Methods and related devices for secondary node addition

1. A User Equipment (UE) comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon; and

at least one processor coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a first Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reconfiguration message from a master node, the first RRC connection reconfiguration message including a Signaling Radio Bearer 3 (SRB3) configuration for a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) and a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) configuration for the SCG, wherein the master node is configured to receive an inter-node RRC message including the SRB3 configuration for the SCG and the SDAP configuration for the SCG from a secondary node, and encapsulate the inter-node RRC message including the SRB3 configuration for the SCG and the SDAP configuration for the SCG into the first RRC connection reconfiguration message;

add the SCG in response to the first RRC connection reconfiguration message; and

transmit an RRC connection reconfiguration complete message to the secondary node via an SRB3.

2. The UE according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

transmit a blind addition request to the master node via an RRC message.

3. The UE according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a blind addition response from the master node via an RRC message.

4. The UE according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

report a cell selection result to the master node via an RRC message, the cell selection result indicating at least one candidate secondary node and comprising at least one of a cell identity (ID), a zone ID and an area ID.

5. The UE according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a blind addition response from the master node via another RRC message, the blind addition response indicating at least one of a maximum number of reported cell IDs in the cell selection result, a maximum number of reported zone IDs in the cell selection result, and a maximum number of reported area IDs in the cell selection result.

6. The UE according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

transmit a UE capability message to the master node, the UE capability message indicating a maximum number of secondary nodes that the UE can support.

7. The UE according to claim 1 , wherein the RRC connection reconfiguration complete message is transmitted in response to a second RRC connection reconfiguration message from the secondary node.

8. A base station comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon; and

at least one processor coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

transmit a secondary node addition request to a secondary node;

receive an inter-node RRC message from the secondary node, the inter-node RRC message including a Signaling Radio Bearer 3 (SRB3) configuration for a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) and a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) configuration for the SCG;

encapsulate the inter-node RRC message including the SRB3 configuration for the SCG and the SDAP configuration for the SCG into an RRC connection reconfiguration message; and

transmit the RRC connection reconfiguration message including the SRB3 configuration for the SCG and the SDAP configuration for the SCG to a User Equipment (UE) in response to the inter-node RRC message.

9. The base station according to claim 8 , wherein the secondary node addition request comprises an identity (ID) of the UE.

10. The base station according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a blind addition request from the UE via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

11. The base station according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

transmit a blind addition response to the UE via an RRC message.

12. The base station according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a cell selection result from the UE via an RRC message, the cell selection result indicating at least one candidate secondary node and comprising at least one of a cell ID, a zone ID and an area ID.

13. The base station according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

transmit a blind addition response to the UE via another RRC message, the blind addition response indicating at least one of a maximum number of reported cell IDs in the cell selection result, a maximum number of reported zone IDs in the cell selection result, and a maximum number of reported area IDs in the cell selection result.

14. The base station according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a UE capability message from the UE, the UE capability message indicating a maximum number of secondary nodes that the UE can support.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a User Equipment (UE), a first Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reconfiguration message from a master node, the first RRC connection reconfiguration message including a Signaling Radio Bearer 3 (SRB3) configuration for a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) and a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) configuration for the SCG, wherein the master node is configured to receive an inter-node RRC message including the SRB3 configuration for the SCG and the SDAP configuration for the SCG from a secondary node, and encapsulate the inter-node RRC message including the SRB3 configuration for the SCG and the SDAP configuration for the SCG into the first RRC connection reconfiguration message;

adding, by the UE, the SCG in response to the first RRC connection reconfiguration message; and

transmitting, by the UE, an RRC connection reconfiguration complete message to the secondary node via an SRB3.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the UE, a blind addition request to the master node via an RRC message.

17. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving, by the UE, a blind addition response from the master node via an RRC message.

18. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:

reporting, by the UE, a cell selection result to the master node via an RRC message, the cell selection result indicating at least one candidate secondary node and comprising at least one of a cell identity (ID), a zone ID and an area ID.

19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving, by the UE, a blind addition response from the master node via another RRC message, the blind addition response indicating at least one of a maximum number of reported cell IDs in the cell selection result, a maximum number of reported zone IDs in the cell selection result, and a maximum number of reported area IDs in the cell selection result.

20. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the UE, a UE capability message to the master node, the UE capability message indicating a maximum number of secondary nodes that the UE can support.

21. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the RRC connection reconfiguration complete message is transmitted in response to a second RRC connection reconfiguration message from the secondary node.