WO2025035233A1 - Message forwarding method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a message forwarding method and apparatus. The method comprises: a source NG-RAN node and a target NG-RAN node forward an XnAP message via a core network by means of NGAP signaling. According to the embodiments of the present application, the problem of lacking signaling interaction via an Xn interface between universal RAN nodes is solved, and information interaction between RAN nodes is supported.

Description

Message forwarding method and device Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications.

Background Art

Integrated access and backhaul (IAB) implements the function of wireless relay in the next generation radio access network (NG-RAN). This relay node is called an IAB-node, which supports both access and backhaul (BH) through 5G NR (new radio). All IAB nodes are connected to an IAB-donor node through one or more hops. These multi-hop connections form a directed acyclic graph (DAG) topology with the IAB-donor node as the root node. The IAB-donor node is responsible for performing centralized resource management, topology management, and routing management in the IAB network topology.

The IAB node supports the functions of gNB, which is called IAB-DU (distributed unit), and can serve ordinary UE (user equipment) and IAB child nodes. The IAB node also supports some functions of UE, which can be called IAB-MT (mobile termination). IAB-MT can support functions such as UE physical layer, AS (access stratum), RRC (radio resource control) and NAS (non-access stratum), and can be connected to the IAB parent node. The termination node on the network side is called IAB-donor, which provides network access for IAB-MT or UE through backhaul or access link. IAB-donor is further divided into IAB-donor-CU (central unit) and IAB-donor-DU. IAB-DU and IAB-donor-CU are connected through the F1 interface. In the independent networking scenario, gNB and IAB-donor-CU are connected through the Xn interface.

In order to support multi-hop routing forwarding of data packets, IAB introduces the BAP (Backhaul Adaptation Protocol) sublayer. The BAP sublayer is located above the RLC (radio link control) sublayer and below the IP (Internet Protocol) layer. It supports the selection of the destination node and path of the data packet, routing forwarding of the data packet, bearer mapping, flow control feedback, and notification of backhaul link failure.

In a multi-hop scenario, in order to realize the relay forwarding of data packets, the IAB node needs to determine the destination node of the data packet, and then determine the next hop node corresponding to the destination node according to the routing table and send the data packet. In the above scenario, the IAB-donor-CU configures the IAB node to receive the data from the IAB through F1AP (F1 Application Protocol) signaling. The mapping of each F1-U tunnel (Tunnel) of the uplink transmission initiated by the node, each non-UE associated (Non-UE associated) F1AP message, each UE associated (UE-associated) F1AP message, and each non-F1 data (Non-F1 Traffic) to the BAP routing identifier. The IAB node determines the BAP routing identifier corresponding to different types of uplink IP packets initiated from the IAB node based on the routing identifier mapping information, and encapsulates the BAP subheader containing the BAP routing identifier information for these uplink IP packets. The IAB-donor-CU (abbreviated as donor-CU, or CU, or gNB-CU) configures the mapping of different types of downlink data packets to BAP routing identifiers for the IAB-donor-DU through F1AP signaling. The IAB-donor-DU (abbreviated as donor-DU) determines the BAP routing identifier corresponding to the received downlink IP packet based on the routing identifier mapping information, and encapsulates the BAP subheader containing the BAP routing identifier information for these downlink IP packets.

The BAP routing identifier includes the destination BAP address and the path identity from the IAB node to the IAB-donor-DU. The BAP address is also called DESTINATION in the BAP header. Each IAB node and IAB-donor-DU is configured with a BAP address.

The integration process of IAB nodes is also called the startup process, which refers to the process in which IAB-MT accesses the network and obtains IAB-related configuration information, and starts some DU functions to provide services for UE. During the IAB movement process, due to changes in geographical location or based on business traffic management requirements, the MT and/or DU of the IAB node can be migrated, that is, the terminal host of the MT and/or can be changed. The migration process is called MT migration and DU migration respectively.

It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the convenience of providing a clear and complete description of the technical solutions of the present application and for the convenience of understanding by those skilled in the art. It cannot be considered that the above technical solutions are well known to those skilled in the art simply because they are described in the background technology section of the present application.

Summary of the invention

The inventors have found that when the IAB node is in an inter-CU topology scenario, signaling interaction between CUs is necessary. The current signaling interaction between IAB-donor-CU is carried out through the Xn interface between IAB-donor-CU. However, if there is no Xn interface between IAB-donor-CU, these signaling interactions cannot be carried out, and the inter-CU IAB topology cannot be supported, thereby affecting the mobility performance of the IAB node.

In response to the above problems or similar problems or similar problems in other scenarios, an embodiment of the present application provides a message forwarding method and device.

According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a message forwarding device is provided, which is configured in a source NG-RAN node, and the device includes:

A sending unit, which sends a first XnAP message to a target NG-RAN node, wherein the first XnAP message is forwarded via a core network through NGAP signaling.

According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a message forwarding device is provided, which is configured in a target NG-RAN node, and the device includes:

A receiving unit, which receives a first XnAP message from a source NG-RAN node, wherein the first XnAP message is forwarded via a core network through NGAP signaling.

According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a message forwarding device is provided, which is configured in an AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) entity, and the device includes:

A first receiving unit, configured to receive a first message sent by a source NG-RAN node, wherein the first message includes a first XnAP message;

A first sending unit sends a second message to the source NG-RAN node, and the second message includes a second XnAP message when the first XnAP message is forwarded successfully.

According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a message forwarding device is provided, which is configured in an IAB node in an IAB network, and the device includes:

A receiving unit, configured to receive a fifth message from the first host CU, wherein the fifth message includes the first XnAP message;

A sending unit, which sends a sixth message to the second host CU, wherein the sixth message includes the first XnAP message.

According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a message forwarding device is provided, which is configured in an IAB host node in an IAB network, and the device includes:

A sending unit, which sends a fifth message and/or a seventh message to the IAB node, wherein the fifth message includes the first XnAP message, and the seventh message includes the second XnAP message;

A receiving unit receives a sixth message and/or an eighth message sent by the IAB node, wherein the sixth message includes the first XnAP message, and the eighth message includes the second XnAP message.

One of the beneficial effects of the embodiment of the present application is that: according to the embodiment of the present application, the signaling interaction problem between IAB-donors of the IAB node without the Xn interface is solved, thereby supporting the inter-CU integration of the IAB node and the IAB migration. In addition, the embodiment of the present application also solves the signaling interaction problem between general RAN nodes without the Xn interface, thereby supporting information interaction between RAN nodes.

With reference to the following description and drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are disclosed in detail, indicating the original It should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are not limited in scope. Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the embodiments of the present application include many changes, modifications and equivalents.

Features described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same or similar manner in one or more other embodiments, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for features in other embodiments.

It should be emphasized that the term “include/comprises” when used herein refers to the presence of features, integers, steps or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The elements and features described in one figure or one implementation of the present application embodiment may be combined with the elements and features shown in one or more other figures or implementations. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals represent corresponding parts in several figures and can be used to indicate corresponding parts used in more than one implementation.

The included drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application, which constitute a part of the specification, are used to illustrate the implementation methods of the present application, and together with the text description, explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the drawings:

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an example of an IAB network topology;

FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a topology scenario of IAB-MT migration;

FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an example of a topology scenario of IAB-DU migration;

FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a message forwarding method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present application;

FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the first process;

FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the second process.

7 is another schematic diagram of the message forwarding method of the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application;

FIG8 is another schematic diagram of the message forwarding method of the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application;

FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the NG-based IAB-MT migration process;

FIG10 is a schematic diagram of an NG-based IAB-DU migration process;

FIG11 is a schematic diagram of an NG-based IAB integration process;

12 is a schematic diagram of a message forwarding method according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present application;

FIG13 is a schematic diagram of information interaction according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG14 is a schematic diagram of XnAP message forwarding based on RRC/F1AP;

FIG15 is a schematic diagram of an example of IAB integration without an Xn interface;

16 is another schematic diagram of the message forwarding method of the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application;

17 is another schematic diagram of the message forwarding method of the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application;

FIG18 is a schematic diagram of a message forwarding device according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG19 is another schematic diagram of the message forwarding device according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG20 is another schematic diagram of a message forwarding device according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG21 is another schematic diagram of a message forwarding device according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG22 is another schematic diagram of a message forwarding device according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG23 is another schematic diagram of a message forwarding device according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG24 is a schematic diagram of an NG-RAN node according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram of an IAB host node according to an embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the above and other features of the present application will become apparent through the following description. In the description and the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present application are specifically disclosed, which show some embodiments in which the principles of the present application can be adopted. It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the described embodiments. On the contrary, the present application includes all modifications, variations and equivalents falling within the scope of the attached claims.

