Configuring communications with integrated access and backhaul nodes

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, or computer-readable media for transmitting information in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system are presented herein. The first wireless communication node may send configuration information to a network element. The configuration information may include at least one of a mobile IAB indication, a mobile IAB priority indication, a mobile IAB only indication, or an access related identification. The access-related identification may include at least one of a vehicle identifier, a vehicle name, a physical cell identifier (PCI), an NR cell global identifier (NCGI), or a network identifier (NID).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods for configuring an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) cell. Background Art

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

[0003] The example embodiments disclosed herein are intended to solve problems related to one or more problems raised in the prior art, as well as to provide additional functionality, which will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description when combined with the following figures. According to various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it will be understood that these embodiments are presented in an exemplary and non-restrictive manner, and it will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art who reads the present disclosure that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium for transmitting information in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system. A first wireless communication node may send configuration information to a network element. In some embodiments, the configuration information may include at least one of the following: a mobile IAB indication, a mobile IAB priority indication, a mobile IAB-only indication, or an access-related identifier. In some embodiments, the access-related identifier may include at least one of the following: a vehicle identifier, a vehicle name, a physical cell identifier (PCI), an NR cell global identifier (NCGI), or a network identifier (NID). In some embodiments, the configuration information may include at least one of the following: a closed access group (CAG) identifier, or a human-readable network name (HRNN), or a CAG indicator only.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node may receive access-related information from the UE. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node or a centralized unit (CU) connected to the first wireless communication node may send access-related information to the communication node so that the communication node sends mobility restriction information. In some embodiments, the access-related information may include: an onboard UE indication, a CAG identifier, a vehicle identifier, or a network identifier. In some embodiments, the mobility restriction information may include at least one of the following items: a mobile IAB priority indication, a mobile IAB indication, an MR indication, a CAG identifier, a CAG-only indication, a vehicle identifier, or a network identifier.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node may send access-related information to the second wireless communication node or the CU connected to the second wireless communication node. In some embodiments, the access-related information may include at least one of the following items: a mobile IAB indication, a CAG identifier, a vehicle identifier, or a network identifier.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node or a CU connected to the first wireless communication node may receive access related information from an IAB node or a distributed unit (DU). In some embodiments, the access related information may include at least one of the following items: a mobile IAB indication, a CAG identifier, a vehicle identifier, or a network identifier.

[0008] In some embodiments, the configuration information may include: mobility state information of the first wireless communication node. The mobility state may indicate one of a low state, a medium state, or a high state. In some embodiments, the configuration information may include a cell equivalent size of a cell.

[0009] In some embodiments, the configuration information may include at least one of the following: a PCI change indication, an NCGI change indication, a frequency change indication, a tracking area code (TAC) change indication, a radio access network based notification area code (RANAC) change indication, or a cell configuration change indication. In some embodiments, the configuration information includes at least one of the following: an old PCI, a new PCI, an old NCGI, a new NCGI, an old frequency, a new frequency, an old TAC, a new TAC, an old RANAC, or a new RANAC.

[0010] In some embodiments, the configuration information may include: one or more thresholds for triggering intra-frequency / inter-frequency cell measurement. In some embodiments, the configuration information may include at least one of the following: measurement time duration, or reference signal received power (RSRP) jitter threshold.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node may receive a paging message including configuration information from the second communication node. In some embodiments, the configuration message may include at least one of the following: a mobile IAB indication, a CAG ID, a vehicle ID, an NID, a list of identifiers identifying one or more cells to which the UE is permitted to access, or an indication indicating whether the UE is allowed to access a non-mobile IAB cell. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node may receive cell information from the UE, the information including at least one of the following: a mobile IAB indication, a CAG identifier, a vehicle identifier, and an NID of at least one cell.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node may send DU configuration information to the second wireless communication node or the CU connected to the second wireless communication node. The DU configuration information includes at least one of the following items: PCI, NCGI or TAC, or RACH configuration. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication node or the CU connected to the second wireless communication node may send DU configuration information to the first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node may send updated DU configuration information to the first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node. In some embodiments, the updated DU configuration information may include at least one of the following items: old PCI, new PCI, old NCGI, new NCGI, old TAC, new TAC, random access channel (RACH) configuration, timer, or mobile IAB indication, or mobile IAB cause value. In some embodiments, the network element may send the number of requested NCGIs to the first wireless communication node. In some embodiments, the configuration information may include a set of NCGIs to be added or released.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node may send user location related information to the communication node. In some embodiments, the user location related information may include at least one of the following items: a cell identifier, a tracking area identifier (TAI), a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier, a tracking area code (TAC), or cell information of a cell of a co-located DU. In some embodiments, the cell information may include at least one of the following items: a second cell identifier, a second TAI, a second PLMN ID, or a second TAC. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Various example embodiments of the present solution will be described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and only describe example embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered to limit the breadth, scope or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of description, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0016] Figure 1 illustrates an example cellular communication network in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 2 block diagram illustrating example base station and user equipment apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 A block diagram illustrating an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) architecture network according to an illustrative embodiment, wherein a core network is connected to a donor IAB node;

[0019] Figure 4 A block diagram illustrating a scenario of a mobile IAB node according to an illustrative embodiment;

[0020] Figure 5 a flow chart illustrating a method of transmitting configuration information in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system according to an illustrative embodiment; and

[0021] Figure 6 A flow chart illustrating a method of facilitating handover in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system according to an illustrative embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Various example embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present solution. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, after reading the present disclosure, that various changes or modifications may be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the example embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. In addition, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely example methods. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present individual steps or behaviors in an example order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0023] 1. Mobile communication technology and environment

[0024] Figure 1An example wireless communication network and / or system 100 is described in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, referred to herein as "network 100". Such an example network 100 includes: a base station 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 102"; also referred to as a wireless communication node), and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104"; also referred to as a wireless communication device), which may communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and cell groups 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 covering a geographic area 101. In Figure 1 1, BS 102 and UE 104 are included within the respective geographic boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating with its allocated bandwidth to provide adequate wireless coverage for its intended users.

[0025] For example, BS 102 may operate under an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage for UE 104. BS 102 and UE 104 may communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In the present disclosure, BS 102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes," which, in general, may implement the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of the present solution, these communication nodes are capable of wireless and / or wired communications.

[0026] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for sending and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of the present solution is illustrated. The system 200 may include components and units that are configured to support known or conventional operating features that need not be described in detail herein. In an illustrative embodiment, the system 200 may be used in a wireless communication environment (e.g., as described above). Figure 1 The present invention relates to a method for transmitting (eg, sending and receiving) data symbols in a wireless communication environment 100 of the present invention.

[0027] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 202") and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 204"). BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled and interconnected via a data communication bus 220 as needed. UE 204 includes: a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled and interconnected via a data communication bus 240 as needed. BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or can be other media suitable for transmitting data described herein.

