Node devices and methods executed thereon

Abstract

Various embodiments of this disclosure propose a method performed by a second node in a communication system, the method comprising: receiving a second message from a third node, the second message including second configuration number information relating to the number of candidate configurations configured for a first node, and / or second cell number information relating to the number of cells in the candidate configurations configured for the first node; and sending a fourth message to the first node, the fourth message containing information relating to the rapid processing of triggering Radio Resource Control (RRC) information, and / or information relating to RRC information related to release processing, the rapid processing of RRC information being at least one of decoding the abstract syntax mark ASN.1 of the RRC information, validity checking, or compliance checking before the first node receives a cell change instruction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to methods performed by a first node, methods performed by a second node, methods performed by a third node, methods performed by a fourth node, and the first node, second node, third node, and fourth node. Background Technology

[0002] To meet the increased demand for wireless data communication services since the deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop improved 5G or near-5G communication systems. Therefore, 5G or near-5G communication systems are also referred to as "super 4G networks" or "post-LTE systems".

[0003] Wireless communication is one of the most successful innovations in modern history. Recently, the number of subscribers to wireless communication services surpassed 5 billion and continues to grow rapidly. The demand for wireless data services is growing rapidly due to the increasing prevalence of smartphones and other mobile data devices (such as tablets, laptops, netbooks, e-book readers, and machine-type devices) among consumers and businesses. To meet the rapid growth of mobile data services and support new applications and deployments, improving the efficiency and coverage of wireless interfaces is crucial. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided performed by a second node in a communication system, the method comprising: sending a first message to the third node, the first message including first number request indication information relating to the number of configurations or cells prepared by the third node; and receiving a second message from the third node, the second message including second configuration number information relating to the number of candidate configurations configured for the first node, and / or second cell number information relating to the number of cells in the candidate configurations configured for the first node; and sending a fourth message to the first node, the fourth message containing information relating to RRC information related to a release process.

[0005] According to the method performed by a second node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the second configuration number information includes at least one of the following: information indicating the number of candidate configurations configured for the first node, identification information of candidate configurations, identification information of candidate cells, information indicating the configuration type, indication information indicating whether a candidate configuration is configured with dual connectivity, information indicating the number of cells contained in a candidate configuration, information indicating the number of cells contained in a primary cell group in a candidate configuration, information indicating the number of cells contained in a secondary cell group in a candidate configuration, information indicating the number of secondary cells contained in a candidate configuration, information indicating the number of secondary cells contained in a primary cell group in a candidate configuration, and information indicating the number of secondary cells contained in a secondary cell group in a candidate configuration.

[0006] According to the method performed by a second node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the fourth message further includes information related to the rapid processing of Radio Resource Control (RRC) information, the information related to the rapid processing of RRC information including at least one of the following: indication information indicating the state of activating Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI), and command information indicating advance random access.

[0007] According to the method performed by a second node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the information related to the RRC information of the release process is used to instruct the first node to release the RRC information, wherein the processed RRC information is subjected to at least one of the following: decoding of the abstract syntax mark ASN.1 of the RRC information, validity check, or compliance check before the first node receives the cell change instruction; and the information related to the RRC information of the release process includes at least one of the following: identification information of candidate configuration, identification information of candidate cell.

[0008] According to the method performed by a second node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: the first message including at least one of the following: first number indication information for indicating the number of configurations or cells related to the first node, configuration information for indicating the fast processing of the first node, and indication information for indicating the type of requested cell change.

[0009] According to the method performed by a second node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: sending a third message to the first node, the third message being used to configure a serving cell and / or a candidate cell.

[0010] According to the method performed by a second node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: sending a fifth message to a fourth node, the fifth message being used to notify information about candidate configurations configured for the first node.

[0011] According to the method performed by a second node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: configuration information for indicating the rapid processing of the first node, including at least one of the following: a first threshold information related to the maximum number of supported candidate configurations, and a second threshold information related to the maximum number of supported serving cells and candidate cells.

[0012] According to the method performed by a second node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: the second node and the third node being a source node and a candidate node, or the second node and the third node being a master node and a candidate auxiliary node, or the second node and the third node being a candidate master node or a target master node and an auxiliary node, or the second node and the third node being an auxiliary node and a master node.

[0013] According to the method performed by a second node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: the third message and / or the fifth message includes at least one of the following information: candidate configuration identification information, candidate cell identification information, information indicating the number of cells included in the candidate configuration, information indicating the number of cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration, information indicating the number of cells included in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration, information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration, information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration, information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration, configuration information of the candidate cell, information indicating the number of cells in all candidate configurations, and information indicating the number of secondary cells in all candidate configurations.

[0014] According to the method performed by a second node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: the fourth message can be sent by the fourth node to the first node.

[0015] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided to be performed by a first node in a communication system, the method comprising: receiving a third message from a second node, the third message being used to configure a serving cell and / or a candidate cell; receiving a fourth message from the second node, the fourth message containing information relating to RRC information related to release processing; and the rapid processing of the RRC information comprising at least one of decoding the abstract syntax mark ASN.1 of the RRC information, validity checking, or compliance checking before the first node receives a cell change instruction.

[0016] According to the method executed by a first node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: the third message includes at least one of the following: candidate configuration identification information, candidate cell identification information, information indicating the number of cells included in the candidate configuration, information indicating the number of cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration, information indicating the number of cells included in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration, information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration, information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration, information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration, configuration information of the candidate cell, information indicating the number of cells in all candidate configurations, and information indicating the number of secondary cells in all candidate configurations.

[0017] According to the method performed by a first node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: information related to the RRC information of the release process is used to instruct the first node to release the RRC information; the processed RRC information is subjected to at least one of decoding the abstract syntax mark ASN.1 of the RRC information, validity check, or compliance check before the first node receives a cell change instruction; and the information related to the RRC information of the release process includes at least one of the following: identification information of candidate configuration, identification information of candidate cell.

[0018] According to the method performed by a first node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: the fourth message is sent by the second node after receiving the second message from the third node, the second message including second configuration number information related to the number of candidate configurations configured for the first node, and / or second cell number information related to the number of cells in the candidate configurations configured for the first node.

[0019] According to the method performed by a first node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: the second configuration number information includes at least one of the following: information indicating the number of candidate configurations configured for the first node, identification information of candidate configurations, identification information of candidate cells, information indicating configuration type, indication information indicating whether a candidate configuration is configured with dual connectivity, information indicating the number of cells included in a candidate configuration, information indicating the number of cells included in a primary cell group in a candidate configuration, information indicating the number of cells included in a secondary cell group in a candidate configuration, information indicating the number of secondary cells included in a candidate configuration, information indicating the number of secondary cells included in a primary cell group in a candidate configuration, and information indicating the number of secondary cells included in a secondary cell group in a candidate configuration; and the second cell number information includes at least one of the following: information indicating the number of configured cells, information indicating the number of configured secondary cells, information indicating the number of cells in all configured candidate configurations, and information indicating the number of secondary cells in all configured candidate configurations.

[0020] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided to be performed by a third node in a communication system, the method comprising: receiving a first message from a second node, the first message including first number request indication information relating to the number of configurations or the number of cells prepared by the third node; and sending a second message to the second node, the second message including second configuration number information relating to the number of candidate configurations configured to the first node, and / or second cell number information relating to the number of cells in the candidate configurations configured to the first node.

[0021] According to the method performed by a third node in a communication system provided in this disclosure, the method further includes: the first message including at least one of the following: first number indication information for indicating the number of configurations or cells related to the first node, configuration information for indicating the fast processing of the first node, and indication information for indicating the type of requested cell change.

