Methods, communication devices and infrastructure equipment

Abstract

Communication devices can operate by establishing multimodal bearers for transmitting and receiving packets with different QoS requirements via a wireless communication network. When a handover is performed by receiving a handover command from a source base station in the RAN to a target base station in the RAN, the communication device reconfigures the multimodal bearer for the target base station. Reconfiguration may include establishing dedicated radio access bearers with different QoS flows, which may be the same as or different from the QoS flows provided by the source base station. The communication device adapts each packet to include a timestamp or other indication that allows the receiver to determine the order of packets relative to each other, enabling the determination of the relative order of packet transmission or reproduction to synchronize the relative order of packets in each different QoS flow of the multimodal bearer. Therefore, different QoS flows can be synchronized during handover, as these flows are more likely to be interrupted by the handover process. When acting as a handover target, the infrastructure device transmits a multimodal ID to the core network, and also transmits the multimodal ID of the multimodal bearer to the core network; the infrastructure device should support this multimodal bearer to become a handover target. Therefore, path switching is performed in the core network as part of the reconfiguration of the bearer supporting multimodal communication. As part of this path switching process, multimodal bearers can be reconfigured by the target infrastructure equipment, or adapted according to the capabilities of the target infrastructure equipment, to support the different QoS flows required by the multimodal bearers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a method of operating a communication device to communicate via a wireless communication network, operating a communication device to communicate via a wireless communication network, and infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communication network.

[0002] This application claims priority under the Paris Convention to European Patent Application No. EP24154023.6, filed on 25 January 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] The “Background Art” description provided herein is for the purpose of presenting the general context of this disclosure. The work of the currently named inventors, within the scope described in this Background Art section and in aspects that may not be described as prior art at the time of application, is neither expressly nor implicitly acknowledged as prior art in relation to this invention.

[0004] Current and future wireless communication networks are expected to routinely and efficiently support communication with an ever-expanding range of devices, associated with a wider range of data traffic profiles and types than existing systems are optimized to support. For example, future wireless communication networks are expected to efficiently support communication with devices including reduced-complexity devices, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, high-resolution video displays, virtual reality headsets, extended reality (XR), and more. Some of these different types of devices can be deployed in very large numbers, such as low-complexity devices supporting the “Internet of Things” (IoT), while other types of devices, supporting high-definition video streaming, can be associated with the transmission of relatively large amounts of data with relatively low latency tolerances. For example, devices used for autonomous vehicle communication and other critical applications may be characterized by data transmission over networks with low latency and high reliability. Individual device types may also be associated with different traffic profiles / characteristics depending on the application they are running. For example, different considerations can be made for efficiently supporting data exchange with smartphones when they are running internet browsing applications (sporadic uplink and downlink data) or used by emergency responders for voice communication in emergency scenarios (data subject to strict reliability and latency requirements).

[0005] In light of this, it is anticipated that current wireless communication networks (such as those that may be referred to as 5G or New Radio (NR) systems / New Radio Access Technology (RAT) systems or, in fact, future 6G wireless communication) and future iterations / versions of existing systems will be designed to efficiently support connectivity for a wide range of devices associated with different applications and data traffic profiles and requirements.

[0006] One example of the new service is called Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) service, which, as its name suggests, requires the transmission of data units or packets with high reliability and low communication latency. An example application is Extended Reality (XR), which can be provided by various user devices such as wearable devices. XR combines the real world and virtual environments, merging aspects such as Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR), and therefore requires high quality and minimal interaction latency. Thus, URLLC services with applications such as XR represent a challenging example for communication systems. Such services may require communication devices to send and receive different types of data (such as video data, audio data, control data, etc.), which may have different Quality of Service requirements for transmission and reception via the Radio Access Network (RAN) and Core Network (CN) of the wireless communication system.

[0007] 5G / NR and 6G need to continue to evolve to support these new applications and scenarios, which brings new challenges to efficiently handling communications in wireless communication systems.

[0008] It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and not limiting of the technology. The described embodiments and other advantages will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This disclosure may help resolve or mitigate at least some of the problems discussed above.

[0010] According to one aspect, a communication device can operate to transmit and receive via a wireless communication network by establishing a multimodal bearer to transmit first data in a first packet for transmission via a radio access interface provided by a source base station of a radio access network (RAN) and a core network (CN) of the wireless communication network, and to transmit second data in a second packet for transmission via the radio access interface provided by the source base station of the RAN and the CN of the wireless communication network. The multimodal bearer is configured to transmit the first packet according to a first Quality of Service (QoS) and to transmit the second packet according to a second QoS, which is different from the first QoS. The multimodal bearer is used to transmit and receive the first and second packets. The communication device further operates to transmit the first and second packets to the source base station of the RAN and via the CN of the wireless communication network via the multimodal bearer. The communication device then performs a handover by receiving a handover command from the source base station of the RAN to the target base station of the RAN. The communication device then reconfigures the multimodal bearer to transmit the first packet with the first QoS and the second packet with the second QoS to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN, and uses the reconfigured multimodal bearer to transmit the first and second packets via the target base station. Reconfiguration may include: establishing dedicated radio access bearers with QoS flows identical to those provided by the source infrastructure equipment. In other examples, reconfiguration may include: arranging different configurations of one or more dedicated radio access bearers and adapting the QoS flows according to the different configurations and dedicated radio bearers. Transmitting the first and second packets via the target base station includes: adapting each packet to include a timestamp or other indication that allows the receiver to determine the order of the first and second packets relative to each other.

[0011] According to an example implementation, the communication device adapts packets of different data streams carried by a multimodal transport to include timestamps or other indications from which the relative order of packet transmission or reproduction can be determined, such that synchronization or relative order of packets exists or can be determined in each of the different QoS streams. Therefore, different QoS streams can be synchronized during handover, as these streams are more likely to be interrupted by the handover process.

[0012] According to another aspect, an infrastructure device acting as a target base station in the radio access network of a wireless communication network receives a handover request from an infrastructure device acting as a source base station, in order to hand over a communication device to the target infrastructure device. The handover request includes a request for a multimode bearer to support a packet data unit (PDU) session with at least one radio bearer, which, upon successful handover, supports a multimode bearer including multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. The infrastructure device acting as the handover target determines whether it can accept the handover of the communication device with the multimode bearer. Based on this determination, the infrastructure device responds to the handover request with a handover rejection message or an acceptance message, and if accepted, transmits the identifier ID of the multimode bearer to the core network of the wireless communication network as part of the handover.

[0013] According to an example implementation, an infrastructure device transmits a multimodal ID to the core network when acting as a handover target. When acting as a handover target, the infrastructure device is configured to transmit the multimodal ID of a multimodal bearer to the core network; the infrastructure device should support this multimodal bearer to become a handover target. Therefore, path switching is performed in the core network as part of the reconfiguration of the bearer supporting multimodal communication. As part of this path switching process, the multimodal bearer can be reconfigured by the target infrastructure device or adapted, depending on the capabilities of the target infrastructure device, to support the different QoS flows required by the multimodal bearer.

[0014] The relevant aspects and features of this disclosure are defined in the appended claims and include communication devices (e.g., UE), infrastructure equipment for wireless indication networks, and methods of operation thereof.

[0015] It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and not limiting of the technology. The described embodiments and other advantages will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Because a more comprehensive understanding of this disclosure and its many accompanying advantages becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, and thus they will be readily available, wherein, throughout several views, the same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts, and in the drawings: Figure 1 This illustration schematically depicts some aspects of a 5G / New Radio (NR) Access Technology (RAT) wireless communication system that can be configured to operate according to embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 2This is a schematic block diagram illustrating a communication device transmitting data to and / or from a gNB (gated network infrastructure) forming a network. Figure 1 Part of the wireless communication system shown; Figure 3 This is a schematic block diagram illustrating functional components that operate to support the transmission of data to and from a communication device (UE), which may require one or more radio bearers to communicate with different data streams having different Quality of Service (QoS). Figure 4 Is with Figure 3 The schematic block diagram shown illustrates a vision for multimodal transport between a communication device and a user plane function within the core network, which is controlled by an application function. The example implementation is applicable to this application function. Figure 5 Is with Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the 5G / NR wireless access network, but it has been adapted to illustrate the scenario where a communication device needs to switch a multimodal bearer from the source base station to the target base station when roaming from one cell to another. Figure 6 This is a schematic representation illustrating the handover of a multimodal bearer adapted according to an embodiment of the present disclosure from a source base station to a target base station; Figure 7 This is a message flow diagram illustrating the messages exchanged by components of a wireless medical system after handover in order to establish a multimodal bearer with a target base station, according to an example implementation; and Figure 8 This illustrates a partial message sequence and a partial flowchart of operations performed by a communication device to switch from a source infrastructure device to a target infrastructure device, wherein the communication device is communicating using a multimodal bearer; and Figure 9 This shows a partial message sequence and a partial flowchart of operations performed by an infrastructure device that acts as a target of a communication device that communicates using multimodal bearers. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Wireless communication networks including 5G (Radio Access Technology)

[0018] exist Figure 1 The document illustrates an example configuration of a wireless communication network using some terminology proposed for and used in NR and 5G. Figure 1In this configuration, multiple Transmit and Receive Points (TRPs) 110 are connected to a Distributed Control Unit (DU) 142 via a connection interface represented as line 116. Each of the TRPs 110 is arranged to transmit and receive signals via a wireless access interface within the available radio frequency bandwidth of the wireless communication network. Thus, within the range (as indicated by circle 112) for performing radio communication via the wireless access interface provided by each TRP 110, each DU 142 having its TRP 110 forms a cell of the wireless communication network with a unique cell ID. In some examples, each TRP 110 may form a cell with its own cell ID. Thus, wireless communication devices 114 within the radio communication range provided by cell 112 can transmit signals to and receive signals from the TRPs 10 via the wireless access interface. Each of the distributed units 142 is connected to a Central Unit (CU) 140 (which may be referred to as a control node) via interface 146. The central unit 140 is then connected to a core network 120, which may contain all other functions required for transmitting data to and from wireless communication devices, and the core network 120 may be connected to other networks.

