A method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network and an appratus thereof

Abstract

A method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: transmitting by at least one first node, downlink sensing signals, receiving by the at least one first node, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from a second node, determining by the at least one first node, a sensing information related to the second node from the echo, determining by the at least one first node, at least one of the link quality and if distance of the second node is below at least one threshold based on sensing information, determining by the at least one first node, at least one third node suitable for handover; and performing by the at least one first node, handover of the connection with the second node to the at least one third node.

Description

A METHOD FOR PERFORMING HANDOVER BETWEEN TWO NODES USING SENSING INFORMATION IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK AND AN APPRATUS THEREOFField of Invention

[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of 5G-NR. Particularly, the present invention relates to using sensing information for performing handover in a wireless communication network.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely because of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may correspond to implementations of the claimed technology.

[0003] Fifth generation (5G) and beyond wireless systems are expected to provide high- accuracy sensing services, such as indoor localization for autonomous mobile robot (AMR) collision avoidance in smart factories, sensing for autonomous vehicles, railway intrusion detection, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight trajectory tracing, etc. The current cellular systems have been primarily designed and optimized for the purpose of communication.

[0004] Sensing and communication are different operations with different requirements and objectives. Communication can be characterized as accurately and efficiently recovering the information delivered by the transmitter at the receiver, whereas sensing refers to extracting information from the radio waves reflected / scattered by the target(s) of interest, which can be realized either in an active or passive manner. In general, sensing tasks can be split into three different categories, namely, detection, estimation, and recognition. Detection aims to make a binary decision on the status of a target, typically on its presence or absence. Estimation operation, on the other hand, infers useful parameters about the target from noisy returns, e.g., range, velocity, and angle. Finally, recognition refers to understanding what the sensed objectis, based on noisy and / or interfered observations. This may include target recognition, and human activity / event recognition.

[0005] Communication signals can potentially be used for estimating all the key sensing parameters, although being designed without considering the demand for sensing. Due to the wide deployment of the millimeter wave (mmWave) and massive multiple -input and multipleoutput (mMIMO) technologies, communication signals in future wireless systems are expected to have high resolution in both time and angular domains, making it possible to enable high- accuracy sensing using communication signals. Due to growing similarities between communication and sensing systems, a number of hardware modules, such as radio-frequency (RF) front end and analog-digital (A / D) converters, may be shared. Also, some basic signalprocessing modules can be shared. The Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) has been witnessing rapid research because of its advantages. ISAC makes it possible to integrate sensing and communication functionalities within a single transmission. ISAC systems could significantly improve spectrum efficiency and reduce the overall system cost, device size, and energy consumption, since ISAC systems can also share hardware platforms and network infrastructure. Sensing-assisted communication is helpful for beam training, beam tracking, and prediction.

[0006] Before the advent of 5G, communication waveforms were inappropriate for radar target sensing. The signal bandwidth was not wide enough to detect the target range accurately. The required range resolution is at most 1 m for road traffic monitoring, which is hard to be achieved with an LTE communication system [4]. However, using frequency range 2 (FR2) of 5G, a reasonable range resolution of 0.375 m, can be achieved with the 400 MHz signal bandwidth. The small-cell configuration can improve the target sensing accuracy. Moreover, with the massive MIMO (mMIMO) technique, the angle of arrival estimation accuracy can be significantly enhanced by formulating the sharp beam to the target.

