Mobile integrated access and backhaul (IAB) migration

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to a mobile integrated access and backhaul (IAB) migration method, equipment, a device and a computer readable storage medium. In a method, a first device receives, from a second device, a request for a handover of a third device from the second device to the first device. The first device determines, based on the type of the third device, that handover for the third device does not require system information. The first device transmits a message to the third device via the second device, the message including identity information of the first device and not including system information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to methods, devices, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for mobile integrated access and backhaul (IAB) migration. Background Art

[0002] In some communication systems, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) enables wireless in the next generation (NG)-radio access network (RAN). Relay nodes, called IAB nodes, support access and backhaul processing via NR. The terminating node of the NR backhaul on the network side is called the IAB donor, which represents a network node with additional functionality to support IAB, such as an NR NB (also known as gNB). The backhaul can occur via a single hop or via multiple hops. In some mechanisms, mobile IAB (mIAB) is introduced. A mobile IAB-node is a RAN node that provides an NR access link to a user equipment (UE) and an NR backhaul link to a parent node and can perform physical mobility across RAN areas. Mobile IAB nodes include mobile IAB mobile terminals (IAB-MTs) and mobile IAB distributed units (IAB-DUs). Mobile IAB can support the same or similar functions as IAB, unless explicitly stated. Mobile IAB-MTs can perform mobile IAB-MT migration procedures. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided. The first device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to at least: receive, from a second device, a request for handover of a third device from the second device to the first device; determine, based on a type of the third device, that system information is not required for handover of the third device; and transmit, via the second device, a message to the third device, the message including identity information of the first device and not including system information.

[0004] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a third device is provided. The third device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the third device to at least: receive, from a first device via a second device, a message regarding a handover of the third device from the second device to the first device, wherein the handover of the third device does not require system information and the message includes identity information of the first device and does not include system information; and initiate handover execution to the first device based on the message.

[0005] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving, at a first device, from a second device, a request for handover of a third device from the second device to the first device; determining, based on a type of the third device, that system information is not required for handover of the third device; and transmitting, via the second device, to the third device, a message including identity information of the first device and not including system information.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving, at a third device, a message from a first device via a second device, for handover of the third device from the second device to the first device, wherein the handover for the third device does not require system information and the message includes identity information of the first device and does not include system information; and initiating handover execution to the first device based on the message.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided. The first device includes: a component for receiving, from a second device, a request for handover of a third device from the second device to the first device; a component for determining, based on a type of the third device, that system information is not required for handover of the third device; and a component for transmitting, via the second device, a message to the third device, the message including identity information of the first device and not including system information.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a third device is provided. The third device includes: a component for receiving, from a first device via a second device, a message for handover of the third device from the second device to the first device, wherein the handover of the third device does not require system information, and the message includes identity information of the first device and does not include system information; and a component for initiating handover execution to the first device based on the message.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided, wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon, the instructions being configured to cause a device to execute the method according to the third aspect or the fourth aspect.

[0010] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key features or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 An example communication environment is shown in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0013] Figure 2A shows an example signaling flow for mobile IAB migration;

[0014] Figure 2B Another example signaling flow for mobile IAB migration is shown;

[0015] Figure 3 shows a signaling flow of a handover process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4A shows the signaling flow of mobile IAB migration according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 4B shows another signaling flow for mobile IAB migration according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a method implemented at a third device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 7 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0021] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is shown, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only for illustrative purposes and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure without implying any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be implemented in various ways except as described below.

[0024] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0025] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it is considered within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0026] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0027] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions (where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) refer to at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0028] As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise, performing a step “in response to A” does not mean that the step must be performed immediately after “A” occurs, but may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0029] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. It will be further understood that when used herein, the terms "comprise," "including," "having," "having," "include," and / or "comprising" specify the presence of features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0030] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only) and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (as applicable): (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware and (ii) any portion of a hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s), software and memory(s) that work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions) and (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which may not be present when the software is not required to operate.

[0031] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example and if applicable to the particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0032] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, for example, New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. In addition, communication between terminal devices and network devices in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocols and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communications, there are of course future types of communication technologies and systems in which the present disclosure can be implemented. It should not be considered that the scope of the present disclosure is limited to the above-mentioned systems.

[0033] As used herein, the term “network device” or “network access device” refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from it. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a repeater, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low power node (e.g., a femto, a pico), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a non-terrestrial network device (such as a satellite network device, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite and a geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellite, an aircraft network device, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology applied. In some example embodiments, a radio access network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) at an IAB donor node. An IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that behaves like a UE toward a parent node, while the DU portion of the IAB node behaves like a base station toward a next-hop IAB node.

