CN114390560A

CN114390560A - Switching method, device and related equipment

Info

Publication number: CN114390560A
Application number: CN202011142173.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘子乔; 王达
Original assignee: Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co Ltd
Current assignee: Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-10-22
Filing date: 2020-10-22
Publication date: 2022-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 2040-10-22
Also published as: CN114390560B

Abstract

The invention discloses a switching method, a switching device and related equipment, wherein the switching method for a first relay node in a backhaul access integrated IAB system comprises the following steps: receiving a service data packet carrying indication information, wherein the indication information is used for indicating that at least two next hop nodes can be selected for transmission of the service data packet; according to the indication information, under the condition that the number of the second relay nodes matched with the destination address of the service data packet is N, the service data packet is sent to M second relay nodes in the N second relay nodes; the second relay node is a next hop node of the first relay node; wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and M is less than or equal to N. The embodiment of the invention can shorten the time delay of service transmission and improve the reliability of service transmission.

Description

Switching method, device and related equipment

Technical Field

The present invention belongs to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a handover method, apparatus, and related device.

Background

In an Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) system, an IAB loop may include a plurality of relay nodes (IAB nodes or User Equipments (UEs)), and the purpose of expanding the coverage area of a base station is achieved by a wireless signal relay manner between the relay nodes.

In the related art, the relay node may be provided on a movable vehicle or a movable mobile device. Thus, when a relay node in an IAB loop is switched from one parent node to another parent node, the configurations used by the relay node and its downstream nodes need to be reconfigured, so that after the relay node is switched, the switched relay node needs to wait for the reconfiguration of the switched relay node to be completed before the service can be normally transmitted, thereby causing delay or interruption of the transmission service.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the invention aims to provide a switching method, a switching device and related equipment, which can solve the problem that transmission service has time delay and even interruption when a relay node in the related technology is switched.

In order to solve the technical problem, the invention is realized as follows:

in a first aspect, a handover method is provided, where the handover method is used for a first relay node in an IAB system, and the handover method includes:

receiving a service data packet carrying indication information, wherein the indication information is used for indicating that at least two next hop nodes can be selected for transmission of the service data packet;

according to the indication information, under the condition that the number of the second relay nodes matched with the destination address of the service data packet is N, the service data packet is sent to M second relay nodes in the N second relay nodes; the second relay node is a next hop node of the first relay node;

wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and M is less than or equal to N.

Further, the indication information is configured by the CU network, and/or the indication information includes an Identity (ID) of the path of the service data packet.

Further, the indication information is carried in a header of the service data packet.

Further, the sending the service data packet to M second relay nodes of the N second relay nodes includes:

and respectively sending the same service data packet to M second relay nodes in the N second relay nodes.

Further, the method further comprises:

randomly selecting M second relay nodes from the N second relay nodes;

or,

selecting M second relay nodes with the communication quality parameters of the backhaul link larger than preset communication quality parameters from the N second relay nodes;

or,

and selecting M second relay nodes without congestion of a backhaul link from the N second relay nodes.

acquiring a path ID of the service data packet;

transmitting the service data packet to M second relay nodes of N second relay nodes under the condition that the first relay node cannot identify the path ID;

and under the condition that the first relay node can identify the path ID, sending the service data packet to M second relay nodes in the N second relay nodes, or sending the service data packet to a second relay node matched with the path ID in the N second relay nodes.

Further, the sending the service data packet to M second relay nodes of the N second relay nodes in the case that the first relay node cannot identify the path ID includes:

and after copying the service data packets which can not identify the path ID, respectively sending the service data packets to the M second relay nodes.

Further, the method further comprises:

when a service data packet carries the indication information and only one second relay node matched with the destination address of the service data packet is provided:

sending the service data packet to the second relay node;

or,

and copying the service data packet carrying the indication information, and sending at least one of the service data packet carrying the indication information and the copied service data packet to the second relay node.

Further, the service data packet is copied at the adaptive backhaul protocol, BAP, layer of the first relay node.

Further, the indication information is configured by the CU network to a first value for indicating that transmission of service data packets can select at least two next hop nodes;

and when the indication information is configured to be the second value by the CU network, the indication information is used for indicating the transmission of the service data packet to a next hop node.

In a second aspect, a handover method is provided for a source CU network in a backhaul access integrated IAB system, where the handover method includes:

in a backhaul link switching process of a connected migration node or terminal, respectively sending service data packets to a first IAB node and a second IAB node, where the first IAB node is a first connected source IAB node connected to the migration node or terminal, the second IAB node is a second connected source IAB node connected to the migration node or terminal, and the data packets carry indication information for indicating that transmission of the service data packets can select at least two next hop nodes.

Further, the indication information is configured by the CU network, and/or the indication information includes a path ID of the service data packet.

Further, the sending the service data packet to the first IAB node and the second IAB node includes:

and under the condition of receiving indication that the migration node or the terminal successfully completes connection configuration with the network side, sending a service data packet to the first IAB node and the second IAB node until receiving indication information that the second connection completes connection configuration.

Further, after receiving the indication information that the second connection completes the connection configuration, the method further includes:

releasing the first connection;

and modifying the indication information to indicate that only one next hop node is selected for transmission of the service data packet.

Further, in a case that the migration node or the terminal is connected to the first IAB node and the second IAB node, respectively, the indication information is configured to be a first value to indicate that transmission of a service data packet can select at least two next hop nodes;

and in the case that the migration node or the terminal is connected with only one of the first IAB node and the second IAB node, configuring the indication information to be a second value to indicate that the transmission of the service data packet selects only one next-hop node.