[0007] It is well known in the art, that different components in a wireless communication network are referred to as nodes. A node can be a user equipment, serving cell or a target cell. In wireless or cellular networks, it is critical that a node (user equipment) is seamlessly connected to another node (base station) (also known as cell site) for uninterrupted services. Therefore, it is critical that the handover (HO) mechanisms are swift, smooth and reliable. This is especially true for 5G networks where the data speeds are high and systems are designed foruninterrupted communication even when the user is moving. To support user mobility, cellular systems enable handover (HO) mechanisms between nodes to provide seamless experience to users. Whenever a device that is latched to a particular node appears to move towards the cell edge, a set of events are triggered that start the HO of the device to a suitable target node. The event of a device moving towards a cell edge is identified through the channel quality indicator (CQI) measurement on the reference signals (RS). Suitable target nodes are then identified based on the measurements on RS (from neighboring nodes) reported by the device to the source node. To enable these neighboring cell measurements, a measurement gap period is defined, where the current serving node does not transmit / receive to / from the device. It is evident that the HO process involves multiple RS measurements pertaining to the same node and neighboring node. This results in RS overhead and measurement reporting overhead, resulting in decrease in spectral efficiency. With small cells, the number of handovers is going to increase, leading to multifold increase in overhead. 5G and beyond systems employ beambased operation, where the best beam for a device is found based on measurements conducted on reference signals (RS). In case of mobile users, the beam will also keep changing with time. Therefore, there is a need to propose a method of handover which does not result in large overhead in the network.OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network which is able to obtain timing advance (TA) information without the random-access channel (RACH) process.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network that canobtain a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) without message 3 and message 4 information in the RACH process.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network using mono-static sensing.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network using bistatic sensing.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

[0014] The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the description and are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. Such accompanying drawings illustrate the embodiments of the present invention used to describe the principles of the present invention. The embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this invention are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and they mean at least one. In the drawings:

[0015] Fig. 1 illustrates a message flow diagram of performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Fig. 2 illustrates a flowchart of method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Fig. 3 illustrates a flowchart of method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Fig. 4 illustrates a flowchart of method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig. 5 illustrates a flowchart of method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Fig. 6 illustrates a flowchart of method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an optional embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig. 7 illustrates a flowchart of method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Fig. 8 illustrates a message flow diagram of performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Fig. 9 illustrates a flowchart of method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Fig. 10 illustrates a flowchart of method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig. 11 illustrates a flowchart of method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic diagram of a structure of an apparatus in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The summary is provided to introduce aspects related to a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network and an apparatus for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use in determining or limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, which comprises the steps of transmitting by at least one first node, downlink sensing signals, receiving by the at least one first node, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from a second node, determining by the at least one first node, a sensing information related to the second node from the echo, determining by the at least one first node, at least one of the link quality and if distance of the second node is below at least one threshold based on sensing information, determining by the at least one first node, at least one third node suitable for handover, and performing by the at least one first node, handover of the connection with the second node to the at least one third node.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network wherein at least one third node suitable for handover is determined by the at least one first node using sensing information.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, the method further comprises: transmitting by the at least one first node, a request for at least one of sensing information and operating power levels to the at least one third node, receiving by the at least one first node, at least one of sensing information and operating power levels from the at least one third node, determining by the at least one first node, link quality of the at least one third node from the sensing information and operating power levels of the at least one third node.

[0031] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, the method further comprises: transmitting by the at least one first node, at least one handover request message to the at least one third node if the link quality of at least one third node is better than the at least one first node, and

[0032] receiving by the at least one first node, a handover acknowledgement message from the at least one third node, if the at least one third node is available for connection.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, further comprising: transmitting by the at least one first node, a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message to the second node to switch to the at least one third node.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network wherein the RRC connection request message contains identity of the second node and connection establishment cause.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, further comprising: receiving by the at least one first node, echo of the downlink sensing signals, transmitted by the at least one third node, from the second node, estimating by the at least one first node, timing advance (TA) information for second node using sensing information.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, further comprising: receiving by the at least one first node, estimated timing advance (TA) information for the second node from the at least one third node.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, further comprising: receiving by the at least one first node, at leastone of temporary cell - radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI) and uplink grant from the at least one third node.