[0034] The term "terminal device" refers to any end device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS) or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, game terminal devices, music storage and playback facilities, vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless user equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal device may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) portion of an IAB node (eg, a relay node).In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0035] As used herein, the terms "resource", "transmission resource", "resource block", "physical resource block" (PRB), "uplink resource" or "downlink resource" may refer to any resource used to perform communication (e.g., communication between a terminal device and a network device), such as a resource in the time domain, a resource in the frequency domain, a resource in the spatial domain, a resource in the code domain, or any other resource for implementing communication. Hereinafter, unless explicitly stated otherwise, resources in the frequency domain and the time domain will be used as examples of transmission resources for describing some example embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the example embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0036] As briefly described above, mobile IAB is supported for some communication systems. In some mechanisms, the mobile IAB-MT can perform a mobile IAB-MT migration procedure via Xn handover and / or via NG handover. The mobile IAB-MT can also perform a mobile IAB-node recovery procedure. The mobile IAB-node can perform a mobile IAB-DU migration procedure, in which a new logical mobile IAB-DU is established on the mobile IAB-node and the initial logical mobile IAB-DU is released at a later time. During this procedure, the UE connected via the mobile IAB-node switches from the initial logical mobile IAB-DU, called the source logical mobile IAB-DU, to the new logical mobile IAB-DU, called the target logical mobile IAB-DU. The details of mobile IAB-DU migration can be defined in standards such as Technical Specification (TS) 38.401. Enhancements related to the Backhaul Adaptation Protocol (BAP) for mobile IAB-DU migration can be defined in standards such as Technical Specification (TS) 38.340.

[0037] The following will refer to Figures 1 to 7 The principles and embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail. Figure 1 An example communication environment 100 is shown in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. In the communication environment 100, a mobile IAB 110 includes an IAB-DU 112 (also referred to as a mobile IAB-DU) and an IAB-MT 114 (also referred to as a mobile IAB-MT). As used herein, the mobile IAB 110 may also be referred to as a mobile IAB node. The IAB-DU supports gNB-DU functionality, terminates the NR access interface to the terminal device or UE and the next-hop IAB node on the IAB donor, and terminates the F1 protocol to the gNB-CU functionality. The IAB-MT 114 may include a subset of UE functionality, including, for example, physical layer, layer 2, RRC, and non-access stratum (NAS) functionality, to connect to a gNB-DU of another IAB-node or IAB-donor, to a gNB-CU on the IAB-donor, and to the core network.

[0038] In some scenarios, mobile IAB 110 is connected to a source network node 120 (also referred to as a source network device or source gNB). For example, IAB-MT 114 is connected to source network node 120. Source network node 120 may be a terminating node for the NR backhaul on the network side, which may be a gNB with additional functionality supporting IAB. Source network node 120 may be referred to as a source radio resource control (RRC)-terminating IAB-donor-central unit (CU).

[0039] In some scenarios, mobile IAB 110 may transition from source network node 120 to target network node 130 (also referred to as a target network device or target gNB). Target network node 130 may also be referred to as a target RRC-terminated IAB donor CU. During the migration of mobile IAB 110 from source network node 120 to target network node 130, mobile IAB 110 may be connected to a donor CU 150, such as an F1-terminated IAB donor CU. For example, mobile IAB-DU 112 co-located with mobile IAB-MT 114 is connected to donor CU 150 (i.e., an F1-terminated IAB-donor CU). The F1-terminated IAB donor CU may be a source RRC-terminated IAB donor CU, a target RRC-terminated IAB donor CU, or any other suitable different donor CU.

[0040] In some example embodiments, terminal device 140 communicates with mobile IAB 110. For example, terminal device 110 may obtain access to a network, such as NR access links, from mobile IAB 110. In other words, a network such as a core network may provide services to terminal device 140 via mobile IAB 110.

[0041] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of devices, equipment, and their connections shown in FIG is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices configured to implement example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] Communications in the communication environment 100 may be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), etc. cellular communication protocols, wireless local area network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, etc., and / or any other protocols currently known or developed in the future. Furthermore, communications may utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technology currently known or developed in the future.

[0043] As discussed, the mobile IAB node can perform a mobile IAB migration procedure. During mobile IAB-MT migration, the mobile IAB-DU can pass the gNB identifier (ID) of the target RRC-terminated IAB donor CU and the BAP address of the mobile IAB node allocated by the target RRC-terminated IAB donor CU to the F1-terminated IAB donor CU via the F1 application protocol (F1AP). In the event of a mobile IAB-MT migration during DU migration, each logical mobile IAB-DU passes this information to its respective F1-terminated IAB-donor-CU.

[0044] In some mechanisms, to enable the mobile IAB-DU to obtain the gNB ID of the target RRC-terminated IAB donor-CU, the target cell supporting mobile IAB access should broadcast the gNB-ID-Length in the System Information Block 1 (SIB1). The mobile IAB-MT is able to decode this information. When retrieving the relevant information from SIB1, the IAB-MT signals the gNB ID (and Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) ID) to the IAB-DU, which signals it to its corresponding F1-mediated IAB donor-CU within the RRC-terminated IAB-Donor Related Information Element (IE) of the GNB-CU CONFIGURATION UPDATE message. To obtain the global gNB-ID of the target RRC-terminated IAB donor CU, the current specification supports several mechanisms.

[0045] In this mechanism, the IAB-MT decodes the PLMN ID, cell ID, and gNB-ID-Length from the SIB1 of the neighboring cell (including the target cell) that triggered the mobility event. For example, the IAB-MT can decode the PLMN ID and gNB ID from the PLMN-Identity Information List (IdentityInfoList) IE and the Non-Public Network (NPN)-Identity Information List (IdentityInfoList) Table IE.