[0022] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a node device is provided, the node device comprising:

[0023] A transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals to an external source; and a controller is configured to control the transceiver to perform any of the methods described by the second node, the first node, or the third node. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 It is an exemplary system architecture of System Architecture Evolution (SAE).

[0025] Figure 2 This is an exemplary system architecture based on various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the first example process according to this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the second example process according to this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the third example process according to this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth example process according to this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of a node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, is provided to aid in a thorough understanding of the various embodiments of this disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. This description includes various specific details to aid understanding but should be considered exemplary only. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the various embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Furthermore, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures may be omitted.

[0032] The terms and wording used in the following description and claims are not limited to their dictionary meanings, but are merely used by the inventors to enable a clear and consistent understanding of this disclosure. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of this disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting the purpose of this disclosure as defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0033] It should be understood that the singular forms of “one,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, the reference to “component surface” includes one or more such surfaces.

[0034] The terms “comprising” or “may include” refer to the presence of a corresponding disclosed function, operation, or component that may be used in the various embodiments of this disclosure, rather than limiting the presence of one or more additional functions, operations, or features. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” or “having” may be interpreted as indicating certain characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, constituent components, components, or combinations thereof, but should not be construed as excluding the possibility of the presence of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, constituent components, components, or combinations thereof.

[0035] The term "or" as used in the various embodiments of this disclosure includes any of the listed terms and all combinations thereof. For example, "A or B" may include A, may include B, or may include both A and B.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this disclosure (including technical or scientific terms) have the same meaning as understood by one of those skilled in the art as described herein. Common terms as defined in dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the context in the relevant technical field and should not be interpreted ideally or overly formally unless expressly defined in this disclosure.

[0037] The following discussion Figures 1 to 7 The various embodiments used to describe the principles of this disclosure in this patent document are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure in any way. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of this disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0038] Figure 1 This is an exemplary system architecture 100 of System Architecture Evolution (SAE). User Equipment (UE) 101 is a terminal device used to receive data. Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) 102 is a radio access network, including macro base stations (eNodeB / NodeB) that provide the UE with an interface to access the radio network. Mobility Management Entity (MME) 103 is responsible for managing the UE's mobility context, session context, and security information. Serving Gateway (SGW) 104 primarily provides user plane functions; MME 103 and SGW 104 may reside in the same physical entity. Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) 105 is responsible for functions such as charging and lawful interception, and may also reside in the same physical entity as SGW 104. Policy and Charging Rules Function Entity (PCRF) 106 provides Quality of Service (QoS) policies and charging criteria. Universal Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN) 108 is a network node device in the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) that provides routing for data transmission. The Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 109 is the UE's home subsystem, responsible for protecting user information including the UE's current location, the address of the serving node, user security information, and the UE's packet data context.

[0039] Figure 2 This is an exemplary system architecture 200 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments of the system architecture 200 can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0040] User Equipment (UE) 201 is the terminal equipment used to receive data. Next-Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) 202 is the radio access network, which includes base stations (gNBs or eNBs connected to the 5G core network 5GC; eNBs connected to the 5GC are also called ng-gNBs) that provide the UE with an access radio network interface. Access Control and Mobility Management Function Entity (AMF) 203 is responsible for managing the UE's mobility context and security information. User Plane Function Entity (UPF) 204 primarily provides user plane functions. Session Management Function Entity (SMF) 205 is responsible for session management. Data Network (DN) 206 includes services such as operator services, internet access, and third-party services.

[0041] The text and accompanying drawings are provided by way of example only to aid in understanding this disclosure. They should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure in any way. Although certain embodiments and examples have been provided, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, based on the content disclosed herein, that changes may be made to the illustrated embodiments and examples without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0042] Before introducing the specific content, some assumptions and definitions of this invention are given below.

[0043] ■ The message name in this invention is just an example; other message names can also be used.

[0044] ■The terms "first," "second," etc., included in the message names of this invention are merely examples of messages and do not represent the order of execution.

[0045] ■Detailed descriptions of steps unrelated to this invention have been omitted in this invention.

[0046] ■ In this invention, the steps in each process can be executed in combination or individually. The execution steps of each process are merely examples, and other possible execution sequences are not excluded.

[0047] ■ In this invention, the base station can be a 6G base station, a 5G base station (such as gNB, ng-eNB), a 4G base station (such as eNB), or other types of access nodes.

[0048] ■ In this invention, when the cell accessed by a user equipment changes from one cell to another, this behavior can be referred to as handover or cell switch. In the following description, handover and cell switch have the same meaning.

[0049] ■In this invention, user, user equipment, user terminal, and user terminal equipment are equivalent.

[0050] The nodes involved in this invention:

[0051] ■ First node: User equipment, for example, the device could be a mobile phone or a relay node.

[0052] ■ Second node: base station, or centralized unit of base station, or control plane portion of centralized unit of base station. In one example, the base station may be the source node (or source base station) for user equipment handover. In another example, the base station may be the master node (or master base station) in dual connectivity.

[0053] ■ Third Node: A base station, or a centralized unit of a base station, or the control plane portion of a centralized unit of a base station, which is distinct from the second node. In one example, the base station may be the target base station (or target node) for user equipment handover, or a candidate base station (or candidate node) for handover; in another example, the base station may be a secondary base station (or secondary node) in dual connectivity.

[0054] ■ Fourth node: The distribution unit of the base station, which may be the base station where the second node or the third node is located.

[0055] The cells served by the aforementioned second / third / fourth nodes can be special cells (SpCell). In one example, the special cell can be a special cell of a master cell group (SpCell of a master cell group) or a primary cell (PCell). In another example, the special cell can be a special cell of a secondary cell group or a primary-secondary cell group (PSCell). The cells served by the aforementioned second / third / fourth nodes can also be secondary cells (SCell). When the cell served is a special cell of a user equipment (UE), the special cell can be the source cell (source master cell, or source primary-secondary cell) of the UE (first node), the target cell (target master cell, or target primary-secondary cell) of the UE (first node), or a candidate cell (candidate master cell, or candidate primary-secondary cell) for handover of the UE (first node).

[0056] The base stations involved in the aforementioned second / third / fourth nodes can be, for example, one of the following types (other types that can be used for user terminal access are also excluded):

[0057] ■LTE base station;

[0058] ■5G base station;

[0059] ■6G base station;

[0060] ■NTN base station;

[0061] ■HAPS base station;

[0062] ■Drone base station;

[0063] ■WIFI access point.

[0064] The numbers of the steps below do not indicate the order in which they are performed. The steps below can be performed individually or in combination.

[0065] In mobile networks, user equipment (UEs) handover between different cells according to the traditional Layer 3 handover mechanism. Communication interruptions can occur during handover. These interruptions can be caused by various factors, such as UE processing of handover signaling, hardware adjustments, configuration of the new cell, and synchronization with the new cell (uplink and / or downlink synchronization). To reduce latency and communication interruptions during handover, several enhanced handover mechanisms have been proposed. For example, Layer 1 / L2 triggered mobility (LTM) can effectively reduce handover interruptions. Specifically, during LTM cell changes, the network triggers UE handover via Layer 1 or Layer 2 signaling. Furthermore, before triggering handover, UEs can obtain advance access time information for the target cell, such as through measurements by the UE or by sending random access signals in advance. LTM reduces communication interruptions during handover. Nevertheless, interruptions during handover are still unavoidable, and these interruptions are related to the capabilities of the user equipment (UE), such as its inability to quickly process handover signaling. Therefore, further reducing UE handover interruptions based on existing handover mechanisms remains a pressing issue.

