A base station handover method and apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a base station switching method and device, and relates to the technical field of communication. In the method, a terminal device can report its QoS requirement and its estimated duration to a target network device, and the target network device is a source base station or a first network element. Then, the target network device can comprehensively consider the QoS requirement, the estimated duration and the signal quality of a neighboring base station to determine a target base station to which the terminal device can switch. In this way, the stability of the signal quality after the base station switching can be ensured, and the QoS after the base station switching can meet the QoS requirement of the terminal device, so that the user experience can be effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a base station handover method and device. Background Technology

[0002] In modern cellular networks, terminal devices need to frequently hand over to base stations while moving to ensure network connectivity stability. Currently, cellular network handover mechanisms mainly rely on signal quality measurements, such as reference signal receiving power (RSRP) and reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), to make handover decisions.

[0003] However, handover performed in this manner may result in the post-handover network quality of service (QoS) failing to meet the needs of terminal services, thus impacting user experience. Therefore, optimizing handover decisions to ensure the continuity of terminal services and network stability has become a pressing technical challenge. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a base station handover method and device, which can solve the problem that the network QoS after base station handover cannot meet the needs of terminal services.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a base station handover method, which is applied to a terminal device. Optionally, the method can be executed by the terminal device, or it can be executed by a chip, module, or unit configured in the terminal device.

[0006] Specifically, the method includes:

[0007] Send the QoS requirements of the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements to the target network device, where the target network device is a source base station or a first network element; receive a handover indication message sent by the source base station, which indicates handover to the target base station, which is determined by the target network device based on the QoS requirements, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations; and handover to the target base station based on the handover indication message.

[0008] Switching to the target base station means that the terminal device disconnects from the source base station it is currently connected to and reconnects to the target base station.

[0009] This application enables terminal devices to report their QoS requirements and estimated duration to target network devices (e.g., source base stations or first network elements). This allows the target network device to comprehensively consider QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which the terminal device should hand over. This approach not only ensures signal quality stability after base station handover but also guarantees that the QoS of the terminal device meets its requirements, thereby effectively improving user experience.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, when the target network device is the source base station, before sending the QoS requirements of the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements to the target network device, the method further includes: receiving measurement configuration information sent by the source base station, the measurement configuration information including a signal quality measurement strategy and a QoS measurement strategy, the QoS measurement strategy including the QoS requirements to be measured; the step of sending the QoS requirements of the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements to the target network device includes: sending a measurement report to the source base station based on the measurement configuration information, the measurement report including the signal quality of the neighboring base station, the QoS requirements, and the estimated duration.

[0011] In this way, the terminal device can report its own QoS requirements and their estimated duration to the source base station while reporting the signal quality of neighboring base stations based on the measurement report, thus avoiding the need for additional messages to carry relevant information and avoiding resource waste.

[0012] It should be understood that before the source base station sends measurement configuration information to the terminal device, the terminal device can first establish a wireless bearer connection with the source base station.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the measurement configuration information also includes the reporting conditions, measurement window period, and reporting window period for the QoS requirement.

[0014] In this way, terminal devices can measure and report QoS requirements based on this measurement configuration information.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the reporting condition includes: reporting when the QoS is below the target threshold.

[0016] In this way, when the terminal device detects that the QoS is lower than the target threshold, it can proactively report its own QoS requirements and the estimated duration to the source base station based on the measurement report. This allows the source base station to determine the target base station to which it needs to be switched in a timely manner based on the measurement report, thereby avoiding the impact on user experience due to insufficient QoS.

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, when the target network device is the first network element, sending the QoS requirement of the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirement to the target network device includes: when the current QoS is perceived to be insufficient, sending the QoS requirement and the estimated duration to the first network element.

[0018] In this context, "perceiving that the current QoS is insufficient" can be understood as "perceiving that the current QoS cannot meet the current service requirements".

[0019] In this way, when the terminal device senses insufficient QoS, it can proactively send QoS requirements and estimated duration to the first network element. Furthermore, the first network element can promptly and comprehensively consider the QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which it needs to be switched, thereby avoiding the impact on user experience due to insufficient QoS.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the terminal device includes a target application, and the sending of the QoS request and the estimated duration to the first network element when the target application senses that the current QoS is insufficient includes: when the target application senses that the current QoS is insufficient, the target application sends the QoS request and the estimated duration to the first network element.

[0021] In this way, the target application of the terminal device can proactively send QoS requirements and estimated duration to the first network element when it senses insufficient QoS. Furthermore, the first network element can promptly and comprehensively consider the QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which it needs to be switched, thereby avoiding the impact on user experience due to insufficient QoS.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, sending the QoS requirement and the estimated duration to the first network element includes: sending the current QoS usage of the terminal device, the current service type, the QoS requirement, and the estimated duration to the first network element.

[0023] In this way, when determining the target base station, the first network element can take into account the current QoS usage, current service type, QoS requirements and estimated duration of the terminal device, so that the QoS after the base station handover meets the QoS requirements of the terminal device's current service, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0024] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the first network element includes a network data analytics function (NWDAF) network element and / or a policy control function (PCF) network element.

[0025] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the QoS requirement may include bandwidth requirements and / or latency requirements.

[0026] In this way, when determining the target base station, the target network device can take into account the bandwidth and / or latency requirements of the terminal device, so that the bandwidth and / or latency after the base station handover meets the bandwidth and / or latency requirements of the terminal device, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0027] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the handover indication message includes the resource configuration information of the target base station, which includes radio resource configuration information and time slot resource configuration information.

[0028] In this way, the terminal device can learn about the resource configuration of the target base station based on the handover instruction message, and then complete the base station handover based on the resource configuration.

[0029] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations, the handover indication message is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connection Reconfiguration message.

[0030] This application uses RRC reconfiguration messages to instruct terminal devices to perform base station handover, thus eliminating the need for additional messages to carry relevant information and avoiding resource waste.

[0031] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a base station handover method, which is applied to a source base station. Optionally, the method can be executed by the source base station, or it can be executed by a chip, module, or unit configured in the source base station.

[0032] Specifically, the method includes:

[0033] Receive the QoS requirement and the estimated duration of the QoS requirement sent by the terminal device; determine the target base station based on the QoS requirement, the estimated duration and the signal quality of neighboring base stations; send a handover indication message to the terminal device, the handover indication message indicating handover to the target base station.

[0034] Based on this implementation, after receiving the QoS request and its estimated duration from the terminal device, the source base station can comprehensively consider the QoS request, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which the terminal device needs to hand over. This approach not only ensures the stability of signal quality after base station handover but also guarantees that the QoS of the handover meets the QoS requirements of the terminal device, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0035] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations, before receiving the QoS requirement and the estimated duration of the QoS requirement sent by the terminal device, the method further includes: sending measurement configuration information to the terminal device, the measurement configuration information including a signal quality measurement strategy and a QoS measurement strategy, the QoS measurement strategy including the QoS requirement to be measured; receiving the QoS requirement and the estimated duration of the QoS requirement sent by the terminal device includes: receiving a measurement report sent by the terminal device based on the measurement configuration information, the measurement report including the signal quality of the neighboring base station, the QoS requirement, and the estimated duration.

[0036] In this way, the terminal device can report its own QoS requirements and their estimated duration to the source base station while reporting the signal quality of neighboring base stations based on the measurement report, thus avoiding the need for additional messages to carry relevant information and avoiding resource waste.

[0037] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some implementations, determining the target base station based on the QoS requirement, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations includes: sending a handover request message to a neighboring base station, the handover request message including the QoS requirement and the estimated duration; receiving a handover request response message sent by the neighboring base station, the handover request response message including the QoS grant information of the neighboring base station, the QoS grant information of the neighboring base station indicating whether the neighboring base station meets the QoS requirement of the terminal device; determining the target base station based on the signal quality of the neighboring base station and the QoS grant information of the neighboring base station; and sending a handover confirmation message to the target base station, the handover confirmation message indicating confirmation of handover to the target base station.

[0038] In this way, the source base station can determine whether neighboring base stations can meet the QoS requirements of the terminal device, and then determine the target base station from among the neighboring base stations that can meet the requirements.

[0039] It should be understood that after determining the target base station based on the signal quality and QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station, the source base station can also send a handover confirmation message to other neighboring base stations. This handover confirmation message is used to confirm that the user will not hand over to these neighboring base stations.

[0040] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a base station handover method, which is applied to a neighboring base station. Optionally, the method can be executed by the neighboring base station, or by a chip, module, or unit configured in the neighboring base station.