In a third aspect, there is provided a first relay node, comprising a memory, a transceiver, a processor:

a memory for storing a computer program; a transceiver for transceiving data under control of the processor; a processor for reading the computer program in the memory and performing the following operations:

In a fourth aspect, a home IAB node is provided that includes a memory, a transceiver, a processor:

In a fifth aspect, a first relay node is provided, comprising:

a receiving unit, configured to receive a service data packet carrying indication information, where the indication information is used to indicate that at least two next hop nodes can be selected for transmission of the service data packet;

a sending unit, configured to send the service data packet to M second relay nodes of the N second relay nodes according to the indication information, when N second relay nodes that match destination addresses of the service data packet are provided; the second relay node is a next hop node of the first relay node;

In a sixth aspect, there is provided a host IAB node comprising:

a sending unit, configured to send service data packets to a first IAB node and a second IAB node respectively in a backhaul link switching process of a connected migration node or terminal, where the first IAB node is a first connected source IAB node connected to the migration node or terminal, the second IAB node is a second connected source IAB node connected to the migration node or terminal, and the data packets carry indication information, where the indication information is used to indicate that at least two next-hop nodes can be selected for transmission of the service data packets.

In a seventh aspect, a processor-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program for causing the processor to execute the handover method of the first aspect, or the computer program for causing the processor to execute the handover method of the second aspect.

In the embodiment of the present invention, in the process of switching the relay node in the service transmission path to another parent node, even if the configurations used by the relay node and the downstream nodes thereof are not reconfigured, the relay node and the downstream nodes thereof may transmit the service data packet to the migration node or the terminal by transmitting the service data packet to the plurality of next hop nodes, so that even if the connection between the relay node and the next hop node is interrupted or congested, the service data packet can be transmitted to another next hop node matched with the target address by transmitting the service data packet to the other next hop node, that is, without waiting for the reconfiguration used by the relay node and the downstream nodes thereof to be completed, the service data packet can be transmitted to the migration node or the terminal, thereby improving the transmission efficiency and the transmission reliability of the service data packet.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an IAB network system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applicable;

fig. 2 is a connection structure diagram of an IAB node in an IAB system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applicable;

fig. 3 is a flowchart of a handover method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4a is a schematic connection diagram of a migration node/terminal and a source serving cell in an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4b is a schematic diagram of a migration node/terminal connected to a source serving cell and a target serving cell in an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4c is a schematic diagram of a data packet transmission path of a migration node/terminal switching from a source serving cell to a target serving cell in an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a flowchart of another handover method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a structural diagram of a network side device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a block diagram of another network-side device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is a structural diagram of a first relay node according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 9 is a structural diagram of a host IAB node according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The term "and/or" in the embodiments of the present invention describes an association relationship of associated objects, and means that there may be three relationships, for example, a and/or B, which may mean: a exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character "/" generally indicates that the former and latter associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

The term "plurality" in the embodiments of the present invention means two or more, and other terms are similar thereto.

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

It is worth pointing out that the technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to various systems, especially 5G systems. For example, the applicable system may be a global system for mobile communication (GSM) system, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) system, a long term evolution (long term evolution, LTE) system, an LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system, an LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, an LTE-a (long term evolution) system, a universal mobile system (universal mobile telecommunications system, UMTS), a Worldwide Interoperability for Mobile Access (WiMAX) system, a New Radio network (NR 5) system, etc. These various systems include terminal devices and network devices. The System may further include a core network portion, such as an Evolved Packet System (EPS), a 5G System (5GS), and the like.

The terminal device according to the embodiments of the present invention may be a device providing voice and/or data connectivity to a user, a handheld device having a wireless connection function, or another processing device connected to a wireless modem. In different systems, the names of the terminal devices may be different, for example, in a 5G system, the terminal device may be called a User Equipment (UE). A wireless terminal device, which may be a mobile terminal device such as a mobile telephone (or "cellular" telephone) and a computer having a mobile terminal device, for example, a portable, pocket, hand-held, computer-included, or vehicle-mounted mobile device, may communicate with one or more Core Networks (CNs) via a Radio Access Network (RAN). Examples of such devices include Personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). The wireless terminal device may also be referred to as a system, a subscriber unit (subscriber unit), a subscriber station (subscriber station), a mobile station (mobile), a remote station (remote station), an access point (access point), a remote terminal device (remote terminal), an access terminal device (access terminal), a user terminal device (user terminal), a user agent (user agent), and a user device (user device), which are not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

The network device related to the embodiment of the present invention may be a base station, and the base station may include a plurality of cells for providing services to the terminal. A base station may also be referred to as an access point, or a device in an access network that communicates over the air-interface, through one or more sectors, with wireless terminal devices, or by other names, depending on the particular application. The network device may be configured to exchange received air frames with Internet Protocol (IP) packets as a router between the wireless terminal device and the rest of the access network, which may include an Internet Protocol (IP) communication network. The network device may also coordinate attribute management for the air interface. For example, the network device according to the embodiment of the present invention may be a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), may be a network device (NodeB) in a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), may be an evolved Node B (eNB or e-NodeB) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) System, may be a 5G Base Station (gbb) in a 5G network architecture (next evolution System), may be a Home evolved Node B (HeNB), a relay Node (relay Node), a Home Base Station (femto), a pico Base Station (pico Base Station), and the like, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present invention. In some network architectures, a network device may include a Centralized Unit (CU) node and a Distributed Unit (DU) node, which may also be geographically separated.

