Connection setup for wireless access and backhaul

Abstract

A method performed by a first network node in communication with a user equipment, UE, includes: determining, based on configuration information, whether a cell is served by a wireless access and backhaul, WAB, network node; and performing at least one action based on the determination.

Description

[0001] CONNECTION SETUP FOR WIRELESS ACCESS AND BACKHAUL

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, and in particular, to connection setup for wireless access and backhaul.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) includes work related to wireless access and backhaul (WAB), such as Rel-19 study item description (SID) for the study on additional topological enhancements for New Radio (NR) in RP-234041. The study consists of two parts: (a) WAB, which refers to a mobile gNB; and (b) fifth generation (5G) femto.

[0006] A justification of the WAB part of the SI is that the legacy building blocks for 5G radio access network (RAN) topologies should be enhanced to provide a broader range of use cases, such as: (a) 5G access for user equipment (UEs) onboard aircrafts, cruise ships, helicopters, and vehicles in remote areas with limited sky visibility via an onboard gNB; (b) backhauling of next generation (NG) and Xn via terrestrial network (TN) and non-terrestrial network (NTN), including support of NTN <-> TN handover for backhaul; (c) support for onboard / on-site mobile edge computing (MEC) and local services; (d) support for backhauling without RAN-sharing or roaming agreements between access public land mobile networks (PLMNs) and backhaul PLMN(s); and (e) backhauling for local gNB deployed in public safety or disaster recovery scenarios.

[0007] WAB may be aligned with vehicle mounted relay (VMR) use cases. It is expected that single-hop backhauling is sufficient for WAB and that there is no impact to UEs at this late stage of 5G deployment.

[0008] The objectives from the SID related to the WAB study are as follows: (a) study the architecture and protocol stack of supporting a gNB with mobile termination (MT) function providing protocol data unit (PDU) session backhaul; (b) study impact of WAB mobility within an existing RAN (e.g., inter-gNB neighbour relations); (c) identify necessary inter- gNB- and gNB-to-core network (CN) signalling to address the support of WAB; and (d) study signalling enhancements on resource multiplexing for WAB.

[0009] The WAB study does not preclude any backhaul scenario (e.g., NTN or TN).

[0010] A potential WAB architecture illustrated in FIG. 1. A key feature of the WAB architecture is that a WAB node consists of a WAB-gNB and a WAB-MT. The WAB-gNB part of an WAB node serves UEs, while the WAB node uses its WAB-MT part to connect with the rest of the mobile network, i.e., to connect to its serving gNB (the BH-gNB in FIG. 1). In this architecture, the PDU sessions established between the WAB-MT and the backhaul (BH) user plane function (UPF) are used to carry the NGAP and XnAP connections of the WAB-gNB.

[0011] The 5G core network (5GC) serving the WAB-gNB with its connected UEs (i.e., the 5GC, “UE‘s 5GC”, in FIG. 1) may be the same as or different from the 5GC serving the WAB-MT (i.e., the black BH 5GC in FIG. 1).

[0012] The link between the BH-gNB and the WAB-MT is referred to as the backhaul (BH) link (NR BH). The link between the WAB-gNB and the UE is referred to as the access link (NR Access).

[0013] In Release 18, the 3GPP groups worked towards enhancing functionality of integrated access and backhaul (IAB) through mobile-IAB providing 5G coverage enhancement to onboard and surrounding UEs. The initial use cases for mobile-IAB / VMR (vehicle mounted relay) are expected to be based on 3GPP TR 22.839.

[0014] One of the main use cases of a mobile IAB cell is to serve the UEs which are residing in the vehicle with the vehicle mounted relay. Other relevant use cases for mobile lABs involves a mobile / nomadic IAB network node mounted on a vehicle that provides extended coverage. This involves scenarios where additional coverage is required during special events like concerts, or during disasters. The nomadic IAB node provides access to surrounding UEs while the backhaul traffic from the nomadic IAB node is then transmitted wirelessly either with the help of IAB donors or non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). A nomadic IAB node also reduces or even eliminates signal strength loss due to vehicle penetration for UEs that are present in the vehicles.

[0015] Advantages of mobile IAB include reducing / eliminating the vehicle penetration loss (specially at high frequency) and reducing / eliminating group handover.

[0016] In most use cases mobile IAB is expected to be mounted on public transport vehicles and to move, to a large extent, in a pre-determined route. An example is illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a mobile IAB mounted on a bus travelling on a route that is covered by four different parent IAB nodes (parent 1,2, 3, 4). The parent nodes backhaul their traffic through two donor nodes (donor X,Y). The Mobile IAB -node involves Intra-Donor, InterDonor (same CU) and Inter CU. An IAB node has an IAB distributed unit (DU) that provides access to UEs around it and an IAB-MT that provides a backhaul connection of the IAB node to its parent(s) and the rest of the network. The parent IAB nodes consist of lAB-DUs that provide access to UEs and the mobile IAB present in their coverage. lAB-nodes also consist of an IAB-MT that backhauls its traffic together with traffic from the mobile IAB node. Finally, the two donor nodes consist of DU that provides access and a central unit (CU) that is connected to the core network. The CUs in both donor nodes maintain a Fl connection to lAB-DUs under it.

[0018] When the mobile IAB node moves from one geographical area to the next, it passes through different areas covered by various cells of stationary parent nodes.

[0019] In mobile IAB, it is only the mlAB-DU that is moving, the CU is stationary. On the other hand, in WAB nodes, the whole node is moving, including the WAB-gNB (full gNB onboard) and the WAB-MT.

