CN113661733A - For handover between core network nodes - Google Patents

For handover between core network nodes Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CN113661733A
CN113661733A CN201980094957.8A CN201980094957A CN113661733A CN 113661733 A CN113661733 A CN 113661733A CN 201980094957 A CN201980094957 A CN 201980094957A CN 113661733 A CN113661733 A CN 113661733A
Authority
CN
China
Prior art keywords
target
context
handover
core network
network node
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CN201980094957.8A
Other languages
Chinese (zh)
Other versions
CN113661733B (en
Inventor
许翔
P·格丁
J·维戈尔德
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd
Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Original Assignee
Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd
Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd, Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy filed Critical Nokia Shanghai Bell Co Ltd
Publication of CN113661733A publication Critical patent/CN113661733A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CN113661733B publication Critical patent/CN113661733B/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W36/00—Hand-off or reselection arrangements
    • H04W36/0005—Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
    • H04W36/0009—Control or signalling for completing the hand-off for a plurality of users or terminals, e.g. group communication or moving wireless networks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W36/00—Hand-off or reselection arrangements
    • H04W36/0005—Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
    • H04W36/0011—Control or signalling for completing the hand-off for data sessions of end-to-end connection
    • H04W36/0033—Control or signalling for completing the hand-off for data sessions of end-to-end connection with transfer of context information
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W36/00—Hand-off or reselection arrangements
    • H04W36/12—Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for handover between core network nodes. The network device transmitting, at the network device, to a source core network node, a handover request from the source core network node to a target core network node, the handover request including handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from the target network module; receiving a response to the handover request from the source core network node, the response including an updated context to be used in the target network module; and transmitting a radio handover command to the terminal device based on the updated context. In this way, messages exchanged between the network device and the core network node are reduced.