In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish different elements in terms of title, but do not indicate the spatial arrangement or temporal order of these elements, etc., and these elements should not be limited by these terms. The term "and/or" includes any one and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms. The terms "comprising", "including", "having", etc. refer to the presence of the stated features, elements, components or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components or components.

In the embodiments of the present application, the singular forms "a", "the", etc. include plural forms and should be broadly understood as "a kind" or "a type" rather than being limited to the meaning of "one"; in addition, the term "said" should be understood to include both singular and plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, the term "according to" should be understood as "at least in part according to...", and the term "based on" should be understood as "at least in part based on...", unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In the embodiments of the present application, the term "communication network" or "wireless communication network" may refer to any of the following: Networks based on communication standards, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), etc.

Furthermore, communication between devices in the communication system may be carried out according to communication protocols of any stage, such as but not limited to the following communication protocols: 1G (generation), 2G, 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, 4G, 4.5G and future 5G, New Radio (NR), etc., and/or other communication protocols currently known or to be developed in the future.

In the embodiments of the present application, the term "network device" refers to, for example, a device in a communication system that connects a terminal device to a communication network and provides services for the terminal device. The network device may include, but is not limited to, the following devices: base station (BS), access point (AP), transmission reception point (TRP), broadcast transmitter, mobile management entity (MME), gateway, server, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), etc.

Base stations may include but are not limited to: Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB) and 5G base station (gNB), RAN node, IAB-donor, etc., and may also include remote radio heads (RRH, Remote Radio Head), remote radio units (RRU, Remote Radio Unit), relays or low-power nodes (such as femto, pico, etc.). And the term "base station" may include some or all of their functions, and each base station may provide communication coverage for a specific geographical area. The term "cell" may refer to a base station and/or its coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

In the embodiments of the present application, the term "user equipment" (UE) refers to, for example, a device that accesses a communication network through a network device and receives network services, and may also be referred to as "terminal equipment" (TE). The terminal equipment may be fixed or mobile, and may also be referred to as a mobile station (MS), a terminal, a user, a subscriber station (SS), an access terminal (AT), a station, and the like.

Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, the following devices: cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), wireless modems, wireless communication devices, handheld devices, machine-type communication devices, laptop computers, cordless phones, smart phones, smart watches, digital cameras, and IAB-MT, etc.

For example, in scenarios such as the Internet of Things (IoT), terminal devices can also perform The monitored or measured machines or devices may include, but are not limited to: machine type communication (MTC) terminals, vehicle-mounted communication terminals, device to device (D2D) terminals, machine to machine (M2M) terminals, and the like.

In the embodiment of the present application, the core network includes the 5G core network (5GC) and also includes core networks of other communication protocol versions. The 5G core network includes control plane network elements and user plane network elements. In addition to the access and mobility management function (AMF), the control plane network elements also include a session management function (SMF), a positioning management function (LMF), etc. The embodiment of the present application is not limited to which network element of the core network is used for forwarding, and AMF is used as an example for illustration.

In the embodiment of the present application, the NG-RAN node is connected to the 5GC via the NG interface. The NG-RAN node in the embodiment of the present application can be replaced by any network device, and the Xn interface can be replaced by an interface between any network devices, such as an X2 interface and a network device interface in a future communication protocol. XnAP can be replaced by an interface application protocol between corresponding network devices. The NG interface can be replaced by an interface from any network device to the core network. NGAP can be replaced by an interface application protocol from a corresponding network device to the core network.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of an IAB network topology structure, showing a situation where an MT and a DU of an IAB are terminated to different donor-CUs.

The inventors have discovered that the mobility of a mobile IAB (mIAB) or a mobile relay in a larger area faces a challenge, that is, when it is on the move, based on the needs of network coverage and QoS support, the F1 termination host and non-F1 termination host of the IAB node may be different, that is, the MT and DU of the IAB may terminate at different IAB-donor-CUs.

The F1-terminating node refers to the donor-CU that terminates the F1 interface of the IAB node, such as donor-CU2 (the F1 of IAB-DU1 in Figure 1 is terminated to donor-CU2). The F1-terminating donor-CU can also be called the donor-CU of the IAB-DU because the IAB-DU is configured by this CU.

A non-F1-terminating node refers to a CU with host function that is not terminated by the F1 interface of an IAB node, such as donor-CU1. Because a non-F1-terminating node has an RRC connection with an IAB-MT, a non-F1-terminating node can also be called a host node of an IAB-MT, and a non-F1-terminating host CU can also be called a host CU of an IAB-MT, or an RRC-terminating donor-CU of an IAB node.

In Figure 1, IAB-MT1 is connected to the parent node IAB node 2, and then connected to donor-DU1 and donor-CU1. IAB-DU1 and donor-CU2 are connected via F1, but the path of this F1 connection is through IAB node 2, donor-DU1 and finally to CU2.

Since the RRC interface and F1 interface of IAB node 1 are terminated to different donor-CUs, the IAB node 1 is the border IAB node.

The inventors have found that when the IAB node 1 is in the inter-CU topology scenario shown in FIG1 , signaling interaction between CUs is necessary. Currently, the signaling interaction between IAB-donor-CU is performed through the interface Xn between IAB-donor-CU. If there is no Xn interface between IAB-donor-CU, these signaling interactions cannot be performed, and the inter-CU IAB topology cannot be supported, thereby affecting the mobility performance of the IAB node.

In the embodiment of the present application, taking the 5G multi-hop IAB network deployment as an example, multiple UEs are connected to the IAB-donor through multi-hop IAB nodes and finally access the 5G network. The IAB node to which the UE is connected can be moved. The MT and DU of the IAB node can be integrated into different donor-CUs, and the IAB node can perform MT migration and DU migration. However, the present application is not limited to this, and the embodiment of the present application is also applicable to other non-IAB scenarios.

From the above description of Figure 1, it can be seen that in the integration and mobility process of the mobile IAB node, there will be inter-CU scenarios, that is, the MT and DU may be terminated to different donor-CUs at a certain stage, that is, they are configured by different donor-CUs respectively. Figure 1 can be regarded as an integration scenario in which the MT and DU of the IAB node are connected to different donor-CUs. Among them, donor-CU1 is an RRC-terminated donor-CU, referred to as CU1; donor-CU2 is an F1-terminated donor-CU, referred to as CU2. CU1 needs to perform signaling interaction with CU2 to perform IAB related configurations.

FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a topology scenario for MT migration. In FIG2 , donor-CU1 is the source RRC-terminated donor-CU, donor-CU2 is the target RRC-terminated donor-CU, and there is also an F1-terminated donor-CU, which remains unchanged during the MT migration process. IAB-MT3 switches from donor-CU1 to donor-CU2. The transmission path of the F1 connection of IAB node 3 also changes from the topology passing through donor-CU1 to the topology passing through donor-CU2. The F1-terminated donor-CU and donor-CU1 need to perform signaling interaction in order to modify and release the traffic offloading association between them (that is, the binding relationship of traffic transmission migration). The F1-terminated donor-CU and donor-CU2 also need to perform signaling interaction in order to establish and modify the traffic offloading association between them and/or IAB resource coordination.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an example of a topology scenario for DU migration. In Figure 3, donor-CU1 is a source F1-terminated donor-CU, donor-CU3 is a target F1-terminated donor-CU, and donor-CU2 is an RRC-terminated donor-CU, which remain unchanged during the DU migration process. IAB-DU3 (DU3a and DU3b in Figure 3 are two logical DU entities of DU3) migrates from donor-CU1 to donor-CU3. The endpoint of the F1 connection of IAB node 3 migrates from donor-CU1 to donor-CU3. Donor-CU1 and donor-CU2 need to perform signaling interaction in order to modify and release the traffic offloading association between them. Donor-CU3 and donor-CU2 also need to perform signaling interaction in order to establish and modify the traffic offloading association between them and/or IAB resource coordination. Donor-CU1 transfers IAB node 3 to donor-CU3. The served UE switches to donor-CU3.

In the above scenarios, various IAB-related messages and some required identification information need to be exchanged between donor-CUs, such as base station identification, IAB node identification, etc. In the case where there is no Xn interface between some donor-CUs (base stations), how to forward the above IAB-related messages (not limited to this, for different network architectures, other non-IAB-related messages may also be used) is the research direction of the embodiments of this application.

Various embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only exemplary and are not intended to limit the present application. In the following description, the expressions "if ...", "in the case of ...", "when ...", etc. have the same meaning and can be interchanged.