[0020] Below is an excerpt from TS 38.422 vl8.0.0, which describes the XnAP (i.e., Xn- C) interface.

[0021] »»»»»»>Start of excerpt from TS 38.422 vl7.1.0 «««««««

[0022] 4.1 Functions and protocol stack

[0023] Xn-C signalling bearer provides the following functions:

[0024] Provision of reliable transfer of XnAP message over Xn-C interface.

[0025] Provision of networking and routeing function.

[0026] Provision of redundancy in the signalling network.

[0027] Support for flow control and congestion control.

[0028] The protocol stack for Xn-C Signalling Bearer is shown in figure 4.1-1 and details on each protocol are described in the following clauses.

[0029] Figure 4.1-1: Xn-C signalling bearer protocol stack is reproduced as FIG. 3

[0030] The Transport Network Eayer is based on IP transport, comprising SCTP on top of IP.

[0031] »»»»»»>End of excerpt from TS 38.422 vl7.1.0 «««««<

[0032] There currently exist certain challenges. For example, because a WAB-gNB is a moving gNB, it should be decided whether Xn can be set up from a WAB-gNB to surrounding fixed (i.e., static) gNBs, and vice versa. Further, procedures such as handover rely on Xn connectivity, so a problem is how to handle such procedures that are dependent upon the existence of Xn connection of the WAB-gNB node. Handling of handovers for UEs served by WAB nodes (which comprise a WAB- gNB and a WAB-MT part) is expected to be more complex compared to handovers of UEs served by mobile IAB -nodes (mobile IAB was standardized in rel-18 as an extension of IAB standardized in rel-16 and rel-17). In mobile IAB, it is only the mlAB-DU that is moving, the donor CU of the mobile lAB-node is stationary and most likely has Xn connectivity to its neighbours. On the other hand, in WAB nodes, the whole node is moving, including the WAB-gNB (full gNB onboard) and the WAB-MT and it may not always make sense to establish Xn connectivity towards neighbouring (e.g., fixed) gNBs.

[0033] An example scenario is illustrated in FIG. 4, where a UE served by a fixed (i.e., static) gNB must be handed over to a WAB-gNB. As described above, for mobile IAB, because the donor CU serving the UE is static, it can be assumed that there exists Xn connection between the donor CU and the source / target gNB / donor CU for UE handover. This means that handover can happen by means of Xn.

[0034] On the other hand, for WAB-gNBs, there are certain complications arising from the fact that the WAB-gNB is moving: One complication is that it cannot be assumed that there exists an Xn connection between the fixed gNB and the (moving) WAB-gNB. When the WAB node is moving, the Xn connectivity may not be reliable or would have to be dynamically updated (i.e., old Xn released and new Xn to be established). In general, the existence of Xn connectivity with the surrounding network can only be assumed if the vessel hosting the WAB node is static for an extended period. Another complication is that there may not exist neighbour cell relations between the fixed gNB and the WAB-gNB that can assist with efficient Xn based Handovers.

[0035] Thus, it cannot be assumed that the handover can always be executed via Xn. In such cases, NG based handover coordinated via access and mobility management function (AMF) may be needed.

[0036] FIG. 4 illustrates UE handover from a fixed (i.e., static) gNB to a WAB-gNB.

[0037] Thus, there are two alternative methods available for performing handover of the UE from the static node to the mobile WAB-gNB node, namely Xn-based and NG-based. Which alternative to go with has to be decided on the fly while ensuring that the handover success rate does not degrade. For example, if a UE served by the fixed gNB detects that the cell belonging to WAB-gNB has better signal quality, and the UE reports it to the serving fixed gNB, the fixed gNB may attempt to set up an Xn with WAB-gNB, but the Xn setup and / or handover may fail or may be rejected. One reason for failure of Xn setup towards WAB- gNB may be that the WAB-gNB is configured not to accept or does not support Xn setup towards other RAN nodes. This may lead to handover failure.

[0038] The data forwarding to ensure seamless and lossless communication also need new solutions. This can be a challenging situation in a deployment with a WAB-gNB node. The data forwarding issue can happen the other way around as well (i.e., from WAB-gNB to static gNB)

[0039] SUMMARY

[0040] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. For example, particular embodiments include trigger conditions to set up an Xn connectivity towards WAB-gNB from other static gNBs (fixed) and from WAB-gNB to static gNBs.

[0041] Particular embodiments ensure that correct decision is made in advance whether an Xn connectivity should be established with a WAB-gNB and UE handover towards it should be executed, or whether NGAP based handover should be executed for a UE, i.e., does not rely upon hit and trial mechanism (that is instead of guessing if Xn can be set up or not, the gNB may initiate Xn but may fail and learn to use alternative approach, i.e., to go via NG route).

[0042] Particular embodiments include enhancements to establish Xn towards WAB-gNB from fixed gNB. One enhancement is early identification of a WAB-gNB node. According to some embodiments, an operations and management (OAM) node reserves certain physical cell identifier (PCI) values that would indicate that those PCIs belong to WAB- gNB node and (pre)configures those PCI in fixed gNBs so that the fixed gNBs can identify that the detected (e.g., strong) cell from its UE is from a WAB-gNB. Some embodiments are similar, but use the PLMN ID, NCI (NR cell identity) and / or cell identity (CI) and / or gNB ID (gNB identity).

[0043] According to some embodiments, an OAM node reserves certain frequency (carrier) for the operation of WAB-gNB node such that when UE detects such carrier frequency and reports to the network, the UE or fixed gNB identifies that it is a WAB-gNB.