[0041] Specifically, the method includes:

[0042] The system receives a handover request message from the source base station, which includes the QoS requirements of the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements; it sends a handover request response message to the source base station, which includes the QoS grant information of the neighboring base station, indicating whether the neighboring base station meets the QoS requirements; and it receives a handover confirmation message from the source base station, which indicates confirmation of handover to the neighboring base station or confirmation of no handover to the neighboring base station. If the handover confirmation message indicates confirmation of handover to the neighboring base station, the neighboring base station is the target base station.

[0043] In this way, the source base station can determine whether the neighboring base station can meet the QoS requirements of the terminal device, and if the neighboring base station can meet the QoS requirements of the terminal device, the neighboring base station can know whether it is the target base station based on the handover confirmation message sent by the source base station.

[0044] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations, before sending a handover request response message to the source base station, the method further includes: sending a QoS authorization confirmation request message to a second network element, the QoS authorization confirmation request message requesting the second network element to determine whether the neighboring base station meets the QoS requirement; and receiving an authorization confirmation response message sent by the second network element, the authorization confirmation response message including the QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station.

[0045] In this way, neighboring base stations can determine whether they can meet the QoS requirements of terminal devices.

[0046] In conjunction with the third aspect, in some implementations, the second network element includes an NWDAF network element and / or a PCF network element.

[0047] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a base station handover method, which is applied to a first network element. Optionally, the method can be executed by the first network element, or by a chip, module, or unit configured in the first network element.

[0048] Specifically, the method includes:

[0049] The system receives a QoS requirement and an estimated duration of the QoS requirement from the terminal device; determines a target base station based on the QoS requirement, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations; and sends a first handover request message to the target base station, the first handover request message including the QoS requirement and the estimated duration.

[0050] Based on this implementation, after receiving the QoS request and its estimated duration from the terminal device, the first network element can comprehensively consider the QoS request, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which the terminal device needs to hand over. This approach not only ensures the stability of signal quality after base station handover but also guarantees that the QoS of the handover meets the QoS requirements of the terminal device, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0051] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations, receiving the QoS request sent by the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS request includes receiving the QoS request sent by the terminal device when it senses that the current QoS is insufficient and the estimated duration of the QoS request.

[0052] In this way, when the terminal device senses insufficient QoS, it can proactively send QoS requirements and estimated duration to the first network element. Furthermore, the first network element can promptly and comprehensively consider the QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which it needs to be switched, thereby avoiding the impact on user experience due to insufficient QoS.

[0053] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in some implementations, the terminal device includes a target application, and receiving the QoS request and the estimated duration of the QoS request sent by the terminal device when it senses that the current QoS is insufficient includes: receiving the QoS request and the estimated duration of the QoS request sent by the target application when it senses that the current QoS is insufficient.

[0054] In this way, when the target application senses insufficient QoS, it can proactively send QoS requirements and estimated duration to the first network element. Furthermore, the first network element can promptly and comprehensively consider the QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which it needs to be switched, thereby avoiding the impact on user experience due to insufficient QoS.

[0055] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a base station handover method. This method is applied to a target base station, which is determined by a first network element based on the QoS requirements of a terminal device, the estimated duration of those QoS requirements, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations. Optionally, this method can be executed by the target base station, or by a chip, module, or unit configured in the target base station.

[0056] Specifically, the method includes:

[0057] The system receives a first handover request message sent by the first network element, the first handover request message including the QoS requirement and the estimated duration; reserves resources for the terminal device based on the first handover request message; and sends a second handover request message to the source base station, the second handover request message including resource configuration information reserved by the target base station for the terminal device.

[0058] Based on this implementation, after receiving a handover request message from the first network element containing QoS requirements and estimated duration, the target base station can reserve resources for the terminal device based on this message and send a handover request message to the source base station containing the resource configuration information reserved for the terminal device. In this way, the source base station can know that the terminal device needs to be handed over to the target base station.

[0059] In conjunction with the fifth aspect, in some implementations, after sending the second handover request message to the source base station, the method further includes: receiving a handover request response message sent by the source base station, the handover request response message being used to confirm the handover request of the target base station.

[0060] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a base station handover method, which is applied to a source base station. Optionally, the method can be executed by the source base station, or by a chip, module, or unit configured in the source base station.

[0061] Specifically, the method includes:

[0062] The first network element receives a second handover request message sent by the target base station, the second handover request message including resource configuration information reserved by the target base station for the terminal device, the target base station being determined by the first network element based on the QoS requirements of the terminal device, the estimated duration of the QoS requirements and the signal quality of neighboring base stations; and sends a handover indication message to the terminal device, the handover indication message indicating handover to the target base station.

[0063] Based on this implementation, after receiving the handover request message sent by the target base station, the source base station can send a handover indication message to the terminal device, enabling the terminal device to complete the base station handover based on the handover indication message.

[0064] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations, before sending the handover indication message to the terminal device, the method further includes: sending a handover request response message to the target base station, the handover request response message being used to confirm the handover request of the target base station.

[0065] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a base station handover apparatus, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the methods described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof. Optionally, the apparatus further includes a memory. Optionally, the apparatus further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0066] In one implementation, the base station handover device is a terminal device. In this case, the communication interface can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0067] In another implementation, the base station switching device is configured in the terminal device, such as a chip within the terminal device. In this case, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0068] Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0069] Eighthly, a base station handover apparatus is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the methods of the second aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0070] Optionally, the device further includes a memory. Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface, to which the processor is coupled.

[0071] In one implementation, the base station switching device is a network device, such as the source base station. In this case, the communication interface can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0072] In another implementation, the base station switching device is a chip configured in network equipment, such as the source base station. In this case, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0073] Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0074] A ninth aspect provides a base station handover apparatus, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the methods of the third aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0075] Optionally, the device further includes a memory. Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface, to which the processor is coupled.

[0076] In one implementation, the base station handover device is a network device, such as a neighboring cell base station. In this case, the communication interface can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0077] In another implementation, the base station handover device is a chip configured in network equipment, such as a neighboring cell base station. In this case, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0078] Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0079] In a tenth aspect, a base station handover apparatus is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the methods of the fourth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0080] Optionally, the device further includes a memory. Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface, to which the processor is coupled.

[0081] In one implementation, the base station switching device is a network device, such as the first network element. In this case, the communication interface can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0082] In another implementation, the base station switching device is a chip configured in network equipment, such as the first network element. In this case, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0083] Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0084] Eleventhly, a base station handover apparatus is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the methods of the fifth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0085] Optionally, the device further includes a memory. Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface, to which the processor is coupled.

[0086] In one implementation, the base station switching device is a network device, such as the target base station. In this case, the communication interface can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0087] In another implementation, the base station switching device is a chip configured in network equipment, such as the target base station. In this case, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0088] Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0089] In a twelfth aspect, a base station handover apparatus is provided, including a processor. The processor is coupled to a memory and can be used to execute instructions in the memory to implement the methods of the sixth aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0090] Optionally, the device further includes a memory. Optionally, the device further includes a communication interface, to which the processor is coupled.

[0091] In one implementation, the base station switching device is a network device, such as the source base station. In this case, the communication interface can be a transceiver or an input / output interface.

[0092] In another implementation, the base station switching device is a chip configured in network equipment, such as the source base station. In this case, the communication interface can be an input / output interface.

[0093] Optionally, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface can be an input / output circuit.

[0094] In a thirteenth aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to receive signals through the input circuit and transmit signals through the output circuit, causing the processor to execute the methods of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth aspects described above, as well as any possible implementation thereof.

[0095] In specific implementation, the processor can be one or more chips, the input circuit can be input pins, the output circuit can be output pins, and the processing circuit can be transistors, gate circuits, flip-flops, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be received and input by, for example, but not limited to, a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to and transmitted by a transmitter. Furthermore, the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as both the input circuit and the output circuit at different times. This application does not limit the specific implementation of the processor and various circuits.

[0096] In a fourteenth aspect, a processing apparatus is provided, including a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to read instructions stored in the memory and to receive signals via a receiver and transmit signals via a transmitter to execute the methods of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth aspects described above, as well as any possible implementation of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth aspects.

[0097] Optionally, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0098] Alternatively, the memory can be integrated with the processor, or the memory can be set up separately from the processor.

[0099] In specific implementation, the memory can be a non-transitory memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), which can be integrated with the processor on the same chip or set on different chips. The embodiments of this application do not limit the type of memory or the way the memory and processor are set.