Embodiments of the first aspect

An embodiment of the present application provides a message forwarding method.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the message forwarding method of an embodiment of the present application, which is explained from the side of the source NG-RAN node. The source NG-RAN node is, for example, donor-CU 1 or donor-CU 2 in the scenario shown in Figure 2. There is no Xn interface between the source NG-RAN node and the F1-terminated donor-CU in the scenario shown in Figure 2, but it is necessary to interact with the XnAP message. At this time, the F1-terminated donor-CU in the scenario shown in Figure 2 is the target NG-RAN node, and vice versa; or, the source NG-RAN node is, for example, donor-CU 1 or donor-CU 3 in the scenario shown in Figure 3. There is no Xn interface between the source NG-RAN node and the donor-CU 2 in the scenario shown in Figure 3, but it is necessary to interact with the XnAP message. At this time, the donor-CU 2 in the scenario shown in Figure 3 is the target NG-RAN node, and vice versa.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the method includes:

401: The source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node forward the XnAP message via the core network through NGAP signaling.

According to the embodiment of the present application, in the scenario shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, when there is no Xn interface between the CUs that need to exchange information, the source CU and the target CU can forward the XnAP message that originally needs to be transmitted through the Xn interface through the NGAP (NG Application Protocol) signaling of the NG interface. Thus, the problem of the MT and DU of the mobile IAB node being connected to different IAB-donors in the scenario where there is no Xn interface between IAB-donors is solved.

The above takes the IAB scenario as an example. The embodiment of the present application can also be extended to other scenarios. For example, when there is no Xn interface between some base stations (RAN nodes), the source base station and the target base station can communicate through the NGAP of the NG interface. The signaling is forwarded through the core network to the XnAP message that originally needs to be transmitted through the Xn interface. For the sake of convenience, the following only takes the IAB scenario as an example.

In the embodiment of the present application, "source" and "target" refer to the source and target that need to exchange information. For example, when donor-CU1 wants to initiate a process to send a message to donor-CU2, the donor-CU1 is the source donor-CU and the donor-CU2 is the target donor-CU; on the contrary, when donor-CU2 wants to initiate a process to send a message to donor-CU1, donor-CU2 is the source donor-CU and donor-CU1 is the target donor-CU.

In the embodiment of the present application, there is no Xn interface between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node. That is, when there is no Xn interface between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node, the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node forward the XnAP message via the core network through NGAP signaling.

In some embodiments, the source NG-RAN is, for example, a host CU of an IAB node, which may be an F1-terminated host CU or a non-F1-terminated host CU. The target NG-RAN is, for example, a host CU of an IAB node, which may be a non-F1-terminated host CU or a F1-terminated host CU.

In the above embodiment, the method can be used in the integration and/or migration process of IAB nodes, such as the scenarios shown in Figures 1 to 3. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and the above method in the embodiment of the present application can also be used in non-IAB scenarios.

In some embodiments, the forwarding of the above XnAP message can reuse the existing handover procedure based on the NG interface. For example, if it is a signaling interaction related to UE handover, the existing handover procedure based on the NG interface can be reused, that is, the UE mobility management process, such as the handover preparation process, the handover resource allocation process, the handover notification process, etc.

In other embodiments, a new procedure may be used for forwarding the XnAP message. For example, if it is not a signaling interaction related to UE switching, that is, other Xn procedures, the forwarding of the XnAP message may be achieved by establishing a new NGAP (NG Application Protocol) procedure on the NG interface.

For example, two new general NGAP processes may be added, namely a first process and a second process. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the first process, and Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the second process.

As shown in Figure 5, the first process is for the source NG-RAN node to forward the message (called the first XnAP message) that originally needs to be sent on the Xn interface to the target NG-RAN node through the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function). The source NG-RAN node here is, for example, the donor-CU of the IAB node, which can be an F1-terminating donor-CU or a non-F1-terminating Depending on the message initiation of the first process, the initiator is the source NG-RAN node and the recipient is the target NG-RAN node.

In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5, the source NG-RAN node sends a first message to the AMF, wherein the first message includes a first XnAP message; the source NG-RAN node receives a second message from the AMF, wherein the second message includes a second XnAP message when the first XnAP message is forwarded successfully.

In the above embodiment, the source NG-RAN node initiates the first process by sending a first message (NGAP message) to the serving AMF. In some embodiments, when the source NG-RAN node sends the first message, a first timer can be started. The function of the first timer is to determine whether to continue waiting for the reply from the AMF. Because the AMF needs to forward the message to the target NG-RAN node, receive the reply from the target NG-RAN, and then reply the second message to the source NG-RAN node, there may be message failures or delays. In this way, when the first timer times out, the source NG-RAN node considers that the forwarding of the first XnAP message has failed. When the source NG-RAN node receives the second message from the AMF, the first timer can be stopped. In addition, when the source NG-RAN node considers that the forwarding of the first XnAP message has failed, it can also send a cancel command to the AMF to inform the AMF to cancel the forwarding of the first XnAP message.

In the above embodiment, the first message may also include an identification information, such as an identification of a global RAN node identification plus a selected tracking area identification, for indicating the target NG-RAN node. In addition, the first message also includes information that the source NG-RAN node wants to send to the target NG-RAN node, that is, the aforementioned first XnAP message.

In the above embodiment, the above first XnAP message can be placed in an Xn container, such as a first container. The first container, as an IE, contains information (first XnAP message) transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network. The first XnAP message is generated by the source NG-RAN node, sent to the target NG-RAN node, and decoded by the target NG-RAN node.

In some implementations, the format of the first container is an octal string, which may include an IAB-related Xn message initiated by the source IAB-donor, such as IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT REQUEST, IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION REQUEST, IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION REQUEST, etc. In addition, the first container is transparent to the core network.

In the above embodiment, the first container may also be placed in the Source to Target Transparent Container IE or the Source NG-RAN Node to Target NG-RAN Node Transparent Container IE, and the above first container may be added by enhancing the above IE. The first message may therefore include the Source to Target Transparent Container IE or the Source NG-RAN Node to Target NG-RAN Node Transparent Container IE.

In the above embodiment, the second message may be a reply message from the AMF to the source NG-RAN node. If the AMF receives a reply from the target NG-RAN node through the second process, it may put the second container in the reply (including the information that the target NG-RAN node wants to send to the source NG-RAN node, referred to as the second XnAP message) into the second message and send it to the source NG-RAN node. At this time, the second message may be a confirmation message. If the AMF does not receive a reply from the target NG-RAN node or receives a failure message from the target NG-RAN node, the second message may be a failure message.

In the above embodiment, similar to the first container, the second container may contain information transparently transmitted from the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network, which is called the second XnAP message. In addition, the format of the second container may also be an octal string, which contains the IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor, that is, the above second XnAP message is the IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor, for example: IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE, IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE, IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE, and so on.

As shown in Figure 6, the second process is for the AMF to forward to the target NG-RAN node the information originally required to be sent on the Xn interface (that is, the above-mentioned first Xn message) received from the source NG-RAN node. Optionally, the AMF may also forward to the target NG-RAN node the identification information of the target NG-RAN node obtained from the first process.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , the AMF determines the target NG-RAN node according to the above identification information, and sends a third message to the target NG-RAN node, the third message including the above first XnAP information; the AMF also receives a fourth message from the target NG-RAN node, the fourth message including a second XnAP message. The second XnAP message is generated by the target NG-RAN node, indicating the information that the target NG-RAN node wants to send to the source NG-RAN node.

In the above embodiment, the AMF initiates the second process by sending a third message (NGAP message) to the target NG-RAN node. The third message may include the first container received by the AMF from the first process. The first container has been introduced above and is omitted here.

In the above embodiment, the target NG-RAN node can generate a reply Xn message (second XnAP message) by decoding the content of the first container, put it into the second container, and then put it into the fourth message to reply to the AMF.

In the above embodiment, the format of the second container is, for example, an octal string, and may include an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor, such as IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE, IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE, IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE, etc.

In the above embodiment, similar to the first container, the second container can be placed in the Target to Source Transparent Container IE or the Target NG-RAN Node to Source NG-RAN Node Transparent Container IE, and the second Xn container is added by enhancing the above IE. Therefore, the fourth message can include the Target to Source Transparent Container IE or the Target NG-RAN Node to Source NG-RAN Node Transparent Container IE.

FIG7 is another schematic diagram of a message forwarding method according to an embodiment of the present application, which is described from the perspective of a target NG-RAN node, and the same contents as the previous embodiment are not repeated. As shown in FIG7 , the method includes:

701: The target NG-RAN node and the source NG-RAN node forward the XnAP message via the core network through NGAP signaling.

In some embodiments, the target NG-RAN node receives a third message sent by the AMF, wherein the third message includes the aforementioned first XnAP information; the target NG-RAN node sends a fourth message to the AMF, wherein the fourth message includes the aforementioned second XnAP message.