[0038] According to an optional embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, further comprising: transmitting by the at least one first node, at least one of TA, TC-RNTI and uplink grant to the second node.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, further comprising: transmitting by the at least one first node, a radio resource configuration (RRC) connection request message to the at least one third node to obtain a new cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) from the at least one third node, receiving by the at least one first node, the new C-RNTI from the at least one third node, and transmitting by the at least one first node, the new C-RNTI to the second node.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, wherein the sensing information includes at least one of the distance, velocity, and angle information of the second node.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, comprising: receiving by at least one third node, a request for at least one of sensing information and operating power levels from at least one first node, transmitting by the at least one third node, downlink sensing signals, receiving by the at least one third node, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from a second node, determining by the at least one third node, a sensing information related to the second node from the echo, transmitting by the at least one third node, at least one of sensing information and operating power levels to the at least one first node, receiving by the at least one third node, a handover (HO) request message from the at least one first node if the link quality of the at least one third node is better than the at least one first node and transmitting by the at least one third node, an HO acknowledgment message to the at least one first node, if the at least one third node is available for connection.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, further comprising: estimating by the at least one third node, timing advance information (TA) for second node using sensing information, and transmitting by the at least one third node, estimated timing advance information (TA) to the at least one first node.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, further comprising: transmitting by the at least one third node, at least one of a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI) and uplink grant information to the at least one first node.

[0044] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, further comprising: receiving by the at least one third node, a radio resource configuration (RRC) connection request message from the at least one of at least one first node and second node, to obtain a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) from the at least one third node, transmitting by the at least one third node, a contention resolution message containing the new C-RNTI to at least one of at least one first node and second node.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides a method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, wherein the sensing information includes at least one of the distance, velocity, and angle information of the second node.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides an apparatus for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, comprising: a processor, a memory storing program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: transmit by at least one first node, downlink sensing signals, receive by the at least one first node, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from a second node, determine by the at least one first node, a sensing information related to the second node from the echo, determine by the at least one first node, at least one of the link quality and distance of the second node is below at least one thresholdbased on sensing information, determine by the at least one first node, at least one third node suitable for handover, and perform by the at least one first node, handover of the connection with the second node to the at least one third node.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the invention, the present invention provides an apparatus for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, comprising: a processor, a memory storing program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: receive by at least one third node, a request for at least one of sensing information and operating power levels from the at least one first node, transmit by the at least one third node, downlink sensing signals, receive by the at least one third node, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from the second node, determine by the at least one third node, a sensing information related to second node from the echo, transmit by the at least one third node, at least one of sensing information and operating power levels to the at least one first node, receive by the at least one third node, a handover (HO) request message from the at least one first node if the link quality of the at least one third node is better than the at least one first node, and transmit by the at least one third node, an HO acknowledgment message to the at least one first node, if the at least one third node is available for connection.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. Each embodiment described in this disclosure is provided merely as an example or illustration of the present invention and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 1, at least one first node 101 is connected to at least one second node 103 in operation 107. At least one third node 105 is a candidate to which the second node 103 will be handed over. In operation 109, at least one first node 101 sends downlink signals to theat least one second node 103. In operation 111, the first node 101 receives echo of the sensing signals from the second node 103. In operation 113, the sensing information related to the second node from the echo of the sensing signals is determined at the first node 101. In operation 115, the at least first node 101 determines the link quality. The at least first node 101 also determines if the link quality and the distance of the second node 103 are below certain threshold. The link quality and the distance are determined on the basis of sensing information. In operation 117, the at least one first node 101 determines at least one third node 105 suitable for handover. In operation 119, the handover of the connection of the second node 103 to the at least one third node 105 is completed by the first node 101. In operation 121, the connection between the second node 103 and the third node 105 is established. Once the HO process is completed, any data buffered in the first node 101 is moved to the third node 105 and new incoming downlink data is now rerouted to the third node 105 (which now becomes the first node). In some of the embodiments, a first node can be a serving cell which is connected to a second node which can be a user equipment. In some of the embodiments, a third node can be a target cell which will become the serving cell after completion of handover. However, the embodiments described in the disclosure are not limited to any particular implementation of a node.

