Business load management

Abstract

Example embodiments of this disclosure relate to load management. One method includes: sending a first request to a second device for first information, the first information to be used by the first device for load management; receiving from the second device a first response including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or first interference state information associated with a cell of the second device; and performing load management at least in part based on the first information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the telecommunications field, and more specifically to methods, apparatus, devices, and computer-readable storage media for load management. Background Technology

[0002] Radio Access Network (RAN) awareness refers to the RAN's ability to inform other network elements (e.g., User Equipment (UE), another RAN node, Core Network (CN)) about the RAN environment. In wireless communications, load balancing (LB) technology enables the distribution of service load across multiple network elements to ensure optimal performance and resource utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus to: send a first request to a second apparatus for first information, the first information to be used by the first apparatus for load management; receive from the second apparatus a first response including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of: at least one first service parameter from the second apparatus, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second apparatus, or with first interference state information associated with a cell of the second apparatus; and perform load management at least in part based on the first information.

[0004] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus to: receive from a first apparatus a first request for first information, the first information to be used by the first apparatus for traffic load management; and send to the first apparatus a first response including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second apparatus, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second apparatus, or first interference state information associated with the second apparatus.

[0005] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a third apparatus is provided. The third apparatus includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the third apparatus to: receive from a first apparatus a message for switching a first connection between the third apparatus and the first apparatus to a second connection between the third apparatus and a second apparatus, wherein the message is sent by the first apparatus based on a load management process performed by the first apparatus at least in part based on first information, wherein the first information is received from the second apparatus and includes at least one of: at least one first service parameter from the second apparatus, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second apparatus, or with first interference state information associated with a cell of the second apparatus; and initiate the establishment of a second connection with the second apparatus based on the message.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: sending a first request to a second device for first information, the first information to be used by the first device for load management; receiving from the second device a first response including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or first interference state information associated with a cell of the second device; and performing load management at least in part based on the first information.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving from a first device a first request for first information, the first information to be used by the first device for traffic load management; and sending to the first device a first response including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from a second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or first interference status information associated with the second device.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving from a first device a message for switching a first connection between a third device and the first device to a second connection between the third device and a second device, wherein the message is sent by the first device based on a load management process performed by the first device at least in part based on first information, wherein the first information is received from the second device and includes at least one of: at least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or with first interference state information associated with a cell of the second device; and initiating the establishment of a second connection with the second device based on the message.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes: components for sending a first request to a second apparatus for first information, the first information to be used by the first apparatus for load management; components for receiving a first response from the second apparatus including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second apparatus, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second apparatus, or with first interference state information associated with a cell of the second apparatus; and components for performing load management at least in part based on the first information.

[0010] In an eighth aspect of this disclosure, a second apparatus is provided. The second apparatus includes: components for receiving a first request from a first apparatus for first information to be used by the first apparatus for traffic load management; and components for sending a first response to the first apparatus including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second apparatus, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second apparatus, or first interference status information associated with the second apparatus.

[0011] In a ninth aspect of this disclosure, a third apparatus is provided. The third apparatus includes: components for receiving from a first apparatus a message for switching a first connection between the third apparatus and the first apparatus to a second connection between the third apparatus and a second apparatus, wherein the message is sent by the first apparatus based on a load management process performed by the first apparatus at least in part based on first information, wherein the first information is received from the second apparatus and includes at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second apparatus, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second apparatus, or with first interference state information associated with a cell of the second apparatus; and components for initiating the establishment of a second connection with the second apparatus based on the message.

[0012] In a tenth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon for causing a device to perform at least the method according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects.

[0013] It should be understood that the summary portion is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 The illustration shows an example communication environment in which exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented;

[0016] Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the signaling flow for load management according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3 The illustration shows another signaling flow for load management according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a first device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 5 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a second device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 6 The illustration shows a flowchart of a method implemented at a third device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 7 A simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated; and

[0022] Figure 8 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0023] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0025] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0026] In this disclosure, references to "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiments may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that specific feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that, whether explicitly described or not, incorporating other embodiments to affect such a feature, structure, or characteristic is within their knowledge.

[0027] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second”, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0028] As used herein, “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0029] As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise, “responding to A” does not indicate that the step is performed immediately after “A” occurs, and one or more intermediate steps may be included.

[0030] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “having,” “including,” and / or “containing” are used herein, the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components is specified, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof is not excluded.

[0031] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuit systems); and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits having software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor(s) having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions); and (c) (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when operation is not required.

[0032] This definition of circuit system applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claim). As another example, as used in this application, the term circuit system also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors) or portions of hardware circuitry or a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. For example, and if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuit system also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices or other computing or network devices.

[0033] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), etc. Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable intergenerational communication protocol, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), 5.5G, sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols and / or any other currently known or future-developed protocols. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Due to the rapid development of communication, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems that can be utilized to implement this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure should not be considered limited to the systems described above.