In the IAB network technology, the purpose of expanding the coverage area of a base station is achieved by a wireless signal relay mode among a plurality of relay nodes. Specifically, the relay function of the relay IAB node is implemented by a Backhaul Attachment Protocol (BAP) layer in the IAB node.

With the further development of IAB network technology, the relay node in the above technology can also be mobile, for example: the IAB node in the IAB network technology is installed on a car or a train. When the IAB node is handed over from one parent node to another parent node, the configuration used by the IAB node needs to be reconfigured, and since the service can be normally transmitted after the reconfiguration is completed after the handover process, the delay or interruption of the transmission service may be caused. Another example is: the relay UE may be a mobile phone or a mobile device, which may also be handed over from one cell to another cell, and in this case, delay or interruption of the transmission service may also be caused.

The embodiment of the invention provides a switching method and a switching device, which are used for transmitting service data through double paths in the process of switching a relay node in an IAB (integrated access node) network from one parent node to another parent node so as to avoid time delay or interruption of service transmission in the switching process. Specifically, in the switching process, the migration node/terminal is simultaneously connected with the source serving cell and the target serving cell, so that even if some relay links are congested or interrupted, it can be ensured that downlink data packets can be sent to the migration node/remote UE through other links, or downlink data packets are sent to the migration node/remote UE from the source cell and the target cell respectively, thereby reducing the switching delay of the transmission service and avoiding interruption of the transmission service in the switching process.

The Dual path transmission in the present invention is different from a Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) handover enhancement technology in the prior art, and specifically includes: the DAPS technique in the prior art can only be applied to a network architecture in which a terminal is directly connected to a base station, and is not applicable to a network architecture with a relay node. Because neither the relay IAB node nor the relay UE has a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the functions of duplicate Packet detection and Packet reordering for downlink Data in the source serving cell and the target serving cell cannot be performed in the same buffer cache area based on the PDCP entity.

The method and the device provided by the embodiment of the invention are based on the same application conception, and because the principles of solving the problems of the method and the device are similar, the device and the method can be mutually implemented, and repeated parts are not described again.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an IAB network system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applicable, and as shown in fig. 1, the IAB network system may include: a donor IAB node 12 (i.e. a home IAB node or a central control node), a relay node 13, an access node 14, a migration node 15 and a remote UE 16 for connecting with the core network 11, and then links between the network side nodes are called backhaul links.

In the present invention, the Relay node 13 may be a Relay IAB node or a terminal with a Relay function (i.e. UE to Network Relay), and in order to distinguish a relayed UE from a Relay UE, the relayed terminal is referred to as a remote UE 16. In the case where the relay node 13 includes a relay UE, the interface between the relay UE and the network-side device is a Uu interface (i.e., connected using a wireless link), the interface between the relay UE and the remote UE may use a PC5 interface (also referred to as a direct communication interface (sildelink, SL)), and the connection between the IAB nodes is connected using a wireless link.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 2, in the conventional IAB network system, an IAB node includes: an IAB Mobile Termination (IAB MT) and an IAB Distributed Unit (IAB DU), where the IAB MT is connected to a DU in a base station or an IAB node, and the upstream base station or IAB node is called a parent node of the IAB node (for example, as shown in fig. 1, the relay node 13 is a parent node of the access node 14); and the IAB DU is for the MT connected with the UE or IAB node, and the UE or IAB node downstream is called the child node of the IAB node (for example, as shown in fig. 1, the access node 14 is the child node of the relay node 13, and the access node 14 is the descendant node of the doror IAB node 12).

In the embodiment of the present invention, when a relay node (also referred to as "migration node")/terminal is switched from a source parent node to a target parent node, a child node and a terminal downstream of the migration node are both switched.

The following describes the switching method provided by the embodiment of the present invention in detail through specific embodiments and application scenarios thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to fig. 3, fig. 3 is a flowchart of a handover method according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the handover method is used for a first relay node in an IAB system, and as shown in fig. 3, the handover method may include the following steps:

s301, receiving a service data packet carrying indication information, wherein the indication information is used for indicating that at least two next hop nodes can be selected for transmission of the service data packet.

In a specific implementation, in the handover process, the migration node/terminal switches the transmission path of the service data packet from the source path to the target path, and the first relay node may include a relay node in the source path and a relay node in the target path.

For example: as in fig. 4a, the source path represents: before handover, a migration node (Migrating IAB-node) is connected with a source serving cell, and a transmission path of service data of the migration node is as follows: a DU part (Source-path IAB-node) of the Source path host IAB node, a Source-path IAB relay node (Source-path IAB-node), and a Source IAB access node (Source IAB-node), at which time, the migration node, a downstream node (despendant IAB-node) of the migration node, and the UE served by the migration node receive the service data packet of the Source CU network through the Source path.

In addition, as shown in fig. 4b, the target path represents: after the handover, migrating the connection between the node and the target serving cell, where the target path includes: a DU part (Target-path IAB-node DU) of the Target path host IAB node, a Target-path IAB relay node (Target-path IAB-node), and a Target IAB access node (Target IAB-node), at which time, the migration node, a downstream node (despendant IAB-node) of the migration node, and the UE served by the migration node receive the service packet of the source CU network through the Target path.

In the invention, after the RRC reconfiguration of the migration node/terminal is completed and in a time period before the successful connection with the target cell, the network side sends the service data packets needing to be sent to the migration node/terminal on both the source path and the target path so as to reduce the delay or interruption of service transmission. And after the migration node is successfully connected with the target cell, the source path can be released.

