Preparation process for ltm

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a base station, a processor, and a method for a preparatory procedure for Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM). In one aspect, a base station, which is a source base station for LTM, transmits, via a transceiver, to one or more candidate base stations for LTM, one or more first request messages for one or more LTM candidate cells belonging to the one or more candidate base stations, respectively. The base station receives, via the transceiver, one or more first response messages for the one or more LTM candidate cells from the one or more candidate base stations, where configuration information for each of the one or more LTM candidate cells is included in at least one first response message.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to wireless communication, and more particularly to base stations, processors, and methods for a preparation process for a Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered movement (LTM), such as a preparation process for an inter-Center Unit (CU) LTM. Background Technology

[0002] A wireless communication system may include one or more network communication devices (such as base stations), which may also be referred to as eNodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), or other suitable terms. Each network communication device (such as a base station) may support wireless communication for one or more user communication devices, which may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), or other suitable terms. The wireless communication system may support wireless communication with one or more user communication devices by utilizing the resources of the wireless communication system (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, time slots, subframes, frames, etc.) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers)). Additionally, the wireless communication system may support wireless communication across a variety of radio access technologies, including third-generation (3G) radio access technology, fourth-generation (4G) radio access technology, fifth-generation (5G) radio access technology, and other suitable radio access technologies other than 5G (e.g., sixth-generation (6G)).

[0003] In 3GPP, a new work item called LTM (Local Time Management) for additional New Radio (NR) mobility enhancements has been approved to change the serving cell via L1 / L2 signaling to reduce latency, overhead, and downtime. LTM is a cell handover procedure between a PCell (primary cell of a primary cell group) or a PSCell (primary cell of a secondary cell group), triggered by the network based on L1 measurements via the Media Access Control-Control Unit (MAC CE). Potential applications of LTM include intra-CU Distributed Unit (DU) LTM, intra-CU inter-DU LTM, and inter-CU LTM. However, for inter-CU LTM, some unresolved issues remain regarding the initiation and modification of inter-CU LTM candidate cell configurations that require further investigation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure relates to methods, apparatus, and systems that support preparation processes for LTM.

[0005] In a first aspect of the solution, a base station may include: a processor; and a transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the base station is a source base station for Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM), and the processor is configured to perform an LTM preparation process comprising: transmitting, via the transceiver, one or more first request messages for one or more LTM candidate cells belonging to one or more candidate base stations for LTM, each first request message including first LTM indication information corresponding to the first request message and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell; and receiving, via the transceiver, one or more first response messages for one or more LTM candidate cells from one or more candidate base stations, wherein configuration information of each of the one or more LTM candidate cells is included in at least one first response message.

[0006] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell may include at least one of the LTM candidate cell configuration and the reference signal (RS) configuration of the LTM candidate cell.

[0007] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the LTM candidate cell configuration and RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell may be included in different first response messages or the same first response message.

[0008] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell can be included in the LTM candidate cell configuration of the LTM candidate cell.

[0009] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the LTM preparation process may further include: configuring and allocating an index to one or more LTM candidate cells of one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0010] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the LTM preparation process may further include: sending a second request message via a transceiver to each of one or more candidate base stations, the second request message including second LTM indication information, an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations, and RS configurations of one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0011] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the LTM preparation process may further include: receiving a second response message as a response to a second request message from each of one or more candidate base stations via a transceiver.

[0012] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the LTM preparation process may further include: sending a reconfiguration message to a user equipment (UE) via a transceiver, the reconfiguration message including one or more LTM candidate cell configurations, an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations, and an RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0013] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the source base station may include a source central unit (CU) and one or more distributed units (DUs), the one or more DUs including a source DU serving a UE, wherein an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations is assigned by the source CU.

[0014] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, sending a reconfiguration message may include: sending the following items from a source CU to a source DU: reconfiguration information, an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations, and an RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells; storing the index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations and the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells at the source DU; and forwarding the reconfiguration message from the source DU to the UE.

[0015] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the identifier of the LTM candidate cell may include the New Radio (NR) Cell Global Identifier (NCGI) of the LTM candidate cell.

[0016] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the first LTM indication information may be an LTM indicator having a first code point or a second code point, wherein the first code point indicates preparation for initiating LTM candidate cell configuration, and the second code point indicates updating the LTM candidate cell configuration. The second LTM indication information may be an LTM indicator having a third code point, wherein the third code point indicates an index storing one or more LTM candidate cell configurations and the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0017] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the processor may also be configured to: perform an LTM preparation process upon receiving a cancellation message requesting modification of LTM candidate cell configuration from a candidate base station for LTM, the cancellation message including identifiers of one or more LTM candidate cells to be cancelled.

[0018] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the cancellation message may also include a reason value indicating that the LTM resource will be changed.

[0019] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the processor may also be configured to: when it is decided to perform LTM on a target LTM candidate cell, transmit the identifier of the target LTM candidate cell to the candidate base station corresponding to the target LTM candidate cell via a transceiver.

[0020] In a first aspect of the solution, a base station may include: a processor; and a transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the base station is a candidate base station for Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM), and the processor is configured to perform an LTM preparation process, the LTM preparation process including: receiving, via the transceiver, from a source base station for LTM for an LTM candidate cell belonging to the candidate base station, the first request message including first LTM indication information and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell; preparing configuration information of the LTM candidate cell based on the first request message; and sending, via the transceiver, at least one first response message including the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell to the source base station.

[0021] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the configuration information may include at least one of the LTM candidate cell configuration and the LTM candidate cell reference signal (RS) configuration.

[0022] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the LTM candidate cell configuration and RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell may be included in different first response messages or the same first response message.

[0023] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell can be included in the LTM candidate cell configuration of the LTM candidate cell.

[0024] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the identifier of the LTM candidate cell may include the New Radio (NR) Cell Global Identifier (NCGI) of the LTM candidate cell.

[0025] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the LTM preparation process may further include: receiving a second request message from a source base station via a transceiver, the second request message including second LTM indication information, RS configurations of one or more LTM candidate cells identified by the source base station, and an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations of one or more LTM candidate cells identified by the source base station; and storing the index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations and the RS configurations of one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0026] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the LTM preparation process may further include: sending a second response message to the source base station via a transceiver as a response to the second request message.

[0027] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the first LTM indication information may be an LTM indicator having a first code point or a second code point, wherein the first code point indicates preparation for initiating LTM candidate cell configuration, and the second code point indicates updating the LTM candidate cell configuration. The second LTM indication information may be an LTM indicator having a third code point, wherein the third code point indicates an index storing one or more LTM candidate cell configurations and the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0028] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, a candidate base station may include a candidate central unit (CU) and one or more candidate distributed units (DU), wherein a first request message and a second request message are received by the candidate CU from a source base station, and a first response message and a second response message are sent by the candidate CU to the source base station.

[0029] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, preparing configuration information for an LTM candidate cell based on a first request message may include: sending a third request message, including the identifier of the LTM candidate cell, from a candidate CU to a candidate DU corresponding to the LTM candidate cell; and receiving at least one third response message, including configuration information of the LTM candidate cell, from the candidate DU at the candidate CU.

[0030] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, storing an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations and an RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells may include: sending a fourth request message from a candidate CU to a candidate DU corresponding to an LTM candidate cell, the fourth request message including an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations and an RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells; and storing an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations and an RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells at the candidate DU.

[0031] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the processor may also be configured to: send a cancellation message requesting modification of the LTM candidate cell configuration to the source base station via a transceiver, wherein the cancellation message includes identifiers of one or more LTM candidate cells to be cancelled.

[0032] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the cancellation message may also include a reason value indicating that the LTM resource will be changed.

[0033] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, a cancellation message may be generated by a candidate CU in response to receiving a modification message from a candidate DU belonging to the candidate CU, requesting modifications to the configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0034] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the modification message may include a reason value indicating that the LTM resource will be changed.

[0035] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the processor may also be configured to receive, via a transceiver, the identifier of the target LTM candidate cell from the source base station when the source base station decides to perform LTM on the target LTM candidate cell.

[0036] In a third aspect of the solution, a processor for wireless communication may include: at least one memory; and a controller coupled to the at least one memory and configured to cause the processor to execute a Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered Mobility Detection (LTM) preparation process, the LTM preparation process including: transmitting, via a transceiver, to one or more candidate base stations for LTM, one or more first request messages for one or more LTM candidate cells belonging to one or more candidate base stations, each first request message including first LTM indication information corresponding to the first request message and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell; and receiving, via the transceiver, one or more first response messages for one or more LTM candidate cells from one or more candidate base stations, wherein configuration information of each of the one or more LTM candidate cells is included in at least one first response message.

[0037] In a fourth aspect of the solution, a method performed by a source base station for Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM) includes an LTM preparation process comprising: transmitting, via a transceiver, one or more first request messages for one or more LTM candidate cells belonging to the one or more candidate base stations for LTM, each first request message including first LTM indication information corresponding to the first request message and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell; and receiving, via the transceiver, one or more first response messages for the one or more LTM candidate cells from the one or more candidate base stations, wherein configuration information of each of the one or more LTM candidate cells is included in at least one first response message.