In the above embodiment, the third message may include a first container, which includes the above-mentioned first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network; the target NG-RAN node generates the above-mentioned second XnAP message by decoding the content of the first container.

In the above embodiment, the fourth message may include a second container, where the second container includes the above second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

In the above embodiment, the first XnAP information can be transparently transmitted through the first container; the second XnAP information can be transparently transmitted through the second container, which has been explained in detail above and will not be repeated here.

FIG8 is another schematic diagram of the message forwarding method of an embodiment of the present application, which is described from the perspective of AMF, and the same contents as the previous embodiment are not repeated. As shown in FIG8, the method includes:

801: AMF forwards the XnAP message between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node via NGAP signaling.

In some embodiments, the AMF receives a first message sent by a source NG-RAN node, wherein the first message includes a first XnAP message; the AMF sends a second message to the source NG-RAN node, wherein the second message includes a second XnAP message when the first XnAP message is forwarded successfully.

In some embodiments, when the AMF receives a confirmation message from the target NG-RAN node, the second message is confirmation information that the first XnAP message is successfully forwarded; when the AMF does not receive a confirmation message from the target When the NG-RAN node replies or receives a failure message from the target NG-RAN node, the second message is confirmation information that the first XnAP message failed to be forwarded.

In some embodiments, the AMF determines the target NG-RAN node based on the identification information included in the first message, and sends a third message to the target NG-RAN node, wherein the third message includes the aforementioned first XnAP information; the AMF receives a fourth message from the target NG-RAN node, wherein the fourth message includes the aforementioned second XnAP message.

In the above embodiment, the first XnAP information can be transparently transmitted through the first container; the second XnAP information can be transparently transmitted through the second container, which has been specifically described above and will not be repeated here.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the NG-based MT migration process, showing the MT migration process based on NG interface message forwarding. In addition, in Figure 9, only the process of forwarding XnAP messages based on the NG interface is shown, and other migration-related signaling processes can occur at any step.

As shown in Figure 9, the first to fourth steps are to implement the Xn IAB process between the RRC-terminating IAB donor (source NG-RAN node) and the F1-terminating IAB-donor (target NG-RAN node) through the first process and the second process. For example, the IAB Transport Migration Modification process can realize the modification and release of IAB transport migration.

Among them, the first step is that IAB-donor CU1 sends a first message to AMF, the first message includes a first container, the base station identifier of IAB-donor CU3, and may also include the UE XnAP ID (Target NG-RAN node UE XnAP ID) of the IAB node in IAB-donor CU3. The second step is that AMF sends a third message to IAB-donor CU3, the third message includes the first container, and may also include the UE XnAP ID of the IAB node in IAB-donor CU3. The first container includes the Xn IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION REQUEST message. The third step is that IAB-donor CU3 replies to AMF with a fourth message, the fourth message includes the second container. The second container includes the Xn IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE message. The fourth step is that AMF sends a second message to IAB-donor CU1, the second message may include the second container. According to the message forwarding situation, the second message type or name may be confirmation information/failure information.

As shown in Figure 9, steps 5 to 8 are similar to steps 1 to 4. By implementing the Xn IAB process between F1-terminating IAB-donor (source NG-RAN node) and RRC-terminating IAB donor (target NG-RAN node) through the first process and the second process, such as the IAB Transport Migration Management process, the management function of IAB transport migration can be implemented.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a DU migration process based on NG, showing message forwarding based on NG interface In FIG10 , only the process of forwarding Xn messages based on the NG interface is shown, and other migration-related signaling processes can occur at any step.

As shown in FIG10 , each step can be performed similarly to the signaling process of the diagram and the aforementioned MT migration. The main difference is that the donor-CU and MT migration represented by IAB-donor CU1, IAB-donor CU, and IAB-donor CU3 in FIG10 are different. For example, the first step to the fourth step are the IAB transmission migration management process from the target F1-terminating donor to the RRC-terminating donor based on NGAP.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an NG-based IAB integration process, illustrating an IAB integration process based on NG interface message forwarding.

As shown in Figure 11, after the F1 setting from IAB-DU to IAB-donor CU2 is completed in the fifth step, the F1-terminating donor-CU (source NG-RAN node) can exchange IAB-related management and coordination information with the RRC-terminating donor-CU (target NG-RAN node). Steps 6 to 9 are to implement the Xn IAB process between F1-terminating IAB-donor (source NG-RAN node) and RRC-terminating IAB donor (target NG-RAN node) through the first and second NGAP processes when there is no Xn interface between IAB-donor CU1 and IAB-donor CU2, such as the IAB transport migration management process.

The above embodiments are merely exemplary of the embodiments of the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

According to the method of the embodiment of the present application, the signaling interaction problem between general RAN nodes without Xn interface is solved, thereby supporting information interaction between RAN nodes. For example, the problem of integrating MT and DU of mobile IAB nodes into different IAB-donors, as well as MT migration and DU migration problems, is solved in the scenario where there is no Xn interface between IAB-donors, thereby supporting the configuration flexibility of IAB nodes, supporting the mobility of IAB nodes in a wide area, and being able to provide high-quality services for UEs served by mobile IAB nodes.

Embodiments of the second aspect

An embodiment of the present application provides a message forwarding method, which is applied to an IAB network.

FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a message forwarding method according to an embodiment of the present application, which is described from the side of an IAB node in an IAB network. FIG13 is a schematic diagram of information interaction according to a method according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13 , the method includes:

1201: The IAB node receives a fifth message from the first host CU, wherein the fifth message includes the first XnAP messages;

1202: The IAB node sends a sixth message to the second host CU, where the sixth message includes the first XnAP message.

In the embodiment of the present application, there is no Xn interface between the first host CU and the second host CU. That is, in the case where there is no Xn interface between the first host CU and the second host CU, the XnAP message between the first host CU and the second host CU is forwarded through the IAB node, which solves the problem of integrating the MT and DU of the mobile IAB node into different IAB-donors in the scenario where there is no Xn interface between the IAB-donors, as well as the MT migration and DU migration problems, thereby supporting the configuration flexibility of the IAB node, supporting the movement of the IAB node in a wide area, and being able to provide high-quality services for the UE served by the mobile IAB node.

In the embodiments of the present application, similar to the embodiments of the first aspect, the method of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to IAB scenarios or non-IAB scenarios, and the present application does not limit this.

In some embodiments, the fifth message is an RRC message and the sixth message is an F1AP message, or the fifth message is an F1AP message and the sixth message is an RRC message; in addition, the fifth message and the sixth message respectively include a first container, and the first container includes the above-mentioned first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the first host CU to the second host CU through the IAB node.

For example, if the first host CU is an RRC-terminating donor-CU and the second host CU is an F1-terminating donor-CU, the fifth message is an RRC message and the sixth message is an F1AP message. For another example, if the first host CU is an F1-terminating donor-CU and the second host CU is an RRC-terminating donor-CU, the fifth message is an F1AP message and the sixth message is an RRC message.

According to the above embodiment, RRC and F1AP are enhanced to include XnAP messages, and these IAB-related coordination messages are transparently forwarded through the IAB node.

Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of XnAP message forwarding based on RRC/F1AP. As shown in Figure 14, between RRC-terminating donor-CU (Donor-CU1) and IAB-MT, the RRC layer is enhanced to put the first XnAP message as the first container into the RRC message for transmission; between F1-terminating donor-CU (Donor-CU2) and IAB-DU, F1AP is enhanced to put the first XnAP message as the first container into the F1AP message for transmission.

In the above example, when Donor-CU 1 is the first host CU and Donor-CU 2 is the second host CU, the IAB node can put the first container in the RRC message (fifth message) received from Donor-CU1 into the F1AP message (sixth message) and forward it to Donor-CU2; when Donor-CU2 is the first host CU, And when Donor-CU1 is the second host CU, the IAB node may put the first container in the F1AP message (fifth message) received from Donor-CU2 into the RRC message (sixth message) and forward it to Donor-CU1.

In the above embodiment, the meaning of the first container is the same as that in the embodiment of the first aspect and will not be repeated here.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 13 , the IAB node may also receive a seventh message from the second host CU, the seventh message including the second XnAP message, and the IAB node sends an eighth message to the first host CU, the eighth message including the second XnAP message.

In the above embodiment, similar to the fifth and sixth messages, the seventh message can be an F1AP message or an RRC message, or the eighth message is an RRC message or an F1AP message; in addition, the seventh message and the eighth message respectively include a second container, which includes the above-mentioned second XnAP message transparently transmitted from the second host CU to the first host CU through the IAB node.