[0034] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communications network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services. A network device can refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Header (RH), a Remote Radio Header End (RRH), a relay, an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node (such as a femtosecond, picosecond, etc.), a non-terrestrial network (NTN), or a non-terrestrial network device (such as satellite network equipment, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites, aircraft network equipment, etc.), depending on the terminology and technology applied. In some example embodiments, the Radio Access Network (RAN) split architecture includes a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) at the IAB donor node. An IAB node includes: a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that behaves like a UE to its parent node, and a DU portion that behaves like a base station to the next-hop IAB node.

[0035] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not a limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain environments), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. The terminal device may also correspond to the mobile terminal (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably.

[0036] As used herein, the terms “resource,” “transmission resource,” “resource block,” “physical resource block” (PRB), “uplink resource,” or “downlink resource” can refer to any resource used to perform communication, such as communication between a terminal device and a network device, including time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, spatial-domain resources, code-domain resources, or any other combination of time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, spatial-domain resources, and / or code-domain resources that enable communication. In the following, unless explicitly stated otherwise, resources in both the frequency domain and the time domain will be used as examples of transmission resources used to describe some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Note that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0037] In the context of this disclosure, load management can refer to mechanisms, processes, operations, etc., that can monitor and / or control network traffic levels on a cellular network. For example, load management can be performed by network devices to optimize resource allocation and / or maintain quality of service. For instance, load management can include dynamically adjusting traffic flows based on real-time network conditions such as load levels on different cells, user demand, etc. By using load management, the load (such as data traffic load and / or signaling traffic load) of multiple terminal devices can be balanced / distributed among network devices. By using load management, a network device can decide to continue providing service to a terminal device / group of terminal devices, or a network device can determine to switch / redirect a terminal device / group of terminal devices to another network device.

[0038] Figure 1 An example communication environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is illustrated. Communication environment 100 relates to a first device 110, a second device 120-1, an optional second device 120-2, a third device 130-1, and an optional third device 130-2. For purposes of discussion, the second device 120-1 and the second device 120-2 may be collectively referred to or individually as the second device 120. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may include a network device (e.g., a RAN device / node) or be implemented as a network device (e.g., a RAN device / node), and the second device 120 may include a network device (e.g., a RAN device / node). The first device 110 may communicate with the second device 120.

[0039] The third device 130-1 and the third device 130-2 may be collectively referred to as, or individually referred to as, the third device 130. The third device 130 may include, or be implemented as, a terminal device (e.g., a UE). The third device 130 may be served by the first device 110. The service area (not shown) of the first device 110 may be referred to as a cell. In some embodiments, the first device 110 may trigger the third device 130 to change its connection with the network. For example, initially, the third device 130-1 may be served by the first device 110. Then, through a process triggered by the NW (such as a redirection process, a cell handover process, etc.), the third device 130-1 may establish a new connection with the second device 120-1, i.e., the third device 130-1 may be served by the second device 120.

[0040] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of devices and their connections shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices configured to implement the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more additional devices may be located in a cell of first device 110, and one or more additional cells may be deployed in communication environment 100.

[0041] In the following description, for illustrative purposes, some exemplary embodiments are described in which the third device 130 operates as a terminal device, and the first device 110 and the second device 120 operate as network devices. However, in some exemplary embodiments, the operations described in connection with a terminal device may be implemented at a network device or other device, and the operations described in connection with a network device may be implemented at a terminal device or other device.

[0042] In some example embodiments, the transmission direction from the first device 110 / second device 120 to the third device 130 is referred to as the downlink (DL), and the transmission direction from the third device 130 to the first device 110 / second device 120 is referred to as the uplink (UL). In the DL, the first device 110 / second device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and the third device 130 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, the third device 130 is a TX device (or transmitter), and the first device 110 / second device 120 is an RX device (or receiver).

[0043] Communication in communication environment 100 can be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to: cellular communication protocols, wireless local area network communication protocols such as IEEE 802.11, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, communication can utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), Time Division Duplex (TDD), Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Discrete Fourier Transform Spread Spectrum OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technologies currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0044] As described above, RAN awareness can be applied to LB. For the RAN, LB is implemented in the new radio (NR) upon release of Radio Resource Control (RRC) via handover, redirection mechanisms, and the use of inter-frequency (and / or intra-frequency) and inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) absolute priorities (and / or intra-RAT absolute priorities) and inter-frequency offset parameters (and / or intra-frequency offset parameters). The source cell may initiate a handover due to load. The target cell performs admission control for LB handover. Handover preparation associated with mobility load balancing operations differs from other handovers so that the target cell can apply appropriate admission control.

[0045] Handover preparation related to mobility load balancing operations can be linked to network (NW) congestion, which has already been discussed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for the UL direction. Support for RAN-related rate control is proposed, where Extended Reality (XR) applications dynamically adjust their data rates and coding parameters to ensure a seamless and high-quality user experience, for example, by modifying frame rate / resolution during network congestion.

[0046] As part of the 3GPP discussions, methods for detecting congestion have been discussed. For example, it is feasible for the RAN to estimate congestion information for each Quality of Service (QoS) flow and each Data Radio Bearer (DRB) in the DL and UL directions, and it is feasible for the RAN to estimate congestion information for each QoS flow and each DRB in the UL without the influence of the UE. The objectives of UL congestion handling include: specifying UL congestion signaling and specifying Media Access Control (MAC) layer XR rate control signaling on the DL for each QoS flow or each DRB to enable faster source rate adaptation to UL congestion.