[0044] According to some embodiments, a WAB-gNB cell may broadcast in system information base (SIB) indicating that it is a WAB-gNB Node that can be identified by the UE and reported to fixed gNB as part of automatic neighbour relations report (ANR). According to some embodiments, a WAB-gNB cell may broadcast in SIB indicating that it is a WAB-gNB Node and whether it allows to set up Xn towards it or whether only NGAP based handover is allowed.

[0045] According to some embodiments, an AMF or OAM may signal to fixed gNBs whether Xn can be set up or whether NGAP should be used for incoming UE handovers. Note that, in some cases, the Xn setup may be allowed for purposes other than handover, and this can also be indicated.

[0046] Another enhancement is preference by WAB-gNB. According to some embodiments, a WAB-gNB based upon the knowledge about its movement, e.g., how long it is staying in a harbour or in a bus stop, may decide with its internal setting (local configurations) whether Xn can be set up or not.

[0047] According to some embodiments, a WAB-gNB cell may broadcast in SIB indicating that it is a WAB-gNB Node and whether it allows to set up Xn or only NGAP based handover is allowed.

[0048] According to some embodiments, an AMF may signal to fixed gNBs whether Xn can be set up or NGAP should be used for handover towards WAB-gNBs. Note that, in some cases, the Xn setup may be allowed for purposes other than handover, and this can also be indicated.

[0049] Another enhancement includes actions based upon early detection. According to some embodiments, the fixed gNB depending upon the (early) identification of WAB-gNB may decide whether to initiate Xn setup and apply Xn based handover for a UE or whether to initiate NGAP based handover for a UE: The decision may be based upon its internal local configuration (as set by OAM) or by any of the means listed above.

[0050] According to some embodiments, the fixed gNB may refrain from initiating any Xn setup request and start immediately with NGAP based handover for a UE.

[0051] According to some embodiments, the fixed gNB may initiate Xn setup as preferred by WAB-gNB or NGAP based handover may not be supported or may not guarantee the desired QoS.

[0052] Some embodiments include enhancements for trigger condition to establish Xn from WAB-gNB to fixed gNB . One enhancement is detection of new area. When the WAB moves to a new area (e.g., new RNA area, tracking area, a cell or geographical location (based upon location coordinates), then WAB-gNB try to set up the Xn connection with the surrounding gNBs. One enhancement is a time based trigger. The WAB-gNB may be configured with timer settings which may govern it is allowed to setup Xn or it is not allowed to setup Xn. Such configurations may be provided by OAM or network node such as AMF.

[0053] One enhancement is a rule based trigger. The WAB-gNB may decide based upon rules (preconfigured rules), e.g., rules based upon the speed / velocity. If WAB-gNB is at high speed and if Xn connection would be short lived, then it would not setup Xn.

[0054] One enhancement is a configurations based trigger. The OAM node configures cell / ARFCN (carrier frequency) with allowed Xn setup or barred Xn setup. If any cells are reported by UE using ANR, the WAB-gNB may decide to trigger Xn based upon the configuration (i.e., if allowed).

[0055] The other logic for early actions by WAB-gNB as presented above by fixed gNB is also applicable for WAB-gNB node, i.e., actions performed by WAB-gNB based upon the above triggers:

[0056] The WAB-gNB may refrain from initiating any Xn setup request and start immediately with NGAP based signalling exchange (e.g., for handover procedure), or, the WAB-gNB may initiate Xn setup.

[0057] In general, particular embodiments enable base stations to make correct decisions for setting up Xn connectivity and executing UE handovers towards WAB-gNB nodes and for the WAB-gNB to enable to make a decision to initiate Xn connectivity towards other gNBs or initiate NGAP based message exchange for procedures such as handover.

[0058] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, particular embodiments reduce latency and improve handover success rate.

[0059] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a first network node in communication with a user equipment, UE, is provided. The method comprises: determining, based on configuration information, whether a cell is served by a wireless access and backhaul, WAB, network node; and performing at least one action based on the determination.

[0060] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the at least one action comprises: determining, based on the configuration information, a type of a handover of the UE to the WAB network node; and performing the handover based on the determination of the type of the handover.

[0061] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the type of the handover is one of: Xn-based and Next Generation Application Protocol, NGAP, based. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the configuration information indicates a preference of the WAB network node for the type of the handover.

[0062] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the configuration information comprises information reserved for identifying a type of a network node as being WAB, the reserved information comprising one or more of: a Physical Cell Identifier, PCI; a dedicated frequency; a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, identifier, ID; a New Radio, NR, Cell Identity, NCI; a Cell Identity, CI; an NR Cell Global Identity, NCGI; a network node ID; a Random Access Channel, RACH, configuration; and a Type Allocation Code, TAC.

[0063] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a first network node in communication with a user equipment, UE, is provided. The first network node is configured to: determine, based on configuration information, whether a cell is served by a wireless access and backhaul, WAB, network node; and perform at least one action based on the determination.

[0064] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the at least one action comprises: determining, based on the configuration information, a type of a handover of the UE to the WAB network node; and performing the handover based on the determination of the type of the handover.

[0065] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the type of the handover is one of: Xn-based and Next Generation Application Protocol, NGAP, based.

[0066] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the configuration information indicates a preference of the WAB network node for the type of the handover.

[0067] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the configuration information comprises information reserved for identifying a type of a network node as being WAB, the reserved information comprising one or more of: a Physical Cell Identifier, PCI; a dedicated frequency; a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, identifier, ID; a New Radio, NR, Cell Identity, NCI; a Cell Identity, CI; an NR Cell Global Identity, NCGI; a network node ID; a Random Access Channel, RACH, configuration; and a Type Allocation Code, TAC.