Description

For handover between core network nodes
Technical Field
Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a method, device, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for handover between core network nodes.
Background
In recent years, different communication technologies have been proposed to improve communication performance, such as a New Radio (NR) (also referred to as a fifth generation (5G)) system. Some new network architectures have been proposed, for example to support satellite access. Typically, in such communication systems, the satellite comprises some logic modules that execute as network devices (e.g., the gNB) and are connected to core network nodes (e.g., access and mobility management functions (AMFs)). However, when the satellite is not geostationary, the satellite may need to be connected to various AMFs depending on the positioning of the satellite. Therefore, there is a need to provide an efficient mechanism for switching between different AMFs.
Disclosure of Invention
In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for wireless location measurements.
In a first aspect, a method implemented at a network device is provided. The method comprises the following steps: transmitting, at the network device, a handover request from the source core network node to the target core network node to the source core network node, the handover request including handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from the target network module; receiving a handover response to the handover request from the source core network node, the handover response including an updated context to be used in the target network module; and transmitting a radio handover command to the terminal device based on the updated context.
In a second aspect, a method implemented at a source core network device is provided. The method comprises the following steps: receiving, at a source core network node from a network device, a handover request from the source core network node to a target core network node, the handover request including handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from the target network module; transmitting a context request for creating a context of the terminal device to the target core network node based on the handover assistance information, the context request comprising the handover assistance information and the context of the terminal device; receiving a context response to the context request from the target core network node, the context response comprising an updated context of the terminal device; and transmitting a handover response to the handover request to the network device based on the updated context.
In a third aspect, a method implemented at a target core network device is provided. The method comprises the following steps: receiving, at a target core network node from a source core network node, a context request for creating a context for a terminal device, the context request comprising handover assistance information and being generated by the source core network node based on the handover assistance information in a handover request transmitted by a source network module of the network device, the source network module being linked to the source core network node, the network device having a target network module to be connected to the target core network node; transmitting a context response to the context request to the source core network node, the context response comprising the updated context of the terminal device.
In a fourth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: transmitting, at the network device, a handover request from the source core network node to the target core network node to the source core network node, the handover request comprising handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from the target network module. The apparatus is also caused to receive a response to the handover request from the source core network node, the response including the updated context to be used in the target network module. The apparatus is also caused to transmit a radio handover command to the terminal device based on the updated context.
In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: a handover request is received at a source core network node from a network device to a target core network node from the source core network node, the handover request including handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from the target network module. The apparatus is also caused to transmit a context request to the target core network node for creating a context for the terminal device based on the handover assistance information, the context request comprising the handover assistance information and the context of the terminal device. The apparatus is further caused to receive a context response to the context request from the target core network node, the context response comprising the updated context of the terminal device. The device is also caused to transmit a handover response to the handover request to the network device based on the updated context.
In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receiving, at a target core network node from a source core network node, a context request for creating a context for a terminal device, the context request comprising handover assistance information obtained from a handover request transmitted by a source network module of the network device, the source network module being connected to the source core network node, the network device having a target network module to be connected to the target core network node. The device is further caused to transmit a context response to the context request to the source core network node, the context response comprising the updated context of the terminal device.
In a seventh aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for transmitting, at a network device, a handover request from a source core network node to a target core network node to the source core network node, the handover request comprising handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from the target network module; means for receiving a handover response to the handover request from the source core network node, the handover response comprising an updated context to be used in the target network module; and means for transmitting a radio handover command to the terminal device based on the updated context.
In an eighth aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for receiving, at a source core network node from a network device, a handover request from the source core network node to a target core network node, the handover request comprising handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from the target network module; means for transmitting a context request for creating a context for the terminal device to the target core network node based on the handover assistance information, the context request comprising the handover assistance information and the context of the terminal device; means for receiving a context response to the context request from the target core network node, the context response comprising an updated context of the terminal device; and means for transmitting a handover response to the handover request to the network device based on the updated context.
In a ninth aspect, there is provided an apparatus comprising: means for receiving, at a target core network node from a source core network node, a context request for creating a context for a terminal device, the context request comprising handover assistance information obtained from a handover request transmitted by a source network module of the network device, the source network module being connected to the source core network node, the network device having a target network module to be connected to the target core network node; and means for transmitting a context response to the context request to the source core network node, the context response comprising the updated context of the terminal device.
In a tenth aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least a method according to the first or third aspect.
It should be understood that this summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the example embodiments of the disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description.
Drawings
Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an example communication network in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;
FIG. 2 illustrates an example scenario of a communication network in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;
FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the interaction in a device according to the prior art;
FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of simplified interaction in a device according to the conventional art;
fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of interactions in a device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;
fig. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of a method implemented at a network device, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;
figure 7 illustrates a flow diagram of a method implemented at a source core network node, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;
figure 8 illustrates a flow diagram of a method implemented at a target core network node, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 9 shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and
fig. 10 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example computer-readable medium, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.
Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers refer to the same or similar elements.
Detailed Description
The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to a few exemplary embodiments. It is understood that these examples are described merely to illustrate and assist those of ordinary skill in the art in understanding and enabling the disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of the disclosure. The disclosure described herein may be implemented in various ways other than those described below.
In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.
References in the present disclosure to "one" example embodiment, "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the example embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every example embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same example embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an example embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other example embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element may be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "having," "has," "having," "includes" and/or "including," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements, and/or components, etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:
(a) hardware-only circuit implementations (such as implementations in analog and/or digital circuitry only) and
(b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (as applicable):
(i) combinations of analog and/or digital hardware circuit(s) and software/firmware, and
(ii) hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor (s)), software, and any portion of memory(s) that work together to cause a device (e.g., a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions; and
(c) hardware circuit(s) and/or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or a portion of microprocessor(s), require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but this software may not be present when the software is not required for operation.
This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses implementations of: a hardware circuit or processor (or processors) alone or in part, and the accompanying software and/or firmware. The term circuitry also encompasses, for example and if applicable to the particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.
As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-advanced (LTE-a), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT), and so forth. Further, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network may be performed according to any suitable generation communication protocol, including, but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and/or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. Example embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will of course also be future types of communication techniques and systems that may embody the present disclosure. And should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure to only the above-described systems.
Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will of course also be future types of communication techniques and systems that may embody the present disclosure. And should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure to only the above-described systems. For purposes of illustration, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to a 5G communication system.
The term "core network node" refers to any application or entity that provides access and mobility management functions, Session Management Functions (SMFs), User Plane Functions (UPFs), etc. By way of example, and not limitation, the core network node may be an AMF, an SMF, a UPF, or the like. In other embodiments, the core network node may be any other suitable application or entity.