[0100] It should be understood that the relevant data interaction process, such as sending indication information, can be the process of the processor outputting indication information, and receiving capability information can be the process of the processor receiving input capability information. Specifically, the data output by the processor can be sent to the transmitter, and the input data received by the processor can come from the receiver. Here, the transmitter and receiver can be collectively referred to as a transceiver.

[0101] The processing device described in aspect fourteen above can be one or more chips. The processor in the processing device can be implemented in hardware or software. When implemented in hardware, the processor can be a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, etc.; when implemented in software, the processor can be a general-purpose processor that reads software code stored in memory. This memory can be integrated into the processor or located outside the processor and exist independently.

[0102] In a fifteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when the computer program is run, causes a computer to perform the methods of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth aspects described above, as well as any possible implementation of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth aspects.

[0103] In a sixteenth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided that stores a computer program (also referred to as code or instructions) that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth aspects described above, as well as any possible implementation of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth aspects.

[0104] In a seventeenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip or chip system including at least one processor and a communication interface. The communication interface and the at least one processor are interconnected via a circuit. The at least one processor is used to run computer programs or instructions, employing methods from any of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth aspects described above, or any possible implementation of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth aspects. The communication interface in the chip can be an input / output interface, pins, or circuits, etc. Attached Figure Description

[0105] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0106] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a base station handover method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0107] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a specific implementation of a base station handover method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0108] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a specific implementation of another base station handover method provided in this application embodiment;

[0109] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a base station handover device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0110] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0111] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of a network device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0112] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following points will be explained before introducing the embodiments of this application.

[0113] First, in the embodiments of this application, "for indicating" can include both direct and indirect indication. For example, when describing a certain indication information as indicating information I, it can include whether the indication information directly indicates I or indirectly indicates I, but does not necessarily mean that the indication information carries I.

[0114] Second, in the embodiments shown below, the terms "first," "second," and various numerical designations are merely distinctions for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0115] Third, it should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design options. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0116] Fourth, "at least one" means one or more, while "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, and c can mean: a, or, b, or, c, or, a and b, or, a and c, or, b and c, or, a, b, and c. Here, a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0117] The technical solutions of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems, 5th Generation (5G) systems, New Radio (NR) or future networks, etc. The 5G mobile communication system described in this application includes non-standalone (NSA) 5G mobile communication systems or standalone (SA) 5G mobile communication systems. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as sixth-generation mobile communication systems. The communication system can also be a public land mobile network (PLMN), a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Things (IoT) communication system, or other communication systems.

[0118] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, let's first take... Figure 1 The communication system shown in the diagram is used as an example to describe in detail the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the communication system 100 includes a terminal device 10, a radio access network (R)AN device 20 (e.g., 20A, 20B, 20C) and a core network 30. The various parts involved in this network architecture will be described below.

[0119] For example, the terminal device 10 in this application can refer to an access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, relay station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, user equipment, wireless communication equipment, user agent, or user device. The terminal device can also be a cellular phone, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle device, wearable device, terminal device in a future 5G network, terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), or terminal device in a future vehicle-to-everything (V2X) network, etc., and this application embodiment is not limited to these categories. The terminal device in the embodiments of this application can also be a device disposed or installed in the above-mentioned various devices, such as a chip and / or circuit structure.

[0120] As an example and not a limitation, in this application embodiment, wearable devices can also be called wearable smart devices. This is a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices; they achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly defined, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functionality without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific application function and require use with other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0121] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a terminal device in an Internet of Things (IoT) system. IoT is an important component of future information technology development, and its main technical feature is connecting objects to networks through communication technology, thereby realizing an intelligent network of human-machine interconnection and machine-to-machine interconnection. In this embodiment, IoT technology can achieve massive connectivity, deep coverage, and terminal power saving through technologies such as narrowband (NB). Additionally, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also include sensors such as smart printers, train detectors, and gas station sensors, whose main functions include collecting data (for some terminal devices), receiving control information and downlink data from access network devices, and transmitting uplink data to access network devices by sending electromagnetic waves.

[0122] The (R)AN device 20 is used to provide network access functionality for authorized terminal devices in a specific area, and can use transmission tunnels of different quality according to the terminal device's level and service requirements. The (R)AN device can manage radio resources, provide access services for terminal devices, and thus complete the forwarding of control signals and terminal device data between the terminal device and the core network. The (R)AN device may include base stations in traditional networks, or other network elements or entities that can implement access network functions.

[0123] For example, the access network device in this application embodiment can be any kind of communication device with wireless transceiver function for communicating with terminal devices. The access network equipment includes, but is not limited to: evolved NodeB (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), base first AMFtion controller (BSC), base transceiver first AMFtion (BTS), home evolved NodeB (HeNB, or home Node B, HNB), baseband unit (BBU), access point (AP), wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP), or transmission and reception point (TRP) in a wireless fidelity (WIFI) system. It can also be a gNB in ​​a 5G system, such as NR, or a transmission point (TRP or TP), one or a group of antenna panels (including multiple antenna panels) of a base station in a 5G system, or a network node constituting a gNB or transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU).

[0124] In some deployments, a gNB may include a centralized unit (CU) and a distribution unit (DU). The gNB may also include an active antenna unit (AAU). The CU implements some of the gNB's functions, and the DU implements others. For example, the CU handles non-real-time protocols and services, implementing radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer functions. The DU handles physical layer protocols and real-time services, implementing radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layer functions. The AAU implements some physical layer processing functions, radio frequency processing, and active antenna-related functions. Since RRC layer information ultimately becomes PHY layer information, or is derived from PHY layer information, in this architecture, higher-layer signaling, such as RRC layer signaling, can be considered to be sent by the DU, or by the DU+AAU. It is understood that access network equipment can be devices including one or more of the following: CU nodes, DU nodes, and AAU nodes. In addition, the CU can be classified as an access network device in the radio access network (RAN) or as an access network device in the core network (CN), and this application does not limit this.

[0125] The core network 30 may include user plane network elements, data network elements, access management network elements, session management network elements, policy control network elements, authentication servers, data management network elements, application network elements, network slice selection network elements, etc.

[0126] User plane network elements are used for packet routing and forwarding, as well as quality of service (QoS) processing of user plane data. In 5G communication systems, these user plane network elements can be user plane function (UPF) network elements, including intermediate user plane function (I-UPF) network elements and PDU session anchor user plane function (PSA-UPF) network elements. In future communication systems, user plane network elements can still be UPF network elements, or they can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0127] A data network element is used to provide a network for transmitting data. In a 5G communication system, this data network element can be a data network (DN) element. In future communication systems, the data network element can still be a DN element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0128] In 5G communication systems, after a terminal device accesses the network, it can establish a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session and access the Network Node (DN) through the PDU session. This allows it to interact with application function network elements (such as application servers) deployed within the DN. Depending on the DN accessed by the user, the network can select the UPF (User-Defined Node) accessing the DN as the PDU Session Anchor (PSA) according to network policies, and access the application function network elements through the N6 interface of the PSA.

[0129] In 5G communication systems, data network elements can be network data analytics function (NWDAF) elements, which are an important element in the 5G network architecture. They are responsible for collecting, processing, and analyzing big data from various parts of the network to support network performance optimization, traffic prediction, fault detection, and other functions, helping operators make more intelligent network decisions.

[0130] Access management network element: Primarily used for mobility management and access management, it can implement functions of the mobility management entity (MME) other than session management, such as lawful interception and access authorization / authentication. In 5G communication systems, this access management network element can be the access and mobility management function (AMF). In future communication systems, the access management network element can still be the AMF, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0131] Session management network element: Primarily used for session management, allocation and management of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for terminal devices, selection of endpoints for manageable user plane functions, policy control, and charging function interfaces, and downlink data notification. In 5G communication systems, this session management network element can be an SMF network element, which may include an intermediate session management function (I-SMF) network element, an anchor session management function (A-SMF) network element, and may also include the SMF network element selected based on the Data Network Access Identifier (DNAI) mentioned in the embodiments of this application (referred to as the D-SMF network element in this application). In future communication systems, the session management network element may still be an SMF network element, or may have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0132] Policy control network element: A unified policy framework used to guide network behavior, providing policy rule information to control plane function network elements (such as AMF, SMF, etc.). In 4G communication systems, this policy control network element can be a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) network element. In 5G communication systems, this policy control network element can be a policy control function (PCF) network element. In future communication systems, the policy control network element can still be a PCF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0133] Authentication server: Used for authentication services, generating keys to achieve two-way authentication of terminal devices, and supporting a unified authentication framework. In 5G communication systems, this authentication server can be an authentication server function (AUSF) network element. In future communication systems, the authentication server function network element can still be an AUSF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0134] Data management network element: Used for handling terminal device identification, access authentication, registration, and mobility management. In 5G communication systems, this data management network element can be a unified data management (UDM) network element; in 4G communication systems, this data management network element can be a home subscriber server (HSS) network element. In future communication systems, unified data management can still be a UDM network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0135] Application network elements: Application network elements can interact with the 5G system through application function network elements to access network open function network elements or interact with the policy framework for policy control, etc. In the 5G communication system, the application network element can be an application function (AF) network element. In future communication systems, the application network element can still be an AF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0136] The network slice selection element mainly includes the following functions: selecting a set of network slice instances for the UE, determining the allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), and determining the AMF set that can serve the UE. In 5G communication systems, this application network element can be a network slice selection function (NSSF) network element. In future communication systems, the application network element can still be an NSSF network element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit this.

