Electronic device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device, a wireless communication method, and a computer-readable storage medium. The electronic device according to the present disclosure includes a processing circuit configured to: determine a topological location of an IAB node in an IAB network at a next time point, the topological location including a parent node and a donor node of the IAB node; send a switch request to the donor node of the IAB node at the next time point to request that the IAB node at the next time point switch to the parent node and the donor node at the next time point; and send a switch notification to the donor node of the IAB node at the current time point, the switch notification including the topological location of the IAB node at the next time point, such that the IAB node is simultaneously connected to the donor node at the current time point and the donor node at the next time point in a control plane. The use of the electronic device, the wireless communication method, and the computer-readable storage medium according to the present disclosure can optimize the switch process in the IAB network to avoid service interruptions for UEs or reduce the duration of service interruptions for UEs.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on May 6, 2020, bearing application number 202010372474.4 and entitled "Electronic device, wireless communication method, and computer-readable storage medium," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of wireless communication, and in particular to electronic devices, wireless communication methods, and computer-readable storage media. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to electronic devices for a core network in a wireless communication system, electronic devices for a donor node in a wireless communication system, electronic devices for an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node in a wireless communication system, electronic devices that are user equipment in a wireless communication system, wireless communication methods performed by electronic devices in a core network, wireless communication methods performed by a donor node, wireless communication methods performed by an IAB node, wireless communication methods performed by user equipment, and computer-readable storage media. [Background technology]

[0003] Compared with the LTE communication system, the 5G NR (New Radio) communication system can use a wider bandwidth, such as the millimeter wave band, and can apply a large antenna and a multi-beam system. Therefore, 5G can provide a higher system rate and provide the conditions for IAB technology. In the IAB network, a donor node is connected to the core network via a cable, and an IAB node as a relay is connected directly or indirectly to the donor node and connected to the core network. The donor node is also called a donor base station. The IAB node integrates a wireless access link and a wireless backhaul (BH) link, where the access link is a communication link between the UE and the IAB node, and the backhaul link is a communication link between the IAB node or between the IAB node and the donor base station. A UE (User Equipment) can be connected to an IAB node or a donor node. That is, a UE can be connected to a donor node via one or more IAB nodes, or can be directly connected to a donor node. IAB technology is more suitable for high-density scenarios, thereby reducing the burden of deploying wired transmission networks and expanding cell coverage.

[0004] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an IAB network. As shown in Figure 1, an IAB donor node A is connected to a core network, an IAB node B and an IAB node C are connected to the IAB donor node A via backhaul links, and user equipment in the network may be connected to the IAB node or the IAB donor node.

[0005] One of the important application scenarios of IAB technology is the high-speed train scenario. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the scenario of applying IAB technology to a train. In Figure 2, a train with a length L runs along a rail, and one or more access devices are deployed, which can be regarded as IAB nodes in an IAB network. Users in the train, such as UE1 and UE2, are connected to the access devices through access links. The access devices are connected to eNBs near the rail through backhaul links, which can be regarded as IAB nodes in an IAB network, and are connected to IAB donor nodes directly or through other IAB nodes. Due to the rapid movement of the train, the access devices may be switched from one IAB donor node to another IAB donor node. Since there is a delay between when the access device is disconnected from the source IAB donor node and when it is connected to the new IAB donor node, and it takes time to perform RLF (Radio Link Failure) discovery after the access device is connected to the new IAB donor node, the UE connected to the access device loses service and the service is interrupted. From when the access device is disconnected from the source IAB donor node to when the UE re-accesses the network after performing RLF discovery, the UE is in a service interruption state. It can be seen that the UE loses service for a long time. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a technical solution for optimizing the handover process in the IAB network to avoid the UE service interruption or shorten the UE service interruption time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This section provides a general overview of the disclosure, but is not an exhaustive disclosure of the entire scope or every feature.

[0008] The present disclosure aims to provide an electronic device, a wireless communication method, and a computer-readable storage medium that optimize a switching process in an IAB network to avoid service interruption for a UE or shorten the service interruption time for the UE.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device including processing circuitry configured to: determine a topological location of an integrated access and backhaul IAB node in an IAB network at a next time point, the topological location including a parent node and a donor node of the IAB node; send a switch request to the donor node of the IAB node at the next time point to request that the IAB node be switched at the next time point to its parent node and donor node at the next time point; and send a switch notification to the donor node of the IAB node at the current time point including the topological location of the IAB node at the next time point, such that the IAB node is simultaneously connected in a control plane to the donor node at a current time point and the donor node at the next time point.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device including processing circuitry configured to receive a switch notification including a topological location of an integrated access and backhaul IAB node in an IAB network at a next time point, the topological location including a parent node and a donor node of the IAB node, and to send the switch notification to the IAB node such that the IAB node is simultaneously connected in a control plane to the electronic device and the donor node at the next time point.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device including processing circuitry configured to receive a switch notification from a donor node of the electronic device at a current time point, the switch notification including a topological location of the electronic device in an integrated access and backhaul IAB network at a next time point, the topological location including a parent node and a donor node of the electronic device, and to be connected to the donor node at the next time point in a control plane while maintaining a connection with the donor node at the current time point in the control plane.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device including a processing circuit configured to receive a switch notification from an integrated access and backhaul IAB node connected to the electronic device, the switch notification including a parent node of the IAB node in an IAB network at a next time, establish a connection with the parent node, and re-establish a connection with the IAB node after the IAB node is switched to the parent node.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless communication method executed by an electronic device, the wireless communication method including: determining a topological location of an integrated access and backhaul IAB node in an IAB network at a next time point, the topological location including a parent node and a donor node of the IAB node; sending a switch request to the donor node of the IAB node at the next time point to request that the IAB node be switched at the next time point to its parent node and donor node at the next time point; and sending a switch notification to the donor node of the IAB node at the current time point, the switch notification including the topological location of the IAB node at the next time point, such that the IAB node is simultaneously connected in a control plane to the donor node at the current time point and the donor node at the next time point.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless communication method performed by an electronic device, the wireless communication method including receiving a switch notification including a topological location of an integrated access and backhaul IAB node in an IAB network at a next time point, the topological location including a parent node and a donor node of the IAB node, and transmitting the switch notification to the IAB node such that the IAB node is simultaneously connected to the electronic device and the donor node at the next time point in a control plane.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless communication method executed by an electronic device, the wireless communication method including receiving a switch notification from a donor node of the electronic device at a current time point, the switch notification including a topological location of the electronic device in an integrated access and backhaul IAB network at a next time point, the topological location including a parent node and a donor node of the electronic device, and connecting to the donor node at the next time point in a control plane while maintaining a connection with the donor node at the current time point in the control plane.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless communication method executed by an electronic device, the wireless communication method including receiving a switch notification from an integrated access and backhaul IAB node connected to the electronic device, the switch notification including a parent node of the IAB node in an IAB network at a next time point, establishing a connection with the parent node, and re-establishing a connection with the IAB node after the IAB node has been switched to the parent node.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon executable computer instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform a wireless communication method according to the present disclosure.

[0018] By using the electronic device, wireless communication method, and computer-readable storage medium according to the present disclosure, the electronic device in the core network can simultaneously connect the IAB node to the source donor node and the target donor node in the control plane by predicting the parent node and donor node of the IAB node. In this way, the UE connected to the IAB node will not experience service interruption due to the dual connection of the IAB node in the control plane. In addition, by using the electronic device, wireless communication method, and computer-readable storage medium according to the present disclosure, the UE connected to the IAB node before the IAB node is switched to the target parent node can be directly connected to the target parent node, and the UE connected to the IAB node after the IAB node is switched to the target parent node can be reconnected to the IAB node. In this way, the UE can be temporarily served by the target parent node, thereby greatly shortening the service interruption time of the UE. As described above, by using the electronic device, wireless communication method, and computer-readable storage medium according to the present disclosure, the switching process in the IAB network can be optimized.