[0047] Supports mobility load balancing and load reporting for load balancing within and between RATs within the system. The load reporting function is performed by exchanging load information on the Xn / X2 / F1 / E1 interfaces. The following load-related information should be supported, consisting of: radio resource usage (per cell and per synchronization signal block (SSB) area physical resource block (PRB) usage: DL / UL Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) PRB usage, DL / UL non-GBR PRB usage, DL / UL total PRB usage, and DL / UL scheduled physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) control channel element (CCE) usage; PRB usage of (multiple) slices: DL / UL GBR PRB usage, DL / UL non-GBR PRB usage, and DL / UL total PRB allocation), transport network level (TNL) capacity indicators (UL / DL... TNL provides capacity and available capacity), cell capacity level values ​​(UL / DL relative capacity indicator), capacity values ​​(per cell, per SSB area and per slice: UL / DL available capacity), hardware (HW) capacity indicator (throughput and available throughput on E1, percentage utilization on F1), RRC connections (number of RRC connections and available RRC connection capacity), number of active UEs, and new radio unlicensed (NR-U) channel load (DL / UL channel occupancy percentage, DL / UL energy detection threshold, radio resource usage).

[0048] To implement the load reporting function, resource status report initiation and resource status report procedures are used. The resource status report initiation procedure is used by next-generation RAN (NG-RAN) nodes to request a report of load measurements from another NG-RAN node. This procedure uses signaling not associated with the UE.

[0049] As described above, the current resource status report exchange via the Xn protocol focuses on exchanging information to indicate resource occupancy (e.g., by the percentage of PRB occupied). This information outlines the congestion situation of other neighboring RAN nodes. However, the list of attributes currently exchanged does not provide sufficient context to determine the potential incoming load that another RAN node can support or the expected service that the target RAN node can provide for certain network conditions (e.g., 80% PRB usage in a RAN node may be due to different reasons, and therefore newly accepted UEs with different priorities may experience different service provisioning). Therefore, in order to make more accurate LB decisions, RAN nodes need to exchange additional information.

[0050] Based on some example embodiments of this disclosure, a solution for business load management is proposed. Reference will be made to... Figure 2 The discussion includes example embodiments illustrating a signaling flow 200 for load management according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0051] Note that the service load discussed in this article may refer to data service load and / or signaling service load.

[0052] For the purpose of discussion, references will be included. Figure 1 The signaling flow 200 is discussed, for example, by using a first device 110, a second device 120 (which may be a second device 120-1 or a second device 120-2), and a third device 130 (which may be a third device 130-1 or a third device 130-2).

[0053] In the following example embodiment, the first device 110 can be regarded as a RAN node serving the third device 130, and the second device 120 can be regarded as a neighboring RAN node. Both the first device 110 and the second device 120 can be associated with one or more cells, and therefore can provide services to one or more cells to serve terminal devices in one or more cells.

[0054] In operation, a first connection can be established 202 between the third device 130 and the first device 110. That is, the third device 130 can be served by the first device 110.

[0055] According to this disclosure, the first device 110 can exchange information with the second device 120, and then perform load management at least in part based on the exchanged information. Figure 2 As shown, the first device 110 sends a 204 request for first information (also called a first request) to the second device 120 (e.g., the second device 120-1), which will be used by the first device for business load management.

[0056] In some examples, the initial request can be included in the resource status request message, for example, a resource status request made via the Xn interface. In this way, the Xn protocol is extended to include new information. To aid in load management decisions, signaling not associated with the UE can be exchanged between adjacent RAN nodes via the Xn protocol. The Xn procedure for resource status reports can be used as a baseline for exchanging the proposed information.

[0057] According to some example embodiments of this disclosure, the transmission of the first request can be conditionally performed as described below.

[0058] In some examples, the first device 110 may determine whether to send a first request based on information received from the third device 113. In some example embodiments, the first device 110 may receive at least one message from the third device 130. In this case, the at least one message can be considered a source of information to assist in load management. In this way, the third device 130 can provide measurements to assist in load management at the first device 110.

[0059] At least one message may include at least one recommended service parameter (e.g., the current or supported recommended bit rate (RBR) of the third device 130). Alternatively or additionally, at least one message may include at least one measurement result (e.g., Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP)) associated with at least one cell of the second device 120. In some examples, the third device 130 may provide the RSRP to the first device 110 using a Measurement Report RRC message. Alternatively or additionally, at least one message may include service mode information of the third device 130. If the first device 110 is aware of the service mode used by the third device 130, the service mode information may be used in conjunction with load information from the second device 120 to determine the optimal candidate RAN node for service load management.

[0060] Depending on the specific information element (IE), the third device 130 may use different signaling to notify the first device 110 of the aforementioned information. For example, an existing process may be reused to report the aforementioned information.

[0061] In some examples, if it is determined that the first device 110 fails to meet at least one recommended service parameter included in a message from the third device 130, the first device 110 may send a 204 first request to the second device 120. In some examples, a query MAC CE may be used as a trigger condition at the first device 110 to check the load status on the second device 120 (e.g., a neighboring RAN node) that can provide better service to the third device 130.

