WO2025138369A1

WO2025138369A1 - Systems and methods for performing cooperative intelligence cluster protocol data unit session management

Info

Publication number: WO2025138369A1
Application number: PCT/CN2024/073354
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yansheng Liu; Yin Gao; Dapeng Li; Zhuang Liu; Yingjun Zhou; Jiajun Chen
Original assignee: ZTE Corp
Current assignee: ZTE Corp
Priority date: 2024-01-19
Filing date: 2024-01-19
Publication date: 2025-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 2026-07-19

Abstract

Presented are systems and methods for performing cooperative intelligence cluster (CIC) protocol data unit (PDU) session management. A first wireless communication entity can send a first message, including a CIC management configuration related to one or more PDU sessions and/or one or more quality of service (QoS) flows, to a second wireless communication entity. The second wireless communication entity can receive the first message, including the CIC management configuration related to one or more PDU sessions and/or one or more QoS flows, from the first wireless communication entity.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PERFORMING COOPERATIVE INTELLIGENCE CLUSTER PROTOCOL DATA UNIT SESSION MANAGEMENT

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods for performing cooperative intelligence cluster (CIC) packet/protocol data unit (PDU) session management.

BACKGROUND

Coverage is a key consideration in cellular network deployments. With the rise of interconnected devices, there is a growing focus on effective device communication. The current 3GPP standards, spanning from 3G to 5G and beyond, focus on the importance of seamless communication among various devices, from smart home devices to wearable devices. In industrial settings, the complexity of tasks often requires collaboration. This calls for several cooperative operational management systems, with the aim of creating workgroups and managing different types of devices to complete the required tasks.

SUMMARY

The example embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving the issues relating to one or multiple of the problems presented in the prior art, as well as providing additional features that will become readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings. In accordance with various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices and computer program products are disclosed herein. It is understood, however, that these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not limiting, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who read the present disclosure that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be made while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

At least one aspect is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or a computer-readable medium. A first wireless communication entity (e.g., base station (BS) , user equipment (UE) , etc. ) can send/transmit/provide a first message, including a cooperative intelligence cluster (CIC) management configuration related to one or more packet/protocol data unit (PDU) sessions and/or one or more quality of service (QoS) flows, to a second wireless communication entity (e.g., BS, UE, etc. ) . In certain implementations, the CIC management configuration can include CIC ID information indicating one or more CIC IDs configured per PDU session or per QoS flow. In certain implementations, the CIC management configuration can include CIC QoS flow priority information. In certain implementations, both existing QoS flow priority level information and the CIC QoS flow priority information can be configured for multiple QoS flows.

In certain implementations, if the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows differs, the second wireless communication entity can be configured to count only the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows and to ignore the CIC QoS flow priority information. In certain implementations, if the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows differs, the second wireless communication entity can be configured to count only the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows and to ignore the existing QoS flow priority level information. In certain implementations, if the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows is the same, the second wireless communication entity can be configured to use the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows.

In certain implementations, if either the existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information is configured for multiple QoS flows, the second wireless communication entity can be configured to use the configured one of the existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows. In certain implementations, if either the existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information is partially configured for multiple QoS flows, the second wireless communication entity can be configured to count only one of the existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows and ignore the other one. In certain implementations, the CIC QoS flow priority information can be represented through one of the following: level numbers, a string, a bitmap, enumerated information, or a single-bit indicator.

In certain implementations, the CIC management configuration can include PDU session priority information. In certain implementations, the PDU session priority information can be represented through one of the following: level numbers, a string, a bitmap, enumerated information, or a single-bit indicator. In certain implementations, the PDU session priority information can be configured only for one or more CIC-related PDU sessions. In certain implementations, the CIC management configuration can include binding QoS flow information.

In certain implementations, the binding QoS flow information can be configured for different QoS flows in a single PDU session or different QoS flows in respective PDU sessions. In certain implementations, the binding QoS flow information can be represented by a single-bit indicator for each of the QoS flows. In certain implementations, the binding QoS flow information can be represented by a binding QoS flow list.

In certain implementations, the CIC management configuration can include a delay difference between QoS flows information. In certain implementations, the delay difference between QoS flows information can be configured for different QoS flows in a single PDU session or different QoS flows in respective PDU sessions. In certain implementations, if the QoS flows are limited in the single PDU session, the delay difference between QoS flows information can be indicated per PDU session as a list of QoS flow IDs with respective allowed delay values. In certain implementations, if the QoS flows are present in the different PDU sessions, the delay difference between QoS flows information can be indicated for the PDU sessions as a list of the PDU sessions and the corresponding QoS flows.