Wherein, indicating that the transmission of the service data packet can select at least two next hop nodes may represent: when a relay node receives a service data packet, if at least two next hop nodes are included, the relay node sends the service data packet to at least two next hop nodes according to the indication information, where the next hop nodes may also be referred to as "next hop" or "downstream nodes", and the next hop nodes may be nodes in a source path or nodes in a target path.

S302, according to the indication information, under the condition that N second relay nodes matched with the destination addresses of the service data packets are provided, the service data packets are sent to M second relay nodes in the N second relay nodes; the second relay node is a next hop node of the first relay node; wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and M is less than or equal to N.

The second relay node matched with the destination address of the service data packet indicates a relay node located at a next hop of the first relay node in a transmission path between the first relay node and the destination address.

In an application scenario, the first relay node can have 2, 3 or even more second relay nodes matching with a destination address, and in practical applications, the value of M is preferably 2. Therefore, a situation that the value of N is greater than the value of M may occur, and at this time, M relay nodes may be selected from the N second relay nodes, and specifically, M relay nodes may be selected from the N second relay nodes in the following manner:

randomly selecting M second relay nodes from the N second relay nodes;

or,

Wherein, selecting M second relay nodes, from the N second relay nodes, for which the communication quality parameter of the backhaul link is greater than the preset communication quality parameter may be understood as: and selecting M second relay nodes with good communication quality of the backhaul link from the N second relay nodes, or selecting M second relay nodes with good communication quality of the backhaul link meeting preset communication requirements from the N second relay nodes.

As an optional implementation manner, the sending the service data packet to M second relay nodes in the N second relay nodes includes:

In a specific implementation, the service data packets may be replicated into M identical data packets at the BAP layer of the relay node, so that the M identical service data packets before and after replication are respectively sent to M second relay nodes.

In this embodiment, the BAP layer duplicates the service data packet into the same M segments to send the same service data packet to the M second relay nodes, respectively, so that the service data packet can be transmitted in dual paths, and the service data packet can be transmitted more reliably.

In another application scenario, the first relay node may only have 1 second relay node, and at this time, the first relay node cannot transmit the service data to M next hop nodes indicated by the indication information, and at this time, the service data packet may be transmitted to the second relay node by using the following method:

the first method is as follows: and directly sending the service data packet to the second relay node.

In this embodiment, the first relay node ignores the indication information according to a situation that the first relay node has only one first-hop node, that is, does not copy the service data packet and selects two next-hop nodes to transmit the service data packet.

The second method comprises the following steps: and copying the service data packet carrying the indication information, and sending at least one of the service data packet carrying the indication information and the copied service data packet to the second relay node.

In this embodiment, the first relay node preferentially duplicates the service data into M identical service data packets according to the indication of the indication information, and in the process of sending the service data packets to the next hop node, the first relay node may: and sending the M identical service data packets to the next hop node, or discarding the copied service data packet and sending the original service data packet to the next hop node, or discarding the original service data packet and sending the copied service data packet to the next hop node.

In application, if a first relay node may receive M different service data packets, the service data packets may be sent to M second relay nodes in the N second relay nodes, and the following implementation manner may also be used:

and respectively sending the M different service data packets to M second relay nodes.

In this embodiment, the data packets received by the M second relay nodes are different, and the downstream second relay node may also copy and send the received service data packets to the M next-hop nodes.

In a specific implementation, the indication information may further indicate that only one next hop node is selected for transmission of the service data packet after the switched path configuration is completed. In application, the indication information specifically indicates whether transmission of a service data packet can select at least two next hop nodes or only one next hop node, and different identification results of the indication information can be distinguished according to different values of the indication information or the first relay node.

As an optional implementation manner, the indication information is configured by the CU network, and/or the indication information includes a path ID of the service data packet.

Situation one

The indication information is configured by the CU network, and the CU network can configure the indication information into different values in different application scenarios, for example: the indication information, when configured by the CU network to a first value (e.g., the number "1"), is used to indicate that transmission of a service data packet is capable of selecting at least two next hop nodes; the indication information, when configured to a second value (e.g., a digital "0") by the CU network, is used to indicate that the service data packet is transmitted to a next hop node.

Further, in this embodiment, the indication information may be carried in a header of the service data packet.

In application, when a source CU network acquires a downlink service data packet, if it is known that a migration node/terminal corresponding to a destination address of the service data packet is in a handover process, a packet header of the service data packet is configured to be a first value.

Therefore, the relay node receiving the service data packet can acquire the indication information only by reading the header value of the service data packet.

Of course, in a specific implementation, the indication information may also be other information associated with the service data packet, and is not limited in particular herein.

Situation two

When the indication information includes the path ID of the service data packet, if the first relay node cannot identify the path ID, the indication information is used to indicate that transmission of the service data packet can select at least two next hop nodes; and if the first relay node can identify the path ID, the indication information is used for indicating that a service data packet is transmitted to a next hop node.

The first relay node cannot identify the path ID, which means that the path ID is not stored in the routing table of the first relay node, and thus cannot identify the path ID, for example: in a specific implementation, the relay node a in the target path may send the service data packet to the relay node B in the source path, and at this time, the relay node B may not identify the path ID of the received service data packet, so as to send the service data packet to at least two next-hop nodes.

In this embodiment, the relay node that receives the service data packet obtains the indication information according to the identification result of the path ID of the service data packet, so that there is no need to add new indication information.

acquiring a path ID of the service data packet;

If the first relay node can identify the path ID of the service data packet in the process of forwarding the service data packet, it indicates that: and the relay node for sending the service data packet is positioned outside the transmission path of the first relay node.