[0062] As an example, the third device 130 can provide the RBR value to the first device 110 via an RBR query MAC CE. In this document, the RBR query enables the third device 130 (i.e., the terminal device) to indicate its preferred bit rate for the Logical Channel (LCH) (a current function of this information in the 5G specification). If the first device 110 cannot provide the data rate requested by the third device 130, the MAC CE query can be used as a trigger at the third device 130 to check the load conditions on a second device 120 (e.g., a neighboring RAN node) that can provide better service to the third device 130. That is, an unsatisfied RBR query can trigger traffic load management aimed at improving the QoS of the third device 130.

[0063] In some examples, the first device 110 can also trigger load management at its location (i.e., the first device 110 actively triggers load management). As an example, when the third device 130 wants to improve service quality (including signal quality, latency, bit rate, bit error rate, etc.), the third device 130 can send a request / notification to the first device 110. In the request / notification from the third device 130, the first device 110 can trigger load management.

[0064] In summary, the first device 110 can determine whether to send a first request (i.e., trigger load management) based on information / messages from the third device 130. Furthermore, the first device 110 can also determine whether to send a first request based on other factors / conditions as described below. In some examples, if it is determined that the conditions for triggering load management are met, the first device 110 can send a 204 first request to the second device 120.

[0065] In some example embodiments, if the service load of the first device 110 exceeds a threshold, the conditions for triggering service load management can be determined to be met. For example, an increase in the load managed by the first device 110 can trigger service load management designed to share the load with the second device 120 (e.g., an adjacent RAN node). Alternatively or additionally, the first device 110 can operate in a network power-saving mode. For example, the first device 110 can proactively trigger service load management due to power saving. Note that any suitable triggering conditions may exist, and these conditions are not limited in this disclosure.

[0066] exist Figure 2 In the example, the second device 120 receives a first request (206) from the third device 130. In response to the first request, the second device 120 may perform corresponding derivations and measurements based on the first information. Then, the second device 120 sends a first response (208) to the first device 110. In some examples, the first response may be included in a resource status update message, for example, a resource status response via the Xn interface.

[0067] In some examples, the first device 110 may receive an acknowledgment message for the first request from the second device 120 before receiving the first response. For example, upon receiving the first request, the second device 120 may send an acknowledgment message for the first request. After derivation and measurement of the first information, the second device 120 may send a first response to the first request.

[0068] In the following discussion, details regarding the first information provided by the second device 120 will be discussed. In some example embodiments, the first information may indicate at least one service parameter (also referred to as a first service parameter) from the second device 120. The first service parameter may be supplied or provided by the second device 120. The first service parameter may be any parameter associated with a service, including but not limited to: bit rate, bandwidth, RSRP, latency, packet loss rate, etc. In particular, if the first device 110 switches the third device 130 to the second device 120, the first device 110 may anticipate the quality of service corresponding to these service parameters. Specifically, at least one first service parameter may be associated with a measurement result (also referred to as a first measurement result) of a cell (i.e., a neighboring cell or a candidate cell) associated with the second device 120. The first measurement result may include RSRP.

[0069] Alternatively or additionally, in addition to at least one first service parameter, in some example embodiments, the first information may indicate interference status information (also referred to as first interference status information) associated with the cell of the second device 120. In a real communication network, the second device 120 (or the first device 110) may be aware of different types of (UL) interference currently experienced by the third device, such as pipe transmission from a distant base station due to weather conditions. UL interference-related factors exchanged between the first device 110 and the second device 120 reduce service provisioning to assist in load management decisions. For example, the exchanged information may be an indication of the situation the RAN node is experiencing: “UL remote interference” (typically from a distant base station), “gNB to gNB CLI” (interference from a nearby cell), or “no interference.” UL interference may also be UE to UE CLI reported by the third device 130 to the first device 110. Figure 2 In the example, the first interference state provided by the second device 120 may include UL remote interference (e.g., interference from a remote base station). Alternatively or additionally, the first interference state may include CLI between network nodes (e.g., gNB to gNB CLI, or UE to UE CLI). Note that any suitable interference state for traffic load management may exist and is not limited to this disclosure.

[0070] According to some example embodiments of this disclosure, in order to enable more efficient interaction, the first device 110 may explicitly indicate the requested information as described below. In some example embodiments, the first request may include at least one of the following: an indication for requesting at least one first service parameter (also referred to as a first indication), or an indication for requesting first interference status information (also referred to as a second indication).

[0071] Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, the first request may include other relevant information to facilitate interaction with the second device 120. Specifically, in some example embodiments, the first request may include at least one recommended service parameter (e.g., recommended bit (RB)) and a first measurement result (e.g., RSRP, which may be included in at least one measurement result reported by the third device 130) from the third device 110. The first request may include other information, such as UE capabilities, UE type, etc.

[0072] As described above, the third device 130 can provide the RSRP to the first device 110 using a Measurement Report RRC message. It is also proposed to couple the RSRP value with the expected bit rate provided at the second device 120. Therefore, the combination of RSRP and the provided expected bit rate can be used between the first device 110 and the second device 120 to assist in load management decisions under low load conditions (e.g., if the second device 120 might provide a better bit rate to the third device 130 compared to the first device 110) or under medium or high load conditions (e.g., if the second device 120 will provide optimal service).