[0028] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the system 200 may also include Figure 2 Any number of modules other than the modules shown. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented with hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described by their functions. Whether these functions are implemented in the form of hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design restrictions imposed on the entire system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein can implement these functions in an appropriate manner for each specific application, but these implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternately couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210, which includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each of which includes circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. The downlink duplex switch may alternately couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time so that the uplink receiver circuit is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions on the wireless transmission link 250 while the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time so that while the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232, the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for receiving transmissions on the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is close time synchronization between changes in duplex direction, with minimal guard times.

[0030] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with an appropriately configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 that can support a specific wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards, such as long-term evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards, etc. However, it will be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to application to specific standards and related protocols. Instead, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 can be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0031] According to various embodiments, BS202 may be, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtocell or a microcell. In some embodiments, UE 204 may be embodied as various types of user equipment, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a wearable computing device, etc. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized with a general-purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. In this way, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, or a similar device. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0032] In addition, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, in firmware, in software modules executed by processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 may be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, so that processor modules 210 and 230 may read information from memory modules 216 and 234, respectively, and write information to memory modules 216 and 234. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0033] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic and / or other components of the base station 202, and can realize two-way communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 can be configured to support Internet or WiMAX services. In a typical deployment, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface so that the base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a traditional Ethernet-based computer network, but is not limited. In this way, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). The terms "configured to", "configured for" and their conjunctions used herein for specific operations or functions refer to devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, signals, etc. that are physically constructed, programmed, formatted and / or arranged to perform specific operations or functions.

[0034] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "OSI model") is a concept and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnect and communicate with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual set of services provided to its upper and lower layers. The OSI model also defines logical networks and efficiently describes computer packet transmissions by using different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be referred to as a seven-layer OSI model or a seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be a physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be a media access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be a radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be a radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be a non-access stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is other layers. 2. Systems and methods for configuring an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) cell

[0035] As the number of digital data applications and services continues to increase, the demands and challenges placed on network resources and operators continue to increase. The ability to provide the wide variety of network performance characteristics required by future services may be one of the main technical challenges facing service providers. The performance requirements placed on the network may require connectivity in terms of data rate, latency, quality of service (QOS), security, availability, and many other parameters, all of which may vary from service to service. Therefore, enabling the network to allocate resources in a flexible manner to provide customized connectivity for each different type of service can greatly improve the network's ability to meet future needs.

[0036] To meet these requirements, fifth generation (5G) mobile wireless technologies and standards can be utilized. One such technology can be a split network architecture, in which the radio access network (RAN) functions are split between a central unit (CU) and multiple distributed units (DUs). For example, the RAN functions can be split somewhere between the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer and the radio link control (RLC) layer of the 5G protocol stack. In the protocol stack, the DU can handle all processes up to and including the RLC layer functions, while the CU can handle the PDCP layer and higher layer functions before the core network. This decomposition of RAN functions can provide many advantages to mobile network operators. For example, by isolating the stack from the PDCP layer and above, the CU can act as a cloud-based aggregation point between multiple heterogeneous technologies in the provisioned network, thereby being able to provide services to multiple heterogeneous DUs.

[0037] Another technology developed for 5G networks may be an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) architecture for providing high-speed wireless backhaul for cell sites (e.g., base stations). As data demand and the number of cell sites increase, it may become more difficult to provide fiber backhaul access to each cell site (especially small cell base stations). Under the IAB architecture, the same infrastructure and resources (e.g., IAB nodes) can be used to provide access and backhaul to support user equipment (UE) packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The IAB architecture for new radio (NR) networks can provide wireless backhaul and relay links, enabling flexible and dense deployment of NR cells without proportionally increasing the density of the transmission network. In addition, the IAB technology allows for easier deployment of dense networks of self-backhauled NR cells in a more comprehensive and robust manner. For example, the IAB technology in 5G NR networks can support multi-hop relay systems, where the network topology can also support redundant connections.

[0038] Reference now Figure 3 , depicts a block diagram of an IAB architecture network 300, wherein a core network 302 is connected to a donor IAB node 304. The connection may be a wired or cabled connection (e.g., fiber optic cable) between two nodes or devices. The donor IAB node 304 may be wirelessly coupled to a plurality of intermediate IAB nodes 306a and 306b, and two serving IAB nodes 306c and 306d. The coupling may be direct or indirect, wired or wireless communication between two nodes or devices.

[0039] As shown, the serving IAB nodes 306c and 306d may be directly coupled to the UEs 308a and 308b, respectively, and serve as serving cell site base stations or access points for the UEs 308a and 308b. The UEs 308a and 308b may be referred to herein as "access UEs". The serving IAB nodes 306c and 306d may also serve as repeaters, and may forward their respective UE signals to the respective next uplink nodes in the transmission path, and forward downlink signals to the respective UEs 308a and 308b. The serving IAB node 306c may forward uplink UE signals to one or both of the intermediate IAB nodes 306a and 306b, and receive downlink UE signals from one or both of the intermediate IAB nodes 306a and 306b. The intermediate IAB nodes 306a and 306b may forward uplink UE signals to the donor IAB node 304, and forward downlink signals to the serving IAB node 306d. The serving IAB node 306c may forward uplink UE signals to the donor IAB node 304, which then forwards all received signals to the core network 302, and forwards downlink signals from the donor IAB node 304 to the access UE 308a.

[0040] Each of the IAB nodes 306a-306d has two functions: a base station (BS) function and a mobile terminal (MT) function. The BS function may correspond to the IAB node function, just as the base station provides wireless access functions for the UE. The BS part of the IAB node may refer to the corresponding part of the IAB node, including all hardware, firmware or software related to performing the BS function of the IAB node. The MT function may refer to the function of the IAB node as a mobile terminal, which is controlled and scheduled by the IAB donor node or the upper IAB node. The MT part of the IAB node may refer to the corresponding part of the IAB node, including all hardware, firmware or software related to performing the MT function of the IAB node.

[0041] If the network 300 also implements a split architecture, the donor IAB node 304 may be replaced by a donor CU (not shown) connected to the core network 302, and a donor DU (not shown) connected to the donor CU. As shown, each of the IAB nodes 306a-306d will be coupled to the donor DU in a similar manner to the coupling to the donor IAB node 304.

[0042] In the split architecture network, each of the IAB nodes 306a-306d has two functions: DU function and mobile terminal (MT) function. The DU function may refer to the function of the IAB node as a DU, providing a predetermined DU function for the UE. The DU part of the IAB node may refer to the corresponding part of the IAB node, including all hardware, firmware or software related to performing the DU function of the IAB node. The MT function and MT part of the IAB node in the split architecture network may be the same as the non-split architecture network described above.

[0043] Based on the IAB architecture, this paper introduces Mobile IAB, focusing on the scenario where a Mobile IAB node installed on a vehicle provides 5G coverage and capacity enhancement to UEs on board or around the vehicle. Specifically, Mobile IAB can be used in outdoor environments to improve 5G coverage or connectivity, following certain known or predictable routes (e.g., buses, trams, etc.), or located in convenient locations (e.g., outside stadiums, hot spots, or emergency locations). Mobile IAB nodes can provide connectivity for users or devices within the vehicle itself and use 5G wireless backhaul to the macro network. Mobile IAB can be assumed to obtain better macro coverage than nearby UEs, for example, by leveraging better RF or antenna and power capabilities.