Still taking the scenario shown in Figure 14 as an example, when Donor-CU 1 is the first host CU and Donor-CU 2 is the second host CU, the IAB node can put the second container in the F1AP message (seventh message) received from Donor-CU2 into the RRC message (eighth message) and forward it to Donor-CU1; when Donor-CU2 is the first host CU and Donor-CU1 is the second host CU, the IAB node can put the second container in the RRC message (seventh message) received from Donor-CU1 into the F1AP message (eighth message) and forward it to Donor-CU2.

In the above embodiments, the enhancement of the RRC layer is, for example, to add information of the first container and the second container in the downlink RRC message (the fifth message or the seventh message), such as the RRCReconfiguration message or the DLInformationTransfer, and the uplink RRC message (the sixth message or the eighth message), such as the ULInformationTransfer, IAB0therInformation. These containers can be defined as new IEs in the above messages.

When the RRC message (fifth message or seventh message) received by the IAB-MT includes the first container or the second container, the juxtaposed IAB-DU includes the received first container or the second container in the F1AP message (sixth message or eighth message) and sends it to the donor-CU of the DU.

In the aforementioned embodiments, the enhancement of F1AP is, for example, that the F1AP message (sixth message or eighth message) in the direction from gNB-DU to gNB-CU includes information of the first container and the second container; and/or, the F1AP message (fifth message or seventh message) in the direction from gNB-CU to gNB-DU includes information of the first container and the second container. These containers can be defined in the above messages as new IEs. A new F1AP process can be defined to include a newly defined fifth message, sixth message, seventh message, and eighth message. Because the above F1AP message already includes IEs representing the first container and the second container, the messages can be merged in the F1AP process. That is, it does not distinguish whether the message is used for initiation or response, but only the direction of the message needs to be distinguished. In this way, the F1AP process may only require two messages, such as the fifth message and the eighth message. The first container or the second container is used in the message according to the requirements.

When the F1AP message (fifth message) received by the IAB-DU includes the first container or the second container, the collocated IAB-MT includes the received first container or the second container in the RRC message (sixth message) and sends it to the donor-CU of the MT.

In the above embodiment, existing messages may be reused, for example, the fifth message may be CU-DU RADIO INFORMATION TRANSFER, etc.; the eighth message may be DU-CU RADIO INFORMATION TRANSFER, etc. These containers are defined as new IEs in the above messages.

FIG15 is a schematic diagram of an example of IAB integration without an Xn interface, showing the case of IAB integration using RRC and F1AP for Xn message forwarding. As shown in FIG15, steps 6 to 9 are the Xn message forwarding process between two donor-CUs. Similar steps can be used in other IAB migration scenarios.

FIG16 is another schematic diagram of the message forwarding method of an embodiment of the present application, which is described from the side of the first host CU in the IAB network, and the same contents as the previous embodiment are not repeated. Referring to FIG16 , the method includes:

1601: The first host CU sends a fifth message to the IAB node, wherein the fifth message includes the first XnAP message; so that the IAB node sends a sixth message to the second host CU, wherein the sixth message includes the first XnAP message.

In some embodiments, the IAB node further receives a seventh message from the second host CU, the seventh message including the second XnAP message; then the first host CU may also receive an eighth message sent by the IAB node, the eighth message including the second XnAP message.

FIG17 is another schematic diagram of the message forwarding method of an embodiment of the present application, which is described from the side of the second host CU in the IAB network, and the same contents as the previous embodiment are not repeated. Referring to FIG17 , the method includes:

1701: The second host CU receives a sixth message sent by the IAB node, wherein the sixth message includes a first XnAP message, wherein the first XnAP message comes from a fifth message received by the IAB node from the first host CU, and the fifth message includes the first XnAP message.

In some embodiments, the second host CU may further send a seventh message to the IAB node, wherein the seventh message includes the second XnAP message; so that the IAB node sends an eighth message to the first host CU, wherein the eighth message includes the second XnAP message. Containing the second XnAP message.

The above embodiments are merely exemplary of the embodiments of the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto, and appropriate modifications may be made based on the above embodiments. For example, the above embodiments may be used alone, or one or more of the above embodiments may be combined.

According to the method of the embodiment of the present application, the signaling interaction problem between general RAN nodes without Xn interface is solved, thereby supporting information interaction between RAN nodes. For example, the problem of integrating MT and DU of mobile IAB nodes into different IAB-donors, as well as MT migration and DU migration problems, is solved in the scenario where there is no Xn interface between IAB-donors, thereby supporting the configuration flexibility of IAB nodes, supporting the mobility of IAB nodes in a wide area, and being able to provide high-quality services for UEs served by mobile IAB nodes.

Embodiments of the third aspect

An embodiment of the present application provides a message forwarding method.

FIG18 is a schematic diagram of a message forwarding device 1800 of an embodiment of the present application, which may be, for example, a source NG-RAN node, or one or more components or assemblies configured in the source NG-RAN node. Since the principle of solving the problem by the device is similar to that of the embodiment of the first aspect, the same contents will not be repeated.

As shown in FIG. 18 , the device 1800 includes:

The processing unit 1801 forwards the XnAP message with the target NG-RAN node via the core network through NGAP signaling.

In some embodiments, the source NG-RAN node is a host CU of an IAB node, and the host CU is an F1-terminated host CU or a non-F1-terminated host CU.

In some embodiments, there is no Xn interface between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 1800 is used for integration and/or migration process of an IAB node.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1801 sends a first message to the AMF, wherein the first message includes a first XnAP message; the processing unit 1801 receives a second message from the AMF, wherein the second message includes a second XnAP message when the first XnAP message is forwarded successfully.

In the above embodiment, the processing unit 1801 may start the first timer when sending the first message, and when the first timer times out, it is considered that the forwarding of the first XnAP message fails; when the second message from the AMF is received, the first timer is stopped.

In the above embodiment, when the first XnAP message forwarding fails, the processing unit 1801 may send a Send a cancel command.

In the above embodiment, the first message may further include identification information, where the identification information indicates the target NG-RAN node. For example, the identification information is a global RAN node identifier and a selected tracking area identifier.

In the above embodiment, the first message may include a first container, where the first container includes the above first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network.

In the above embodiment, the format of the first container may be an octal string, and the first XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message initiated by the source IAB-donor. The Xn message may include, for example, at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT REQUEST,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION REQUEST,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION REQUEST.

In some embodiments, when the AMF receives a confirmation message from the target NG-RAN node, the second message is confirmation information that the first XnAP message is successfully forwarded; when the AMF does not receive a reply from the target NG-RAN node or receives a failure message from the target NG-RAN node, the second message is confirmation information that the first XnAP message fails to be forwarded.

In the above embodiment, the second message may include a second container, where the second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

In the above embodiment, the format of the second container may be an octal string, and the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor. The Xn message may include at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

In some embodiments, the AMF can determine the target NG-RAN node based on the above-mentioned identification information, and send a third message to the target NG-RAN node, where the third message includes the above-mentioned first XnAP information; the AMF also receives a fourth message from the target NG-RAN node, where the fourth message includes the second XnAP message.

In the above embodiment, the third message may include a first container, which includes the above-mentioned first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network; the target NG-RAN node may generate the above-mentioned second XnAP message by decoding the content of the first container.

In the above embodiment, the fourth message may include a second container, where the second container includes the above second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

In the above embodiment, the format of the second container may be an octal string, and the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor. The Xn message may include, for example, at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

FIG19 is another schematic diagram of a message forwarding device 1900 according to an embodiment of the present application. The device may be, for example, a target NG-RAN node, or may be one or more components or assemblies configured in the target NG-RAN node. Since the principle of solving the problem by the device is similar to that of the embodiment of the first aspect, the same contents will not be repeated.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the device 1900 includes:

The processing unit 1901 forwards the XnAP message with the source NG-RAN node via the core network through NGAP signaling.

In some embodiments, the source NG-RAN node is a host CU of an IAB node, and the host CU is an F1-terminated host CU or a non-F1-terminated host CU.

In some embodiments, there is no Xn interface between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 1900 is used for integration and/or migration process of an IAB node.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1901 receives a third message sent by the AMF, wherein the third message includes the first XnAP information; the processing unit 1901 sends a fourth message to the AMF, wherein the fourth message includes the second XnAP message.

In the above embodiment, the third message may include a first container, which includes the above first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network; the processing unit 1901 generates the above second XnAP message by decoding the content of the g5 first container.

In the above embodiment, the fourth message may include a second container, where the second container includes the above second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

In the above embodiment, the format of the second container may be an octal string, and the above second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor. The Xn message may include at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

FIG. 20 is another schematic diagram of a message forwarding device 2000 according to an embodiment of the present application. The device may be, for example, AMF may also be one or more components or assemblies configured in AMF. Since the principle of solving the problem by the device is similar to that of the embodiment of the first aspect, the same contents will not be repeated.