[0050] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented through both monostatic sensing and bi- static sensing depending upon the configuration of the network system. In the case of downlink mono-static sensing, the downlink signals transmitted from the first node 101 and third node 105 to the second node 103 are exploited for sensing. The first node and third node receive the echo signals reflected from second node, using its own receiver. In the case of downlink bi-static sensing, the downlink signals from the third node are exploited for sensing as they hit the second node and are reflected to the first node 101. In the case of downlink bi-static sensing, the downlink signals from the third node 105 are exploited for sensing as they hit the second node 103 and are reflected to the first node 101.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 2, in step 203, the downlink signals are transmitted by the at least one first node 101 to the at least one second node 103. In step 205, the at least one first node 101 receives an echo of the downlink sensing signals from the second node 103. Thereafter, in step 207, the at least one first node 101, determines sensing information related to the second node 103 from the echo of the downlink sensing signals. In step 209, the at least one first node 101 determines the link quality. The at least one first node 101 also determines if the link qualityand the distance of the second node 103 is below a certain threshold. This determination is made on the basis of sensing information. The threshold may be predefined. In step 211, the at least one first node 101 determines, at least one third node 105 suitable for handover. In step 213, the at least one first node 101 performs handover of its connection with the second node 103 to the at least one third node 105.

[0052] In the present disclosure, the sensing information include the distance, velocity, azimuth angle, and heading direction of the target user. The measurement reports will be exchanged between the first node 101, 801 and at least one third node 105, 805 through the Xn interface. In some cases, the measurement reports can also be transmitted to a centralized module based on the environment or application in which the present invention and its embodiments are being implemented. It is quite evident that the suitable beam for a device is associated with the angular location of the device. Moreover, the suitable third node 105,805 can also be determined based on the distance and angular information. Therefore, the sensing information can be used in beam management and HO operations to make decisions on suitable beam, HO trigger, suitable target BS etc., without RS based measurements, reducing the overhead. Since RS based measurements on channel state information (CSI) are required for each second node 103, 803 in many of the applications in the prior art, there is a substantial overhead in terms of computational resources. The methods of the present disclosure reduce the overhead.

[0053] The present invention discloses two methods for calculating link qualities which form an important factor in HO decision. The methods are described below:(i) Method I: If the first node 101, 801 and third node 105, 805 are operating at different power levels, the first node 101, 801 calculates the link qualities of the third node 105, 805 to second node 103, 803 and second node 103, 803 to the first node 101,801 based on the distance of the second 103, 803 and transmit power levels from the first node 101, 801 and third node 105, 805.(ii) Method II: If first node 101, 801 and third node 105,805 are operating at the same power levels, the first node 101, 801 checks the following distance condition: dfirst node > dthird node,where dfirst node = distance of second node 103,803 from first node 101,801 and dthird node = distance of second node 103,803 from third node 105,805

[0054] The first node 101, 801 sends a HO request message to the third node 105, 805 if the link quality of the third node 105,805 is better than the first node 101, 801 (from Method I) (or) dfirstnode > dthirdnode (from Method II). On the other hand, if the link quality of the third node 105, 805 is not better than the first node 101,801, the first node 101,801 continues to provide services to the second node 103,803.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 3, in one of the embodiments, the method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network may comprise additional step 301 wherein a request for sensing information and operating power levels is transmitted by the at least one first node 101 to the at least one third node 105. In additional step 303, at least one of sensing information and operating power levels transmitted by the at least one third node 105 is / are received by the at least one first node 101. In additional step 305, the at least one first node 101 determines link quality of the at least one third node 105from the sensing information and operating power levels of the at least one third node 105.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 4, in one of the embodiments, the method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network may comprise additional step 401 wherein the at least one first node 101 transmits at least one handover request message to the at least one third node 105 if the link quality of the at least one third node 105 is better than the at least one first node 101. In additional step 403, an HO acknowledgment message sent by the at least one third node 105 is received by the at least one first node 101 if the at least one third node 105 is available for connection.

[0057] In one of the embodiments, the method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network includes a step of transmitting by the at least one first node 101, a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message to the second node 103 to switch to the at least one third node 105. The RRC reconfiguration message contains the necessary information for the second node to access the third node.