[0019] Further scope of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein.The description and specific examples in this summary are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] The drawings described herein are only for the purpose of illustrating selected embodiments, not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an IAB network. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a scenario in which IAB technology is applied to a train. [Figure 3(a)]FIG. 3(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario in which an IAB node is switched between different CUs. [Figure 3(b)] FIG. 3(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating a scenario in which an IAB node is switched between different CUs. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an electronic device for a core network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a signaling flowchart illustrating an electronic device for a core network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure assisting an IAB node in performing a handover process. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of electronics for an IAB donor node in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a signaling flow diagram illustrating electronics for an IAB donor node assisting an IAB node in performing a switchover process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an electronic device for an IAB node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a signaling flow diagram illustrating an electronic device for an IAB node performing a switching process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a signaling flow diagram illustrating a switching process in which an IAB node switches donor nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11(a)] FIG. 11(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationships in the user plane and control plane of an IAB node at different stages of a switching process in which the IAB node switches donor nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11(b)] FIG. 11(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationships in the user plane and control plane of an IAB node at different stages of a switching process in which the IAB node switches donor nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11(c)]FIG. 11(c) is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationships in the user plane and control plane of an IAB node at different stages of a switching process in which the IAB node switches donor nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11(d)] FIG. 11(d) is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationships in the user plane and control plane of an IAB node at different stages of a switching process in which the IAB node switches donor nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an electronic device for user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a signaling flowchart illustrating a switching process for an IAB node to switch donor nodes according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14(a)] FIG. 14(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating the topology positions of an IAB node and user equipment connected to the IAB node at different stages of a switching process in which the IAB node switches donor nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14(b)] FIG. 14(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating the topology positions of an IAB node and user equipment connected to the IAB node at different stages of a switching process in which the IAB node switches donor nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14(c)] FIG. 14(c) is a schematic diagram illustrating the topology positions of an IAB node and user equipment connected to the IAB node at different stages of a switching process in which the IAB node switches donor nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a wireless communication method performed by an electronic device for a core network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flow chart illustrating a wireless communication method performed by electronics for an IAB donor node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 17]FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating a wireless communication method performed by electronics for an IAB node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a flow chart illustrating a wireless communication method performed by an electronic device for user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a server capable of implementing an electronic device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing a first example of a schematic configuration of an eNB (Evolved Node B). [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing a second example of a schematic configuration of an eNB. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a smartphone. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a car navigation system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will herein be described in detail. It is to be understood that the description of specific embodiments herein is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

[0023] Examples of the present disclosure are more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses.

[0024] Exemplary examples are provided to make the disclosure more detailed and fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Various specific details, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, are described to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details are not necessarily required and that the exemplary embodiments can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure. In some exemplary embodiments, well-known processes, well-known structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

[0025] The explanation will be given in the following order. 1. Scenario Description 2. Example of configuration of electronic devices for core network 3. Example of electronics configuration for IAB donor node 4. Example of electronic device configuration for IAB node 5. Example of user device configuration 6. Method Example 7. Application Examples

[0026] <1. Scenario Description> As mentioned above, when an IAB node is switched from one IAB donor node to another IAB donor node, the UEs connected to the IAB node may lose service, resulting in a service interruption.

[0027] In an IAB network, an IAB donor node may include a CU (Central Unit) and a DU (Distributed Unit). Specifically, an IAB donor node may include one CU, which may be connected to one or more DUs, and an IAB node or a UE may be connected to the DU of the IAB donor node. When an IAB node is switched between the same DU and when an IAB node is switched between the same CU and different DUs, the service of a UE connected to the IAB node is not interrupted. Only when an IAB node is switched between different CUs, the service of a UE connected to the IAB node is interrupted.

[0028] 3(a) and 3(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating a scenario in which an IAB node is switched between different CUs.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3(a), donor node 1 and donor node 2 are each connected to a CN (Core Network) via a cable. Donor node 1 includes CU1, which is connected to DU1 and DU2, UE1 is directly connected to DU1 via an access link, IAB node 1 and IAB node 2 are connected to DU2 via a backhaul link, UE2 is connected to IAB node 1 via an access link, UE5 and IAB node 3 are connected to IAB node 2 via an access link and a backhaul link, respectively, and both UE3 and UE4 are connected to IAB node 3 via an access link. Donor node 2 includes CU2, which is connected to DU3, IAB node 4 and IAB node 5 are connected to DU3 via a backhaul link, UE6 is connected to IAB node 4 via an access link, and UE7 is connected to IAB node 5 via an access link. In FIG. 3(a), donor node 1 and donor node 2 may be referred to as IAB donor base stations. In an IAB network, an upstream node directly connected to a node may be called the parent node of the node, and a downstream node directly connected to a node may be called the child node of the node. For example, IAB node 2 may be called the parent node of IAB node 3, and UE 3 and UE 4 may be called the child nodes of IAB node 3.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3(b), IAB node 3, originally connected to donor node 1 via IAB node 2, becomes connected to donor node 2 via IAB node 4. Here, donor node 1 may be called a source donor node of IAB node 3, IAB node 2 may be called a source parent node of IAB node 3, donor node 2 may be called a target donor node of IAB node 3, and IAB node 4 may be called a target parent node of IAB node 3. As shown in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b), IAB node 3 is switched between CUs (i.e., from CU1 to CU2). In this case, the services of UE 3 and UE 4 connected to IAB node 3 may be interrupted.

[0031] For such a scenario, the present disclosure proposes an electronic device in a wireless communication system, a wireless communication method performed by an electronic device in a wireless communication system, and a computer-readable storage medium that optimize the switching process in an IAB network to avoid service interruption for a UE or reduce the service interruption time for the UE.

[0032] The wireless communication system according to the present disclosure may be a 5G NR communication system. In addition, the IAB technology may be applied to the wireless communication system.

[0033] The IAB node and the donor node according to the present disclosure may be a network side device. The network side device may be a base station device deployed by an operator, for example, an eNB or a gNB (a base station in a fifth generation communication system).

[0034] In addition, the IAB node according to the present disclosure may be an electronic device independent of the base station device and having some functions of the base station device. The IAB node may have a function of transmitting and receiving data, may be connected to a UE via an access link, and may be connected to another IAB node or a donor node via a backhaul link.

[0035] Further, the donor node may include a CU and a DU. The IAB node may include a Mobile Termination (MT) unit for connecting to and communicating with a parent node of the IAB node, and a DU for connecting to and communicating with a child node of the IAB node.

[0036] The user equipment according to the present disclosure may be realized as a mobile terminal (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a notebook PC, a portable game terminal, a portable / dongle mobile router, and a digital imaging device) or an in-vehicle terminal (e.g., a car navigation device). The user equipment may also be realized as a terminal that performs Machine To Machine (M2M) communication (also called a Machine Type Communication (MTC) terminal). The user equipment may also be a wireless communication module (e.g., an integrated circuit module including a single chip) mounted on each of these terminals.

[0037] Embodiments according to the present disclosure can be applied not only to the high-speed train scenario described above, but also to all scenarios in which an IAB node is switched between donor nodes.

[0038] <2. Configuration example of electronic devices for core network> 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an electronic device 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device 400 here may be used in a core network. For example, it may be a server in the core network.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4 , the electronic device 400 may include a determining unit 410 , a request generating unit 420 , a notification generating unit 430 , and a communication unit 440 .

[0040] Here, each unit of the electronic device 400 is included in a processing circuit. Note that the electronic device 400 may include one processing circuit or multiple processing circuits. Furthermore, the processing circuit may include various separate functional units to perform various different functions and / or operations. Note that these functional units may be physical or logical entities, and units with different names may be realized by the same physical entity.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the determination unit 410 can determine a topological location of an IAB node (e.g., IAB node 3 in Figures 3(a) and 3(b)) in the IAB network at a next time point, where the topological location includes the IAB node's parent node (e.g., IAB node 4 in Figures 3(a) and 3(b)) and donor node (e.g., donor node 2 in Figures 3(a) and 3(b)).

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the request generating unit 420 can generate a switching request, and the electronic device 400 can send the switching request to a donor node of the IAB node at the next time point via the communication unit 440 to request that the IAB node be switched to a parent node and donor node at the next time point.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the notification generation unit 430 can generate a switch notification including the topological location of the IAB node at the next time point, and the electronic device 400 can send the switch notification to the donor node of the IAB node at the current time point (e.g., donor node 1 in Figures 3(a) and 3(b)) via the communication unit 440, so that the IAB node is simultaneously connected to the donor node at the current time point and the donor node at the next time point in the control plane.

[0044] The electronic device 400 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can predict the parent node and the donor node of the IAB node, so that the IAB node can be connected to the source donor node and the target donor node simultaneously in the control plane, so that the UE connected to the IAB node will not experience service interruption due to the dual connection of the IAB node in the control plane.

[0045] In the present disclosure, the donor node of an IAB node at the current time is also referred to as the source donor node of the IAB node, the parent node of the IAB node at the current time is also referred to as the source parent node of the IAB node, the donor node of an IAB node at the next time is also referred to as the target donor node of the IAB node, and the parent node of the IAB node at the next time is also referred to as the target parent node of the IAB node.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the determining unit 410 can determine the topological location of the IAB node at the next time point according to the historical geographic location and the historical topological location of the IAB node, where the topological location refers to the topological location of the IAB node in the IAB network, including the parent node and the donor node of the IAB node.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Fig. 4, the electronic device 400 may further include a storage unit 450 for storing the geographic location of each IAB node. The geographic location here refers to the actual geographic location of the IAB node, such as the three-dimensional coordinates of the IAB node. That is, the electronic device 400 can obtain the geographic location of each IAB node in real time and store it in the storage unit 450 as a historical geographic location.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 400 can receive a historical topological location of an IAB node from the donor node at the current time of the IAB node through the communication unit 440. Here, each IAB node can periodically send a measurement report to the donor node of the IAB node, the measurement report including the topological location of the IAB node, the topological location including the parent node and the donor node of the IAB node. Thus, the donor node can determine the topological location of the IAB node according to the measurement report and send it to the electronic device 400 as the historical topological location.