[0019] As familiar Figure 1 As will be understood by those familiar with 5G-standard wireless communication networks, CU 140, DU 142, and TRP 110 collectively refer to functions traditionally performed by network base stations or, in 5G terminology, by gNodeBs (gNBs). In terms of broad top-level functions, the term "network infrastructure equipment / access node" can be used to encompass these elements and more conventional base station-type elements of wireless telecommunications systems. Depending on the application, the responsibility for scheduling transmissions may lie with the control node / central unit and / or distributed unit / TRP, where transmissions are scheduled at the radio interface between the respective DU and the communication device. More generally, gNBs (TRPs, CUs, DUs) use terminology consistent with previous generations of wireless communication networks to perform base station functions.

[0020] Communication device 114 in Figure 1 The location is indicated as being within the coverage area of ​​the first communication cell 112. The communication device 114 can therefore exchange signaling with the first CU 140 in the first communication cell 112 via one of the distributed cells / TRPs 110 associated with the first communication cell 112. The communication device 114 may be referred to as a mobile terminal, terminal, or user equipment (UE), and includes a chipset and has functions corresponding to those of UE devices known to operate with wireless communication networks.

[0021] Will also understand, Figure 1This is merely one example of the proposed architecture for a RAT communication system, in which methods based on the principles described herein can be employed, and the functions disclosed herein can also be applied to wireless telecommunications systems with different architectures.

[0022] Figure 2 Provided Figure 1 A more detailed diagram of the components shown. Figure 2 Also shown Figure 1 The components shown have the same numerical designations, so for the sake of brevity, descriptions of these parts will not be repeated. Figure 2 In the middle, TRP 110 (which corresponds to Figure 1 TRP 110 (in simplified representation) includes transmitter circuitry 212, receiver circuitry 214, and controller circuitry or control processor 216, which is operable to control transmitter circuitry 212 and receiver circuitry 214 to transmit signals to cell 112 provided by TRP 110 (for clarity, in...). Figure 2 One or more UEs (not shown in the image) transmit and receive radio signals. Figure 2 As shown, TRP 110 is connected to DU 142 via physical interface 116, which can be, for example, a fiber optic cable. Therefore, physical interface 116 provides a communication link for data and signaling traffic from TRP 110 through DU 142 and CU 140 to the core network 120. Interface 146 between DU 142 and CU 140 is referred to as the F1 interface, which can be a physical interface or a logical interface. The F1 interface 146 between DU 142 and CU 140 can operate according to specifications 3GPP TS38.470 [TS38.470] and 3GPP TS 38.473 [TS38.473] and can be formed by fiber optic or other wired or wireless high-bandwidth connections. The connection between gNB 242 and core network 260 is typically referred to as the backhaul, and for the control plane, it includes the N2 interface (or NGAP interface) as specified in TS 38.413, and for the user plane, it includes the N3 interface between CU 140 and the UPF in CN, using the GTP-U protocol as specified in TS 29.281. Within gNB 242, the physical interface between DU 142 and CU 140 is F1 interface 146.

[0023] like Figure 2As shown, TRP 110 can be configured to transmit downlink radio signals and receive uplink radio signals from UE 114 via direct wireless communication link 200. In one example, the direct wireless communication link may be a Uu interface. UE 114 is shown as including transmitter circuitry 222, receiver circuitry 224, and controller circuitry 226, which is configured to control transmitter circuitry 222 and receiver circuitry 224 to transmit uplink signals to TRP 110 and receive downlink signals from TRP 110 via the wireless communication link 200 formed between UE 114 and TRP 110.

[0024] Transmitter circuits 212, 222 and receiver circuits 214, 224 (and other transmitters, receivers, and transceivers described with respect to examples and embodiments of this disclosure) may include radio frequency filters and amplifiers, as well as signal processing components, circuitry, and means for transmitting and receiving radio signals according to, for example, 5G / NR standards. Controller circuits 216, 226 (and other controllers described with respect to examples and embodiments of this disclosure) may be, for example, a microprocessor, CPU, or dedicated chipset configured to implement instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, such as non-volatile memory. The processing steps described herein may be implemented by, for example, a microprocessor in conjunction with random access memory, which operates according to instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. For ease of illustration, in Figure 2 The transmitter, receiver, and controller are schematically shown as separate elements. However, it will be understood that the functionality of these elements can be provided in a variety of different ways, such as using one or more appropriately programmed programmable computers, or one or more appropriately configured application-specific integrated circuits / circuit systems / chips / chipsets.

[0025] As mentioned above, TRP 110, DU 142, and CU 140 can collectively form gNB 242, which is an example of infrastructure equipment for a radio access network of a wireless communication network, and as mentioned above, can generally be referred to as a base station. Therefore, references to UE 114 communicating with TRP 110 can be alternatively considered as references to UE 114 communicating with gNB 242. Furthermore, it will be understood that UE 114 is an example of a communication device or radio transceiver unit. As will be understood, infrastructure equipment / TRP / base station / gNB and UE / communication device will generally include various other elements associated with their operational functions.

[0026] Multimodal traffic

[0027] Implementations of this technology relate to the transmission of data with different QoS requirements from a UE via a radio access network (RAN) and a core network (CN) to, for example, an application function (AF). Data services requiring different QoS requirements can be referred to as multimodal services, which consist of several data streams (called multimodal streams) that are related to each other and may originate from different sources. Each data stream (monomodal data) can be considered as a type of data associated with the same communication service (e.g., audio data, video data, location data, haptic data). Data streams including multimodal services can originate from a single UE, via a single device, or via multiple devices connected to a single UE capable of accessing 5GS, or from multiple UEs.

[0028] 3GPP technical specification TS 23.501 V18.3.0 (2023-09) [TS23.501] discloses technologies for roaming and non-roaming scenarios, including interoperability between 5G systems (5GS) and evolved packet systems (EPS), mobility within 5GS, QoS, policy control and charging, authentication, and general 5G system-wide features such as SMS, location services, and emergency services. Particularly relevant to this disclosure is the policy control enhancement disclosed in section 5.3712 of [TS23.501] for supporting multimodal services. As explained in [TS23.501], multimodal services are supported by providing different Quality of Service (QoS) deliveries through different data types to support applications from the same UE or different applications. In the case of a single UE, the anticipated multimodal application behavior is that closely related data streams requiring strong application coordination to correctly deliver multimodal application data are transmitted within a single PDU session. This is to provide QoS for a single PDU that will satisfy all multimodal application data.

[0029] Figure 3 A simplified representation of 5GS network components from the radio network side and the core network side, which interfaces with the application functions (AF), is provided. The interconnection and operation of these components are disclosed in [TS23.501]. To aid in explaining the example implementation, [the following is provided]. Figure 3 A brief summary of the components shown is as follows: UE 114 and gNB 242 correspond to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 Those examples, as explained above and with supporting explanations, will not be repeated here.

[0030] Application Functions (AFs) control the transmission of multimodal data to one or more applications by influencing traffic routing control information determined by the PCF, which is either requested by the AF or statically pre-configured in the PCF. AFs can influence UPF (see below) selection and traffic routing via the PCF and / or Network Open Functions (NEFs).

[0031] Access Mobility Function (AMF) is a control plane function in the 5G core network that handles connection management, including registration management, reachability management, mobility management, and various functions related to security, access management, and authorization.

[0032] The Policy Control Function (PCF) supports a unified policy framework that manages network behavior and provides policy rules to control plane functions, which then enforce these rules.

[0033] The Session Management Function (SMF) enables Packet Data Unit (PDU) session management, allowing the UE to access 5G services via PDU sessions of PDU session type or Ethernet PDU session type, and to control the PDU sessions accessed by the UE.

[0034] The User Plane Function (UPF) performs several functions related to the UE's PDU session allocation and Internet Protocol functions, including packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, user plane policy enforcement, and QoS processing for user plane data.

[0035] According to 3GPP conventions Figure 3 The reference points between the functions shown are as follows: Uu: The interface between the UE and the gNB.

[0036] N1: Reference point between UE and AMF.

[0037] N2: The reference point between (R)AN and AMF.

[0038] N3: The reference point between (R)AN and UPF.

[0039] N4: Reference point between SMF and UPF.

[0040] N5: The reference point between PCF and AF or TSN AF.