[0058] In one of the embodiments, RRC connection request message contains identity of the second node and connection establishment cause. The identity of the second node may be in the form of temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI) or Random value.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 5, in one of the embodiments, the method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network may comprise additional step 501 wherein the at least one first node 101 receives the echo of the downlink signals transmitted by the at least one third node 105, from the second node 103. In the additional step 503, the at least one first node 101 estimates timing advance (TA) information for second node 103 using sensing information. The TA value can be obtained based on the propagation delay. As a result, the random-access channel (RACH) process in 5G NR can be avoided for the estimation of Timing advance (TA) to access the uplink. Timing advance controls the uplink transmission timing of the second node 103,803.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 6, in one of the optional embodiments, the method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network may comprise additional step of receiving by the at least one first node 101, at least one of TC- RNTI and uplink grant from the at least one third node 105.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 7, in one of the embodiments, the method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network may comprise additional step 701 of transmitting by the at least one first node 101, a radio resource configuration (RRC) connection request message to the at least one third node 105 to obtain a new cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) from the at least one third node 105. In additional step 703, the at least one first node 101 receives the new C-RNTI from the at least one third node 105. In additional step 705, the at least one first node 101 transmits the new C- RNTI to the second node 103. The new C-RNTI will be used for further communication. As a result, the steps involved in message 3 and message 4 in the Random Access Channel (RACH) process can be ignored. This leads to reduced computational cost when compared to a handover procedure of the prior art.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 8, in one of the embodiments, the method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network has at least one first node 801, which sends a request to the at least one third node 805 for obtaining sensinginformation and operating power levels in operation 807. In reply, the at least one third node 805 sends downlink signals to the second node 803 in operation 809. In operation 811, the at least one third node 805 receives echo of sensing signals from the at least second node 803. In operation 813, the at least one third node 805 determines sensing information from echo. In operation 815, the third node 805 transmits at least one of sensing information and operating power levels to the first node 801. The operating power levels are exchanged between the first node 801 and third node 805 via the Xn interface. On the basis of sensing information and operating power levels, the at least one first node 801 sends a handover (HO) request to the at least one third node 805 in operation 817 if the link quality of the at least one third node 805 is better than the at least one first node 801. In operation 819, the at least one third node 805 sends a HO acknowledgement to the at least one first node 801 if the at least one third node 805 is available for connection. Once the HO process is completed, any data buffered in the first node 801 is moved to the third node 805 and new incoming downlink data is now rerouted to the third node 805 (which now becomes the first node 801).

[0063] As shown in Fig. 9, in step 903, the at least one third node 805 receives a request for at least one of sensing information and operating power levels from at least one first node 801. In step 905, the at least one third node 805 transmits downlink sensing signals to the at least one second node 803. In step 907, the at least one third node 805 receives echo of the downlink sensing signals from a second node 803. In step 909, the at least one third node 805 determines sensing information related to the second node 803 from the echo. In step 911, the at least one third node 805 transmits at least one of sensing information and operating power levels to the at least one first node 801. In step 913, the at least one third node 805 receives a HO request message from the at least one first node 801 if the link quality of the at least one third node 805 is better than the at least one first node 801. In step 915, if the at least one third 805 is available for connection, it transmits an HO acknowledgment message to the at least one first node 801. Once the HO process is completed, any data buffered in the first node 801 is moved to the third node 805 and new incoming downlink data is now rerouted to the third node 805 (which now becomes the first node 801).

[0064] As shown Fig. 10, in one of the embodiments, the method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network comprises an additional step 1001 wherein the at least one third node 805 estimates the timing advanceinformation (TA) for the second node 803 using sensing information. In additional step 1003, the at least one third node 805 transmits the estimated timing advance information (TA) to the at least one first node 801.

[0065] As shown Fig. 11, in one of the embodiments, the method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network comprises an additional step 1101 wherein the at least one third node 805 receives a radio resource configuration (RRC) connection request message from the at least one of first node 801 and second node 803, to obtain a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) from the at least one third node 805. The new C-RNTI will be used for further communication. In additional step 1103, the at least one third node 805 transmits a contention resolution message containing the new C-RNTI to at least one of at least one first node 801 and second node 803.