As shown in FIG. 20 , the device 2000 includes:

The processing unit 2001 forwards the XnAP message between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node through NGAP signaling.

In some embodiments, the source NG-RAN node is a host CU of an IAB node, and the host CU is an F1-terminated host CU or a non-F1-terminated host CU.

In some embodiments, there is no Xn interface between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 2000 is used for integration and/or migration process of IAB nodes.

In some embodiments, processing unit 2001 receives a first message sent by a source NG-RAN node, wherein the first message includes a first XnAP message; processing unit 2001 sends a second message to the source NG-RAN node, wherein the second message includes a second XnAP message when the first XnAP message is forwarded successfully.

In the above embodiment, the first message may further include identification information, where the identification information indicates the target NG-RAN node. The identification information is, for example, a global RAN node identifier and a selected tracking area identifier.

In the above embodiment, the first message may include a first container, where the first container includes the above first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network.

In the above embodiment, the format of the first container may be an octal string, and the above first XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message initiated by the source IAB-donor. The Xn message may include, for example, at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT REQUEST,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION REQUEST,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION REQUEST.

In some embodiments, when the processing unit 2001 receives a confirmation message from the target NG-RAN node, the second message is confirmation information that the first XnAP message is successfully forwarded; when the processing unit 2001 does not receive a reply from the target NG-RAN node or receives a failure message from the target NG-RAN node, the second message is confirmation information that the first XnAP message fails to be forwarded.

In the above embodiment, the second message may include a second container, where the second container includes the above second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

In the above embodiment, the format of the second container may be an octal string, and the above second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor. The Xn message may include at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 2001 determines the target NG-RAN node based on the above-mentioned identification information, and sends a third message to the target NG-RAN node, and the third message includes the above-mentioned first XnAP information; the processing unit 2001 receives a fourth message from the target NG-RAN node, and the fourth message includes the above-mentioned second XnAP message.

In the above embodiment, the third message may include a first container, which includes the above-mentioned first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network; the target NG-RAN node generates the above-mentioned second XnAP message by decoding the content of the first container.

In the above embodiment, the fourth message may include a second container, where the second container includes the above second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

In the above embodiment, the format of the second container may be an octal string, and the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor. The Xn message may include, for example, at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

Fig. 21 is another schematic diagram of a message forwarding device 2100 of an embodiment of the present application, which may be, for example, an IAB node, or one or more components or assemblies configured in the IAB node. Since the principle of solving the problem by the device is similar to that of the embodiment of the second aspect, the same contents will not be repeated.

As shown in FIG. 21 , the device 2100 includes:

A receiving unit 2101, which receives a fifth message from a first host CU, wherein the fifth message includes a first XnAP message;

The sending unit 2102 sends a sixth message to the second host CU, wherein the sixth message includes the first XnAP message.

In some embodiments, the receiving unit 2101 further receives a seventh message from the second host CU, wherein the seventh message includes a second XnAP message; the sending unit 2102 further sends an eighth message to the first host CU, wherein the eighth message includes the second XnAP message.

In some embodiments, there is no Xn interface between the first host CU and the second host CU.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 2100 may be used in an integration and/or migration process of an IAB node.

In some embodiments, the fifth message is an RRC message, the sixth message is an F1AP message, and the fifth message and the sixth message respectively contain a first container; the first container contains the above-mentioned first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the first host CU to the second host CU through the IAB node.

In some embodiments, the fifth message is an F1AP message, the sixth message is an RRC message, and the fifth message and the sixth message respectively contain a first container; the first container contains the above-mentioned first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the first host CU to the second host CU through the IAB node.

In the above embodiment, the format of the first container may be an octal string, and the above first XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message initiated by the first host CU. The Xn message may include, for example, at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT REQUEST,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION REQUEST,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION REQUEST.

In some embodiments, the seventh message is an F1AP message, the eighth message is an RRC message, and the seventh message and the eighth message respectively contain a second container; the second container contains a second XnAP message transparently transmitted from the second host CU to the first host CU through the IAB node.

In some embodiments, the seventh message is an RRC message, the eighth message is an F1AP message, and the seventh message and the eighth message respectively contain a second container; the second container contains the above-mentioned second XnAP message transparently transmitted from the second host CU to the first host CU through the IAB node.

In the above embodiment, the format of the second container may be an octal string, and the above second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the second host CU. The Xn message may include, for example, at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

22 is another schematic diagram of a message forwarding device 2200 of an embodiment of the present application, which may be, for example, a first host CU, or may be one or more components or assemblies configured in the first host CU. Since the principle of solving the problem by the device is similar to that of the embodiment of the second aspect, the same contents will not be repeated.

As shown in FIG. 22 , the device 2200 includes:

The sending unit 2201 sends a fifth message to the IAB node, wherein the fifth message includes the first XnAP message; so that the IAB node sends a sixth message to the second host CU, wherein the sixth message includes the first XnAP message. 1. XnAP message.

In some embodiments, the IAB node further receives a seventh message from the second host CU, wherein the seventh message includes a second XnAP message. As shown in FIG. 22 , the apparatus 2200 further includes:

The receiving unit 2202 receives an eighth message sent by the IAB node, where the eighth message includes the second XnAP message.

23 is another schematic diagram of a message forwarding device 2300 of an embodiment of the present application, which may be, for example, a second host CU, or one or more components or assemblies configured in the second host CU. Since the principle of solving the problem by the device is similar to that of the embodiment of the first aspect, the same contents will not be repeated.

As shown in FIG. 23 , the device 2300 includes:

The receiving unit 2301 receives a sixth message sent by the IAB node, wherein the sixth message includes a first XnAP message, wherein the first XnAP message comes from a fifth message received by the IAB node from a first host CU, and the fifth message includes the first XnAP message.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 23 , the apparatus 2300 further includes:

The sending unit 2401 sends a seventh message to the IAB node, wherein the seventh message includes the second XnAP message; so that the IAB node sends an eighth message to the first host CU, wherein the eighth message includes the second XnAP message.

It is worth noting that the above only describes the components or modules related to the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto. The devices 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300 of the embodiments of the present application may also include other components or modules, and the specific contents of these components or modules may refer to the relevant technology.

In addition, for the sake of simplicity, FIG. 18 to FIG. 23 only exemplarily illustrate the connection relationship or signal direction between various components or modules, but it should be clear to those skilled in the art that various related technologies such as bus connection can be used. The above-mentioned various components or modules can be implemented by hardware facilities such as processors, memories, transmitters, and receivers; the implementation of this application is not limited to this.

According to the device of the embodiment of the present application, the signaling interaction problem between common RAN nodes without Xn interface is solved, thereby supporting information interaction between RAN nodes.

Embodiments of the fourth aspect

The embodiment of the present application provides a communication system, including a source NG-RAN node and a target NG-RAN second node, wherein the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node are configured to perform the embodiment of the first aspect. The behaviors of the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node have been described in detail in the embodiment of the first aspect, and the contents thereof are incorporated herein and will not be repeated here.

The embodiment of the present application also provides an IAB communication system, including a first host node, a second host node and an IAB node, wherein the first host node, the second host node and the IAB node are configured to execute the method described in the embodiment of the second aspect. The behaviors of the first host node, the second host node and the IAB node have been described in detail in the embodiment of the second aspect, and the contents thereof are incorporated herein and will not be repeated here.

An embodiment of the present application also provides an NG-RAN node, which includes a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method described in any one of the first to third aspects.

FIG24 is a schematic diagram of an NG-RAN node according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG24 , the NG-RAN node 2400 may include a processor 2401 and a memory 2402; the memory 2402 stores data and programs and is coupled to the processor 2401. It is worth noting that the figure is exemplary; other types of structures may also be used to supplement or replace the structure to implement telecommunication functions or other functions.

For example, processor 2401 may be configured to execute a program to implement a method as performed by a source NG-RAN node or a target NG-RAN node in an embodiment of the first aspect, or to implement a method as performed by an IAB node in an embodiment of the second aspect.

As shown in FIG24 , the IAB node 2400 may further include: a communication module 2403, an input unit 2404, a display 2405, and a power supply 2406. The functions of the above components are similar to those in the prior art and are not described in detail here. It is worth noting that the NG-RAN node 2400 does not necessarily include all the components shown in FIG24 , and the above components are not necessary; in addition, the NG-RAN node 2400 may also include components not shown in FIG24 , and reference may be made to the prior art.