The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example, and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, User Equipment (UE), Subscriber Station (SS), portable subscriber station, Mobile Station (MS), or Access Terminal (AT). The end devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable end devices, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture end devices (such as digital cameras), gaming end devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless end devices, wireless terminals, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop installation devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless client devices (CPEs), internet of things (loT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, Head Mounted Displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., tele-surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and/or other wireless devices operating in industrial and/or automated processing chain environments), Consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and/or industrial wireless networks, and the like. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.
The term "network device" as used herein refers to a physical node that may be implemented at any suitable device and includes a subset of network modules. The network devices may be stationary or non-stationary. By way of example and not limitation, the network device may be an on-board vehicle, e.g., it may be a satellite, including a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite, a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite, a Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite, and a High Elliptic Orbit (HEO) satellite. The network device may also be an airborne aircraft, for example, it may be a High Altitude Platform (HAP) containing a drone system (UAS) comprising a quasi-stationary, lighter-than-air UAS (lta), heavier-than-air UAS (hta) all operating at an altitude typically between 8 and 50 kilometers. The network device may also be a land vehicle, or a marine vehicle. In other embodiments, the network device may be any suitable entity.
The term "network module" as used herein refers to a logical module that may be implemented at any suitable device and executed as an access device. In particular, the network module is implemented on a network device. By way of example and not limitation, the network module may be implemented in a communication system as a Base Station (BS), gateway, registration management entity, and other suitable functionality. The term "base station" or "BS" represents a node B (NodeB or NB), evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), NRNB or next generation NB (also referred to as gNB), integrated access and backhaul node (IAB node for short), Remote Radio Unit (RRU), Radio Head (RH), Remote Radio Head (RRH), relay, low power node (such as femto, pico, etc.).
Fig. 1 illustrates an example communication network 100 in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Network 100 includes core network nodes 110, network devices 120, terminal devices 130, non-terrestrial network (NTN) gateways 140, and data networks 150. It should be understood that the number of core network nodes, network devices, terminal devices, NTN gateways, and data networks are for illustration purposes only and do not imply any limitations. Network 100 may include any suitable number of core network nodes, network devices, terminal devices, NTN gateways, and data networks suitable for implementing example embodiments of the present disclosure.
Although not shown, it should be understood that one or more terminal devices may be served by network device 120. For purposes of illustration only and not to imply any limitation, the NR-Uu radio interface may be used over a service link between terminal device 130 and network device 120, and the Satellite Radio Interface (SRI) may be used over a feeder link between NTN gateway 140 and network device 120.
Although not shown, it should be noted that network device 120 may include a subset of network modules. Each network module functions as, for example, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU), a base station, an eNodeB, and any suitable element that can serve terminal devices 130.
However, in some cases where the network device 120 (such as a satellite) is not geostationary, depending on the positioning of the network device 120, a network module executing as a network device (such as a gNB) may need to be connected to various core network nodes (such as an AMF). For example, when network device 120 leaves the coverage of a current core network node and enters the coverage of another core network node, the network module may change the Next Generation Application Protocol (NGAP) interface from one core network node to another core network node. Such a scenario may be illustrated with reference to fig. 2.
Fig. 2 illustrates an example scenario 200 of the communication network 100 in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. As shown in fig. 2, the example scenario 200 includes two core network nodes 110-1 and 110-2 (collectively referred to as network nodes 110), two NTN gateways 140-1 and 140-2 (collectively referred to as NTN gateways 140), and one network device 120. It is to be understood that the number of core network nodes, NTN gateways and network devices is for illustration purposes only and does not imply any limitation. The example scenario 200 may include any suitable number of core network nodes, NTN gateways, and network devices.
Although not shown, it should be noted that network device 120 may include a subset of network modules. Each network module functions as, for example, a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU), a base station, an eNodeB, and any suitable element that can serve terminal devices 130.
As shown in fig. 2, at Tl, network device 120 is connected only to NTN gateway 140-1/core network node 110-1. At T2, network device 120 is connected to both NTN gateway 140-1/core network node 110-1 and NTN gateway 140-2/core network node 110-2 for a short period of time. At T3, network device 120 connects only to NTN gateway 140-2/core network node 110-2.
Typically, one option for moving an end device served by a network module on a network device from a source core network node to a target core network node is to use an N2 based handover procedure. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of interactions in a terminal device, a source network module (such as a source gNB), a target network module (such as a target gNB), a source core network node (such as a source AMF), a target core network node (such as a target AMF), a target user plane function (T-UPF), a session management function entity (SMF), a source or service user plane function (S-UPF), and UPF according to a conventional N2-based handover procedure.
First, the source network module determines 305 that relocation is triggered via the N2 interface, and then the source network module transmits 310 a handover required message to the source core network node. After receiving the handover required message, the source core network node may perform 315 a selection of the target core network node, such as a T-AFM selection. When the target core network node is determined, the source core network node transmits 320 a Namf _ Communication _ createeuecontext request message to the target core network node.
After receiving the Namf _ Communication _ createeecontext request message, the target core network node may transmit 330 an Nsmf _ pdussion _ UpdateSMContext request message to the SMF. The SMF then checks whether the N2 handover is acceptable. If the terminal device has moved out of the service area of the UPF connected to the source network module, the SMF selects 332 a new intermediate UPF as the target UPF.
The SMF sends 334N4 a session modification request message to the UPF and receives 336 a session modification request message from the UPF. These two operations are used for N4 session modification. In addition, the SMF sends 338N4 session setup request messages to the T-UPF and receives 340N4 session setup response messages from the T-UPF. These two operations are used for N4 session establishment.
The SMF then transmits 345 an Nsmf pdusesion _ UpdateSMContext response message to the target core network node. The AMF supervises 350 the Nsmf _ pdussion _ UpdateSMContext response message from the involved SMF and then sends 355 a handover request message to the target network module. Further, if the subscription information includes a tracking requirement, the target core network node provides the tracking requirement in the handover request to the target RAN. In response to the handover request message, the target network module may respond 360 to the handover request acknowledgement.
After receiving the Handover Request acknowledgement (Handover Request Acknowledge), the target network node sends 362 an Nsmf _ pdussion _ update smcontext Request message to the SMF. The SMF sends 364N4 a session modification request message to the T-UPF and receives 366N4 a session modification response message from the T-UPF. In addition, the SMF sends 368N4 session modification request messages to the S-UPF and receives 370N4 session modification response messages from the S-UPF. These two operations are used for N4 session modification. The SMF then transmits 375 an Nsmf pdusesion _ update smcontext response message to the target core network node.
The target core network node transmits 380 a Namf _ Communication _ createeuecontext response message to the source core network node. After receiving the message, the source core network node may transmit 385 a handover command message to the source network module. The source core network node then forwards 390 the handover command message to the terminal device.
The AMF is generally considered a terrestrial device, and the network device (such as the gNB on a satellite) includes network module(s). Depending on the characteristics of the network device (such as geostationary or non-geostationary), the network device (such as a gNB on a satellite) may be considered a geostationary device or a non-geostationary device. It can be seen that during a conventional N2-based inter-core network node handoff, at least four messages need to be exchanged between the terrestrial devices and the network devices (such as the gNB on the satellite). In particular, two messages are exchanged between the source network module and the source core network node, and two messages are exchanged between the target network module and the target core network node.
Since one network device may include more than one network module, in some scenarios both the source network module and the target network module are configured in the same network device. For this scenario, a conventional N2-based inter-core network node handover may be used for inter-AMF handover.
Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the interaction in a device according to a conventional N2-based handover in case both the source network module and the target network module are located in the same network device. As shown in fig. 4, two network modules (i.e., a source network module and a target network module) are implemented on the same network device. The source network module and the target network module are configured with different Tracking Area Identities (TAIs)/Physical Cell Identities (PCIs), or any other network identities.
The process of inter-core network handover requires four steps: first, at 410, one of the core network nodes (i.e., the source core network node) is serving the terminal device. Then, at 420, another core network node (i.e., the target core network node) initiates Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP)/Next Generation (NG) interface setup with the target core network node. The target network module uses a different TAI/PCI with the source network module for NG interface settings with the target core network node. This ensures that the source network module for initiating the N2 based handover will be routed to the target core network node.
After setting up the SCTP/NG interface between the target network module and the target core network node, the source network module initiates an enhanced N2-based handover procedure to move all connected end devices to the target core network node when performing an inter-core network node handover at 430. The target network module begins operation over the air. The source network module ceases operation over the air. Finally, after all terminal devices have moved to the target core network node. At 440, the source network module tears down the SCTP/NG with the source core network node.
However, there are some problems with using current inter-AMF handover procedures, such as the N2-based handover procedure. One network module of a network device may support thousands or tens of thousands of connected terminal devices. A sudden large signalling load between the network module on the network device and the core network node on the ground is caused by the fact that all terminal devices served by the network module of the network device need to use the N2 based handover for a short period of time. Furthermore, due to the long time delay between the core network node on the ground and the network device on the satellite, switching all terminal devices may require a long period of time.