[0049] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 400 can predict the topological location of the IAB node according to the historical geographic location of the IAB node stored in the storage unit 450 and the historical topological location of the IAB node obtained from the donor node. Specifically, the determining unit 410 can determine the geographic location of the IAB node at the next time according to the historical geographic location of the IAB node. For example, the determining unit 410 may determine the geographic location of the IAB node at the next time according to parameters such as the movement speed, movement trajectory, etc. of the IAB node, and the prediction process is not limited in the present disclosure. Furthermore, the determining unit 410 can determine the topological location of the IAB node at the next time according to the geographic location of the IAB node at the next time and the historical topological location of the IAB node. That is, the determination unit 410 can determine whether the IAB node is switched according to the topological position of the IAB node at the next time, where the switching includes switching between the same DU, switching between the same CU and different DU, and switching between different CUs (between different donor nodes).

[0050] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the determination unit 410 may periodically or event-wise trigger the determination process to determine the topological location of the IAB node in the IAB network at the next time point, where the next time point may be a future time point designated by the electronic device 400. For example, when the determination unit 410 periodically triggers the determination process, the next time point may be the next period, i.e., the determination unit 410 may determine the topological location of the IAB node at the next period.

[0051] In addition, when the determining unit 410 determines that the donor node of the IAB node changes, the request generating unit 420 may generate a switching request. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the switching request generated by the request generating unit 420 may include information of the parent node of the IAB node at the next time point, where the donor node at the next time point can send a switching request to the parent node at the next time point to determine whether the parent node at the next time point allows the IAB node to access.

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after the donor node at the next time receives a switching response from the parent node at the next time indicating that the IAB node is allowed to access, the electronic device 400 can receive the switching response from the donor node at the next time via the communication unit 440 and determine that the IAB node is allowed to switch to the parent node and donor node at the next time.

[0053] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after the electronic device 400 receives a switching response from the donor node at the next time, the notification generation unit 430 can generate a switching notification including the donor node at the next time and the parent node at the next time, and send the switching notification to the current donor node.

[0054] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 400 can perform the above operations for any one of the IAB nodes. That is, when the donor node of any one of the IAB nodes is changed, the electronic device 400 can send a switch request to the donor node of the IAB node at the next time point and send a switch notification to the donor node of the IAB node at the current time point.

[0055] FIG. 5 is a signaling flow chart showing that an electronic device for a core network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure assists an IAB node to perform a switching process. As shown in FIG. 5, in step S501, a source donor node periodically transmits to a core network a historical topological location of an IAB node connected to the source donor node. Then, in step S502, the core network determines a topological location of the IAB node at the next time according to the historical topological location and the historical geographic location of the IAB node. Then, when the donor node of the IAB node changes, in step S503, the core network transmits a switching request including information of a target parent node to a target donor node, requesting the IAB node to access the target parent node and the target donor node. Then, in step S504, the target donor node transmits a switching request to the target parent node. Then, in step S505, the target parent node transmits a switching response to the target donor node, indicating that the IAB node is allowed to access. Next, in step S506, the target donor node sends a switch response to the core network indicating that the target donor node and the target parent node allow the IAB node to access. Next, in step S507, the core network sends a switch notification including the target donor node and the target parent node to the source donor node, so that the IAB node is connected to the target donor node and the source donor node in the control plane.

[0056] As described above, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the electronic device 400 determines that the donor node of the IAB node has changed, it can notify the target donor node and the target parent node in advance that the IAB node is attempting to access, and send information of the target donor node and the target parent node to the source donor node, thereby preparing to realize dual connectivity in the control plane of the IAB node.

[0057] <3. Example of electronic device configuration for IAB donor node> 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an electronic device 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device 600 here can be used as an IAB donor node, and the IAB donor node may be, for example, a network side device.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 6, the electronic device 600 may include a determining unit 610, a generating unit 620, and a communicating unit 630.

[0059] Here, each unit of the electronic device 600 is included in a processing circuit. Note that the electronic device 600 may include one processing circuit or multiple processing circuits. Furthermore, the processing circuit may include various separate functional units to perform various different functions and / or operations. Note that these functional units may be physical or logical entities, and units with different names may be realized by the same physical entity.

[0060] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 600 can receive, via the communication unit 630, a switch notification including information of the IAB node and a topological location of the IAB node in the IAB network at a next time point, where the topological location includes a parent node and a donor node of the IAB node.

[0061] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the determining unit 610 can determine the next parent node and donor node of the IAB node connected to the electronic device 600 in response to the switch notification.

[0062] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the generating unit 640 can generate a switching notification including a topological location of the IAB node at a next time point, where the topological location includes the parent node and the donor node of the IAB node. In addition, the electronic device 600 can send the switching notification to the IAB node via the communication unit 630, so that the IAB node is simultaneously connected to the electronic device 600 and the donor node at a next time point in the control plane.

[0063] Thus, the electronic device 600 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can send a switch notification including the parent node and the donor node of the IAB node at the next time to the IAB node, so that the IAB node is simultaneously connected to the electronic device 600 and the donor node at the next time in the control plane. In this way, due to the dual connection of the IAB node in the control plane, the UE connected to the IAB node does not experience a service interruption.

[0064] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 600 may be a donor node of an IAB node, that is, the IAB node is directly connected to the electronic device 600 or indirectly connected to the electronic device 600 via one or more other IAB nodes. Furthermore, the electronic device 600 may receive a switch notification from a network side device in a core network.

[0065] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 6, the electronic device 600 may further include a generating unit 640 for generating topological location information of the IAB node. For example, the electronic device 600 may determine the topological location of the IAB node according to a measurement report received from the IAB node. Furthermore, the electronic device 600 may transmit the topological location of the IAB node to a network side device in the core network via the communication unit 630, so that the network side device may determine the topological location of the IAB node at a next time point. Here, the topological location information of the IAB node transmitted from the electronic device 600 to the network side device includes the topological location of the IAB node at a previous time point, and therefore is also referred to as the historical topological location of the IAB node.

[0066] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 600 can periodically obtain measurement reports from the IAB node to determine the topological location of the IAB node, and can periodically transmit the historical topological location of the IAB node to a network side device in a core network.

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 600 can receive a switch notification from a network side device in a core network via an RRC reconfiguration message, and send a switch notification to an IAB node via an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0068] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Fig. 6, the electronic device 600 may further include a switching unit 630 for switching the IAB node from the electronic device 600 to the next donor node in the user plane in response to a switching success message from the next donor node. Here, the electronic device 600 receives a switching success message from the target donor node, indicating that the IAB node is successfully connected to the target parent node and the target donor node. In this case, the switching unit 630 may switch the IAB node from the electronic device 600 to the target donor node in the user plane.

[0069] As described above, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the donor node of the IAB node changes, the IAB node can be simultaneously connected to the electronic device 600 as the source donor node and the target donor node in the control plane. Also, before the IAB node is connected to the target parent node and the target donor node, the IAB node is connected to the source donor node in the user plane, and after the IAB node is connected to the target parent node and the target donor node, the IAB node is connected to the target donor node in the user plane. That is, the IAB node can shorten the switching time by maintaining a single connection in the user plane and realizing a dual connection only in the control plane.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Fig. 6, the electronic device 600 may further include a release unit 660 for releasing a connection with the IAB node in the control plane in response to a release message from the donor node at a next time, so that the IAB node is connected only to the target donor node in both the user plane and the control plane.

[0071] FIG. 7 is a signaling flow chart showing that an electronic device for an IAB donor node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure assists the IAB node to perform a switching process. In FIG. 7, the source donor node may be realized by an electronic device 600. Also, in FIG. 7, the DU and MT units of the IAB node to be switched are shown, respectively. In step S701, the source donor node transmits the historical topology location of the IAB node to the core network. Then, in step S702, the core network, the target donor node, and the target parent node execute a switching preparation process, for example, including steps S502 to S506 in FIG. 5. Then, in step S703, the core network transmits a switching notification to the source donor node, including information of the IAB node to be switched, and information of the target parent node and the target donor node. Then, in step S704, the source donor node transmits a switching notification to the IAB node, including the target parent node and the target donor node. Specifically, the source donor node transmits the switching notification to the MT of the IAB node. Next, in step S705, the IAB node is simultaneously connected to the source donor node and the target donor node in the control plane. Next, in step S706, the source donor node receives a switch success message from the target donor node, indicating that the IAB node has been successfully connected to the target parent node and the target donor node. Next, in step S707, the source donor node switches the IAB node from the source donor node to the target donor node in the user plane. Next, in step S708, the target donor node sends a release message to the source donor node. Next, in step S709, the source donor node releases the connection with the IAB node in the control plane.