[0137] It should be understood that Figure 1 This is merely an example and does not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of this application. The communication method provided in the embodiments of this application may also involve... Figure 1 Network elements not shown in the diagram may also include, for example, network storage network elements, which are used to maintain real-time information for all network function services in the network.

[0138] In 5G communication systems, this network storage element can be a network repository function (NRF) element. In future communication systems, the network storage element can still be an NRF element, or it can have other names; this application does not limit its scope.

[0139] It is understood that the aforementioned network elements or functions can be network components in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0140] It should be understood that the network architecture described above for the embodiments of this application is merely an example, and the network architecture applicable to the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any network architecture capable of implementing the functions of the various network elements described above is applicable to the embodiments of this application. For example, in some network architectures, network function network element entities such as AMF, SMF, PCF, BSF, and UDM are all referred to as network function (NF) network elements; or, in other network architectures, a collection of network elements such as AMF, SMF, PCF, BSF, and UDM can all be referred to as control plane function network elements.

[0141] In modern cellular networks, terminal devices frequently need to hand over to base stations while mobile to ensure network connectivity stability. Currently, cellular network handover mechanisms primarily rely on signal quality measurements, such as RSRP and RSRQ of the received signal, to make handover decisions. Specifically, based on current technology, when a terminal device enters RRC connected state, the source base station will reconfigure the connection via RRC Connection. A Reconfiguration message sends a measurement configuration message to the terminal device, which includes a signal quality measurement strategy. The terminal device receives this message and performs signal measurements according to the configuration instructions. When the measurement results meet the preset reporting criteria, the terminal device reports the measurement results (including RSRP, RSRQ, etc.) to the source base station. The source base station determines whether the signal quality of the target base station meets the handover criteria based on the received measurement report. If the criteria are met, the source base station sends a handover request message to the target base station, requesting the target base station to allocate resources for the terminal device and simultaneously triggering the establishment of an X2 logical link between the source and target base stations. This link is used to forward user data and related signaling information cached by the source base station to ensure the continuity of user data during the handover process. After receiving the handover request, the target base station performs an admission judgment to determine whether to allow the terminal device to handover. If allowed, the target base station allocates radio resources for the terminal device in the target cell. Subsequently, the target base station sends an acknowledgment message to the source base station, indicating successful handover preparation. Simultaneously, the target base station also completes the establishment of an inter-base station X2 logical channel to ensure smooth data and signaling transmission.

[0142] However, handover performed in this manner may result in the post-handover network QoS failing to meet the needs of terminal services, thus impacting user experience. Therefore, optimizing handover decisions to ensure the continuity of terminal services and network stability has become a pressing technical challenge.

[0143] Based on this, this application proposes a base station handover method. According to this method, a terminal device can report its QoS requirements and estimated duration to a target network device (e.g., a source base station or a first network element). This allows the target network device to comprehensively consider the QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which the terminal device needs to hand over. This approach not only ensures the stability of signal quality after base station handover but also guarantees that the QoS after handover meets the QoS requirements of the terminal device, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0144] The following is a detailed description of the proposed solution with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0145] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a base station handover method provided in an embodiment of this application. This method 200 can be applied to... Figure 1 The communication system 100 shown may include at least terminal equipment and network devices such as source base station, target base station, and first network element. Communication is possible between the network devices and the terminal equipment, as well as between the network devices themselves. Figure 2 As shown, the method 200 may include steps 210 to 240, and each step of the method is described in detail below.

[0146] S210, the terminal device sends its QoS requirements and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements to the target network device. Correspondingly, the target network device receives the QoS requirements and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements sent by the terminal device.

[0147] Optionally, the target network device can be a source base station or a first network element.

[0148] Optionally, the first network element can be an NWDAF network element, a PCF network element, or both an NWDAF network element and a PCF network element, or it can be other network devices that can perform related functions. This application does not limit this.

[0149] For example, the aforementioned QoS requirements may include bandwidth requirements, latency requirements, or both. Of course, other QoS requirements may also be included, such as reliability requirements and jitter requirements; this application does not limit this. It should be understood that when the aforementioned QoS requirements include bandwidth and / or latency requirements, the target network device can subsequently consider the bandwidth and / or latency requirements of the terminal device when determining the target base station, ensuring that the bandwidth and / or latency after base station handover meet the bandwidth and / or latency requirements of the terminal device, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0150] When the target network device is the source base station, step S210 is as follows: the terminal device sends its QoS requirements and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements to the source base station. Correspondingly, the source base station receives the QoS requirements and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements sent by the terminal device.

[0151] In one possible implementation, before the terminal device sends its QoS requirements and estimated duration to the source base station (i.e., before executing step S210), the terminal device can first establish a radio bearer connection with the source base station. Subsequently, the source base station can send measurement configuration information to the terminal device, which may include a signal quality measurement strategy and a QoS measurement strategy, the QoS measurement strategy of which may include the QoS requirements to be measured. Accordingly, the terminal device can receive the measurement configuration information sent by the source base station and measure the current network QoS and the signal quality of neighboring base stations based on the measurement configuration information. When the reporting conditions are met, the terminal device can send a measurement report to the source base station, which may include the signal quality, QoS requirements, and estimated duration of neighboring base stations. Accordingly, the source base station can receive the measurement report sent by the terminal device. In this way, the terminal device can report its own QoS requirements and their estimated duration to the source base station while reporting the signal quality of neighboring base stations based on the measurement report, thus avoiding the need for additional messages to carry relevant information and preventing resource waste.

[0152] Among them, the signal quality of neighboring base stations includes specific numerical values ​​of the signal quality of neighboring base stations to reflect the signal quality; QoS requirements include specific numerical values ​​of QoS requirements, such as values ​​of latency requirements and / or bandwidth requirements; the estimated duration is used to indicate the time range within which the terminal equipment needs the base station to meet the QoS requirements, which helps the source base station to assess whether it or neighboring base stations can meet the QoS requirements.

[0153] Optionally, the aforementioned measurement configuration information may also include the reporting conditions for QoS requirements, the measurement window period, and the reporting window period. In this way, the terminal device can measure and report QoS requirements based on this measurement configuration information.

[0154] Optionally, the reporting conditions for the aforementioned QoS requirements may include reporting when the QoS is below a target threshold. In this way, when the terminal device detects that the QoS is below the target threshold, it can proactively report its own QoS requirements and their estimated duration to the source base station based on the measurement report. This allows the source base station to promptly determine the target base station to which it needs to be switched based on the measurement report, thereby avoiding the impact on user experience due to insufficient QoS.

[0155] The measurement window and reporting window are used to indicate the time period during which the terminal device measures and reports QoS requirements.

[0156] Optionally, the signal quality measurement strategy may include the type of signal quality to be measured, the measurement interval, and the reporting conditions. The type of signal quality to be measured defines the type of signal quality that needs to be measured. This type may be any one or more of RSRP, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), RSRQ, received signal strength indication (RSSI), and received signal code power (RSCP). The measurement interval indicates the time interval at which the terminal device performs measurements to ensure timely acquisition of signal quality information. The signal quality reporting conditions instruct the terminal device to report the aforementioned measurement when the signal quality reaches certain indicators. It should be understood that specific descriptions of the signal quality measurement strategy can be found in relevant technical documents and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0157] It should be understood that when either the signal quality reporting condition or the QoS requirement reporting condition is met, the terminal device will be triggered to send a measurement report to the source base station, including the signal quality, QoS requirements, and estimated duration of neighboring base stations.