[0073] As an example embodiment, a first request can be used to request at least one first service parameter (such as the expected data rate) coupled to the RSRP value (which, if beamforming is taken into account, can be provided per cell and per SSB area, alternatively, per Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS)) and the provided BR for the RSRP value, by including a first indication and a first measurement result (such as an RSRP value). In response to a request for at least one first service parameter by the first device 110, the second device 120 can determine at least one first service parameter based on the first measurement result. The second device 120 can then send a first response to the first device 110. The first response includes at least one first service parameter. For example, if the provided BR for the RSRP value (considering beamforming, per SSB) is requested, the second device 120 can use the indicated RSRP value to derive a BR value that can be provided to a third device.

[0074] After receiving the first response 210, the first device 110 performs 212 service load management based on the first information or at least in part on the first information.

[0075] In some cases, to better manage workloads, the first device 110 may perform workload management based on more information from two or more second devices 120. In some example embodiments, the first device 110 may send a request (also referred to as a second request) to another second device 120 (e.g., second device 120-2). This second request is used to request information (also referred to as second information) that will be used by the first device 110 for workload management.

[0076] The first device 110 may receive a response (also referred to as a second response) from the second device 120-2. The second response includes second information. The second information indicates at least one service parameter (also referred to as a second service parameter) from the second device 120-2. The at least one second service parameter is associated with a measurement result (also referred to as a second measurement result) of the second device 120-2. Alternatively or additionally, the second information indicates interference status information (also referred to as second interference status information) associated with the second device 120-2.

[0077] At this point, the first device 110 can perform load management based on first information (e.g., from the second device 120-1) and second information from the second device 120-2. If the first device 110 requests more information from other second devices 120, it can perform load management based on all the information received. In this way, the first device 110 can use currently available information (e.g., from the third device 130) and additional information (e.g., from one or more second devices 120) to perform load management to determine the best candidate neighboring RAN nodes for offloading loads from one or more third devices 130. In other words, the first device 110 can initiate a handover to offload a third device or a group of third devices.

[0078] As an example, the first device 110 serves the third devices 130-1 and 130-2. After determining the service load management based on the first and second information, the first device 110 can trigger the switch of the third device 130-1 to the second device 120-1 or the second device 120-2.

[0079] In some examples, in some cases, and based on the information above, even under low load conditions, the first device 110 can determine to perform load management to improve service provisioning for the third device 130.

[0080] If it is determined that the third device 130 should be switched to the second device 120, the first device 110 sends a 214 message to the third device 130. This message is used to switch the first connection between the third device 130 and the first device 110 to the second connection between the third device 130 and the second device 120.

[0081] In response to the receipt of the message 216, the third device 130 initiates 218 to establish a second connection with the second device 120, such as via the RACH process.

[0082] According to the above process, the first device 110 can obtain information from either or both of the third device 130 and the second device 120. In this way, current measurements or queries from the third device 130 can be reused by the first device 110 for load management. Alternatively or additionally, information from the second device 120 (which can be processed and exchanged via the Xn interface) can be used to make load management decisions. These different information elements enable the first device 110 to provide more accurate RAN awareness to other NW elements (e.g., the second device 120) to perform load management. In particular, even if the load on the first device 110 is still not high (but service provision to the third device 130 can be improved), the third device 130 can be switched / redirected to the second device 120 if the second device 120 is a better candidate RAN node to maintain service provision to the third device 130.

[0083] In short, based on the information exchange between the first device 110 and at least one second device 120, load management at the first device 110 is performed under different load conditions (e.g., low load, medium load, or high load). Alternatively, load management may be further performed based on different information sources (e.g., from a third device providing services from the first device 110).

[0084] The above describes the signaling process 200 from an overall perspective. The following will refer to... Figure 3 Describe a specific example.

[0085] Now for reference Figure 3 The illustration depicts a signaling flow 300 for load management according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to... Figure 1 The signaling flow 300 is discussed, for example, by using a first device 110, a second device 120-1, a second device 120-2, and a third device 130 (which may be either the third device 130-1 or the third device 130-2). The third device 130 may be included in or implemented as a terminal device, and the first device 110, the second device 120-1, and the second device 120-2 may be included in or implemented as RAN nodes, respectively.

[0086] Optionally, at step 302, the third device 130 may send an RBR query to the first device 110. Optionally, at step 304, the third device 130 may send RSRP measurement results associated with at least one cell of the second device 120 to the first device 110. Optionally, at step 306, the third device 130 may send service mode information to the first device 110. The query, measurement, or service mode information may be stored at the first device 110.

[0087] Optionally, at step 308, if the first device 110 can determine that the QoS supplied to the third device 130 is decreasing or not meeting the requirements, the first device 110 can trigger load management to improve the quality of service.

[0088] Optionally, in some cases, at step 310, (if load management was not triggered at step 308), an increase in the load managed by the first device 110 may also trigger load management, which is intended to share the load with the second devices 120-1 and 120-2. In some other cases, at step 310, the first device 110 may trigger load management for reasons such as energy saving.