[0038] In a fifth aspect of the solution, a processor for wireless communication includes: at least one memory; and a controller coupled to the at least one memory and configured to cause the processor to execute a Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered Mobility Detection (LTM) preparation process, the LTM preparation process including: receiving, via a transceiver, from a source base station for LTM, a first request message for an LTM candidate cell belonging to a candidate base station, the first request message including first LTM indication information and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell; preparing configuration information for the LTM candidate cell based on the first request message; and sending, via the transceiver, at least one first response message including the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell to the source base station.

[0039] In a sixth aspect of the solution, a method performed by a candidate base station for Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM) includes an LTM preparation process comprising: receiving, via a transceiver, a first request message for an LTM candidate cell belonging to the candidate base station from a source base station for LTM, the first request message including first LTM indication information and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell; preparing configuration information for the LTM candidate cell based on the first request message; and sending, via the transceiver, at least one first response message including the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell to the source base station.

[0040] It should be understood that the summary portion of this disclosure is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments thereof, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system supporting the preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0042] Figures 2A to 2C An example scenario of LTM associated with various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0043] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the signaling process for the preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0044] Figure 4 An example of a signaling process for a preparation process for LTM is illustrated according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0045] Figure 5 Another example of a signaling process for a preparation process for LTM is illustrated in accordance with various aspects of this disclosure.

[0046] Figure 6 and Figure 7An example of an apparatus supporting the preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0047] Figure 8 and Figure 9 An example of a processor supporting the preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated.

[0048] Figure 10 and Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating a method for preparing an LTM in accordance with various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0050] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, 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 pertains.

[0051] References to "an embodiment," "example embodiment," "embodiment," "some embodiments," etc., in this disclosure indicate that the embodiments(s) described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such references do not necessarily refer to the same(s) embodiments(s). Additionally, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is believed that in conjunction with other embodiments (whether explicitly described or not) affecting such a feature, structure, or characteristic is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0052] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second”, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may also be referred to as a second element without departing from the scope of the embodiments, and similarly, a second element may also be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0053] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “having,” “containing,” and / or “comprising” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0054] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as 5G New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, 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 currently known or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems in which this disclosure can be embodied. This should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure to the systems described above.

[0055] As used herein, the term "network device" generally refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices can access and receive services. Network devices can refer to base stations (BS) or access points (APs), such as Node B (NodeB or NB), Radio Access Network (RAN) nodes, Evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), NRNB (also known as gNB), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Header (RH), infrastructure equipment for V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication, Transmitter Receiver Point (TRP), Receiver Point (RP), Remote Radio Header (RRH), relay, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) nodes, low-power nodes (such as femto-BS, pico-BS, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology applied.

[0056] As used herein, the term "terminal device" generally refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), end user equipment, subscriber station (SS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, VoIP phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), Universal Serial Bus (USB) dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices (e.g., remote surgical equipment), industrial equipment (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics devices, and devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks. In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0057] As mentioned above, when a UE moves from one cell to another, a serving cell change needs to be performed at some point. In the traditional approach, serving cell changes are performed via explicit radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration signaling to trigger synchronization of the target cell based on L3 measurement reports. Compared to beam-level mobility, this results in longer latency, greater overhead, and longer downtime.

[0058] In the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a new work item called LTM for additional NR mobility enhancements was approved to change the serving cell via L1 / L2 signaling to reduce latency, overhead and downtime during cell handover.

[0059] Figures 2A to 2C An example scenario of LTM associated with various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Figure 2A The scenario shown is for LTM within CU and DU. Figure 3 B illustrates a scenario for LTM between DUs within a CU, and Figure 3 C illustrates a scenario for LTM between CU and DU.

[0060] like Figure 2A As shown, in a scenario involving LTM between DUs within a CU, the UE moves between different cells within the same DU. For example... Figure 2B As shown, in a scenario involving LTM between DUs within a CU, the UE moves between different cells belonging to different DUs but within the same CU. For example... Figure 2C As shown, in the scenario of LTM between CUs, the UE moves between different cells belonging to different DUs, where different DUs belong to different CUs.

[0061] In LTM, two concepts are introduced: LTM candidate cells and LTM candidate cell configuration. An LTM candidate cell refers to a cell used in LTM, in addition to the serving cell in the source DU. In some cases, the serving cell in the source DU can be an LTM candidate cell in subsequent LTM scenarios. Multiple LTM candidate cells can be prepared for a UE, and these LTM candidate cells can belong to the same or different candidate DUs (including different candidate DUs belonging to different candidate CUs). An LTM candidate cell configuration refers to the configuration associated with an LTM candidate cell. Each LTM candidate cell configuration can be identified by an index, called the LTM candidate cell configuration index, LTM candidate configuration index, or other names. In one example, the LTM candidate cell configuration index could be LTM-CandidateId, which is used to identify the LTM candidate cell configuration.

[0062] When considering inter-CU LTM, several issues should be addressed. The first issue is that for inter-CU LTM (e.g., when a UE moves from a source CU to a candidate CU), the LTM candidate cells can belong to different CUs. It is currently unclear how to initiate and modify the inter-CU LTM candidate cell configuration.

[0063] The second issue is that for LTM, an index for LTM candidate cell configuration is required, but it is unclear how to orchestrate the index related to inter-CU LTM candidate cell configuration to support L1 measurement reporting. The third issue is that during inter-CU LTM, the UE moves between different cells belonging to different DUs, where these DUs belong to different CUs. Unnecessary early data forwarding with data buffering at multiple candidate DUs and late data forwarding with long interruptions should be avoided. It is currently unclear how to perform timely data forwarding to candidate DUs. Therefore, a solution is needed to address these issues to support inter-CU LTM.

[0064] This disclosure proposes a solution to support the preparation process for LTM, such as for inter-CU LTM. In this solution, a source CU can interact with candidate CUs and manage (e.g., acquire, modify, or update) the LTM candidate cell configuration and RS configuration of LTM candidate cells. By implementing the example embodiments of this disclosure, the preparation process for LTM can be extended to inter-CU LTM.

[0065] The aspects of this disclosure are described in the context of wireless communication systems.

[0066] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 supporting the preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more network entities 102 (also referred to as network devices (NEs)), one or more UEs 104, a core network 106, and a packet data network 108. The wireless communication system 100 may support various radio access technologies. In some implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a 4G network, such as an LTE network or an Advanced LTE (LTE-A) network. In some other implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a 5G network, such as an NR network. In other implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a combination of 4G and 5G networks, or other suitable radio access technologies, including IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20. The wireless communication system 100 may support radio access technologies beyond 5G. In addition, the wireless communication system 100 can support technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), or code division multiple access (CDMA).

[0067] One or more network entities 102 may be distributed throughout a geographic area to form a wireless communication system 100. One or more network entities among the network entities 102 described herein may be, include, or may be referred to as network nodes, base stations, network elements, radio access networks (RANs), base transceiver stations, access points, NodeBs, eNodeBs (eNBs), next-generation NodeBs (gNBs), or other suitable terms. Network entities 102 and UE 104 may communicate via communication link 110, which may be a wireless or wired connection. For example, network entities 102 and UE 104 may perform wireless communication (e.g., receive signaling, send signaling) via a Uu interface.

[0068] Network entity 102 may provide a geographic coverage area 112 for which network entity 102 may support services (e.g., voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, etc.) for one or more UEs 104 within the geographic coverage area 112. For example, network entity 102 and UE 104 may support wireless communication of signals associated with services (e.g., voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcasting, etc.) based on one or more wireless access technologies. In some implementations, network entity 102 may be mobile, for example, a satellite associated with a non-terrestrial network. In some implementations, different geographic coverage areas 112 associated with the same or different radio access technologies may overlap, but different geographic coverage areas 112 may be associated with different network entities 102. The information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0069] One or more UEs 104 may be distributed throughout the geographic area of ​​the wireless communication system 100. UE 104 may include or be referred to as a mobile device, wireless device, remote device, remote unit, handheld device, or subscriber device, or some other suitable term. In some implementations, UE 104 may be referred to as a unit, station, terminal, or client, or other examples. Alternatively or additionally, UE 104 may be referred to as an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or a Machine Type Communication (MTC) device, or other examples. In some implementations, UE 104 may be stationary within the wireless communication system 100. In some other implementations, UE 104 may be mobile within the wireless communication system 100.

[0070] One or more UEs 104 can be devices of different forms or with different capabilities. Some examples of UEs 104 are shown in... Figure 1 The diagram shows that UE 104 can communicate with various types of devices, such as network entity 102, other UEs 104, or network devices (e.g., core network 106, packet data network 108, relay equipment, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or another network device). Figure 1 As shown in A. Alternatively or concurrently, UE 104 may support communication with other network entities 102 or UE 104, and may act as a relay in wireless communication system 100.

[0071] UE 104 can also support direct wireless communication with other UE 104s via communication link 114. For example, UE 104 can support direct wireless communication with another UE 104 via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link. In some implementations, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) deployments, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) deployments, or cellular V2X deployments, communication link 114 may be referred to as a sidelink. For example, UE 104 can support direct wireless communication with another UE 104 via a PC5 interface.