[0046] Figure 2A An example signaling flow 200 for mobile IAB migration is shown. The signaling flow 200 involves a mobile IAB 201, a source gNB 205, a target gNB 207, and an F1-terminating donor CU 209. The mobile IAB 201 includes an IAB-DU 202 and an IAB-MT 204.

[0047] The target gNB 207 may transmit the SSB and SIB1 to the IAB-MT 204. The source gNB 205 may transmit the measurement configuration to the IAB-MT 204. The IAB-MT may detect an event, such as a target cell that is better than the serving cell or a mobility event. This event may trigger a mobile IAB mobility, such as IAB-MT 204 mobility.

[0048] As shown, target gNB 207 transmits SIB1 to IAB-MT 204. Delays in SIB reception and decoding may occur. For example, the requirement for IAB-MT 204 to decode SIB1 from a cell introduces delays based on synchronization signal block (SSB) periodicity and SIB1 scheduling, which increases the risk of handover failure at IAB-MT 204 (especially in high-speed mobility scenarios) and can slow down the migration process. Furthermore, the time spent decoding SIB1 from neighboring cells results in interruptions in the backhaul of mobile IAB-MT 204, which can negatively impact vehicular UEs.

[0049] IAB-MT 204 may transmit a measurement report to source gNB 205. Source gNB 205 may transmit a handover request to target gNB 207. Target gNB 207 may respond to source gNB 205 with a handover request ACK (e.g., a handover command). Source gNB 205 may transmit an RRC reconfiguration (such as reconfigurationWithSync) to IAB-MT 204. IAB-MT 204 may transmit the target cell PLMN-ID and gNB-ID to IAB-DU 202. Access procedures may be performed by IAB-MT 204 and target gNB 207. The handover procedure may be completed. IAB-DU 202 may update the gNB-DU configuration, including the PLMN-ID and gNB-ID, to the F1-terminating donor CU 209. The IAB transport migration management procedure is then performed.

[0050] In an alternative mechanism, dedicated SIB1-delivery is used to signal the target cell SIB1 when the handover command is sent to the IAB-MT. Figure 2B Another example signaling flow 250 for mobile IAB migration is shown. Signaling flow 250 involves mobile IAB 201, source gNB 205, target gNB 207, and F1-terminating donor CU 209. Mobile IAB 201 includes IAB DU 202 and IABMT 204. As shown in the figure, in signaling flow 250, a dedicated SIB1-Delivery is included in the handover request acknowledgement (ACK) or handover command from target gNB 207 to source gNB 205. The dedicated SIB1-Delivery includes the PLMN-ID, cell identity, and gNB-ID-Length. The dedicated SIB1-Delivery can be transmitted from source gNB 205 to mobile IAB-MT 204 via RRC reconfiguration (such as ReconfigurationWithSync).

[0051] However, sending a dedicated SIB1-delivery and handover command would result in a lot of redundant overhead, since most of the information carried within SIB1 is already signaled as part of the handover command (via ReconfigurationWithSync:ServingCellConfigCommon).

[0052] To address at least some of the above-mentioned issues or other potential issues, according to the present solution for mobile IAB migration, a second device (e.g., a source gNB) sends a request to a first device (e.g., a target gNB) for a third device (e.g., a mobile IAB) to be handed over from the second device to the first device. The first device determines, based on the type of the third device, that system information is not required for the handover of the third device. For example, the type of the third device may be a mobile IAB. The first device transmits a message to the third device via the second device. The message includes the identity information of the first device and does not include system information. For example, the message may include the global gNB ID of the first device. In this way, the identity information of the first device can be notified to the third device without transmitting system information such as SIB1. This reduces signaling overhead and also reduces the time delay for decoding system information.

[0053] Figure 3 3. The signaling flow 300 of the handover process for mobile IAB migration according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The signaling flow 300 involves a first device 310, a second device 320, and a third device 330. For example, the first device 310 may be a first network node or a network device, such as Figure 1 The second device 320 may be a second network node or network device, such as Figure 1 The third device 330 can be implemented as Figure 1 The third device 330 may be in a connection mode with the second device 320.

[0054] exist Figure 3 In the description, it is assumed that the first device 310 may be a target network node, for example, a target RRC-terminated IAB donor CU, and the second device 320 may be a source network node, for example, a source RRC-terminated IAB donor CU.

[0055] In operation, the second device 320 transmits (335) to the first device 310 a request for handover (HO) of the third device 330 from the second device 320 to the first device 310, and the first device 310 receives (340) the request.

[0056] The first device 310 determines (350) that system information is not required for handover of the third device 330 based on the type of the third device 330. For example, the system information may include SIB1, such as dedicated SIB1-delivery. In some example embodiments, if the type of the third device 330 is mobile IAB or mobile IAB-MT, the first device 310 may determine (350) that system information is not queried. If the third device 330 is a UE or other terminal device or network node, the first device 310 may determine that system information is required. In some example embodiments, the request for handover may indicate the type of the third device 330. The first device 310 may determine whether system information is required or not required for handover based on the request for handover.

[0057] It should be understood that the condition that the type of the third device 330 is a mobile IAB is for illustrative purposes only and does not suggest any limitation. In some example embodiments, if the type of the third device 330 is a type other than mobile IAB, the first device 310 may also determine that the system information is not requested. The applicable types are not limited to mobile IAB.