[0044] Implementing mobile IAB in 5G networks brings many challenges, such as how to reduce cell reselection of UEs camped on mobile IAB cells and keep UEs camped on mobile IAB cells, and how to reduce potential interference caused by physical cell identifier (PCI) or random access channel (RACH) collisions due to the mobility of mobile IAB nodes.

[0045] For cellular systems, the RRC_IDLE state can be used for power saving purposes. Generally, the gNB broadcasts a tracking area code (TAC) for each subset of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in the cell. Generally, the TAC broadcast by the gNB can be configured through operation, administration and maintenance (OAM), and the corresponding tracking area can be geostationary. The gNB can send a list of supported serving cell tracking area identities (TAIs) (e.g., PLMN ID and TAC) to the access and mobility management function (AMF). Based on this information, the AMF can understand the tracking area of ​​each cell. For the UE, when the UE is in the RRC_Connected state, the UE can be configured with a TAI list (e.g., registration area) from the AMF. The AMF can take into account the TAI where the UE is geographically located in order to generate a suitable registration area for the UE.

[0046] When the UE enters the RRC_IDLE state, the UE may not need to perform a handover (HO) when the UE moves across different cells. Instead, the RRC_IDLE UE may perform periodic registration area updates (RAU, also known as tracking area updates (TAU)) for UE reachability tracking, as well as event-triggered RAUs for UE registration area tracking. For example, the update may be performed when the access RPLMN or any of the supported TACs equivalent to RPLMN is not part of the UE registration area. On the other hand, when downlink (DL) data arrives for the RRC_IDLE UE, the AMF may send a paging message to all gNBs involved in the registration area of ​​the UE. Upon receiving the paging message from the AMF, the gNB may determine which cell the paging should involve based on the TAI information. When the RRC_IDLE UE receives the paging message, the RRC_IDLE UE may enter the RRC_Connected state and prepare for DL ​​data reception.

[0047] On the other hand, the RRC_INACTIVE state can also be used for power saving purposes. The RRC_INACTIVE UE can be configured by the previous serving gNB through the Radio Access Network (RAN) Notification Area (RNA). The RNA can cover one or more cells and can be a subset of the Core Network (CN) tracking area, or be equivalent to the Core Network (CN) tracking area. Specifically, the RNA can be configured via a cell list, or a RAN area code (RNAC), or a TAC list. On the other hand, the cell can broadcast a RAN area code in the system information block (e.g., SIB1). In general, the RAN area code can be configured by OAM.

[0048] The UE may send RAN-based Notification Area Updates (RNAUs) periodically and may also send RNAUs when the UE's cell reselection procedure selects a cell that is not part of the configured RNA. When the UE performs an RNAU, the UE may send an RRC Resume Request to the gNB, providing the Inactive Radio Network Temporary Identifier (I-RNTI) assigned by the last serving gNB, and an appropriate cause value (e.g., RAN Notification Area Update). If the gNB is able to resolve the gNB identity included in the I-RNTI, the gNB may request the last serving gNB to provide the UE context. Finally, the UE may recover from RRC_INACTIVE to RRC_Connected / RRC_IDLE state or back to RRC_INACTIVE state. In addition, RAN paging may be triggered due to incoming DL user plane, DL signaling from 5GC, etc. In this case, RAN paging may be triggered in cells controlled by the last serving gNB. In addition, RAN paging may be triggered by Xn RAN paging in cells controlled by other gNBs that are configured in the RNA for the UE. If the UE receives paging with its own I-RNTI, the UE may attempt to recover from RRC_INACTIVE to RRC_CONNECTED.

[0049] Reference now Figure 4 , describes a scenario block diagram of a mobile IAB node. As shown, for the mobile IAB scenario, the mobile IAB node moves with the vehicle and may cross different registration areas. The RAU in the mobile IAB scenario may handle a large group of UEs and should be kept to a minimum. On the other hand, the reachability of the UE should be ensured. Similar to the RAU, the RNAU in the mobile IAB scenario may also involve a large group of UEs and should be avoided. Similar to the RAU, the RNAU in the mobile IAB scenario may also involve a large group of UEs and should be avoided. On the other hand, the reachability of the UE should be ensured. This article introduces systems and methods for solving these problems.

[0050] A. Access Control

[0051] The mobile IAB node may allow access by vehicle-mounted UEs, but authorization or subscription to a specific mobile IAB cell should be obtained, or based on manual selection. In this case, the following solutions may be considered.

[0052] I. Movement Instructions:

[0053] The UE is able to know that the UE itself is allowed to access the mobile relay (MR) or mobile IAB node on a specific vehicle. This awareness can be achieved via the non-access stratum (NAS) or application layer (APP). In addition, the UE can also be configured with access-related configuration information, such as information from the gNB, gNB-CU, gNB-DU, or access and mobility management function (AMF).

[0054] The access-related configuration information may include one or more of the following items. The information may include a mobile IAB indication, an MR indication, or an MR priority indication. The indication may indicate that the UE may give priority to the cell of the IAB node, mobile IAB node, or mobile relay (for example, for cell selection, cell reselection, or handover). The information may include an MR-only indication, which indicates that the UE is only allowed to access, select, reselect, or perform handover to the cell of the IAB node, mobile IAB node, or mobile relay, etc. The information may include one or more identifiers, such as: a vehicle identifier, a physical cell identifier (PCI), an NR cell global identifier (NCGI), a network identifier (NID), or a vehicle name similar to a human-readable network name (HRNN), etc. When the UE detects a vehicle identifier, PCI, NGCI, or vehicle name of a matching configuration identifier broadcast by a cell, the UE may give priority to, reselect, or handover to the cell.

[0055] In addition, the mobile IAB node may send at least one of the following to the UE, such as via broadcast: a mobile IAB indication and an identification, such as a vehicle identifier, PCI, NGCI, or a vehicle name similar to HRNN, etc.

[0056] II. Closed Access Group (CAG)

[0057] The closed access group (CAG) of the public network integrated non-public network (PNI-NPN) can be used for access control of the mobile IAB. Specifically, the CAG can identify a group of UEs that are allowed to access one or more CAG cells associated with the CAG. Similar to the PNI-NPN, the CAG identifier (CAG ID) and the HRNN can be broadcast in the system information of the mobile IAB node. For a UE (e.g., a vehicle-mounted UE), the UE can be configured with one or more CAG identifiers that the UE is allowed to access. In addition, if the UE is only allowed to access a CAG cell, the UE (e.g., a vehicle-mounted UE) can be configured with a CAG-only indication.

[0058] For example, when the UE is carried in a vehicle, the UE may negotiate via the APP layer to indicate the presence of the UE, and then the UE may be configured with one or more CAG identifiers, or only a CAG indication. On the other hand, when the UE leaves the vehicle or the service time of the UE has expired, the UE may be reconfigured to remove the CAG identifier, or only a CAG indication. Thereafter, the UE may be served by a non-mobile IAB cell. The HRNN may be provided by the SIB for manual selection of the CAG cell of the MR.

