Architecture for termination at access device
View Patent ↗A method is provided for handing over a user equipment (UE). The method includes a donor access node with which the UE is in communication via a relay node receiving UE context information from the relay node. The method further includes the donor access node using the UE context information to identify data packets that belong to the UE.
1. A method for handing over a user equipment (UE), comprising:
a donor access node with which the UE is in communication via a relay node receiving context information from the relay node; and
the donor access node using the context information to identify data packets that belong to the UE,
wherein the context information includes at least one of:
a UE logical flow identifier; or
relay node radio bearer configuration information,
wherein the UE logical flow identifier is mapped to a combination of a UE and a radio bearer through radio resource signaling between the donor access node and the relay node,
wherein the mapping is encoded in at least one RRC message; and
wherein the donor access node is configured to support handing over the UE to a target access node using at least one of:
a proxy S1 termination point at the access node; or
an early S1 path switch from a first S1 path to a second S1 path, the first S1 path being terminated at the donor access and the second S1 path being terminated at the target access node and wherein the early S1 path switch comprises sending a path switch request before the handover of the UE to the target access node is complete.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data packets are forwarded from the donor access node to the target access node.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the donor access node, based on the relay node radio bearer configuration information, identifies a Packet Data Convergence Protocol queue to which the UE belongs and checks the UE logical flow identifier of each data packet in the Packet Data Convergence Protocol queue to identify the data packets that belong to the UE.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein each UE radio bearer, based on the UE logical flow identifier, has its own PDCP sub-queue within the RN radio bearer level PDCP queue.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one RRC message is signaled between the donor access node and the relay node when a new radio bearer is added on a Uu interface for the UE.
6. A donor access node, comprising:
a processor configured such that the donor access node receives context information from a relay node, the donor access node communicating with a user equipment (UE) via the relay node, and further such that the donor access node uses the context information to identify data packets that belong to the UE,
wherein the context information includes at least one of:
a UE logical flow identifier; or
relay node radio bearer configuration information,
wherein the UE logical flow identifier is mapped to a combination of a UE and a radio bearer through radio resource signaling between the donor access node and the relay node,
wherein the mapping is encoded in at least one RRC message; and
wherein the donor access node is configured to support handing over the UE to a target access node using at least one of:
a proxy S1 termination point at the access node; or
an early S1 path switch from a first S1 path to a second Si path, the first S1 path being terminated at the donor access and the second S1 path being terminated at the target access node and wherein the early S1 path switch comprises sending a path switch request before the handover of the UE to the target access node is complete.
7. The donor access node of claim 6 , wherein the data packets are forwarded from the donor access node to the target access node.
8. The donor access node of claim 6 , wherein the donor access node, based on the relay node radio bearer configuration information, identifies a Packet Data Convergence Protocol queue to which the UE belongs and checks the UE logical flow identifier of each data packet in the Packet Data Convergence Protocol queue to identify the data packets that belong to the UE.
9. The donor access node of claim 8 , wherein each UE radio bearer, based on the UE logical flow identifier, has its own PDCP sub-queue within the RN radio bearer level PDCP queue.
10. The donor access node of claim 6 , wherein the at least one RRC message is signaled between the donor access node and the relay node when a new radio bearer is added on a Uu interface for the UE.
11. A method for handing over a user equipment (UE), comprising:
a relay node sending context information to a donor access node with which the UE is in communication via the relay node, wherein the donor access node uses the context information to identify data packets that belong to the UE,
wherein the relay nodes sends the context information in a handover request message to the donor access node,
wherein the context information includes at least one of:
a UE logical flow identifier; or
relay node radio bearer configuration information,
wherein the UE logical flow identifier is mapped to a combination of a UE and a radio bearer through radio resource signaling between the donor access node and the relay node,
wherein the mapping is encoded in at least one RRC message; and
wherein the donor access node is configured to support handing over the UE to a target access node using at least one of:
a proxy S1 termination point at the access node; or
an early S1 path switch from a first S1 path to a second S1 path, the first S1 path being terminated at the donor access and the second S1 path being terminated at the target access node and wherein the early S1 path switch comprises sending a path switch request before the handover of the UE to the target access node is complete.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the data packets are forwarded from the donor access node to the target access node.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the donor access node, based on the relay node radio bearer configuration information, identifies a Packet Data Convergence Protocol queue to which the UE belongs and checks the UE logical flow identifier of each data packet in the Packet Data Convergence Protocol queue to identify the data packets that belong to the UE.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each UE radio bearer, based on the UE logical flow identifier, has its own PDCP sub-queue within the RN radio bearer level PDCP queue.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one RRC message is signaled between the donor access node and the relay node when a new radio bearer is added on a Uu interface for the UE.
16. A relay node, comprising:
a processor configured such that the relay node sends context information to a donor access node that is in communication with a user equipment (UE) via the relay node, the donor access node using the context information to identify data packets that belong to the UE,
wherein the relay nodes sends the context information in a handover request message to the donor access node,
wherein the context information includes at least one of:
a UE logical flow identifier; or
relay node radio bearer configuration information,
wherein the UE logical flow identifier is mapped to a combination of a UE and a radio bearer through radio resource signaling between the donor access node and the relay node,
wherein the mapping is encoded in at least one RRC message; and
wherein the donor access node is configured to support handing over the UE to a target access node using at least one of:
a proxy S1 termination point at the access node; or
an early S1 path switch from a first S1 path to a second S1 path, the first S1 path being terminated at the donor access and the second S1 path being terminated at the target access node and wherein the early S1 path switch comprises sending a path switch request before the handover of the UE to the target access node is complete.
17. The relay node of claim 16 , wherein the data packets are forwarded from the donor access node to the target access node.
18. The relay node of claim 16 , wherein the donor access node, based on the relay node radio bearer configuration information, identifies a Packet Data Convergence Protocol queue to which the UE belongs and checks the UE logical flow identifier of each data packet in the Packet Data Convergence Protocol queue to identify the data packets that belong to the UE.
19. The relay node of claim 18 , wherein each UE radio bearer, based on the UE logical flow identifier, has its own PDCP sub-queue within the RN radio bearer level PDCP queue.
20. The relay node of claim 16 , wherein the at least one RRC message is signaled between the donor access node and the relay node when a new radio bearer is added on a Uu interface for the UE.