[0066] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method executed by a second node in a communication system, the method comprising: receiving a second message from a third node, the second message including second configuration number information relating to the number of candidate configurations configured for a first node, and / or second cell number information relating to the number of cells in the candidate configurations configured for the first node; and sending a fourth message to the first node, the fourth message containing information relating to the rapid processing of triggering Radio Resource Control (RRC) information, and / or information relating to RRC information related to release processing; the rapid processing of the RRC information is at least one of decoding the abstract syntax mark ASN.1 of the RRC information, validity checking, or compliance checking before the first node receives a cell change instruction.

[0067] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method performed by a first node in a communication system, the method comprising: receiving a third message from a second node, the third message being used to configure a serving cell and / or a candidate cell; receiving a fourth message from the second node, the fourth message containing information related to the rapid processing of Radio Resource Control (RRC) information, and / or information related to RRC information related to release processing; and the rapid processing of the RRC information comprising at least one of decoding the abstract syntax mark ASN.1 of the RRC information, validity checking, or compliance checking before the first node receives a cell change instruction.

[0068] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method performed by a third node in a communication system, the method comprising: receiving a first message from a second node, the first message being used to request configuration of a cell of the first node; and sending a second message to the second node, the second message including second configuration number information related to the number of candidate configurations configured for the first node, and / or second cell number information related to the number of cells in the candidate configurations configured for the first node.

[0069] The above methods enable user equipment to quickly process candidate configurations for cell changes. For example, user equipment can process candidate configuration information before receiving a cell change command, reducing communication interruption time during handover.

[0070] This invention proposes a method to reduce communication interruptions during handover. This method reduces interruptions by minimizing the processing latency of signaling by the user equipment (UE) during handover. Specifically, during handover, the UE needs to obtain configuration information of the target or candidate cell; an example of this configuration information is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message. To obtain this configuration information, the UE needs to parse the received configuration information (such as the RRC message) and perform corresponding processing, such as decoding Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1), validity checks, and compliance checks. These processes consume time, and if the UE performs these operations only after receiving the handover command, it will cause an interruption during the handover process. To reduce this interruption, the method proposed in this invention allows the UE to perform the aforementioned configuration information processing in advance, i.e., fast RRC processing or early RRC processing. The processing includes ASN.1 decoding, validity checks, and compliance checks. The beneficial effect of this is that when a user equipment receives a handover signaling message, it can immediately use the configuration information of the target cell or candidate cell to perform the handover, reducing communication interruptions during the handover process.

[0071] In this invention, fast RRC processing, early RRC processing, early processing of configuration information, and early processing of RRC information are equivalent, meaning that the user equipment performs RRC processing before receiving the cell change instruction. The processing includes at least one of the following: ASN.1 decoding, validity check, and compliance check.

[0072] To implement this method, the present invention proposes the following configuration process, as follows: Figure 3 As shown:

[0073] Step 1-1: The second node (e.g., source node, source master node, master node, auxiliary node) sends a first request message (e.g., also called the first message or other message names; this invention does not limit the message name) to the third node (target / candidate node, target / candidate master node, auxiliary node, master node). This message is used to request configuration of the cell of the first node (user terminal). In one example, the cell can be the target cell for the first node's handover (e.g., the target cell for Layer 3 handover, the master cell of the auxiliary cell group, the master cell of the master cell group), and the target cell is the cell served by the third node. In another example, the cell can be a candidate cell (e.g., a candidate cell for LTM), and the candidate cell is the cell served by the third node. After receiving this message, the third node generates the relevant configuration of the target cell or candidate cell and sends it to the second node in Step 1-2 below, thereby allowing the second node to configure the user equipment (first node). One example of this message is a handover request message, and another example is a secondary node addition / modification request message. The message includes at least one of the following:

[0074] The first request indicates the number of configurations or cells that the third node is preparing for the user equipment. The configurations are candidate configurations. Further, when the third node needs to configure multiple candidate configurations for the user equipment, each candidate configuration includes a primary cell group configuration, a secondary cell group configuration, or a primary cell group and a secondary cell group configuration. The cells are serving cells or candidate cells configured for the user. In one example, the serving cell is at least one of the primary cell in the primary cell group, the primary cell in the secondary cell group, and the secondary cell in the secondary cell group. In another example, the cell is a cell in a candidate configuration for the user equipment. Further, when the third node needs to configure multiple candidate configurations for the user equipment, the cell is a cell included in all candidate configuration information. In one embodiment, a candidate configuration information includes a primary cell, and optionally, at least one secondary cell; in another embodiment, the candidate configuration information includes a primary cell of a secondary cell group, and optionally, at least one secondary cell; in yet another embodiment, the candidate configuration information includes a primary cell of a primary cell group and a primary cell of a secondary cell group, and optionally, at least one secondary cell (the secondary cell can be a primary cell group and / or a secondary cell group). After receiving this information, the second node will provide the number of candidate configurations and / or the number of cells to be configured for the user equipment in steps 1-2 below (how the third node provides the number of candidate configurations and / or the number of cells can be found in the specific description in steps 1-2). The beneficial effect of this information is that it helps the second node to know the number of candidate configurations and / or the number of cells included in the user equipment's configuration information, thereby helping the second node determine whether the user equipment can perform rapid configuration information processing (or pre-processing of configuration information), and helping the second node indicate the number of candidate configurations and / or the number of cells to be configured to the user equipment, thereby reducing interruptions to the user equipment during handover. Furthermore, this information may also include at least one of the following:

[0075] ■ Cell Count Request Instruction Information: This information is used to request the number of cells.

[0076] ■ Configuration Quantity Request Indication Information, which is used to request the number of configurations.

[0077] ■ The first number indicates the number of configurations or cells related to the user equipment obtained by the second node. These configurations or cells may be prepared by the second node or prepared and sent (notified) by other nodes. The configurations are candidate configurations. When there are multiple candidate configurations, one candidate configuration includes a primary cell group configuration, a secondary cell group configuration, or a primary cell group and a secondary cell group configuration. The cells include at least one of the following: the serving cell of the user equipment (such as the serving cell currently or before handover serving the user equipment, including at least one of a primary cell, a primary cell of a secondary cell group, and a secondary cell of a primary cell group and / or a secondary cell group), and candidate cells in the candidate configurations prepared for the user equipment (these candidate cells may belong to the second node or other nodes, and include at least one of a primary cell, a primary cell of a secondary cell group, and a secondary cell of a primary cell group and / or a secondary cell group). Upon receiving this information, the third node can determine the number of candidate configurations or cells prepared for the user equipment, and thus determine how to generate the cell configuration information or candidate configurations at the third node. For example, it can determine how many candidate configurations to configure for the user equipment, or how many cells to configure for the user equipment, thereby reducing communication interruptions during handover. This information includes at least one of the following:

[0078] ■ First configuration count information: This information indicates the number of configurations related to the user equipment obtained by the second node. Upon receiving this information, the third node can learn about the candidate configurations prepared for the user equipment, and thus determine how to generate the cell configuration information at the third node, such as determining how many candidate configurations to configure for the user equipment, thereby reducing communication interruptions during handover. Furthermore, for a candidate configuration, this information may also include at least one of the following:

[0079] ◆Identification information of candidate configurations

[0080] ◆Identification information of candidate cells, wherein the candidate cell may be a primary cell of a primary cell group and / or a primary cell of a secondary cell group.