[0072] Network entity 102 may support communication with core network 106, or with another network entity 102, or both. For example, network entity 102 may interface with core network 106 via one or more backhaul links 116 (e.g., via S1, N2, N2, or another network interface). Network entities 102 may communicate with each other via backhaul links 116 (e.g., via X2, Xn, or another network interface). In some implementations, network entities 102 may communicate directly with each other (e.g., between network entities 102). In some other implementations, network entities 102 may communicate with each other or indirectly (e.g., via core network 106). In some implementations, one or more network entities 102 may include sub-components, such as access network entities, which may be examples of access node controllers (ANCs). The ANC may communicate with one or more UEs 104 via one or more other access network transport entities (which may be referred to as radio heads, smart radio heads, or transmit-receive points (TRPs)).

[0073] In some implementations, network entity 102 can be configured with a decomposed architecture that can utilize protocol stacks physically or logically distributed across two or more network entities 102, such as an Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) network, an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) (e.g., a network configuration sponsored by the O-RAN Alliance), or a Virtualized RAN (vRAN) (e.g., a Cloud RAN (C-RAN)). For example, network entity 102 may include one or more of the following: CU, DU, Radio Unit (RU), RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) (e.g., near real-time RIC, non-real-time RIC), Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) system, or any combination thereof.

[0074] An RU can also be referred to as a radio head, intelligent radio head, remote radio head (RRH), remote radio unit (RRU), or transmit-receive point (TRP). One or more components of network entity 102 in a decomposed RAN architecture can be co-located, or one or more components of network entity 102 can be located in distributed locations (e.g., separate physical locations). In some implementations, one or more network entities 102 in a decomposed RAN architecture can be implemented as virtual units (e.g., virtual CU (VCU), virtual DU (VDU), virtual RU (VRU)).

[0075] The functional splitting among CU, DU, and RU can be flexible and can depend on which functions (e.g., network layer functions, protocol layer functions, baseband functions, radio frequency functions, and any combination thereof) are executed at the CU, DU, or RU to support different functions. For example, protocol stack functional splitting can be adopted between CU and DU so that CU can support one or more layers of the protocol stack, and DU can support one or more different layers of the protocol stack. In some implementations, CU can host upper-layer protocol layer (e.g., Layer 3 (L3), Layer 2 (L2)) functions and signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC), Serving Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP)). CU can be connected to one or more DU or RU, and one or more DU or RU can host lower-layer protocol layer, such as Layer 1 (L1) (e.g., Physical (PHY) layer) or L2 (e.g., Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer) functions and signaling, and each can be at least partially controlled by CU 160.

[0076] Alternatively or concurrently, functional splitting of the protocol stack can be employed between the DU and RU, such that the DU can support one or more layers of the protocol stack, and the RU can support one or more different layers of the protocol stack. The DU can support one or more different cells (e.g., via one or more RUs). In some implementations, functional splitting between the CU and DU, or between the DU and RU, can be performed within the protocol layer (e.g., some functions for the protocol layer can be performed by one of the CU, DU, or RU, while other functions of the protocol layer are performed by a different one of the CU, DU, or RU).

[0077] The CU can be further functionally divided into CU control plane (CU-CP) and CU user plane (CU-UP) functions. The CU can be connected to one or more DUs via midhaul communication links (e.g., F1, F1-c, F1-u), and the DUs can be connected to one or more RUs via fronthaul communication links (e.g., open fronthaul (FH) interfaces). In some implementations, the midhaul or fronthaul communication links can be implemented based on interfaces (e.g., channels) between layers of a protocol stack supported by corresponding network entities 102 communicating via such communication links.

[0078] Core network 106 can support user authentication, access authorization, tracking, connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. Core network 106 can be an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC), which may include control plane entities that manage access and mobility (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), access and mobility management functions (AMF)) and user plane entities that route packets or interconnections to external networks (e.g., a serving gateway (S-GW), a packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or a user plane function (UPF)). In some implementations, the control plane entities may manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions, such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management (e.g., data bearers, signaling bearers, etc.) for one or more UEs 104 served by one or more network entities 102 associated with core network 106.

[0079] Core network 106 can communicate with packet data network 108 via one or more backhaul links 116 (e.g., via S1, N2, N2, or another network interface). Packet data network 108 may include application server 118. In some implementations, one or more UEs 104 may communicate with application server 118. UE 104 may establish a session with core network 106 (e.g., Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session, etc.) via network entity 102. Core network 106 can use the established session (e.g., an established PDU session) to route services (e.g., control information, data, etc.) between UE 104 and application server 118. A PDU session may be an example of a logical connection between UE 104 and core network 106 (e.g., one or more network functions of core network 106).

[0080] In the wireless communication system 100, network entity 102 and UE 104 can use the resources of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, time slots, subframes, frames, etc.) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers)) to perform various operations (e.g., wireless communication). In some implementations, network entity 102 and UE 104 can support different resource structures. For example, network entity 102 and UE 104 can support different frame structures. In some implementations, such as in 4G, network entity 102 and UE 104 can support a single frame structure. In some other implementations, such as in 5G and other suitable radio access technologies, network entity 102 and UE 104 can support various frame structures (i.e., multiple frame structures). Network entity 102 and UE 104 can support various frame structures based on parameter sets.

[0081] One or more parameter sets may be supported in the wireless communication system 100, and the parameter sets may include subcarrier spacing and cyclic prefix. The first parameter set (e.g., μ =0) can be associated with the first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15kHz) and the normal cyclic prefix. In some implementations, the first parameter set (e.g., ) associated with the first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15kHz) is... μ =0) can utilize one time slot per subframe. The second parameter set (e.g., μ =1) can be associated with the second subcarrier spacing (e.g., 30 kHz) and the normal cyclic prefix. The third parameter set (e.g., μ =2) can be associated with the third subcarrier spacing (e.g., 60 kHz) and a normal cyclic prefix or an extended cyclic prefix. The fourth parameter set (e.g., μ =3) can be associated with the fourth subcarrier spacing (e.g., 120 kHz) and the normal cyclic prefix. The fifth parameter set (e.g., μ =4) can be associated with the fifth subcarrier spacing (e.g., 240 kHz) and the normal cyclic prefix.

[0082] The time intervals of resources (e.g., communication resources) can be organized according to frames (also known as radio frames). Each frame can have a duration, for example, 10 milliseconds (ms). In some implementations, each frame can include multiple subframes. For example, each frame can include 10 subframes, and each subframe can have a duration, for example, 1 ms. In some implementations, each frame can have the same duration. In some implementations, each subframe of a frame can have the same duration.

[0083] Alternatively or concurrently, the time intervals of resources (e.g., communication resources) can be organized according to time slots. For example, a subframe may include a certain number (e.g., quantity) of time slots. The number of time slots in each subframe may also depend on one or more parameter sets supported in the wireless communication system 100. For example, a first parameter set, a second parameter set, a third parameter set, a fourth parameter set, and a fifth parameter set (i.e., ...) associated with corresponding subcarrier intervals of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz. μ =0、 μ =1、 μ =2、 μ =3、 μ =4) One time slot per subframe, two time slots per subframe, four time slots per subframe, eight time slots per subframe, and 16 time slots per subframe can be used respectively. Each time slot can include a certain number (e.g., quantity) of symbols (e.g., OFDM symbols). In some implementations, the number (e.g., quantity) of time slots used for a subframe can depend on the parameter set. For a normal cyclic prefix, a time slot can include 14 symbols. For an extended cyclic prefix (e.g., for a 60kHz subcarrier spacing), a time slot can include 12 symbols. The relationship between the number of symbols per time slot, the number of time slots per subframe, and the number of time slots per frame for both normal and extended cyclic prefixes can depend on the parameter set. It should be understood that for a first parameter set (e.g., quantity) associated with a first subcarrier spacing (e.g., 15kHz), μ The reference of (=0) can be used interchangeably between subframes and time slots.

[0084] In the wireless communication system 100, the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum can be divided into various categories, frequency bands, frequency channels, etc., based on frequency or wavelength. For example, the wireless communication system 100 can support one or more operating frequency bands, such as frequency range names FR1 (410MHz-7.125GHz), FR2 (24.25GHz-52.6GHz), FR3 (7.125GHz-24.25GHz), FR4 (52.6GHz-114.25GHz), FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6GHz-71GHz), and FR5 (114.25GHz-300GHz). In some implementations, network entity 102 and UE 104 can perform wireless communication through one or more operating frequency bands. In some implementations, FR1 can be used by other devices or apparatuses such as network entity 102 and UE 104 for cellular communication services (e.g., control information, data). In some implementations, FR2 can be used by other devices or apparatuses such as network entity 102 and UE 104 for short-range, high data rate capabilities.

[0085] FR1 can be associated with one or more parameter sets (e.g., at least three parameter sets). For example, FR1 can be associated with the following: the first parameter set (e.g., μ =0), which includes a 15kHz subcarrier spacing; the second parameter set (e.g., μ =1), which includes a 30kHz subcarrier spacing; and a third parameter set (e.g., μ =2), which includes a subcarrier spacing of 60 kHz. FR2 can be associated with one or more parameter sets (e.g., at least two parameter sets). For example, FR2 can be associated with the following: a third parameter set (e.g., μ =2), which includes a 60kHz subcarrier spacing; and a fourth parameter set (e.g., μ =3), which includes a subcarrier spacing of 120kHz.