[0059] III. Mobility Restriction Information

[0060] First, when the UE accesses the MR cell, the UE may send access-related information to the gNB or CU. The access-related information may include at least one of the following items: an onboard UE indication, a CAG identifier, a vehicle identifier, and a network identifier.

[0061] Secondly, the gNB may forward or send access related information to the AMF. Thirdly, the AMF may check whether the UE is allowed to access the cell. If allowed, the AMF may establish an NG connection and provide the gNB with mobility restriction information applicable to MR access. If not allowed, the AMF may reject the UE. The mobility restriction information may include at least one of the following items: CAG identifier, vehicle identifier, network identifier, CAG-only indication, MR indication, and mobile IAB indication, etc.

[0062] Fourth, the gNB may receive mobility restriction information. When the UE is about to perform a HO, the gNB may select a neighboring cell that supports the corresponding CAG identifier, vehicle identifier, or NID. To support this, the gNB may send a Mobile IAB indication or support CAG identifier, vehicle identifier, or NID of its cell to the neighboring gNB.

[0063] For a split gNB architecture, the IAB node may configure a list of CAG identifiers, vehicle identifiers, or NIDs via OAM. The IAB node may send the configured CAG, vehicle identifier, or NID of its cell to the gNB-CU.

[0064] B. Cell Selection and Reselection

[0065] I. Mobile relay priority

[0066] For cell selection or reselection, if the UE is MR-capable, the UE may give priority to mobile IAB cells. If the UE is configured with one or more carrier IDs, NCGI, mobile IAB indication, HRNN, NID, CAG ID or mobile relay priority is enabled, the UE may give priority to cells with matching carrier IDs, NCGI, mobile IAB indication, MR HRNN, NID and MRCAG ID.

[0067] In some embodiments, if the UE is a UE with MR function, the UE may consider the frequency providing MR service as the highest priority. On the other hand, if the UE is not configured with a carrier ID, NCGI, mobile IAB indication, HRNN, NID, CAGID or mobile relay priority is disabled, the UE may reduce the priority of selecting a cell with a corresponding carrier ID, mobile IAB indication, NID, MR HRNN, or MR CAG ID.

[0068] II. Low Mobility Status Indication

[0069] The mobile IAB cell may broadcast high, medium, or low mobility state indications. The UE may also check whether the UE is in a high, medium, or low mobility state. If the UE's mobility state matches the mobile IAB cell, the UE may give priority to selecting the corresponding mobile IAB cell. Otherwise, the UE may lower the priority of selecting the corresponding cell. Once the UE resides on a mobile IAB cell, the UE may remain on the cell because they are relatively fixed. In this case, the mobile IAB cell may broadcast a cell equivalent size (e.g., a cell count number used for mobility state estimation for the cell), which may help the UE determine its mobility state (e.g., high, medium, or low).

[0070] III. Notification of Changes

[0071] During the mobile IAB movement, the PCI, NCGI, or frequency of the mobile IAB cell may change. From the perspective of the UE in RRC_IDLE / INACTIVE state, after the UE has evaluated that the serving cell does not meet the cell selection criterion S in Nserv consecutive DRX cycles (e.g., more than 10 seconds), the UE may no longer detect the serving cell and then initiate intra-frequency / inter-frequency measurements. Based on this observation, it may be better to inform the UE of PCI, NCGI, frequency, TAC, or RNAC changes in advance.

[0072] The UE may receive at least one of the following information from the gNB or IAB-DU: PCI change indication, NCGI change indication, frequency change indication, TAC change indication, RNAC change indication, cell configuration change indication, old PCI, new PCI, old NCGI, new NCGI, old frequency, new frequency, old TAC, new TAC, old RNAC, new RNAC. A resident UE in RRC_IDLE / INACTIVE state may attempt to select a cell with a new PCI, frequency, or NCGI.

[0073] On the other hand, if the UE is not notified of the new PCI, the UE may continue to reside on a cell with the old PCI. Neighboring fixed cells may use the old PCI, which may cause confusion to the UE in RRC_IDLE or INACTIVE state. Due to different SIBs, neighboring cells using the old PCI may belong to different PLMNs and should not be selected. If the mobile IAB cell notifies the UE of PCI, NCGI, frequency, TAC, or RNAC changes via system information, the UE can perform intra-frequency / inter-frequency measurements using the stored information. Once the UE detects a cell with a specific PCI or frequency, the UE can select the cell. In addition, the UE can check the S standard of the cell with or without previously stored parameter values.

[0074] IV. Frequency measurement threshold with priority

[0075] For vehicle-mounted UEs that are already camped on an MR cell, in order to avoid unnecessary high-priority inter-frequency measurements, the UE may consider the frequency providing the mobile IAB cell as the highest priority. In addition, the UE may perform intra-frequency measurements if one of the following two conditions cannot be met: (1) the serving cell satisfies Srxlev>SIntraSearchP or (2) Squal>SIntraSearchQ. In addition, the UE may perform inter-NR frequency or inter-RAT frequency measurements with a priority lower than the current NR frequency reselection priority if one of the following two conditions is not met: (1) if the serving cell satisfies Srxlev>SnonIntraSearchP and (2) Squal>SnonIntraSearchQ. In addition, if the UE has low mobility with the current serving cell, the UE may perform relaxed radio resource management (RRM) measurements for intra-frequency or inter-frequency cells.

[0076] Low mobility may be detected via reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements. The change between the current RSRP measurement and the maximum RSRP may be below a given threshold for a period of time (during which the change is evaluated). In this case, the low mobility criterion may be met and the UE may perform relaxed measurements. In addition, the UE may be configured with new thresholds for SIntraSearchP / SnonIntraSearchP and SIntraSearchQ / SnonIntraSearchQ that are lower than the normal thresholds for SIntraSearchP / SnonIntraSearchP and SIntraSearchQ / SnonIntraSearchQ. The new thresholds may further slow down intra-frequency or inter-frequency cell measurements for cell reselection.

[0077] On the other hand, if the vehicle-mounted UE leaves the vehicle, the UE may detect that the serving cell no longer satisfies the following conditions: (1) Srxlev>SIntraSearchP or (2) Squal>SIntraSearchQ. In this case, the UE may perform intra-frequency or inter-frequency measurements and reselect other cells. If the UE realizes that the UE is no longer vehicle-mounted, the UE may no longer prioritize the mobile IAB cell or corresponding frequency for cell reselection.

[0078] V. Measurement threshold of neighboring cells

[0079] To minimize the measurement of neighboring cells, the UE will give priority to mobile IAB cells if their moving speed / state is similar. Specifically, when the UE determines that the RSRP measurement variance of the MR cell within a given duration is lower than the jitter threshold, and the RSRP measurement value of the MR cell is higher than a given threshold, the UE may consider itself to be similar to the moving speed or trajectory of the MR cell, thereby giving priority to the MR cell. To support this, the UE needs to be configured with measurement duration and / or RSRP jitter threshold, for example, from the gNB or IAB-DU.