[0041] N7: Reference point between SMF and PCF.

[0042] N11: Reference point between AMF and SMF.

[0043] More information is disclosed in [TS 23.501]. According to Section 5.37.2 of TS 23.501, the following services are provided to support enhanced policy control for multimodal services: The Nnef_AFsessionWithQoS service allows AF to simultaneously provide service requirements, multimodal service IDs, and QoS monitoring requirements for multiple IP data streams associated with multimodal services for each type of media.

[0044] - The Application Provider (AF) can provide the Application Processor (PCF) with a multimodal service ID as an explicit indication of the association between application traffic and multimodal services. The PCF can use this information to derive the correct Policy and Charging Control (PCC) rules and apply QoS policies to data flows that are part of a specific multimodal application.

[0045] - The AF can provide the PCF with QoS monitoring requirements for data streams associated with multimodal services within a certain time period (directly or via the NEF). The PCF then generates authorized QoS monitoring policies for these service data streams.

[0046] Note: In order to begin monitoring packet delay results of data streams associated with multimodal services within a certain period of time, the PCF needs to receive data from the AF accordingly.

[0047] - Multimodal services are delivered in a single PDU session for a single UE.

[0048] In addition to the features provided for the case where a flow is associated with a single UE, the following features are also provided for the case where a flow is associated with more than one UE: - The same DNN / S-NSSAI combination should be selected for multimodal services across multiple UEs. The URSP rule evaluation framework is used to ensure that the same DNN / S-NSSAI is selected.

[0049] - The AF can assign the same multimodal service ID to all UE PDU sessions that constitute a multimodal service. The PCF can take this information into account when processing each PDU session independently (e.g., assigning a specific QoS profile). Data streams that contribute to the service experience but may still be independent and valid can be transmitted to and / or from multiple UEs via separate PDU sessions on the uplink and downlink.

[0050] If multiple PCFs are involved, each PCF can make policy decisions based on the input provided by the AF. Policy coordination between multiple PCFs is not supported. Policy decisions are made individually by each PCF on a per PDU session basis.

[0051] In short, Figure 3The 5G core network architecture shown provides the capability to deliver multimodal services to UEs running applications that provide user services. One or more applications may require data communication with different QoS requirements. Figure 4 Provided for use Figure 3 The illustrated representation shows the function of transmitting multimodal data via 5GS. For example... Figure 4 As shown, a PDU session 400 is provided to UE 114 by a wireless communication network. PDU session 400 transmits IP packets from UPF 402 to UE 114 and from UE to the UPF. According to this example, one or more active applications on UE 114 generate packet data (e.g., IP packets) for transmission to and from the destination by the radio access network, RAN, and 5G core network. Depending on the application, the data being transmitted or received has different requirements, thus requiring transmission and reception according to different QoS requirements. Figure 4 As illustrated in the example, PDU session 400 includes a first data radio bearer (DRB1) 410 and a second data radio bearer (DRB2) 412. Data, possibly in PDU form, is transmitted via the first DRB 410 and the second DRB 412 according to different QoS requirements, as shown by the corresponding IP tunnels 420 and 422. Packet transmissions via IP tunnels 420 and 422 are supported by the first DRB 410 and the second DRB 412 via the radio access network, RAN, and via the first GTP-U tunnel and the second GTP-U tunnel, which is IP-based transmission and reception via the DU, CU, and core network to the UPF. Different types of data with different QoS requirements are transmitted and received via the core network through different IP streams 430 of 432 under the control of the application function AF.

[0052] Although Figure 4 An example is provided, but it will be understood that data with different QoS requirements can be mapped to a single DRB, or each different QoS requirement can be transmitted to a separate DRB. That is, data with different QoS requirements can be sent or received via a single DRB, which can be considered a multimodal bearer. If data is sent from the same DRB, constraints may be imposed on the data being transmitted, even if the QoS requirements vary between different data types, so that this data with different QoS requirements is transmitted via the same DRB.

[0053] for Figure 4For example, there are two QoS flows 420 and 422 mapped to separate DRBs 410 and 412. To assist network function coordination, instructions can be provided to direct different DRBs to transmit different QoS flows for different data types. Different QoS flows can be common to the same application. Therefore, in some examples, a common session identifier (ID) or multimodal ID should be provided to the RAN. It has also been proposed that the UE can provide information about coordination and synchronization between IP flows.

[0054] Focusing on intra-UE scenarios (different QoS flows from the same UE), there may be more than one QoS flow transmitting traffic with the same or different QoS requirements. These QoS flows can be mapped to the same or different DRBs in the RAN. The current rule in the RAN is that QoS flows with the same / similar QoS characteristics can be mapped to the same DRB. To ensure coordination among traffic transmitted over these QoS flows / Data Radio Bearers (DRBs), the RAN should be aware of the multimodal session ID.

[0055] For downlink communication, the gNB should be able to perform scheduling to enable synchronization and QoS coordination between DRBs associated with different IP flows, as this information is known to the relevant network elements. For uplink communication, changes are needed to ensure that different logical channels carrying traffic associated with different QoS flows are correctly multiplexed when using MAC transport block (TB) scheduling. Another issue exists during handover, where some gNBs may not support multimodal flows or may have resource constraints due to UE mobility, preventing them from allocating different DRBs for different QoS flows. This technique addresses UE mobility during handover from a source gNB to a target gNB. This example scenario concerns... Figure 1 The diagram shown illustrates a 5G wireless communication system, suitable for illustrating scenarios requiring switching, such as... Figure 5 As shown.

[0056] exist Figure 5 In this example, UE 114 roams from the source cell (illustrated by dashed circle 112S) to the target cell (illustrated by dashed circle 112T). The source cell 112S and the target cell 112T are formed by TRPs 110S and 110T, respectively, connected to the core network via DU and CU and corresponding interfaces 110S, 116S, 142S, 146S, 140S, 161, 110T, 116T, 142T, 146T, 140T, and 162. These interfaces have been referenced... Figure 1This has been explained. As will be understood from this example, UE 114 is providing services through an application that transmits multimedia data controlled by application function AF, as explained above. Therefore, the example implementation relates to supporting handover between gNBs or more generally between base stations, where one source / target base station supports or does not support multimodal streaming, while another source / target base station supports or does not support multimodal streaming, thus requiring changes in the configuration and mapping between IP streams and DRBs.

[0057] According to an example implementation, a UE (communication device) can operate by establishing multimodal bearers with different QoS flows for carrying different data packets to transmit and receive via a wireless communication network. When performing a handover by receiving a handover command from a source base station of the RAN to a target base station of the RAN, the UE reconfigures the multimodal bearer for the target base station of the RAN. Reconfiguration may include establishing dedicated radio access bearers with QoS flows that may be the same as or different from the QoS flows provided by the source base station. The UE adapts each packet to include a timestamp or other indication that allows the receiver to determine the order of packets relative to each other, enabling the determination of the relative order of packet transmission or reproduction to synchronize the relative order of packets in each different QoS flow of the multimodal bearer. Therefore, different QoS flows can be synchronized during handover, as these flows are more likely to be interrupted by the handover process.

[0058] On the other hand, when acting as a handover target, the infrastructure device transmits a multimodal ID to the core network, and also transmits the multimodal ID of the multimodal bearer to the core network. The infrastructure device should support this multimodal bearer to become a handover target. Therefore, as part of the reconfiguration of the bearer supporting multimodal communication, path switching is performed in the core network. As part of this path switching process, the multimodal bearer can be reconfigured by the target infrastructure device, or adapted according to the capabilities of the target infrastructure device, to support the different QoS flows required by the multimodal bearer.

[0059] Both the source gNB and the target gNB support multimodal streaming.

[0060] In one example, source cells 112S and 110S and target cells 112T and 110T all support multimodal flows, and target cells 112T and 110T can be allocated the same configuration as source cells 112S and 110S. The technical challenge in this example is preparing multimodal bearers or bearers for target cells 112T and 110T and ensuring synchronization between corresponding IP flows with different QoS levels within the same or different DRBs.

[0061] Figure 6 Provided corresponding Figure 4The example scenario presented illustrates that UE 114 switches the multimodal data stream formed by PDU session 600 from source gNB 242S to target gNB 242T as PDU session 602. Corresponding to... Figure 4 The example shown illustrates a switch from the source gNB 242S to the target gNB 242T of two data streams 620 and 622 with different QoS, transmitted by DRBs 632 and 634, nominally indicating a new PDU session 602 with corresponding QoS streams 650 and 652 transmitted by DRBs 662 and 664. According to this example, the source gNB 242S (base station) should receive a multimodal identifier (ID) from the AMF during the PDU session establishment process in this case. In this example scenario, it is assumed that there are two different IP streams 420 and 422, which are mapped to two different DRBs 632 and 634 on the Uu interface, as follows... Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown. The gNB 242S (source base station) will then perform downlink scheduling for these two DRBs 632 and 634, ensuring they are scheduled during the same time period to maintain synchronization and QoS coordination for the corresponding QoS flows 620 and 622. For uplink communication, the UE 114 is configured with logical channel priorities (the two DRBs 632 and 634 have the same priority in the RRC configuration), ensuring that the two DRBs 632 and 634 are multiplexed into the same MAC transport block and meet QoS and synchronization requirements. As will be understood, the corresponding DRBs 662 and 664 and QoS flows 650 and 652 need to be configured at the target gNB 242T (target base station).