[0158] Optionally, the source base station can send measurement configuration information to the terminal device via the signaling message RRC Connection Reconfiguration.

[0159] When the target network device is the first network element, step S210 is as follows: the terminal device sends its QoS requirements and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements to the first network element. Correspondingly, the first network element receives the QoS requirements and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements sent by the terminal device.

[0160] In one possible implementation, when the terminal device detects insufficient QoS, it can send a QoS request and the estimated duration to the first network element. This allows the terminal device to proactively send the QoS request and estimated duration to the first network element upon detecting insufficient QoS. Furthermore, the first network element can promptly and comprehensively consider the QoS request, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which to switch, thereby avoiding impact on user experience due to insufficient QoS.

[0161] In this context, "perceiving that the current QoS is insufficient" can be understood as "perceiving that the current QoS cannot meet the current service requirements".

[0162] In one possible implementation, when the terminal device senses that the current QoS is insufficient, it can send a QoS request and an estimated duration to the first network element based on the QoS insufficiency indication information.

[0163] In one possible implementation, the terminal device may include a target application. When the target application detects insufficient QoS, it can send a QoS request and an estimated duration to the first network element. In this way, the target application can proactively send a QoS request and an estimated duration to the first network element when it detects insufficient QoS. Furthermore, the first network element can promptly and comprehensively consider the QoS request, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which to switch, thereby avoiding the impact on user experience due to insufficient QoS.

[0164] In one possible implementation, when sending QoS requirements and estimated duration to the first network element, the terminal device can also send information such as current QoS usage and current service type. In this way, when determining the target base station, the first network element can consider the terminal device's current QoS usage, current service type, QoS requirements, and estimated duration, ensuring that the QoS after base station handover meets the terminal device's current service QoS requirements, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0165] The business type can include the business type currently in use, such as video, online games, and other business types.

[0166] S220: The target network device determines the target base station based on QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations.

[0167] When the target network device is the source base station, step S220 is: the source base station determines the target base station based on QoS requirements, estimated duration and signal quality of neighboring base stations.

[0168] Specifically, the source base station can send a handover request message to neighboring base stations, which includes QoS requirements and an estimated duration. Correspondingly, the neighboring base station receives the handover request message from the source base station and sends a handover request response message to the source base station. This response message may include the QoS grant information of the neighboring base station, indicating whether the neighboring base station meets the QoS requirements of the terminal device. The source base station can also receive the handover request response message from the neighboring base station and determine the target base station among the neighboring base stations based on the signal quality and QoS grant information of the neighboring base station. Subsequently, the source base station sends a handover confirmation message to the target base station, indicating confirmation of handover to the target base station. The source base station can also send handover confirmation messages to other neighboring base stations, indicating confirmation of not handing over to other neighboring base stations. The target base station can receive the handover confirmation message from the source base station and reserve relevant resources.

[0169] It should be understood that the aforementioned neighboring base stations may be one or more base stations determined by the source base station based on the signal quality of the neighboring base stations in the measurement report, including the target base station.

[0170] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned handover request message may also include a handover reason, such as insufficient current QoS, degraded signal quality, or load balancing.

[0171] In one possible implementation, the handover request message may also include the identifier of the neighboring cell base station to indicate the neighboring cell base station to which the handover is desired.

[0172] In one possible implementation, before sending a handover request response message to the source base station, the neighboring base station may send a QoS authorization confirmation request message to the second network element. This QoS authorization confirmation request message requests the second network element to determine whether the neighboring base station meets the QoS requirements. Accordingly, the second network element receives the QoS authorization confirmation request message from the neighboring base station and determines whether the neighboring base station meets the QoS requirements based on the QoS authorization confirmation request message. Subsequently, the second network element sends an authorization confirmation response message to the neighboring base station, which includes the QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station. Accordingly, the neighboring base station receives the authorization confirmation response message from the second network element to determine the QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station. In this way, the neighboring base station can determine whether it can meet the QoS requirements of the terminal device.

[0173] Optionally, the second network element can be an NWDAF network element, a PCF network element, or both an NWDAF network element and a PCF network element, or it can be other network devices that can perform related functions. This application does not limit this.

[0174] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned QoS authorization confirmation request message may include QoS requirements and estimated duration.

[0175] Based on this implementation, after receiving the QoS request and its estimated duration from the terminal device, the source base station can comprehensively consider the QoS request, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which the terminal device needs to hand over. This approach not only ensures the stability of signal quality after base station handover but also guarantees that the QoS of the handover meets the QoS requirements of the terminal device, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0176] When the target network device is the first network element, step S220 is: the first network element determines the target base station based on QoS requirements, estimated duration and signal quality of neighboring base stations.

[0177] In one possible implementation, the first network element can first determine the QoS grant information of the neighboring base station based on QoS requirements, estimated duration, network load of the neighboring base station, and QoS satisfaction of the neighboring base station. This QoS grant information is used to indicate whether the neighboring base station can meet the QoS requirements of the terminal device. Then, the first network element determines the target base station based on the QoS grant information and signal quality of the neighboring base station.

[0178] In one possible implementation, after determining the target base station, the first network element can send a first handover request message to the target base station. This first handover request message includes QoS requirements and an estimated duration, and may also include a handover reason. Correspondingly, the target base station can receive the first handover request message from the first network element and, based on this message, assess the current network resource situation to determine whether the QoS requirements of the terminal device can be met. If it is confirmed that the requirements can be met, the target base station reserves resources for the terminal device, which may include time slot resources and radio resources. Subsequently, the target base station can send a second handover request message to the source base station. This second handover request message includes resource configuration information reserved by the target base station for the terminal device, including radio resource configuration information and time slot resource configuration information. This second handover request message may also include a handover reason, such as the terminal device's current service QoS not meeting service requirements. Correspondingly, the source base station receives the second handover request message from the target base station. Subsequently, the source base station can send a handover request response message to the target base station. This response message confirms the target base station's handover request, and the source base station can release the resources used by the terminal device at the source base station to facilitate the handover.

[0179] Based on this implementation, after receiving the QoS request and its estimated duration from the terminal device, the first network element can comprehensively consider the QoS request, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which the terminal device needs to hand over. This approach not only ensures the stability of signal quality after base station handover but also guarantees that the QoS of the handover meets the QoS requirements of the terminal device, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0180] S230, the source base station sends a handover indication message to the terminal device, indicating a handover to the target base station. Correspondingly, the terminal device receives the handover indication message sent by the source base station.

[0181] Switching to the target base station means that the terminal device disconnects from the source base station it is currently connected to and reconnects to the target base station.

[0182] In one possible implementation, the handover indication message may include resource configuration information of the target base station, which may include radio resource configuration information and time slot resource configuration information. In this way, the terminal device can learn about the resource configuration of the target base station based on the handover indication message, and then complete the base station handover based on that resource configuration.

[0183] In one possible implementation, the handover indication message may include the handover reason and the QoS authorization information of the target base station. This allows the terminal device to determine whether the target base station to which it needs to hand over can meet its QoS requirements.

[0184] In one possible implementation, the handover indication message can be an RRC ConnectionReconfiguration message. This application uses the RRC Connection Reconfiguration message to instruct the terminal device to perform base station handover, thus eliminating the need for additional messages to carry relevant information and avoiding resource waste.

[0185] S240, the terminal device switches to the target base station based on the handover instruction message.

[0186] After receiving the handover instruction message from the source base station, the terminal device can access the target base station according to the instruction and report the connection completion information to the target base station; after the handover process is completed, the terminal device can continue to transmit data.

[0187] In summary, this application involves the terminal device reporting its QoS requirements and estimated duration to the target network device (e.g., the source base station or the first network element). This allows the target network device to comprehensively consider the QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which the terminal device should hand over. This approach not only ensures the stability of signal quality after base station handover but also guarantees that the QoS of the terminal device after handover meets its QoS requirements, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0188] Based on the above method 200, the following section takes the target network device as the source base station as an example, combined with... Figure 3 This paper introduces a specific implementation process for a base station handover method. It should be understood that this implementation is merely an example and may actually include more or fewer steps; this application does not limit this. Figure 3 As shown, the method 300 may include steps S301 to S310, which are described below.

[0189] S301, the source base station sends measurement configuration information to the terminal device. The measurement configuration information includes a signal quality measurement strategy and a QoS measurement strategy. The QoS measurement strategy includes the QoS requirements to be measured. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the measurement configuration information sent by the source base station.