[0080] C. Paging

[0081] The gNB receives a paging message (e.g. from the AMF) that includes at least one of the following: a Mobile IAB allowed / enabled / prioritized indication, a list of CAG IDs / vehicle IDs / NIDs allowed for the UE, an indication of whether the UE is allowed to access a non-Mobile IAB cell. The NG-RAN node may use this information to avoid paging in cells where the UE is not allowed to camp.

[0082] For a UE in RRC_INACTIVE state, the gNB may send a paging message to a neighboring gNB. The paging message includes at least one of the following: a mobile IAB allowed / enabled / prioritized indication, a list of CAG IDs / vehicle IDs / NIDs allowed by the UE, an indication of whether the UE is allowed to access a non-mobile IAB cell. The neighboring gNB nodes may use this information to avoid paging in cells where the UE is not allowed to reside.

[0083] D. Automatic Neighbor Relationship (ANR)

[0084] The ANR function may be located in the gNB and manage the Neighbor Cell Relation Table (NCRT). Located in the ANR, the Neighbor Detection function may find new neighbors and add them to the NCRT. The ANR may also include a Neighbor Removal function to remove obsolete Neighbor Cell Relations (NCRs). In general, the NCR may include a list of entries for each source cell, which includes the NR CGI or NR PCI of the target cell and attributes such as Xn availability and handover.

[0085] The gNB may obtain the NCR information via OAM configuration, neighbor information exchange via Xn setup, or gNB configuration update procedure. In addition, the gNB may request the UE to use the newly discovered PCI as a parameter and read all broadcasted NCGI, Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Cell Global Identity (ECGI), TAC, RANAC, PLMN ID, and NR bands of neighbor NR cells, etc. The UE may report this information of neighboring NR cells to the gNB. The gNB may decide to add this neighbor relationship to the NCRT. In addition, the gNB may use the PCI and NCGI to find the transport layer address for the new NG-RAN node and set up a new Xn interface towards the NG-RAN node.

[0086] For the mobile IAB scenario, once the mobile IAB node MT is connected or switched to the donor CU, the mobile IAB node may send cell information to the donor CU via the F1 interface. The donor CU may then notify the neighbor gNB of the updated served cell information via the Xn interface. For another neighbor gNB that does not have an Xn interface with the donor CU, the UE may detect the PCI of the mobile IAB cell and report it to the neighbor gNB. It may not be recommended for neighboring UEs served by non-mobile neighboring cells to perform a handover to the mobile IAB cell. Therefore, the cell of the mobile IAB node may not be added to the NCRT of the neighboring gNB. One question may be: how to prevent the gNB from adding the cell of the mobile IAB node to the NCRT of the neighboring gNB.

[0087] The UE may send the Mobile IAB Indication, CAG ID, Vehicle ID, or NID of the Mobile IAB cell to the gNB or gNB-CU along with other NCGI, ECGI, TAC, RANAC, PLMN ID, and NR band information. Based on this information, the gNB may decide not to add an entry for the Mobile IAB cell in the NCRT.

[0088] E. No random access channel (RACH) switching

[0089] During the handover (HO) preparation phase, the target eNB may decide whether to skip RACH for the UE. If the UE receives a HO command with a RACH-skipped indication, the UE may not perform RACH. Alternatively, the UE may access the target cell via a timing adjustment indication and optionally an uplink grant pre-allocated to the UE. If a pre-allocated uplink grant is not included, the UE may monitor the PDCCH of the target eNB to receive an uplink grant. The question may involve how to support RACH-less HO in a mobile IAB scenario.

[0090] In the mobile IAB scenario, the vehicle-mounted UE can remain connected to the mobile IAB cell. Even if an intra-cell HO is performed due to a donor CU change or PCI change, the UE can still use RACH-free HO. To support this, the UE can be notified of the RACH-skipped indication via RRC reconfiguration with synchronization. To reduce the impact, if the PCI or NCGI of the source cell and the target cell has not changed, or the PCI / NCGI mapping between the source cell and the target cell is configured via the HO command, the UE can identify that RACH can be skipped.

[0091] F. Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) Optimization

[0092] OAM may allocate a single PCI for each NR cell in the gNB, and the gNB may select this value as the PCI for the NR cell. In addition, OAM may allocate a list of PCIs for each NR cell in the gNB, and the gNB may select a PCI value from the list of PCIs. The gNB may restrict the list by removing some potentially conflicting PCIs reported by the UE, reported by neighboring gNBs over the Xn interface, or obtained by other methods (e.g., detected over the air using a downlink receiver).

[0093] Regarding the split gNB architecture, OAM may configure the PCI for each NR cell to the gNB-DU. The gNB-DU may report this to the gNB-CU. If the gNB-CU detects a PCI conflict for the NR cell, the gNB-CU may report the NR cell suffering from the PCI conflict directly to the OAM. OAM may be responsible for reallocating a new PCI for the NR cell suffering from the PCI conflict. On the other hand, OAM may allocate a PCI list for each NR cell and send the configured PCI list to the gNB-CU. If the gNB-CU detects a PCI conflict, the gNB-CU may select a new PCI value for the NR cell from the pre-configured PCI list. The gNB-CU may send the new PCI value to the gNB-DU through the F1 setup procedure or the gNB-CU configuration update procedure.

[0094] For the mobile IAB scenario, if centralized PCI allocation is used, the PCI of the mobile IAB node can be allocated by OAM. It is possible that the PCI of the mobile IAB node will be specially reserved and will not conflict with other adjacent non-mobile cells. However, if the PCI of the mobile IAB cell conflicts with the adjacent cell during mobility, the donor CU can report directly to the OAM that the mobile IAB cell suffers from a PCI conflict, and the OAM can reallocate a new PCI for the mobile IAB cell. In some embodiments, if the donor CU is configured with a PCI list and the donor CU detects a PCI conflict, the donor CU can select a new PCI value for the NR cell from the preconfigured PCI list and send it to the mobile IAB-DU.

[0095] Based on the traditional process, after the mobile IAB-MT HO and during the mobile IAB DU migration, the donor CU can know the PCI through the F1 setup process or the gNB-DU configuration update process. In order to reduce the impact of PCI conflicts, the mobile IAB node can receive the reallocated PCI as early as possible.

[0096] During the HO preparation phase of the mobile IAB node, the configuration of the cell of the mobile IAB DU may be sent by the source donor CU to the target donor CU. The configuration of the cell of the mobile IAB DU may include at least one of the following items: PCI, NCGI, or TAC, etc. The target donor CU may reallocate the configuration for the cell of the mobile IAB DU via the RRC reconfiguration message of the mobile IAB-MT. The configuration may be reallocated using a mapping between the following items: old PCI and new PCI; old NCGI and new NCGI; old TAC and new TAC, etc. For example, if the target donor CU receives the PCI of the mobile IAB DU cell and detects a potential PCI conflict, reallocation may be performed.

[0097] The target donor CU may send the reallocated configuration to the source donor CU. After receiving the RRC reconfiguration message with synchronization from the source donor CU, the mobile IAB-MT may transmit the PCI, NCGI, TAC configuration of the mobile IAB cell to the mobile IABDU. The IAB-DU may then broadcast the update of the PCI, NCGI, or TAC via system information. After the system information notification period, the mobile IAB-DU may update the PCI, NCGI, or TAC accordingly.