In certain implementations, the CIC management configuration can include a jitter range for CIC. In certain implementations, the jitter range for CIC can be indicated per PDU session or per QoS flow. In certain implementations, the CIC management configuration can include a Burst Arrival Time for CIC. In certain implementations, the CIC management configuration can include a Burst Arrival Time for CIC. In certain implementations, the Burst Arrival Time for CIC can be indicated per PDU session or per QoS flow. In certain implementations, the CIC management configuration can include a period for CIC data transmission.

In certain implementations, the first wireless communication entity can receive/obtain/acquire a second message from the second wireless communication entity after sending the first message. In some implementations, the first wireless communication entity can be a core network entity, and the second wireless communication entity can be a NG-RAN node. In some implementations, the first message can be a first NGAP message, and the second message can be a second NGAP message. In certain implementations, the first wireless communication entity can receive a second message from the second wireless communication entity after sending the first message. In some implementations, the first wireless communication entity can be a gNB-CU, and the second wireless communication entity can be a gNB-DU. In some implementations, the first message can be a first F1AP message, and the second message can be a second F1AP message. In certain implementations, the first wireless communication entity can receive a second message from the second wireless communication entity after sending the first message. In some implementations, the first wireless communication entity can be a gNB-CU-CP, and the second wireless communication entity can be a gNB-CU-UP. In some implementations, the first message can be a first E1AP message, and the second message can be a second E1AP message.

In certain implementations, the first wireless communication entity can receive a second message from the second wireless communication entity after sending the first message. In some implementations, the first wireless communication entity can be a first NG-RAN node, and the second wireless communication entity can be a second NG-RAN node. In some implementations, the first message can be a first XnAP message, and the second message can be a second XnAP message in which the second message is received after sending the first message. In certain implementations, the first wireless communication entity can receive a second message from the second wireless communication entity before sending the first message. In some implementations, the first wireless communication entity can be a second NG-RAN node, and the second wireless communication entity can be a first NG-RAN node. In some implementations, the first message can be a second XnAP message, and the second message can be a first XnAP message in which the second message is received before sending the first message.

In some implementations, the system of the technical solution disclosed herein can support performing CIC PDU session management, according to at least one of the following example configurations (e.g., features or solutions) :

· Example configuration: Providing Newly Introduced Information Elements for PDU Session (s) and/or QoS Flow (s) .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various example embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict example embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader’s understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example cellular communication network in which techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example base station and a user equipment device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example network, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example implementation of CIC PDU session management over NGAP, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example implementation of CIC PDU session management over F1AP, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example implementation of CIC PDU session management over E1AP, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example implementation of CIC PDU session management over XnAP 1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example implementation of CIC PDU session management over XnAP 2, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method for performing CIC PDU session management, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

1. Mobile Communication Technology and Environment

FIG. 1 illustrates an example wireless communication network, and/or system, 100 in which techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of things (NB-IoT) network, and is herein referred to as “network 100. ” Such an example network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter “BS 102” ; also referred to as wireless communication node) and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter “UE 104” ; also referred to as wireless communication device) that can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel) , and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138 and 140 overlaying a geographical area 101. In FIG. 1, the BS 102 and UE 104 are contained within a respective geographic boundary of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138 and 140 may include at least one base station operating at its allocated bandwidth to provide adequate radio coverage to its intended users.

For example, the BS 102 may operate at an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide adequate coverage to the UE 104. The BS 102 and the UE 104 may communicate via a downlink radio frame 118, and an uplink radio frame 124 respectively. Each radio frame 118/124 may be further divided into sub-frames 120/127 which may include data symbols 122/128. In the present disclosure, the BS 102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of “communication nodes, ” generally, which can practice the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and/or wired communications, in accordance with various embodiments of the present solution.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM/OFDMA signals) in accordance with some embodiments of the present solution. The system 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that need not be described in detail herein. In one illustrative embodiment, system 200 can be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment such as the wireless communication environment 100 of FIG. 1, as described above.

System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter “BS 202” ) and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter “UE 204” ) . The BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each module being coupled and interconnected with one another as necessary via a data communication bus 220. The UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each module being coupled and interconnected with one another as necessary via a data communication bus 240. The BS 202 communicates with the UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for transmission of data as described herein.

As would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, system 200 may further include any number of modules other than the modules shown in FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software can depend upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a suitable manner for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

In accordance with some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an “uplink” transceiver 230 that includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and a RF receiver each comprising circuitry that is coupled to the antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in time duplex fashion. Similarly, in accordance with some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a “downlink” transceiver 210 that includes a RF transmitter and a RF receiver each comprising circuity that is coupled to the antenna 212. A downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in time duplex fashion. The operations of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 at the same time that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212. Conversely, the operations of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 at the same time that the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232. In some embodiments, there is close time synchronization with a minimal guard time between changes in duplex direction.