[0062] According to the example implementation, in order to maintain synchronization between QoS flows carried by each of DRBs 632 and 634, once UE 114 is instructed to switch from source gNB 242S to target gNB 242T, UE 114 can adapt packets transmitted on the uplink by each of QoS flows 650 and 652. The packets are adapted to include playback time information in each packet 670, in the form of a timestamp indicating the time the packet should be played, included in the user plane packet (at the upper layer or radio layer header). This information regarding playback time is then available and used at the RAN. Alternatively, fields added to the packet header indicate the relative order in which the packets should be arranged, such that relative synchronization between different types of data transmitted by different QoS flows can be maintained between the transmitter and receiver.

[0063] For downlink transmissions, the source gNB 242S forwards packets to the target gNB 242T with a timestamp or other playback time information, from which the order of user plane packets can be determined for transmission from the target gNB 242T to UE114. For uplink transmissions, order information can be added to the packet header to provide information indicating the relative order of packets in each of the different QoS flows.

[0064] According to such Figure 6 In the illustrated example implementation, each of the packets 670 sent by QoS flows 650, 652 is adapted by UE 114 such that the header includes information indicating playback time or a timestamp, which can be used by gNB 242T or the receiving application to resynchronize the corresponding QoS flow in order to provide services supported by the new session 602. Therefore, each packet 670, including header 672 and payload 674, includes an adapted header 672 that includes a field 676 indicating playback time information in the form of a timestamp indicating that the packet should be played. This information is thus included in user plane packets belonging to different DRBs used for multimodal communication or the same DRB actually used for multimodal communication. This information is inserted into the PDCP header 672. Alternatively, this information can be included in the RLC or MAC layer header.

[0065] Similarly, for packets forwarded from the source gNB 242S to the target gNB 242T, the header of each packet 690, including header 692 and payload 694, includes an adaptation header 692, which includes a field 696 indicating playback time information in the form of a timestamp indicating that the packet should be played. Therefore, this information is included in multimodal user plane packets used in different QoS flows, which are forwarded to the target gNB 242T for transmission by the source gNB 242S to UE114 on the downlink.

[0066] According to the example implementation, the source gNB 242S (source base station) can then provide the target gNB 242T (target base station) with a multimodal ID and associated configuration during handover preparation. This can be accomplished by the source gNB 242S providing the configuration of its PDU session 600 to the target gNB 242T via the Xn interface as part of an adapted handover request message, as described in TS38.300 and TS38.423.

[0067] If the target gNB 242T supports multimodal PDU sessions, it will continue to use the same configuration as the PDU session established by the source cell 112S, with each IP flow 650, 652 mapped to a separate DRB 662, 664. The source cell 112S will then provide its own configuration to the target cell 112T. During the handover process, if the multimodal bearer and how it is configured change, the UE will adapt to the new DRB configuration based on the multimodal bearer as part of the RRC reconfiguration. If there are no configuration changes, the UE 114 will continue to use the same configuration as the source cell 112S.

[0068] According to the example implementation, target cell 112T can report the multimodal ID to the core network. This can also be reported in the path exchange response message. By doing so, the AMF and other parts of the core network are aware of the application termination point in the RAN. It also helps in selecting the correct UPF, since not all UPFs in the network may support multimodal sessions.

[0069] The source gNB supports multimodal operation, but the target gNB can only support a single DRB.

[0070] If the target gNB 242T (target base station) does not support multimodal PDU sessions, its configuration can be modified based on its radio conditions and operator or network vendor policies. In one example, the target cell 242T is configured with a single DRB instead of two DRBs for two IP flows. In this case, the target gNB 242T can be configured to perform any of the following options: 1. The target gNB 242T rejects UE 114's handover from the source gNB 112S by sending a handover preparation failure message. The source gNB 112S then attempts to find another cell that UE 114 can hand over to.

[0071] 2. The target gNB 242T accepts the handover and then notifies the AF via core network functions (path switching signaling) that the target gNB 242T cannot perform QoS differentiation. That is, the target gNB cannot operate a new PDU session 602 with more than one DRB or more than one QoS flow. The AF can adjust the frame rate or similar requirements to eliminate the need for QoS coordination, resulting in all multiple IP flows having the same QoS requirements.

[0072] 3. The AF then provides sufficient information to the 5GC and ultimately to the RAN (PDU Session Modification Procedure) so that the RAN can perform differentiation even for the same DRB. That is, a single DRB is configured to deliver different QoS flows. Alternatively, the UE 114 can provide information to the target gNB 242T that is required at the target gNB 242T to provide IP flow QoS information and how to differentiate packets with different QoS within the same flow.

[0073] QoS coordination refers to the arrangement of configuring different QoS parameters for different IP flows in a PDU session.

[0074] QoS differentiation refers to the arrangement of all QoS flows mapped to a DRB that supports only the same QoS parameters or features or different QoS features, depending on the information received from the application and RAN via the CN or UE.

[0075] Therefore, according to the example implementation, as part of the operation of the target cell 112T when rejecting the handover request of UE 114, the source gNB 242S can provide sufficient information to the target gNB 242T so that it does not retry the same gNB. In one option, a new handover reason value is provided as part of the handover rejection message; for example, it could indicate that QoS differentiation is not supported. That is, the gNB targeted for handover cannot support different QoS parameters between IP flows forming part of the same PDU session.

[0076] According to some example implementations, in addition to the target gNB reporting the multimodal ID to the core network in the path switching response message as part of the multimodal PDU session handover process, the path switching response message may also include QoS differentiation information, which is an indication of QoS parameters between IP flows that are part of the same PDU session transmitting different QoS flows. That is, the target gNB 242T reports the multimodal ID and QoS flow differentiation information to the core network in the path switching response message. Then, when the target gNB does not support the same configuration, the AMF initiates a PDU session update process based on the new mapping.

[0077] Example implementation method by Figure 7 The message sequence diagram shown illustrates that, in Figures 1 to 6 Similar parts and corresponding features shown in any of the figures have the same reference numerals. Figure 7 The message sequence diagram is adapted from a standard procedure that is part of the establishment of a PDU session between UE 114 and the source gNB or RAN 242S, and the subsequent handover from the source RAN 242S to the target RAN 242T. Therefore, only those parts relevant to this disclosure will be described in detail. More information can be found in TS23.501. Figure 7 As shown, as part of the PDU session establishment, PDU session establishment message 700 is sent by UE 114 to AMF. AMF then exchanges messages with SMF via UPF, including retrieving policy rules and other parameters required for the PDU session. SM policy association 702 exchanged between SMF and PCF may include an indication that the PDU session established for the UE is multimodal and includes a multimodal ID. SMF transmits the multimodal ID to AMF 706, which is then sent by AMF to source RAN 242S.

[0078] like Figure 7 As shown, box 710 represents the use of a created PDU session to support regular communication of user data for services provided to the UE from the core network. However, UE 114 is then controlled by the 5G RAN to perform a handover from source RAN 242S to target RAN 242T. A handover request 730 is sent by source RAN 242S, which includes a multimodal ID. The handover request message 730 is sent to target RAN 242T, which also includes the multimodal ID. Acknowledgment is then sent from target RAN 242T to source RAN 242S. Source RAN 242S then sends an RRC reconfiguration message 740 to UE 114, which responds to target RAN 242T with an RRC reconfiguration complete message 742. Target RAN 242T then sends a path exchange request message 744 to AMF, which includes the multimodal ID. AMF sends a path exchange message 746 to UPF and performs the operations corresponding to the PDU session establishment. Furthermore, the SM policy association 750 exchanged between the SMF and PCF includes a multimodal ID. Therefore, the core network and RAN can be configured to support multimodal operation during handover by adapting QoS flows or supporting different QoS flows based on the capabilities of the target RAN 242T.

[0079] According to the example implementation, the target gNB 242T sends a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message to the UE as part of the handover to reconfigure the UE to send and receive the first and second packets via the gNB 242T using a multimodal bearer.

[0080] The source gNB supports a single DRB, but the target supports QoS differentiation.

[0081] In this example, the source gNB and target gNB, both configured with a single DRB as part of a PDU session, have the capability to support QoS differentiation, allowing them to configure PDU sessions with two or more DRBs. That is, the UE also has the capability to support multiple QoS flows, and this UE capability is transmitted to the target cell during handover, notifying the target cell that it can support multimodal communication. The target gNB provides its own configuration to the UE via the source gNB and includes QoS differentiation in the path switching request. The AMF assigns a multimodal ID in the path switching request confirmation message, and the AMF also initiates a PDU session modification procedure.

[0082] According to the example implementation, the target gNB may provide the QoS differentiation configuration to the AMF in the path switching request message. If the source gNB does not provide the multimodal ID to the target gNB, and the final target gNB does not provide the multimodal ID in the path switching request message but includes QoS differentiation information, then the AMF provides the multimodal ID to the target gNB in ​​the path switching request confirmation message.