[0068] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method performed by a wireless access and backhaul, WAB, network node, is provided. The method comprises: transmitting (configuration information identifying the network node as a WAB type of network node; and performing at least one action based on the configuration information.

[0069] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, wherein the at least one action comprises: participating in a handover of a UE based on the determination of the type of the handover. According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the type of the handover is one of: Xn-based and Next Generation Application Protocol, NGAP, based.

[0070] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the configuration information indicates a preference of the WAB network node for the type of the handover.

[0071] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the configuration information comprises information reserved for identifying the type of a network node as being WAB, the reserved information comprising one or more of: a Physical Cell Identifier, PCI; a dedicated frequency; a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, identifier, ID; a New Radio, NR, Cell Identity, NCI; a Cell Identity, CI; an NR Cell Global Identity, NCGI; a network node ID; a Random Access Channel, RACH, configuration; and a Type Allocation Code, TAC.

[0072] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a wireless access and backhaul, WAB, network node is provided. The WAB network node is configured to: transmit configuration information identifying the network node as a WAB type of network node; and perform at least one action based on the configuration information.

[0073] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, wherein the at least one action comprises: participating in a handover of a UE based on the determination of the type of the handover.

[0074] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the type of the handover is one of: Xn-based and Next Generation Application Protocol, NGAP, based.

[0075] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the configuration information indicates a preference of the WAB network node for the type of the handover.

[0076] According to one or more embodiments of this aspect, the configuration information comprises information reserved for identifying the type of a network node as being WAB, the reserved information comprising one or more of: a Physical Cell Identifier, PCI; a dedicated frequency; a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, identifier, ID; a New Radio, NR, Cell Identity, NCI; a Cell Identity, CI; an NR Cell Global Identity, NCGI; a network node ID; a Random Access Channel, RACH, configuration; and a Type Allocation Code, TAC.

[0077] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] A more complete understanding of the present embodiments, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0079] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a WAB architecture;

[0080] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mobile IAB;

[0081] FIG. 3 is a diagram of Xn-C signalling bearer protocol stack;

[0082] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of handover of a UE served by a fixed network node;

[0083] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the decision steps for determining a handover type according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0084] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0085] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0086] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a network node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0087] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a virtualization environment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0088] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an example process in a network node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0089] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an example process in a WAB network node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0090] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0091] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0092] Particular embodiments are described with respect to a non-limiting example of WAB nodes, but they apply to any kind of moving RAN node and / or a RAN node with wireless backhaul.

[0093] The terms “XnAP connection” and “Xn-C interface instance” are used interchangeably.

[0094] The terms “current BH-gNB”, “old BH-gNB” and “source BH-gNB” are used interchangeably and refer to the BH-gNB currently serving the WAB-MT that may thereafter become the source BH-gNB for the WAB-MT handover. In some cases, the term “BH-gNB” applies to source BH-gNB, which can be understood from the context. The terms “new BH-gNB” and “target BH-gNB” are used interchangeably and refer to the target BH-gNB for the WAB-MT handover.

[0095] The terms “CN nodes”, “core network nodes” and “CN functions” are used interchangeably without losing the meaning, and they may refer to one or more of the following: AMF, UPF, SMF, or any other 5GC node / function.

[0096] The procedures used in particular embodiments may be class- 1 or class-2 procedures. They may be new procedures or enhancements of existing procedures.

[0097] The expressions “X served by Y” or “X is connected to Y” mean that there is a logical interface connection between network nodes X and Y. In case X is a UE, this means that node X and the RAN node serving the UE have a logical connection associated to this UE.

[0098] Unless stated otherwise, the WAB-MT and the WAB-gNB are co-located, i.e., they are a part of the same WAB node.

[0099] Particular embodiments may apply to both single- and dual-connected WAB nodes.

[0100] Particular embodiments apply to both the case when all UEs connected to the WAB- gNB are served by the same AMF, and the case where multiple AMFs serve these UEs. Particular embodiments also apply to the case where the WAB-gNB has an NGAP connection with the AMF serving the WAB-MT, and when it does not.

[0101] The term “different core network” may refer to a core network of another public land mobile network (PLMN), or it may apply to different part of a core network of the same PLMN (e.g., a different AMF or set of AMFs).

[0102] Particular embodiments apply to NR as well as future RATs such as beyond 3 GPP Rel-19.

[0103] The terms “OAM” and “0AM system” are used interchangeably.

[0104] All the examples presented herein are non-limiting.

[0105] The terms neighbour cell relations (NCR) and automatic neighbour relations (ANR) are used interchangeably.

[0106] In the main scenario of interest (illustrated in FIG. 1), the UE that is connected to gNB is subject to handover to a WAB-gNB. It is assumed that the UE has access to the WAB-gNB and has discovered the WAB-gNB cell as a strong cell and the UE should be thus handover to WAB-gNB cell. The gNB (assumed to be fixed, i.e., static, gNB) needs to identify / infer that the detected cell belongs to WAB-gNB and has to determine whether to establish Xn with WAB-gNB or whether it should use NG based handover. The above is an example, and particular embodiments may apply to Xn setup from WAB-gNB to a gNB for the sake of UE handover, as well.

[0107] Some embodiments include configurations and configuration exchanges for identifying a WAB-gNB cell. Particular embodiments apply to both Xn setup from gNB to a WAB-gNB and vice versa. Particular embodiments apply to the corresponding UE handovers in both directions.