[0072] Thus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 600 can send a switch notification to the IAB node, including the parent node and donor node of the IAB node at the next time point, so that the IAB node is simultaneously connected to the electronic device 600 and the donor node at the next time point in the control plane. Also, after the IAB node is successfully connected to the target parent node and the target donor node, the electronic device 600 can switch the IAB node from the electronic device 600 to the target donor node in the user plane and release the connection with the IAB node in the control plane. As a result, the switching time can be reduced while avoiding service interruption of user equipment connected to the IAB node.

[0073] <4. Example of the configuration of electronic devices for IAB nodes> 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an electronic device 800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device 800 here can be used as an IAB node, and the IAB node is, for example, a network side device such as a base station device, or an electronic device having some functions of a base station device (including data transmission and reception).

[0074] As shown in FIG. 8, the electronic device 800 may include a determining unit 810, a connecting unit 820, and a communicating unit 830.

[0075] Here, each unit of the electronic device 800 is included in a processing circuit. Note that the electronic device 800 may include one processing circuit or multiple processing circuits. Furthermore, the processing circuit may include various separate functional units to perform various different functions and / or operations. Note that these functional units may be physical or logical entities, and units with different names may be realized by the same physical entity.

[0076] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 800 can receive a switch notification from the donor node of the electronic device 800 at a current time via the communication unit 830. The switch notification includes a topological location of the electronic device 800 in the IAB network at a next time, where the topological location includes the parent node and the donor node of the electronic device 800.

[0077] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the determining unit 810 can determine the parent node and the donor node of the electronic device 800 at the next time point according to the switching notification.

[0078] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connection unit 820 can be connected to a next time donor node in the control plane and can maintain a connection with a current time donor node in the control plane.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connection unit 820 can perform a random access process to connect the MT unit in the electronic device 800 to the parent node at the next time point. Specifically, the connection unit 820 can perform a random access process to access the parent node at the next time point. Furthermore, the electronic device 800 can send an RRC configuration complete message to the parent node at the next time point, so that the parent node at the next time point forwards the RRC configuration complete message to the donor node at the next time point. In this way, the MT unit in the electronic device 800 is connected to the donor node at the next time point.

[0080] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connection unit 820 can connect the DU in the electronic device 800 to a donor node at the next point in time in the control plane.

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after the connection unit 820 connects the electronic device 800 to the parent node and the donor node at the next time point, the electronic device 800 can send a configuration update message for the electronic device 800 to the donor node at the next time point via the communication unit 830.

[0082] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 800 periodically transmits a measurement report to the current donor node via the communication unit 830, via each IAB node between the electronic device 800 and the current donor node, and the current donor node can determine a topological location of the electronic device 800 according to the measurement report.

[0083] Thus, the electronic device 800 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be simultaneously connected to the source donor node and the target donor node in the control plane. In this way, due to the dual connection of the electronic device 800 in the control plane, the UE connected to the electronic device 800 does not experience service interruption.

[0084] FIG. 9 is a signaling flow chart showing that an electronic device for an IAB node performs a switching process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 9, the IAB node may be realized by an electronic device 800, which respectively shows a DU and an MT unit of the IAB node. In step S901, the DU of the IAB node receives a switching notification including a target parent node and a target donor node of the IAB node from a source donor node. Then, in step S902, the MT unit of the IAB node performs a random access process to access the target parent node. Then, in step S903, the MT unit of the IAB node sends an RRC configuration complete message to the target parent node. Then, in step S904, the target parent node forwards the RRC configuration complete message to the target donor node. Up to this point, the MT of the IAB node has established a connection with the target parent node. Then, in step S905, the DU of the IAB node establishes a connection with the target donor node in the control plane. Next, in step S906, the DU of the IAB node sends a configuration update message of the IAB node to the target donor node. Up to this point, the IAB node is connected to the source donor node and the target donor node through the control plane.

[0085] As described above, the electronic device 400 for a core network, the electronic device 600 for a source donor node, and the electronic device 800 for an IAB node according to the embodiment of the present disclosure have been described. Hereinafter, the overall flow of a switching process in which an IAB node switches a donor node according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.

[0086] FIG. 10 is a signaling flow chart showing a switching process in which an IAB node switches a donor node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 10, the electronic device 400 may be used in a core network, the source donor node may be realized by the electronic device 600, and the IAB node may be realized by the electronic device 800. As shown in FIG. 10, in step S1001, the source donor node periodically transmits the historical topological location of the IAB node connected to the source donor node to the core network. Then, in step S1002, the core network determines the topological location of the IAB node at the next time according to the historical topological location and the historical geographic location of the IAB node. Then, when the donor node of the IAB node changes, in step S1003, the core network transmits a switching request including the information of the target parent node to the target donor node to request the IAB node to access the target parent node and the target donor node. Then, in step S1004, the target donor node transmits a switching request to the target parent node. Then, in step S1005, the target parent node sends a switch response to the target donor node, indicating that the IAB node is allowed to access. Then, in step S1006, the target donor node sends a switch response to the core network, indicating that the target donor node and the target parent node are allowed to access the IAB node. Then, in step S1007, the core network sends a switch notification to the source donor node, including the target donor node and the target parent node. Then, in step S1008, the source donor node sends a switch notification to the IAB node, including the target parent node and the target donor node. Specifically, the source donor node sends the switch notification to the MT of the IAB node. Then, optionally, in step S1009, the core network sends data to the source donor node. Then, in step S1010, the source donor node forwards the data received from the core network to the target donor node, so as to ensure the continuity of the service.Next, in step S1011, the MT of the IAB node performs a random access process to access the target parent node. Next, in step S1012, the MT of the IAB node sends an RRC configuration complete message to the target parent node. Next, in step S1013, the target parent node forwards the RRC configuration complete message to the target donor node. Next, in step S1014, the DU of the IAB node establishes a connection with the target donor node in the control plane. Next, in step S1015, the DU of the IAB node sends a configuration update of the IAB node to the target donor node. Next, in step S1016, the source donor node receives a switch success message from the target donor node, indicating that the connection of the IAB node to the target parent node and the target donor node is successful. Next, in step S1017, the source donor node switches the IAB node from the source donor node to the target donor node in the user plane. Next, in step S1018, the source donor node sends sequence number (SN) status information to the target donor node. Next, in step S1019, the target donor node sends a release message to the source donor node. Next, in step S1020, the source donor node releases the connection with the IAB node in the control plane.

[0087] 11(a) to 11(d) are schematic diagrams illustrating the connection relationships in the user plane and control plane of an IAB node at different stages of a switching process in which the IAB node switches donor nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] In FIG. 11(a), a UE is connected to a DU of a source donor node via three IAB nodes, and each IAB node includes an MT unit and a DU. The IAB node directly connected to the UE indicates an IAB node that switches donors, and the IAB node directly connected to the IAB node is a source parent node. The DU of the source donor node is connected to a CU of the source donor node. The CU-CP (Control Plane) indicates the control plane of the CU, and the CU-UP (User Plane) indicates the user plane of the CU. As shown in FIG. 11(a), the IAB node is connected to the CU of the source donor node in both the user plane and the control plane.

[0089] Figure 11(b) shows a state in which the IAB node is dual-connected in the control plane. That is, after step S1015 in Figure 10 is executed, the connection relationship in the user plane and control plane of the IAB node becomes as shown in Figure 11(b). In Figure 11(b), the IAB node is connected to the CU of the source donor node in the control plane and is simultaneously connected to the CU of the target donor node. The IAB node is connected to the CU of the source donor node in the user plane. In this case, the IAB node is directly connected to the CU of the source donor node in the user plane.

[0090] FIG. 11(c) shows how the IAB node is switched from the source donor node to the target donor node in the user plane after the IAB node is connected to the target donor node. That is, after step S1017 in FIG. 10 is executed, the connection relationship in the user plane and the control plane of the IAB node becomes as shown in FIG. 11(c). In FIG. 11(c), the IAB node is connected to the CU of the source donor node in the control plane and is simultaneously connected to the CU of the target donor node. The IAB node is connected to the CU of the target donor node in the user plane.

[0091] Figure 11(d) shows the state in which the source donor node releases the connection with the IAB node in the control plane after the switching of the IAB node is completed. That is, after step S1020 in Figure 10 is executed, the connection relationship in the user plane and the control plane of the IAB node becomes as shown in Figure 11(d). In Figure 11(d), the IAB node is connected to the CU of the target donor node in the control plane, and the IAB node is also connected to the CU of the target donor node in the user plane.