[0083] According to other example implementations, the target gNB does not change its DRB configuration during handover, but instead maintains the configuration used at the source gNB. The target gNB notifies the AMF in a Path Switching Request message that it can support multimodal flow coordination. The AMF then initiates a PDU session modification procedure, and as part of this procedure, sends a second RRC reconfiguration message to the UE, notifying the UE of DRB reconfiguration. Therefore, this two-step method adapts the PDU session so that the target gNB can support it.

[0084] As will be understood and according to the example implementation, reconfiguring the multimodal bearer for sending a first packet with a first QoS and receiving a second packet with a second QoS from a target gNB 242T via the CN to the RAN includes: reconfiguring the multimodal bearer according to the capabilities of the gNB 242T.

[0085] According to an example implementation, gNB 242S, acting as the source base station for handover, sends a handover request to target gNB 242T to hand over UE 114 from the source gNB 242S to the target gNB 242T. The handover request includes a request for a multimodal bearer to support a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session with at least one DRB, which, upon successful handover, supports communication for multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. The source gNB 242S then receives an acceptance message in response to the handover request from the target gNB 242T and sends a first packet and a second packet to the target gNB 242T for transmission to UE 114 via a reconfigured multimodal bearer; for example, those first and second packets that would originally have been transmitted from the source gNB 242S to UE 114. To maintain the relative order of the first and second packets, the source gNB 242S adjusts the first and second packets to include an indication of their temporal order. In some examples, after receiving an accept message from the target gNB 242T, the source gNB 242S determines that the first and second packets, which were originally to be transmitted by the source gNB, need to be sent by the target gNB via a reconfigured multimodal bearer after the handover is completed, and adjusts the determined first and second packets to include an indication of the time order of the first and second packets.

[0086] Operation Summary

[0087] The operational summary of the wireless communication system according to the example implementation method is as follows: Figure 8 and Figure 9 The flowchart provided in the document illustrates this. Figure 8 and Figure 9 The operations of the UE and the target gNB are explained separately.

[0088] exist Figure 8In this process, UE 114 receives an RRC configuration message 801 from the source gNB 242S and performs operations to establish a multimodal bearer PDU session 802 to support applications requiring different types of data with different QoS requirements. After establishing the multimodal bearer PDU session, UE 114 sends an RRC configuration complete message 804. UE 114 then sends and receives data, for example as a first packet and a second packet, via corresponding DRBs with first and second QoS flows having different QoS parameters, as part of PDU session 806, as indicated by arrows 810 and 812, respectively. According to the normal handover procedure, the source gNB 242S sends an RRC reconfiguration message, which effectively forms a handover command 814 to UE 114. The source gNB 242S then sends an RRC reconfiguration message 816 to UE 114 and, in response to UE 114, establishes a multimodal bearer PDU session 822 via the target gNB 242T.

[0089] As explained above, in some examples, the target gNB 242T may only support multimodal bearers without adapting to multiple QoS workflows. Therefore, the RRC reconfiguration message 820 can provide an indication of one or more bearers, indicating whether UE 114 should establish multiple DRBs or a single DRB with adapted QoS workflows. After establishing a multimodal bearer PDU session via the target gNB 242T, UE 114 can send an RRC completion message 824.

[0090] According to the example implementation, if it is determined that UE 114 should switch to the target gNB 240T, and once multiple QoS flows have been established for the multimodal bearer, then at step 830, the UE adapts packets for different QoS flows. Packets are adapted by introducing a timestamp into the header or other field values, which provides an indication of the relative order of packet transmission or recurrence. This is to allow applications using different types of data to synchronize different QoS flows to provide service to the application being processed on UE 114. Therefore, packets adapted at operation 830 are sent and received, as indicated by arrows 832 and 834, with data packets sent and received via different QoS flows, as indicated by operation 836.

[0091] The target gNB 242T is intended to establish a multimodal bearer or, in effect, reject [something]. Figure 8 The operation shown corresponds to the switch and the operation performed in Figure 9 As shown in the image. Figure 9As shown, as a first operation 900, the target gNB 242T receives a handover request message 902 from the source gNB 242S. According to an example implementation, the handover request message 902 includes a multimodal ID, which identifies both the multimodal bearer and indicates that the target gNB 242T needs to support that multimodal bearer. Therefore, if the target gNB 242T is to accept a handover, the target gNB will need to establish a multimodal bearer and notify the core network CN of the multimodal bearer. This is so that if the target gNB 242T cannot support a multimodal bearer with the same configuration as the multimodal bearer supported by the source gNB 242S, but can support a bearer with adapted QoS flows, the CN can request the UE to adopt the QoS flow change and reconfigure the adapted bearer. Therefore, the CN can establish an adapted bearer through the target gNB 242T to support data communication with the UE 114, the data communication being adapted with respect to the capabilities of the target gNB 242T. The CN can perform appropriate actions to review and reconfigure the bearer supported by the target gNB 242T and UE 114.

[0092] At operation 904, the target gNB 242T determines whether it can accept or reject the handover request from UE 114. Therefore, a handover response message 906 is sent from the target gNB 242T to the source gNB 242S, indicating whether the handover is accepted or rejected. As explained above, if the handover response message 906 is to reject the handover, the source gNB 242S can receive an indication along with the handover response message 906 regarding why the target gNB 242T cannot accept the handover. For example, this could be because the target gNB 242T cannot support multimodal bearers. Therefore, the source gNB 242 will no longer send handover requests to the gNB 242T for UEs requiring multimodal bearers, thereby reducing communication and improving efficiency.

[0093] If the target gNB 242T can accept the handover request, the gNB 242T sends a path handover request message with the multimodal ID to the core network function responsible for managing multimodal bearer path changes via the RAN and CN. Figure 9In the example shown, a path exchange request message 908 is sent to the AMF with the multimodal ID. The AMF, responsible for mobility management, can then send a path exchange request message 912 with the multimodal ID to the AF. In response, the AF sends a path exchange request confirmation 914 to the AMF, and the AMF sends a path handover request confirmation 916 to the gNB 242T. The target gNB 242T then establishes a multimodal bearer PDU session 918 for UE 114 as part of the handover, and subsequently, in this example, the target gNB 242T sends and receives first and second packets 920 for first and second QoS flows 920, as explained above.

[0094] In one example, a handover request message 900 and a multimodal ID, along with other handover-related information, are transmitted from the source gNB 242S to the target gNB 242T via an interface between the source 242S and the target 242T (e.g., via the Xn interface).

[0095] In some examples, although the target gNB 242T can accept handover, it cannot support the form of multimodal bearer provided between the UE and the source gNB 242S. If the target gNB 242T cannot support the form of multimodal bearer PDU session provided to UE 114 by the source gNB 242S, then as part of the path exchange request 908 to AMF and AF 912, the AF with AMF can instruct the target gNB 242T and UE 114 to reconfigure one or more DRBs. The one or more DRBs are configured, and the UE and AF establish one or more adapted QoS flows, allowing UE 114 to continue its communication session via the target gNB 242T.

[0096] Application examples requiring different QoS requirements

[0097] For completeness, some explanations are provided regarding applications requiring multimodal data communication to aid in understanding the example implementations. Systems incorporating advanced wireless communication technologies are expected to support different services (or service types), characterized by varying QoS parameters for latency, data rate, and / or reliability. For example, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services are characterized by high capacity, requiring support up to 20 Gb / s. Ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services require the transmission of a single 32-byte packet from the radio protocol layer 2 / 3 SDU entry point. The radio protocol layer 2 / 3 SDU exit point of the radio interface has a reliability of 1-10 within 1 ms. -5(99.999%) or higher (99.9999%). Enhanced URLLC (eURLLC) specifies characteristics requiring high reliability and low latency, such as in factory automation, the transportation industry, and power distribution. It should be understood that the uplink control information (UCI) used for URLLC and eMBB will have different requirements.

[0098] Extended reality (XR) and cloud gaming refer to various types of augmented, virtual, and hybrid environments in which human-machine and human-human communication is performed with the assistance of handheld and wearable end-user devices (UEs). XR and cloud gaming are two relatively new applications that are considered important for NR Rel-18 and higher (also known as 5G Advanced).

[0099] XR traffic is rich in video, especially in the downlink, with a typical frame rate of 60 Hz. This results in data transmission with non-integer periods in NR, meaning the period is not an integer number of subframes, and in this example, the period is 16.67 ms. Due to frame encoding delays and variations in network transmission time, packets may experience random jitter upon arrival at the gNB. The non-integer and jitter characteristics of XR traffic are referred to as quasi-periodic traffic. In addition to jitter, packet size also varies within a certain range; that is, the packet size within each time period is random.

[0100] The above are examples of different applications and services that may require communication of multimodal data, i.e., different types of data with different QoS requirements and parameters such as latency, jitter, and bandwidth.

[0101] It will be understood that, for clarity, the above description has referenced various functional units, circuits, and / or processors in describing different implementations. However, it will be apparent that any suitable functional distribution among the various functional units, circuits, and / or processors can be used without departing from the implementation.