[0089] At step 312, the first device 110 sends a resource status request (i.e., a first request) to the second device 120-1. That is, the first device 110 can initiate a resource status procedure via the Xn interface to request measurements from the second device 120-1. The resource status request may include IEs for requesting information, such as the provided BR for the RSRP value, remote interference information, etc. At step 314, the first device 110 may optionally receive a resource status response from the second device 120-1. That is, the second device 120-1 confirms the measurement configuration in the resource status response.

[0090] At step 316, if the BR (beamforming for each SSB) provided for the RSRP value is requested at step 312B, then the second device 120-1 can use the indicated RSRP value to derive the BR value that can be provided to the third device.

[0091] At step 318, the second device 120-1 may send a resource status update message (i.e., a first response) to the first device 110 to report the measurement. This report may include the information requested at step 312.

[0092] At step 320, the first device 110 may send an additional resource status request (i.e., a second request) to the second device 120-2. That is, the first device 110 may initiate a resource status procedure via the Xn interface to request measurements from the second device 120-2. The additional resource status request may include IEs for requesting information, such as the BR provided for the RSRP value, remote interference information, etc. At step 322, the first device 110 receives an additional resource status response from the second device 120-1.

[0093] At step 324, if the BR (beamforming for each SSB) provided for the RSRP value is requested at step 320, then the second device 120-2 can use the indicated RSRP value to derive the BR value that can be provided to the third device 130.

[0094] At step 326, the second device 120-2 may send an additional resource status update message (i.e., a second response) to the first device 110 to report (multiple) measurements. This report may include the information requested at step 320.

[0095] At step 328, the first device 110 can run a load balancing algorithm by taking the information received in steps 318 and 326 as input. For example, the first device 110 can determine that the second device 120-1 can provide better service to the third device 130.

[0096] Optionally, at step 330, the first device 110 may trigger a switching process (redirection process) to switch the third device 130 to the second device 120-1.

[0097] Optionally, at step 332, the triggering of service load management for one third device 130 (e.g., third device 130-1) can initiate an additional handover process for another third device 130 (e.g., third device 130-2) that is being served by the first device 110. If a handover to the second device 120-1 is performed, the third device 130-2 may experience an increase in bit rate. That is, RAN awareness obtained by the first device 110 from the second device 120 can trigger service load management for multiple third devices 130.

[0098] Figure 4 A flowchart of an example method 400 implemented at a first device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 The angle description method of the first device 110 in the middle is 400.

[0099] At box 410, the first device 110 sends a first request for first information to the second device, which will be used by the first device for service load management.

[0100] At box 420, the first device 110 receives a first response from the second device including first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or first interference status information associated with a cell of the second device.

[0101] At frame 430, the first device 110 performs load management at least in part based on the first information.

[0102] In some example embodiments, the first request includes at least one of the following: at least one recommended service parameter of a third device served by the first device, a first measurement result, a first indication for requesting at least one first service parameter, or a second indication for requesting first interference status information.

[0103] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes receiving at least one message from a third device served by the first device, the at least one message including at least one of the following: at least one recommended service parameter of the third device, at least one measurement result including the first measurement result, or business mode information of the third device.

[0104] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes: sending a first request to a second device based on determining that the first device has failed to meet at least one recommended service parameter.

[0105] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes sending a first request to a second device based on determining that a condition for triggering service load management has been met.

[0106] In some example embodiments, the conditions for triggering service load management are determined to be met according to at least one of the following: the service load of the first device is higher than a threshold, or the first device is operating in a network power saving mode.

[0107] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes: sending a second request to another second device for second information, the second information to be used by the first device for load management; and receiving a second response from the other second device including the second information, wherein the second information indicates at least one of the following: at least one second service parameter from the other second device, wherein the at least one second service parameter is associated with a second measurement result of a cell associated with the other second device, or second interference status information associated with a cell of the other second device; and performing load management at least in part based on the first information and the second information.

[0108] In some example embodiments, method 400 further includes receiving an acknowledgment message for the first request from the second device before receiving the first response.

[0109] In some example embodiments, the first request is included in the resource status request message, and the first response is included in the resource status update message.

[0110] In some example embodiments, the first interference status information indicates at least one of the following: remote interference, or cross-link interference (CLI) between network nodes.

[0111] In some example embodiments, the first device includes a network device, and the second device includes a network device.

[0112] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 implemented at a second device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 The second device 120 in the method of angle description 500.

[0113] At box 510, the second device 120 receives a first request from the first device for first information, which will be used by the first device for load management.

[0114] At box 520, the second device 120 sends a first response to the first device including first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or first interference status information associated with the second device.

[0115] In some example embodiments, the first request includes at least one of the following: at least one recommended service parameter of a third device served by the first device, a first measurement result, a first indication for requesting at least one first service parameter, or a second indication for requesting first interference status information.

[0116] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes: determining at least one first service parameter based on a first measurement result in response to a request from the first device for at least one first service parameter; and sending a first response including at least one first service parameter to the first device.

[0117] In some example embodiments, method 500 further includes: in response to receiving the first request, sending an acknowledgment message of the first request to the first device before sending the first response.

[0118] In some example embodiments, the first request is included in the resource status request message, and the first response is included in the resource status update message.