[0058] Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, if the type of the third device 330 is mobile IAB and if the first device 310 supports switching of mobile IAB, the first device 310 may determine (350) that system information is not queried. If the type of the third device 330 is mobile IAB but the first device 310 does not support mobile IAB, the first device 310 may determine that system information is required. That is, in an embodiment, the determination of whether system information is required may also be based on the capabilities of the first device 310.

[0059] The first device 310 transmits (360) a message to the third device 330 via the second device 320. The message includes identity information of the first device 310 and does not include system information. For example, the first device 310 transmits (360) the message to the second device 320. In response to receiving the message, the second device 320 transmits or forwards (370) the message to the third device 330. The third device 330 receives (380) the message. The message can be an RRC container or any other suitable message or IE. In an embodiment where the third device 330 is a mobile IAB, the first device 310 can transmit (360) the message to the IAB-MT of the mobile IAB via the second device 320.

[0060] In this way, system information such as SIB1 or dedicated SIB1-delivered does not need to be signaled to the handover of the third device 330. Signaling overhead and time delay for decoding system information can be reduced. Handover interruption caused by SIB1 decoding and signaling overhead can be reduced.

[0061] In some example embodiments, the message may include an RRC reconfiguration message. The RRC reconfiguration message includes a handover command for handover. In some example embodiments, the message may include a handover command for handover. Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, the message may include an ACK for the request for handover.

[0062] In some example embodiments, the identity information of the first device 310 may include an identifier of the first device 310, such as a gNB-ID. Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, the identity information of the first device 310 may include a cell identity associated with the first device 310 (such as cellIdentity) and the length of the identifier of the first device 310 (such as gNB-ID-Length). The identifier of the first device 310 (such as the gNB-ID) may be determined based on the cell identity of the first device 310 and the length of the identifier. For example, the gNB ID may be obtained from the cellIdentity and gNB-ID-Length fields.

[0063] In some example embodiments, the identity information of the first device 310 may further include a PLMN ID. In this manner, the global identifier of the first device 310 may be notified to the third device 330. The global identifier of the first device 310 may be a global gNB ID of the RRC-terminated IAB-Donor-related information IE, which may consist of a PLMN ID and a gNB ID. For example, the global gNB ID of the RRC-terminated IAB-Donor-related information IE may consist of a PLMN ID and a gNB ID.

[0064] In some example embodiments, third device 330 may obtain the identity information of first device 310 based on the message without receiving the broadcasted system information from first device 310 over a radio interface. In an embodiment where third device 330 is a mobile IAB, an IAB-MT of the mobile IAB obtains / receives the identity information of first device 310.

[0065] In some example embodiments, the identity information of the first device 310 may be transmitted to the fourth device by the third device 330. For example, the IAB-DU may transmit the identity information of the first device 310 to the fourth device. The fourth device may be an F1-terminated CU of the third device 330.

[0066] In some example embodiments, third device 330 may perform cell measurement based on the identity information of first device 110. In addition, in some example embodiments, third device 330 may initiate handover execution to first device 310 based on the message. For example, handover execution may be initiated based on the identity information of first device 310.

[0067] In this way, system information, such as SIB1 or dedicated SIB1 delivery, is not included in the signaling for gNB identity information. This reduces the signaling overhead and time delay for decoding system information. This reduces the risk of handover failure at a third device, such as an IAB-MT (especially in high-speed mobility scenarios) in a mobile IAB. This improves the migration process for IAB-MTs and avoids backhaul disruption for mobile IAB-MTs. Figure 4A A signaling flow 400 for mobile IAB migration according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The signaling flow 400 involves a mobile IAB 401, a source gNB 405 (e.g., a source RRC-terminated IAB donor CU), a target gNB 407 (e.g., a target RRC-terminated IAB donor CU), and an F1-terminated donor CU 409. The mobile IAB 401 includes an IAB-DU 402 and an IAB-MT 404. For example, the mobile IAB 401 may be Figure 1 In the mobile IAB 110, the source gNB 405 can be Figure 1 The source network node 120 in the target gNB 407 may be Figure 1 The target network node 130 in FIG1 and the donor CU 409 where F1 terminates may be Figure 1 The donor CU 150 in F1. The donor CU 409 terminated by F1 may be the same as or different from the IAB-donor CU terminated by the source RRC.

[0068] The signaling flow 400 illustrates the steps involved in signaling the global gNB-ID of the target RRC terminated IAB-donor CU (i.e., target gNB 407) to the mobile IAB-MT 404.

[0069] In operation, the mobile IAB-MT 404 receives a measurement configuration from its source gNB 405. The mobile IAB-MT 404 can trigger a measurement report based on the measurement configuration. For example, based on the measurement configuration, the IAB-MT 404 detects a measurement event that it reports to the source gNB. For example, the measurement event can be that the target cell is superior to the serving cell (i.e., the source cell).

[0070] The source gNB 405 may determine that the mobile IAB-MT 404 should be handed over to the target gNB 407 (i.e., the target RRC terminated IAB-Donor CU) and send a handover request to the target gNB 407. For example, the source gNB 405 transmits (410) an XnAP Handover Request to the target gNB 407. The target gNB 407 receives (415) the Handover Request. The Handover Request includes an indication that the mobile node is an IAB-node and a mobile IAB authorization status from which the target gNB 407 can know that the handover is associated with the mobile IAB node.