[0108] In some embodiments, the OAM node reserves certain configuration parameter values that indicate that those parameters belong to a WAB-gNB node. The OAM configures the WAB-gNBs to use, for example, the PCI range for a WAB-cell. The OAM may also provision parameters indicating if the WAB-gNB needs to establish Xn connection with neighbour gNBs managing the neighbour cells (e.g., the OAM manages the NCR table of the WAB-gNB to reflect the relation to the neighbour gNB cell which includes the Xn connection and the handover possibility).

[0109] Fixed gNBs are provisioned / informed by the OAM about these parameters that the WAB-gNBs use, so that the fixed gNBs can identify that the detected strong cell from its UE is from a WAB-gNB. The OAM may also provision parameters indicating if the fixed gNB needs to establish Xn connection with the WAB-gNBs managing the WAB-gNB cell (e.g., the OAM manages the NCR table of the fixed gNBs to reflect the relation to the WAB- gNB cell which includes the Xn connection and the handover possibility).

[0110] The parameters pertaining to WAB-gNBs, and based on which it can be determined that a WAB-gNB uses them, may be one or more of the following:

[0111] • PCI

[0112] • Dedicated frequencies. For example, OAM node reserves certain frequency (carrier) for the operation of WAB-gNB node such that when UE detects such carrier frequency and reports to the network, the UE or fixed gNB identifies that it is a WAB-gNB.

[0113] • PLMN ID,

[0114] • NCI (NR cell identity)

[0115] • Cell identity (CI)

[0116] • NCGI (NR cell global identity)

[0117] • gNB ID (gNB identity).

[0118] • RACH configurations.

[0119] • TAC In some embodiments, the WAB-gNB can explicitly transmit some or all of the above parameters. Further options are possible. In some cases, the parameters are transmitted in system information signals (e.g., NCI sent in SIB). In some cases, WAB-gNB cells may broadcast in SIB indicating that it is a WAB-gNB Node which can be identified by the UE and reported to fixed gNB as part of Automatic Neighbour Relations report.

[0120] In some cases, the static node identifies frequency or cell ID or gNB ID via legacy ANR measurement report may provide a clue / information that the detected cell / frequency is for WAB-gNB. (In this case it is assumed that a dedicated frequency or PCI range has been used).

[0121] In some cases, the static node identifies the slice identifier that is used by the WAB node via pre-allocation. The slice identifiers broadcast in the SIB belong to a group of slice IDs that are only used by mobile nodes in a network.

[0122] In some cases, the static node identifies the Closed Access group (CAG) or a set of CAG identifiers as those reserved for WAB nodes and uses these to identify it as such.

[0123] In some embodiments, the transmissions executed by the WAB-gNB can be such that some of the above parameters may be extrapolated (e.g., the WAB-gNB broadcasts signals on certain dedicated frequencies).

[0124] In some embodiments, WAB-gNB cells may broadcast in SIB indicating that it is a WAB-gNB Node and whether it allows to set up Xn and apply Xn based handover towards it or whether only NGAP based handover is allowed.

[0125] In some embodiments, the AMF or OAM may signal to fixed gNBs whether Xn can be set up and Xn based HO shall be used for UEs or whether NGAP based HO should be used for incoming UE. In some cases, the Xn setup may be allowed for purposes other than handover, and this may also be indicated.

[0126] The below configurations may be performed by gNB. UEs are configured to perform ANR measurements to detect strong WAB-gNB cells.

[0127] The following includes the logic for deciding the handover type (Xn- or NG-based). The below decision is performed by a (fixed) gNB which has to handover its UE to WAB- gNB.

[0128] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the decision steps for determining a handover type, according to particular embodiments.

[0129] In one embodiment, the static node (e.g., gNB) might not be able to set up an Xn connection towards the WAB-gNB. In one scenario, this may be because the WAB-gNB has itself disabled the setup of Xn connections towards it. This may be because the WAB-gNB knows that it will stay in a location (e.g., harbour) for a limited amount of time and thus there is no need for Xn connections.

[0130] In one scenario, the static node may get information from the AMF that only NG based handover maybe used to handover UEs to the WAB-gNB.

[0131] In one embodiment, the static node might choose not to perform a Xn based handover an instead perform a NG-based handover for the UE:

[0132] In one scenario, this may be because of the information gained as explained in the embodiments above.

[0133] In one scenario, this may be because of the identifier broadcast by the WAB-gNB that it is a mobile node (or a WAB node).

[0134] In one embodiment, the static node may initiate the Xn setup towards the WAB- gNB despite lack of support for Xn setup towards the WAB-gNB.

[0135] The above may occur even if the desired QoS cannot be guaranteed for the UE.

[0136] Based upon the fixed gNB decision on handover type, the handover is executed. In case of Xn based handover; Xn would be set up / established and Xn based handover may be executed for a UE, and any data forwarding is done by source gNB over Xn. If NG based handover is executed for a UE, the handover is coordinated by AMF and data forwarding is via NGAP to AMF and then from AMF to target gNB (WAB-gNB).

[0137] FIG. 6 shows an example of a communication system 100 in accordance with some embodiments. In the example, the communication system 100 includes a telecommunication network 102 that includes an access network 104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 106, which includes one or more core network nodes 108. The access network 104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 110a and 110b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 110), or any other similar 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP access point. The network nodes 110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 112) to the core network 106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0138] Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0139] The UEs 112 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 110 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network 102.