To address at least some of the above issues and other potential issues, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a solution for handover between core network nodes is presented. As described above, the conventional N2-based HANDOVER requires at least four NGAP messages, namely, HANDOVER REQUEST (HANDOVER REQUEST), HANDOVER REQUEST acknowledgement (HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE), and HANDOVER COMMAND (HANDOVER COMMAND) exchanged during the HANDOVER between the core network node on the ground and the network device on the satellite. Since both source network module 160-1 and target network module 160-2 are co-located on the same network device 120, source network module 160-1 and target network module 160-2 may share the context of end device 130 (such as RAN UE NGAP ID, PDU session information, etc.), or exchange context or other configurations via internal or proprietary communications. In view of this, the present disclosure proposes an enhanced N2-based solution for handover call flow.
In this solution, when the source network module 160-1 initiates a handover between core network nodes 160 (also referred to as an inter-AMF handover, or an N2-based handover), the handover request transmitted by the source network module 160-1 may include some additional parameters that are typically provided by the target network module 160-2 in subsequent operations (such as handover resource allocation) according to a conventional N2-based handover procedure. Further, the updated context of the terminal device 130 is transmitted by the target core network node 110-2 to the target network node 1602-2 via the source network module 160-1 of the network device 120 during a handover procedure (such as a handover resource allocation), rather than to the target network module 160-2.
In this way, messages that need to be exchanged between the target core network node 110-2 and the target network module 160-2 may be skipped. Thus, the delay and number of NGAP messages exchanged and caused by the handoff between network device 120 and core network node 110 is reduced.
It should be noted that although the present disclosure is directed to a scenario in which the source network module and the target network module are co-located on the same network device, the proposed solution may also be applied to a scenario in which the source network module and the target network module are located on different network devices. In this scenario, the source network module obtains additional parameters from the target network module prior to transmitting the handover request, which are typically provided by the target network module 160-2 in subsequent operations via some external communication. In this way, messages that need to be exchanged between the target core network node 110-2 and the target network module 160-2 may also be skipped.
The principles and implementations of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 5, where fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an interaction 500 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The interaction 500 may be implemented on any suitable device. For purposes of illustration only, as shown in FIG. 5, interaction 500 is described as being implemented during interaction 500 at: a terminal device 130, a network device 120 comprising a source network module 160-1 and a target network module 160-2 (collectively referred to as "network module (S)" 160), a source core network node 110-1 and a target core network node 110-2 (collectively referred to as "core network node (S)" 110), a T-UPF170, a SMF 171, a S-UPF172, and a UPF 173.
It should be understood that the numbers of terminal devices, core network nodes, network modules, network devices, T-UPFs, SMFs, S-UPFs, and UPFs shown in fig. 5 are given for illustrative purposes and do not imply any limitations. The interaction 500 may include any suitable number of terminal devices, core network nodes, network modules, network devices, T-UPFs, SMFs, S-UPFs, and UPFs.
The source network module 160-1 may determine 505 to initiate a handover from the source core network node 110-1 to the target core network node 110-1. In some example embodiments, the determination is based on ephemeris data (ephemeris data) of the satellite.
Alternatively or additionally, the determination is based on configuration information, e.g. a scheduling configuration that sets a certain starting point of the SCTP/NGAP with respect to the target core network node 110-2, or changes a specific location/time of connection with the core network. In particular, the source network module 160-1 may transmit the handover request at a start point in time or location pre-configured for handover from the source core network node 110-1 to the target core network node 110-2.
Alternatively or additionally, the determination is based on whether resources between target network module 160-2 and target core node 110-2 are available, such as an NGAP interface between network device 120 and target core network node 110-2 has been established. In particular, the source network module 160-1 may transmit the handover request after resources between the target network module and the target core network node are available.
In this way, handovers between core network nodes are not based on measurement reports of the terminal device 130. Therefore, the switching trigger between the core network nodes is more flexible.
Source network module 160-1 and target network module 160-2 are co-located on the same network device 120 such that source network module 160-1 and target network module 160-2 can share the context of end device 130 (such as RAN UE NGAP ID, PDU session information, etc.), or exchange 510 the context or other configuration of end device 130 via internal or proprietary communications.
It should be understood that operations 505 and 510 are optional operations. In some other embodiments, the interaction may begin at operation 515.
The source network module 160-1 transmits 515 a HANDOVER request, such as a HANDOVER requested message, from the source core network node 110-1 to the target core network node 110-2 to the source core network node 110-1. As described above, source network module 160-1 and target network module 160-2 may share their resources, information, configuration, and the like. Thus, the handover request may include handover assistance information.
In some examples, the handover assistance information includes information about the target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module 160-2, e.g., a target Downlink (DL) NG-U User Plane (UP) full-size tunnel endpoint identifier (F-TEID), DL forwarding UP Transport Network Layer (TNL) information for delivering forwarded DL Protocol Data Units (PDUs), and other Session Management (SM) N2 information allocated by the target network module 160-2, security parameters supported in the target network module 160-2 (such as indicating whether UP integrity protection and UP ciphering are performed for the relevant PDU session, security capabilities, etc.). Alternatively or additionally, the handover assistance information may indicate that target network module 160-2 uses the same resources as source network module 160-1, e.g., the target Downlink (DL) full tunnel endpoint identification (F-TEID) and other Session Management (SM) N2 information are the same for source network module 160-1 and target network module 160-2.
Alternatively or additionally, the handover assistance information may also include an indication to the target core network node 110-2 to avoid transmitting a request for handover resource allocation to the target network module 160-2. For example, the handover assistance information comprises a flag "source assisted handover command" to inform the source core network node 110-1 to initiate an N2 based handover and the target core network node 110-2 does not need to contact the target network module 160-2. The flag may also indicate that the context of the terminal device is shared between the source network module 160-1 and the target network module 160-2, so that the target core network node 110-2 is not required to contact the target network module 160-2 for handover resource allocation.
In this manner, source network module 160-1 may provide information regarding the target radio access network resources on behalf of target network module 160-2, since source network module 160-1 and target network module 160-2 are co-located in the same network device 120. Such information is typically provided by the target network module 160-2 during handover resource allocation. Thus, the target network module 160-2 may not transmit information regarding the target radio access network resources, such as the target RAN N2SM information, in the subsequent handover resource allocation procedure. This is different from conventional N2-based handover, where handover assistance information is provided to the target core network node 110-2 during the handover procedure, as shown in fig. 3. More specifically, in a conventional N2-based handover, the target network module 160-2 transmits 360 a message, such as a handover request acknowledgement, to provide handover assistance information to the target core network node 110-2, as shown in fig. 3. As described above, with the present disclosure, such messages have been skipped as shown in fig. 5.
Upon receiving the handover request, the source core network node 110-1 selects 520 the target core network node 110-2. The source core network node 110-1 then transmits 525 a context request for creating a context for the terminal device 130 to the target core network node 110-2 based on the handover assistance information. In particular, the source core network node 110-1 may transmit a message including handover assistance information, such as a Namf _ Communication _ createeecontext request, to the target core network node 110-2. Further, the context request may include NGAP UE context information used between source core network node 110-1 and source network module 160-1, such as a RAN UE NGAP ID (or any other identification identifying a UE in source network module 160-1), and so forth. Since the context of the terminal device is shared between source network module 160-1 and target network module 162-0, the RAN UE NGAP ID or any identification identifying the terminal device in source network module 160-1 may also be reused to identify the terminal device in target network module 160-2. In case the target network module 160-2 wants to assign a different identity for the terminal device, this identity is provided to the source network module 160-1 as part of the handover assistance information, which identity is also provided to the source core network node 110-1.
In this manner, handover assistance information, which is typically provided by the target network module 160-2, is provided by the source network module 160-1 to the target core network node 110-2, such that the target core network node 110-2 does not need to contact the target network module 160-2 during the handover procedure.
The target core network node may transmit 530 an Nsmf _ pdusesion _ update smcontext request message to the SMF 171. SMF 171 checks if the N2 handover is acceptable. If the terminal device has moved out of the service area of the UPF173 connected to the source network module, the SMF 171 selects 532 a new intermediate UPF 173.
The SMF 171 sends 534N4 session modification request messages to the UPF173 and receives 536 session modification response messages from the UPF 173. These two operations are used for N4 session modification. In addition, the SMF 171 sends 538N4 session establishment request messages to the T-UPF170 and receives 540N4 session establishment response messages from the T-UPF 170. These two operations are used for N4 session establishment. The SMF 171 transmits 545 an Nsmf pdusesion _ UpdateSMContext response message to the target core network node. The AMF monitors 550 for an Nsmf _ pdusesion _ UpdateSMContext response message from the concerned SMF.
As described above, the target core network node 110-2 has obtained handover assistance information. Based on the handover assistance information (such as an indication to the target core network node to avoid transmitting a request for handover resource allocation), the target core network node 110-2 may assume that the same resources are allocated in the target network module 160-2, so the target core network node 110-2 may simply consider performing handover resource allocation without interacting with the target network module 160-2. As shown in fig. 5, the message exchange (i.e., handover request acknowledgement) between the target core network node 110-2 and the target network module 160-2 is skipped. In particular, the operation of transmitting 555 the handover request message from the target core network node 110-2 to the target network module 160-2 and the operation of transmitting 560 the handover response message from the target network module 160-2 to the target core network node 110-2 are skipped.