[0086] Figure 3 An example signaling process 300 for a preparation process for LTM (i.e., LTM preparation process) according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Figure 3 The source base station 102-1 and candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N shown are base stations for LTM (i.e., LTM-enabled), and can be, for example, gNBs, or other types of base stations suitable for LTM. Source base station 102-1 may include a source central unit (CU) and one or more distributed units (DUs), the one or more DUs including a source DU serving the UE. Furthermore, each of the candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N may include a candidate central unit (CU) and one or more candidate distributed units (DUs). In the following description, for ease of understanding, the interaction between source base station 102-1 and candidate base station 102-2 is described as an example, but the interaction between source base station 102-1 and other candidate base stations is similar and therefore omitted for simplicity.

[0087] like Figure 3 As shown, in step 302, source base station 102-1 sends one or more first request messages to one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N for LTM, respectively, for one or more LTM candidate cells belonging to one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N. Each first request message includes first LTM indication information corresponding to the first request message and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell. That is, for example, when source base station 102-1 identifies 8 LTM candidate cells and determines to obtain their configuration information, source base station 102-1 can generate 8 first request messages, each of which corresponds to one of the 8 LTM candidate cells, and then send these first request messages to one or more candidate base stations to which the 8 LTM candidate cells belong.

[0088] In some example implementations, the identifier of an LTM candidate cell may include the New Radio (NR) Cell Global Identifier (NCGI) of the LTM candidate cell.

[0089] In some example embodiments, the first LTM indication information may be an LTM indicator (or an indication thereof) that indicates preparation for initiating LTM candidate cell configuration (hereinafter referred to as LTM initiation) or indicates an update of LTM candidate cell configuration (hereinafter referred to as LTM update or LTM replacement). For example, the first LTM indication information may be an LTM indicator with a first code point or a second code point, where the first code point indicates preparation for initiating LTM candidate cell configuration and the second code point indicates an update of LTM candidate cell configuration. That is, when the source base station 102-1 wants to initiate an LTM preparation process, or wants to update or replace the existing configuration information of previously acquired LTM candidate cells, the source base station 102-1 may execute step 302 and use the first indication information to indicate the purpose of the first request message.

[0090] Each of one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N can receive a first request message from the source base station 102-1, sent at step 302, for an LTM candidate cell belonging to the candidate base station itself. Although Figure 3 The illustration shows a first request message received by each candidate base station, but this disclosure is not limited to this; candidate base stations may receive more first request messages. For example, when two LTM candidate cells (whose identifiers are included in the first request message sent by the source base station) belong to candidate base station 102-2, candidate base station 102-2 may receive two first request messages, each corresponding to one of the two LTM candidate cells.

[0091] After the first request message is received, at step 304, each candidate base station may prepare configuration information for an LTM candidate cell based on the received first request message. For example, the candidate base station may prepare configuration information for an LTM candidate cell, the identifier of which is included in the received first request message. Subsequently, at step 306, each candidate base station may send the prepared configuration information for the LTM candidate cell to the source base station 102-1. For example, each candidate base station may send at least one first response message to the source base station 102-1 including the configuration information for the LTM candidate cell. In some example embodiments, the candidate base station may send the maximum number of LTM cells prepared to the source base station 102-1, indicating the maximum number of LTM candidate cells simultaneously prepared for the UE at the candidate base station.

[0092] That is, at step 306, source base station 102-1 can receive one or more first response messages for one or more LTM candidate cells from one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N. In some example embodiments, the configuration information of each LTM candidate cell in the one or more LTM candidate cells can be included in at least one first response message. That is, for each LTM candidate cell, its configuration information can be sent to source base station 102-1 via at least one message.

[0093] In some example embodiments, the configuration information of an LTM candidate cell may include at least one of the LTM candidate cell configuration and the Reference Signal (RS) configuration. For example, the LTM candidate cell configuration and the RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell may be included in the same first response message and sent together to the source base station 102-1. For instance, the RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell may be included in the LTM candidate cell configuration of the LTM candidate cell and then sent to the source base station 102-1 via a first response message; or, the RS configuration and the LTM candidate cell configuration of the LTM candidate cell may be separate in the first response message and then sent together to the source base station 102-1 via the first response message. As another example, the LTM candidate cell configuration and the RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell may be included in different first response messages and then sent separately to the source base station 102-1. Alternatively, as requested by the source base station 102-1 (e.g., based on additional instructions from the source base station 102-1), only one of the LTM candidate cell configuration and RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell may be sent to the source base station 102-1 via a first response message.

[0094] In some example embodiments, the first request message includes first LTM indication information and identifiers of LTM candidate cells. That is, for example, when source base station 102-1 identifies four LTM candidate cells and determines that its configuration information needs to be obtained, source base station 102-1 can generate a first request message corresponding to the four LTM candidate cells and then send the first request message to a candidate base station to which the four LTM candidate cells belong. Therefore, the first response message includes the configuration information of the four LTM candidate cells.

[0095] In some example embodiments, when preparing configuration information for LTM candidate cells at each candidate base station in step 304, taking candidate base station 102-2 as an example, the candidate CU of candidate base station 102-2 can receive a first request message, and then generate a third request message and send the third request message to the candidate DU corresponding to the LTM candidate cell identified by the identifier, the third request message including the identifier of the LTM candidate cell included in the first request message. Based on the identifier, the candidate DU can obtain the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell and send it to the candidate CU. Then, the candidate CU can receive the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell from the candidate DU. For example, the candidate CU can receive at least one third response message from the candidate DU including the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell. In other words, the LTM candidate cell configuration and RS configuration of an LTM candidate cell can be included in the same third response message and sent together to the candidate CU. For example, the RS configuration of an LTM candidate cell can be included in the LTM candidate cell configuration of the LTM candidate cell and then sent to the candidate CU via a single third response message; or, the RS configuration and LTM candidate cell configuration of the LTM candidate cell can be separate in the third response message and then sent together to the candidate CU via a single third response message. As another example, the LTM candidate cell configuration and RS configuration of an LTM candidate cell can be included in different third response messages and then sent separately to the candidate CU. Alternatively, as requested by the source base station (e.g., based on additional indications from the source base station), only one of the LTM candidate cell configuration and RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell can be sent to the candidate CU via a third response message. A more detailed description of the configuration information will be referenced below. Figure 4 To describe.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the third request message includes multiple identifiers of the LTM candidate cells. That is, for example, when a candidate CU identifies four LTM candidate cells and determines that it needs their configuration information, the candidate CU can generate a third request message corresponding to the four LTM candidate cells and then send the third request message to a candidate DU to which the four LTM candidate cells belong. Therefore, the third response message includes the configuration information of the four LTM candidate cells.

[0097] In some example embodiments, after step 306, source base station 102-1 may acquire one or more LTM candidate cell configurations and / or RS configurations of one or more LTM candidate cells. Source base station 102-1 (e.g., the source CU of source base station 102-1) may assign indexes to one or more LTM candidate cell configurations of one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0098] In some example embodiments, source base station 102-1 may send a second request message to each of one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N. The second request message includes second LTM indication information, an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations, and an RS configuration (if any) of one or more LTM candidate cells. That is, for one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N, each (e.g., its candidate CU) may receive the second request message, which includes second LTE indication information, an RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells identified by the source base station, and an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations of one or more LTM candidate cells identified by the source base station.

[0099] In some example embodiments, each candidate base station (e.g., a candidate CU of a candidate base station) may send a second response message to the source base station 102-1 as a response to the second request message.

[0100] In some example embodiments, the second LTM indication information can also be an LTM indicator (or indicated by it), similar to the first LTM indication information. For example, the second LTM indication information can be an LTM indicator (or indicated by it) with a third code point, which indicates an index storing the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells and the configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells. That is, an LTM indicator can be used to represent first LTM indication information and second LTM indication information with different code points.

[0101] In some example embodiments, after the second request message is received by the candidate base station (e.g., the candidate CU of the candidate base station), the candidate base station may store the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells and the index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations.

[0102] In some example embodiments, when the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells and the index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations are stored at the candidate base station, the candidate CU of the candidate base station may send a fourth request message to the candidate DU corresponding to the LTM candidate cell identified by the source base station. The fourth request message includes the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells and the index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations. Then, the candidate DU of the candidate base station may store the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells and the index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations, and may then send a fourth response message to the candidate CU.

[0103] In some example embodiments, the source base station 102-1 may also send a reconfiguration message to the user equipment (UE) 104. The reconfiguration message includes one or more LTM candidate cell configurations, an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations, and an RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells.

[0104] In some example embodiments, the source CU of source base station 102-1 may send the following items to the source DU serving the UE: a reconfiguration message, an index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations, and an RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells. The source DU may store the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells and the index of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations, and forward the reconfiguration message to UE 104.

[0105] After the above steps and processes, UE 104, source base station (including source CU and source DU) 102-1, and each candidate base station (including candidate CU and candidate DU corresponding to the LTM candidate cell identified by source base station 102-1) know the configuration information of these LTM candidate cells, thereby completing the preparation process for LTM.

