Early Bye Message for Conditional Handover Latency Reduction

The patent applies preliminary action by performing data forwarding from the source cell to the target cell before the conditional handover is actually executed. The network entity receives an early message from the UE indicating preparation for handover, and initiates data forwarding in advance. This allows the handover to complete faster since data paths are pre-established, reducing handover latency while maintaining manageable complexity through structured message exchange and timing mechanisms.

The patent implements preliminary action by establishing data forwarding paths before handover execution. When the network entity receives the early message from the UE indicating handover preparation, it proactively sets up the data forwarding tunnel to the target cell. This ensures data continuity and prevents packet loss during the handover transition, while maintaining operational simplicity through standardized message formats and automated forwarding setup procedures.

The patent applies merging by integrating the early handover indication message with existing uplink signaling resources. The early message can be transmitted using existing uplink channels and signaling structures already allocated for UE communications. By reusing existing signaling infrastructure rather than creating entirely new message types or channels, the patent improves data forwarding timing efficiency while minimizing the increase in signaling overhead.