[0119] In some example embodiments, the first interference status information indicates at least one of the following: remote interference, or cross-link interference (CLI) between network nodes.

[0120] In some example embodiments, the first device includes a network device, and the second device includes a network device.

[0121] Figure 6 A flowchart of an example method 600 implemented at a third device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For the purposes of discussion, [the following will be discussed]. Figure 1 The angle description method of the third device 130 in the 600.

[0122] At block 610, the third device 130 receives from the first device a message for switching a first connection between the third device and the first device to a second connection between the third device and the second device, wherein the message is sent by the first device based on a traffic load management process performed by the first device at least in part based on first information, wherein the first information is received from the second device and includes at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or first interference state information associated with a cell of the second device.

[0123] At frame 620, the third device 130 initiates a second connection with the second device based on the message.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the first device includes a network device, the second device includes a network device, and the third device is a terminal device.

[0125] In some example embodiments, a first device capable of performing any of method 400 (e.g., Figure 1The first device 110 may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of method 400. This component can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component can be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The first device can be implemented as... Figure 1 The first device 110 or included in Figure 1 In the first device 110.

[0126] In some example embodiments, the first device includes components for sending a first request to a second device for first information, which the first information will be used by the first device for load management; components for receiving a first response from the second device including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or with first interference state information associated with a cell of the second device; and components for performing load management at least in part based on the first information.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the first request includes at least one of the following: at least one recommended service parameter of a third device served by the first device, a first measurement result, a first indication for requesting at least one first service parameter, or a second indication for requesting first interference status information.

[0128] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for receiving at least one message from a third device served by the first device, the at least one message including at least one of the following: at least one recommended service parameter of the third device, at least one measurement result including a first measurement result, or business mode information of the third device.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for sending a first request to a second device based on determining that the first device has failed to meet at least one recommended service parameter.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for sending a first request to the second device based on a determination that conditions for triggering service load management are met.

[0131] In some example embodiments, the conditions for triggering service load management are determined to be met according to at least one of the following: the service load of the first device is higher than a threshold, or the first device is operating in a network power saving mode.

[0132] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes: components for sending a second request for second information to another second device, the second information being used by the first device for load management; and components for receiving a second response including the second information from the other second device, wherein the second information indicates at least one of the following: at least one second service parameter from the other second device, wherein the at least one second service parameter is associated with a second measurement result of a cell associated with the other second device, or second interference state information associated with a cell of the other second device; and components for performing load management at least in part based on the first information and the second information.

[0133] In some example embodiments, the first device further includes a component for receiving an acknowledgment message of the first request from the second device before receiving the first response.

[0134] In some example embodiments, the first request is included in the resource status request message, and the first response is included in the resource status update message.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the first interference status information indicates at least one of the following: remote interference or cross-link interference (CLI) between network nodes.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the first device includes a network device, and the second device includes a network device.

[0137] In some example embodiments, a second means capable of performing any of method 500 (e.g., Figure 1 The second device 120 may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of method 500. This component can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component can be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The second device can be implemented as... Figure 1 The second device 120 is included in Figure 1 The second device 120 in the middle.

[0138] In some example embodiments, the second device includes components for receiving a first request from the first device for first information to be used by the first device for traffic load management; and components for sending a first response to the first device including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or first interference status information associated with the second device.

[0139] In some example embodiments, the first request includes at least one of the following: at least one recommended service parameter of a third device served by the first device, a first measurement result, a first indication for requesting at least one first service parameter, or a second indication for requesting first interference status information.

[0140] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes: a component for determining at least one first service parameter based on a first measurement result in response to a request from the first device for at least one first service parameter; and a component for sending a first response to the first device including at least one first service parameter.

[0141] In some example embodiments, the second device further includes a component for sending an acknowledgment message of the first request to the first device in response to receiving the first request before sending the first response.

[0142] In some example embodiments, the first request is included in the resource status request message, and the first response is included in the resource status update message.

[0143] In some example embodiments, the first interference status information indicates at least one of the following: remote interference, or cross-link interference (CLI) between network nodes.

[0144] In some example embodiments, the first device includes a network device, and the second device includes a network device.

[0145] In some example embodiments, a third device capable of performing any of method 600 (e.g., Figure 1 The third device 130 may include a component for performing the corresponding operation of method 600. This component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The third device may be implemented as... Figure 1 The third device 130 or included in Figure 1 The third device 130 in the middle.

[0146] In some example embodiments, the third device includes components for receiving from the first device a message for switching a first connection between the third device and the first device to a second connection between the third device and the second device, wherein the message is sent by the first device based on a load management process performed by the first device at least in part based on first information, wherein the first information is received from the second device and includes at least one of the following: at least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or with first interference state information associated with a cell of the second device; and components for initiating the establishment of a second connection with the second device based on the message.

[0147] In some example embodiments, the first device includes a network device, the second device includes a network device, and the third device is a terminal device.

[0148] Figure 7 This is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 700 can be provided to implement a communication device, such as... Figure 1 The first device 110, the second device 120, or the third device 130 are shown. As shown, the device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 coupled to the processors 710, and one or more communication modules 740 coupled to the processors 710.