[0081] ◆Indication information of the configuration type, which can indicate at least one of the following types: primary cell group configuration (i.e., the candidate configuration includes the primary cell group configuration), secondary cell group configuration (i.e., the candidate configuration includes the secondary cell group configuration), and dual-connectivity configuration (i.e., the candidate configuration includes both primary and secondary cell group configurations). Furthermore, this information can be implicit, such as being known through the name of the information.

[0082] ◆ Dual connectivity indication information: This information indicates whether the candidate configuration is configured with dual connectivity. Based on this information, the number of primary cells can be determined. If dual connectivity is configured, the candidate configuration includes two primary cells (the primary cell of the primary cell group and the primary cell of the secondary cell group).

[0083] ◆The first piece of information regarding the number of cells, where the cells refer to all cells in the candidate configuration (such as special cells and secondary cells). This information indicates the number of cells included in the candidate configuration.

[0084] ◆The first number of cells in the primary cell group, where the cells refer to all cells in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration (e.g., the primary and secondary cells of the primary cell group). This information indicates the number of cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration.

[0085] ◆The first number of cells in the secondary cell group, where the cells are all cells in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group (e.g., the primary and secondary cells of the secondary cell group). This information indicates the number of cells included in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group.

[0086] ◆The first piece of information about secondary cells, where the secondary cells refer to all secondary cells in the candidate configuration (secondary cells of the primary cell group, secondary cells of the secondary cell group), indicates the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration.

[0087] ◆The first number of secondary cells in the primary cell group, where the cells refer to all secondary cells in the primary cell group of the candidate configuration. This information indicates the number of secondary cells included in the primary cell group of the candidate configuration.

[0088] ◆The first number of secondary cells in the secondary cell group, where the cells are all secondary cells in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group. This information indicates the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group.

[0089] ■ First cell count information, indicating the number of cells related to the user equipment obtained by the second node. Upon receiving this information, the third node can learn the cell information prepared for the user equipment, and thus determine how to generate the cell configuration information at the third node, such as determining how many cells to configure for the user equipment, thereby reducing communication interruptions during handover. This information includes at least one of the following:

[0090] ◆First information for all cells, indicating the number of cells related to user equipment obtained by the second node, such as the number of all cells (special cells and secondary cells), the number of cells in all primary cell groups (primary cells and secondary cells in the primary cell group), and the number of cells in all secondary cell groups (primary cells and secondary cells in the secondary cell group).

[0091] ◆First information about all secondary cells, indicating the number of secondary cells related to user equipment obtained by the second node, such as the total number of secondary cells, the number of secondary cells in all primary cell groups, and the number of secondary cells in all secondary cell groups.

[0092] ◆First information about cells in all candidate configurations, indicating the number of cells in candidate configurations related to the user equipment obtained by the second node, such as the number of cells in all candidate configurations (e.g., special cells and secondary cells), the number of cells in the primary cell group in all candidate configurations (e.g., primary cells and secondary cells in the primary cell group), and the number of cells in the secondary cell group in all candidate configurations (e.g., primary cells and secondary cells in the secondary cell group).

[0093] ◆First information about secondary cells in all candidate configurations. This information indicates the number of secondary cells in the candidate configurations related to the user equipment obtained by the second node, such as the number of secondary cells in all candidate configurations, the number of secondary cells in the primary cell group in all candidate configurations, and the number of secondary cells in the secondary cell group in all candidate configurations.

[0094] ■ Quick processing configuration information, which indicates configuration information related to quick processing of user equipment. In one example, quick processing refers to the user equipment's ability to quickly process RRC, or the ability to process RRC in advance. After receiving this information, the third node can determine whether the user equipment has the ability to quickly process and the configuration of this ability, and then provide the second node with auxiliary information related to this quick processing (such as the information described in steps 1-2). In one example, this information can also serve as an implicit indication of the aforementioned "first number request indication information," that is, when the third node receives this information, the third node needs to provide the number of configured cells and / or the number of configured cells in steps 1-2 below. The beneficial effect of this information is that it helps the third node configure the cells serving the user equipment, controls the number of configured cells and / or the number of candidate configurations, and reduces interruptions during handover. Furthermore, this information may also include at least one of the following:

[0095] ■ A first threshold information related to the maximum number of supported candidate configurations, which can be candidate configurations for LTM (or conditional handover, conditional LTM), and / or candidate configurations for LTM (or conditional handover, conditional LTM) for the primary cell group, and / or candidate configurations for LTM (conditional addition and / or change of the primary cell in the secondary cell group, conditional LTM) for the secondary cell group.

[0096] ■ A second threshold related to the maximum number of supported serving cells and candidate cells, wherein the serving cells can be primary and / or secondary cells currently serving the user equipment in the primary cell group, and primary and / or secondary cells currently serving the user equipment in the secondary cell group; the candidate cells include primary and / or secondary cells configured for the user equipment in the primary cell group, and special cells and / or secondary cells configured for the user equipment in the primary cell group.

[0097] If the number of candidate configurations contained in the user equipment's configuration information does not exceed the first threshold information mentioned above, and / or the number of cells contained in the user equipment's configuration information does not exceed the second threshold information mentioned above, then the user equipment can perform rapid processing of the configuration information (pre-processing).

[0098] ■ Cell Change Request Indication Information. This information indicates the type of cell change requested, such as L3, LTM, Conditional Handover (CHO), Conditional LTM (CLTM), Conditional PSCell Addition / Change (CPAC), Subsequent LTM, Subsequent Conditional LTM, Subsequent CPAC, etc. After receiving this information, the second node generates cell configuration information based on it. Furthermore, this information can also serve as an implicit indication of the aforementioned "First Number Request Indication Information," meaning that when the third node receives this information, it needs to provide the number of configurations and / or the number of configured cells in steps 1-2 below. The beneficial effect of this information is that it helps the third node generate appropriate cell configuration information, reducing communication interruptions when user equipment performs cell changes. Furthermore, this information may also include at least one of the following:

[0099] ■Identification information of candidate communities

[0100] ■Identification information of candidate configurations

[0101] ■ Mapping information between candidate configuration identifiers and candidate cells

[0102] ■ Security Configuration Information

[0103] Steps 1-2: The third node sends a first response message (e.g., it can also be called a second message or other message names; this invention does not limit the message name) to the second node. This message provides configuration information for the target cell or candidate cell. This configuration information can be used to configure the first node to perform cell changes (such as Layer 3 handover, LTM, CLTM, CHO, CPAC, Subsequent LTM, Subsequent CPAC, etc.). One example of this message is a Handover Request Acknowledge message, and another example is a Secondary node addition / modification request acknowledge message. This message includes at least one of the following information:

[0104] ■ Second configuration count information, which indicates the number of configurations prepared by the third node for the user equipment. These configurations are candidate configurations prepared by the third node for the user equipment. When there are multiple candidate configurations, one candidate configuration includes the configuration of a primary cell group, or the configuration of a secondary cell group, or the configuration of one primary cell group and one secondary cell group. Upon receiving this information, the second node can learn about the candidate configurations prepared by the third node for the user equipment, and thus provide the user equipment with the number of candidate configurations, helping the user equipment determine whether it can quickly process RRC (or process RRC in advance), reducing communication interruptions during handover. In one embodiment, this information is sent based on the information in step 1-1 above (such as "first number request indication information," "quick processing configuration information," "cell change request indication information"). In another embodiment, this information is actively sent by the third node (e.g., the third node directly notifies the second node without needing to receive a request from the second node). This information includes the number of candidate configurations. Furthermore, for a candidate configuration, this information may also include at least one of the following:

[0105] ◆Identification information of candidate configurations

[0106] ◆Identification information of candidate cells, wherein the candidate cell may be a primary cell of a primary cell group and / or a primary cell of a secondary cell group.