The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via the wireless data communication link 250, and cooperate with a suitably configured RF antenna arrangement 212/232 that can support a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards, and the like. It is understood, however, that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited in application to a particular standard and associated protocols. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternate, or additional, wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

In accordance with various embodiments, the BS 202 may be an evolved node B (eNB) , a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, or a pico station, for example. In some embodiments, the UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user devices such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) , tablet, laptop computer, wearable computing device, etc. The processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented, or realized, with a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. In this manner, a processor may be realized as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, or the like. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or multiple microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

Furthermore, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in a software module executed by processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may be realized as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, such that the processors modules 210 and 230 can read information from, and write information to, memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, the memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and/or other components of the base station 202 that enable bi-directional communication between base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, network communication module 218 may be configured to support internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, without limitation, network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface such that base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet based computer network. In this manner, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connection to the computer network (e.g., Mobile Switching Center (MSC) ) . The terms “configured for, ” “configured to” and conjugations thereof, as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc., that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted and/or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Model (referred to herein as, “open system interconnection model” ) is a conceptual and logical layout that defines network communication used by systems (e.g., wireless communication device, wireless communication node) open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is broken into seven subcomponents, or layers, each of which represents a conceptual collection of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI Model also defines a logical network and effectively describes computer packet transfer by using different layer protocols. The OSI Model may also be referred to as the seven-layer OSI Model or the seven-layer model. In some embodiments, a first layer may be a physical layer. In some embodiments, a second layer may be a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, a third layer may be a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, a fourth layer may be a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, a fifth layer may be a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, a sixth layer may be a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer being the other layer.

Various example embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying figures to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present solution. As would be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, after reading the present disclosure, various changes or modifications to the examples described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the present solution. Thus, the present solution is not limited to the example embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Additionally, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely example approaches. Based upon design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be re-arranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or acts in a sample order, and the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless expressly stated otherwise.

2. Systems and Methods for Performing CIC PDU Session Management

Cooperative Intelligence Cluster (CIC) may include basic network (NW) support, management of head and reporting in a CIC, and execution of location reporting for a CIC. The CIC can operate as a dynamic group of entities designated for specific tasks. The NW can allocate dedicated resources to the CIC group. Additionally, no matter the number of entities in the group, the resource amount can be certain/predetermined before any further allocation by the NW. In certain implementations, a specific method for the NW and/or UEs to manage certain/predetermined resources for a group with variable/uncertain member counts may be lacking. The technical disclosure described herein introduces information (or new information) for packet/protocol data unit (PDU) sessions and/or quality of service (QoS) flows, which can be used by different entities for dynamic group resource management. By relying on the introduced information for PDU sessions and/or QoS flows, UE or NW can have more flexibility and/or can achieve enhanced granularity in managing resource allocation for each UE/PDU session/QoS flow.

Industry standards (e.g., 3GPP standards) for group communications (e.g., in the 5G Core Network) can focus on forming a collection of devices to operate, as shown in FIG. 3. In certain embodiments, new information can be utilized in several ways. In certain implementations, one or multiple CIC IDs can be informed per PDU session or per QoS flow. In certain implementations, where the CIC ID information is added to the PDU session level, the PDU session can be a CIC-related PDU session or can be related to one or multiple CIC (s) in the CIC ID information. In some implementations, where the CIC ID information is added to the QoS flow level, the QoS flow can be a CIC-related QoS flow or can be related to one or multiple CIC (s) in the CIC ID information.

In certain implementations, CIC QoS flow priority information can be used to inform the CIC-related QoS flow priority information. In certain implementations, different 5QI (s) can map to different priority levels. In some implementations, the CIC QoS flow priority information can be used to further classify the different priority levels for the CIC-related QoS flows, which may share the same/different priority levels marked by 5QI.

In certain implementations, several implementations/alternatives can be considered, and at least one of these may be selected by a standardizing body. In certain implementations, where the existing QoS flow priority level and/or the CIC QoS flow priority information are configured for several QoS flows, and if the existing QoS flow priority levels for the QoS flows differ, an alternative approach can be implemented. For example, in certain alternatives/implementations, the entity (e.g., AMF, NG-RAN node, gNB CU, gNB DU, gNB CU-CP, gNB CU-UP, etc. ) receiving the QoS flow information may consider/count the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows. In certain alternatives/implementations, the entity (e.g., AMF, NG-RAN node, gNB CU, gNB DU, gNB CU-CP, gNB CU-UP, etc. ) received in the QoS flow information may count/consider the CIC QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows.

