Optimizations to support enhanced handover procedures

1. A method for wireless communications by a source base station, comprising:

taking part in a handover procedure of a user equipment (UE) to select a target base station for handover; and

taking one or more actions for the handover procedure involving an interface via a core network entity for communication of the source base station with the target base station, wherein the one or more actions comprise giving priority to a set of base stations associated with a common core network entity associated with the source base station and having X2 connection with other base stations over another set of base stations associated with a different core network entity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the handover procedure comprises a make-before-break (MBB) handover procedure in which the source base station continues to serve the UE until a connection with the target base station is made.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more actions further comprise providing an indication that the handover comprises a MBB handover procedure in at least one of:

a message sent on the interface, between the source base station and the core network entity, to prepare for the handover procedure; or

a handover command message sent to the UE.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the source base station and the target base station support different radio access technologies (RATs).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the handover procedure comprises a conditional handover (CHO) procedure in which the source base station indicates one or more candidate target base stations for the UE to handover if one or more conditions are met.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more actions further comprise configuring a UE with one or more conditions that give priority to candidate target base stations having a connection, wherein the connection is the X2 connection with other base stations.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more actions further comprise identifying, to the UE, which candidate target base stations have a connection, wherein the connection is the X2 connection with other base stations.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more actions further comprise reducing priority of a base station that the UE has moved away from within a time duration to be selected as the candidate target base stations.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more actions further comprise configuring the UE with one or more conditions that bias the UE against selecting the target base station where the UE has previously stayed for less than a time first duration within a second time duration.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more actions further comprise forwarding data to the target base station after receiving a message from the core network entity indicating success of the handover.

11. A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving information from a source base station for use in selecting a target base station as part of a handover procedure, wherein the information comprises giving priority to a set of base stations associated with a common core network entity associated with the source base station and having X2 connection with other base stations over another set of base stations associated with a different core network entity; and

taking one or more actions, based on the information, for the handover procedure involving an interface via a core network entity for communication between the source base station and the target base station.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the handover procedure comprises a make-before-break (MBB) handover procedure in which the source base station continues to serve the UE until a connection with the target base station is made; and

the information further comprises an indication that the handover procedure comprises a MBB handover procedure received via a handover command message.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the source base station and the target base station support different radio access technologies (RATs).

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the handover procedure comprises a conditional handover (CHO) procedure in which the source base station indicates one or more candidate target base stations for the UE to handover if one or more conditions are met.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the information further comprises the one or more conditions that give priority to candidate target base stations having a connection, wherein the connection is the X2 connection with other base stations.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the information further comprises an indication of which candidate target base stations have a connection, wherein the connection is the X2 connection with other base stations; and

the one or more actions comprise giving priority to the candidate target base stations having the connection.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the information further comprises identifiers of the one or more candidate target base stations; and

the one or more actions comprise

determining, by the UE, which of the candidate target base stations have a connection, wherein the connection is the X2 connection with other base stations; and

giving priority to the candidate target base stations having the connection.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more actions comprises one or more actions taken to avoid selecting the target base station that the UE has moved away from within a time duration.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more actions comprises one or more actions taken to avoid selecting the target base station where the UE has previously stayed for less than a first time duration within second time duration.

20. A method for wireless communications by a core network entity, comprising:

communicating with a source base station; and

taking one or more actions for a handover procedure involving an interface via the core network entity for communication between the source base station and a target base station, wherein the one or more actions comprise providing the source base station with information indicating to give priority to a set of base stations associated with a common core network entity associated with the source base station and having X2 connection with other base stations over another set of base stations associated with a different core network entity for selecting the target base station.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein:

the handover procedure comprises a make-before-break (MBB) handover procedure in which the source base station continues to serve a user equipment (UE) until a connection with the target base station is made.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the one or more actions further comprise at least one of:

receiving an indication, in a message from the source base station, that the handover procedure comprises an MBB handover procedure; or

providing an indication, in a message to the target base station, that the handover procedure comprises an MBB handover procedure.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the one or more actions further comprise providing an indication, to the source base station, a message indicating success of the handover procedure.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the source base station and target base station support different radio access technologies (RATs).

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the handover procedure comprises a conditional handover (CHO) procedure in which the source base station indicates one or more candidate target base stations for a user equipment (UE) to handover if one or more conditions are met.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the one or more actions further comprise providing the source base station with information sufficient to identify candidate target base stations having a connection, wherein the connection is the X2 connection with other base stations.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the one or more actions further comprise providing an indication, to the source base station, a message indicating success of the handover procedure.

28. An apparatus for wireless communications by a source base station, comprising:

at least one processor and a memory configured to

take part in a handover procedure of a user equipment (UE) to select a target base station for handover; and

take one or more actions for the handover procedure involving an interface via a core network entity for communication of the source base station with the target base station, wherein the one or more actions comprise giving priority to a set of base stations associated with a common core network entity associated with the source base station and having X2 connection with other base stations over another set of base stations associated with a different core network entity.

29. An apparatus for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

at least one processor and a memory configured to

receive information from a source base station for use in selecting a target base station as part of a handover procedure, wherein the information comprises giving priority to a set of base stations associated with a common core network entity associated with the source base station and having X2 connection with other base stations over another set of base stations associated with a different core network entity; and

take one or more actions, based on the information, for the handover procedure involving an interface via a core network entity for communication between the source base station and the target base station.

30. An apparatus for wireless communications by a core network entity, comprising:

at least one processor and a memory configured to communicate with a source base station; and

take one or more actions for a handover procedure involving an interface via the core network entity for communication between the source base station and a target base station, wherein the one or more actions comprise providing the source base station with information indicating to give priority to a set of base stations associated with a common core network entity associated with the source base station and having X2 connection with other base stations over another set of base stations associated with a different core network entity for selecting the target base station.