[0140] As a whole, the communication system 100 of FIG. 6 enables connectivity between the UEs and network nodes. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G); wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0141] In some examples, the telecommunication network 102 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network 102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 102. For example, the telecommunications network 102 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / Massive loT services to yet further UEs. In some examples, the UEs 112 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 104. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-RAT or multistandard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0142] In the example, the hub 114 communicates with the access network 104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 112c and / or 112d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 110b). In some examples, the hub 114 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 114 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 106 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 110, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 114. As another example, the hub 114 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 114 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular in if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0143] The hub 114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 110b. The hub 114 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 114 and UEs (e.g., UE 112c and / or 112d), and between the hub 114 and the core network 106. In other examples, the hub 114 is connected to the core network 106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 110 while still connected via the hub 114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 114 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node 110b. In other embodiments, the hub 114 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 110b, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0144] FIG. 7 shows a UE 200 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless cameras, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), smart device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3 GPP), including a narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0145] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3 GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0146] The UE 200 includes processing circuitry 202 that is operatively coupled via a bus 204 to an input / output interface 206, a power source 208, a memory 210, a communication interface 212, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in FIG. 7. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0147] The processing circuitry 202 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory 210. The processing circuitry 202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0148] In the example, the input / output interface 206 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 200. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0149] In some embodiments, the power source 208 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source 208 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 208 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 200 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 208. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 208 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 200 to which power is supplied.

[0150] The memory 210 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 210 includes one or more application programs 214, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 216. The memory 210 may store, for use by the UE 200, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0151] The memory 210 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini-dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as tamper resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as ‘SIM card.’ The memory 210 may allow the UE 200 to access instructions, application programs and the like, stored on transitory or non- transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0152] The processing circuitry 202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 212. The communication interface 212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 222. The communication interface 212 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 218 and / or a receiver 220 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 218 and receiver 220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 222) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0153] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 212 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / intemet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0154] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 212, via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0155] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch, related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0156] A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (loT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 200 shown in FIG. 7.

[0157] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0158] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g. by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and / or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator, and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0159] FIG. 8 shows a network node 300 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment, in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)).

[0160] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0161] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi- cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0162] The network node 300 includes a processing circuitry 302, a memory 304, a communication interface 306, and a power source 308. The network node 300 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and a RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 300 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 300 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 300 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 300, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node 300.

[0163] The processing circuitry 302 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 300 components, such as the memory 304, to provide network node 300 functionality.

[0164] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 302 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 302 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 312 and baseband processing circuitry 314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 312 and the baseband processing circuitry 314 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 312 and baseband processing circuitry 314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0165] The memory 304 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer- readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device- readable and / or computer- executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 302. The memory 304 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 302 and utilized by the network node 300. The memory 304 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 302 and / or any data received via the communication interface 306. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 302 and memory 304 is integrated.

[0166] The communication interface 306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between a network node, access network, and / or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface 306 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 316 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 306 also includes radio front-end circuitry 318 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 310. Radio front-end circuitry 318 comprises filters 320 and amplifiers 322. The radio front-end circuitry 318 may be connected to an antenna 310 and processing circuitry 302. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 310 and processing circuitry 302. The radio frontend circuitry 318 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 320 and / or amplifiers 322. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 310 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0167] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 300 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 318, instead, the processing circuitry 302 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 312 is part of the communication interface 306. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 306 includes one or more ports or terminals 316, the radio front-end circuitry 318, and the RF transceiver circuitry 312, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 306 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 314, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0168] The antenna 310 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 310 may be coupled to the radio frontend circuitry 318 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 310 is separate from the network node 300 and connectable to the network node 300 through an interface or port.

[0169] The antenna 310, communication interface 306, and / or the processing circuitry 302 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 310, the communication interface 306, and / or the processing circuitry 302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[0170] The power source 308 provides power to the various components of network node 300 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 308 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 300 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 300 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 308. As a further example, the power source 308 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0171] Embodiments of the network node 300 may include additional components beyond those shown in FIG. 8 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 300 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 300 and to allow output of information from the network node 300. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 300.

[0172] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 500 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 500 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized.

[0173] Applications 502 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment 500 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0174] Hardware504 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 508a and 508b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 508), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 506 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 508.

[0175] The VMs 508 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 506. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 502 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 508, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers, and customer premise equipment.

[0176] In the context of NFV, a VM 508 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 508, and that part of hardware 504 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 508 on top of the hardware 504 and corresponds to the application 502.

[0177] Hardware 504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 504 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g. such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 510, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 502. In some embodiments, hardware 504 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 512 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0178] The UE 200 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by UE 200 and executable by the UE’s processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator- specific “app” that may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via UE 200. In providing the service to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host's host application and provide user data in response to the request data.

[0179] There may be aa wireless connection between the network node 300 and the UE 200.

[0180] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an example process in a network node 300, such as a WAB network node, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more blocks described herein may be performed by one or more elements of network node 300 such as by processing circuitry 302. Network node 300 is configured to transmit (Block S104) configuration information identifying the network node as a WAB type of network node. Network node 300 is configured to perform (Block S 106) at least one action based on the configuration information.

[0181] In some embodiments, wherein the at least one action comprises: participating in a handover of a UE based on the determination of the type of the handover.

[0182] In some embodiments, the type of the handover is one of: Xn-based and Next Generation Application Protocol, NGAP, based.

[0183] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a preference of the WAB network node for the type of the handover.

[0184] In some embodiments, the configuration information comprises information reserved for identifying the type of a network node as being WAB, the reserved information comprising one or more of: a Physical Cell Identifier, PCI; a dedicated frequency; a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, identifier, ID; a New Radio, NR, Cell Identity, NCI; a Cell Identity, CI; an NR Cell Global Identity, NCGI; a network node ID; a Random Access Channel, RACH, configuration; and a Type Allocation Code, TAC.