Further, the target network node 110-2 sends 562 an Nsmf _ pdusesion _ UpdateSMContext request message to the SMF 171. The SMF 171 sends 564 the N4 session modification request message to the T-UPF170 and receives 566N4 session modification response messages from the T-UPF 170. These two operations are used for N4 session modification. In addition, the SMF 171 sends 568N4 session modification request messages to the S-UPF172 and receives 570N4 session modification response messages from the S-UPF 172. These two operations are used for N4 session modification.
It is noted that operations 562 through 575 may be optimized by combining operations 562 through 575 with operations 530 through 545. For example, after 525, the target core network node 110-2 already knows the resources allocated in the target network module 160-2, the core network node 110-2 may use the 530Nsmf _ congestion _ UpdateSMContext request message to update the SM context, which includes the N2SM information received from the source core network node 110-1, and thus 562 may be skipped and the handover procedure is accelerated.
The target core network node 110-2 then transmits 580 the context response to the source core network node 110-1. The context response includes the updated context of the terminal device 130.
In particular, the target core network node 110-2 may transmit a message including an updated context, such as a Namf _ Communication _ createeecontext response, to the source core network node 110-1.
In some example embodiments, the updated context includes the context of the terminal device 130 updated by the target core network node 110-2, which may include an identification of the terminal device 130 assigned by the target core network node 110-2, such as the AMF UE NGAP ID. Alternatively or additionally, the updated context also includes Uplink (UL) NG-U user plane transport network layer (UP TNL) information to be used in the target network module 160-2, which is the UPF endpoint of the NG-U transport bearer used to communicate the UL PDU, additional UL NG-UUP, which is the UPF endpoint of the additional NG-U transport bearer used to communicate the UL PDU, new security context (such as security algorithms, keys, etc.), UE aggregate maximum bit rate, core network assistance information, new security context indicator, allowed NSSAI, mobility restriction list, etc. Alternatively, the updated context may include an indication that indicates no updated UE context, e.g., the same context as used in the source network module 160-1.
The source network module 160-1 generates a handover response including the updated UE context received in the context response and then transmits 585 the handover response to the source network module 160-1. Since the source network module 160-1 and the target network module 160-2 are co-located on the same network device 120, the target network module 160-2 may receive the updated context 160-1 of the terminal device 130 through information obtained from the source network module 160-1 or other mechanisms via internal or proprietary communication. This is in contrast to conventional N2-based handover, where updated context is provided to the target network module 160-2 during the handover resource allocation procedure, as shown in fig. 3. More specifically, in a conventional N2-based handover, the target core network node 110-2 transmits 355 a message, such as a handover request for providing an updated context to the target network module 160-2, as shown in fig. 3. As described above, such messages have been skipped by the present disclosure.
The source network module 160-1 may transmit 590 a radio handover command to the terminal device 130 based on the updated context to trigger the terminal device 130 to handover from the network module 160-1 to the target network module 160-2.
In some example embodiments, source network module 160-1 generates a radio handover command including a Radio Resource Control (RRC) container based on the updated context. Alternatively, the target network module 160-2 generates and shares a radio handover command with the source network module 160-1.
According to the proposed solution, the number of NGAP messages exchanged between the network device 120 and the core network node 110 is reduced from four messages to two messages. This enables efficient and fast handover between core network nodes without causing a sudden significant signalling load between the network module 160 on the network device 120, such as a satellite, and the core network node 110 on the ground.
Fig. 6 shows a flow diagram of a method 600 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, method 600 may be implemented on any suitable device. Method 600 is described as being implemented at network device 120 for purposes of illustration only.
At block 610, the network device 120 may transmit a handover request from the source core network node 110-1 to the target core network node 110-2. In addition, the request includes handover assistance information provided by target network module 160-2 of network device 120. The source network module 160-1 is connected to the source core network node 110-1 and the network device 120 has a target network module 160-2 to be connected to the target core network node 110-2. The source network module 160-1 and the target network module 160-2 are co-located or may share the UE context via internal or proprietary communication.
In some example embodiments, the network device 120 transmits the request at a start time point or location pre-configured for handover from the source core network node 110-1 to the target core network node 110-2.
Alternatively or additionally, network device 120 transmits the request after the interface between target network module 160-2 and target core node 110-2 has been allocated.
In some example embodiments, the handover assistance information comprises at least one of: information about the target radio access network resources (such as the N2SM information allocated by the target network module 160-2), and an indication to the target core network node to avoid transmitting the request for handover resource allocation.
In some example embodiments, the information about the target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module comprises at least one of: a downlink user plane full tunnel endpoint identification, downlink forwarding transport network layer information, security parameters, and an indication that the target network module uses the same resources as the source network module.
At block 620, the network device 120 receives a response to the handover request from the source core network node 110-1. The response includes the updated context to be used in the target network module 160-2 and is generated by the source core network node 110-1 based on the updated context included in the context response. The context is transmitted from the target core network node 110-2 in response to receiving a context request from the source core network node 110-1, the context request being generated based on the handover assistance information in the handover request.
In some example embodiments, the updated context comprises an identification of the terminal device 130 allocated by the target core network node. Alternatively or additionally, the updated context also includes a security context to be used by the target network module 160-2 when the terminal device 130 is connected to the target network module 160-2 and the target core network node 110-1.
At block 630, the network device 120 transmits a handover command to the terminal device 130 based on the updated context.
In some example embodiments, the network device 120 generates the handover command including the radio resource control container based on the updated context included in the handover response.
Fig. 7 shows a flow diagram of a method 700 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Method 700 may be implemented on any suitable device. For purposes of illustration only, the method 700 is described as being implemented at the source core network node 110-1.
At block 710, the source core network node 110-1 receives a handover request from the network device 120 from the source core network node 110-1 to the target core network node 110-2. The request includes handover assistance information provided by target network module 160-2 of network device 120. The source network module 160-1 is connected to the source core network node 110-1 and the network device 120 has a target network module 160-2 to be connected to the target core network node 110-2. The source network module 160-1 and the target network module 160-2 are co-located or may share the UE context via internal or proprietary communication.
In some example embodiments, the handover assistance information includes at least: information about the target radio access network resources (such as the N2SM information allocated by the target network module 160-2), and an indication to the target core network node to avoid transmitting the request for handover resource allocation.
In some example embodiments, the information about the target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module comprises at least one of: a downlink user plane full tunnel endpoint identification, downlink forwarding transport network layer information, security parameters, and an indication that the target network module uses the same resources as the source network module.
In some example embodiments, the context of the terminal device in the context request includes at least one of: a radio access network user equipment next generation application protocol identity, and an identity for identifying the terminal equipment in the target network module.
At block 720, the source core network node 110-1 transmits a context request to create a context for the terminal device 130 to the target core network node 110-2 based on the handover assistance information.
In some example embodiments, the context request includes handover assistance information. Alternatively or additionally, the context request includes a UE context, such as a RAN UE NGAP ID or the like, used between source network module 160-1 and source core network node 110-1.
At block 730, the source core network node 110-1 receives a context response to the context request, the context response including the updated context generated by the target core network node 110-2. The updated context includes the context of the terminal device 130 updated by the target core network node 110-2, which may include an identification of the terminal device 130, such as the AMF UE NGAP ID assigned by the target core network node 110-2. Alternatively or additionally, the updated context also includes a new security context to be used in the target network module 160-2, UE aggregate maximum bit rate, core network assistance information, new security context indicators, allowed NSSAI, mobility restriction list, etc. At block 740, the source core network node 110-1 transmits a response to the handover request to the network device 120 based on the updated context.
In some example embodiments, the response to the handover request includes at least one of: an identification of the terminal device assigned by the target core network node, uplink user plane transport network layer information, additional uplink user plane transport network layer information, a security context for communication between the terminal device and the target network module, and an indication that there is no change to the context of the terminal device.
Fig. 8 shows a flow diagram of a method 800 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Method 800 may be implemented on any suitable device. The method 800 is described as being implemented at the target core network node 110-2 for illustration purposes only.
At block 810, the target core network node 110-2 receives a context request from the source core network node 110-1 to create a context for the terminal device 120. The context request includes handover assistance information and is generated by the source core network node 110-1 based on the handover assistance information in the request transmitted by the source network module 160-1 of the network device 120. The source network module 160-1 is connected to the source core network node 110-1. The network device 120 has a target network module 160-2 to be connected to the target core network node 110-2.
In some example embodiments, the handover assistance information comprises at least one of: information about the target radio access network resources (such as the N2SM information allocated by the target network module 160-2), and an indication to the target core network node to avoid transmitting the request for handover resource allocation. Alternatively or additionally, the context request includes a UE context used between the source network module 160-1 and the source core network node 110-1.
In some example embodiments, the information about the target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module comprises at least one of: a downlink user plane full tunnel endpoint identification, downlink forwarding transport network layer information, security parameters, and an indication that the target network module uses the same resources as the source network module.