[0106] In some example embodiments, after the preparation process for LTM is completed, the source base station 102-1 can receive an L1 measurement report from the UE 104 and decide whether to perform LTM on the target LTM candidate cell. When the source base station 102-1 decides to perform LTM on the target LTM candidate cell, it can send the identifier of the target LTM candidate cell to the candidate base station corresponding to the target LTM candidate cell. Additionally, the source base station 102-1 can send the index of the LTM candidate cell configuration of the target LTM candidate cell to the UE 104.

[0107] In some example embodiments, when the source base station 102-1 receives a cancellation message requesting modification of the LTM candidate cell configuration from the candidate base station for LTM, the source base station 102-1 may re-execute (or initiate) the LTM preparation process 300.

[0108] In some example implementations, the cancellation message may include identifiers of one or more LTM candidate cells to be cancelled. Additionally, the cancellation message may include a reason value indicating that the LTM resources will be changed.

[0109] In some example embodiments, the cancellation message is generated by a candidate CU of a candidate base station in response to receiving a modification message from a candidate DU of the candidate base station requesting modifications to the configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells. The modification message may include a reason value indicating that the LTM resources will be changed.

[0110] In other words, when a candidate base station (which has configuration information of (multiple) LTM candidate cells identified by the source base station) discovers that the configuration information of (multiple) LTM candidate cells has been modified, the candidate base station can use a cancellation message to cause the source base station 102-1 to re-execute the LTM preparation process 300, thereby realizing the update of the LTM candidate cell configuration initiated by the candidate base station.

[0111] A more detailed description of these steps will be provided below. Figure 4 and Figure 5 To describe.

[0112] Figure 4 An example of a signaling process 400 for a preparation process for LTM is illustrated according to various aspects of this disclosure. Figure 4 This involves modifying the LTM candidate cell configuration between CUs, either initiated by the source CU or initiated by the source CU.

[0113] like Figure 4 As shown, signaling procedure 400 involves UE 104, source base station 102-1, and candidate base station 102-2. Here, both source base station 102-1 and candidate base station 102-2 can be base stations for LTM (i.e., LTM-enabled), and they can be, for example, gNBs, or other types of base stations suitable for LTM. Furthermore, although... Figure 4 Only candidate base station 102-2 is shown, but the signaling procedures between source base station 102-1 and candidate base station 102-2 are applicable to those signaling procedures between source base station 102-1 and other candidate base stations.

[0114] In some example embodiments, source base station 102-1 may include source CU 102-10 and one or more DUs, the one or more DUs including source DU 102-11 serving UE 104. Candidate base station 102-2 may include candidate CU 102-20 and one or more candidate DUs. Here, for the sake of simplicity, Figure 4 Only candidate DU 102-21 from one or more candidate DUs is shown in the figure.

[0115] In some example embodiments, at step 402, the source CU 102-10 may send a handover request message to the candidate CU 102-20 (corresponding to...). Figure 3The handover request message may include an identifier for the LTM candidate cell (e.g., the NCGI of the LTM candidate cell) and an LTM indicator indicating that the handover request is for LTM. In one example, the LTM indicator may include a first code point indicating a request initiated for LTM. That is, candidate CU 102-20 should initiate preparation for an LTM candidate cell configuration for the LTM candidate cell. For example, the first code point is "LTM Initiated". In another example, the LTM indicator may also include an additional indicator indicating a request for an LTM candidate cell configuration, or an RS configuration, or both. In another example, the LTM indicator may include a second code point indicating a request for an update to the LTM candidate cell configuration. That is, candidate CU 102-20 should remove the existing prepared LTM candidate cell configuration identified by the NCGI of the LTM candidate cell, and thereafter, candidate CU 102-20 initiates preparation for a new LTM candidate cell configuration for the LTM candidate cell. For example, the second code point could be "LTM Update" or "LTM Replacement". In another example, the handover request message could include identifiers of multiple LTM candidate cells. In yet another example, source CU 102-10 could use a different message instead of the handover request message sent to candidate CU 102-20.

[0116] In some example embodiments, at step 404, candidate CU 102-20 may send a UE context establishment request message including the NCGI of the LTM candidate cell to candidate DU 102-21 (corresponding to...). Figure 3 (The third request message in the middle).

[0117] In some example embodiments, at step 406, candidate DU 102-21 can establish a response message through the UE context (corresponding to...). Figure 3 The third response message in the process responds to candidate CU 102-20. The response message includes the LTM candidate cell configuration and / or RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell. The RS configuration may include a set of one or more RS resources for the LTM candidate cell. The RS resources may be, for example, non-zero power channel state information reference signal (NZP-CSI-RS) resources, channel state information synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (CSI-SSB) resources, and / or channel state information interference management (CSI-IM) resources. That is, at steps 404 and 406, candidate CU 102-20 and candidate DU 102-21 can prepare the LTM candidate cell configuration and / or RS configuration of the LTM candidate cell by using the NCGI of the LTM candidate cell.

[0118] In some example embodiments, at step 408, candidate CU 102-20 may send a handover request confirmation message to source CU 102-10 (corresponding to...) Figure 3 The first response message in the process. The handover request confirmation message may include the prepared LTM candidate cell configuration and / or RS configuration of the requested LTM candidate cell. In one example, the RS configuration may be included in the LTM candidate cell configuration.

[0119] In some example embodiments, at step 410, source CUs 102-10 may assign an index to each LTM candidate cell configuration. The index may be used to identify the LTM candidate cell configuration. For example, the index is LTM-CandidateId, with a value between 0 and 7.

[0120] In some example embodiments, at step 412, source CU 102-10 may send a DL RRC message transmission message to source DU 102-11. The DL RRC message transmission message may include an RRCReconfiguration message, which includes the LTM candidate cell configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells received by source CU 102-10, an index of the LTM candidate cell configuration, and the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells received by source CU 102-10. Furthermore, the DL RRC message transmission message may also include the index and RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells stored by source DU 102-11. In some example embodiments, source CU 102-10 may use other messages (e.g., a UE context modification request message) instead of the DL RRC message transmission message to send the above information to source DU 102-11.

[0121] In some example embodiments, at step 414, source DU 102-11 may forward the received RRCReconfiguration message to UE 104. Then, at step 416, UE 104 may respond to source DU 102-11 via an RRCReconfigurationComplete message, and at step 418, source DU 102-11 may forward the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to source CU 102-10 via a UL RRC message transmission message. In some example embodiments, source DU 102-11 may use other messages (e.g., a UE context modification response message) instead of the ULRRC message transmission message to send the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to source CU 102-10.

[0122] In some example embodiments, at step 420, the source CU 102-10 may send a handover request message to the candidate CU 102-20 (corresponding to...). Figure 3 The handover request message may include an LTM indicator indicating that the request is for the LTM, index, and RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells. The LTM indicator may include a third code point indicating that candidate CU 102-20 stores the index and the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells. The third code point may also indicate that candidate CU 102-20 forwards the index and the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells to candidate DU 102-21. For example, the third code point could be "LTM Store" or "LTM Forward". In one example, the index and the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells may be included in the LTM indicator. In another example, the index and the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells may be included in the RRC context (Handover Preparation Information). In yet another example, the RS configuration may be included in the LTM candidate cell configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells (i.e., the index and LTM candidate cell configuration may be included in the LTM indicator or the RRC context). In yet another example, source CU 102-10 may use other messages (e.g., signaling associated with a new UE) to send an index and RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells to candidate CU 102-20.

[0123] In some example embodiments, at step 422, candidate CU 102-20 may send a UE context modification request message to candidate DU 102-21 (corresponding to...) Figure 3 The fourth request message in the process includes an index and the RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells. At step 424, candidate DU 102-21 can modify the response message via the UE context (corresponding to...). Figure 3 The candidate CU 102-20 responds to the fourth response message in step 426, and at step 426, the candidate CU 102-20 can send a handover request confirmation message to the source CU 102-10 (corresponding to the fourth response message in the process). Figure 3 (The second response message in the process). Here, if the switch request message is not used in step 420, then step 426 is optional, or another message can be used to respond.

[0124] although Figure 4 Steps 420 to 426 are shown to be performed after steps 412 to 418, but steps 420 to 426 may be performed before or in parallel with any of steps 412 to 418. After step 426, the preparation process for LTM is completed.

[0125] In some example embodiments, after the preparation process for LTM is completed, at step 428, UE 104 may send L1 measurement results to source DU 102-11. At step 430, source DU 102-11 may decide to perform LTM on the target LTM candidate cell, and at step 432, send an LTM cell handover command (e.g., MAC CE) to UE 104, which includes an index associated with the target LTM candidate cell. At this time, at step 434, source DU 102-11 may send an LTM cell change notification message including the identifier of the target LTM candidate cell (e.g., target cell ID) to source CU 102-10 to indicate to the UE the initiation of the LTM cell handover command. At step 436, source CU 102-10 may send an SN state transition message, an early state transition message, or other messages including the target cell ID to candidate CU 102-20 to instruct source DU 102-11 to select the target LTM candidate cell for LTM cell handover. Thereafter, after receiving user data from source CU 102-10, candidate CU 102-20 only needs to forward the user data to the candidate DU hosting the target LTM candidate cell, and not to all candidate DUs.

[0126] Figure 5 Another example of a signaling process 500 for a preparation process for LTM is illustrated according to various aspects of this disclosure. Figure 5 This involves modifying the LTM candidate cell configuration between candidate CUs initiated by the candidate CU.