[0190] S302, the terminal device sends a measurement report to the source base station based on the measurement configuration information. The measurement report includes the signal quality of neighboring base stations, the QoS requirements of the terminal device, and their estimated duration. Correspondingly, the source base station receives the measurement report sent by the terminal device.

[0191] S303, the source base station sends a handover request message to the neighboring base station, which includes QoS requirements and estimated duration; correspondingly, the neighboring base station receives the handover request message sent by the source base station.

[0192] S304, the neighboring base station sends a QoS authorization confirmation request message to the PCF / NWDAF network element. This QoS authorization confirmation request message is used to request the PCF / NWDAF network element to determine whether the neighboring base station meets the QoS requirements. The QoS authorization confirmation request message may include the QoS requirements and the estimated duration. Correspondingly, the PCF / NWDAF network element receives the QoS authorization confirmation request message sent by the neighboring base station.

[0193] S305, the PCF / NWDAF network element sends an authorization confirmation response message to the neighboring base station. This authorization confirmation response message includes the QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station, which is used to indicate whether the neighboring base station meets the QoS requirements of the terminal equipment. Correspondingly, the neighboring base station receives the authorization confirmation response message sent by the PCF / NWDAF network element.

[0194] S306, the neighboring base station sends a handover request response message to the source base station, the handover request response message including the QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station; correspondingly, the source base station receives the handover request response message sent by the neighboring base station.

[0195] S307, the source base station determines the target base station among the neighboring base stations based on the signal quality and QoS authorization information of the neighboring base stations.

[0196] S308, the source base station sends a handover confirmation message to neighboring base stations. This handover confirmation message indicates whether to hand over to a neighboring base station. For example, the source base station sends a handover confirmation message to the target base station, indicating that it is confirmed to hand over to the target base station. The source base station also sends handover confirmation messages to other neighboring base stations, indicating that it is confirmed not to hand over to other neighboring base stations. Correspondingly, neighboring base stations receive the handover confirmation messages sent by the source base station. For example, the target base station receives the handover confirmation messages sent by the source base station and reserves relevant resources. Other neighboring base stations receive the handover confirmation messages sent by the source base station but do not perform any corresponding processing.

[0197] S309, the source base station sends a handover indication message to the terminal device, indicating a handover to the target base station. The handover indication message may include the resource configuration information of the target base station, including radio resource configuration information and time slot resource configuration information. The handover indication message may also include the handover reason and the QoS authorization information of the target base station. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the handover indication message sent by the source base station.

[0198] S310, the terminal device switches to the target base station based on the handover instruction message.

[0199] It should be understood that other related content can be found in method 200 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0200] Based on this implementation, terminal devices can report their own QoS requirements and estimated duration to the source base station while simultaneously reporting the signal quality of neighboring base stations based on measurement reports. This allows the source base station to comprehensively consider the QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations to determine the target base station to which the terminal device should hand over. This approach not only ensures the stability of signal quality after base station handover but also guarantees that the QoS of the terminal device after handover meets its requirements, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0201] Based on the above method 200, the following example uses the target network device as a PCF / NWDAF network element, combined with... Figure 4 This paper introduces the specific implementation process of another base station handover method. It should be understood that this implementation is merely an example and may actually include more or fewer steps; this application does not limit this. Figure 4 As shown, the method 400 may include steps S401 to S408, which are described below.

[0202] S401, when the terminal device senses that the current QoS is insufficient, it sends QoS insufficient indication information to the PCF / NWDAF network element. The QoS insufficient indication information includes QoS requirements and estimated duration; accordingly, the PCF / NWDAF network element receives the QoS insufficient indication information sent by the terminal device.

[0203] Optionally, the QoS insufficiency indication information may also include current QoS usage (e.g., current bandwidth utilization and actual user experience feedback) and service type (e.g., video, online games, etc.).

[0204] S402, the PCF / NWDAF network element determines the target base station based on QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations.

[0205] S403, the PCF / NWDAF network element sends a first handover request message to the target base station. The first handover request message includes QoS requirements and estimated duration. The first handover request message may also include a handover reason.

[0206] S404, the target base station assesses the current network resource situation based on the first handover request message, determines whether it can meet the QoS requirements of the terminal device, and if it is confirmed that it can meet the requirements, the target base station reserves resources for the terminal device, which may include time slot resources and radio resources.

[0207] S405, the target base station sends a second handover request message to the source base station. The second handover request message includes resource configuration information reserved by the target base station for the terminal device. The resource configuration information may include radio resource configuration information and time slot resource configuration information. The second handover request message may also include a handover reason, such as the terminal device's current service QoS not meeting service requirements. Accordingly, the source base station receives the second handover request message sent by the target base station.

[0208] S406, the source base station sends a handover request response message to the target base station. This handover request response message is used to confirm the handover request of the target base station. In addition, the source base station can release the resources used by the terminal equipment at the source base station in order to perform the handover.

[0209] S407, the source base station sends a handover indication message to the terminal device. The handover indication message indicates a handover to the target base station. The handover indication message may include the resource configuration information of the target base station, which may include radio resource configuration information and time slot resource configuration information. The handover indication message may also include the handover reason and the QoS authorization information of the target base station. Accordingly, the terminal device receives the handover indication message sent by the source base station.

[0210] S408, the terminal device switches to the target base station based on the handover instruction message.

[0211] It should be understood that other related content can be found in method 200 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0212] Based on this implementation, when a terminal device senses insufficient QoS, it can proactively send QoS requests and estimated durations to the PCF / NWDAF network element. Furthermore, the PCF / NWDAF network element can promptly determine the target base station to which it needs to be handed over, taking into account the QoS requests, estimated durations, and signal quality of neighboring base stations. This approach not only ensures the stability of signal quality after base station handover but also guarantees that the QoS after handover meets the QoS requirements of the terminal device, thereby effectively improving the user experience.

[0213] The above, combined with Figures 2 to 4 The base station handover method provided in the embodiments of this application is described in detail below. Figure 5 This application describes the base station handover device provided in the embodiments.

[0214] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a base station handover device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the device 500 may include a communication unit 510 and a processing unit 520.

[0215] In one possible design, the device 500 may correspond to the terminal device mentioned above. The device 500 can be a terminal device, or a chip, module, or unit configured within a terminal device. The device 500 may include units for executing the method performed by the terminal device in method 200. Furthermore, each unit in the device 500 implements a corresponding process in method 200.

[0216] For example, when the device 500 is used to execute method 200, the communication unit 510 can be used to execute the relevant transmit and receive operations of the terminal device in method 200, such as executing the transmit and receive operations of the terminal device in steps S210 or S230, and the processing unit 520 can be used to execute the relevant processing operations of the terminal device in method 200, such as executing the processing operations of the terminal device in step S240. It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0217] It should also be understood that when the base station switching device 500 is a terminal device, the communication unit 510 in the device 500 can correspond to Figure 6 The transceiver 2020 in the terminal device 2000 shown in the figure, and the processing unit 520 in the device 500 can correspond to Figure 6 The processor 2010 in the terminal device 2000 shown in the figure.

[0218] It should also be understood that when the device 500 is a chip configured in a terminal device, the communication unit 510 in the device 500 can be an input / output interface.

[0219] In another possible design, the device 500 may correspond to the aforementioned source base station. The device 500 may be the source base station itself, or a chip, module, or unit configured within the source base station. The device 500 may include units for executing the method performed by the source base station in method 200. Furthermore, each unit in the device 500 implements a corresponding process in method 200.

[0220] For example, when the target network device is the source base station, when the device 500 is used to execute method 200, the communication unit 510 can be used to execute the relevant transmit and receive operations of the source base station in method 200, such as executing the relevant transmit and receive operations of the source base station in steps S210, S220 or S230, and the processing unit 520 can be used to execute the relevant processing operations of the source base station in method 200, such as executing the operation in step S220 in which the source base station determines the target base station based on the signal quality of neighboring base stations and the QoS authorization information of neighboring base stations.

[0221] For example, when the target network device is the first network element, when the device 500 is used to execute method 200, the communication unit 510 can be used to execute the relevant transmit and receive operations of the source base station in method 200, such as executing the relevant transmit and receive operations of the source base station in step S220 or S230, and the processing unit 520 can be used to execute the relevant processing operations of the source base station in method 200.