[0107] ◆Indication information of the configuration type, which can indicate at least one of the following types: primary cell group configuration (i.e., the candidate configuration includes the primary cell group configuration), secondary cell group configuration (i.e., the candidate configuration includes the secondary cell group configuration), and dual-connectivity configuration (i.e., the candidate configuration includes both primary and secondary cell group configurations). Furthermore, this information can be implicit, such as being known through the name of the information.

[0108] ◆ Dual connectivity indication information: This information indicates whether the candidate configuration is configured with dual connectivity. Based on this information, the number of primary cells can be determined. If dual connectivity is configured, the candidate configuration includes two primary cells (the primary cell of the primary cell group and the primary cell of the secondary cell group).

[0109] ◆The second cell information refers to all cells in the candidate configuration (such as special cells and secondary cells). This information indicates the number of cells included in the candidate configuration.

[0110] ◆The second piece of information regarding the cells in the primary cell group, where the cells refer to all cells in the primary cell group (primary and secondary cells) in the candidate configuration. This information indicates the number of cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration.

[0111] ◆The second piece of information regarding the cells in the secondary cell group, where the cells refer to all cells in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration (the primary and secondary cells of the secondary cell group). This information indicates the number of cells included in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration.

[0112] ◆The second piece of information regarding secondary cells, where secondary cells refer to all secondary cells in the candidate configuration (such as secondary cells in the primary cell group and secondary cells in the secondary cell group). This information indicates the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration.

[0113] ◆The second piece of information regarding secondary cells in the primary cell group, where the cells refer to all secondary cells in the primary cell group of the candidate configuration. This information indicates the number of secondary cells included in the primary cell group of the candidate configuration.

[0114] ◆The second piece of information about the secondary cells in the secondary cell group, where the cells refer to all the secondary cells in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group. This information indicates the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group.

[0115] ■ Second cell count information, which indicates the number of cells the third node has prepared for the user equipment. The cells include at least one of the following: primary cells, primary cells of a secondary cell group, and secondary cells of a primary cell group and / or a secondary cell group. Upon receiving this information, the second node can know the cells prepared by the third node for the user equipment, and thus provide the user equipment with cell count information to help the user equipment determine whether it can quickly process RRC (or process RRC in advance), reducing communication interruptions during handover. In one embodiment, this information is sent based on the information in step 1-1 above (such as "first cell request indication information," "quick processing configuration information," and "cell change request indication information"). In another embodiment, this information is actively sent by the third node (e.g., the third node directly notifies the second node without needing to receive a request from the second node). This information includes at least one of the following:

[0116] ■Secondary information for all cells, indicating the number of cells prepared (or configured), such as the number of cells in all cells (e.g., cells in the primary cell group and cells in the secondary cell group), the number of cells in all primary cell groups, and the number of cells in all secondary cell groups.

[0117] ■Secondary information for all secondary cells, indicating the number of secondary cells prepared (or configured), such as the total number of secondary cells, the number of secondary cells in all primary cell groups, and the number of secondary cells in all secondary cell groups.

[0118] ■Secondary information about cells in all candidate configurations, indicating the number of cells in the prepared (or configured) candidate configuration, such as the number of cells in all candidate configurations (e.g., cells in the primary cell group and cells in the secondary cell group), the number of cells in the primary cell group in all candidate configurations, and the number of cells in the secondary cell group in all candidate configurations.

[0119] ■Secondary information for secondary cells in all candidate configurations. This information indicates the number of secondary cells in the prepared (configured) candidate configuration, such as the number of secondary cells in all candidate configurations, the number of secondary cells in the primary cell group in all candidate configurations, and the number of secondary cells in the secondary cell group in all candidate configurations.

[0120] ■ Cell configuration information, which includes the cell configuration information generated by the third node, and includes at least one of the following:

[0121] ■ Configuration information of the target cell, which includes configuration information about the target cell generated by the third node. In one example, this information includes the information contained in the RRC Reconfiguration message.

[0122] ■ Candidate cell configuration information, which includes configuration information about candidate cells generated by the third node. In one example, this information is a container containing candidate cell configuration information; in another example, it contains various configuration information related to the candidate cells. This information includes at least one of the following:

[0123] ◆Configure identification information;

[0124] ◆Identification information of candidate communities;

[0125] ◆Configuration information for synchronization signals;

[0126] ◆RRC configuration information;

[0127] ◆Refer to the configuration information;

[0128] ◆Complete configuration instructions;

[0129] ◆Synchronized configuration information;

[0130] ◆ Beam configuration information;

[0131] ◆Reference signal resource configuration information;

[0132] The first response message can be sent based on the first request message (i.e., step 1-2 occurs after step 1-1), or it can be sent proactively by the third node (i.e., step 1-1 does not occur before step 1-2).

[0133] Steps 1-3: The second node sends a first configuration message (such as RRCReconfiguration) to the first node (user equipment) (e.g., it can also be called a third message or other message names; this invention does not limit the message names). This message is used to configure the serving cell and / or candidate cells for the user equipment. The serving cell belongs to the second node, or the third node, or other nodes different from the second and third nodes. The candidate cell belongs to the second node, or the third node, or other nodes different from the second and third nodes. After receiving this message, the first node can perform subsequent cell changes. This message includes at least one of the following information:

[0134] ■ Candidate configuration information, which contains candidate configurations required for user equipment to perform cell changes. This information may include one or more candidate configurations, which may be generated by the same node or by different nodes. A candidate configuration includes the configuration of a primary cell group, or the configuration of a secondary cell group, or the configuration of a primary cell group and a secondary cell group. For a candidate configuration, this information includes at least one of the following:

[0135] ■ Candidate configuration identification information;

[0136] ■ Identification information of the candidate cell. This candidate cell may be a primary cell in the primary cell group or a primary cell in the secondary cell group.

[0137] ■ Cell number configuration information, which indicates the number of cells in a candidate configuration. Further, when the aforementioned "candidate configuration information" includes the following "complete configuration indication information," the cell number information indicated by this information is the number of cells configured in the following "RRC configuration information." When the aforementioned candidate configuration information includes the following "reference configuration information" and "RRC configuration information," the cell number information indicated by this information is the number of cells included in the configuration information obtained based on the "reference configuration information" and the "RRC configuration information." This information includes at least one of the following:

[0138] ◆The third piece of information is the number of cells, which refers to all cells in the candidate configuration (such as special cells and secondary cells). This information indicates the number of cells included in the candidate configuration.

[0139] ◆The third piece of information about the cells in the primary cell group, where the cells refer to all cells in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration (e.g., the primary and secondary cells of the primary cell group). This information indicates the number of cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration.

[0140] ◆The third piece of information about the cells in the secondary cell group, where the cells are all cells in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration (such as the primary and secondary cells of the secondary cell group). This information indicates the number of cells included in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration.

[0141] ◆The third piece of information about secondary cells, which refers to all secondary cells in the candidate configuration, indicates the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration.

[0142] ◆The third piece of information about the secondary cells in the primary cell group, where the cells refer to all the secondary cells in the primary cell group of the candidate configuration. This information indicates the number of secondary cells included in the primary cell group of the candidate configuration.

[0143] ◆The third piece of information about the secondary cells in the secondary cell group, where the cells refer to all the secondary cells in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group. This information indicates the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group.