In certain implementations/alternatives, where the existing QoS flow priority levels for the QoS flows are the same, the entity (e.g., AMF, NG-RAN node, gNB CU, gNB DU, gNB CU-CP, gNB CU-UP, etc. ) receiving this QoS flow information may use the received CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flow management. In certain implementations/alternatives, where the existing QoS flow priority level or the CIC QoS flow priority information are configured to several QoS flows, the entity (e.g., AMF, NG-RAN node, gNB CU, gNB DU, gNB CU-CP, gNB CU-UP, etc. ) receiving/received QoS flow information may use the received QoS flow priority information for further management. In this regard, several implementations/alternatives can be used for storing and/or transmitting CIC QoS flow priority information among different entities.

In certain implementations, there can be limited levels denoted by numbers (e.g., integers N through M, such as level N, level N+1, level N+2, …, up to level M) indicating/representing different kinds of CIC QoS flow priorities. Here, N and M are integers, where if M indicates the highest priority level, then N corresponds to the lowest priority level, or vice versa.

In certain implementations, the CIC QoS flow priority may be represented/indicated in various formats, including, but not limited to, string, bitmap, or enumerated information. For example, the priority level may be indicated using strings, including, but not limited to, “low” , “medium” , “high” , “head” , or “member” , among others. In some implementations, bitmap representations can be used, such as a bit map, where “001 == low” , “010 == medium” , “100 == high” , “0 = head” , or “1 = member” , among others. Additionally, enumerated information can be used to denote priority levels, for example, including, but not limited to, ENUMERATED (low, medium, high) , ENUMERATED (low, high) , or ENUMERATED (member, head) .

In certain implementations, the length of the bitmap or the enumerated information may not be limited/confined to a certain/specific/predetermined level (or number of levels) . For example, the length of the bitmap can be longer than or extend beyond a certain number (e.g., 3) or be shorter/less than that number (e.g., 3) . In certain implementations, the CIC QoS flow priority information can include one or more levels. For example, when a CIC QoS flow is denoted/designated with a bit indicator (or a predetermined bit indicator) , the bit indicator can indicate a higher priority level for the CIC QoS flow. Conversely, the absence of the bit indicator can indicate a lower priority level for the CIC QoS flow, or vice versa.

In certain implementations, PDU session priority information can be used to inform the priority information/level of a PDU session. In certain implementations, PDU session priority information can be used in PDU session management. For example, in some implementations where the UE is overheating or where RAN overload is imminent (e.g., will occur) or occurring, the PDU session with higher priority may be less impacted by the aforementioned issues. In certain implementations, the PDU session with lower priority can pause the data transmission temporarily or spend less resources on data transmission until the issue is fixed.

In certain implementations, the PDU session priority can be used in CIC-related PDU sessions. In some implementations, the CIC-related PDU sessions can be configured with priority information. In some implementations, other common PDU sessions can share the same default priority level and/or may not be configured with such information. In certain implementations, the PDU session priority can be applied to several or all of the PDU sessions. In some implementations, regardless of the CIC, the PDU sessions can be configured with different priority information.

In this regard, several implementations/alternatives can be used for storing and/or transmitting PDU session priority information among different entities. In certain implementations, there can be limited levels denoted by numbers (e.g., integers N through M, such as level N, level N+1, level N+2, …, up to level M) indicating/representing different kinds of PDU session priorities. Here, N and M are integers, where if M indicates the highest priority level, then N corresponds to the lowest priority level, or vice versa.

In certain implementations, the PDU session priority may be represented/indicated in various formats, including, but not limited to, string, bitmap, or enumerated information. For example, the priority level may be indicated using strings, including, but not limited to, “low” , “medium” , “high” , “head” , or “member” , among others. In some implementations, bitmap representations can be used, such as a bit map, where “001 == low” , “010 == medium” , “100 == high” , “0 = head” , or “1 = member” , among others. Additionally, enumerated information can be used to denote priority levels, for example, including, but not limited to, ENUMERATED (low, medium, high) , ENUMERATED (low, high) , or ENUMERATED (member, head) .

In certain implementations, the length of the bitmap or the enumerated information may not be limited/confined to a certain/specific/predetermined level (or number of levels) . For example, the length of the bitmap can be longer than or extend beyond a certain number (e.g., 3) or be shorter/less than that number (e.g., 3) . In certain implementations, the PDU session priority information can include one or more levels. For example, when a PDU session is denoted/designated with a bit indicator (or a predetermined bit indicator) , the bit indicator can indicate a higher priority level for the PDU session. Conversely, the absence of the bit indicator can indicate a lower priority level for the PDU session, or vice versa.