[0102] The described embodiments can be implemented in any suitable form, including hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. The described embodiments can optionally be implemented, at least in part, as computer software running on one or more data processors and / or digital signal processors. Elements and components of any embodiment can be implemented physically, functionally, and logically in any suitable manner. In practice, functionality can be implemented in a single unit, in multiple units, or as part of other functional units. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments can be implemented in a single unit or can be physically and functionally distributed among different units, circuits, and / or processors.

[0103] Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein. Furthermore, while features may appear to be described in conjunction with specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various features of the described embodiments can be combined in any manner suitable for implementing this technology.

[0104] The following numbered paragraphs provide further examples and features of this technology: Paragraph 1. A method for operating a communication device to transmit and receive via a wireless communication network, the method comprising: A multimodal bearer is established to support Packet Data Unit (PDU) sessions. This multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that supports communication for multiple different Quality of Service (QoS) streams for a communication device. These multiple QoS streams include at least a first QoS for transmitting and receiving first packets, and a second QoS for transmitting and receiving second packets, wherein the first QoS differs from the second QoS. The first and second packets are transmitted to the source base station of the RAN via a multimode bearer and via the CN of the wireless communication network. Receive a handover command to switch from the source base station of the RAN to the target base station of the RAN. Reconfigure the multimodal bearer for transmitting and receiving a first packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN in the first QoS, and for transmitting and receiving a second packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN in the second QoS. Transmitting a first packet and a second packet via a reconfigured multimodal bearer through a target base station, wherein transmitting the first packet and the second packet via the target base station includes: Adjust each group to include an indication of the time sequence of the first and second groups.

[0105] Paragraph 2. According to the method in paragraph 1, the instructions for adjusting each of the first and second groups to include the chronological order of the first and second groups include: Add a field to the header of each of the first and second groups that indicates the relative time with respect to the other of the first and second groups.

[0106] Paragraph 3. According to the method in paragraph 2, the field indicates the time when the data carried in the payload of the group should be reproduced by the application.

[0107] Paragraph 4. According to the method in paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the first and second packets are packets according to the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP).

[0108] Paragraph 5. According to the method of paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the first packet and the second packet are packets according to the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer protocol.

[0109] Paragraph 6. According to the method of paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the first packet and the second packet are packets according to the Media Access Control (MAC) layer protocol.

[0110] Paragraph 7. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, wherein the multimode bearer comprises: a single dedicated radio bearer DRB carrying a first packet and a second packet, or establishing a first DRB for carrying the first packet and establishing a second DRB for carrying the second packet as a multimode bearer.

[0111] Paragraph 8. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, wherein establishing a multimodal bearer comprises: establishing a multimodal bearer to carry first data in a first packet for transmission and reception via a radio access interface provided by a source base station of a radio access network RAN ​​and a core network CN of a wireless communication network, and carrying second data in a second packet for transmission and reception via a radio access interface provided by a source base station of the RAN and a core network CN of the wireless communication network, the multimodal bearer being configured to transmit the first packet according to a first quality of service (QoS) and to transmit the second packet according to a second QoS, the second QoS being different from the first QoS.

[0112] Paragraph 9. The method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 8, wherein reconfiguring the multimodal bearer for transmitting and receiving a first packet to a target base station of the RAN and via a CN in the first QoS, and transmitting and receiving a second packet to a target base station of the RAN and via a CN in the second QoS comprises: reconfiguring the multimodal bearer according to the capabilities of the infrastructure equipment acting as the handover target.

[0113] Paragraph 10. According to any one of the methods in paragraphs 1 through 9, including: After the handover, the first and second packets are received from the target base station using the reconfigured multimodal bearer. Based on the indication of the time order of the first and second packets contained in each of the first and second packets, the time order of the first and second packets received from the target base station using the reconfigured multimodal bearer is determined, and The first and second groups are processed according to the determined order.

[0114] Paragraph 11. A method for an infrastructure device of a radio access network operating a wireless communication network as a handover target base station, the method comprising: The communication device receives a handover request from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station in the radio access network to hand over the communication device to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimode bearer to support Packet Data Unit (PDU) sessions. The multimode bearer has at least one radio bearer, and upon successful handover, at least one radio bearer supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. Determine whether the infrastructure equipment can be used as the target infrastructure equipment to accept handover with multimodal bearers, and based on this determination, Respond to the handover request with a handover rejection message, or The switch request is responded to with an accept message, and If accepted, the identifier ID of the multimode bearer is transmitted to the core network of the wireless communication network as part of the handover.

[0115] Paragraph 12. According to the method in paragraph 11, wherein the handover request received from the source infrastructure device includes a multimodal bearer ID.

[0116] Paragraph 13. According to the method of paragraph 11 or 12, wherein transmitting the multimodal bearer ID to the core network includes: transmitting the multimodal bearer ID to the access mobility function (AMF) of the core network.

[0117] Paragraph 14. According to the method of any one of paragraphs 11, 12 or 13, wherein the multimodal bearer ID is transmitted as part of the path exchange request message.

[0118] Paragraph 15. According to any one of paragraphs 11 to 14, wherein responding to a handover request with an accept message includes: The application function (AF) of the core network sends an accept message with the following indication: the infrastructure device targeted for handover is capable of supporting multimodal bearers of multiple QoS flows with different QoS parameters for a PDU session.

[0119] Paragraph 16. Based on the method in paragraph 15, including: The infrastructure equipment targeted for handover is configured to have multiple radio bearers to support PDU sessions, each carrying a Quality of Service (QoS) stream with different QoS parameters.

[0120] Paragraph 17. According to the method in paragraph 11, responding to a handover request with a handover rejection message includes: A handover rejection message is sent to the source infrastructure device, indicating that the infrastructure device to which the handover is being targeted does not support multiple QoS flows with different QoS parameters for the PDU session.

[0121] Paragraph 18. According to the method in paragraphs 11 or 12, the handover request is responded to with an accept message, which includes: The application function (AF) of the core network sends an accept message with the following indication: the infrastructure device to be switched cannot support multimodal bearers with different QoS flows, and the target infrastructure device is configured with radio bearers to support PDU sessions suitable for the target infrastructure device.

[0122] Paragraph 19. Based on the method in paragraph 18, including: At the infrastructure device targeted for handover, a new mapping of packets for different QoS flows to one or more radio bearers is received from the Access Mobility Function (AMF) of the core network as part of the PDU session update process to reconfigure the target infrastructure device to have one or more radio bearers to support PDU sessions suitable for the target infrastructure device.

[0123] Paragraph 20. According to the method in paragraph 11, the handover request is responded to with an accept message, which includes: The acceptance message is transmitted to the Access Mobility Function (AMF) of the core network, the acceptance message carrying the following indication: requesting that the infrastructure device targeted for the handover support the multimodal bearer with different QoS flows. If the source infrastructure device does not provide the multimodal bearer ID to the target, the multimodal bearer ID to be provided to the communication device via the infrastructure device that is the target of the handover is received from the AMF.

[0124] Paragraph 21. According to the method of paragraph 20, an acceptance message with the following indication is transmitted as part of a path switching request message: requesting that the infrastructure device to be switched to support multimodal bearers with different QoS flows.

[0125] Paragraph 22. Following the method described in paragraphs 20 or 21, including: At the infrastructure equipment targeted for handover, a mapping of packets for different QoS flows to one or more radio bearers is received from the AMF as part of the PDU session modification process.

[0126] Paragraph 23. Based on the method in paragraph 22, including: A Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message is sent to the communication device as part of a handover to reconfigure the communication device to transmit and receive the first and second packets via a multimodal bearer through infrastructure equipment serving as the target base station.

[0127] Paragraph 24. According to any one of the methods in paragraphs 11 to 23, including: The infrastructure equipment targeted for handover is reconfigured to have multiple radio bearers to support PDU sessions. Each radio bearer carries a Quality of Service (QoS) stream with different QoS parameters. These multiple radio bearers are identical to the radio bearers configured for the infrastructure equipment serving as the handover source base station. The Access Mobility Function (AMF) of the core network sends the following instruction: The infrastructure equipment targeted for handover is capable of supporting multimodal bearers with different QoS flows corresponding to the multimodal bearers configured for the handover source base station. Receive multimodal bearer modification indication from AMF as part of the PDU session modification process, and Send an RRC reconfiguration message to the communication device to notify the communication device of the radio bearer reconfiguration.

[0128] Paragraph 25. A method for an infrastructure device serving as a source base station for handover in a radio access network operating a wireless communication network, the method comprising: A handover request is sent to the infrastructure equipment of the radio access network acting as the target base station to hand over the communication device from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimode bearer to support packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The multimode bearer has at least one radio bearer, and upon successful handover, at least one radio bearer supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. In response to a handover request, an acceptance message is received from the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. A first packet and a second packet are sent to a target base station for transmission to a communication device via a reconfigured multimodal bearer, wherein the first packet and the second packet are adapted to include an indication of the time sequence of the first packet and the second packet.

[0129] Paragraph 26. According to the method in paragraph 25, sending the first packet and the second packet to the target base station includes: Receive and accept messages from the target infrastructure equipment. The first and second packets, which were originally to be transmitted by the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station but need to be transmitted by the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station via a reconfigured multimodal bearer after the handover, are determined. Adjust the determined first and second groups to include an indication of the time order of the first and second groups.