An embodiment of the present application further provides an IAB host node, the IAB host node comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, the processor being configured to execute the computer program to implement the method as described in the embodiment of the fourth aspect.

FIG25 is a schematic diagram of an IAB host node according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG25 , the IAB host node 2500 may include: a central processing unit (CPU) 2501 and a memory 2502; the memory 2502 is coupled to the CPU 2501. The memory 2502 may store various data; in addition, it may store information processing programs, and execute the programs under the control of the CPU 2501 to receive various information sent by the IAB node and send various information to the IAB node.

For example, the processor 2501 may be configured to execute a program to implement the method performed by the first host CU or the second host CU in the embodiment of the second aspect.

In addition, as shown in FIG25 , the IAB host node 2500 may further include: a transceiver 2503 and an antenna 2504, etc.; wherein the functions of the above components are similar to those of the prior art and are not described in detail here. It is worth noting that the IAB host node 2500 does not necessarily include all the components shown in FIG25 ; in addition, the IAB host node 2500 may also include components not shown in FIG25 , and reference may be made to the prior art.

An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable program, wherein when the program is executed in an NG-RAN node, the program causes the computer to execute in the NG-RAN node the method performed by the source NG-RAN node or the target NG-RAN in the embodiment of the first aspect or to execute the method performed by the IAB node in the embodiment of the second aspect.

An embodiment of the present application also provides a storage medium storing a computer-readable program, wherein the computer-readable program enables a computer to execute in an NG-RAN node the method performed by a source NG-RAN node or a target NG-RAN in an embodiment of the first aspect or to execute the method performed by an IAB node in an embodiment of the second aspect.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable program, wherein when the program is executed in an IAB host node, the program enables a computer to execute in the IAB host node the method performed by the first host CU or the second host CU in the embodiment of the second aspect.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a storage medium storing a computer-readable program, wherein the computer-readable program enables a computer to execute, in an IAB host node, the method performed by the first host CU or the second host CU in the embodiment of the second aspect.

The above devices and methods of the present application can be implemented by hardware, or by hardware combined with software. The present application relates to such a computer-readable program, which, when executed by a logic component, enables the logic component to implement the above-mentioned devices or components, or enables the logic component to implement the various methods or steps described above. The logic component is, for example, a field programmable logic component, a microprocessor, a processor used in a computer, etc. The present application also relates to a storage medium for storing the above program, such as a hard disk, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a DVD, a flash memory, etc.

The method/device described in conjunction with the embodiments of the present application may be directly embodied as hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. For example, one or more of the functional block diagrams shown in the figure and/or one or more combinations of the functional block diagrams may correspond to various software modules of the computer program flow or to various hardware modules. These software modules may correspond to various steps shown in the figure, respectively. These hardware modules may, for example, be implemented using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implements these software modules by solidifying them.

The software module may be located in a RAM memory, a flash memory, a ROM memory, an EPROM memory, an EEPROM memory, a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storage medium may be coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium; or the storage medium may be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the storage medium may be located in an ASIC. The software module may be stored in a memory of a mobile terminal or in a memory card that can be inserted into the mobile terminal. For example, if a device (such as a mobile terminal) uses a large-capacity MEGA-SIM card or a large-capacity flash memory device, the software module may be stored in the MEGA-SIM card or the large-capacity flash memory device.

For one or more of the functional blocks described in the drawings and/or one or more combinations of functional blocks, it can be implemented as a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware component or any appropriate combination thereof for performing the functions described in the present application. For one or more of the functional blocks described in the drawings and/or one or more combinations of functional blocks, it can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in communication with a DSP, or any other such configuration.

The present application is described above in conjunction with specific implementation methods, but it should be clear to those skilled in the art that these descriptions are exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present application based on the spirit and principles of the present application, and these modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present application.

Regarding the above implementation methods disclosed in this embodiment, the following additional notes are also disclosed:

1. A message forwarding method, wherein the method comprises:

The source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node forward the XnAP message via the core network through NGAP signaling.

2. The method according to Note 1, wherein:

The source NG-RAN node is a host CU of an IAB node, and the host CU is an F1 termination host CU or a non-F1 termination host CU.

3. The method according to Note 1, wherein:

There is no Xn interface between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node.

4. The method according to Note 2, wherein the method is used in the integration and/or migration process of IAB nodes.

5. The method according to Note 1, wherein the method comprises:

The source NG-RAN node sends a first message to the AMF, where the first message includes a first XnAP message;

The source NG-RAN node receives a second message from the AMF, where the second message includes a second XnAP message if the first XnAP message is forwarded successfully.

6. The method according to Note 5, wherein:

The source NG-RAN node starts a first timer when sending the first message, and when the first timer times out, the source NG-RAN node considers that the forwarding of the first XnAP message fails;

When receiving the second message from the AMF, the source NG-RAN node stops the first timer.

7. The method according to Supplement 6, wherein:

When the forwarding of the first XnAP message fails, the source NG-RAN node sends a cancellation command to the AMF.

8. The method according to any one of Notes 5 to 7, wherein:

The first message also includes identification information, where the identification information indicates the target NG-RAN node.

9. The method according to Supplementary Note 8, wherein:

The identification information is a global RAN node identifier and a selected tracking area identifier.

10. The method according to any one of Notes 4 to 8, wherein:

The first message includes a first container, and the first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network.

11. The method according to Note 10, wherein:

The format of the first container is an octet string, and the first XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message initiated by the source IAB-donor.

12. The method according to Note 11, wherein the Xn message includes at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT REQUEST,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION REQUEST,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION REQUEST.

13. The method according to any one of Notes 5 to 12, wherein:

When the AMF receives a confirmation message replied by the target NG-RAN node, the second message is confirmation information that the first XnAP message is successfully forwarded;

When the AMF does not receive a reply from the target NG-RAN node or receives a failure message from the target NG-RAN node, the second message is confirmation information that the first XnAP message failed to be forwarded.

14. The method according to any one of Notes 5 to 13, wherein:

The second message includes a second container, and the second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

15. The method according to Note 14, wherein:

The format of the second container is an octet string, and the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor.

16. The method according to Note 15, wherein the Xn message includes at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

17. The method according to any one of Notes 8 to 16, wherein the method further comprises:

The AMF determines the target NG-RAN node according to the identification information, and sends a third message to the target NG-RAN node, where the third message includes the first XnAP information;

The AMF receives a fourth message from the target NG-RAN node, wherein the fourth message includes a second XnAP message.

18. The method according to Note 17, wherein:

The third message includes a first container, wherein the first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network;

The target NG-RAN node generates the second XnAP message by decoding the content of the first container.

19. The method according to Note 18, wherein:

The fourth message includes a second container, where the second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

20. The method according to Note 19, wherein:

The format of the second container is an octet string, and the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor.

21. The method according to Note 20, wherein the Xn message includes at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

22. A message forwarding method, wherein the method comprises:

The target NG-RAN node and the source NG-RAN node forward the XnAP message via the core network through NGAP signaling.

23. The method according to Note 22, wherein:

The source NG-RAN node is a host CU of an IAB node, and the host CU is an F1 termination host CU or a non-F1 termination host CU.

24. The method according to Note 22, wherein:

There is no Xn interface between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node.

25. The method according to Note 23, wherein the method is used in the integration and/or migration process of IAB nodes.

26. The method according to any one of Notes 22 to 25, wherein the method further comprises:

The target NG-RAN node receives a third message sent by the AMF, where the third message includes the first XnAP information;

The target NG-RAN node sends a fourth message to the AMF, wherein the fourth message includes a second XnAP message.

27. The method according to Note 26, wherein:

The third message includes a first container, wherein the first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network;

The target NG-RAN node generates the second XnAP message by decoding the content of the first container.

28. The method according to Note 27, wherein:

The fourth message includes a second container, where the second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

29. The method according to Note 28, wherein:

The format of the second container is an octet string, and the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor.

30. The method according to Note 29, wherein the Xn message includes at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

31. A message forwarding method, wherein the method comprises:

The AMF forwards the XnAP message between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node through NGAP signaling.

32. The method according to Note 31, wherein:

The source NG-RAN node is a host CU of an IAB node, and the host CU is an F1 termination host CU or a non-F1 termination host CU.

33. The method according to Note 31, wherein:

There is no Xn interface between the source NG-RAN node and the target NG-RAN node.

34. The method according to Note 32, wherein the method is used in the integration and/or migration process of IAB nodes.

35. The method according to Note 31, wherein the method comprises:

The AMF receives a first message sent by the source NG-RAN node, where the first message includes a first XnAP message;

The AMF sends a second message to the source NG-RAN node, where the second message includes a second XnAP message if the first XnAP message is forwarded successfully.