[0092] Thus, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the core network can predict the target parent node and the target donor node of the IAB node, and trigger the switching process when the donor node of the IAB node changes, so that the IAB node can be connected to the source donor node and the target donor node simultaneously in the control plane. At the appropriate time, the IAB node switches the connection in the user plane from the source donor node to the target donor node. In this way, due to the dual connection of the electronic device 800 in the control plane, the UE connected to the electronic device 800 does not experience service interruption. In addition, since the dual connection is realized only in the control plane and a single connection is maintained in the user plane, the switching time can be shortened. As described above, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the speed of switching can be improved while ensuring that the service of the UE is not interrupted.

[0093] <5. Example of user device configuration> FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic device 1200 used as a user device in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 12, the electronic device 1200 may include a determining unit 1210, a connecting unit 1220, and a communicating unit 1230.

[0095] Here, each unit of the electronic device 1200 is included in a processing circuit. Note that the electronic device 1200 may include one processing circuit or multiple processing circuits. Furthermore, the processing circuit may include various separate functional units to perform various different functions and / or operations. Note that these functional units may be physical or logical entities, and units with different names may be realized by the same physical entity.

[0096] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1200 can receive a switch notification from an IAB node connected to the electronic device 1200 via the communication unit 1230. The switch notification includes a parent node of the IAB node in the IAB network at the next time.

[0097] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the determining unit 1210 can determine that the IAB node is switched by determining the parent node of the IAB node at the next time point according to the switching notification.

[0098] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connection unit 1220 can establish a connection with the parent node in the switch notification.

[0099] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after the IAB node is switched to a parent node, the connection unit 1220 can re-establish a connection with the IAB node.

[0100] As described above, the electronic device 1200 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be temporarily connected to the target parent node of the IAB node while the IAB node connected to it is performing a switching process, thereby shortening the interruption service time of the UE. This is because the distance between the electronic device 1200 and the IAB node connected to it is short, and the electronic device 1200 can be regarded as an access device as an IAB node as a whole, especially in the high-speed train scenario, so that the target parent node of the IAB node is also highly likely to be the optimal node of the electronic device 1200. In this way, the signaling overhead in the switching process can be reduced and faster switching can be achieved.

[0101] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 1200 can receive a switching notification from the IAB node through an RRC reconfiguration message. Here, the IAB node determines a target parent node of the IAB node according to the switching notification (RRC reconfiguration message) from the source parent node, and judges whether the target parent node does not belong to the source donor node. When the target parent node of the IAB node does not belong to the source donor node, that is, the IAB node is switched between donor nodes, the IAB node can send a switching notification including the target parent node to the electronic device 1200. Furthermore, the switching may be triggered by the source donor node according to a measurement report of the IAB node (i.e., the conventional switching triggering method), or may be triggered according to the parent node and donor node at the next time point predicted by the core network (i.e., the above switching triggering method).

[0102] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connection unit 1220 can perform a random access process to establish a connection with the parent node included in the switch notification.

[0103] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after an IAB node is switched to a parent node, the connection unit 1220 can perform a random access process to re-establish a connection with the IAB node. Here, the electronic device 1200 can determine when the IAB node is switched to a parent node. For example, if the IAB node is not successfully switched to a parent node, the electronic device 1200 cannot detect the IAB node because the IAB node is disconnected from the network. Therefore, if the electronic device 1200 can detect the IAB node, the electronic device 1200 can determine that the IAB node has been switched to a parent node, and can re-establish a connection with the IAB node.

[0104] FIG. 13 is a signaling flowchart showing a switching process in which an IAB node switches a donor node according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 13, the UE may be realized by an electronic device 1200. As shown in FIG. 13, in step S1301, the IAB node periodically sends a measurement report to the source parent node. Then, in step S1302, the source parent node forwards the measurement report of the IAB node to the source donor node. Then, in step S1303, the source donor node determines that the IAB node needs to perform a switching process according to the measurement report, and sends a switching request to the target donor node. Then, in step S1304, the target donor node sends a switching request to the target parent node to request that the IAB node access the target parent node. Then, in step S1305, the target parent node sends a switching response to the target donor node, indicating that the access of the IAB node is permitted. Then, in step S1306, the target donor node sends a switch response to the source donor node, indicating that the target donor node and the target parent node allow the IAB node to access. Then, in step S1307, the source donor node sends a switch notification to the source parent node, including the target parent node of the IAB node. Then, in step S1308, the source parent node forwards the switch notification to the IAB node. Then, in step S1309, the IAB node sends a switch notification to the UE, including the target parent node of the IAB node. Then, in step S1310, the UE performs a random access process to access the target parent node. Then, in step S1311, after the UE accesses the target parent node, the IAB node performs a switch process so that it can be switched to the target parent node and the target donor node. Then, in step S1312, the UE determines that the IAB node has already been switched, and performs a random access process to re-access the IAB node. Next, in step S1313, the UE performs an RRC connection re-establishment process.Then, in step S1314, the target donor node sends a path switching of the UE's service to the core network. Note that FIG. 13 illustrates an example in which the source donor node triggers the switching process. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the core network may trigger the switching process in a manner of predicting the target parent node and the target donor node of the IAB node.

[0105] 14(a)-14(c) are schematic diagrams illustrating topology positions of an IAB node and a user equipment connected to the IAB node at different stages of a switching process in which the IAB node switches donor nodes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 14(a)-14(c), the UE may be realized by an electronic device 1200.

[0106] 14(a), the UE is connected to a source donor node via IAB node 5, IAB node 3, and IAB node 1, and IAB node 4 is connected to a target donor node via IAB node 2. Note that the source parent node of IAB node 5 is IAB node 3, and the target parent node is IAB node 4.

[0107] As shown in Fig. 14(b), before IAB node 5 is switched from IAB node 3 to IAB node 4, the UE is switched from IAB node 5 to IAB node 4. That is, before an IAB node is switched to a target parent node, a UE connected to the IAB node is switched to the target parent node. That is, after step S1310 in Fig. 13, the topology configuration of the IAB network becomes Fig. 14(b).

[0108] As shown in Fig. 14(c), after IAB node 5 is switched to IAB node 4, the UE is reconnected to IAB node 5. That is, after the switching of the IAB node is completed, the UE connected to the parent node of the IAB node is reconnected to the IAB node. That is, after step S1314 in Fig. 13, the topology configuration of the IAB network becomes Fig. 14(c).

[0109] As described above, the electronic device 1200 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can be temporarily connected to the target parent node of the IAB node connected thereto while the IAB node is performing a switching process, thereby shortening the interruption service time of the UE, thus reducing the signaling overhead in the switching process and realizing a faster switching.

[0110] 6. Method Examples Next, a wireless communication method performed by the electronic device 400 for a core network in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0111] FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating a wireless communication method performed by the electronic device 400 for a core network in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 15, in step S1510, a topological location of the IAB node in the IAB network at a next time point is determined, where the topological location includes the parent node and the donor node of the IAB node.

[0113] Next, in step S1520, a switch request is sent to the donor node of the IAB node at the next time point, requesting that the IAB node at the next time point be switched to a parent node and a donor node at the next time point.

[0114] Next, in step S1530, a switch notification including the topological position of the IAB node at the next time point is sent to the donor node of the IAB node at the current time point, so that the IAB node is simultaneously connected to the donor node at the current time point and the donor node at the next time point in the control plane.

[0115] Preferably, determining the topological location of the IAB node at the next time point comprises determining the topological location of the IAB node at the next time point as a function of the historical geographic location of the IAB node and the historical topological location.

[0116] Preferably, determining the topological location of the IAB node at the next time includes determining the geographic location of the IAB node at the next time according to the historical geographic location of the IAB node, and determining the topological location of the IAB node at the next time according to the geographic location of the IAB node at the next time and the historical topological location of the IAB node.

[0117] Preferably, the wireless communication method further includes receiving a historical topology location of the IAB node from the donor node at the current time.

[0118] Preferably, the wireless communication method further includes receiving a switch response from the donor node at the next time point and determining that the IAB node is permitted to switch to the parent node and donor node at the next time point.

[0119] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the body performing the above method may be the electronic device 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, so all the embodiments related to the electronic device 400 above are applicable here.

[0120] Next, a wireless communication method implemented by the electronic device 600 for an IAB donor node in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0121] FIG. 16 is a flow chart illustrating a wireless communication method performed by electronic device 600 for an IAB donor node in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 16, in step S1610, a switch notification is received, which includes a topological location of an IAB node in an IAB network at a next time point, where the topological location includes a parent node and a donor node of the IAB node.

[0123] Next, in step S1620, a switch notification is sent to the IAB node so that the IAB node is simultaneously connected to the electronic device 600 and the next donor node in the control plane.