[0185] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an example process in a network node 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more blocks described herein may be performed by one or more elements of network node 300 such as by processing circuitry 302. Network node 300 is configured to determine (Block S100), based on configuration information, whether a cell is served by a wireless access and backhaul, WAB, network node. Network node 300 is configured to perform (Block S102) at least one action based on the determination.

[0186] In some embodiments, the at least one action comprises: determining, based on the configuration information, a type of a handover of the UE to the WAB network node; and performing the handover based on the determination of the type of the handover.

[0187] In some embodiments, the type of the handover is one of: Xn-based and Next Generation Application Protocol, NGAP, based.

[0188] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a preference of the WAB network node for the type of the handover.

[0189] In some embodiments, the configuration information comprises information reserved for identifying a type of a network node as being WAB, the reserved information comprising one or more of: a Physical Cell Identifier, PCI; a dedicated frequency; a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, identifier, ID; a New Radio, NR, Cell Identity, NCI; a Cell Identity, CI; an NR Cell Global Identity, NCGI; a network node ID; a Random Access Channel, RACH, configuration; and a Type Allocation Code, TAC.

[0190] Example Embodiments - Group A

[0191] 1. A method performed by a wireless device, the method comprising: any of the wireless device steps, features, or functions described above, either alone or in combination with other steps, features, or functions described above.

[0192] 2. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising one or more additional wireless device steps, features or functions described above.

[0193] 3. The method of any of the previous two embodiments, further comprising: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host computer via the transmission to the base station.

[0194] Example Embodiments - Group B

[0195] 1. A method performed by a first base station in communication with a wireless device, the method comprising: obtaining configuration information indicating that a second base station comprises a wireless access and backhaul (WAB) base station; and performing a handover to the second base station, wherein the type of handover to the second base station is determined based on the obtained configuration information.

[0196] 2. The method of the previous embodiment, wherein obtaining the configuration information comprises obtaining one or more of the following that are reserved for use by a WAB base station: a PCI; a dedicated frequency; a PLMN ID; a NCI (NR cell identity); a Cell identity (CI); a NCGI (NR cell global identity); a gNB ID (gNB identity); a RACH configurations; and a TAC.

[0197] 3. The method of any one of the previous embodiments, wherein obtaining the configuration information comprises receiving the configuration from a network node 300.

[0198] 4. The method of any one of the previous embodiments, wherein determining the type of handover is based on the obtained configuration information indicating that the second base station does not allow an Xn connection.

[0199] 5. A method performed by a wireless access and backhaul (WAB) base station, the method comprising: transmitting an indication that the base station is a WAB base station.

[0200] 6. The method of the previous embodiment, wherein transmitting the indication comprises transmitting system information..

[0201] 7. The method of any one of the previous two embodiments, wherein transmitting the indication comprises transmitting a measurement report.

[0202] 8. A method performed by a base station, the method comprising: any of the steps, features, or functions described above with respect to base stations, either alone or in combination with other steps, features, or functions described above.

[0203] 9. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising one or more additional base station steps, features or functions described above.

[0204] 10. The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host computer or a wireless device.

[0205] Example Embodiments - Group C

[0206] 11. A mobile terminal comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the wireless device.

[0207] 12. A base station comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments; power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the wireless device. A UE 200 comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE 200 to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE 200 that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE 200. A communication system including a host computer comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a UE 200, wherein the cellular network comprises a base station having a radio interface and processing circuitry, the base station’s processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments. The communication system of the pervious embodiment further including the base station. The communication system of the previous 2 embodiments, further including the UE 200, wherein the UE 200 is configured to communicate with the base station. The communication system of the previous 3 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the UE 200 comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a (UE 200, the method comprising: at the host computer, providing user data; and at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE 200 via a cellular network comprising the base station, wherein the base station performs any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising, at the base station, transmitting the user data. The method of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein the user data is provided at the host computer by executing a host application, the method further comprising, at the UE 200, executing a client application associated with the host application. A UE 200 configured to communicate with a base station, the UE 200 comprising a radio interface and processing circuitry configured to performs any of the previous 3 embodiments. A communication system including a host computer comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward user data to a cellular network for transmission to a UE 200, wherein the UE 200 comprises a radio interface and processing circuitry, the UE 200’ s components configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments. The communication system of the previous embodiment, wherein the cellular network further includes a base station configured to communicate with the UE 200. The communication system of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the UE 200’ s processing circuitry is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a UE 200, the method comprising: at the host computer, providing user data; and at the host computer, initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE 200 via a cellular network comprising the base station, wherein the UE 200 performs any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising at the UE 200, receiving the user data from the base station. A communication system including a host computer comprising: communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a UE 200 to a base station, wherein the UE 200 comprises a radio interface and processing circuitry, the UE 200’ s processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments. The communication system of the previous embodiment, further including the UE 200. The communication system of the previous 2 embodiments, further including the base station, wherein the base station comprises a radio interface configured to communicate with the UE 200 and a communication interface configured to forward to the host computer the user data carried by a transmission from the UE 200 to the base station. The communication system of the previous 3 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application; and the UE 200’ s processing circuitry is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data. The communication system of the previous 4 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing request data; and the UE 200’ s processing circuitry is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data in response to the request data. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a UE 200, the method comprising: at the host computer, receiving user data transmitted to the base station from the UE 200, wherein the UE 200 performs any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising, at the UE 200, providing the user data to the base station. The method of the previous 2 embodiments, further comprising: at the UE 200, executing a client application, thereby providing the user data to be transmitted; and at the host computer, executing a host application associated with the client application. The method of the previous 3 embodiments, further comprising: at the UE 200, executing a client application; and at the UE 200, receiving input data to the client application, the input data being provided at the host computer by executing a host application associated with the client application, wherein the user data to be transmitted is provided by the client application in response to the input data. A communication system including a host computer comprising a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a UE 200 to a base station, wherein the base station comprises a radio interface and processing circuitry, the base station’s processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments. The communication system of the previous embodiment further including the base station. The communication system of the previous 2 embodiments, further including the UE 200, wherein the UE 200 is configured to communicate with the base station.