[0144] ■ Configuration information of candidate cells, which includes at least one of the following:

[0145] ◆Configuration information for synchronization signals;

[0146] ◆RRC configuration information;

[0147] ◆Reference configuration information;

[0148] ◆Complete configuration instructions;

[0149] ◆Synchronized configuration information;

[0150] ◆ Beam configuration information;

[0151] ◆Reference signal resource configuration information;

[0152] ■ Third cell count information: This information indicates the number of cells in all candidate configurations prepared by the second node for the user equipment. The cells include at least one of the following: primary cell, primary cell of a secondary cell group, and secondary cell of a primary cell group and / or secondary cell group. Upon receiving this information, the first node can determine the cells prepared for the user equipment, helping the user equipment determine whether it can quickly process RRC (or process RRC in advance), reducing communication interruptions during handover. This information includes at least one of the following:

[0153] ■Third information about cells in all candidate configurations, indicating the number of cells in the prepared candidate configurations, such as the number of cells in all candidate configurations (e.g., cells in the primary cell group and cells in the secondary cell group), the number of cells in the primary cell group in all candidate configurations, and the number of cells in the secondary cell group in all candidate configurations.

[0154] ■Third information about secondary cells in all candidate configurations. This information indicates the number of secondary cells in the prepared candidate configurations, such as the number of secondary cells in all candidate configurations, the number of secondary cells in the primary cell group in all candidate configurations, and the number of secondary cells in the secondary cell group in all candidate configurations.

[0155] Through the above process, the second node can obtain information about the cells prepared by the third node for the user equipment (such as the number of candidate configurations prepared for the user equipment, and the number of cells in the candidate configurations). Following steps 1-1 and 1-2 (or 1-2) above, the second node can also obtain information about the cells prepared by other nodes for the user equipment (such as the number of candidate configurations prepared for the user equipment, and the number of cells in the candidate configurations). Once the second node obtains the cell information prepared by the third node and / or other nodes for the user equipment, it can send this information to the user equipment through steps 1-3 above. The user equipment determines whether it can quickly process the RRC (or process the RRC in advance) based on the information in steps 1-3, thereby reducing communication interruptions when subsequent cell changes occur.

[0156] In one implementation, if the number of candidate configurations configured for the user equipment in steps 1-3 is less than a threshold value (such as the "first threshold information" mentioned above), and the number of the user equipment's serving cell (including special cells and secondary cells) and the number of cells (including special cells and secondary cells) in all configured candidate configurations is less than another threshold value (such as the "second threshold information" mentioned above), then the user equipment can quickly process RRC (or process RRC in advance). For example, it can start processing the RRC message (such as RRC configuration information) in the configuration information of the candidate cell when it receives the message from steps 1-3 mentioned above. In this way, when the user equipment receives the signaling to switch to a candidate cell (the cell corresponding to one of the candidate configurations in steps 1-3), the user equipment has already completed the advance processing of the configuration information of the candidate cell. This can reduce communication interruptions during the handover process (because there is no need to process the configuration information of the candidate cell after receiving the cell change command).

[0157] In another embodiment, if the time when the user equipment receives the command for early random access to the target cell is a first threshold value earlier than the time when it receives the command for cell change to hand over to the target cell, and / or the time when the user equipment receives the activation signaling of the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) for activating the target cell is a second threshold value earlier than the time when it receives the command for cell change to hand over to the target cell, and the number of candidate cells for which the user equipment receives the TCI activation command or the command for early random access is less than a third threshold, or the sum of the number of the user equipment's serving cells and the number of cells in the candidate configuration corresponding to the candidate cells for which the TCI activation command or the command for early random access is received is less than a fourth threshold, then the user equipment can quickly process the RRC (or process the RRC in advance). In this way, when the user equipment receives the command for cell change to hand over to the target cell, it has already completed the advance processing of the configuration information of the target cell, which can reduce communication interruptions during the handover process (because there is no need to process the configuration information of the target cell after receiving the cell change command).

[0158] Steps 1-1 and / or 1-2 of the above process may include the following different implementations (in the following implementations, step 1-1 is optional. If step 1-1 is present, it means that the information provided in step 1-2 can be requested through step 1-1; if step 1-1 is absent, the third node provides it directly to the second node, and the first configuration response message can also be the first notification message):

[0159] - Implementation Method 1 (Candidate Node Provides Information to Source Node): The second node is the node where the user equipment's current serving cell (primary cell or primary cell of a primary cell group) is located, such as the source node, while the third node is the node where the user equipment's candidate cell (candidate primary cell or primary cell of a candidate primary cell group) is located, such as the candidate node. Therefore, the process between steps 1-1 and 1-2 above constitutes the preparation process for candidate cells or candidate cells of a primary cell group.

[0160] - Implementation Method Two (Candidate Secondary Nodes Provide Information to the Primary Node): The second node is the node where the primary cell of the user equipment's current primary cell group is located, such as the primary node, while the third node is the node where the primary cell of the user equipment's candidate secondary cell group is located, such as the candidate secondary node. The process between steps 1-1 and 1-2 above is the preparation process for candidate cells in the candidate secondary cell group, and step 1-3 sends the prepared candidate configuration of the candidate secondary cell group to the user equipment.

[0161] - Implementation Method 3 (Secondary Node Provides Information to Candidate Primary Node or Target Primary Node): The second node is the node containing the primary cell of a primary cell group of the user equipment (this primary cell can be a candidate primary cell or a primary cell to be configured for the user equipment), such as a candidate primary node or a target primary node. The third node is a secondary node serving the primary cell of the primary cell group, and this secondary node has secondary cell groups that need to be configured for the user equipment. When the third node sends the information of the secondary cell groups it serves to the second node, the second node generates configuration information containing the primary cell group and the secondary cell groups, and sends the configuration information of the primary cell group and the secondary cell groups to other nodes (such as the source node).

[0162] (Point), the information sent to other nodes can be found in the "First Response Message" in steps 1-2 above.

[0163] - Implementation Method 4 (Master Node Provides Information to Secondary Nodes): The second node is a service node of the secondary cell group of the user equipment, such as a secondary node. The third node is a node that serves the primary cell group of the user equipment, such as a master node. When the second node needs to configure the candidate configuration of the candidate secondary cell group for the user equipment, it will obtain the cell information (such as the number of cells) in the primary cell group through the above steps 1-1 and 1-2.

[0164] In addition, to trigger the user equipment to quickly process (or preprocess) RRC information, or to release already processed RRC information, the second node (or fourth node) can send a configuration message to the first node, i.e., such as... Figure 4 As shown,

[0165] Steps 1-4: The second node (or fourth node) sends a second configuration message (e.g., it can also be called a fourth message or other message names; this invention does not impose any restrictions on the message name) to the first node. This message can trigger the rapid processing of RRC information or trigger the release of processed RRC information. This helps the user equipment process and store appropriate RRC information, reducing communication interruptions when the user equipment changes cells. This message includes at least one of the following information:

[0166] ■ Indication information for activating TCI, which includes the activated TCI state. When the first node receives this information, if the information indicates an activated TCI state, the first node can perform fast RRC processing or early RRC processing (i.e., process the RRC information in the candidate configuration) on the candidate configuration where the candidate cell corresponding to the TCI state is located. If the information does not indicate any activated TCI state (i.e., all TCI states of the candidate cell are deactivated), and if the user equipment has already performed fast RRC processing or early RRC processing on the candidate configuration where the corresponding candidate cell is located (the user equipment stores the processed RRC information in a cache), the user equipment will release this stored RRC information, thereby freeing up more storage space to store the RRC information of other candidate cells. Through this information, the user equipment can determine whether to perform fast or early processing on the RRC information of the candidate cell, and whether to release the RRC information of the candidate cell, thus helping the user equipment reduce communication interruptions during cell change processes. This information includes at least one of the following:

[0167] ◆Identification information of candidate communities

[0168] ◆Identification information of the activated TCI status

[0169] ■ A command message for early random access, which triggers the user equipment (UE) to initiate early random access with a candidate cell (e.g., by sending a preamble signal for random access to the candidate cell). Upon receiving this message, the UE will perform fast RRC processing or early RRC processing on the candidate configuration corresponding to the candidate cell, thereby reducing communication interruptions during handover to the candidate cell. This message includes at least one of the following:

[0170] ◆Identification information of candidate communities

[0171] ◆ Configuration information for random access, such as preamble index information (indicating the preamble for random access).