[0124] Preferably, the wireless communication method further includes transmitting the historical topology location of the IAB node to a network side device, so that the network side device determines the topology location of the IAB node at a next time point.

[0125] Preferably, sending the switch notification includes sending the switch notification via an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0126] Preferably, the wireless communication method further includes switching the IAB node from the electronic device 600 to the next time donor node in the user plane in response to a switching success message from the next time donor node.

[0127] Preferably, the wireless communication method further includes releasing the connection with the IAB node in the control plane in response to a release message from the donor node at a next time.

[0128] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the body performing the above method may be the electronic device 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, so all the embodiments related to the electronic device 600 above are applicable here.

[0129] Next, a wireless communication method performed by the electronic device 800 for an IAB node in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0130] FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating a wireless communication method performed by an electronic device 800 for an IAB node in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 17, in step S1710, a switching notification is received from the donor node of the electronic device 800 at the current time, the switching notification including the topological position of the electronic device 800 in the IAB network at the next time, where the topological position includes the parent node and donor node of the electronic device 800.

[0132] Next, in step S1720, a connection is made to the next donor node in the control plane, and the connection to the current donor node is maintained in the control plane.

[0133] Preferably, connecting to the next donor node in the control plane includes performing a random access process to connect the mobile terminal MT unit in the electronic device 800 to the next parent node.

[0134] Preferably, connecting to the next time donor node in the control plane includes connecting a distributed unit DU in the electronic device 800 to the next time donor node in the control plane.

[0135] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the body performing the above method may be the electronic device 800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, so all the embodiments related to the electronic device 800 above are applicable here.

[0136] Next, a wireless communication method implemented by the electronic device 1200 for user equipment in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0137] FIG. 18 is a flow chart illustrating a wireless communication method performed by an electronic device 1200 for user equipment in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0138] As shown in FIG. 18, in step S1810, a switching notification including a parent node of the IAB node in the IAB network at the next time point is received from the IAB node connected to the electronic device 1200.

[0139] Next, in step S1820, a connection with the parent node is established.

[0140] Next, in step S1830, after the IAB node is switched to the parent node, the connection with the IAB node is re-established.

[0141] Preferably, receiving the switch notification includes receiving the switch notification via an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0142] Preferably, establishing a connection with the parent node includes performing a random access process to establish a connection with the parent node.

[0143] Preferably, re-establishing the connection with the IAB node includes performing a random access process to re-establish the connection with the IAB node.

[0144] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the body performing the above method may be the electronic device 1200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, so all the embodiments related to the electronic device 1200 above are applicable here.

[0145] <7. Application Examples> The technology of the present disclosure can be applied to various products.

[0146] For example, the electronic device 400 for the core network may be realized as any type of server, such as a tower server, a rack server, a blade server, etc. The electronic device 400 may be a control module mounted on the server (e.g., an integrated circuit module including a single chip, and a card or blade inserted into a slot of a blade server).

[0147] The electronic equipment 600 for the IAB donor node and the electronic equipment 800 for the IAB node may be realized as a network side device. The network side device may be realized as any type of base station device, such as a macro eNB or a small eNB, or may be realized as any type of gNB (base station in a 5G system). The small eNB may be an eNB covering a cell smaller than a macro cell, such as a pico eNB, a micro eNB, and a home (femto) eNB. Alternatively, the base station may be realized as any other type of base station, such as a NodeB or a base station transceiver (BTS). The base station may include a subject (also called a base station device) configured to control wireless communication and one or more remote radio heads (RRHs) provided at a location different from the subject. The electronic equipment 800 for the IAB node may be an electronic equipment having a part of the function of a base station device independent of the base station device. The electronic equipment may have a function of transmitting and receiving data, may be connected to a UE via an access link, and may be connected to another IAB node or a donor node via a backhaul link.

[0148] The user equipment may be realized as a mobile terminal (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a notebook PC, a portable game terminal, a portable / dongle mobile router, and a digital imaging device) or an in-vehicle terminal (e.g., a car navigation device). The user equipment may also be realized as a terminal that performs machine-to-machine (M2M) communication (also called a machine type communication (MTC) terminal). The user equipment may also be a wireless communication module (e.g., an integrated circuit module including a single chip) mounted on each of these terminals.

[0149] <Server application example> 19 is a block diagram showing an example of a server 1900 capable of implementing the electronic device 400 according to the present disclosure. The server 1900 includes a processor 1901, a memory 1902, a storage device 1903, a network interface 1904, and a bus 1906.

[0150] The processor 1901 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP), and controls the functions of the server 1900. The memory 1902 includes a random access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM), and stores data and programs executed by the processor 1901. The storage device 1903 includes a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory and a hard disk.

[0151] The network interface 1904 is a communication interface for connecting the server 1900 to a communication network 1905. The communication network 1905 may be a core network, such as an evolved packet core network (EPC), or a packet data network (PDN), such as the Internet.

[0152] The bus 1906 interconnects the processor 1901, the memory 1902, the storage device 1903, and the network interface 1904. The bus 1906 may include two or more buses each having a different speed (e.g., a high-speed bus and a low-speed bus).

[0153] In the server 1900 shown in Fig. 19, the determining unit 410, the request generating unit 420, the notification generating unit 430, and the storage unit 450 described using Fig. 4 may be realized by the processor 1901, and the communication unit 440 described using Fig. 4 may be realized by the network interface 1904. For example, the processor 1901 may execute instructions stored in the memory 1902 or the storage device 1903 to perform functions such as determining the topological location of the IAB node, generating a switching request, generating a switching notification, and storing the geographic location of the IAB node.

[0154] <Application example for base station> (First application example) 20 is a block diagram showing a first example of a schematic configuration of an eNB to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied. The eNB 2000 includes one or more antennas 2010 and a base station device 2020. The base station device 2020 and each antenna 2010 may be connected to each other via an RF cable.

[0155] Each of the antennas 2010 includes a single or multiple antenna elements (e.g., multiple antenna elements included in a MIMO antenna) and is used for transmitting and receiving radio signals by the base station device 2020. The eNB 2000 may include multiple antennas 2010 as shown in FIG. 20. The multiple antennas 2010 may be compatible with, for example, multiple frequency bands used by the eNB 2000. Although FIG. 20 shows an example in which the eNB 2000 includes multiple antennas 2010, the eNB 2000 may include a single antenna 2010.

[0156] The base station device 2020 includes a controller 2021 , a memory 2022 , a network interface 2023 , and a wireless communication interface 2025 .

[0157] The controller 2021 may be, for example, a CPU or a DSP, and operates various functions of the upper layer of the base station device 2020. For example, the controller 2021 generates a data packet from data in a signal processed by the wireless communication interface 2025, and transfers the generated packet via the network interface 2023. The controller 2021 can generate a bundled packet by bundling data from a plurality of baseband processors, and transfer the generated bundled packet. The controller 2021 can also have a logical function of performing control such as radio resource control, radio bearer control, mobility management, admission control, or scheduling. The control can also be performed in cooperation with a nearby eNB or core network node. The memory 2022 includes a RAM and a ROM, and stores programs executed by the controller 2021 and various control data (for example, a terminal list, transmission power data, and scheduling data).

[0158] The network interface 2023 is a communication interface for connecting the base station device 2020 to the core network 2024. The controller 2021 can communicate with a core network node or other eNBs via the network interface 2023. In this case, the eNB 2000 and the core network node or other eNBs are connected to each other by a logical interface (e.g., an S1 interface and an X2 interface). The network interface 2023 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface for a wireless backhaul line. When the network interface 2023 is a wireless communication interface, the network interface 2023 can use a higher frequency band for wireless communication compared to the frequency band used by the wireless communication interface 2025.

[0159] The wireless communication interface 2025 supports any cellular communication scheme (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced) and provides wireless connectivity to terminals located in the cell of the eNB 2000 via the antenna 2010. The wireless communication interface 2025 may typically include, for example, a baseband (BB) processor 2026 and an RF circuit 2027. The BB processor 2026 may perform, for example, encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, and multiplexing / demultiplexing, and may perform various types of signal processing of layers (e.g., L1, media access control (MAC), radio link control (RLC), packet data aggregation protocol (PDCP)). The BB processor 2026 may have some or all of the logical functions described above instead of the controller 2021. The BB processor 2026 may be a memory that stores a communication control program, or may be a module including a processor and related circuits configured to execute the program. Program updates may change the functionality of the BB processor 2026. The module may be a card or blade that is inserted into a slot of the base station device 2020. Alternatively, the module may be a chip mounted on the card or blade. At the same time, the RF circuit 2027 may include, for example, mixers, filters, and amplifiers, and may transmit and receive radio signals via the antenna 2010.