At block 820, the source core network node 110-2 transmits a context response to the source core network node 110-1 to the context request including the updated context of the end device 120, such that the source core network node 110-1 transmits a handover response to the network device 120 based on the updated context.
In some example embodiments, the updated context comprises an identification of the terminal device allocated by the target core network node. Alternatively or additionally, the updated context further comprises a security context to be used by the target network module when the terminal device is connected to the target network module and the target core network node.
In some example embodiments, the apparatus also includes means for performing other steps in some example embodiments of the method 600. In some example embodiments, the component comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.
In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., network device 120) capable of performing any of method 600 may include means for performing the various steps of method 600. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in circuitry or software modules.
In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for transmitting, at a network device, a handover request from a source core network node to a target core network node, the request including handover assistance information provided by the network device, the handover assistance information obtained by a source network module from the target network module; means for receiving a response to the handover request from the source core network node, the handover response comprising an updated context to be used in the target network module; and means for transmitting a handover command to the terminal device based on the updated context.
In some example embodiments, the means for transmitting the handover request comprises: means for transmitting a handover request at a pre-configured start point in time or location for a handover from a source core network node to a target core network node; or means for transmitting the handover request after resources between the target network module and the target core network node are available.
In some example embodiments, the handover assistance information includes at least: information on target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module and an indication to the target core network node to avoid transmitting the request for handover resource allocation.
In some example embodiments, the updated context includes at least one of: an identification of the terminal device assigned by the target core network node, uplink user plane transport network layer information, additional uplink user plane transport network layer information, a security context for communication between the terminal device and the target network module, and an indication that the context of the terminal device has not changed.
In some example embodiments, the response to the handover request includes at least one of: an identification of the terminal device assigned by the target core network node, uplink user plane transport network layer information, additional uplink user plane transport network layer information, a security context for communication between the terminal device and the target network module, and an indication that the context of the terminal device has not changed.
In some example embodiments, the means for transmitting the handover command comprises means for generating the handover command comprising a radio resource control container based on the updated context included in the handover response.
In some example embodiments, the apparatus also includes means for performing other steps in some example embodiments of the method 700. In some example embodiments, the component comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.
In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., core network node 110-1) capable of performing any of method 700 may include means for performing the respective steps of method 700. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in circuitry or software modules.
In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for receiving, at a source core network node from a network device, a handover request from the source core network node to a target core network node, the handover request including handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module being connected to the source core network node, the network device having a target network module to be connected to the target core network node; means for transmitting a context request for creating a context for the terminal device to the target core network node based on the handover assistance information; means for receiving a context response to the context request from the target core network node, the context response comprising the updated context; and means for transmitting a handover response to the handover request to the network device based on the updated context.
In some example embodiments, the handover assistance information includes at least: information on target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module, and an indication to the target core network node to avoid transmission of the request for handover resource allocation.
In some example embodiments, the information about the target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module comprises at least one of: a downlink user plane full tunnel endpoint identification, downlink forwarding transport network layer information, security parameters, and an indication that the target network module uses the same resources as the source network module.
In some example embodiments, the updated context includes at least one of: an identification of the terminal device assigned by the target core network node, and a security context to be used by the target network module when the terminal device is connected to the target network module and the target core network node.
In some example embodiments, the apparatus also includes means for performing other steps in some example embodiments of the method 800. In some example embodiments, the component comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause execution of the apparatus.
In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., core network node 110-2) capable of performing any of method 800 may include means for performing the respective steps of method 800. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in circuitry or software modules.
In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes means for receiving, at a target core network node, a context request from a source core network node for creating a context for an end device, the context request including handover assistance information obtained from a handover request transmitted by a source network module of the network device, the source network module being connected to the source core network node, the network device having a target network module to be connected to the target core network node; and means for transmitting a context response to the context request comprising the updated context of the terminal device to the source core network node.
In some example embodiments, the handover assistance information comprises at least one of: information on target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module, and an indication to the target core network node to avoid transmission of the request for handover resource allocation.
In some example embodiments, the information about the target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module comprises at least one of: a downlink user plane full tunnel endpoint identification, downlink forwarding transport network layer information, security parameters, and an indication that the target network module uses the same resources as the source network module.
In some example embodiments, the updated context includes at least one of: an identification of the terminal device assigned by the target core network node, uplink user plane transport network layer information, additional uplink user plane transport network layer information, a security context for communication between the terminal device and the target network module, and an indication that the context of the terminal device has not changed.
Fig. 9 is a simplified block diagram of a device 900 suitable for implementing example embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 900 may be used to implement a communication device, such as core network node 110 or network device 120 shown in fig. 1. As shown, the device 900 includes one or more processors 910, one or more memories 940 coupled to the processors 910, and one or more transmitters and/or receivers (TX/RX)940 coupled to the processors 910.
TX/RX 940 is used for bi-directional communication. TX/RX 940 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface required to communicate with other network elements.
The processor 910 may be of any type suitable for use in a local technology network, and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of the following: general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) and processors based on a multi-core processor architecture. Device 900 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips that are subordinate in time to the clock of the synchronous host processor.
The memory 920 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, Read Only Memory (ROM)924, Electrically Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), flash memory, a hard disk, a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Video Disk (DVD), and other magnetic and/or optical storage. Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, Random Access Memory (RAM)922 and other volatile memory that does not persist for the duration of the power loss.
Computer programs 930 include computer-executable instructions that are executed by associated processor 910. The program 930 may be stored in the ROM 924. Processor 910 can perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 930 into RAM 922.
Example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by the program 930 such that the device 900 may perform any of the processes of the present disclosure discussed with reference to fig. 4-8. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware.
In some example embodiments, program 930 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, which may be included in device 900 (such as in memory 920) or in other storage accessible by device 900. The device 900 may load the program 930 from the computer-readable medium into the RAM 922 for execution. The computer readable medium may include any type of tangible, non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, a hard disk, a CD, a DVD, etc. Fig. 10 shows an example of a computer readable medium 1000 in the form of a CD or DVD. The computer readable medium has a program 930 stored thereon.
In general, the various example embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device. While various aspects of the example embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques or methods described herein may be implemented in, as non-limiting examples: hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.
The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions (such as those included in program modules) that are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the methods 600-800 described above with reference to fig. 6-8. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In various example embodiments, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or split between program modules as desired. Machine-executable instructions of program modules may be executed within local or distributed devices. In a distributed facility, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage media.
Program code for performing the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes may be provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the program codes, when executed by the processor or controller, cause the functions/operations specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram to be performed. The program code may execute entirely on the machine, partly on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine or entirely on the remote machine or server.
In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of a carrier include a signal, computer readable medium, and the like.
The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of a computer-readable storage medium would include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
Further, while operations are described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Likewise, while the above discussion contains several specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular example embodiments. Certain features that are described in the context of separate example embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single example embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single example embodiment can also be implemented in multiple example embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.
Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims (26)