[0071] The target gNB 407 may acknowledge the handover request and include a handover command to be sent to the mobile IAB-MT 404. The handover command may include the target global gNB ID information. For example, the target gNB 407 responds (420) with an XnAP Handover Request ACK message containing the handover command with the RRC reconfiguration for the target cell. The source gNB 405 receives (425) the handover request ACK message. The PLMN-ID, cell identity, and gNB-ID-length of the target cell may be included in the RRC reconfiguration of the handover command, while the dedicated SIB1 message is not included in the message.

[0072] In some example embodiments, source gNB 405 may send a handover command (e.g., via RRC reconfiguration with synchronization) to IAB-MT 404, including target gNB-ID information. For example, source gNB 405 sends (430) an RRC reconfiguration message for the target cell (i.e., reconfigurationWithSync) to IAB-MT 404. IAB-MT 404 receives (435) the RRC reconfiguration message. The message includes the PLMN-ID, cell identity, and gNB-ID-length of the target cell, while the dedicated SIB1 is not included in the message. IAB-MT 404 may decode the received message and derive the gNB-ID of the target cell.

[0073] In some example embodiments, IAB-MT 404 can also be handed over to target gNB 407 via N2-based handover. In the case of N2-based handover, the handover signaling is NGP Application Protocol (NGAP) signaling. The required changes are similar, and the handover command is transmitted to source gNB 405 via NGAP signaling.

[0074] In some example embodiments, mobile IAB-MT 404 notifies IAB-DU 402 of the target gNB-ID information, which in turn signals this information to its F1-terminated IAB donor CU 409 within the RRC-terminated IAB-Donor Related Information IE of the GNB-CU Configuration Update message. For example, mobile IAB-MT 404 decodes the gNB-ID of target gNB 407 based on the Cell Identity and gNB-ID-Length fields and forwards the PLMN-ID and gNB-ID to IAB-DU 402. IAB-MT 404 accesses the target cell, and the handover procedure is complete.

[0075] In some example embodiments, IAB-DU 402 sends the target gNB-ID to its F1-terminated donor CU 409 as part of the RRC-terminated IAB-Donor Related Information IE of the GNB-DU Configuration Update Command. Knowing the target gNB-ID, F1-terminated IAB-Donor CU 409 can initiate a transport migration management procedure with the target RRC-terminated donor CU. For example, F1-terminated donor CU 409 initiates an IAB transport management procedure with the target gNB 407.

[0076] In this way, the global gNB-ID information of the target RRC-terminated IAB donor CU is signaled to the mobile IAB-MT during the handover process. This is beneficial because only the relevant information required to determine the global gNB-ID of the target RRC-terminated IAB donor CU is directly signaled (i.e., without any additional overhead), without requiring the IAB-MT to spend time decoding the SIB1 of neighboring cells.

[0077] Figure 4B Another signaling flow 450 for mobile IAB migration according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The signaling flow 450 involves mobile IAB 401, source gNB 405 (e.g., source RRC terminated IAB donor CU), target gNB 407 (e.g., target RRC terminated IAB donor CU), and F1 terminated donor CU 409. Mobile IAB 401 includes IAB-DU 402 and IAB-MT 404. For example, mobile IAB 401 may be Figure 1 In the mobile IAB 110, the source gNB 405 can be Figure 1 The source network node 120 in the target gNB 407 may be Figure 1 The target network node 130 in FIG1 and the donor CU 409 where F1 terminates may be Figure 1 The donor CU 150 in F1. The donor CU 409 terminated by F1 may be the same as or different from the IAB donor CU terminated by the source RRC.

[0078] In operation, mobile IAB-MT 404 receives a measurement configuration from its source gNB 405. Mobile IAB-MT 404 can trigger a measurement report based on the measurement configuration. For example, based on the measurement configuration, IAB-MT 404 detects a measurement event, which it reports to the source gNB. For example, the measurement event can be a target cell that is better than the serving cell.

[0079] The source gNB 405 may determine that the mobile IAB-MT 404 should be handed over to the target gNB 407 (i.e., the target RRC terminated IAB-donor CU) and send a handover request to the target gNB 407. For example, the source gNB 405 transmits (410) an XnAP handover request (HANDOVER REQUEST) to the target gNB 407. The target gNB 407 receives (415) the handover request. The handover request includes an indication that the mobile node is an IAB-node and a mobile IAB authorization status, from which the target gNB 407 can know that the handover is associated with the mobile IAB node.

[0080] The target gNB 407 may acknowledge the handover request and include a handover command to be sent to the mobile IAB-MT 404. The handover command may include the target global gNB ID information. As an example, the target gNB 407 responds (460) with an XnAP Handover Request ACK, which includes the handover command with the RRC reconfiguration for the target cell. The source gNB 405 receives (465) the handover request ACK. Included in the RRC reconfiguration of the handover command are the PLMN-ID and gNB-ID, while the dedicated SIB1 is not included in the message.