[0222] It should be understood that the specific process of each unit performing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0223] It should also be understood that when the device 500 is a source base station, the communication unit in the device 500 is capable of corresponding to... Figure 7 The transceiver 3200 in the network device 3000 shown in the figure, and the processing unit 520 in the device 500 can correspond to Figure 7 The processor 3100 in the network device 3000 shown in the figure.

[0224] It should also be understood that when the device 500 is a chip configured in the source base station, the communication unit 510 in the device 500 can be an input / output interface.

[0225] In another possible design, the device 500 may correspond to the aforementioned neighboring cell base station. The device 500 may be a neighboring cell base station itself, or a chip, module, or unit configured within a neighboring cell base station. The device 500 may include units for executing the method performed by the neighboring cell base station in method 200. Furthermore, each unit in the device 500 is responsible for implementing a corresponding process in method 200.

[0226] For example, when the target network device is the source base station, when the device 500 is used to execute method 200, the communication unit 510 can be used to execute the relevant transmit / receive operations of the neighboring base station in method 200, such as executing the transmit / receive operations of the neighboring base station in step S220, and the processing unit 520 can be used to execute the relevant processing operations of the neighboring base station in method 200. It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0227] It should also be understood that when the device 500 is a neighboring cell base station, the communication unit in the device 500 is capable of corresponding to... Figure 7 The transceiver 3200 in the network device 3000 shown in the figure, and the processing unit 520 in the device 500 can correspond to Figure 7 The processor 3100 in the network device 3000 shown in the figure.

[0228] It should also be understood that when the device 500 is a chip configured in a neighboring cell base station, the communication unit 510 in the device 500 can be an input / output interface.

[0229] In another possible design, the device 500 may correspond to the aforementioned target base station. The device 500 may be the target base station itself, or a chip, module, or unit configured within the target base station. The device 500 may include units for executing the method performed by the target base station in method 200. Furthermore, each unit in the device 500 implements a corresponding process in method 200.

[0230] For example, when the target network device is the first network element, when the device 500 is used to execute method 200, the communication unit 510 can be used to execute the relevant transmit and receive operations of the target base station in method 200, such as executing the transmit and receive operations of the target base station in steps S220 or S240. The processing unit 520 can be used to execute the relevant processing operations of the target base station in method 200, such as executing the operation in step S220 where the target base station evaluates the current network resource situation, determines whether it can meet the QoS requirements of the terminal device, and reserves resources for the terminal device if it is confirmed that they can be met. It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0231] It should also be understood that when the device 500 is a target base station, the communication unit in the device 500 is capable of corresponding to... Figure 7 The transceiver 3200 in the network device 3000 shown in the figure, and the processing unit 520 in the device 500 can correspond to Figure 7 The processor 3100 in the network device 3000 shown in the figure.

[0232] It should also be understood that when the device 500 is a chip configured in the target base station, the communication unit 510 in the device 500 can be an input / output interface.

[0233] In another possible design, the device 500 may correspond to the aforementioned first network element. The device 500 may be the first network element, or a chip, module, or unit configured within the first network element. The device 500 may include units for executing the method performed by the first network element in method 200. Furthermore, each unit in the device 500 implements a corresponding process in method 200.

[0234] For example, when the target network device is the first network element, when the device 500 is used to execute method 200, the communication unit 510 can be used to execute the relevant transmit / receive operations of the first network element in method 200, such as executing the transmit / receive operations of the first network element in steps S210 or S220. The processing unit 520 can be used to execute the relevant processing operations of the first network element in method 200, such as executing the operation in step S220 where the first network element determines the target base station based on QoS requirements, estimated duration, and signal quality of neighboring base stations. It should be understood that the specific process of each unit executing the above-mentioned corresponding steps has been described in detail in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0235] It should also be understood that when the device 500 is the first network element, the communication unit in the device 500 is capable of corresponding to Figure 7 The transceiver 3200 in the network device 3000 shown in the figure, and the processing unit 520 in the device 500 can correspond to Figure 7The processor 3100 in the network device 3000 shown in the figure.

[0236] It should also be understood that when the device 500 is a chip configured in the first network element, the communication unit 510 in the device 500 can be an input / output interface.

[0237] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal device 2000 provided in an embodiment of this application. The terminal device 2000 can be applied to, for example... Figure 1 In the system shown, the functions of the terminal device in the above method embodiments are executed. As shown in the figure, the terminal device 2000 includes a processor 2010 and a transceiver 2020. Optionally, the terminal device 2000 also includes a memory 2030. The processor 2010, transceiver 2002, and memory 2030 can communicate with each other through internal connection paths to transmit control and / or data signals. The memory 2030 is used to store computer programs, and the processor 2010 is used to call and run the computer programs from the memory 2030 to control the transceiver 2020 to transmit and receive signals. Optionally, the terminal device 2000 may also include an antenna 2040 for transmitting uplink data or uplink control signaling output by the transceiver 2020 via wireless signals.

[0238] The processor 2010 and memory 2030 can be combined into a single processing device. The processor 2010 executes the program code stored in the memory 2030 to achieve the aforementioned functions. In specific implementations, the memory 2030 can be integrated into the processor 2010 or independent of the processor 2010.

[0239] The transceiver 2020 described above can also be referred to as a transceiver unit. The transceiver 2020 may include a receiver (or receiver circuit) and a transmitter (or transmitter circuit). The receiver is used to receive signals, and the transmitter is used to transmit signals.

[0240] It should be understood that Figure 6 The terminal device 2000 shown can achieve Figures 2 to 4 The methods illustrated in the embodiments involve various processes of the terminal device. The operations and / or functions of each module in the terminal device 2000 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0241] The processor 2010 described above can be used to perform the actions implemented internally by the terminal device as described in the preceding method embodiments, while the transceiver 2020 can be used to perform the actions described in the preceding method embodiments of sending data to or receiving data from the network device by the terminal device. Please refer to the descriptions in the preceding method embodiments for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0242] Optionally, the terminal device 2000 may also include a power supply 2050 for providing power to various devices or circuits in the terminal device.

[0243] In addition, to make the terminal device more functional, the terminal device 2000 may also include one or more of the following: an input unit 2060, a display unit 2070, an audio circuit 2080, a camera 2090, and a sensor 2100. The audio circuit may also include a speaker 2082, a microphone 2084, etc.

[0244] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the network device provided in the embodiments of this application, for example, a schematic diagram of a base station. This base station 3000 can be applied to, for example... Figure 1 In the system shown, the functions of the network device in the above method embodiments are executed. As shown in the figure, the base station 3000 may include one or more radio frequency units, such as a remote radio unit (RRU) 3100 and one or more baseband units (BBU) (also called distributed units (DU)) 3200. The RRU 3100 may be called a transceiver unit. Optionally, the transceiver unit 3100 may also be called a transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, etc., and it may include at least one antenna 3101 and a radio frequency unit 3102. Optionally, the transceiver unit 3100 may include a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit may correspond to a receiver (or receiver circuit), and the transmitting unit may correspond to a transmitter (or transmitter circuit). The RRU 3100 part is mainly used for the transmission and reception of radio frequency signals and the conversion of radio frequency signals to baseband signals, for example, for sending information to terminal devices. The BBU 3200 part is mainly used for baseband processing and base station control, etc. The RRU 3100 and BBU 3200 can be physically set together or physically separated, i.e., they are distributed base stations.

[0245] The BBU 3200 is the control center of the base station, also known as the processing unit. It is primarily used to perform baseband processing functions, such as channel coding, multiplexing, modulation, and spread spectrum. For example, the BBU (processing unit) can be used to control the base station to execute the network device operation procedures described in the above method embodiments, such as generating the aforementioned transmission information.

[0246] In one example, the BBU 3200 can be composed of one or more single boards. Multiple boards can collectively support a single access standard wireless access network (such as an LTE network), or they can each support different access standards wireless access networks (such as LTE, 5G, or other networks). The BBU 3200 also includes a memory 3201 and a processor 3202. The memory 3201 is used to store necessary instructions and data. The processor 3202 is used to control the base station to perform necessary actions, such as controlling the base station to execute the operation procedures related to the network device in the above method embodiments. The memory 3201 and processor 3202 can serve one or more single boards. That is, each single board can have its own memory and processor, or multiple single boards can share the same memory and processor. Furthermore, each single board can also have necessary circuitry.

[0247] It should be understood that Figure 7 The base station 3000 shown can achieve Figures 2 to 4 The method embodiments involve various processes of the base station. The operations and / or functions of each module in the base station 3000 are respectively for implementing the corresponding processes in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments; to avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are appropriately omitted here.