[0098] G. No Random Access Channel (RACH) configuration conflict

[0099] The information reported by the UE may support RACH optimization (e.g., according to the legacy specification), such as: a contention detection indication for each RACH attempt, the index of the synchronization signal block (SSB), and the number of RACH preambles sent on the SSB for each attempt listed in chronological order of the attempts, an indication of whether the selected SSB for each RACH attempt is above or below the RSRP-ThresholdSSB threshold. This information is available on the NG RAN node and may be obtained through the physical random access channel (PRACH) parameter exchange between NG RAN nodes.

[0100] In case of split gNB architecture, RACH configuration conflict detection and resolution functionality may be located in the gNB-DU. The gNB-CU may send RACH reports reported by UE to the gNB-DU via F1 AP signaling. The gNB-DU may signal the PRACH configuration of each cell to the gNB-CU. The gNB-CU may forward the PRACH configuration of a limited set of neighbor cells received from a neighbor gNB-CU to the gNB-DU to resolve configuration conflicts.

[0101] Therefore, the problem may be how to solve the RACH configuration conflict problem in the mobile IAB scenario. In the mobile IAB scenario, the RACH configuration of the cell of the mobile IAB-DU may conflict with the adjacent non-mobile IAB cell. It may be necessary to reuse the existing method to solve the RACH configuration conflict problem.

[0102] I. Provide updated RACH configuration

[0103] Mobile IAB-DU may change RACH configuration: During the HO preparation phase of the mobile IAB-MT, the source donor CU may send the RACH configuration of the mobile IAB-DU to the target donor CU. The target donor CU may send the updated RACH configuration of the mobile IAB-DU to the mobile IAB-MT via RRC reconfiguration with synchronization. In some embodiments, the target donor CU may send the RACH configuration of its serving cell and neighboring cells to the mobile IAB-MT via RRC reconfiguration with synchronization. After receiving the configuration, the co-located mobile IAB-DU may use the updated RACH configuration or adjust the RACH configuration based on the RACH configuration of the serving cell and neighboring cells of the target donor CU.

[0104] II. RACH configuration for serving cells

[0105] Neighboring cells may change RACH configuration: After the mobile IAB-MT switches to the target donor CU, the co-located mobile IAB-DU may establish an F1 connection with the target donor CU. During this process, the mobile IAB-DU may send the RACH configuration of its serving cell to the target donor CU. The target donor CU may then send the RACH configuration of the mobile IAB-DU's cell along with a timer and mobile IAB cause value to other serving cells and neighboring cells of the donor CU. The sending of the timer and mobile IAB cause value may trigger that the serving cell and neighboring cells of the donor CU that may have a RACH conflict do not use conflicting resources within a given time defined by the timer.

[0106] H. Identifier Conflicts

[0107] For the mobile IAB scenario, the mobile IAB node may move with the vehicle and thus may connect to different donor nodes. The problem is how to configure the cell of the mobile IAB during mobility, such as NCGI, TAC, RACH resource configuration.

[0108] When the mobile IAB node-MT is initially connected to the network, based on the mobile IAB authorization information element (IE) received from the AMF, the donor CU can know that the IAB node-MT is actually a mobile IAB. The donor CU can then allocate a set of NCGIs to the mobile IAB node-MT via an RRC reconfiguration message. The mobile IAB node-MT can use these NCGIs for the co-located, mobile IAB node-DU's service cells. In addition, the mobile IAB-node-MT can send the required number of NCGIs to the donor CU, and the donor CU can then allocate the corresponding number of NCGIs to the mobile IAB-node-MT. Taking into account that the number of service cells of the mobile IAB-node-DU may change, the mobile IAB-node-MT can send the updated required number of NCGIs to the donor CU. The donor CU can send the NCGI configuration to be added or released to the mobile IAB-node-MT.

[0109] I. User location related information

[0110] In the mobile IAB scenario, the mobile IAB node may move with the vehicle. In this case, the UE's user location information (ULI) (e.g., cell ID or TAC) sent by the gNB-CU to the AMF may not always accurately reflect the UE's location. This may affect services that rely on cell ID and TAC as location references, such as regulatory services and tariff notifications.

[0111] The gNB, IAB donor or CU may send user location related information to the AMF. The user location related information may include at least one of the following items: cell identity (e.g., the cell serving the IAB-MT), TAI, PLMN ID, TAC, cell information of the cell of the co-located DU. The cell information of the cell of the co-located DU may include at least one of the following items: cell identity, TAI, PLMNID, and TAC, etc. Then, the AMF of the UE may determine the location of the UE based on the user location related information of the IAB-MT and the user location information of the UE.

[0112] J. The process of transmitting access-related and configuration information in the Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) system

[0113] Reference now Figure 5, depicts a flow chart of a method 500 for transmitting access-related and configuration information in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system. The method 500 may be implemented or performed using any of the above components, such as BS 102 or 202, UE 104, 204, 308a or 308b, core network (CN) 302 and donor IAB 304, IAB nodes 306a-d, etc. In short, a first wireless communication node may send configuration information (505). A wireless communication device may receive configuration information (510). A wireless communication device may perform configuration (515). A first wireless communication node may send access-related information (520). A second wireless communication node may receive access-related information (525). A second wireless communication node may send response information (530). A second wireless communication node may receive response information (535).

[0114] In further detail, the first wireless communication node (e.g., BS 102 or 202, CN 302, IAB node 306a-d) may provide, broadcast, send, or otherwise transmit configuration information (505) to a network element (e.g., a wireless communication device, such as UE 104 or 204). In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node may be arranged according to a split architecture and may have a centralized unit (gNB-CU) and a distributed unit (gNB-DU). The configuration information may define, identify, or otherwise specify one or more parameters for facilitating communication or access with a network cell (e.g., an IAB cell) supported by at least one IAB node (e.g., IAB node 306a-d, IAB-CU, or IAB-DU).

[0115] The configuration information may be used by a wireless communication device to initialize and establish communication with an IAB node (e.g., a mobile IAB node or a mobile relay (MR)) that supports an IAB cell. In some embodiments, the configuration information may identify or include one or more of the following items: a mobile IAB indication, a mobile IAB priority indication, a mobile IAB-only indication, or an access-related indication, etc. The mobile IAB indication may specify that the identified IAB node is mobile. The mobile IAB priority (sometimes referred to herein as the MR priority) may indicate to the receiving wireless communication device to prioritize cells for selection, reselection, or switching, etc. The mobile IAB-only indication (sometimes referred to herein as the MR-only indication) may specify that the receiving wireless communication device is only allowed to access, select, reselect, or switch to a cell of an IAB node.