[0172] ■ Configuration release instruction information. This information instructs the user equipment (UE) to release RRC configuration information. The RRC configuration information has been processed by the UE (e.g., ASN.1 decoding, validity checks, compliance checks). Upon receiving this information, if the candidate configuration indicated by this information has already been processed by the UE through fast RRC or early RRC and stored in the cache, the UE needs to delete the candidate configuration from the cache to free up cache space for storing other candidate configuration information obtained through fast RRC or early RRC processing. The beneficial effect of this information is that it frees up the UE's storage space, facilitating the rapid processing of other candidate configurations and reducing communication interruptions during cell change processes. This information includes at least one of the following:

[0173] ◆Identification information of candidate configurations

[0174] ◆Identification information of candidate cells. Upon receiving this information, the user equipment will release the candidate configuration information corresponding to the candidate cell.

[0175] The aforementioned second configuration message can be an RRC message, a control source message from the Media Access Control layer, or a signaling message from the Physical Layer (such as a command from the Physical Downlink Control Channel, PDCCH).

[0176] Furthermore, when the base station has a separate architecture, the following steps may also be included: Figure 5 As shown: Steps 1-5: The second node (the centralized unit of the base station, or the control plane portion of the centralized unit of the base station) may also send a third configuration message (for example, it may also be called a fifth message or other message names; this invention does not impose any restrictions on the message names) to the fourth node. This third configuration message is used to notify the user equipment of the candidate configuration information. After receiving this message, the third node can know whether the user equipment can perform rapid or pre-processing of RRC information, and thus select a suitable candidate cell (such as selecting a suitable candidate cell for TCI activation, selecting a suitable candidate cell for pre-random access), reducing communication interruptions when the user equipment changes cells. This message includes at least one of the following information:

[0177] ■ Second information regarding candidate configurations, which contains candidate configurations prepared for the user equipment. This information may include one or more candidate configurations, which may be generated by the same node or by different nodes. A candidate configuration includes the configuration of a primary cell group, or the configuration of a secondary cell group, or the configuration of a primary cell group and a secondary cell group. For a candidate configuration, this information includes at least one of the following:

[0178] ■Configure identification information;

[0179] ■ Identification information of the candidate cell. This candidate cell may be a primary cell in the primary cell group or a primary cell in the secondary cell group.

[0180] ■ Configuration information on the number of cells, which indicates the number of cells in a candidate configuration, and includes at least one of the following:

[0181] ◆The fourth piece of information is the number of cells, which refers to all cells in the candidate configuration (such as special cells and secondary cells). This information indicates the number of cells included in the candidate configuration.

[0182] ◆The fourth piece of information about the cells in the primary cell group, where the cells refer to all cells in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration (e.g., the primary and secondary cells of the primary cell group). This information indicates the number of cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration.

[0183] ◆The fourth piece of information about the cells in the secondary cell group, where the cells are all cells in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group (e.g., the primary and secondary cells of the secondary cell group). This information indicates the number of cells included in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group.

[0184] ◆The fourth piece of information regarding secondary cells, where secondary cells refer to all secondary cells in the candidate configuration, indicates the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration.

[0185] ◆The fourth piece of information about secondary cells in the primary cell group, where the cells refer to all secondary cells in the primary cell group of the candidate configuration. This information indicates the number of secondary cells included in the primary cell group of the candidate configuration.

[0186] ◆The fourth piece of information about the secondary cells in the secondary cell group, where the cells refer to all the secondary cells in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group. This information indicates the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration's secondary cell group.

[0187] ■ Configuration information of candidate cells, which includes at least one of the following:

[0188] ◆Configuration information for synchronization signals;

[0189] ◆RRC configuration information;

[0190] ◆Reference configuration information;

[0191] ◆Complete configuration instructions;

[0192] ◆Synchronized configuration information;

[0193] ◆ Beam configuration information;

[0194] ◆Reference signal resource configuration information;

[0195] ■ Fourth cell number information, which indicates the number of cells in all candidate configurations prepared for the user equipment. The cells include at least one of the following: primary cell, primary cell of a secondary cell group, and secondary cell of a primary cell group and / or secondary cell group. Upon receiving this information, the first node can know the cells prepared for the user equipment, helping the fourth node select suitable candidate cells and reducing communication interruptions during handover. This information includes at least one of the following:

[0196] ■ Fourth information about cells in all candidate configurations, indicating the number of cells in the prepared candidate configurations, such as the number of cells in all candidate configurations (e.g., cells in the primary cell group and cells in the secondary cell group), the number of cells in the primary cell group in all candidate configurations, and the number of cells in the secondary cell group in all candidate configurations.

[0197] ■ Fourth information about secondary cells in all candidate configurations. This information indicates the number of secondary cells in the prepared candidate configurations, such as the number of secondary cells in all candidate configurations, the number of secondary cells in the primary cell group in all candidate configurations, and the number of secondary cells in the secondary cell group in all candidate configurations.

[0198] The aforementioned third configuration message can be a user context creation request message, a user context modification request message, or other messages.

[0199] The beneficial effect of the above process is that the fourth node will determine the number of candidate configurations and / or the number of cells to be configured for the user equipment based on the information contained in the third configuration message, thereby triggering the user equipment to preprocess the RRC information of the appropriate cells and reducing communication interruptions when the user equipment changes cells.

[0200] Steps 1-1 to 1-5 above can be combined with each other. Figure 6 An example of a process is given:

[0201] ■Step a: The second node sends the first request message to the third node, see step 1-1 above.

[0202] ■ Step b: The third node sends the first response message to the second node, see steps 1-2 above.

[0203] ■Step c: The second node sends a third configuration message to the fourth node, see steps 1-5 above.

[0204] ■Step d: The second node sends the first configuration message to the first node, see steps 1-3 above.

[0205] ■ Step e: The second or fourth node sends a second configuration message to the first node, see steps 1-4 above.

[0206] Furthermore, it is understood that the content contained in each message in the above embodiments is only an example of this disclosure. The content contained in various similar or identical messages may be replaced with each other, named with different names, or some items may be added or deleted as appropriate. In addition, for the sake of brevity, the meaning between similar content items can be interpreted in the context and will not be repeated. The modified and interpreted implementation methods are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0207] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of a node according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. The structure and function of a node are illustrated here, but it should be understood that the illustrated structure and function are equally applicable to base stations, relay nodes, and user equipment. References Figure 7 Node 700 includes a transceiver 710, a controller 720, and a memory 730. Under the control of the controller 720 (which may be implemented as one or more processors), node 700 (including transceiver 710 and memory 730) is configured to perform the operations of the node described herein. Although transceiver 710, controller 720, and memory 730 are shown as separate entities, they can be implemented as a single entity, such as a single chip. Transceiver 710, controller 720, and memory 730 can be electrically connected or coupled to each other. Transceiver 710 can send signals to and receive signals from other network entities, such as another node and / or UE, etc. In one embodiment, transceiver 710 may be omitted. In this case, controller 720 may be configured to execute instructions (including computer programs) stored in memory 730 to control the overall operation of node 700, thereby implementing the operations of the node described herein.