[0081] In some example embodiments, source gNB 405 may send a handover command (e.g., via RRC reconfiguration with synchronization) to IAB-MT 404 that includes target gNB-ID information. For example, source gNB 405 sends (470) an RRC reconfiguration message for the target cell (i.e., reconfigurationWithSync) to IAB-MT 404. IAB-MT 404 receives (475) the RRC reconfiguration message. The message includes the PLMN-ID and gNB-ID of target gNB 407, while the dedicated SIB1 is not included in the message.

[0082] Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, the IAB-MT 404 may also be handed over to the target gNB 407 via an N2-based handover. In the case of an N2-based handover, the handover signaling is NGAP signaling. The required changes are similar, and the handover command is transmitted to the source gNB 405 via NGAP signaling.

[0083] In some example embodiments, mobile IAB-MT 404 forwards the PLMN-ID and gNB-ID to IAB-DU 402. IAB-MT 404 accesses the target cell, and the handover procedure is completed.

[0084] In some example embodiments, IAB-DU 402 sends the target gNB-ID to its F1-terminated donor CU 409 as part of the RRC-terminated IAB-Donor Related Information IE of the GNB-DU Configuration Update Command. Knowing the target gNB-ID, F1-terminated IAB-Donor CU 409 can initiate a transport migration management procedure with the target RRC-terminated donor CU. For example, F1-terminated donor CU 409 initiates an IAB transport management procedure with the target gNB 407.

[0085] In this way, the gNB-ID is directly signaled to the mobile IAB-MT 404 during the handover process, avoiding the need to decode the gNB-ID using the cell identity and gNB-ID-length fields. This reduces additional signaling overhead and decoding time.

[0086] Compared with the embodiments of the present disclosure, the current RRC specification allows SIB1 to be included in the RRC reconfiguration message containing the following HO command: Dedicated SIB1 - delivery OCTET STRING (including SIB1) OPTIONAL, -- requires N.

[0087] An example of dedicated SIB1-delivery according to predefined criteria is shown in Table 1 below. Table 1

[0088] As mentioned above, since the dedicated SIB1 delivery is the complete SIB1 information (a copy of the existing SIB1, OCTETSTRING), it includes a lot of redundant / unnecessary information to be signaled to the mobile IAB-MT. In contrast, the embodiments of the present disclosure use a new IE in the Handover Request ACK and RRC reconfiguration (ReconfigurationWithSync) that only carries the (gNB-ID and PLMN-ID) that needs to be sent to the donor CU of the F1 termination for transport migration management purposes.

[0089] In some example embodiments, when the target knows that the migrating node is a mobile IAB-node and when the target gNB supports mobile IAB, a new IE can be mandatory in the Handover Request ACK (or Handover Command) message. This eliminates the ambiguity of whether the IAB-MT should receive and decode the SIB1 broadcast by the target gNB or can assume that SIB1 is provided with the handover signaling. If it is known that SIB1 is included in the handover signaling, the mobile IAB-MT does not have to receive system information over the air from the target cell, which enables optimized behavior for IAB-MT measurements and backhaul link performance.

[0090] Assume that the full SIB1 (large IE, such as dedicated SIB1-delivery) and / or new IE (small IE with only required information) should or can be included in the handover signaling as follows: In this case, large IE is needed: This is a general option not limited to a specific use case or scenario. It was introduced in Release (Rel) 15 and can be used for any UE based on a gNB implementation. In this case, small IE is needed: For optimal behavior of Mobile IAB-MT and optimized signaling for Mobile IAB migration (minimizing signaling overhead), a small IE should be sent. The small IE may include gNB information related to Mobile IAB migration or mobility handling. In this case, small IE is included, and big IE does not need to be included: This is the primary option supported by this disclosure, which benefits optimized signaling, such as minimized signaling overhead for mobile IAB migration. In this case, when large IEs need to be transmitted, small IEs do not need to be transmitted: The RRC specification defines the dedicated SIB1-Delivery as an optional IE and is not necessarily limited to a specific use. A new IE will be specified for use with Mobile IAB and should preferably be mandatory for HO signaling if the gNB supports Mobile IAB.

[0091] It should be understood that the above use cases are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. For other use cases not mentioned, small IEs can also be applied. It should also be understood that the example small IEs, the format or content of the small IEs, and the messages carrying the small IEs are for illustrative purposes only. Any suitable message or signaling for the handover process can be applied to carry the IE. The scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0092] Example embodiments for transmitting gNB identity information without signaling system information for mobile IAB migration have been described. It should be understood that signaling flows 300, 400, and 450 can be used separately or in any combination. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Utilizing these signaling flows can reduce signaling overhead and latency for decoding system information. Furthermore, performance on the backhaul link can be optimized because there can be no interruptions caused by receiving and decoding system information.

[0093] Figure 5 A flow chart of an example method 500 implemented at a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purpose of discussion, Figure 3 The method 500 is described from the perspective of the first device 310 in FIG.

[0094] At block 510 , the first device 310 receives a request from the second device for handover of a third device from the second device to the first device 310 .

[0095] At block 520 , the first device 310 determines that system information is not required for handover of the third device based on the type of the third device.

[0096] At block 530 , the first device 310 transmits a message to the third device via the second device, the message including the identity information of the first device 310 and not including the system information.

[0097] In some example embodiments, the identity information of the first device 310 includes an identifier of the first device 310 .