[0116] In some embodiments, the access-related identifier may identify or include one or more of the following items: a vehicle identifier, a vehicle name, a physical cell identifier (PCI), an NR cell global identifier (NCGI), or a network identifier (NID), etc. The vehicle identifier and name may correspond to the vehicle in which the mobile IAB node is located or located. PCI, NCGI, and NID may correspond to a cell network supported by the mobile IAB node. In some embodiments, the configuration information may identify or include one or more of the following items: a closed access group (CAG) identifier, a human-readable network name (HRNN), or a CAG-only indicator, etc. The CAG identifier may identify a group of wireless communication devices (e.g., UE 104 or 204) that are allowed to access one or more cells associated with the CAG. The HRNN may identify one or more cells associated with the CAG. The CAG-only indicator may specify that the wireless communication device is only allowed to access one or more cells associated with the CAG.

[0117] In some embodiments, the configuration information may identify or include: mobility state information of the first wireless communication node. The mobility state information may indicate: the degree of mobility of the first wireless communication node in the environment. The mobility state information of the first wireless communication node can be used to compare with the mobility state of the receiving wireless communication device to perform access, selection, reselection, or switching related to the cell. The mobility state may identify or indicate one of a low state, a medium state, or a high state. In some embodiments, the configuration information may identify or include a cell equivalent size (e.g., "cellEquivalentSize") of the cell. The cell may be supported by the first wireless communication node or another node.

[0118] In some embodiments, the configuration information may include: an indication that the movement of the first wireless communication node (e.g., a mobile IAB node) causes a corresponding attribute change. The configuration information may identify or include one or more of the following items: a PCI change indication, an NCGI change indication, a frequency change indication, a tracking area code (TAC) change indication, a radio access network-based notification area code (RANAC) change indication, or a cell configuration change indication, etc. In some embodiments, the configuration information may identify or include one or more of the following items: an old PCI, a new PCI, an old NCGI, a new NCGI, an old frequency, a new frequency, an old TAC, a new TAC, an old RANAC, or a new RANAC, etc.

[0119] The configuration information may specify conditions for triggering the wireless communication device to perform intra-frequency / inter-frequency cell measurements. In some embodiments, the configuration information may identify or include one or more thresholds for triggering at least one intra-frequency / inter-frequency cell measurement. IntraSearchP / S nonIntraSearchP and S IntraSearchQ / S nonIntraSearchQ ) may be lower than a previously set threshold (e.g., S IntraSearchP / S nonIntraSearchP and S IntraSearchQ / S nonIntraSearchQ In some embodiments, the configuration information may identify or include one or more of the following items: measurement duration, or reference signal received power (RSRP) jitter threshold, etc. The measurement duration and RSRP jitter threshold may specify a value that triggers an intra-frequency / inter-frequency cell measurement.

[0120] In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node may receive at least one paging message from the second wireless communication node (e.g., from an access and mobility function (AMF)). The paging message may identify or include configuration information. The configuration information of the paging message may identify or include one or more of the following items: a mobile IAB indication, a CAG ID, a vehicle ID, an NID, a list of identifiers identifying one or more cells to which the UE is permitted to access, or an indication indicating whether the UE is allowed to access a non-mobile IAB cell, etc. Upon receipt, the first wireless communication node may send the configuration information of the paging message to the wireless communication device, or a neighboring wireless communication node (e.g., a gNB).

[0121] The wireless communication device may obtain, identify, or otherwise receive configuration information from the first wireless communication node (510). The configuration information received from the first wireless communication may include the content discussed above. After receiving, the wireless communication device may parse the configuration information to extract or identify the content therein. The wireless communication device may perform configuration according to the configuration information (515). The details of the configuration execution are described in the AI ​​section above. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may provide, transmit, or otherwise send cell information to the first wireless communication node. The first wireless communication node may obtain, identify, or otherwise receive cell information from the wireless communication device. The cell information may identify or include one or more of the following items: mobile IAB indication, CAG identifier, vehicle identifier, NID of at least one cell.

[0122] The first wireless communication node may provide, transmit, or otherwise send access related information (520) to a second (wireless) communication node (e.g., a neighboring gNB, AMF, IAB donor, or gNB-CU). The access related information may be used for wireless communication device transmission or access to a cell supported by a mobile IAB node. In some embodiments, the access related information may be obtained, identified, or otherwise received from a wireless communication device. In some embodiments, the access related information may be obtained, identified, or otherwise received from an IAB node or a DU of a communication node (e.g., a gNB-DU). The access related information may identify or include one or more of the following: an onboard UE indication, a CAG identifier, a vehicle identifier, or a NID, etc.

[0123] Upon receipt, the first wireless communication node may send the access-related information to the second communication node. In some embodiments, a centralized unit (CU) connected to the first wireless communication node may send the access-related information to the second communication node. In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node or the CU may send the access-related information to the second wireless communication node or the CU connected to the second wireless communication node.

[0124] In some embodiments, a first wireless communication node (e.g., a gNB or an IAB node) may provide, transmit, or otherwise send user location related information to a second communication node (e.g., an AMF). In some embodiments, a CU connected to the first wireless communication node may send user location related information to a second wireless communication node. The user location related information may identify or include one or more of the following items: a cell identifier, a tracking area identifier (TAI), a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier, a tracking area code (TAC), or cell information of a cell of a co-located DU, etc. In some embodiments, the cell information of a cell of a co-located DU may identify or include one or more of the following items: a second cell identifier, a second TAI, a second PLMNID, or a second TAC, etc.

[0125] The second (wireless) communication node may obtain, identify, or otherwise receive access-related information from the first wireless communication node (525). Upon receipt, the second communication node may parse the access-related information to identify or extract content. The second (wireless) communication node may provide, transmit, or otherwise send response information to the first wireless communication node (530). In some embodiments, the response information may identify or include mobility restriction information. In response to receiving the access-related information, the second communication node may provide, transmit, or otherwise send mobility restriction information. The mobility restriction information may identify or include one or more of the following items: mobile IAB priority indication, mobile IAB indication, MR indication, CAG identifier, CAG-only indication, vehicle identifier, or network identifier, etc. The second wireless communication node may obtain, identify, or otherwise receive response information from the second communication node (535). The second wireless communication node may parse the response information to extract or identify content.

[0126] K. Procedures for facilitating handover in an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) system

[0127] Reference now Figure 6 , depicts a flow chart of a method 600 for facilitating handover in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system. The method 600 may be implemented or performed using any of the components described above, such as the BS 102 or 202, the UE 104, 204, 308a or 308b, the core network (CN) 302 and the donor IAB 304, the IAB nodes 306a-d, etc. In short, a first wireless communication node may send configuration information (605). A second wireless communication node may receive configuration information (610). The second wireless communication node may send updated configuration information (615). The first wireless communication node may receive updated configuration information (620).

[0128] In further detail, the first wireless communication node (e.g., BS 102 or 202) may provide, transmit, or otherwise send configuration information to a network element, such as a wireless communication device (e.g., UE 104 or 204) or a second wireless communication node (e.g., BS 102 or 202 or IAB node-MT) (505). In some embodiments, the first wireless communication node and the second wireless communication node may each be arranged according to a split architecture and may have a centralized unit (gNB-CU) and a distributed unit (gNB-DU). The configuration information may be used for the DU (e.g., gNB-DU) and may define, identify, or otherwise specify one or more parameters for facilitating communication or access to a network cell (e.g., IAB cell) supported by at least one IAB node (e.g., IAB node 306a-d, IAB-CU, or IAB-DU). In some embodiments, a CU connected to the first wireless communication node may send configuration information to a CU connected to the second wireless communication node. The configuration information may identify or include one or more of the following items: PCI, NCGI, or TAC, or random access channel (RACH) configuration, etc. In some embodiments, the configuration information may identify or include a set of NCGIs to be added or released on a network element (e.g., an IAB node). The set of NCGIs may be based on the number of NCGIs requested from the network element. In some embodiments, the network element (e.g., an IAB node-MT) may provide, transmit, or otherwise send the requested number of NCGIs to the first wireless communication node.