For example: in the handover scenario shown in fig. 4c, the source path between the migration node/terminal and the source CU network/base station includes: relay node a, relay node B, relay node C and relay node D, the target path between the mobile node/terminal and the source CU network or base station includes: the relay node A ', the relay node B', the relay node C 'and the relay node D' are connected through a link, the relay node C and the relay node D 'are connected through a link, and the relay node B and the relay node C' are connected through a link. The relay node a 'may copy the data packet B received from the source CU network/base station into a data packet B' and transmit the data packet B and the data packet B 'to the relay node B and the relay node B', respectively. At this time, the data packet (one of B and B ') received by the relay node B carries the path ID of the destination path, and the relay node B does not store the path ID and cannot recognize the path ID, so that the data packet is copied into the data packet B "again, and the copied data packet B ″ and the original data packet (one of B and B ') are respectively sent to the relay node C and the relay node C '.

The first relay node may or may not copy the service data packet capable of identifying the path ID thereof and then transmit the service data packet to the M second relay nodes, and the service data packet is transmitted to the next hop node according to the path ID of the service data packet.

For example: in the handover scenario shown in fig. 4C, when receiving the packet a sent by the relay node a, the relay node B may copy the packet a 'into a packet a', and then send the packet a and the packet a 'to the relay node C and the relay node C', respectively; alternatively, the relay node B may directly transmit the packet a to a child node located in the relay node B on the source path without copying the packet a: and a relay node C.

Specifically, the above-mentioned manner of determining whether to perform dual-path transmission on the service data packet according to the identification result of the path ID may be combined with the manner of configuring the indication information by the source CU network, for example: when the source CU network configures the indication information in the service data packet to a first value to indicate that the service data packet can be transmitted to at least two next hop nodes, if the first relay node can identify the path ID of the service data packet, the first relay node may not copy the service data packet, but directly send it to the next hop node matching the path ID; if the first relay node can identify the path ID of the service packet, the first relay node may copy the service packet into at least two identical service packets and send the service packets to at least two next hop nodes, respectively.

In the embodiment, the first relay node sends the salesman data packet to the next hop node according to the path ID if the first relay node can identify the path ID of the received service data packet, so as to save resources; and when the first relay node cannot identify the path ID, selecting at least two next hop nodes to send the service data, so that the transmission reliability of the service data can be improved.

In a specific implementation, the first relay node may receive a plurality of service packets, and in this case, the plurality of service packets may include a first service packet that the first relay node can identify the path ID and a second service packet that the first relay node cannot identify the path ID. The first relay node will perform different processing on the first service data packet and the second service data packet according to different identification results of the path ID.

For example: the service data packet carrying the indication information received at the first relay node includes: under the condition of a first service data packet and a second service data packet, if the first relay node can identify the path ID of the first service data packet but cannot identify the path ID of the second service data packet, the first service data packet is sent to the second relay node matched with the path ID of the first service data packet, and the second service data packet is copied and then is respectively sent to M second relay nodes; the first service data packet and the second service data packet have the same destination address.

In this embodiment, the first relay node may receive first service data sent by an upstream node located in the same transmission path as the first relay node and second service data sent by a previous-hop node located in another transmission path, where the first service data and the second service data have the same destination address, for example: in the application scenario shown in fig. 4c, the relay node B can receive the first traffic data from the relay node a and the second traffic data from the relay node a'.

The first relay node may perform different processing according to the ID identification result of the received service data, and normally transmit the first service data normally transmitted according to the path ID thereof; and sending the second service data which is not transmitted according to the path ID to at least two next hop nodes. For example: in the application scenario shown in fig. 4C, the relay node B sends the packet a received from the relay node a to the relay node C, and copies the packet B received from the relay node a 'into the packet B' and sends the packet B 'to the relay node C and the relay node B', respectively. In this way, even if the backhaul link between the relay node a 'and the relay node B' is congested or interrupted, the relay node B 'can receive the data packet B (or the same data packet B' as the data packet B). Thereby being applicable to: after the RRC reconfiguration is completed and in a time period before the successful connection with the target cell, the migration node/terminal sends the service data packet to be sent to the migration node/terminal on both the source path and the target path, so as to reduce the delay or interruption of service transmission.

The following takes the application scenario shown in fig. 4c as an example to illustrate the handover method provided in the embodiment of the present invention:

step 1: the source CU/base station sends packet a to relay node a and packet b to relay node a'.

The data packet a and the data packet b both carry indication information to indicate that the service data packet can select at least two next hop nodes.

In an alternative embodiment, the data packet a and the data packet b may be the same data packet, i.e. after the source CU/base station copies the data packet into two identical data packets, the two identical data packets are sent to the relay nodes a and a', respectively.

Therefore, the transmission reliability of the service data packet can be improved.

In another alternative embodiment, the data packet a and the data packet b may be different data packets, that is, the source CU/base station sends two data packets that need to be sent to the migration node/terminal to the relay nodes a and a', respectively.

Thus, network resources can be saved on the basis that data packets can be transmitted from different paths to the migration node/terminal.

Step 2: the relay node a 'copies the data packet B into a data packet B', and sends the data packet B to the relay node B, and sends the data packet B 'to the relay node B' (in practical applications, the data packet B 'may also be sent to the relay node B, and the data packet B is sent to the relay node B', and this embodiment only takes the example of sending the data packet B to the relay node B, and sending the data packet B 'to the relay node B').