[0127] In some example embodiments, such as Figure 5As shown, at step 502, candidate DU 102-21 may send a UE context modification request message to candidate CU 102-20 to request modification of the configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells. The UE context modification request message may include the NCGI(s) of one or more LTM candidate cells to be cancelled. That is, candidate CU 102-20 should consider that the resources reserved for these LTM candidate cells will soon be released by candidate DU 102-21. Furthermore, the UE context modification request message may also include a reason value indicating that the LTM resources will be changed. That is, candidate CU 102-20 should consider that candidate DU 102-21 requests candidate CU 102-20 to replace / update the configuration of one or more existing LTM candidate cells. In some example embodiments, candidate DU 102-21 may use other messages (e.g., a UE context release request message) to request modification of the configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells. That is, the reason value and the NCGI(s) of one or more LTM candidate cells to be cancelled may be included in the UE context release request message.

[0128] In some example embodiments, at step 504, candidate CU 102-20 can respond to candidate DU 102-21 via a UE context modification acknowledgment message. However, if another message, such as a UE context release request message, is used at step 502, step 504 is not required.

[0129] In some example embodiments, at step 506, candidate CU 102-20 may send a conditional handover cancellation message to source CU 102-10 to request modification of the LTM candidate cell configuration. The conditional handover cancellation message may include identifiers (e.g., multiple NCGIs) of one or more LTM candidate cells to be cancelled. That is, source CU 102-10 should consider that resources reserved for the LTM candidate cells will be released by candidate CU 102-20. The conditional handover cancellation message may also include a reason value indicating that LTM resources will be changed. That is, source CU 102-10 should consider that resources prepared for the LTM candidate cell configuration will be changed. In some example embodiments, candidate CU 102-20 may use other messages (e.g., new UE-associated signaling) to request modification of one or more LTM candidate cell configurations. Furthermore, candidate CU 102-20 may decide to modify the LTM candidate cell configuration independently, in which case steps 502 and 504 are not required.

[0130] After step 506, source CU 102-10 can initiate the preparation process for LTM, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 4As described in (e.g., steps 402 to 426).

[0131] Figure 6 An example of an apparatus 600 supporting a preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Apparatus 600 may be an example of a source base station 102-1 as described herein. Apparatus 600 may support wireless communication with one or more network entities 102 (e.g., candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N) and UE 104. Apparatus 600 may include components for bidirectional communication, including components for transmitting and receiving communications, such as a processor 602, a memory 604, a transceiver 606, and an optional I / O controller 608. These components may communicate electronically or be otherwise coupled (e.g., operational ground, communication ground, functional ground, electronic ground, electrical ground) via one or more interfaces (e.g., a bus).

[0132] Processor 602, memory 604, transceiver 606, or various combinations thereof or various components thereof may be examples of components used to perform the various aspects of this disclosure described herein. For example, processor 602, memory 604, transceiver 606, or various combinations thereof or components thereof may support methods for performing one or more of the operations described herein.

[0133] In some implementations, processor 602, memory 604, transceiver 606, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (e.g., as a communications management circuitry system). The hardware may include a processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, configured to or otherwise supporting components for performing the functions described in this disclosure. In some implementations, processor 602 and memory 604 coupled to processor 602 may be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein (e.g., instructions stored in memory 604 are executed by processor 602).

[0134] For example, according to the examples disclosed herein, processor 602 may support wireless communication at device 600. Processor 602 may be configured to support: means for transmitting, via transceiver 606, one or more first request messages for one or more LTM candidate cells belonging to one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N for LTM, each first request message including first LTM indication information corresponding to the first request message and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell; and means for receiving, via transceiver 606, one or more first response messages for one or more LTM candidate cells from one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N, wherein configuration information of each of the one or more LTM candidate cells is included in at least one first response message.

[0135] Processor 602 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., general-purpose processors, DSPs, CPUs, microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some implementations, processor 602 may be configured to use a memory controller to operate a memory array. In some other implementations, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 602. Processor 602 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 604) to cause device 600 to perform various functions of this disclosure.

[0136] Memory 604 may include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). Memory 604 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code, including instructions that, when executed by processor 602, cause device 600 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as system memory or another type of memory. In some implementations, the code may not be directly executed by processor 602, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein. In some implementations, memory 604 may include a basic I / O system (BIOS) that controls basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0137] I / O controller 608 can manage input and output signals for device 600. I / O controller 608 can also manage peripheral devices not integrated into device M02. In some implementations, I / O controller 608 can represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some implementations, I / O controller 608 can utilize an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, MS-WINDOWS®, OS / 2®, UNIX®, LINUX®, or another known operating system. In some implementations, I / O controller 608 can be implemented as part of a processor (such as processor 606). In some implementations, a user can interact with device 600 via I / O controller 608 or via hardware components controlled by I / O controller 608.

[0138] In some implementations, device 600 may include a single antenna 610. However, in other implementations, device 600 may have more than one antenna 610 (i.e., multiple antennas), including multiple antenna panels or antenna arrays capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. As described herein, transceiver 606 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 610, a wired, or a wireless link. For example, transceiver 606 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. Transceiver 606 may also include a modem for modulating packets to provide modulated packets to one or more antennas 610 for transmission, and for demodulating packets received from one or more antennas 610. Transceiver 606 may include one or more transmit chains, one or more receive chains, or combinations thereof.

[0139] The transmission chain can be configured to generate and transmit signals (e.g., control information, data, packets). The transmission chain may include at least one modulator for modulating data onto a carrier signal, preparing it for transmission over a wireless medium. The at least one modulator may be configured to support one or more techniques, such as amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), or digital modulation schemes (e.g., phase shift keying (PSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)). The transmission chain may also include at least one power amplifier configured to amplify the modulated signal to an appropriate power level suitable for transmission over a wireless medium. The transmission chain may also include one or more antennas 610 for transmitting the amplified signal into the air or wireless medium.

[0140] The receiver chain can be configured to receive signals (e.g., control information, data, packets) via a wireless medium. For example, the receiver chain may include one or more antennas 610 for receiving signals over the air or via a wireless medium. The receiver chain may include at least one amplifier (e.g., a low-noise amplifier (LNA)) configured to amplify the received signal. The receiver chain may include at least one demodulator configured to demodulate the received signal and acquire the transmitted data by reversing the modulation technique applied during signal transmission. The receiver chain may include at least one decoder for decoding the demodulated signal to receive the transmitted data.

[0141] Figure 7 An example of an apparatus 700 supporting a preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Apparatus 700 may be an example of a candidate base station among candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N as described herein. Apparatus 700 may support wireless communication with UE 104 and source base station 102-1. Apparatus 700 may include components for bidirectional communication, including components for transmitting and receiving communications, such as processor 702, memory 704, transceiver 706, and optional I / O controller 708. These components may communicate electronically or be otherwise coupled (e.g., operational ground, communication ground, functional ground, electronic ground, electrical ground) via one or more interfaces (e.g., bus).

[0142] Processor 702, memory 704, transceiver 706, or various combinations thereof or various components thereof may be examples of components used to perform the various aspects of this disclosure described herein. For example, processor 702, memory 704, transceiver 706, or various combinations thereof or components thereof may support methods for performing one or more of the operations described herein.

[0143] In some implementations, processor 702, memory 704, transceiver 706, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (e.g., as a communication management circuit system). The hardware may include a processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, configured to or otherwise supporting components for performing the functions described in this disclosure. In some implementations, processor 702 and memory 704 coupled to processor 702 may be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein (e.g., instructions stored in memory 704 are executed by processor 702).

[0144] For example, according to the examples disclosed herein, processor 702 may support wireless communication at device 700. Processor 702 may be configured to support: means for receiving, via transceiver 706, a first request message for an LTM candidate cell belonging to a candidate base station from a source base station 102-1 for LTM, the first request message including first LTM indication information and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell; means for preparing configuration information of the LTM candidate cell based on the first request message; and means for sending, via transceiver 706, at least one first response message including the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell to the source base station 102-1.

[0145] Processor 702 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., general-purpose processors, DSPs, CPUs, microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some implementations, processor 702 may be configured to use a memory controller to operate a memory array. In some other implementations, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 702. Processor 702 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 704) to cause device 700 to perform various functions of this disclosure.

[0146] Memory 704 may include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). Memory 704 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code, including instructions that, when executed by processor 702, cause device 700 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as system memory or another type of memory. In some implementations, the code may not be directly executed by processor 702, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein. In some implementations, memory 704 may include a basic I / O system (BIOS) that controls basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0147] I / O controller 708 can manage input and output signals for device 700. I / O controller 708 can also manage peripheral devices not integrated into device M02. In some implementations, I / O controller 708 can represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some implementations, I / O controller 708 can utilize an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, MS WINDOWS®, OS / 2®, UNIX®, LINUX®, or another known operating system. In some implementations, I / O controller 708 can be implemented as part of a processor (such as processor 706). In some implementations, a user can interact with device 700 via I / O controller 708 or via hardware components controlled by I / O controller 708.