[0130] Paragraph 27. According to the method in paragraphs 25 or 26, the handover request sent to the target infrastructure device includes a multimodal bearer ID.

[0131] Paragraph 28. A communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving via a wireless communication network, the communication apparatus comprising: The transmitter circuitry is configured to transmit signals in one or more cells of a wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals in one or more cells via a wireless access interface, and The controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to perform the following operations: A multimodal bearer is established to support packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that supports communication for multiple different quality of service (QoS) streams for a communication device. The multiple different QoS streams include at least a first QoS for sending and receiving a first packet and a second QoS for sending and receiving a second packet, wherein the first QoS is different from the second QoS. The first and second packets are transmitted to the source base station of the RAN via a multimode bearer and via the CN of the wireless communication network. Receive a handover command to switch from the source base station of the RAN to the target base station of the RAN. Reconfigure the multimodal bearer for transmitting and receiving a first packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN in the first QoS, and for transmitting and receiving a second packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN in the second QoS. The first and second packets are transmitted via the target base station using a reconfigured multimodal bearer. Adjust each group to include an indication of the time sequence of the first and second groups.

[0132] Paragraph 29. An infrastructure device for a radio access network of a wireless communication network as a handover target base station, the infrastructure device comprising: The transmitter circuit is configured to transmit signals to one or more communication devices in a wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals from one or more communication devices via a wireless access interface, and A controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to transmit or receive signals representing data. The controller circuit is configured to combine with the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit to perform the following operations: The communication device receives a handover request from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station in the radio access network to hand over the communication device to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimode bearer to support Packet Data Unit (PDU) sessions. The multimode bearer has at least one radio bearer, and upon successful handover, at least one radio bearer supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. Determine whether the infrastructure equipment can be used as the target infrastructure equipment to accept handover with multimodal bearers, and based on this determination, Respond to the handover request with a handover rejection message, or The switch request is responded to with an accept message, and If accepted, the identifier ID of the multimode bearer is transmitted to the core network of the wireless communication network as part of the handover.

[0133] Paragraph 30. An infrastructure device for a source base station in a radio access network of a wireless communication network, the infrastructure device comprising: The transmitter circuit is configured to transmit signals to one or more communication devices in a wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals from one or more communication devices via a wireless access interface, and A controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to transmit or receive signals representing data. The controller circuit is configured to combine with the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit to perform the following operations: A handover request is sent to the infrastructure equipment of the radio access network acting as the target base station to hand over the communication device from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimode bearer to support packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The multimode bearer has at least one radio bearer, and upon successful handover, at least one radio bearer supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. In response to a handover request, an acceptance message is received from the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. A first packet and a second packet are sent to a target base station for transmission to a communication device via a reconfigured multimodal bearer, wherein the first packet and the second packet are adapted to include an indication of the time sequence of the first packet and the second packet.

[0134] Paragraph 31. A circuit for transmitting and receiving via a wireless communication network, the circuit comprising: The transmitter circuitry is configured to transmit signals in one or more cells of a wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals in one or more cells via a wireless access interface, and The controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to perform the following operations: A multimodal bearer is established to support packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that supports communication for multiple different quality of service (QoS) streams for a communication device. The multiple different QoS streams include at least a first QoS for sending and receiving a first packet and a second QoS for sending and receiving a second packet, wherein the first QoS is different from the second QoS. The first and second packets are transmitted to the source base station of the RAN via a multimode bearer and via the CN of the wireless communication network. Receive a handover command to switch from the source base station of the RAN to the target base station of the RAN. Reconfigure the multimodal bearer for transmitting and receiving a first packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN in the first QoS, and for transmitting and receiving a second packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN in the second QoS. The first and second packets are transmitted via the target base station using the reconfigured multimodal bearer, and Adjust each group to include an indication of the time sequence of the first and second groups.

[0135] Paragraph 32. A circuit for a radio access network of a wireless communication network as a handover target base station, the circuit comprising: The transmitter circuit is configured to transmit signals to one or more communication devices in a wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals from one or more communication devices via a wireless access interface, and A controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to transmit or receive signals representing data. The controller circuit is configured to combine with the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit to perform the following operations: The communication device receives a handover request from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station in the radio access network to hand over the communication device to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimode bearer to support Packet Data Unit (PDU) sessions. The multimode bearer has at least one radio bearer, and upon successful handover, at least one radio bearer supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. Determine whether the infrastructure equipment can be used as the target infrastructure equipment to accept handover with multimodal bearers, and based on this determination, Respond to the handover request with a handover rejection message, or The switch request is responded to with an accept message, and If accepted, the identifier ID of the multimode bearer is transmitted to the core network of the wireless communication network as part of the handover.

[0136] Paragraph 33. A circuit for a source base station in a radio access network of a wireless communication network, the circuit comprising: The transmitter circuit is configured to transmit signals to one or more communication devices in a wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals from one or more communication devices via a wireless access interface, and A controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to transmit or receive signals representing data. The controller circuit is configured to combine with the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit to perform the following operations: A handover request is sent to the infrastructure equipment of the radio access network acting as the target base station to hand over the communication device from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimode bearer to support a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session with at least one radio bearer. The multimode bearer has at least one radio bearer, and in the event of a successful handover, the at least one radio bearer supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. In response to a handover request, an acceptance message is received from the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. A first packet and a second packet are sent to a target base station for transmission to a communication device via a reconfigured multimodal bearer, wherein the first packet and the second packet are adapted to include an indication of the time sequence of the first packet and the second packet.

[0137] References

[0138] [TS23.501] TS 23.501 V18.3.0 (2023-09)

[0139] [TS38.470] 3GPP TS 38.470

[0140] [TS38.473] 3GPP TS 38.473.

Claims

1. A method for operating a communication device to transmit and receive via a wireless communication network, the method comprising: A multimodal bearer is established to support packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that supports communication for multiple different quality of service (QoS) streams for the communication device. The multiple different QoS streams include at least a first QoS for sending and receiving a first packet and a second QoS for sending and receiving a second packet, wherein the first QoS is different from the second QoS. The first packet and the second packet are transmitted to the source base station of the RAN via the multimodal bearer and via the CN of the wireless communication network. Receive a handover command to switch from the source base station of the RAN to the target base station of the RAN. The multimodal bearer is reconfigured to transmit and receive the first packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN at the first QoS, and to transmit and receive the second packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN at the second QoS. The first packet and the second packet are transmitted via the target base station using the reconfigured multimodal bearer, wherein transmitting the first packet and the second packet via the target base station includes: Adjust each group to include an indication of the time sequence of the first group and the second group.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Instructions for adjusting each of the first group and the second group to include the temporal order of the first group and the second group include: Add a field to the header of each of the first and second packets, the field indicating the relative time with respect to the other of the first and second packets.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The field indicates the time when the data carried in the payload of the packet should be reproduced by the application.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first packet and the second packet are packets according to the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first packet and the second packet are packets according to the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer protocol.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first packet and the second packet are packets according to the Media Access Control (MAC) layer protocol.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The multimode bearer includes: a single dedicated radio bearer (DRB) carrying the first packet and the second packet, or establishing a first DRB for carrying the first packet and establishing a second DRB for carrying the second packet as a multimode bearer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The establishment of the multimodal bearer includes: establishing the multimodal bearer to carry first data in the first packet for transmission and reception via a radio access interface provided by the source base station of the radio access network RAN ​​and the core network CN of the wireless communication network, and carrying second data in the second packet for transmission and reception via the radio access interface provided by the source base station of the RAN and the CN of the wireless communication network, wherein the multimodal bearer is configured to transmit the first packet according to a first quality of service (QoS) and transmit the second packet according to a second QoS, wherein the second QoS is different from the first QoS.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The reconfiguration of the multimodal bearer for sending and receiving the first packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN with the first QoS, and sending and receiving the second packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN with the second QoS, comprises: reconfiguring the multimodal bearer according to the capabilities of the infrastructure equipment acting as the handover target.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising: After the handover, the first packet and the second packet are received from the target base station using the reconfigured multimodal bearer. Based on the indication of the time order of the first and second packets contained in each of the first and second packets, the time order of the first and second packets received from the target base station using the reconfigured multimodal bearer is determined, and The first group and the second group are processed in the determined order.

