An embodiment of the present disclosure may provide an inter-MeNB handover method in a small cell system, including: making, by a source MeNB and/or target MeNB, a determination as to whether to maintain a SeNB when handover is performed; and triggering different handover processes according to a result of the determination as to whether to maintain the SeNB. Another embodiment of the present disclosure may further provide an inter-MeNB handover device in a small cell system. With the inter-MeNB handover method and device in a small cell system provided by the present disclosure, unnecessary deletion and re-establishment of the bearers at the SeNB for the UE may be reduced. False bearer deletion may be avoided and data forwarding may be reduced. Furthermore, the SeNB may be maintained according to network deployment and SGW re-selection may be supported. Therefore, system capacity and transmission speed of the data may be improved.

An embodiment of the present disclosure may provide an inter-MeNB handover method in a small cell system, including: making, by a source MeNB and/or target MeNB, a determination as to whether to maintain a SeNB when handover is performed; and triggering different handover processes according to a result of the determination as to whether to maintain the SeNB. Another embodiment of the present disclosure may further provide an inter-MeNB handover device in a small cell system. With the inter-MeNB handover method and device in a small cell system provided by the present disclosure, unnecessary deletion and re-establishment of the bearers at the SeNB for the UE may be reduced. False bearer deletion may be avoided and data forwarding may be reduced. Furthermore, the SeNB may be maintained according to network deployment and SGW re-selection may be supported. Therefore, system capacity and transmission speed of the data may be improved.

Methods and systems for preventing or delaying handovers to target access nodes that are not configured to provide uplink split mode, include determining that an uplink usage requirement or a power headroom of a wireless device meets a threshold, and preventing handovers of the wireless device to access nodes that are not capable of utilizing uplink split mode. Access nodes capable of utilizing uplink split mode are configured to receive uplink data via at least two different radio access technologies simultaneously, including 4G LTE and 5G NR.

Methods and systems for preventing or delaying handovers to target access nodes that are not configured to provide uplink split mode, include determining that an uplink usage requirement or a power headroom of a wireless device meets a threshold, and preventing handovers of the wireless device to access nodes that are not capable of utilizing uplink split mode. Access nodes capable of utilizing uplink split mode are configured to receive uplink data via at least two different radio access technologies simultaneously, including 4G LTE and 5G NR.

There is provided a method including receiving, at a secondary cell, mapping information from a primary cell and using the mapping information to associate a connection request with a user equipment associated with the secondary cell.

There is provided a method including receiving, at a secondary cell, mapping information from a primary cell and using the mapping information to associate a connection request with a user equipment associated with the secondary cell.

An apparatus of a base station (BS) of a radio access network (RAN) comprises memory and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry includes a central unit (CU) portion and a distributed unit (DUI) portion that implement a BS multi-layer protocol stack divided between the CU portion and the DU portion. The processing circuitry initiates a handover to change a serving cell of user equipment (UE). The handover includes a change in a portion of logical layers of the BS multi-layer protocol stack, and the processing circuitry encodes an information element for transmission to the UE indicating logical layers of a UE multi-layer protocol stack implemented in the UE to be reset by the UE in association with the handover.

An apparatus of a base station (BS) of a radio access network (RAN) comprises memory and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry includes a central unit (CU) portion and a distributed unit (DUI) portion that implement a BS multi-layer protocol stack divided between the CU portion and the DU portion. The processing circuitry initiates a handover to change a serving cell of user equipment (UE). The handover includes a change in a portion of logical layers of the BS multi-layer protocol stack, and the processing circuitry encodes an information element for transmission to the UE indicating logical layers of a UE multi-layer protocol stack implemented in the UE to be reset by the UE in association with the handover.

A first method (and related first apparatus) includes transmitting, in a handover request message, an indication of a first protocol version; a second method (and related second apparatus) includes receiving, in the handover request message, the indication, deciding, based on the received indication and a second protocol version, on a value of an information element included in a handover request acknowledgement message to be transmitted, the information element indicating usage of a first or second signaling scheme, and transmitting the handover request acknowledgement message including the information element; and in the first method receiving the handover request acknowledgement message including the information element; and a third method (and related third apparatus) including receiving the handover command message including the information element, and configuring according to one of the first and second signaling schemes indicated by the information element.

A first method (and related first apparatus) includes transmitting, in a handover request message, an indication of a first protocol version; a second method (and related second apparatus) includes receiving, in the handover request message, the indication, deciding, based on the received indication and a second protocol version, on a value of an information element included in a handover request acknowledgement message to be transmitted, the information element indicating usage of a first or second signaling scheme, and transmitting the handover request acknowledgement message including the information element; and in the first method receiving the handover request acknowledgement message including the information element; and a third method (and related third apparatus) including receiving the handover command message including the information element, and configuring according to one of the first and second signaling schemes indicated by the information element.