[0148] In some implementations, device 700 may include a single antenna 710. However, in other implementations, device 700 may have more than one antenna 710 (i.e., multiple antennas), including multiple antenna panels or antenna arrays capable of concurrently transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. As described herein, transceiver 706 may communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas 710, a wired, or a wireless link. For example, transceiver 706 may represent a wireless transceiver and may communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. Transceiver 706 may also include a modem for modulating packets to provide modulated packets to one or more antennas 710 for transmission, and for demodulating packets received from one or more antennas 710. Transceiver 706 may include one or more transmit chains, one or more receive chains, or combinations thereof.

[0149] The transmission chain can be configured to generate and transmit signals (e.g., control information, data, packets). The transmission chain may include at least one modulator for modulating data onto a carrier signal, preparing it for transmission over a wireless medium. The at least one modulator may be configured to support one or more techniques, such as amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), or digital modulation schemes (e.g., phase shift keying (PSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)). The transmission chain may also include at least one power amplifier configured to amplify the modulated signal to an appropriate power level suitable for transmission over a wireless medium. The transmission chain may also include one or more antennas 710 for transmitting the amplified signal into the air or wireless medium.

[0150] The receiver chain can be configured to receive signals (e.g., control information, data, packets) via a wireless medium. For example, the receiver chain may include one or more antennas 710 for receiving signals over the air or via a wireless medium. The receiver chain may include at least one amplifier (e.g., a low-noise amplifier (LNA)) configured to amplify the received signal. The receiver chain may include at least one demodulator configured to demodulate the received signal and acquire the transmitted data by reversing the modulation technique applied during signal transmission. The receiver chain may include at least one decoder for decoding the demodulated signal to receive the transmitted data.

[0151] Figure 8 An example of a processor 800 supporting a preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Processor 800 may be an example of a processor configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. Processor 800 may include a controller 802 configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. Processor 800 may optionally include at least one memory 804, such as an L1 / L2 / L3 cache. Additionally or alternatively, processor 800 may optionally include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs) 800. One or more of these components may be electronically communicated or otherwise coupled (e.g., operative ground, communicative ground, functional ground, electronic ground, electrical ground) via one or more interfaces (e.g., buses).

[0152] Processor 800 may be a processor chipset and includes a protocol stack (e.g., a software stack) executed by the processor chipset to perform various operations (e.g., receive, acquire, retrieve, send, output, forward, store, determine, identify, access, write, read) according to the examples described herein. The processor chipset may include one or more cores, one or more caches (e.g., memory local to the processor chipset or included in the processor chipset (e.g., processor 800)), or other memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phase-change memory (PCM), etc.).

[0153] Controller 802 can be configured to manage and coordinate various operations of processor 800 (e.g., signaling, receiving, acquiring, retrieving, transmitting, outputting, forwarding, storing, determining, identifying, accessing, writing, and reading) to enable processor 800 to support various operations of a base station according to the examples described herein. For example, controller 802 can operate as a control unit of processor 800, generating control signals to manage the operations of various components of processor 800. These control signals include enabling or disabling functional units, selecting data paths, initiating memory accesses, and coordinating operation timing.

[0154] Controller 802 can be configured to fetch (e.g., fetch, retrieve, receive) instructions from memory 804 and determine subsequent instructions(s) to be executed, enabling processor 800 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Controller 802 can be configured to track the memory addresses of instructions associated with memory 804. Controller 802 can be configured to decode instructions to determine the operations to be performed and the operands involved. For example, controller 802 can be configured to interpret instructions and determine control signals to be output to other components of processor 800, enabling processor 800 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Additionally or alternatively, controller 802 can be configured to manage data flow within processor 800. Controller 802 can be configured to control data transfers between registers, arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and other functional units of processor 800.

[0155] Memory 804 may include one or more caches (e.g., memory local to or included in processor 800), or other memories such as RAM, ROM, DRAM, SDRAM, SRAM, MRAM, flash memory, etc. In some implementations, memory 804 may reside within or on the processor chipset (e.g., locally to processor 800). In some other implementations, memory 804 may reside outside the processor chipset (e.g., remotely from processor 800).

[0156] Memory 804 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code, including instructions that, when executed by processor 800, cause processor 800 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or another type of memory. Controller 802 and / or processor 800 may be configured to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in memory 804 to cause processor 800 to perform various functions. For example, processor 800 and / or controller 802 may be coupled to or coupled to memory 804, and processor 800, controller 802, and memory 804 may be configured to perform the various functions described herein. In some examples, processor 800 may include multiple processors, and memory 804 may include multiple memories. One or more of the multiple processors may be coupled to one or more of the multiple memories, which may be configured individually or collectively to perform the various functions described herein.

[0157] One or more ALU 800s can be configured to support various operations according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, one or more ALU 800s may reside within or on a processor chipset (e.g., processor 800). In some other implementations, one or more ALU 800s may reside outside the processor chipset (e.g., processor 800). One or more ALU 800s can perform one or more calculations on data, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. For example, one or more ALU 800s can receive input operands and an opcode that determines the operation to be performed. One or more ALU 800s are configured with various logic and arithmetic circuitry, including adders, subtractors, shifters, and logic gates, to process and manipulate data according to the operation. Additionally or alternatively, one or more ALU 800s may support logical operations such as AND, OR, XOR, NOR, and NAND, enabling one or more ALU 800s to handle conditional operations, comparisons, and bitwise operations.

[0158] According to the examples disclosed herein, processor 800 may support wireless communication. Processor 800 may be configured or operable to support: components for transmitting, via transceiver 606, one or more first request messages for one or more LTM candidate cells belonging to one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N for LTM, each first request message including first LTM indication information corresponding to the first request message and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell; and components for receiving, via transceiver 606, one or more first response messages for one or more LTM candidate cells from one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N, wherein configuration information of each of the one or more LTM candidate cells is included in at least one first response message.

[0159] Figure 9 An example of a processor 900 supporting a preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure is illustrated. Processor 900 may be an example of a processor configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. Processor 900 may include a controller 902 configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. Processor 900 may optionally include at least one memory 904, such as an L1 / L2 / L3 cache. Additionally or alternatively, processor 900 may optionally include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs) 900. One or more of these components may be electronically communicated or otherwise coupled (e.g., operative ground, communicative ground, functional ground, electronic ground, electrical ground) via one or more interfaces (e.g., buses).

[0160] Processor 900 may be a processor chipset and includes a protocol stack (e.g., a software stack) executed by the processor chipset to perform various operations (e.g., receive, acquire, retrieve, send, output, forward, store, determine, identify, access, write, read) according to the examples described herein. The processor chipset may include one or more cores, one or more caches (e.g., memory local to the processor chipset or included in the processor chipset (e.g., processor 900)), or other memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phase-change memory (PCM), etc.).

[0161] Controller 902 can be configured to manage and coordinate various operations of processor 900 (e.g., signaling, receiving, acquiring, retrieving, transmitting, outputting, forwarding, storing, determining, identifying, accessing, writing, and reading) to enable processor 900 to support various operations of the UE according to the examples described herein. For example, controller 902 can operate as a control unit of processor 900, generating control signals that manage the operation of various components of processor 900. These control signals include enabling or disabling functional units, selecting data paths, initiating memory accesses, and coordinating operation timing.

[0162] Controller 902 can be configured to fetch (e.g., fetch, retrieve, receive) instructions from memory 904 and determine subsequent instructions(s) to be executed, enabling processor 900 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Controller 902 can be configured to track the memory addresses of instructions associated with memory 904. Controller 902 can be configured to decode instructions to determine the operations to be performed and the operands involved. For example, controller 902 can be configured to interpret instructions and determine control signals to be output to other components of processor 900, enabling processor 900 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Additionally or alternatively, controller 902 can be configured to manage data flow within processor 900. Controller 902 can be configured to control data transfers between registers, arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and other functional units of processor 900.

[0163] Memory 904 may include one or more caches (e.g., memory local to or included in processor 900) or other memories such as RAM, ROM, DRAM, SDRAM, SRAM, MRAM, flash memory, etc. In some implementations, memory 904 may reside within or on the processor chipset (e.g., locally to processor 900). In some other implementations, memory 904 may reside outside the processor chipset (e.g., remotely from processor 900).

[0164] Memory 904 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code, including instructions that, when executed by processor 900, cause processor 900 to perform the various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or another type of memory. Controller 902 and / or processor 900 may be configured to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in memory 904 to cause processor 900 to perform various functions. For example, processor 900 and / or controller 902 may be coupled to or coupled to memory 904, and processor 900, controller 902, and memory 904 may be configured to perform the various functions described herein. In some examples, processor 900 may include multiple processors, and memory 904 may include multiple memories. One or more of the multiple processors may be coupled to one or more of the multiple memories, which may be configured individually or collectively to perform the various functions described herein.

[0165] One or more ALU 900s can be configured to support various operations according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, one or more ALU 900s may reside within or on a processor chipset (e.g., processor 900). In some other implementations, one or more ALU 900s may reside outside the processor chipset (e.g., processor 900). One or more ALU 900s can perform one or more calculations on data, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. For example, one or more ALU 900s can receive input operands and an opcode that determines the operation to be performed. One or more ALU 900s are configured with various logic and arithmetic circuitry, including adders, subtractors, shifters, and logic gates, to process and manipulate data according to the operation. Additionally or alternatively, one or more ALU 900s may support logical operations such as AND, OR, XOR, NOR, and NAND, enabling one or more ALU 900s to handle conditional operations, comparisons, and bitwise operations.