11. A method for an infrastructure device of a radio access network operating a wireless communication network as a handover target base station, the method comprising: A handover request is received from an infrastructure device acting as the source base station in a radio access network to hand over the communication device to the infrastructure device acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimodal bearer to support Packet Data Unit (PDU) sessions. This multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that, upon successful handover, supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. Determine whether the infrastructure equipment is capable of accepting a handover with the multimodal bearer as the target infrastructure equipment, and based on the determination, Respond to the handover request with a handover rejection message, or Respond to the handover request with an accept message, and If accepted, the identifier ID of the multimodal bearer is transmitted to the core network of the wireless communication network as part of the switching.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The switching request received from the source infrastructure device includes the multimodal bearer ID.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Transmitting the multimodal bearer ID to the core network includes: transmitting the multimodal bearer ID to the Access Mobility Function (AMF) of the core network.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The multimodal bearer ID is transmitted as part of the path exchange request message.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Responding to the handover request with an accept message includes: The acceptance message is transmitted to the application function (AF) of the core network, and the acceptance message carries the following indication: the infrastructure device that is the target of the handover is capable of supporting multimodal bearer of multiple QoS flows with different QoS parameters for PDU sessions.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising: The infrastructure device targeted for handover is configured to have multiple radio bearers to support the PDU session, each radio bearer carrying a Quality of Service (QoS) stream with different QoS parameters.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Responding to the handover request with a handover rejection message includes: A handover rejection message is sent to the source infrastructure device, the rejection message carrying the following indication: the infrastructure device to which the handover is targeted does not support multiple QoS flows with different QoS parameters for the PDU session.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Responding to the handover request with an accept message includes: The acceptance message is transmitted to the application function (AF) of the core network, and the acceptance message carries the following indication: the infrastructure device targeted for handover cannot support multimodal bearers with different QoS flows, and the target infrastructure device is configured with radio bearers to support PDU sessions suitable for the target infrastructure device.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising: At the infrastructure device targeted for handover, a new mapping of packets for different QoS flows to one or more radio bearers is received from the Access Mobility Function (AMF) of the core network as part of a PDU session update process to reconfigure the target infrastructure device to have one or more radio bearers to support the PDU session suitable for the target infrastructure device.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Responding to the handover request with an accept message includes: The acceptance message is transmitted to the Access Mobility Function (AMF) of the core network, the acceptance message carrying the following indication: requesting that the infrastructure device targeted for the handover support the multimodal bearer with different QoS flows. If the source infrastructure device does not provide the multimodal bearer ID to the target, then the multimodal bearer ID to be provided to the communication device via the infrastructure device that is the handover target is received from the AMF.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The acceptance message, which includes the following instruction, is transmitted as part of a path switching request message: requesting that the infrastructure device targeted for the switching support the multimodal bearer with different QoS flows.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising: At the infrastructure device that serves as the target of the handover, a mapping of packets for different QoS flows to one or more radio bearers is received from the AMF as part of the PDU session modification process.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising: As part of the handover, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message is sent to the communication device to reconfigure the communication device to transmit and receive the first and second packets via the multimodal bearer using the infrastructure equipment serving as the target base station.

24. The method of claim 11, comprising: The infrastructure device targeted for handover is reconfigured to have multiple radio bearers to support the PDU session, each radio bearer carrying a Quality of Service (QoS) stream with different QoS parameters. These multiple radio bearers are identical to the radio bearers configured for the infrastructure device serving as the handover source base station. The Access Mobility Function (AMF) of the core network sends the following instruction: the infrastructure device targeted for the handover is capable of supporting the multimodal bearer with different QoS flows corresponding to the multimodal bearer configured for the handover source base station. Receive a multimodal bearer modification instruction from the AMF as part of the PDU session modification process, and Send an RRC reconfiguration message to the communication device to notify the communication device of radio bearer reconfiguration.

25. A method for an infrastructure device serving as a source base station for handover in a radio access network operating a wireless communication network, the method comprising: A handover request is sent to the infrastructure equipment of the radio access network acting as the target base station to switch the communication device from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimodal bearer to support packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that, upon successful handover, supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. In response to the handover request, an acceptance message is received from the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. A first packet and a second packet are sent to the target base station to be transmitted to the communication device via a reconfigured multimodal bearer, wherein the first packet and the second packet are adapted to include an indication of the time order of the first packet and the second packet.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein, Sending the first packet and the second packet to the target base station includes: Receive the acceptance message from the target infrastructure device. The system determines the first and second packets that were originally to be transmitted by the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station, but which, after the handover is complete, need to be transmitted by the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station via the reconfigured multimodal bearer. Adjust the determined first and second groups to include an indication of the time sequence of the first and second groups.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein, The switching request sent to the target infrastructure device includes the multimodal bearer ID.

28. A communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving via a wireless communication network, the communication apparatus comprising: The transmitter circuitry is configured to transmit signals in one or more cells of the wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals in one or more cells via the wireless access interface, and The controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to perform the following operations: A multimodal bearer is established to support packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that supports communication for multiple different quality of service (QoS) streams for the communication device. The multiple different QoS streams include at least a first QoS for sending and receiving a first packet and a second QoS for sending and receiving a second packet, wherein the first QoS is different from the second QoS. The first packet and the second packet are transmitted to the source base station of the RAN via the multimodal bearer and via the CN of the wireless communication network. Receive a handover command to switch from the source base station of the RAN to the target base station of the RAN. The multimodal bearer is reconfigured to transmit and receive the first packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN at the first QoS, and to transmit and receive the second packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN at the second QoS. The first packet and the second packet are transmitted via the target base station using the reconfigured multimodal bearer. Adjust each group to include an indication of the time sequence of the first group and the second group.

29. An infrastructure device for a radio access network of a wireless communication network as a handover target base station, the infrastructure device comprising: The transmitter circuit is configured to transmit signals to one or more communication devices in the wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals from one or more of the communication devices via the wireless access interface, and A controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to transmit or receive signals representing data, and the controller circuit is configured to combine with the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit to perform the following operations: A handover request is received from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station in the radio access network to hand over the communication device to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimodal bearer to support Packet Data Unit (PDU) sessions. The multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that, upon successful handover, supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. Determine whether the infrastructure equipment is capable of accepting a handover with the multimodal bearer as the target infrastructure equipment, and based on the determination, Respond to the handover request with a handover rejection message, or Respond to the handover request with an accept message, and If accepted, the identifier ID of the multimodal bearer is transmitted to the core network of the wireless communication network as part of the switching.

30. An infrastructure device for a source base station in a radio access network of a wireless communication network, the infrastructure device comprising: The transmitter circuit is configured to transmit signals to one or more communication devices in the wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals from one or more of the communication devices via the wireless access interface, and A controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to transmit or receive signals representing data, and the controller circuit is configured to combine with the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit to perform the following operations: A handover request is sent to the infrastructure equipment of the radio access network acting as the target base station to switch the communication device from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimodal bearer to support packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that, upon successful handover, supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. In response to the handover request, an acceptance message is received from the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. A first packet and a second packet are sent to the target base station to be transmitted to the communication device via a reconfigured multimodal bearer, wherein the first packet and the second packet are adapted to include an indication of the time order of the first packet and the second packet.

31. A circuit for transmitting and receiving via a wireless communication network, the circuit comprising: The transmitter circuitry is configured to transmit signals in one or more cells of the wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals in one or more cells via the wireless access interface, and The controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to perform the following operations: A multimodal bearer is established to support packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that supports communication for multiple different quality of service (QoS) streams for a communication device. The multiple different QoS streams include at least a first QoS for sending and receiving a first packet and a second QoS for sending and receiving a second packet, wherein the first QoS is different from the second QoS. The first packet and the second packet are transmitted to the source base station of the RAN via the multimodal bearer and via the CN of the wireless communication network. Receive a handover command to switch from the source base station of the RAN to the target base station of the RAN. The multimodal bearer is reconfigured to transmit and receive the first packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN at the first QoS, and to transmit and receive the second packet to the target base station of the RAN and via the CN at the second QoS. The first packet and the second packet are transmitted via the target base station using the reconfigured multimodal bearer. Adjust each group to include an indication of the time sequence of the first group and the second group.

32. A circuit for a wireless communication network's radio access network serving as a handover target base station, the circuit comprising: The transmitter circuit is configured to transmit signals to one or more communication devices in the wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals from one or more of the communication devices via the wireless access interface, and A controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to transmit or receive signals representing data, and the controller circuit is configured to combine with the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit to perform the following operations: A handover request is received from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station in the radio access network to hand over the communication device to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimodal bearer to support Packet Data Unit (PDU) sessions. The multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that, upon successful handover, supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. Determine whether the infrastructure equipment is capable of accepting a handover with the multimodal bearer as the target infrastructure equipment, and based on the determination, Respond to the handover request with a handover rejection message, or Respond to the handover request with an accept message, and If accepted, the identifier ID of the multimodal bearer is transmitted to the core network of the wireless communication network as part of the switching.

33. A circuit for a source base station in a radio access network of a wireless communication network, the circuit comprising: The transmitter circuit is configured to transmit signals to one or more communication devices in the wireless communication network via a wireless access interface. The receiver circuitry is configured to receive signals from one or more of the communication devices via the wireless access interface, and A controller circuit is configured to control the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit to transmit or receive signals representing data, and the controller circuit is configured to combine with the receiver circuit and the transmitter circuit to perform the following operations: A handover request is sent to the infrastructure equipment of the radio access network acting as the target base station to switch the communication device from the infrastructure equipment acting as the source base station to the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. The handover request includes a request for a multimodal bearer to support packet data unit (PDU) sessions. The multimodal bearer has at least one radio bearer that, upon successful handover, supports the transmission and reception of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams for the communication device. In response to the handover request, an acceptance message is received from the infrastructure equipment acting as the target base station. A first packet and a second packet are sent to the target base station to be transmitted to the communication device via a reconfigured multimodal bearer, wherein the first packet and the second packet are adapted to include an indication of the time order of the first packet and the second packet.

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