And step 3: the relay node B sends the data packet a to the relay node C, copies the data packet B into a data packet B ", and sends the data packet B and the data packet B" to the relay node C and the relay node C ', respectively (taking the case that the data packet B is sent to the relay node C, and the data packet B "is sent to the relay node C' as an example).

Here, since the relay node a has only one next hop node (relay node B), the relay node a may send the received packet a to the relay node B. At this time, the relay node B will receive two packets with the same destination address: packet a and packet b.

In addition, if the packet a is a packet normally transmitted according to the path ID, the relay node B may continue to transmit the packet to the relay node C according to the path ID. And the relay node B cannot identify the path ID in the data packet B, so that the path ID is copied and then respectively sent to two next-hop relay nodes.

And 4, step 4: the relay node C 'receives the packet b "and sends it to the relay node D'.

It should be noted that, due to the link between the relay node a 'and the relay node B' being broken, the relay node B 'is substantially unable to receive the data packet B', and thus the data packet B 'is not transmitted to the relay node C'. And the relay node C 'can recognize its path ID when receiving the packet b ", so that it can transmit the packet b" to the relay node D'.

And 5: the relay node C receives the data packet a and the data packet b, sends the data packet a to the relay node D, copies the data packet b into a data packet b ', and then respectively sends the data packet b and the data packet b ' to the relay node D and the relay node D ' (taking the example that the data packet b is sent to the relay node D and the data packet b ' is sent to the relay node D ')

The same principle as that the relay node B sends the data packet a to the relay node C according to the identifiable path ID is adopted, and the relay node C continues to send the data packet a to the relay node D according to the path ID;

in addition, according to the same principle that the relay node B copies the packet B that cannot identify the path ID, and then sends the original packet and the copied packet to the relay node C and the relay node C ', the relay node C copies the packet B into a packet B' ″, and then sends the packet B and the packet B '″ to the relay node D and the relay node D', respectively.

Step 6: the migration node/terminal receives packet a, packet b ", and packet b '" from relay node D (access node in source path) and relay node D' (access node in destination path), respectively.

In application, when acquiring the data packets with the same content, the migration node/terminal can integrate the repeated data to delete the repeated data packets.

In the above embodiment, when the packet can be transmitted according to the normal path ID and the destination address, the packet may not be copied. However, in practical applications, if the topology performance of the entire IAB network is good, even if the data packet can be transmitted according to the normal path ID and the destination address, the data packet can be copied at the relay node and transmitted to at least two next-hop relay nodes, so that the data packet can be more reliably transmitted to the migration node or the remote UE.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the relay node B and the relay node C successively copy the data packet B and respectively transmit the data packet B to at least two next-hop relay nodes, and in practical application, on the basis that the upstream relay node of the relay node C has copied the data packet B, the relay node C may choose not to copy the data packet B, so as to transmit the data packet B to any one of the relay node D and the relay node D'.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when receiving the packet b ", the relay node C ' may send the packet b" or the same packet as the packet b "to the relay node D ' by any of the following manners, because it has only one next-hop relay node D ':

the first method is as follows: directly sending the data packet b ' to a relay node D ' without copying the data packet b ';

the second method comprises the following steps: copying the copied data packet b ' into a data packet D ', and sending the data packet b ' and the data packet D ' to a relay node D ';

the third method comprises the following steps: the duplicated data packet b ' is duplicated to a data packet D ', then the data packet b ' or the data packet D ' is discarded, and the remaining data packet is sent to the relay node D '.

In the embodiment of the invention, in the process of switching the migration node/terminal from the source serving cell to the target serving cell, even if the return link between the relay nodes in the source path or the target path is interrupted, the service data packet can be sent to the migration node/terminal from the target serving cell and the source serving cell, thereby reducing the delay of service transmission and avoiding the interruption of transmission.

Referring to fig. 5, a flowchart of another handover method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, where the handover method is used in a source CU network in an IAB system, and as shown in fig. 5, the handover method may include the following steps:

s501, in a backhaul link switching process of a connected migration node or terminal, respectively sending service data packets to a first IAB node and a second IAB node, where the first IAB node is a first connected source IAB node connected to the migration node or terminal, the second IAB node is a second connected source IAB node connected to the migration node or terminal, and the data packets carry indication information, where the indication information is used to indicate that at least two next-hop nodes can be selected for transmission of the service data packets.

In the process of switching the relay node in the service transmission path of the migration node/terminal, the migration node/terminal is simultaneously connected with the source serving cell before switching and the target serving cell after switching, and the first connection and the second connection respectively represent the transmission path before switching and the transmission path after switching.

In implementation, the service data packet sent by the source CU network to the first IAB node may be the same as the service data packet sent to the second IAB node, and at this time, the source CU network duplicates the service data packet that needs to be sent to the migration node/terminal into two identical service data packets, and then sends the two identical service data packets to the first IAB node and the second IAB node, respectively.

Of course, in implementation, in order to save transmission resources, the source CU network may send different service data packets to the first IAB node and the second IAB node, respectively, and the principle of the method is the same as that of the CU network sending different service data packets to at least two next-hop nodes in the embodiment of the method shown in fig. 3, which is not described herein again.

Further, the indication information is configured by the CU network, and/or the indication information includes a path identifier ID of the service data packet.

