, sends the UE context creation instruction to the target DU, so that the target DU creates a UE context, generates and sends a UE context creation response to the source DU after completing the UE context creation, and the source DU responds to the UE context creation response and sends the UE context modification response and the UE context creation response to the CU; A second response receiving module is used to receive an RRC reconfiguration completion message sent from the target DU to determine that the UE completes the DU switching; The RRC reconfiguration completion message is obtained after the source DU responds to the UE context creation response, sends the RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, so that the UE stops data transmission with the source DU, switches to the target DU, generates and sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the source DU, so that the source DU forwards the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the target DU, and the target DU sends the RRC reconfiguration completion message to the CU.

12. A source distributed unit DU, characterized in that: It includes a processor, a communication interface, a memory and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus; Memory, used to store computer programs; A processor, for implementing the method steps described in any one of claims 1 to 5 when executing a program stored in a memory.

13. A target distributed unit DU, characterized in that: It includes a processor, a communication interface, a memory and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus; Memory, used to store computer programs; The processor is used to implement the method steps described in claim 6 when executing the program stored in the memory.

14. A centralized unit CU, characterized in that: It includes a processor, a communication interface, a memory and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus; Memory, used to store computer programs; A processor is used to implement the method steps described in claim 7 or 8 when executing a program stored in a memory.

15. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method steps described in any one of claims 1 to 5 are implemented.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method steps described in claim 6 are implemented.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method steps of claim 7 or 8 are implemented.

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