1. A method, comprising:
transmitting, at a network device, a handover request from a source core network node to a target core network node, the handover request including handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from a target network module;
receiving a response to the handover request from the source core network node, the response comprising an updated context to be used in the target network module; and
transmitting a radio handover command to the terminal device based on the updated context.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the handover request comprises:
transmitting the handover request at a start time point or location pre-configured for the handover from the source core network node to the target core network node, or
Transmitting the handover request after resources between the target network module and the target core network node are available.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the handover assistance information comprises at least one of:
information on target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module, and
indicating to the target core network node an indication to refrain from transmitting the request for handover resource allocation.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information about the target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module comprises at least one of:
downlink user plane full tunnel endpoint identification,
the downlink forwarding conveys network layer information and,
a security parameter, and
an indication that the target network module uses the same resources as the source network module.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated context comprises at least one of:
an identity of the terminal device assigned by the target core network node,
the uplink user plane carries network layer information,
the additional uplink user plane carries network layer information,
a security context for communication between the terminal device and the target network module, an
An indication that the context of the terminal device has not changed.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
generating the radio handover command comprising a radio resource control container based on the updated context included in the response for handover.
7. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a source core network node, a handover request from a network device to a target core network node from the source core network node, the handover request including handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from a target network module;
transmitting a context request for creating a context for a terminal device to the target core network node based on the handover assistance information, the context request comprising the handover assistance information and the context for the terminal device;
receiving a context response to the context request from the target core network node, the context response comprising an updated context of the terminal device; and
transmitting a response to the handover request to the network device based on the updated context.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the handover assistance information comprises at least one of:
information on target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module, and
indicating to the target core network node an indication to refrain from transmitting the request for handover resource allocation.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information about the target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module comprises at least one of:
downlink user plane full tunnel endpoint identification,
the downlink forwarding conveys network layer information and,
a security parameter, and
an indication that the target network module uses the same resources as the source network module.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the context of the terminal device in the context request comprises at least one of: a radio access network user equipment next generation application protocol identification, and an identification identifying the terminal device in the target network module.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein the updated context comprises at least one of:
an identity of the terminal device assigned by the target core network node, an
The uplink user plane carries network layer information,
the additional uplink user plane carries network layer information,
a security context for communication between the terminal device and the target network module, an
An indication that the context of the terminal device has not changed.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein the response to the handover request comprises at least one of:
an identity of the terminal device assigned by the target core network node, an
The uplink user plane carries network layer information,
the additional uplink user plane carries network layer information,
a security context for communication between the terminal device and the target network module, an
An indication that the context of the terminal device has not changed.
13. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a target core network node from a source core network node, a context request for creating a context for a terminal device, the context request comprising handover assistance information obtained from a handover request transmitted by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from the target network module; and
transmitting a context response to the context request to the source core network node, the context response comprising an updated context of the terminal device.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the handover assistance information comprises at least one of:
information on target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module, and
indicating to the target core network node an indication to refrain from transmitting the request for handover resource allocation.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the information about the target radio access network resources allocated by the target network module comprises at least one of:
downlink user plane full tunnel endpoint identification,
the downlink forwarding conveys network layer information and,
a security parameter, and
an indication that the target network module uses the same resources as the source network module.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the context request comprises at least one of: a radio access network user equipment next generation application protocol identification, and an identification identifying the terminal device in the target network module.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the updated context comprises at least one of:
an identity of the terminal device assigned by the target core network node,
the uplink NG-U user plane carries network layer information,
the additional uplink NG-U user plane carries network layer information,
a security context to be used by the target network module when the terminal device is connected to the target network module and the target core network node, an
An indication that the context of the terminal device has not changed.
18. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code;
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 1-6.
19. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code;
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 7 to 12.
20. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code;
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 13-17.
21. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the device to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 6.
22. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 7 to 12.
23. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 13 to 17.
24. An apparatus, comprising:
means for transmitting, at a network device, a handover request from a source core network node to a target core network node, the handover request comprising handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from a target network module;
means for receiving a response to the handover request from the source core network node, the response comprising an updated context to be used in the target network module; and
means for transmitting a radio handover command to the terminal device based on the updated context.
25. An apparatus, comprising:
means for receiving, at a source core network node from a network device, a handover request from the source core network node to a target core network node, the handover request comprising handover assistance information provided by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from a target network module;
means for transmitting a context request to the target core network node for creating a context for a terminal device based on the handover assistance information, the context request comprising the handover assistance information and the context for the terminal device;
means for receiving a context response to the context request from the target core network node, the context response comprising an updated context; and
means for transmitting a response to the handover request to the network device based on the updated context.
26. An apparatus, comprising:
means for receiving, at a target core network node from a source core network node, a context request for creating a context for a terminal device, the context request comprising handover assistance information obtained from a handover request transmitted by a source network module of the network device, the source network module obtaining the handover assistance information from the target network module; and
means for transmitting a context response to the context request to the source core network node, the context response comprising the updated context of the terminal device.
CN201980094957.8A 2019-03-29 2019-03-29 For handover between core network nodes Active CN113661733B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/CN2019/080531 WO2020198978A1 (en) 2019-03-29 2019-03-29 Handover for inter-core network node

