Integrated access and backhaul node
Improvements and enhancements of the functionality of integrated access and backhaul, IAB, nodes, for a wireless communication network are described, which includes one or more base stations or integrated access and backhaul, IAB, donors, one or more IAB nodes, the IAB node connected, directly or via one or more further IAB nodes, to the IAB donor, and one or more user devices, UEs.
1 . A wireless communication network, comprising:
one or more integrated access and backhaul, IAB, donors,
one or more IAB nodes, the IAB node connected, directly or via one or more further IAB nodes, to the IAB donor, and
one or more user equipments, UEs,
wherein the UE is connected via an IAB node to an IAB donor,
wherein the UE monitors one or more cell selection or reselection parameters associated with the IAB node, and
wherein, for connecting to the IAB node or for staying connected to the IAB node, the UE adds a bias to the cell selection or reselection parameter associated with the IAB node.
2 . The wireless communication network of claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the IAB nodes is
a mobile or moving IAB node in a vehicle, or
a stationary IAB node capable of connecting to the one or more IAB donors via different backhaul links.
3 . The wireless communication network of claim 2 ,
wherein a UE identifies an IAB node to be a mobile or moving IAB node
when one or more measurements performed by the UE on a connection between the UE and the IAB node remain constant or within predefined boundaries, thereby indicating the UE's connection to the IAB node to be static with no or a number of cell changes below a threshold, wherein the measurements may comprise one or more of the following: a path loss, a Reference Signal Received Power, RSRP, a Signal to Noise and Interference Ratio, SINR, a frequency flat channel, and/or
when the UE detects that it is mobile.
4 . The wireless communication network of claim 1 , wherein
the bias is a dynamic bias, the dynamic bias being selected from a list or set of bias values or being determined by one or more of:
the IAB node,
an IAB-donor central unit,
a core network, CN,
another UE, and
the bias is signaled to the UE.
5 . The wireless communication network of claim 4 , wherein selecting the dynamic bias from the list or set of bias values or determining the bias is based on one or more of the following:
one or more measurement reports, MRs, from an IAB mobile termination, IAB-MT, of the IAB node, and by combining the MRs with one or more cell selection and/or reselection parameters for an IAB distribution unit, IAB-DU, of the IAB node previously configured by the IAB-donor,
a condition of a backhaul network,
a signal from the IAB node, like the IAB-DU, indicative of a load of the IAB-DU exceeding a predefined threshold,
a configuration update from the IAB node due to a certain situation, the configuration update indicating.
6 . The wireless communication network of claim 5 , wherein the one or more measurement reports, MRs, are based on a measurement of one or more cells of one or more neighboring cells, using parameters that the UE also uses for selection and/or reselection, the one or more neighboring cells comprising cells of one or more further IAB nodes.
7 . The wireless communication network of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic bias is to be signaled using system block information, the system block information comprising one or more fields, which indicate the absolute or relative value of the dynamic bias for one or more IAB nodes, and, optionally, any other delta cell selection and/or reselection parameters to be signaled to the UE.
8 . The wireless communication network of claim 7 , wherein, in case the system block information indicates the dynamic bias for a plurality of IAB nodes, the UE connects to a certain IAB node or to stay connected to a certain IAB node, if over a certain period of time, the certain IAB node is ranked first according to an adopted one or more cell selection and/or reselection parameters, or a relationship between the IAB node and the UE is quasi-static or a change in path-loss is below a certain threshold.
9 . The wireless communication network of claim 7 , wherein
in case the UE is not in a connected state, like the idle state, or during a connection procedure, the UE or the IAB donor decides whether the UE accesses the wireless communication network via the IAB central unit or via the IAB node,
the UE may decide to access the wireless communication network via the IAB node in case one or more cell selection and/or reselection parameters associated with the IAB node exceed corresponding cell selection and/or reselection parameters configured with the IAB central unit, and
the IAB donor and/or the IAB central unit may decide that the UE accesses the wireless communication network via the IAB node dependent on one or more criteria or features of the UE and/or the IAB node.
10 . The wireless communication network of claim 7 , wherein, in case the UE is not in a connected state, or the UE is during a connection procedure, the IAB node signals that it is an IAB node, and the UE decides whether to continue the connection procedure or whether to abort the connection procedure.
11 . The wireless communication network of claim 1 , wherein
for connecting to a certain IAB node or for staying connected to a certain IAB node, the UE determines whether a position of the UE is within a certain distance from a position of the certain IAB node, and
the position of the certain IAB node may be signaled to the UE by the certain IAB node or by the IAB donor.
12 . The wireless communication network of claim 1 , wherein, in case the UE is in a connected state with a certain IAB node, the UE is to
stays connected to the certain IAB node in case a change of one or more monitored cell handover-related parameters are below a certain threshold, and
performs a handover to another IAB node, in case a change of one or more monitored handover-related parameters meets one or more criteria.
13 . The wireless communication network of claim 1 , wherein
the wireless communication network provides a list of some or all IAB nodes, and
the wireless communication network provides the list of IAB nodes to a certain UE via an IAB node or via an IAB central unit to which the certain UE is connected, or via a sidelink between the certain UE and a further UE connected to an IAB node or to a base station.
14 . The wireless communication network of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication network comprises a plurality of wireless communication networks operated by respective mobile network operators, MNOs.
15 . The wireless communication network of claim 1 , wherein
the IAB node is a mobile IAB node in a vehicle serving a plurality of UEs located in the vehicle, the plurality of UEs being a group of UEs, and a certain signaling for a certain UE in the group comprises a first part individual to the certain UE and a second part common to some or all UEs of the group,
the IAB node comprises at least one IAB mobile termination, IAB-MT, to provide a backhaul link, directly or via one or more further IAB nodes, to an IAB donor, and
responsive to a certain event, the IAB donor signals the first parts of the certain signaling for the UEs of the group and only one second part of the certain signaling for the UEs of the group.
16 . The wireless communication network of claim 1 , wherein
the IAB node is a mobile IAB node in a vehicle for serving one or more UEs located in the vehicle,
the IAB node is inactive, when the vehicle is not active, and
when the vehicles activated, the IAB mode connects the network, and, responsive to a grant of the network access, the IAB node advertises network availability to UEs inside the vehicle.
17 . A user equipment, UE, for operating in a wireless communication network, wherein the wireless communication network comprises one or more integrated access and backhaul, IAB, donors, and one or more IAB nodes, the IAB node connected, directly or via one or more further IAB nodes, to the IAB donor,
wherein the UE is connected via an IAB node to an IAB donor,
wherein the UE monitors one or more cell selection or reselection parameters associated with the IAB node, and
wherein, for connecting to the IAB node or for staying connected to the IAB node, the UE adds a bias to the cell selection or reselection parameter associated with the IAB node.
18 . A method for operating a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
providing one or more integrated access and backhaul, IAB, donors, one or more IAB nodes and one or more user equipments, UEs, and
connecting the IAB node, directly or via one or more further IAB nodes, to the IAB donor,
wherein a UE is connected via an IAB node to an IAB donor,
wherein the UE monitors one or more cell selection or reselection parameters associated with the IAB node, and
wherein, for connecting to the IAB node or for staying connected to the IAB node, the UE adds a bias to the cell selection or reselection parameter associated with the IAB node.