In this embodiment, when the second connection completes the connection configuration, the service data packet is only sent to the second IAB node, so that the service data packet is switched from the first connection to the second connection for carrying.

releasing the first connection;

When the second connection completes the connection configuration, the first connection is released, and network resources can be saved, at this time, the indication information is modified to indicate that only one next hop node is selected for transmission of the service data packet, so that the relay node in the second connection does not perform double-path transmission when receiving the service data packet carrying the indication information, and resource waste is avoided.

In this embodiment, the value of the indication information is configured by the source CU network, so as to distinguish whether the indication information is used for indicating that only one next hop node is selected for transmission of the service data packet or at least two next hop nodes can be selected.

Of course, in a specific implementation, the indication information may also be a path ID of a transmission path of the service data packet, which may specifically refer to the method embodiment shown in fig. 3: the relay node determines, according to the identification result of the path ID, whether to select only one next hop node or to select at least two next hop nodes for transmission of the service data packet, which is not described herein again.

The source CU network and the target CU network may be the same network side device, i.e., the handover in the embodiment of the present invention may be intra-CU handover.

In the embodiment of the invention, in the return link switching process of the migration node or the terminal, the CU network simultaneously sends the service data packet needing to be sent to the migration node or the terminal through the source path before switching and the target path after switching, so that even if the return link between the relay nodes is interrupted in the source path or the target path, the same data packet can be sent to the migration node or the terminal from the target service cell and the source service cell, and the time delay in the switching process can be shortened.

Fig. 6 is a structural diagram of a network device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 6, the network-side device includes: memory 620, transceiver 600, processor 610.

In this embodiment, the network side device may be a first relay node:

a memory 620 for storing a computer program; a transceiver 600 for transceiving data under the control of the processor; a processor 610 for reading the computer program in the memory 620 and performing the following operations:

Further, the indication information is configured by the network of the central unit CU, and/or the indication information comprises a path identifier ID of the service data packet.

Further, the processor 610 further performs the following operations:

randomly selecting M second relay nodes from the N second relay nodes;

or,

acquiring a path ID of the service data packet;

Further, the processor 610 further performs the following operations:

sending the service data packet to the second relay node;

or,

In the embodiment of the present invention, the network side device is the first relay node, which can perform each process in the method embodiment shown in fig. 4c and can obtain the same beneficial effect, and for avoiding repetition, the description is omitted here.

Wherein in fig. 6, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, with one or more processors, represented by processor 610, and various circuits, represented by memory 620, being linked together. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, and the like, which are well known in the art, and therefore, will not be described any further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 600 may be a number of elements including a transmitter and a receiver that provide a means for communicating with various other apparatus over a transmission medium including wireless channels, wired channels, fiber optic cables, and the like. The processor 610 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 620 may store data used by the processor 610 in performing operations.

The processor 610 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), and may also have a multi-core architecture.

Fig. 7 is a structural diagram of another network-side device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 7, the network-side device includes: memory 720, transceiver 700, processor 710.

In this embodiment, the network side device may be a host IAB node:

a memory 720 for storing a computer program; a transceiver 700 for transceiving data under the control of the processor; a processor 710 for reading the computer program in the memory 720 and performing the following operations:

Further, after receiving the indication that the second connection completes the connection configuration, the processor 710 is further configured to:

releasing the first connection;

Further, the processor 710 is further configured to:

configuring the indication information into a first value to indicate that transmission of a service data packet can select at least two next hop nodes under the condition that the migration node or the terminal is respectively connected with the first IAB node and the second IAB node;

In the embodiment of the present invention, the network side device is a home IAB node, which can perform each process in the method embodiment shown in fig. 5 and can obtain the same beneficial effect, and for avoiding repetition, the details are not described herein again.

Wherein in fig. 7, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, with one or more processors, represented by processor 710, and various circuits, represented by memory 720, being linked together. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, and the like, which are well known in the art, and therefore, will not be described any further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 700 may be a number of elements including a transmitter and a receiver that provide a means for communicating with various other apparatus over a transmission medium including wireless channels, wired channels, fiber optic cables, and the like. The processor 710 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 720 may store data used by the processor 710 in performing operations.

The processor 710 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), and may also have a multi-core architecture.

Referring to fig. 8, which is a structural diagram of a first relay node according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 8, a first relay node 800 includes:

a receiving unit 801, configured to receive a service data packet carrying indication information, where the indication information is used to indicate that at least two next hop nodes can be selected for transmission of the service data packet;

a sending unit 802, configured to send the service data packet to M second relay nodes in the N second relay nodes according to the indication information, when N second relay nodes matched with the destination address of the service data packet are present; the second relay node is a next hop node of the first relay node;

Further, the sending unit 802 is specifically configured to:

Further, the first relay node 800 further includes a selecting unit, configured to:

randomly selecting M second relay nodes from the N second relay nodes;

or,

Further, the sending unit 802 is specifically configured to:

acquiring a path ID of the service data packet;

The received service data packet carrying the indication information comprises: in the case of a first service data packet and a second service data packet, if the first relay node can identify the path ID of the first service data packet but cannot identify the path ID of the second service data packet, the sending unit 802 is specifically configured to:

the first service data packet is sent to second relay nodes matched with the path ID of the first service data packet, and after the second service data packet is copied, the second service data packet is sent to M second relay nodes respectively; the first service data packet and the second service data packet have the same destination address;

in a case that only one service data packet is received and the first relay node cannot identify the path ID of the service data packet, the sending unit 802 is specifically configured to:

and after copying the service data packet, respectively sending the service data packet to M second relay nodes.