[0166] According to the examples disclosed herein, processor 900 may support wireless communication. Processor 900 may be configured or operable to support: components for receiving, via transceiver 706, a first request message for an LTM candidate cell belonging to a candidate base station from a source base station 102-1 for LTM, the first request message including first LTM indication information and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell; components for preparing configuration information for the LTM candidate cell based on the first request message; and components for transmitting, via transceiver 706, at least one first response message including the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell to the source base station 102-1.

[0167] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating a method 1000 supporting a preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure is provided. Operation of method 1000 may be implemented by the device or components thereof described herein. For example, operation of method 1000 may be performed by the source base station 102-1 described herein. In some implementations, the device may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the device to perform the described functions. Alternatively or additionally, the device may use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described functions.

[0168] At 1005, the method may include sending one or more first request messages to one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N for LTM, respectively, for one or more LTM candidate cells belonging to one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N, each first request message including first LTM indication information corresponding to the first request message and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell. The operation at 1005 can be performed according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation at 1005 may be derived from references... Figure 1 The device described is used to perform this action.

[0169] At point 1010, the method may include receiving one or more first response messages for one or more LTM candidate cells from one or more candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N, wherein configuration information of each of the one or more LTM candidate cells is included in at least one first response message. The operation of 1010 can be performed according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation of 1010 may be derived from references... Figure 1 The device described is used to perform this action.

[0170] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating a method 1100 supporting a preparation process for LTM according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1100 can be implemented by the devices or components thereof described herein. For example, operation of method 1100 can be performed by any of the candidate base stations 102-2 to 102-N described herein. In some implementations, the device can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the device to perform the described functions. Alternatively or additionally, the device can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the described functions.

[0171] At 1105, the method may include receiving, from the source base station 102-1 for LTM, a first request message for an LTM candidate cell belonging to a candidate base station, the first request message including first LTM indication information and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell. The operation at 1105 can be performed according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation at 1105 may be derived from references... Figure 1 The device described is used to perform this action.

[0172] At step 1110, the method may include preparing configuration information for LTM candidate cells based on the first request message. The operation at step 1110 can be performed according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation at step 1110 may be derived from references... Figure 1 The device described is used to perform this action.

[0173] At 1115, the method may include sending at least one first response message, including configuration information of LTM candidate cells, to the source base station 102-1. The operation at 1110 can be performed according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, aspects of the operation at 1110 may be derived from references... Figure 1 The device described is used to perform this action.

[0174] It should be noted that the methods described in this paper describe possible implementations, and the operations and steps can be rearranged or otherwise modified, and other implementations are also possible. Furthermore, aspects from two or more methods can be combined.

[0175] The various illustrated boxes and components described in connection with this disclosure may be implemented or performed by the following: a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, a CPU, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0176] The functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions can be stored on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination of these. Features implementing the functions can also be physically located in various locations, including being distributed such that portions of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0177] Computer-readable media include both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media, with communication media including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Non-transitory storage media can be any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. For example, non-transitory computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disc (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code components in the form of instructions or data structures, and can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor.

[0178] As used herein, including in the claims, the article “a” preceding an element is unrestricted and should be understood to mean “at least one” or “one or more” of those elements. The terms “a,” “at least one,” “one or more,” and “at least one of one or more” are interchangeable. As used herein, including in the claims, the “or” used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items prefixed with phrases such as “at least one of…” or “one or more of…” or “one or two of…”) indicates an inclusive list, such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C represents A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase “based on” should not be construed as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an example step described as “based on condition A” may be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase “based on” should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase “at least partially based on.” Furthermore, as used herein, including in the claims, “set” may include one or more elements.

[0179] The description herein is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A base station, comprising: processor; as well as A transceiver, which is coupled to the processor, The base station is a source base station for Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM), and the processor is configured to execute an LTM preparation process, which includes: The transceiver sends one or more first request messages to one or more candidate base stations for LTM via the transceiver for one or more candidate LTM base stations, each first request message including first LTM indication information corresponding to the first request message and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell. as well as The transceiver receives one or more first response messages for the one or more LTM candidate cells from the one or more candidate base stations, wherein configuration information of each LTM candidate cell in the one or more LTM candidate cells is included in at least one first response message.

2. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell includes at least one of the LTM candidate cell configuration and the reference signal (RS) configuration of the LTM candidate cell.

3. The base station according to claim 2, wherein the LTM preparation process further includes: Configure and assign indexes to one or more LTM candidate cells of the one or more LTM candidate cells.

4. The base station according to claim 3, wherein the LTM preparation process further includes: A second request message is sent to each of the one or more candidate base stations via the transceiver. The second request message includes second LTM indication information, the index configured in the one or more LTM candidate cells, and the RS configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells.

5. The base station according to claim 4, wherein The first LTM indication information is an LTM indicator with a first code point or a second code point, wherein the first code point indicates preparation for initiating the LTM candidate cell configuration, and the second code point indicates updating the LTM candidate cell configuration. The second LTM indication information is the LTM indicator with a third code point, the third code point indicating the index storing the configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells and the RS configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells.

6. The base station according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processor is further configured to: When a cancellation message requesting modification of LTM candidate cell configuration is received from a candidate base station for LTM, the LTM preparation process is performed, the cancellation message including identifiers of one or more LTM candidate cells to be cancelled.

7. The base station according to claim 6, wherein the cancellation message further includes a reason value indicating that the LTM resource will be changed.

8. The base station according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to: When it is decided to perform LTM on a target LTM candidate cell, the identifier of the target LTM candidate cell is sent to the candidate base station corresponding to the target LTM candidate cell via the transceiver.

9. A base station, comprising: processor; as well as A transceiver, which is coupled to the processor, The base station is a candidate base station for Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM), and the processor is configured to execute an LTM preparation process, which includes: The transceiver receives a first request message from the source base station for LTM for an LTM candidate cell belonging to the candidate base station via the transceiver. The first request message includes first LTM indication information and the identifier of the LTM candidate cell. Based on the first request message, prepare the configuration information for the LTM candidate cells; and At least one first response message, including the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell, is sent to the source base station via the transceiver.

10. The base station according to claim 9, wherein the configuration information includes at least one of the LTM candidate cell configuration and the reference signal (RS) configuration of the LTM candidate cell.

11. The base station according to claim 10, wherein the LTM preparation process further includes: The transceiver receives a second request message from the source base station. The second request message includes second LTM indication information, RS configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells identified by the source base station, and an index of the configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells identified by the source base station. The index of the configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells and the RS configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells are stored.

12. The base station according to claim 11, wherein The first LTM indication information is an LTM indicator with a first code point or a second code point, wherein the first code point indicates preparation for initiating the LTM candidate cell configuration, and the second code point indicates updating the LTM candidate cell configuration. The second LTM indication information is the LTM indicator with a third code point, the third code point indicating the index storing the configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells and the RS configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells.

13. The base station of claim 11, wherein storing the index of the configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells and the RS configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells comprises: A fourth request message is sent from the candidate central unit (CU) of the candidate base station to the candidate distributed unit (DU) of the candidate base station corresponding to the LTM candidate cell. The fourth request message includes the index configured by the one or more LTM candidate cells and the RS configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells. as well as The index of the configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells and the RS configuration of the one or more LTM candidate cells are stored at the candidate DU.

14. The base station according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: The transceiver sends a cancellation message requesting modification of the LTM candidate cell configuration to the source base station. The cancellation message includes the identifiers of one or more LTM candidate cells to be cancelled.

15. The base station of claim 14, wherein the cancellation message further includes a reason value indicating that the LTM resource will be changed.

16. The base station of claim 15, wherein the cancellation message is generated by the candidate CU in response to receiving a modification message from a candidate DU belonging to the candidate CU, requesting modifications to the configuration of one or more LTM candidate cells.

17. The base station of claim 16, wherein the modification message includes a reason value indicating that the LTM resource will be changed.

18. The base station according to claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: When the source base station decides to perform LTM on the target LTM candidate cell, the identifier of the target LTM candidate cell is received from the source base station via the transceiver.

19. A method performed by a source base station for Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM), the method comprising an LTM preparation process, the LTM preparation process including: The transceiver sends one or more first request messages to one or more candidate base stations for LTM via the transceiver for one or more candidate LTM base stations, each first request message including first LTM indication information corresponding to the first request message and an identifier of the LTM candidate cell. as well as The transceiver receives one or more first response messages for the one or more LTM candidate cells from the one or more candidate base stations, wherein configuration information of each LTM candidate cell in the one or more LTM candidate cells is included in at least one first response message.

20. A method performed by a candidate base station for Layer 1 / Layer 2 (L1 / L2) triggered mobility (LTM), the method comprising an LTM preparation process, the LTM preparation process including: The transceiver receives a first request message from the source base station for LTM for an LTM candidate cell belonging to the candidate base station via the transceiver. The first request message includes first LTM indication information and the identifier of the LTM candidate cell. Based on the first request message, prepare the configuration information for the LTM candidate cells; as well as At least one first response message, including the configuration information of the LTM candidate cell, is sent to the source base station via the transceiver.

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