[0066] FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic diagram of a structure of an apparatus in accordance with the embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus shown in FIG. 12 may be used in the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure, and performs the methods discloses in the present disclosure. In some implementations, apparatus 1200 may be configured by memory 1203 in communication with the processor 1201. The apparatus may also contain different module(s) 1205 that may perform any additional functions. It should be noted that, it should be understood that division of the modules of the foregoing apparatus is merely division of logical functions, and in actual implementation, all or some modules may be integrated into one physical entity, or may be physically separated. In addition, all of these modules may be implemented in a form of invoking software by a processor element, or all of these modules may be implemented in a form of hardware, or some modules are implemented in a form of invoking software by a processor element, and some modules are implemented in a form of hardware. In addition, all or some of these modules may be integrated together, or may be implemented separately. The processor element described herein may be an integrated circuit and has a signal processing capability. In an implementation process, steps in the foregoing methods or the foregoing modules can be implemented by using a hardware integrated logical circuit in the processor element, or by using instructions in a form of software.

[0067] In one of the embodiments, an apparatus for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network comprises: a processor (1201) a memory (1203) storing program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causesthe processor to: transmit by the at least one first node 101, downlink signals; receive by the at least one first node 101, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from a second node 103; determine by the at least one first node 101, a sensing information related to the second node 103 from the echo; determine by the at least one first node 101, at least one of the link quality and distance of the second node 103 is below at least one threshold based on sensing information; determine by the at least one first node 101, at least one third node 105 suitable for handover; and perform by the at least one first node 101, handover of the connection with the second node 103 to the at least one third node 105.

[0068] In one of the embodiments, an apparatus for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network comprises: a processor (1201) a memory (1203) storing program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: receive by at least one third node 805, a request for at least one of sensing information and operating power levels from the at least one first node 801; transmit by the at least one third node 805, downlink sensing signals; receive by the at least one third node 805, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from the second node 803; determine by the at least one third node 805, a sensing information related to second node 803 from the echo; transmit by the at least one third node 805, at least one of sensing information and operating power levels to the at least one first node 801; receive by the at least one third node 805, a handover (HO) request message from the at least one first node 801 if the link quality of the at least one third node is better than the at least one first node 801; and transmit by the at least one third node 805, an HO acknowledgment message to the at least one first node 801, if the at least one third node 805 is available for connection.

[0069] All or some of the foregoing embodiments may be implemented by using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When software is used to implement the embodiments, all or some of the embodiments may be implemented in a form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the procedures or functions according to embodiments of this application are all or partially generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, or another programmable apparatus. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or may be transmitted from a computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium.

[0070] The figures of the disclosure are provided to illustrate some examples of the invention described. The figures are not to limit the scope of the depicted embodiments of the appended claims. Aspects of the disclosure are described herein with reference to the invention to example embodiments for illustration. It should be understood that specific details, relationships, and method are set forth to provide a full understanding of the example embodiments. One of ordinary skill in the art recognize the example embodiments can be practiced without one or more specific details and / or with other methods.

[0071] It is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, unless described otherwise.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: transmitting by at least one first node, downlink sensing signals; receiving by the at least one first node, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from a second node; determining by the at least one first node, a sensing information related to the second node from the echo; determining by the at least one first node, at least one of the link quality and if distance of the second node is below at least one threshold based on sensing information; determining by the at least one first node, at least one third node suitable for handover; and performing by the at least one first node, handover of the connection with the second node to the at least one third node.

2. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one third node suitable for handover is determined by the at least one first node using sensing information.

3. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network as claimed in claim 1, comprising: transmitting by the at least one first node, a request for at least one of sensing information and operating power levels to the at least one third node; receiving by the at least one first node, at least one of sensing information and operating power levels from the at least one third node; determining by the at least one first node, link quality of the at least one third node from the sensing information and operating power levels of the at least one third node.

4. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network as claimed in claim 1, comprising:transmitting by the at least one first node, at least one handover request message to the at least one third node if the link quality of at least one third node is better than the at least one first node; and receiving by the at least one first node, a handover acknowledgement message from the at least one third node, if the at least one third node is available for connection.

5. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network as claimed in claim 1, comprising: transmitting by the at least one first node, a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message to the second node to switch to the at least one third node.

6. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network as claimed in claim 5, wherein the RRC connection request message contains identity of the second node and connection establishment cause.

7. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network as claimed in claim 1, comprising: receiving by the at least one first node, echo of the downlink sensing signals, transmitted by the at least one third node, from the second node; estimating by the at least one first node, timing advance (TA) information for second node using sensing information.

8. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network as claimed in claim 1, comprising: receiving by the at least one first node, estimated timing advance (TA) information for the second node from the at least one third node.

9. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network as claimed in claim 1, comprising: receiving by the at least one first node, at least one of temporary cell - radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI) and uplink grant from the at least one third node.

10. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network as claimed in claim 1, comprising:transmitting by the at least one first node, at least one of TA, TC-RNTI and uplink grant to the second node.

11. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network as claimed in claim 1, comprising: transmitting by the at least one first node, a radio resource configuration (RRC) connection request message to the at least one third node to obtain a new cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) from the at least one third node; receiving by the at least one first node, the new C-RNTI from the at least one third node; and transmitting by the at least one first node, the new C-RNTI to the second node.

12. The method for performing handover in a wireless communication network according to any one of the claims 1 to 11, wherein the sensing information includes at least one of the distance, velocity, and angle information of the second node.

13. A method for performing handover between two nodes, using sensing information, in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving by at least one third node, a request for at least one of sensing information and operating power levels from at least one first node; transmitting by the at least one third node, downlink sensing signals; receiving by the at least one third node, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from a second node; determining by the at least one third node, a sensing information related to the second node from the echo; transmitting by the at least one third node, at least one of sensing information and operating power levels to the at least one first node; receiving by the at least one third node, a handover (HO) request message from the at least one first node if the link quality of the at least one third node is better than the at least one first node; and transmitting by the at least one third node, an HO acknowledgment message to the at least one first node, if the at least one third node is available for connection.

14. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless network as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:estimating by the at least one third node, timing advance information (TA) for second node using sensing information; and transmitting by the at least one third node, estimated timing advance information (TA) to the at least one first node.

15. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless network as claimed in claim 13, further comprising: transmitting by the at least one third node, at least one of a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI) and uplink grant information to the at least one first node.

16. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless network as claimed in claim 13, further comprising: receiving by the at least one third node, a radio resource configuration (RRC) connection request message from the at least one of first node and second node, to obtain a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) from the at least one third node; transmitting by the at least one third node, a contention resolution message containing the new C-RNTI to at least one of at least one first node and second node.

17. The method for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless network as claimed in any one of the claims 13 to 16, wherein the sensing information includes at least one of the distance, velocity, and angle information of the second node.

18. An apparatus for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising: a processor; a memory storing program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: transmit by at least one first node, downlink sensing signals; receive by the at least one first node, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from a second node; determine by the at least one first node, a sensing information related to the second node from the echo;determine by the at least one first node, at least one of the link quality and distance of the second node is below at least one threshold based on sensing information; determine by the at least one first node, at least one third node suitable for handover; and perform by the at least one first node, handover of the connection with the second node to the at least one third node.

19. An apparatus for performing handover between two nodes using sensing information in a wireless communication network, the apparatus comprising: a processor; a memory storing program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: receive by at least one third node, a request for at least one of sensing information and operating power levels from the at least one first node; transmit by the at least one third node, downlink sensing signals; receive by the at least one third node, an echo of the downlink sensing signals from the second node; determine by the at least one third node, a sensing information related to second node from the echo; transmit by the at least one third node, at least one of sensing information and operating power levels to the at least one first node; receive by the at least one third node, a handover (HO) request message from the at least one first node if the link quality of the at least one third node is better than the at least one first node; and transmit by the at least one third node, an HO acknowledgment message to the at least one first node, if the at least one third node is available for connection.

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