In certain implementations, binding QoS flow information can be informed/provided for different/various QoS flows in one (or a single) PDU session or across multiple PDU sessions. In some implementations, one or more QoS flows with the binding QoS flow information can be related to each other. In this regard, several alternatives/implementations can be applied:

In certain implementations, where a command entity (e.g., CN, NG-RAN node, gNB-CU, gNB CU-CP, etc. ) attempts to manage (e.g., setup, modify, or release) one or more QoS flows, the failure to manage any of the flows may result in one or more of the QoS flows not being managed. In some implementations, the received entity (e.g., CN, NG-RAN node, gNB-DU, gNB CU-UP, etc. ) can trigger/initiate a failure message with the proper/appropriate cause value. In certain implementations, where the command entity (e.g., CN, NG-RAN node, gNB-CU, gNB CU-CP) attempts to manage (e.g., setup, modify, or release) one or more QoS flows, and where there is a failure in managing any of the flows, the received entity (e.g., CN, NG-RAN node, gNB-DU, gNB CU-UP, etc. ) can send/transmit the failed QoS flow (s) information to the command entity. In some implementations, the command entity can release the whole PDU session or re-manage the corresponding QoS flows.

In certain implementations, various alternatives/implementations can be used to inform/provide the binding QoS flow information. For example, in certain implementations, a 1-bit indicator can be configured for each related QoS flow, with all QoS flows having this indicator bound together. In certain implementations, a binding QoS flow list can be used. In certain implementations, where bound QoS flows are limited to one PDU session, the binding QoS flow information can be informed/provided as a list of QoS flow IDs. In certain implementations, where bound QoS flows exist across multiple PDU sessions, the binding QoS flow information can be informed/provided for each PDU session, with one or multiple QoS flow ID (s) included/provided for each session.

In certain implementations, information regarding the delay difference between QoS flows can be informed/provided for different/various QoS flows in one PDU session or across multiple PDU sessions for DL and/or UL. In certain implementations, the information on the delay difference between QoS flows can show/indicate the allowed/preferred delay difference between different/various QoS flows. In certain implementations, various alternatives/implementations can be used to inform/provide the delay difference information.

In certain implementations, where the QoS flows are limited/confined to one (or a single) PDU session, the delay difference information can be informed/provided for that PDU session as a list of QoS flow IDs and/or the allowed delay difference value. In certain implementations, where the QoS flows exist across multiple PDU sessions, the binding QoS flow information can be informed/provided for different PDU sessions. In some implementations, a list of PDU sessions and/or the QoS flow information for each related/associated PDU session can be informed/provided. Additionally, information regarding the detailed delay difference value (s) for these QoS flows can be informed/provided. In some implementations, for each related QoS flow in the same PDU session and/or different PDU sessions, one indicator can be used to mark that the QoS flow has the delay difference requirement. In some implementations, the specific delay difference value for these QoS flows can be informed/provided.

In certain implementations, information regarding the jitter range for CIC can be informed/provided per-PDU session or per-QoS flow for DL and/or UL. In certain implementations, where the jitter range is informed/provided for one PDU session, one or more QoS flows in that PDU session can fulfill/satisfy the jitter requirement informed/provided for the jitter range. In certain implementations where the jitter range is informed/provided for one QoS flow, the QoS flow can fulfill/satisfy the jitter requirement informed/provided for the jitter range. In some implementations, several alternatives/implementations can be used to inform the jitter range. This may include using integers N and M, where N specifies/indicates that the delta range of the QoS jitter may not be larger/greater or less than the integer N.

In certain implementations, information regarding the burst arrival time for CIC can be informed/provided on a per-PDU session or per-QoS flow basis. In certain implementations, the burst arrival time for CIC can be used to inform/transmit the UL and/or DL data arrival information for CIC. In certain implementations, information regarding the period for CIC data transmission can be used to inform/indicate the period/timing of UL and/or DL CIC data transmission.

Referring now to FIG. 4, depicted is an illustration of CIC PDU session management over NGAP. In certain implementations/embodiments, the AMF can send/transmit the NGAP message A to the NG-RAN node for the purpose of managing the UE’s CIC PDU session. The NGAP message can be a newly defined message or an existing one (e.g., PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP REQUEST message, PDU SESSION RESOURCE MODIFY REQUEST message, HANDOVER REQUEST message, etc. ) . In certain implementations, at least one of the pieces of information described herein may be informed/transmitted/provided in the NGAP message. In certain implementations/embodiments, the NG-RAN node can respond to the AMF with NGAP message B. The NGAP message B can be a newly defined NGAP message or an existing one (e.g., PDU SESSION RESOURCE SETUP RESPONSE message, PDU SESSION RESOURCE MODIFY RESPONSE message, HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE message, etc. ) .

Referring now to FIG. 5, depicted is an illustration of CIC PDU session management over F1AP. In certain embodiments/implementations, the gNB-CU can send/transmit the CIC PDU session management information via F1AP message A. In some implementations, the F1AP message can be a newly defined F1AP message or an existing one (e.g., UE CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST, UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST, etc. ) . In certain implementations, at least one of the pieces of information described herein may be informed/transmitted/provided in the F1AP message. In certain implementations, the gNB-DU can respond with the F1AP message B. In some implementations, the F1AP message can be a newly defined F1AP message or an existing one (e.g., UE CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE, UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION RESPONSE, etc. ) .