[0129] The second wireless communication node may obtain, identify, or otherwise receive configuration information from the first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node (610). In some embodiments, the CU connected to the second wireless communication node may obtain, identify, or otherwise receive configuration information from the first wireless communication or the CU connected to the first communication node. Upon receipt, the second wireless communication node may parse the configuration information to extract or identify the content therein. In some embodiments, the second wireless communication node may perform configuration according to the configuration information. The details of configuration execution are described in the AI ​​section above.

[0130] The second wireless communication node may provide, transmit, or otherwise send updated configuration information to the first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node (615). In some embodiments, the CU connected to the second wireless communication node may provide, transmit, or otherwise send updated configuration information to the first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node. The updated configuration information may identify or include one or more of the following items: old PCI, new PCI, old NCGI, new NCGI, old TAC, new TAC, random access channel (RACH) configuration, timer or mobile IAB indication, or mobile IAB reason value, etc. The first wireless communication node may obtain, identify, or otherwise receive the updated configuration information from the first wireless communication node (620). Upon receipt, the first wireless communication node may parse the updated configuration information to extract or identify the content therein.

[0131] Although various embodiments of the present solution are described above, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only and not limitation. Similarly, various schematic diagrams may describe example architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the example features and functions of the present solution. However, such persons should understand that the present solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations described, but can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of an embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the illustrative embodiments described above.

[0132] In addition, it should be understood that any reference to elements using names such as "first," "second," etc. herein generally does not limit the number or order of these elements. Rather, these names can be used as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or instances of elements. Thus, reference to a first and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be used, nor does it mean that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

[0133] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols mentioned in the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0134] Those of ordinary skill in the art will further recognize that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, components, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of programs or design code containing instructions (which, for convenience, may be referred to herein as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, the functions of various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. A skilled artisan may implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions do not result in a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0135] In addition, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented in or performed by an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and / or transceivers to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. The general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

[0136] If implemented in software, these functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, wherein the communication media includes any medium capable of transmitting a computer program or code from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access. By way of example and not limitation, such a computer-readable medium can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage device, magnetic disk storage device or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store the required program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0137] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements, for performing the relevant functions described herein. In addition, for ease of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, for those of ordinary skill in the art, two or more modules can be combined to form a single module to perform relevant functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

[0138] In addition, in embodiments of the present solution, memory or other storage and communication components may be used. It will be appreciated that, for clarity, the above description describes embodiments of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is apparent that any suitable functional distribution may be used between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains without affecting the present solution. For example, the described functions performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, reference to a particular functional unit refers only to a suitable manner of providing the function, rather than representing a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0139] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the embodiments described in the present disclosure, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as described in the claims below.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting information in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system, comprising: The first wireless communication node sends configuration information to the network element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following items: a mobile IAB indication, a mobile IAB priority indication, a mobile IAB only indication, or an access-related identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the access-related identifier comprises at least one of the following: a vehicle identifier, a vehicle name, a physical cell identifier (PCI), an NR cell global identifier (NCGI), or a network identifier (NID).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of: a Closed Access Group (CAG) identifier, or a Human Readable Network Name (HRNN), or a CAG indicator only.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first wireless communication node receives access related information from the UE.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: The first wireless communication node or a centralized unit (CU) connected to the first wireless communication node sends the access related information to a communication node so that the communication node sends mobility restriction information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the access-related information comprises at least one of the following: an onboard UE indication, a CAG identifier, a vehicle identifier, or a NID.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobility restriction information comprises at least one of: a mobile IAB priority indication, a mobile IAB indication, an MR indication, a CAG identifier, a CAG-only indication, a vehicle identifier, or a network identifier.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node sends access-related information to the second wireless communication node or the CU connected to the second wireless communication node, wherein the access-related information includes at least one of the following items: a mobile IAB indication, a CAG identifier, a vehicle identifier, or a network identifier.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Access-related information is received by the first wireless communication node or a CU connected to the first wireless communication node from an IAB node or a distributed unit (DU), wherein the access-related information includes at least one of the following items: a mobile IAB indication, a CAG identifier, a vehicle identifier, or a network identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises mobility state information of the first wireless communication node, the mobility state indicating one of a low state, a medium state, or a high state.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the configuration information comprises: The cell equivalent size for the cell.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following: a PCI change indication, an NCGI change indication, a frequency change indication, a tracking area code (TAC) change indication, a radio access network based notification area code (RANAC) change indication, or a cell configuration change indication.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of the following items: old PCI, new PCI, old NCGI, new NCGI, old frequency, new frequency, old TAC, new TAC, old RANAC, or new RANAC.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises: One or more thresholds used to trigger intra-frequency / inter-frequency cell measurements.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of: a measurement duration, or a reference signal received power (RSRP) jitter threshold.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising: A paging message including the configuration information is received by the first wireless communication node from a second communication node.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the configuration message comprises at least one of: a mobile IAB indication, a CAGID, a vehicle ID, a NID, a list of identifiers identifying one or more cells to which the UE is permitted to access, or an indication of whether the UE is allowed to access a non-mobile IAB cell.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The first wireless communication node receives cell information from the UE, where the cell information includes at least one of the following items: a mobile IAB indication, a CAG identifier, a vehicle identifier, and an NID of at least one cell.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node sends DU configuration information to the second wireless communication node or the CU connected to the second wireless communication node, wherein the DU configuration information includes at least one of the following items: PCI, NCGI, or TAC, or RACH configuration.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the second wireless communication node or the CU connected to the second wireless communication node sends updated DU configuration information to the first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the updated DU configuration information comprises at least one of the following items: old PCI, new PCI, old NCGI, new NCGI, old TAC, new TAC, random access channel (RACH) configuration, timer, or mobile IAB indication, or mobile IAB cause value.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the network element sends the requested number of NCGIs to the first wireless communication node.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the configuration information comprises: An array of NCGIs to be added or released.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The first wireless communication node or the CU connected to the first wireless communication node sends user location related information to the communication node.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the user location-related information comprises at least one of the following: a cell identity, a tracking area identity (TAI), a public land mobile network (PLMN) identity, a tracking area code (TAC), or cell information of a cell of a co-located DU. 27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the cell information further comprises at least one of the following items: a second cell identity, a second TAI, a second PLMNID, or a second TAC.

28. A method for transmitting information in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) system, comprising: Configuration information is received by the network element from the first wireless communication node.

29. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to read a code from the memory and implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

30. A computer program product comprising computer readable program medium code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

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