[0098] In some example embodiments, the identity information of the first device 310 includes a cell identity associated with the first device 310 and a length of an identifier of the first device 310 .

[0099] In some example embodiments, the identification information further comprises a public land mobile network identifier.

[0100] In some example embodiments, the first device 310 may determine that the handover for the third device does not require the system information based on the type of the third device being Mobile IAB and the first device 310 supporting handover for Mobile IAB.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the request indicates a type of the third apparatus.

[0102] In some example embodiments, the message comprises at least one of: a radio resource control reconfiguration message, the radio resource control reconfiguration message comprising a handover command for handover, a handover command for handover, or an acknowledgment of the request.

[0103] In some example embodiments, the system information comprises a dedicated SIB1 delivery.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the first device 310 includes a target RRC terminated IAB donor CU, the second device includes a source RRC terminated IAB donor CU, and the third device includes a mobile IAB.

[0105] Figure 6 A flowchart of an example method 600 implemented at a third device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purpose of discussion, Figure 3 The perspective description method 600 of the third device 330 in FIG.

[0106] At block 610, the third device 330 receives a message from the first device via the second device for handover of the third device from the second device to the first device. The handover for the third device does not require system information. The message includes identity information of the first device and does not include system information.

[0107] At block 620 , the third device 330 initiates handover execution to the first device based on the message.

[0108] In some example embodiments, the third device 330 may obtain the identity information of the first device without receiving broadcasted system information from the first device over a radio interface.

[0109] In some example embodiments, the third device 330 may transfer the identity information of the first device to the fourth device.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the first device comprises a target RRC terminated IAB donor central unit CU, the second device comprises a source RRC terminated IAB donor CU, and the third device comprises a mobile IAB, and the fourth device comprises an F1 terminated CU of the mobile IAB.

[0111] In some example embodiments, a first device (eg, Figure 3 The first device 310 or Figure 1 The target network node 130 in the method 500 may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of the method 500. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit or a software module. The first device may be implemented as or included in Figure 3 In the first device 310.

[0112] In some example embodiments, a first device includes: a component for receiving a request from a second device for handover of a third device from the second device to the first device; a component for determining, based on a type of the third device, that system information is not required for handover of the third device; and a component for transmitting a message to the second device, the message including identity information of the first device and not including the system information.

[0113] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises means for performing the method 500 or other operations of some example embodiments of the first apparatus 310. In some example embodiments, the apparatus comprises at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the performance of the first apparatus.

[0114] In some example embodiments, a third device (e.g., Figure 3 The third device 330 or Figure 1 The mobile IAB 110 in the embodiment may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of the method 600. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit or a software module. The third device may be implemented as or included in Figure 3 In the third device 330.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the third device includes: a component for receiving a message from the first device via the second device for handover of the third device from the second device to the first device, wherein the handover for the third device does not require system information and the message includes identity information of the first device and does not include system information; and a component for initiating handover execution to the first device based on the message.

[0116] In some example embodiments, the third apparatus further comprises means for performing the method 600 or other operations of some example embodiments of the third apparatus 330. In some example embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the performance of the third apparatus.

[0117] The following are further examples of the present disclosure:

[0118] Example 1. A first apparatus for communication, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to: receiving, from a second device, a request for handover of a third device from the second device to the first device; determining, based on a type of the third device, that no system information is required for the handover of the third device; and A message is transmitted to the third device via the second device, where the message includes the identity information of the first device and does not include the system information.

[0119] Example 2. The first apparatus of example 1, wherein the identity information of the first apparatus comprises an identifier of the first apparatus.

[0120] Example 3. The first apparatus of Example 1, wherein the identity information of the first apparatus comprises a cell identity associated with the first apparatus and a length of an identifier of the first apparatus.

[0121] Example 4. The first apparatus of Example 2 or 3, wherein the identity information further comprises a public land mobile network identifier.

[0122] Example 5. The first apparatus of any of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the first apparatus is further caused to: Based on the type of the third device being Mobile Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) and the first device supporting the handover for the Mobile IAB, it is determined that the handover for the third device does not require the system information.

[0123] Example 6. The first apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the request indicates the type of the third apparatus.

[0124] Example 7. The first apparatus of any of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the message includes at least one of: a radio resource control reconfiguration message, the radio resource control reconfiguration message comprising a handover command for the handover, a switch command for said switch, or Acknowledgement of the request.

[0125] Example 8. The first apparatus of any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the system information comprises a dedicated system information block—SIB1 delivery.

[0126] Example 9. A first device according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the first device includes a target radio resource control (RRC) terminated integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor central unit (CU), the second device includes a source RRC terminated IAB donor CU, and the third device includes a mobile IAB.

[0127] Example 10. A third apparatus for communication, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the third device to: receiving, from a first device via a second device, a message for handover of the third device from the second device to the first device, wherein the handover of the third device does not require system information, and the message includes identity information of the first device and does not include the system information; and A handover is initiated to the first device based on the message.

[0128] Example 11. The third apparatus of Example 10, wherein the third apparatus is caused to:

[0129] The identity information of the first device is obtained without receiving broadcasted system information from the first device over a radio interface.

[0130] Example 12. The third apparatus of Example 10 or 11, wherein the identity information of the first apparatus is communicated to a fourth apparatus.