[0160] As shown in FIG. 20, the wireless communication interface 2025 may include multiple BB processors 2026. For example, the multiple BB processors 2026 may be compatible with multiple frequency bands used by the eNB 2000. As shown in FIG. 20, the wireless communication interface 2025 may include multiple RF circuits 2027. For example, the multiple RF circuits 2027 may be compatible with multiple antenna elements. Although FIG. 20 shows an example in which the wireless communication interface 2025 includes multiple BB processors 2026 and multiple RF circuits 2027, the wireless communication interface 2025 may include a single BB processor 2026 or a single RF circuit 2027.

[0161] (Second application example) 21 is a block diagram showing a second example of a schematic configuration of an eNB to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied. The eNB 2130 includes one or more antennas 2140, a base station device 2150, and an RRH 2160. The RRH 2160 and each antenna 2140 may be connected to each other via an RF cable. In addition, the base station device 2150 and the RRH 2160 may be connected to each other via a high-speed line such as an optical fiber cable.

[0162] Each of the antennas 2140 includes a single or multiple antenna elements (e.g., multiple antenna elements included in a MIMO antenna) and is used for transmitting and receiving radio signals by the RRH 2160. The eNB 2130 may include multiple antennas 2140 as shown in FIG. 21. The multiple antennas 2140 may be compatible with, for example, multiple frequency bands used by the eNB 2130. Although FIG. 21 shows an example in which the eNB 2130 includes multiple antennas 2140, the eNB 2130 may include a single antenna 2140.

[0163] The base station device 2150 includes a controller 2151, a memory 2152, a network interface 2153, a wireless communication interface 2155, and a connection interface 2157. The controller 2151, the memory 2152, and the network interface 2153 are similar to the controller 2121, the memory 2122, and the network interface 2123 described with reference to Fig. 20. The network interface 2153 is a communication interface for connecting the base station device 2150 to a core network 2154.

[0164] The wireless communication interface 2155 supports any cellular communication method (e.g., LTE and LTE-Advanced) and provides wireless connection to a terminal located in a sector corresponding to the RRH 2160 via the RRH 2160 and the antenna 2140. The wireless communication interface 2155 may typically include, for example, a BB processor 2156. The BB processor 2156 is similar to the BB processor 2126 described with reference to FIG. 20 except that the BB processor 2156 is connected to the RF circuit 2164 of the RRH 2160 via a connection interface 2157. The wireless communication interface 2155 may include multiple BB processors 2156 as shown in FIG. 21. The multiple BB processors 2156 may be compatible with, for example, multiple frequency bands used by the eNB 2130. Note that, although FIG. 11 shows an example in which the wireless communication interface 2155 includes multiple BB processors 2156, the wireless communication interface 2155 may include a single BB processor 2156.

[0165] The connection interface 2157 is an interface for connecting the base station device 2150 (wireless communication interface 2155) to the RRH 2160. The connection interface 2157 may be a communication module for communication in the above-mentioned high-speed line for connecting the base station device 2150 (wireless communication interface 2155) to the RRH 2160.

[0166] The RRH 2160 includes a connection interface 2161 and a wireless communication interface 1963 .

[0167] The connection interface 2161 is an interface for connecting the RRH 2160 (wireless communication interface 1963) to the base station device 2150. The connection interface 2161 may be a communication module for communication in the above-mentioned high-speed line.

[0168] The wireless communication interface 2163 transmits and receives wireless signals via the antenna 2140. The wireless communication interface 2163 can typically include, for example, an RF circuit 2164. The RF circuit 2164 can include, for example, a mixer, a filter, and an amplifier, and can transmit and receive wireless signals via the antenna 2140. The wireless communication interface 2163 can include multiple RF circuits 2164 as shown in FIG. 21. The multiple RF circuits 2164 can support multiple antenna elements. Note that, although FIG. 21 shows an example in which the wireless communication interface 2163 includes multiple RF circuits 2164, the wireless communication interface 2163 may include a single RF circuit 2164.

[0169] In the eNB2000 and the eNB2130 shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, the determining unit 610, the generating unit 620, the generating unit 640, the switching unit 650, and the releasing unit 660 described using FIG. 6, and the determining unit 810 and the connecting unit 820 described using FIG. 8 may be realized by the controller 2021 and / or the controller 2151. At least a part of the functions may be realized by the controller 2021 and the controller 2151. For example, the controller 2021 and / or the controller 2151 may execute instructions stored in the corresponding memory to perform functions such as determining the topological location of the IAB node, generating a switching notification, generating the topological location of the IAB node, switching from the IAB node to the target donor node in the user plane, releasing the connection with the IAB node in the control plane, and connecting with the target donor node and the source donor node in the control plane.

[0170] [Application example for terminal device] (First application example) 22 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a smartphone 2200 to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied. The smartphone 2200 includes a processor 2201, a memory 2202, a storage device 2203, an external connection interface 2204, an image capture device 2206, a sensor 2207, a microphone 2208, an input device 2209, a display device 2210, a speaker 2211, a wireless communication interface 2212, one or more antenna switches 2215, one or more antennas 2216, a bus 2217, a battery 2218, and an auxiliary controller 2209.

[0171] The processor 2201 is, for example, a CPU or a system on chip (SoC), and can control the functions of the application layer and other layers of the smartphone 2200. The memory 2202 includes a RAM and a ROM, and stores data and programs executed by the processor 2201. The storage device 2203 can include storage media such as a semiconductor memory and a hard disk. The external connection interface 2204 is an interface for connecting an external device (for example, a memory card and a universal serial bus (USB) device) to the smartphone 2200.

[0172] The imaging device 2206 includes an image sensor (e.g., a charge-coupled device (CCD) and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)) and generates an image. The sensor 2207 can include a set of sensors such as a measurement sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and an acceleration sensor. The microphone 2208 converts a sound input to the smartphone 2200 into an audio signal. The input device 2209 includes, for example, a touch sensor, a keypad, a keyboard, a button, or a switch configured to detect a touch on the screen of the display device 2210, and receives an operation or information input from a user. The display device 2210 includes a screen (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display), and displays an output image of the smartphone 2200. The speaker 2211 converts an audio signal output from the smartphone 2200 into a sound.

[0173] The wireless communication interface 2212 supports any cellular communication method (e.g., LTE and LTE-Advanced) and performs wireless communication. The wireless communication interface 2212 may typically include, for example, a BB processor 2213 and an RF circuit 2214. The BB processor 2213 may perform, for example, encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, and multiplexing / demultiplexing, and may perform various types of signal processing for wireless communication. At the same time, the RF circuit 2214 may include, for example, a mixer, a filter, and an amplifier, and may transmit and receive wireless signals via an antenna 2216. The wireless communication interface 2212 may be a single chip module on which the BB processor 2213 and the RF circuit 2214 are integrated. As shown in FIG. 22, the wireless communication interface 2212 may include multiple BB processors 2213 and multiple RF circuits 2214. Although FIG. 22 shows an example in which the wireless communication interface 2212 includes multiple BB processors 2213 and multiple RF circuits 2214, the wireless communication interface 2212 may include a single BB processor 2213 or a single RF circuit 2214.

[0174] In addition to the cellular communication system, the wireless communication interface 2212 can support other types of wireless communication systems, such as a short-distance wireless communication system, a proximity communication system, a wireless local network (LAN) system, etc. In this case, the wireless communication interface 2212 can include a BB processor 2213 and an RF circuit 2214 for various wireless communication systems.

[0175] Each of the antenna switches 2215 switches the connection of the antenna 2216 between a plurality of circuits (eg, circuits used for different wireless communication methods) included in the wireless communication interface 2212.

[0176] Each of the antennas 2216 includes a single or multiple antenna elements (e.g., multiple antenna elements included in a MIMO antenna) and is used for transmitting and receiving wireless signals through the wireless communication interface 2212. The smartphone 2200 may include multiple antennas 2216 as shown in Fig. 22. Although Fig. 22 shows an example in which the smartphone 2200 includes multiple antennas 2216, the smartphone 2200 may include a single antenna 2216.

[0177] The smartphone 2200 may include an antenna 2216 for various wireless communication methods. In this case, the antenna switch 2215 may be omitted from the configuration of the smartphone 2200.

[0178] The bus 2217 connects the processor 2201, the memory 2202, the storage device 2203, the external connection interface 2204, the image capture device 2206, the sensor 2207, the microphone 2208, the input device 2209, the display device 2210, the speaker 2211, the wireless communication interface 2212, and the auxiliary controller 2219 to each other. The battery 2218 supplies power to each block of the smartphone 2200 shown in FIG. 22 via a power supply line, and the power supply line is partially represented as a dotted line in the drawing. The auxiliary controller 2219 operates the minimum necessary functions of the smartphone 2200, for example, in a sleep mode.