Referring now to FIG. 6, depicted is an illustration of CIC PDU session management over E1AP. In certain implementations, the gNB-CU-CP can send/transmit the CIC PDU session management information via E1AP message A. In some implementations, the E1AP message can be a newly defined E1AP message or an existing one (e.g., BEARER CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST, BEARER CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST, etc. ) . In certain implementations, at least one of the pieces of information described herein may be informed/transmitted/provided in the E1AP message. In certain implementations, the gNB-CU-UP can respond with the E1AP message B. In some implementations, the E1AP message can be a newly defined E1AP message or an existing one (e.g., BEARER CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE, BEARER CONTEXT MODIFICATION RESPONSE, etc. ) .

Referring now to FIG. 7, depicted is an illustration of CIC PDU session management over XnAP 1. In certain implementations, NG-RAN node 1 can send/transmit the XnAP message A to NG-RAN node 2. In some implementations, the XnAP message can be a newly defined XnAP message or an existing one (e.g., HANDOVER REQUEST, S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST, S-NODE MODIFICATION REQUEST, etc. ) . In certain implementations, at least one of the pieces of information described herein may be informed/transmitted/provided in the XnAP message. In certain implementations, the NG-RAN node 2 can respond with the XnAP message B. In some implementations, the XnAP message can be a newly defined XnAP message or an existing one (e.g., HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE, S-NODE MODIFICATION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE, S-NODE ADDITION REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE, etc. ) .

Referring now to FIG. 8, depicted is an illustration of CIC PDU session management over XnAP 2. In certain implementations, NG-RAN node 1 can send/transmit the XnAP message A to NG-RAN node 2 to retrieve/obtain UE context. In some implementations, the XnAP message A can be a newly defined message or an existing one (e.g., RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT REQUEST) . In certain implementations, NG-RAN node 2 can respond with the XnAP message B. In some implementations, the XnAP message can be a newly defined XnAP message or an existing one (e.g., RETRIEVE UE CONTEXT RESPONSE) . In certain implementations, at least one of the pieces of information described herein may be informed/transmitted/provided in the XnAP message.

Referring now to FIG. 9, which illustrates a flow diagram of a method 900 for performing CIC PDU session management. The method 900 may be implemented using any of the components and devices detailed herein in conjunction with FIGS. 1–8. In an overview, the method 900 may include a first wireless communication entity sending/transmitting/providing a first message, including a Cooperative Intelligence Cluster (CIC) management configuration related to one or more PDU sessions and/or one or more QoS flows, to a second wireless communication entity (STEP 902) . The method may include the second wireless communication entity receiving/obtaining/acquiring the first message, including the Cooperative Intelligence Cluster (CIC) management configuration related to one or more PDU sessions and/or one or more QoS flows, from the first wireless communication entity (STEP 904) .

In certain configurations, a first wireless communication entity (e.g., base station (BS) , user equipment (UE) , etc. ) can send/transmit/provide a first message, including a cooperative intelligence cluster (CIC) management configuration related to one or more packet/protocol data unit (PDU) sessions and/or one or more quality of service (QoS) flows, to a second wireless communication entity (e.g., BS, UE, etc. ) (STEP 902) . In certain configurations, the CIC management configuration can include CIC ID information indicating one or more CIC IDs configured per PDU session or per QoS flow. In certain configurations, the CIC management configuration can include CIC QoS flow priority information. In certain configurations, the existing QoS flow priority level information and/or the CIC QoS flow priority information can be configured for multiple QoS flows.

In certain configurations, where the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows differs, the second wireless communication entity can be configured to count the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows and/or to ignore the CIC QoS flow priority information. In certain configurations, where the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows differs, the second wireless communication entity can be configured to count the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows and/or to ignore the existing QoS flow priority level information. In certain configurations, where the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows is the same, the second wireless communication entity can be configured to use the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows.

In certain configurations, where the existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information is configured for multiple QoS flows, the second wireless communication entity can be configured to use the selected configuration, which may be the existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information, for the QoS flows. In certain configurations, where the existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information is partially configured for multiple QoS flows, the second wireless communication entity can be configured to count one of the existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows and/or ignore the other one. In certain configurations, the CIC QoS flow priority information can be represented through one of the following: level numbers, a string, a bitmap, enumerated information, or a single-bit indicator.