[0208] According to some embodiments, the user equipment described in this disclosure may include: cellular or other communication devices having a single-line display, a multi-line display, or a cellular or other communication device without a multi-line display; a PCS (Personal Communications Service) that may combine voice, data processing, fax, and / or data communication capabilities; a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) that may include a radio frequency receiver, pager, Internet / intranet access, web browser, notepad, calendar, and / or GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver; and conventional laptop and / or handheld computers or other devices having and / or including a radio frequency receiver. As used herein, "terminal" or "terminal device" may be portable, transportable, installed in a means of transportation (air, sea, and / or land), or suitable and / or configured to operate locally, and / or in a distributed manner, operating in any other location on Earth and / or in space. The term "terminal" or "terminal device" used here can also refer to communication terminals, internet access terminals, or music / video playback terminals. For example, it can be a PDA, a MID (Mobile Internet Device), and / or a mobile phone with music / video playback capabilities, or a smart TV, a set-top box, or other similar devices.

[0209] Those skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical concept or essential features of this disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are merely examples and not limiting. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims, not by the detailed description. Therefore, it should be understood that all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0210] In the embodiments described above, all operations and messages may be selectively performed or omitted. Furthermore, the operations in each embodiment do not need to be performed sequentially, and the order of operations can vary. Messages do not need to be transmitted in order, and the transmission order of messages may vary. Each operation and each message transmission can be performed independently.

[0211] Although this disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method executed by a second node in a communication system, the method comprising: Send a first message to the third node, the first message including a first number request indication information related to the number of configurations or cells prepared by the third node; as well as Receive a second message from the third node, the second message including second configuration number information related to the number of candidate configurations configured for the first node, and / or second cell number information related to the number of cells in the candidate configurations configured for the first node; and A fourth message is sent to the first node, the fourth message containing information related to the RRC information of the release process.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The second configuration quantity information includes at least one of the following: Information indicating the number of candidate configurations configured for the first node. Identification information for candidate configurations, Identification information of candidate communities, Information used to indicate the configuration type Indication information used to indicate whether a candidate configuration is configured with dual connectivity. Information indicating the number of cells included in a candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of cells included in the primary cell group of a candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of cells included in the secondary cell group in a candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells included in a candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the primary cell group of a candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells in a secondary cell group within a candidate configuration.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The number of the second cell includes at least one of the following: Information indicating the number of cells configured. Information indicating the number of secondary cells configured. Information indicating the number of cells in all candidate configurations. Information indicating the number of secondary cells in all candidate configurations.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The fourth message also includes information related to the rapid processing of triggering Radio Resource Control (RRC) information, which includes at least one of the following: Indicates the status of the activated transport configuration, indicating the TCI. Command information indicating that random access should be performed in advance.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The information related to the RRC information in the release process is used to instruct the first node to release the RRC information. The processed RRC information undergoes at least one of the following: decoding of the abstract syntax mark ASN.1 of the RRC information, validity check, or compliance check before the first node receives the cell change instruction; and... The information related to the RRC information of the release process includes at least one of the following: Identification information for candidate configurations, Identification information of candidate communities.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: The first message also includes at least one of the following: First number indication information used to indicate the number of configurations or cells related to the first node. Configuration information used to indicate the rapid processing of the first node. Indication information used to indicate the type of cell change requested.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: A third message is sent to the first node, the third message being used to configure the serving cell and / or candidate cells.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: A fifth message is sent to the fourth node, which is used to notify the candidate configuration information configured for the first node.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The method further includes: Configuration information used to indicate the rapid processing of the first node includes at least one of the following: The first threshold information related to the number of the largest supported candidate configurations. A second threshold information related to the maximum number of supported serving cells and candidate cells.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 6, wherein, The method further includes: The second node and the third node are the source node and the candidate node, respectively, or, The second node and the third node are the primary node and the candidate secondary node, respectively, or, The second node and the third node are either the candidate master node or the target master node and the auxiliary node, respectively, or... The second node and the third node are the auxiliary node and the primary node, respectively.

11. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, The method further includes: The third and / or fifth messages include at least one of the following: Candidate configuration identification information, Identification information of candidate communities, Information indicating the number of cells included in the candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of cells included in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration. Configuration information of candidate cells. Information indicating the number of cells in all candidate configurations. Information indicating the number of secondary cells in all candidate configurations.

12. The method according to claim 1 or 8, wherein, The method further includes: the fourth message can be sent from the fourth node to the first node.

13. A method performed by a first node in a communication system, the method comprising: Receive a third message from the second node, the third message being used to configure the serving cell and / or candidate cells; Receive a fourth message from the second node, the fourth message containing information related to RRC information for the release process; The rapid processing of RRC information involves at least one of the following: decoding the abstract syntax mark ASN.1 of the RRC information, validity check, or compliance check before the first node receives the cell change instruction.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The method further includes: the third message comprising at least one of the following: Candidate configuration identification information, Identification information of candidate communities, Information indicating the number of cells included in the candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of cells included in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the primary cell group in the candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the secondary cell group in the candidate configuration. Configuration information of candidate cells. Information indicating the number of cells in all candidate configurations. Information indicating the number of secondary cells in all candidate configurations.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The method further includes: information related to the RRC information of the release process is used to instruct the first node to release the RRC information; the processed RRC information is subjected to at least one of the following: decoding of the abstract syntax mark ASN.1 of the RRC information, validity check, or compliance check before the first node receives the cell change instruction; and, The information related to the RRC information of the release process includes at least one of the following: Identification information for candidate configurations, Identification information of candidate communities.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The method further includes: the fourth message is sent by the second node after receiving the second message from the third node, the second message including second configuration number information related to the number of candidate configurations configured for the first node, and / or second cell number information related to the number of cells in the candidate configurations configured for the first node.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The method further includes: The second configuration quantity information includes at least one of the following: Information indicating the number of candidate configurations configured for the first node. Identification information for candidate configurations, Identification information of candidate communities, Information used to indicate the configuration type Indication information used to indicate whether a candidate configuration is configured with dual connectivity. Information indicating the number of cells included in a candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of cells included in the primary cell group of a candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of cells included in the secondary cell group in a candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells included in a candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells included in the primary cell group of a candidate configuration. Information indicating the number of secondary cells in a secondary cell group within a candidate configuration; Furthermore, the number of the second cell includes at least one of the following: Information indicating the number of cells configured. Information indicating the number of secondary cells configured. Information indicating the number of cells in all candidate configurations. Information indicating the number of secondary cells in all candidate configurations.

18. A method performed by a third node in a communication system, the method comprising: The second node receives a first message, the first message including a first number request indication message related to the number of configurations or cells prepared by the third node, and... Send a second message to the second node, the second message including second configuration number information related to the number of candidate configurations configured to the first node, and / or second cell number information related to the number of cells in the candidate configurations configured to the first node.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, The method further includes: The first message includes at least one of the following: First number indication information used to indicate the number of configurations or cells related to the first node. Configuration information used to indicate the rapid processing of the first node. Indication information used to indicate the type of cell change requested.

20. A node device, the node device comprising: A transceiver is configured to send and receive signals from external sources; as well as The controller is configured to control the transceiver to perform the method according to any one of claims 1-19.

Images