36. The method according to Note 35, wherein:

The first message also includes identification information, where the identification information indicates the target NG-RAN node.

37. The method according to Note 36, wherein:

The identification information is a global RAN node identifier and a selected tracking area identifier.

38. The method according to any one of Notes 35 to 37, wherein:

The first message includes a first container, and the first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network.

39. The method according to Note 38, wherein:

The format of the first container is an octet string, and the first XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message initiated by the source IAB-donor.

40. The method according to Note 39, wherein the Xn message includes at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT REQUEST,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION REQUEST,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION REQUEST.

41. The method according to any one of Notes 35 to 40, wherein:

When the AMF receives a confirmation message replied by the target NG-RAN node, the second message is confirmation information that the first XnAP message is successfully forwarded;

When the AMF does not receive a reply from the target NG-RAN node or receives a failure message from the target NG-RAN node, the second message is confirmation information that the first XnAP message failed to be forwarded.

42. The method according to any one of Notes 35 to 41, wherein:

The second message includes a second container, and the second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

43. The method according to Note 42, wherein:

The format of the second container is an octet string, and the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor.

44. The method according to Note 43, wherein the Xn message includes at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

45. The method according to any one of Notes 36 to 44, wherein the method further comprises:

The AMF determines the target NG-RAN node according to the identification information, and sends a third message to the target NG-RAN node, where the third message includes the first XnAP information;

The AMF receives a fourth message from the target NG-RAN node, wherein the fourth message includes a second XnAP message.

46. The method according to Note 45, wherein:

The third message includes a first container, wherein the first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network;

The target NG-RAN node generates the second XnAP message by decoding the content of the first container.

47. The method according to Note 46, wherein:

The fourth message includes a second container, where the second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network.

48. The method according to Note 47, wherein:

The format of the second container is an octet string, and the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor.

49. The method according to Note 48, wherein the Xn message includes at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

50. A message forwarding method, wherein the method comprises:

The IAB node receives a fifth message from the first host CU, wherein the fifth message includes the first XnAP message;

The IAB node sends a sixth message to the second host CU, where the sixth message includes the first XnAP message.

51. The method according to Note 50, wherein the method further comprises:

The IAB node receives a seventh message from the second host CU, where the seventh message includes a second XnAP message;

The IAB node sends an eighth message to the first host CU, where the eighth message includes the second XnAP message.

52. The method according to Note 50, wherein:

There is no Xn interface between the first host CU and the second host CU.

53. The method according to Note 50, wherein the method is used in the integration and/or migration process of IAB nodes.

54. The method according to Note 50, wherein:

The fifth message is an RRC message, the sixth message is an F1AP message, and the fifth message and the sixth message respectively include a first container;

The first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted by the first host CU to the second host CU through the IAB node.

55. The method according to Note 50, wherein:

The fifth message is an F1AP message, the sixth message is an RRC message, and the fifth message and the sixth message respectively include a first container;

The first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted by the first host CU to the second host CU through the IAB node.

56. The method according to Note 54 or 55, wherein:

The format of the first container is an octal string, and the first XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message initiated by the first host CU.

57. The method according to Note 56, wherein the Xn message includes at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT REQUEST,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION REQUEST,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION REQUEST.

58. The method according to Note 51, wherein:

The seventh message is an F1AP message, the eighth message is an RRC message, and the seventh message and the eighth message respectively include a second container;

The second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the second host CU to the first host CU through the IAB node.

59. The method according to Note 51, wherein:

The seventh message is an RRC message, the eighth message is an F1AP message, and the seventh message and the eighth message respectively include a second container;

The second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the second host CU to the first host CU through the IAB node.

60. The method according to Note 58 or 59, wherein:

The format of the second container is an octal string, and the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the second host CU.

61. The method according to Note 60, wherein the Xn message includes at least one of the following:

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE,

IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE,

IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.

62. A message forwarding method, wherein the method comprises:

The first host CU sends a fifth message to the IAB node, wherein the fifth message includes the first XnAP message; so that the IAB node sends a sixth message to the second host CU, wherein the sixth message includes the first XnAP message.

63. The method according to Note 62, wherein:

The IAB node also receives a seventh message from the second host CU, wherein the seventh message includes a second XnAP message;

The method further comprises:

The first host CU receives an eighth message sent by the IAB node, where the eighth message includes the second XnAP message.

64. A message forwarding method, wherein the method comprises:

The second host CU receives a sixth message sent by the IAB node, wherein the sixth message includes a first XnAP message, wherein the first XnAP message comes from a fifth message received by the IAB node from the first host CU, and wherein the fifth message includes the first XnAP message.

65. The method according to Note 64, wherein the method further comprises:

The second host CU sends a seventh message to the IAB node, wherein the seventh message includes a second XnAP message; so that the IAB node sends an eighth message to the first host CU, wherein the eighth message includes the second XnAP message.

66. A node device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of Notes 1 to 30.

67. An AMF entity device, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of Notes 31 to 49.

68. An IAB node, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of Notes 50 to 61.

69. An IAB host node, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the computer program to implement the method as described in any one of Notes 62 to 65.

70. A communication system, comprising the node device described in Note 66 and the AMF entity device described in Note 67, or comprising the IAB node described in Note 68 and the IAB host node described in Note 69.

Claims (20)

A message forwarding device, configured at a source NG-RAN node, wherein the device comprises: A processing unit, which forwards the XnAP message with the target NG-RAN node via the core network through NGAP signaling. The device according to claim 1, wherein The source NG-RAN node is a host CU of an IAB node, and the host CU is an F1 termination host CU or a non-F1 termination host CU. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is used in an integration and/or migration process of an IAB node. The device according to claim 1, wherein The processing unit sends a first message to the AMF, where the first message includes a first XnAP message; The processing unit receives a second message from the AMF, where the second message includes a second XnAP message when the first XnAP message is forwarded successfully. The device according to claim 4, wherein The processing unit starts a first timer when sending the first message, and when the first timer times out, the processing unit considers that the forwarding of the first XnAP message fails; When receiving the second message from the AMF, the processing unit stops the first timer. The device according to claim 4, wherein The first message also includes identification information, where the identification information indicates the target NG-RAN node. The device according to claim 4, wherein The first message includes a first container, and the first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message initiated by the source IAB-donor, and includes at least one of the following: IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT REQUEST, IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION REQUEST, IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION REQUEST. The device according to claim 4, wherein The second message includes a second container, and the second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the target IAB-donor, and includes at least one of the following: IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE, IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE, IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE. The device according to claim 6, wherein The AMF determines the target NG-RAN node according to the identification information, and sends a third message to the target NG-RAN node, where the third message includes the first XnAP information; The AMF receives a fourth message from the target NG-RAN node, wherein the fourth message includes a second XnAP message. The device according to claim 11, wherein The third message includes a first container, wherein the first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted from the source IAB-donor to the target IAB-donor through the core network; The target NG-RAN node generates the second XnAP message by decoding the content of the first container. The device according to claim 12, wherein The fourth message includes a second container, where the second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the target IAB-donor to the source IAB-donor through the core network. A message forwarding device, configured in an IAB node, wherein the device comprises: A receiving unit, configured to receive a fifth message from the first host CU, wherein the fifth message includes the first XnAP message; A sending unit, which sends a sixth message to the second host CU, wherein the sixth message includes the first XnAP message. The device according to claim 14, wherein the device further comprises: The receiving unit receives a seventh message from the second host CU, wherein the seventh message includes a second XnAP message; The sending unit sends an eighth message to the first host CU, wherein the eighth message includes the second XnAP message. The device according to claim 14, wherein The fifth message is an RRC message, the sixth message is an F1AP message, and the fifth message and the sixth message respectively include a first container; The first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted by the first host CU to the second host CU through the IAB node. The device according to claim 14, wherein The fifth message is an F1AP message, the sixth message is an RRC message, and the fifth message and the sixth message respectively include a first container; The first container includes the first XnAP message transparently transmitted by the first host CU to the second host CU through the IAB node. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the first XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message initiated by the first host CU, and includes at least one of the following: IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT REQUEST, IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION REQUEST, IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION REQUEST. The device according to claim 15, wherein The seventh message is an RRC message, the eighth message is an F1AP message, and the seventh message and the eighth message respectively include a second container; The second container includes the second XnAP message transparently transmitted by the second host CU to the first host CU through the IAB node. The device according to claim 19, wherein the second XnAP message is an IAB-related Xn message replied by the second host CU, and includes at least one of the following: IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MANAGEMENT RESPONSE, IAB TRANSPORT MIGRATION MODIFICATION RESPONSE, IAB RESOURCE COORDINATION RESPONSE.