Some embodiments include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for using low layer protocols for inter-cell mobility management in a 5G wireless communications system. A serving 5G node B (gNB) can configure reports that a user equipment (UE) transmits to the serving gNB to make handover decisions. The serving gNB can configure a group of Transmission Configuration Indication (TCI) states (e.g., a group of beams) that correspond a physical cell, and the report includes layer 3 measurements corresponding to a neighboring or serving cell's TCI state. The report can be conveyed using lower layer protocols. The report can include layer 1 measurements conveyed using a layer 1 protocol and the serving gNB can perform filtering to generate corresponding layer 3 measurement results. Based on the reports, the serving gNB can perform a handover and synchronization using lower layer protocols, from one TCI state to another.

Provided are an address coordination method and device, a base station, a session management function (SMF) network element and a storage medium. In a handover process of a terminal from a source base station side to a target base station side, a UPF split state of a PDU session of the terminal may be determined and data transmission tunnel address coordination may be implemented, thereby enhancing flexibility of split control of the PDU session in the handover process of the terminal, preventing the target base station side from executing PDU session resource modify/modification indication and other processes again to perform the data transmission tunnel address coordination after the terminal completes the handover. Resource admission control efficiency of the target base station side can be improved, so that the PDU session enters a reasonable state of UPF split or UPF non-split, and signaling resources can be saved.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method. According to the method, a mark is added to a data packet. After user equipment is handed over from an original device to a target device, and before a user plane network element receives a handover notification, the user plane network element sends, through a path used before handover, a data packet that carries a first mark to the original device. The original device modifies the first mark in the data packet to a second mark, and then forwards, to the target device, a data packet whose mark is modified and that carries the second mark. After receiving the handover notification, the user plane network element sends, to the target device, a data packet that carries a fourth mark. The target device can distinguish between sources of the received data packets based on different marks in the received data packets.

The present disclosure relates to method performed by a control node (SMF) configured to configure data sessions for a user equipment, UE, wherein at least one first data session is established by a first User Plane Function, UPF, node (UPF1) and the first data session (DS1) is connected via a first wireless access node (gNB_Source) associated to a first geographical area (UPF_area1) of the first UPF node (UPF1), the method comprising receiving, from a service node (NWDAF), a first notification (508) of predicted geographical area mobility of the UE, the first notification (508) being directly or indirectly indicative of a plurality of predicted target wireless access nodes (WN3, WN4) indicated as potential target access nodes for the UE, processing the first notification (509), and determining if connecting the UE to any one of the plurality of predicted target wireless access nodes (WN3, WN4) comprises a change to an associated geographical area (UPF_area2) different to the first geographical area (UPF_area1), transmitting, to the first wireless access node (gNB_Source), a data session modification request (512) comprising the processed first notification, the data session modification request being indicative of a request to transfer the at least one first data session (DS1) to any one of the plurality of predicted target wireless access nodes (WN3, WN4), receiving, from the first wireless access node (gNB_Source), a data session establishment response (516) comprising a selected wireless access node (gNB_Target) of the plurality of predicted target wireless access nodes, the selected wireless access node (gNB_Target) being associated to a second geographical area (UPF_area2), configuring at least one second data session (DS2), to be connected via the selected wireless access node (gNB_Target), by sending, to a second User Plane Function, UPF node (UPF2) serving the second geographical area (UPF_area2), a data session establishment request (518), receiving, from the selected wireless access node (gNB_Target), a second notification (530) indicative of a transfer of the UE from the first wireless access node (gNB_Source) to the selected wireless access node (gNB_Target), and releasing (534) the first data session (DS1).

An operating method of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include receiving configuration information from a source base station (BS), determining, based on the configuration information, whether Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS) handover is configured for at least one bearer, based on a result of the determining, maintaining a link to the source BS, performing the DAPS handover on a target BS, suspending a Signaling Radio Bearer (SRB) configured for the source BS, and establishing a SRB for the target BS, when it is determined that the DAPS handover fails, determining whether a radio link failure (RLF) occurs in the link to the source BS, and based on a result of the determining, when the RLF does not occur in the link to the source BS, resuming the SRB configured for the source BS and reporting the failure of the DAPS handover.

The present disclosure relates generally to communications, and more particularly to communication methods and related devices and nodes for control plane traffic management. Among other things, the disclosure presents a method performed by a central unit (CU) of a network node for coordination of control plane traffic management during a communication device reconfiguration in a telecommunications network. The method may, e.g., comprise receiving information from a distributed unit (DU) of the network node alerting the CU to reset a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) sequence number of control plane traffic signaled from the communication device as a consequence of an event in the telecommunications network; and responsive to receiving the information, resetting the PDCP sequence number of the control plane traffic signaled from the communication device.

A mechanism is disclosed for performing data plane based routing during a handover. The mechanism includes executing a user plane function (UPF). An uplink packet is received from a user equipment (UE) anchored to a fifth generation radio access network (5G) base station (gNB). The uplink packet includes a change destination command, a destination field, and metadata including a destination address for the uplink packet. A change destination command in the uplink packet is executed by setting the destination field of the uplink packet to the destination address in the metadata. The uplink packet is transmitted to the destination address set in the destination field.

An application server switching method, applied to a scenario in which a handover occurs between user plane network elements corresponding to a terminal device, includes obtaining, based on a user plane network element of the user plane network elements after the handover and a correspondence between the user plane network element and an address of a local application server of one or more application servers deployed on a network, the address of the local application server corresponding to the user plane network element after the handover. The correspondence between the user plane network element and the address of the local application server is used to indicate the address of the local application server. The method also includes sending the address of the local application server corresponding to the user plane network element after the handover.

Methods, systems, and apparatus can be used to provide handover of on-hold sessions in converged networks. In various example implementations, an on-hold session between a mobile communication device and a fixed packet network-connected peer CPE can be handed over from a fixed packet domain to a cellular domain, and vice versa. In various example implementations, an on-hold session between a mobile communication device and a PSTN-connected peer CPE can be handed over from a fixed packet domain to a cellular domain, and vice versa.

The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for controlling commissioning and/or control of a combo network device with dual connectivity in a wireless network by using a smart device. In a factory new state, the combo network device has not yet joined any wireless network by its first connectivity (e.g. Zigbee) and thus broadcasts a beacon with beacon information to solicit a connection from the smart device by its second connectivity (e.g. BLE). If the combo network device joins a wireless network, it enters an associated state in which the beacon information will now contain an identification of the wireless network. Thus, the beacon information changes based on the status of the combo network device and supports a handover process for an installer or controller.