[0131] Example 13. A third apparatus according to Example 12, wherein the first apparatus comprises a target radio resource control (RRC) terminated integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor central unit (CU), the second apparatus comprises a source RRC terminated IAB donor CU, and the third apparatus comprises a mobile IAB, and the fourth apparatus comprises an F1 terminated CU of the mobile IAB.

[0132] Example 14. A method for communication, comprising: receiving, at a first device, from a second device, a request for handover of a third device from the second device to the first device; determining, based on a type of the third device, that no system information is required for the handover of the third device; and A message is transmitted to the third device via the second device, where the message includes the identity information of the first device and does not include the system information.

[0133] Example 15. A method for communication, comprising: receiving, at a third device, from a first device via a second device, a message for handover of the third device from the second device to the first device, wherein the handover for the third device does not require system information, and the message includes identity information of the first device and does not include the system information; and A handover is initiated to the first device based on the message.

[0134] Example 16. A first apparatus for communication, comprising: means for receiving, from a second device, a request for handover of a third device from the second device to the first device; means for determining, based on a type of the third apparatus, that system information is not required for the handover of the third apparatus; and means for transmitting a message to the third device via the second device, the message including the identity information of the first device and excluding the system information.

[0135] Example 17. A third apparatus for communication, comprising: means for receiving, from a first device via a second device, a message for handover of a third device from the second device to the first device, wherein the handover for the third device does not require system information, and the message includes identity information of the first device and does not include the system information; and Means for initiating handover execution to the first device based on the message.

[0136] Example 18. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method according to Example 14 or the method according to Example 15.

[0137] Figure 7 is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 700 may be provided for implementing a communication device, such as Figure 1 The mobile IAB 110, source network node 120, target network node 130, terminal device 140 and / or donor CU are shown. As shown, the device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to the processor 710, and one or more communication modules 740 coupled to the processor 710.

[0138] The communication module 740 is configured for bidirectional communication. The communication module 740 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. A communication interface may represent any interface necessary to communicate with other network elements. In some example embodiments, the communication module 740 may include at least one antenna.

[0139] Processor 710 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, as non-limiting examples. Device 700 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips, that are time-slave to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0140] The memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), optical discs, laser discs, and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist until power is removed.

[0141] The computer program 730 includes computer-executable instructions executed by the associated processor 710. The instructions of the program 730 may include instructions for performing the operations / actions of some example embodiments of the present disclosure. The program 730 may be stored in a memory, such as ROM 724. The processor 710 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading the program 730 into the RAM 722.

[0142] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by the program 730 so that the device 700 may execute the following steps: Figures 3 to 6 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0143] In some example embodiments, the program 730 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 700 (such as in the memory 720) or in another storage device accessible by the device 700. The device 700 may load the program 730 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 722 for execution. In some example embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. The term "non-transitory" as used herein refers to the limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), not to the limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM versus ROM).

[0144] Figure 8 An example of a computer readable medium 800 is shown, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disc.The computer readable medium 800 has a program 830 stored thereon.

[0145] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, and other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or a controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0146] Some example embodiments of the present disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium (such as a non-volatile computer-readable medium). The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in a program module, that are executed in a device on a target physical or virtual processor to perform any of the methods described above. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for the program modules can be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, the program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0147] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device so that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, causes the realization of the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or completely on a remote machine or server.

[0148] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0149] Computer readable medium can be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium.Computer readable medium can include but is not limited to electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor system, device or equipment or any suitable combination of the above.More specific examples of computer readable storage medium will include an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage component, a magnetic storage component or any suitable combination of the above.

[0150] In addition, although the operations are depicted in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that these operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or that all described operations be performed, to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Unless expressly stated otherwise, certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, unless expressly stated otherwise, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable subcombination.

[0151] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the present disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first apparatus for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to: receiving, from a second device, a request for handover of a third device from the second device to the first device; determining, based on a type of the third device, that no system information is required for the handover of the third device; as well as A message is transmitted to the third device via the second device, where the message includes the identity information of the first device and does not include the system information. 2 . The first device according to claim 1 , wherein the identity information of the first device comprises an identifier of the first device. 3 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the identity information of the first device comprises a cell identity associated with the first device and a length of an identifier of the first device.

4. The first apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the identity information further comprises a public land mobile network identifier.

5. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first device is further caused to: Based on the type of the third device being Mobile Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) and the first device supporting the handover for the Mobile IAB, it is determined that the handover for the third device does not require the system information.

6. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the request indicates the type of the third device.

7. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the message comprises at least one of the following: a radio resource control reconfiguration message, the radio resource control reconfiguration message comprising a handover command for the handover, a switch command for said switch, or Acknowledgement of the request.

8. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the system information comprises a dedicated system information block (SIB1) delivery.

9. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first device comprises a target radio resource control (RRC) terminated integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor central unit (CU), the second device comprises a source RRC terminated IAB donor CU, and the third device comprises a mobile IAB.

10. A third apparatus for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the third device to: receiving, from a first device via a second device, a message for handover of the third device from the second device to the first device, wherein the handover of the third device does not require system information, and the message includes identity information of the first device and does not include the system information; and A handover is initiated to the first device based on the message.

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