In certain configurations, the CIC management configuration can include PDU session priority information. In certain configurations, the PDU session priority information can be represented through one of the following: level numbers, a string, a bitmap, enumerated information, or a single-bit indicator. In certain configurations, the PDU session priority information can be configured for one or more CIC-related PDU sessions. In certain configurations, the CIC management configuration can include binding QoS flow information.

In certain configurations, the binding QoS flow information can be configured for different QoS flows in a single PDU session or different QoS flows in respective PDU sessions. In certain configurations, the binding QoS flow information can be represented by a single-bit indicator for each of the QoS flows. In certain configurations, the binding QoS flow information can be represented by a binding QoS flow list.

In certain configurations, the CIC management configuration can include a delay difference between QoS flow information. In certain configurations, the delay difference between QoS flow information can be configured for different QoS flows in a single PDU session or different QoS flows in respective PDU sessions. In certain configurations, where the QoS flows are limited to the single PDU session, the delay difference between QoS flow information can be indicated per PDU session as a list of QoS flow IDs with respective allowed delay values. In certain configurations, where the QoS flows are present in the different PDU sessions, the delay difference between QoS flow information can be indicated for the PDU sessions as a list of the PDU sessions and the corresponding QoS flows.

In certain configurations, the CIC management configuration can include a jitter range for CIC. In certain configurations, the jitter range for CIC can be indicated per PDU session or per QoS flow. In certain configurations, the CIC management configuration can include a Burst Arrival Time for CIC. In certain configurations, the CIC management configuration can include a Burst Arrival Time for CIC. In certain configurations, the Burst Arrival Time for CIC can be indicated per PDU session or per QoS flow. In certain configurations, the CIC management configuration can include a period for CIC data transmission.

In certain configurations, the first wireless communication entity can receive/obtain/acquire a second message from the second wireless communication entity after sending the first message. In some implementations, the first wireless communication entity can be a core network entity, and the second wireless communication entity can be a NG-RAN node. In some implementations, the first message can be a first NGAP message, and the second message can be a second NGAP message. In certain configurations, the first wireless communication entity can receive a second message from the second wireless communication entity after sending the first message. In some implementations, the first wireless communication entity can be a gNB-CU, and the second wireless communication entity can be a gNB-DU. In some implementations, the first message can be a first F1AP message, and the second message can be a second F1AP message. In certain configurations, the first wireless communication entity can receive a second message from the second wireless communication entity after sending the first message. In some implementations, the first wireless communication entity can be a gNB-CU-CP, and the second wireless communication entity can be a gNB-CU-UP. In some implementations, the first message can be a first E1AP message, and the second message can be a second E1AP message.

In certain configurations, the first wireless communication entity can receive a second message from the second wireless communication entity after sending the first message. In some implementations, the first wireless communication entity can be a first NG-RAN node, and the second wireless communication entity can be a second NG-RAN node. In some implementations, the first message can be a first XnAP message, and the second message can be a second XnAP message in which the second message is received after sending the first message. In certain configurations, the first wireless communication entity can receive a second message from the second wireless communication entity before sending the first message. In some implementations, the first wireless communication entity can be a second NG-RAN node, and the second wireless communication entity can be a first NG-RAN node. In some implementations, the first message can be a second XnAP message, and the second message can be a first XnAP message in which the second message is received before sending the first message.

At least one aspect is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or a computer-readable medium. In certain configurations, the second wireless communication entity can receive/obtain/acquire the first message, including the Cooperative Intelligence Cluster (CIC) management configuration related to one or more PDU sessions and/or one or more QoS flows, from the first wireless communication entity (STEP 904) .

While various embodiments/implementations of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example architecture or configuration, which are provided to enable persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand example features and functions of the present solution. Such persons would understand, however, that the solution is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, one or multiple features of one embodiment/implementation can be combined with one or multiple features of another embodiment/implementation described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described illustrative embodiments.

It is also understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as “first, ” “second, ” and so forth does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations can be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

Additionally, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols, which may be referenced in the above description, can be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., a digital implementation, an analog implementation, or a combination of the two) , firmware, various forms of program or design code incorporating instructions (which can be referred to herein, for convenience, as “software” or a “software module) , or any combination of these techniques. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware or software, or a combination of these techniques, depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans can implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not cause a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that various illustrative logical blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein can be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC) that can include a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP) , an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logical blocks, modules, and circuits can further include antennas and/or transceivers to communicate with various components within the network or within the device. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or multiple microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or multiple instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that can be enabled to transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

In this document, the term “module” as used herein, refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purpose of discussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

Additionally, memory or other storage, as well as communication components, may be employed in embodiments of the present solution. It will be appreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above description has described embodiments of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains may be used without detracting from the present solution. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processing logic elements, or controllers, may be performed by the same processing logic element, or controller. Hence, references to specific functional units are only references to a suitable means for providing the described functionality, rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as recited in the claims below.