[0208] 39. The communication system of the previous 3 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application; the UE 200 is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data to be received by the host computer.

[0209] 40. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a base station and a UE 200, the method comprising: at the host computer, receiving, from the base station, user data originating from a transmission which the base station has received from the UE 200, wherein the UE 200 performs any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments.

[0210] 41. The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising at the base station, receiving the user data from the UE 200.

[0211] 42. The method of the previous 2 embodiments, further comprising at the base station, initiating a transmission of the received user data to the host computer.

[0212] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware. In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and a wireless network generally.

[0213] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein are not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope of the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by a first network node (300) in communication with a user equipment, UE, (200) the method comprising: determining (S100), based on configuration information, whether a cell is served by a wireless access and backhaul, WAB, network node; and performing (S102) at least one action based on the determination.

2. The method of Claim 1, wherein the at least one action comprises: determining, based on the configuration information, a type of a handover of the UE (200) to the WAB network node; and performing the handover based on the determination of the type of the handover.

3. The method of Claim 2, wherein the type of the handover is one of: Xn-based and Next Generation Application Protocol, NGAP, based.

4. The method of any one of Claims 1-3, wherein the configuration information indicates a preference of the WAB network node for the type of the handover.

5. The method of any one of Claims 1-4, wherein the configuration information comprises information reserved for identifying a type of a network node as being WAB, the reserved information comprising one or more of: a Physical Cell Identifier, PCI; a dedicated frequency; a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, identifier, ID; a New Radio, NR, Cell Identity, NCI; a Cell Identity, CI; an NR Cell Global Identity, NCGI; a network node ID; a Random Access Channel, RACH, configuration; and a Type Allocation Code, TAC.

6. A first network node (300) in communication with a user equipment, UE, (200) first network node comprising processing circuitry (302) configured to:determine, based on configuration information, whether a cell is served by a wireless access and backhaul, WAB, network node; and perform at least one action based on the determination.

7. The first network node (300) of Claim 6, wherein the at least one action comprises: determining, based on the configuration information, a type of a handover of the UE (200) to the WAB network node; and performing the handover based on the determination of the type of the handover.

8. The first network node (300) of Claim 7, wherein the type of the handover is one of: Xn-based and Next Generation Application Protocol, NGAP, based.

9. The first network node (300) of any one of Claims 6-8, wherein the configuration information indicates a preference of the WAB network node for the type of the handover.

10. The first network node (300) of any one of Claims 6-9, wherein the configuration information comprises information reserved for identifying a type of a network node as being WAB, the reserved information comprising one or more of: a Physical Cell Identifier, PCI; a dedicated frequency; a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, identifier, ID; a New Radio, NR, Cell Identity, NCI; a Cell Identity, CI; an NR Cell Global Identity, NCGI; a network node ID; a Random Access Channel, RACH, configuration; and a Type Allocation Code, TAC.

11. A method performed by a wireless access and backhaul, WAB, network node, the method comprising: transmitting (S 104) configuration information identifying the network node as a WAB type of network node; andperforming (S106) at least one action based on the configuration information.

12. The method of Claim 11, wherein the at least one action comprises: participating in a handover of a UE (200) based on the determination of the type of the handover.

13. The method of Claim 12, wherein the type of the handover is one of: Xn-based and Next Generation Application Protocol, NGAP, based.

14. The method of any one of Claims 11-13, wherein the configuration information indicates a preference of the WAB network node for the type of the handover.

15. The method of any one of Claims 11-14, wherein the configuration information comprises information reserved for identifying the type of a network node as being WAB, the reserved information comprising one or more of: a Physical Cell Identifier, PCI; a dedicated frequency; a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, identifier, ID; a New Radio, NR, Cell Identity, NCI; a Cell Identity, CI; an NR Cell Global Identity, NCGI; a network node ID; a Random Access Channel, RACH, configuration; and a Type Allocation Code, TAC.

16. A wireless access and backhaul, WAB, network node comprising processing circuitry configured to: transmit configuration information identifying the network node as a WAB type of network node; and perform at least one action based on the configuration information.

17. The WAB network node of Claim 16, wherein the at least one action comprises: participating in a handover of a UE (200) based on the determination of the type of the handover.

18. The WAB network node of Claim 17, wherein the type of the handover is one of: Xn-based and Next Generation Application Protocol, NGAP, based.

19. The WAB network node of any one of Claims 16-18, wherein the configuration information indicates a preference of the WAB network node for the type of the handover.

20. The WAB network node of any one of Claims 16-19, wherein the configuration information comprises information reserved for identifying the type of a network node as being WAB, the reserved information comprising one or more of: a Physical Cell Identifier, PCI; a dedicated frequency; a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, identifier, ID; a New Radio, NR, Cell Identity, NCI; a Cell Identity, CI; an NR Cell Global Identity, NCGI; a network node ID; a Random Access Channel, RACH, configuration; and a Type Allocation Code, TAC.

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