[0179] In the smartphone 2200 shown in Fig. 22, the determining unit 1210 and the connecting unit 1220 described using Fig. 12 may be realized by the processor 2201 or the auxiliary controller 2219. At least a part of the functions may be realized by the processor 2201 or the auxiliary controller 2219. For example, the processor 2201 or the auxiliary controller 2219 may execute instructions stored in the memory 2202 or the storage device 2203 to perform functions such as determining a target parent node of an IAB node, establishing a connection with the target parent node, and establishing a connection with an IAB node.

[0180] (Second application example) 23 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a car navigation system 2320 to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied. The car navigation system 2320 includes a processor 2321, a memory 2322, a global positioning system (GPS) module 2324, a sensor 2325, a data interface 2326, a content player 2327, a storage medium interface 2328, an input device 2329, a display device 2330, a speaker 2331, a wireless communication interface 2333, one or more antenna switches 2336, one or more antennas 2337, and a battery 2338.

[0181] The processor 2321 is, for example, a CPU or SoC, and can control the navigation function and other functions of the car navigation device 2320. The memory 2322 includes a RAM and a ROM, and stores data and programs executed by the processor 2321.

[0182] The GPS module 2324 measures the position (e.g., latitude, longitude, altitude) of the car navigation device 2320 using GPS signals received from GPS satellites. The sensor 2325 may include a set of sensors such as a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and an air pressure sensor. The data interface 2326 is connected to, for example, an in-vehicle network 2341 via a terminal (not shown) to acquire data generated by the vehicle (e.g., vehicle speed data).

[0183] The content player 2327 plays content stored on a storage medium (e.g., CD and DVD) inserted into the storage medium interface 2328. The input device 2329 includes, for example, a touch sensor, button, or switch configured to detect a touch on the screen of the display device 2330, and receives operations or information input from a user. The display device 2330 includes, for example, a screen of an LCD or OLED display, and displays images of the navigation function or played content. The speaker 2331 outputs sounds of the navigation function or played content.

[0184] The wireless communication interface 2333 supports any cellular communication method (e.g., LTE and LTE-Advanced) and performs wireless communication. The wireless communication interface 2333 may typically include, for example, a BB processor 2334 and an RF circuit 2335. The BB processor 2334 may perform, for example, encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, and multiplexing / demultiplexing, and may perform various types of signal processing for wireless communication. At the same time, the RF circuit 2335 may include, for example, a mixer, a filter, and an amplifier, and may transmit and receive wireless signals via an antenna 2337. The wireless communication interface 2333 may also be a single chip module on which the BB processor 2334 and the RF circuit 2335 are integrated. As shown in FIG. 23, the wireless communication interface 2333 may include multiple BB processors 2334 and multiple RF circuits 2335. Although FIG. 23 shows an example in which the wireless communication interface 2333 includes multiple BB processors 2334 and multiple RF circuits 2335, the wireless communication interface 2333 may include a single BB processor 2334 or a single RF circuit 2335.

[0185] In addition to the cellular communication system, the wireless communication interface 2333 can support other types of wireless communication systems, such as a short-distance wireless communication system, a close-proximity communication system, a wireless LAN system, etc. In this case, the wireless communication interface 2333 can include a BB processor 2334 and an RF circuit 2335 for various wireless communication systems.

[0186] Each of the antenna switches 2336 switches the connection destination of the antenna 2337 between a plurality of circuits (eg, circuits used for different wireless communication methods) included in the wireless communication interface 2333.

[0187] Each of the antennas 2337 includes a single or multiple antenna elements (for example, multiple antenna elements included in a MIMO antenna) and is used for transmitting and receiving wireless signals via the wireless communication interface 2333. The car navigation device 2320 can include multiple antennas 2337 as shown in Fig. 23. Although Fig. 23 shows an example in which the car navigation device 2320 includes multiple antennas 2337, the car navigation device 2320 may include a single antenna 2337.

[0188] The car navigation device 2320 may include an antenna 2337 for various wireless communication methods. In this case, the antenna switch 2336 may be omitted from the configuration of the car navigation device 2320.

[0189] The battery 2338 supplies power to each block of the car navigation device 2320 shown in Fig. 23 via a power supply line, which is partially represented by a dotted line in the drawing. The battery 2338 stores power supplied from the vehicle.

[0190] In the car navigation 2320 shown in Fig. 23, the determining unit 1210 and the connecting unit 1220 described using Fig. 12 may be realized by the processor 2321. At least a part of the functions may be realized by the processor 2321. For example, the processor 2321 can execute instructions stored in the memory 2322 to perform functions such as determining a target parent node of an IAB node, establishing a connection with the target parent node, and establishing a connection with the IAB node.

[0191] The technology of the present disclosure may be realized as an in-vehicle system (or vehicle) 2340 including one or more blocks of a car navigation device 2320, an in-vehicle network 2341, and a vehicle module 2342. The vehicle module 2342 generates vehicle data (e.g., vehicle speed, engine speed, and failure information) and outputs the generated data to the in-vehicle network 2341.

[0192] Although the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present disclosure is of course not limited to the above examples. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can obtain various changes and modifications within the scope of the appended claims, and these changes and modifications are included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0193] For example, all of the units indicated by dotted blocks in the illustrated functional block diagram can be selected in the device to which the functional unit corresponds, and the required functions can be realized by combining each selectable functional unit in an appropriate manner.

[0194] For example, multiple functions included in one unit in the above embodiments can be realized by separate devices. Alternatively, multiple functions realized by multiple units in the above embodiments can each be realized by a separate device. Also, one of the above functions can be realized by multiple units. It goes without saying that such a configuration is included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0195] In this specification, the steps described in the flowcharts include not only processes executed in chronological order, but also processes executed in parallel or independently, not necessarily in chronological order. It goes without saying that the order of steps executed in chronological order may be changed as appropriate.

[0196] Although the above describes the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are only for explaining the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic device for use in a core network, comprising: determining a topological location of an IAB node in an integrated access and backhaul IAB network at a time point, the topological location including a parent node and a donor node of the IAB node; Sending a switch request to a donor node of the IAB node at the next time point to request that the IAB node be switched at the next time point to a parent node and a donor node at the next time point; 11. An electronic device comprising: a processing circuit configured to send a switch notification to a donor node of the IAB node at the current time point, the switch notification including a topological position of the IAB node at the next time point, such that the IAB node is simultaneously connected in a control plane to the donor node at the current time point and the donor node at the next time point.

2. The processing circuitry further comprises: The electronic device of claim 1 , configured to determine a topological location of the IAB node at a next time depending on a historical geographic location and a historical topological location of the IAB node.

3. The processing circuitry further comprises: determining a geographic location of the IAB node at a next time point according to the historical geographic location of the IAB node; 3. The electronic device of claim 2, configured to determine a topological location of the IAB node at a subsequent time depending on a geographic location of the IAB node at the subsequent time and a historical topological location of the IAB node.

4. The processing circuitry further comprises: The electronic device of claim 2 , configured to receive a historical topology location of the IAB node from a donor node at the current time.

5. The processing circuitry further comprises:

2. The electronic device of claim 1, configured to receive a switch response from the next time donor node and determine that the IAB node is permitted to switch to the next time parent node and donor node.

6. An electronic device for use in an integrated access and backhaul IAB donor node, comprising: receiving a switch notification including a topological location of an IAB node in an IAB network at a next point in time, the topological location including a parent node and a donor node of the IAB node; an electronic device comprising: a processing circuit configured to send the switch notification to the IAB node such that the IAB node is simultaneously connected in a control plane to the electronic device and a next-time donor node;

7. The processing circuitry further comprises:

7. The electronic device of claim 6, configured to transmit a historical topology location of the IAB node to a network side device so that the network side device determines a topology location of the IAB node at a next point in time.

8. The processing circuitry further comprises: The electronic device of claim 6 , configured to transmit the switch notification via an RRC reconfiguration message.

9. The processing circuitry further comprises:

7. The electronic device of claim 6, configured to switch the IAB node from the electronic device to the next time donor node in a user plane in response to a switch success message from the next time donor node.

10. The processing circuitry further comprises:

7. The electronic device of claim 6, configured to release a connection with the IAB node in a control plane in response to a release message from the donor node at the next time.

11. An electronic device for use in an integrated access and backhaul IAB node, comprising: receiving a switch notification from a donor node of the electronic device at a current time, the switch notification including a topological location of the electronic device in the IAB network at a next time, the topological location including a parent node and a donor node of the electronic device; An electronic device including a processing circuit configured to be connected in a control plane to the next time point donor node and to maintain a connection in a control plane with the current time point donor node.

12. The processing circuitry further comprises:

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, configured to execute a random access process to connect a mobile terminal MT unit of said electronic device to said next parent node.

13. The processing circuitry further comprises:

12. The electronic device of claim 11, configured to connect a distribution unit DU in the electronic device to the next-time donor node in a control plane.

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