[0248] The BBU 3200 described above can be used to perform the actions implemented internally by the network device as described in the preceding method embodiments, while the RRU 3100 can be used to perform the actions described in the preceding method embodiments whereby the network device sends data to or receives data from the terminal device. Please refer to the descriptions in the preceding method embodiments for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0249] This application also provides a processing apparatus, including a processor and an interface; the processor is used to execute the base station handover method in any of the above method embodiments.

[0250] It should be understood that the aforementioned processing device can be a chip. For example, the processing device can be a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system-on-chip (SoC), a central processor unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or other integrated chips.

[0251] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the processor. The software modules can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0252] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiments of this application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method embodiments can be completed by the integrated logic circuitry in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied as being executed by a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above methods.

[0253] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments of this application can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory used in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0254] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute... Figures 2 to 4 The method of any of the embodiments.

[0255] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a computer-readable medium storing program code, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform... Figures 2 to 4 The method of any of the embodiments.

[0256] According to the method provided in the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a system, which includes one or more terminal devices and one or more network devices as described above.

[0257] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0258] In the above-described device embodiments, the network devices and terminal devices in the method embodiments completely correspond to each other, with corresponding modules or units executing the corresponding steps. For example, the communication unit (transceiver) executes the receiving or sending steps in the method embodiments, while other steps besides sending and receiving can be executed by the processing unit (processor). The functions of specific units can be found in the corresponding method embodiments. There can be one or more processors.

[0259] As used in this specification, the terms "component," "module," "system," etc., are used to refer to computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, combinations of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, and / or a computer. As illustrated, applications running on computing devices and computing devices can both be components. One or more components may reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and components may be located on a single computer and / or distributed among two or more computers. Furthermore, these components can be executed from various computer-readable media on which various data structures are stored. Components can communicate, for example, via local and / or remote processes based on signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system, and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems via signals).

[0260] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0261] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0262] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0263] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0264] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0265] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs), etc.

[0266] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0267] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A base station handover method, characterized by, The method is applied to a terminal device, and the method includes: Send the QoS requirements of the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements to the target network device, wherein the target network device is the source base station or the first network element; The system receives a handover indication message sent by the source base station, the handover indication message indicating a handover to the target base station, the target base station being determined by the target network device based on the QoS requirements, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations; Based on the handover instruction message, the user is switched to the target base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, When the target network device is the source base station, before sending the QoS requirements of the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements to the target network device, the method further includes: The system receives measurement configuration information sent by the source base station. The measurement configuration information includes a signal quality measurement strategy and a QoS measurement strategy. The QoS measurement strategy includes the QoS requirements to be measured. The step of sending the QoS requirements of the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements to the target network device includes: A measurement report is sent to the source base station based on the measurement configuration information. The measurement report includes the signal quality of the neighboring base station, the QoS requirements, and the estimated duration.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The measurement configuration information also includes the reporting conditions for the QoS requirements, the measurement window period, and the reporting window period.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The reporting conditions include: reporting when the QoS is below the target threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, When the target network device is the first network element, the step of sending the QoS requirements of the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements to the target network device includes: When the current QoS is insufficient, the QoS requirement and the estimated duration are sent to the first network element.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The terminal device includes a target application, and the step of sending the QoS requirement and the estimated duration to the first network element when the current QoS is insufficient includes: When the target application perceives that the current QoS is insufficient, the target application sends the QoS requirement and the estimated duration to the first network element.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, Sending the QoS requirement and the estimated duration to the first network element includes: The terminal device's current QoS usage, current service type, QoS requirements, and estimated duration are sent to the first network element.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first network element includes a network data analysis function (NWDAF) network element and / or a policy control function (PCF) network element.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The QoS requirements include bandwidth requirements and / or latency requirements.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The handover indication message includes the resource configuration information of the target base station, which includes radio resource configuration information and time slot resource configuration information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The handover indication message is a Radio Resource Control Protocol (RRC) reconfiguration message.

12. A base station handover method, characterized by, The method is applied to a source base station, and the method includes: Receive the Quality of Service (QoS) requirement and the estimated duration of the QoS requirement sent by the terminal device; The target base station is determined based on the QoS requirements, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations. A handover instruction message is sent to the terminal device, the handover instruction message indicating that the device should switch to the target base station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, Before receiving the QoS requirements sent by the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements, the method further includes: The measurement configuration information is sent to the terminal device. The measurement configuration information includes a signal quality measurement strategy and a QoS measurement strategy. The QoS measurement strategy includes the QoS requirements to be measured. The receipt of the QoS request sent by the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS request include: The terminal device receives a measurement report based on the measurement configuration information. The measurement report includes the signal quality of the neighboring base station, the QoS requirements, and the estimated duration.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The determination of the target base station based on the QoS requirements, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations includes: Send a handover request message to the neighboring cell base station, the handover request message including the QoS requirement and the estimated duration; The device receives a handover request response message sent by the neighboring base station. The handover request response message includes the QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station, and the QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station indicates whether the neighboring base station meets the QoS requirements of the terminal device. The target base station is determined based on the signal quality of the neighboring base stations and the QoS authorization information of the neighboring base stations; A handover confirmation message is sent to the target base station, the handover confirmation message indicating confirmation of handover to the target base station.

15. A base station handover method, characterized by, The method is applied to a neighboring cell base station, and the method includes: Receive a handover request message sent by the source base station, the handover request message including the QoS requirements of the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS requirements; A handover request response message is sent to the source base station. The handover request response message includes the QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station. The QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station indicates whether the neighboring base station meets the QoS requirements. The system receives a handover confirmation message sent by the source base station. The handover confirmation message indicates confirmation to hand over to the neighboring base station or indicates confirmation not to hand over to the neighboring base station. If the handover confirmation message indicates confirmation to hand over to the neighboring base station, the neighboring base station is the target base station.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, Before sending a handover request response message to the source base station, the method further includes: A QoS authorization confirmation request message is sent to the second network element, the QoS authorization confirmation request message requesting the second network element to determine whether the neighboring cell base station meets the QoS requirements; The system receives an authorization confirmation response message sent by the second network element, the authorization confirmation response message including the QoS authorization information of the neighboring base station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The second network element includes a network data analysis (NWDAF) network element and / or a policy control (PCF) network element.

18. A base station handover method, characterized by, The method is applied to a first network element, and the method includes: Receive the Quality of Service (QoS) requirement and the estimated duration of the QoS requirement sent by the terminal device; The target base station is determined based on the QoS requirements, the estimated duration, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations. A first handover request message is sent to the target base station, the first handover request message including the QoS requirement and the estimated duration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein, The receipt of the QoS request sent by the terminal device and the estimated duration of the QoS request include: The terminal device receives a QoS request and an estimated duration of the QoS request when it detects that the current QoS is insufficient.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, The terminal device includes a target application, and receiving the QoS request sent by the terminal device when it detects insufficient QoS and the estimated duration of the QoS request includes: Receive the QoS request and the estimated duration of the QoS request sent by the target application when it senses that the current QoS is insufficient.

21. A base station handover method, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y, The method is applied to a target base station, which is determined by a first network element based on the QoS requirements of the terminal device, the estimated duration of the QoS requirements, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations. The method includes: Receive a first handover request message sent by the first network element, wherein the first handover request message includes the QoS requirement and the estimated duration; Resources are reserved for the terminal device based on the first handover request message; A second handover request message is sent to the source base station, the second handover request message including resource configuration information reserved by the target base station for the terminal device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, After sending a second handover request message to the source base station, the method further includes: The system receives a handover request response message sent by the source base station, which is used to confirm the handover request of the target base station.

23. A base station handover method, characterized by, The method is applied to a source base station, and the method includes: The system receives a second handover request message sent by the target base station. The second handover request message includes resource configuration information reserved by the target base station for the terminal device. The target base station is determined by the first network element based on the QoS requirements of the terminal device, the estimated duration of the QoS requirements, and the signal quality of neighboring base stations. A handover instruction message is sent to the terminal device, the handover instruction message indicating that the device should switch to the target base station.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein, Before sending a handover instruction message to the terminal device, the method further includes: A handover request response message is sent to the target base station, the handover request response message being used to confirm the handover request of the target base station.

25. A terminal device, comprising: include: Processor and memory; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory, causing the terminal device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

26. A network device, characterized in that, include: Processor and memory; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory, causing the network device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 12 to 24.

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