[0149] Communication module 740 is used for bidirectional communication. Communication module 740 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface can represent any interface required for communication with other network elements. In some example embodiments, communication module 740 may include at least one antenna.

[0150] Processor 710 can be any type suitable for a local technology network, and by way of non-limiting example, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 700 can have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent on a clock synchronized with the main processor.

[0151] Memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), optical disc, laser disc, and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0152] Computer program 730 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by an associated processor 710. The instructions of program 730 may include instructions for performing operations / actions of some example embodiments of this disclosure. Program 730 may be stored in memory, such as ROM 724. Processor 710 can perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 730 into RAM 722.

[0153] Example embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented via program 730, enabling device 700 to execute reference... Figures 2 to 6 Any process discussed in this disclosure. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented using hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0154] In some example embodiments, program 730 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 700 (such as memory 720) or other storage device accessible to device 700. Device 700 may load program 730 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 722 for execution. In some example embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. The term "non-transitory" as used herein refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0155] Figure 8 An example of a computer-readable medium 800, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disc, is shown. The computer-readable medium 800 has a program 730 stored thereon.

[0156] Generally, the various embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0157] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable storage medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform any of the methods described above. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a particular task or implement a particular abstract data type. In various embodiments, the functionality of a program module can be combined or split among program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can be executed within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0158] Program code used to perform the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that, when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0159] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0160] Computer-readable media can be computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media will include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0161] Furthermore, although operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring the operations to be performed in the specific order shown or sequentially, or to perform all of the shown operations to obtain the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, certain features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless explicitly stated otherwise, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0162] Although this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features or actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to: Send a first request for the first information to the second device, the first information being used by the first device for service load management; Receive a first response from the second device including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: At least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or First interference status information associated with the cell of the second device; as well as The business load management is performed based at least in part on the first information.

2. The first apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first request comprises at least one of the following: At least one recommended service parameter of the third device served by the first device, The first measurement result, A first indication used to request the at least one first service parameter, or A second indication used to request the first interference status information.

3. The first apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first apparatus is further configured to: receive at least one message from a third apparatus served by the first apparatus, the at least one message comprising at least one of the following: At least one recommended service parameter of the third device At least one measurement result including the first measurement result, or The business mode information of the third device.

4. The first device according to claim 3, wherein the first device is further configured to: Based on the determination that the first device failed to meet the at least one recommended service parameter, the first request is sent to the second device.

5. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is further configured to: The first request is sent to the second device once the conditions for triggering the service load management are determined to be met.

6. The first apparatus of claim 5, wherein the condition for triggering the load management is determined to be satisfied according to at least one of the following: The first device's service load is higher than a threshold, or The first device operates in network energy-saving mode.

7. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is further configured to: Send a second request for second information to another second device, the second information to be used by the first device for load management; and Receive a second response from the additional second device, including the second information, wherein the second information indicates at least one of the following: At least one second service parameter from the additional second device, wherein the at least one second service parameter is associated with a second measurement result of a cell associated with the additional second device, or Second interference status information associated with the cell of the additional second device; and The load management is performed based at least in part on the first information and the second information.

8. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is further configured to: Before receiving the first response, a confirmation message for the first request is received from the second device.

9. The first apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first request is included in a resource status request message, and the first response is included in a resource status update message.

10. The first apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first interference state information indicates at least one of the following: Remote interference, or Cross-link interference (CLI) between network nodes.

11. The first apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first apparatus includes a network device, and the second apparatus includes a network device.

12. A second means for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the second device to: Receive a first request for first information from the first device, the first information being used by the first device for load management; and Sending a first response to the first device, including the first information, wherein the first information indicates at least one of the following: At least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or First interference status information associated with the second device.

13. The second apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first request comprises at least one of the following: At least one recommended service parameter of the third device served by the first device, The first measurement result, A first indication used to request the at least one first service parameter, or A second indication used to request the first interference status information.

14. The second device according to claim 13, wherein the second device is further configured to: In response to a request from the first device for the at least one first service parameter, the at least one first service parameter is determined based on the first measurement result; and Send the first response, which includes the at least one first service parameter, to the first device.

15. The second device according to claim 12, wherein the second device is further configured to: In response to receiving the first request, before sending the first response, an acknowledgment message for the first request is sent to the first device.

16. The second apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first request is included in a resource status request message and the first response is included in a resource status update message.

17. The second apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first interference state information indicates at least one of the following: Remote interference, or Cross-link interference (CLI) between network nodes.

18. The second apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first apparatus includes a network device, and the second apparatus includes a network device.

19. A third means for communication, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the third device to: The first device receives a message for switching a first connection between the third device and the first device to a second connection between the third device and the second device, wherein the message is sent by the first device based on a load management process, the load management process being performed by the first device at least in part based on first information, wherein the first information is received from the second device and includes at least one of the following: At least one first service parameter from the second device, wherein the at least one first service parameter is associated with a first measurement result of a cell associated with the second device, or First interference status information associated with the cell of the second device; as well as Based on the message, initiate the establishment of the second connection with the second device.

20. The third apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first apparatus includes a network device, the second apparatus includes a network device, and the third apparatus is a terminal device.

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