IAB Node IP-Based F1 Context Updates After Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
F1 interface reestablishment in IAB networks causes significant service latency and signaling overheads during topology updates, affecting terminal performance.
Innovation Solution
The method involves the IAB node obtaining an IP address and using it to update control plane context information, allowing immediate F1 interface communication post-handover, thereby reducing latency and signaling overheads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If F1 interface reestablishment is performed during IAB topology update, then the IAB node can restore communication with the CU, but service latency increases significantly and signaling overheads become enormous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by preserving the F1 interface context information before topology update occurs. The IAB node stores the existing F1 interface control plane and user plane contexts in advance, so when handover is triggered, these pre-preserved contexts can be immediately reused rather than requiring complete reestablishment, thereby reducing service latency while maintaining communication reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating and maintaining context information copies of the F1 interface. The IAB node generates context information that includes F1 interface control plane and user plane contexts, and preserves these as reusable templates during topology changes. This copying mechanism allows rapid restoration of communication without full reestablishment, addressing both reliability and latency requirements
2Reliability
If F1 interface reestablishment is performed during IAB topology update, then the IAB node can restore communication with the CU, but signaling overheads become enormous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies extraction by separating the F1 interface context information from the complete interface reestablishment process. The IAB node extracts and preserves only the essential context information (control plane and user plane contexts) that needs to be maintained during topology updates. This selective extraction avoids the need to retransmit entire interface configurations, significantly reducing signaling overheads while maintaining communication reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements discarding and recovering by identifying which F1 interface context information can be discarded (old routing information) and which must be recovered (essential control plane and user plane contexts). During topology update, the IAB node discards obsolete context data while recovering and reusing the essential context information, thereby minimizing signaling overheads required for interface reestablishment
Data Source
AI summary
A communication method and apparatus are provided. The method includes: A first IAB node receives a first message from a CU of an IAB donor, where the first message indicates the first IAB node to be handed over from a first parent node to a second parent node, and the first message includes a first IP address of the first IAB node. The first IAB node determines first transport network layer association information between the first IAB node and the CU of the IAB donor based on the first IP address. The first IAB node updates control plane context information of an F1 interface by using the first transport network layer association information, where the F1 interface is an interface between the first IAB node and the CU of the IAB donor. According to the method and the apparatus in this application, an IAB node may communicate with a CU of an IAB donor by using a first IP address as soon as possible after handover is completed, thereby reducing impact on a service latency of a terminal device served by the IAB node.