Claims

A wireless communication method, comprising:

sending, by a first wireless communication entity to a second wireless communication entity, a first message comprising a Cooperative Intelligence Cluster (CIC) management configuration related to one or more PDU sessions and/or one or more QoS flows.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the CIC management configuration comprises CIC ID information indicating one or more CIC IDs configured per PDU session or per QoS flow.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the CIC management configuration comprises CIC QoS flow priority information.
The wireless communication method of claim 3, wherein both existing QoS flow priority level information and the CIC QoS flow priority information are configured for multiple QoS flows.
The wireless communication method of claim 4, wherein if the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows is different, the second wireless communication entity is configured to count only the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows and ignore the CIC QoS flow priority information.
The wireless communication method of claim 4, wherein if the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows is different, the second wireless communication entity is configured to count only the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows and ignore the existing QoS flow priority level information.
The wireless communication method of claim 4, wherein if the existing QoS flow priority level information for the QoS flows are the same, the second wireless communication entity is configured to use the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows.
The wireless communication method of claim 3, wherein if either existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information is configured for multiple QoS flows, the second wireless communication entity is configured to use the configured one of the existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows.
The wireless communication method of claim 3, wherein if either existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information is partially configured for multiple QoS flows, the second wireless communication entity is configured to count only one of the existing QoS flow priority level information or the CIC QoS flow priority information for the QoS flows and ignore the other one.
The wireless communication method of claim 3, wherein the CIC QoS flow priority information is represented through one of: level numbers, a string, a bitmap, enumerated information, or a single-bit indicator.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the CIC management configuration comprises PDU session priority information.
The wireless communication method of claim 11, wherein the PDU session priority information is represented through one of: level numbers, a string, a bitmap, enumerated information, or a single-bit indicator.
The wireless communication method of claim 11, wherein the PDU session priority information is only configured for one or more CIC-related PDU sessions.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the CIC management configuration comprises binding QoS flow information.
The wireless communication method of claim 14, wherein the binding QoS flow information is configured for different QoS flows in a single PDU session or different QoS flows in respective PDU sessions.
The wireless communication method of claim 15, wherein the binding QoS flow information is represented by a single-bit indicator for each of the QoS flows.
The wireless communication method of claim 15, wherein the binding QoS flow information is represented by a binding QoS flow list.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the CIC management configuration comprises delay difference between QoS flows information.
The wireless communication method of claim 18, wherein the delay difference between QoS flows information is configured for different QoS flows in a single PDU session or different QoS flows in respective PDU sessions.
The wireless communication method of claim 19, wherein if the QoS flows are limited in the single PDU session, the delay difference between QoS flows information is indicated per PDU session as a list of QoS flow IDs with respective allowed delay different values.
The wireless communication method of claim 19, wherein if the QoS flows are present in the different PDU sessions, the delay difference between QoS flows information is indicated for the PDU sessions as a list of the PDU sessions and the corresponding QoS flows.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the CIC management configuration comprises a jitter range for CIC.
The wireless communication method of claim 22, wherein the jitter range for CIC is indicated per PDU session or per QoS flow.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the CIC management configuration comprises a Burst Arrival Time for CIC.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the CIC management configuration comprises a Burst Arrival Time for CIC.
The wireless communication method of claim 25, wherein the Burst Arrival Time for CIC is indicated per PDU session or per QoS flow.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the CIC management configuration comprises a period for CIC data transmission.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first wireless communication entity from the second wireless communication entity, a second message after sending the first message;

wherein the first wireless communication entity is a core network entity and the second wireless communication entity is a NG-RAN node, and wherein the first message is a first NGAP message and the second message is a second NGAP message.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first wireless communication entity from the second wireless communication entity, a second message after sending the first message;

wherein the first wireless communication entity is a gNB-CU and the second wireless communication entity is a gNB-DU, and wherein the first message is a first F1AP message and the second message is a second F1AP message.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first wireless communication entity from the second wireless communication entity, a second message after sending the first message;

wherein the first wireless communication entity is a gNB-CU-CP and the second wireless communication entity is a gNB-CU-UP, and wherein the first message is a first E1AP message and the second message is a second E1AP message.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first wireless communication entity from the second wireless communication entity, a second message after sending the first message;

wherein the first wireless communication entity is a first NG-RAN node and the second wireless communication entity is a second NG-RAN node, and wherein the first message is a first XnAP message and the second message is a second XnAP message in which the second message is received after sending the first message.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first wireless communication entity from the second wireless communication entity, a second message before sending the first message;

wherein the first wireless communication entity is a second NG-RAN node and the second wireless communication entity is a first NG-RAN node, and wherein the first message is a second XnAP message and the second message is a first XnAP message in which the second message is received before sending the first message.