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CN113661733A true CN113661733A (en) 2021-11-16
CN113661733B CN113661733B (en) 2023-07-25

Family

ID=72664824

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CN201980094957.8A Active CN113661733B (en) 2019-03-29 2019-03-29 For handover between core network nodes

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP3949507A4 (en)
CN (1) CN113661733B (en)
WO (1) WO2020198978A1 (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN114630355A (en) * 2022-03-31 2022-06-14 深圳艾灵网络有限公司 Core network-based fault recovery method, device, equipment and storage medium
WO2024026640A1 (en) * 2022-08-01 2024-02-08 Nokia Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd. Apparatus, method, and computer program
WO2024051504A1 (en) * 2022-09-09 2024-03-14 大唐移动通信设备有限公司 Switching processing method and apparatus, and communication device

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN117320094B (en) * 2023-11-29 2024-03-08 上海卫星互联网研究院有限公司 Space core network switching method and device, electronic equipment and storage medium

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN105992293A (en) * 2015-02-09 2016-10-05 电信科学技术研究院 Network switching method and device
CN108632927A (en) * 2017-03-24 2018-10-09 华为技术有限公司 Mobile network's switching method and communication device
CN108781396A (en) * 2016-08-10 2018-11-09 日本电气株式会社 Radio access network node, radio terminal, core network node and its method
CN109526252A (en) * 2016-08-10 2019-03-26 日本电气株式会社 Wireless access network node, wireless terminal, core net node and its method

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN116963180A (en) * 2017-04-25 2023-10-27 华为技术有限公司 Load migration method, device and system
US10757611B2 (en) * 2017-09-22 2020-08-25 Ofinno, Llc SMF and AMF relocation during UE registration

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN105992293A (en) * 2015-02-09 2016-10-05 电信科学技术研究院 Network switching method and device
CN108781396A (en) * 2016-08-10 2018-11-09 日本电气株式会社 Radio access network node, radio terminal, core network node and its method
CN109526252A (en) * 2016-08-10 2019-03-26 日本电气株式会社 Wireless access network node, wireless terminal, core net node and its method
CN108632927A (en) * 2017-03-24 2018-10-09 华为技术有限公司 Mobile network's switching method and communication device

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN114630355A (en) * 2022-03-31 2022-06-14 深圳艾灵网络有限公司 Core network-based fault recovery method, device, equipment and storage medium
CN114630355B (en) * 2022-03-31 2023-09-08 深圳艾灵网络有限公司 Fault recovery method, device, equipment and storage medium based on core network
WO2024026640A1 (en) * 2022-08-01 2024-02-08 Nokia Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd. Apparatus, method, and computer program
WO2024051504A1 (en) * 2022-09-09 2024-03-14 大唐移动通信设备有限公司 Switching processing method and apparatus, and communication device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP3949507A4 (en) 2022-10-19
CN113661733B (en) 2023-07-25
WO2020198978A1 (en) 2020-10-08
EP3949507A1 (en) 2022-02-09

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CN113661733B (en) For handover between core network nodes
CN108521880B (en) Method, device and system for switching base station
CN110999437B (en) Network slice-specific paging for wireless networks
CN114424624B (en) Delay management in wireless networks
JP2023518964A (en) Improving signaling efficiency in non-terrestrial networks
CN114557048B (en) Apparatus, method, device and computer readable medium for inter-CU topology adaptation
EP4022977B1 (en) Signaling reduction at handover of an iab node
WO2021147030A1 (en) Methods, devices, and medium for communication
CN113767611B (en) Exchanging capability information
CN115516914A (en) Method and device for switching
JP2020061732A (en) Uplink bearer binding in handover
WO2023141830A1 (en) Method, device and computer storage medium of communication
CN116114212A (en) Auxiliary information configuration method and communication device
WO2023115417A1 (en) Internet protocol address management for non-terrestrial network
WO2024148476A1 (en) Devices and methods of communication
CN114467362B (en) Apparatus, method, device and computer readable medium for handover between master nodes
CN115211174B (en) Measurement reporting in handover
WO2024148575A1 (en) Device and method of communication
WO2023050187A1 (en) Method, device and computer storage medium of communication
WO2024020959A1 (en) Method, device and computer storage medium of communication
US20240172300A1 (en) Data transmission in inactive state connection
WO2024159533A1 (en) Device and method of communication
CN115428578A (en) Initial access of remote device via relay
CN118042533A (en) Communication method, communication device, computer-readable storage medium, and program product
WO2021114285A1 (en) Operator network identification in network sharing

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PB01 Publication
PB01 Publication
SE01 Entry into force of request for substantive examination
SE01 Entry into force of request for substantive examination
GR01 Patent grant
GR01 Patent grant