Further, the sending unit 802 is further configured to:

sending the service data packet to the second relay node;

or,

It should be noted that, the first relay node provided in the embodiment of the present invention can implement all the method steps implemented by the method embodiment shown in fig. 3, and can achieve the same technical effect, and details of the same parts and beneficial effects as those of the method embodiment in this embodiment are not described herein again.

Referring to fig. 9, a structural diagram of a home IAB node according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig. 9, where the home IAB node 900 includes:

a sending unit 901, configured to send service data packets to a first IAB node and a second IAB node respectively in a backhaul link switching process of a connected migration node or terminal, where the first IAB node is a first connected source IAB node connected to the migration node or terminal, the second IAB node is a second connected source IAB node connected to the migration node or terminal, and the data packets carry indication information, where the indication information is used to indicate that at least two next-hop nodes can be selected for transmission of the service data packets.

Further, the sending unit 901 is specifically configured to:

Further, the host IAB node further includes:

a releasing unit, configured to release the first connection after receiving the indication information that the second connection completes connection configuration;

and the modification unit is used for modifying the indication information into the indication information for indicating that only one next hop node is selected for the transmission of the service data packet.

Further, the home IAB node further comprises a configuration unit for

It should be noted that, the host IAB node provided in the embodiment of the present invention can implement all the method steps implemented by the method embodiment shown in fig. 5, and can achieve the same technical effect, and details of the same parts and beneficial effects as those of the method embodiment in this embodiment are not described herein again.

In addition, the division of the unit in the embodiment of the present invention is schematic, and is only a logic function division, and there may be another division manner in actual implementation. In addition, functional units in the embodiments of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be realized in a form of hardware, and can also be realized in a form of a software functional unit.

The integrated unit, if implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as a stand-alone product, may be stored in a processor readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present invention may be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, a network device, or the like) or a processor (processor) to execute all or part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present invention. And the aforementioned storage medium includes: various media capable of storing program codes, such as a usb disk, a removable hard disk, a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides a processor-readable storage medium, where the processor-readable storage medium stores a computer program, where the computer program is configured to enable the processor to execute the handover method shown in fig. 3, or the computer program is configured to enable the processor to execute the handover method shown in fig. 5. And the same advantageous effects of the embodiments of the switching method as shown in fig. 3 or fig. 5 can be achieved, and detailed descriptions of the same parts and advantageous effects of the embodiments of the method in this embodiment are omitted.

The processor-readable storage medium can be any available medium or data storage device that can be accessed by a processor, including, but not limited to, magnetic memory (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tape, magneto-optical disks (MOs), etc.), optical memory (e.g., CDs, DVDs, BDs, HVDs, etc.), and semiconductor memory (e.g., ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, non-volatile memory (NAND FLASH), Solid State Disks (SSDs)), etc.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, embodiments of the present invention may be provided as a method, system, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, optical storage, and the like) having computer-usable program code embodied therein.

The present invention is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each flow and/or block of the flow diagrams and/or block diagrams, and combinations of flows and/or blocks in the flow diagrams and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-executable instructions. These computer-executable instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart flow or flows and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These processor-executable instructions may also be stored in a processor-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the processor-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the flowchart flow or flows and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These processor-executable instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart flow or flows and/or block diagram block or blocks.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, if such modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents, the present invention is also intended to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A switching method is used for a first relay node in a backhaul access integrated IAB system, and is characterized in that the switching method comprises the following steps:

2. The handover method according to claim 1, wherein the indication information is configured by a Central Unit (CU) network, and/or wherein the indication information comprises a path Identification (ID) of the service data packet.

3. The handover method according to claim 1, wherein the indication information is carried in a header of the service data packet.

4. The handover method according to claim 1, wherein the sending the traffic packet to M of the N second relay nodes comprises:

5. The handover method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

randomly selecting M second relay nodes from the N second relay nodes;

or,

6. The handover method according to claim 2, wherein the sending the traffic packet to M of the N second relay nodes comprises:

acquiring a path ID of the service data packet;

7. The handover method according to claim 6, wherein the sending the traffic packet to M of N second relay nodes in case that the first relay node cannot identify the path ID comprises:

8. The handover method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

sending the service data packet to the second relay node;

or,

9. The handover method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the traffic data packet is replicated at an adaptive backhaul protocol, BAP, layer of the first relay node.

10. The handover method according to claim 2, wherein;

when the indication information is configured to a first value by the CU network, the indication information is used for indicating that the transmission of the service data packet can select at least two next hop nodes;

11. A switching method is used for a source centralized unit CU network in a backhaul access integrated IAB system, and is characterized in that the switching method comprises the following steps:

12. The switching method according to claim 11, wherein the indication information is configured by the CU network, and/or wherein the indication information comprises a path identification ID of the service data packet.

13. The handover method according to claim 11, wherein the indication information is carried in a header of the service data packet.

14. The handover method according to claim 11, wherein the sending the traffic packet to the first IAB node and the second IAB node comprises:

15. The handover method according to claim 14, wherein after receiving the indication that the second connection completes the connection configuration, the method further comprises:

releasing the first connection;

16. The handover method according to claim 15, wherein;

17. A first relay node, comprising a memory, a transceiver, a processor:

18. A home IAB node, comprising a memory, a transceiver, a processor:

19. A first relay node, comprising:

20. A host IAB node, comprising:

21. A processor-readable storage medium, characterized in that the processor-readable storage medium stores a computer program for causing the processor to execute the handover method of any one of claims 1 to 10, or the computer program for causing the processor to execute the handover method of any one of claims 11 to 16.