IP Library Granted Patent US 12,439,306
Granted Patent B2
US 12,439,306 · App. 17/985,245 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Triggering of low layer mobility through inter cell beam management procedure

Inventors: Halit Murat Gürsu (Munich, DE); Ahmad Awada (Munich, DE); Panagiotis Spapis (Munich, DE); Umur Karabulut (Munich, DE); Ali Karimidehkordi (Munich, DE); Timo Koskela (Oulu, FI); Xin Zhang (Taufkirchen, DE); Sanjay Goyal (Denville, NJ)
Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
H04W36/00837H04W16/28H04W36/18H04W36/32
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,439,306
App. No.
17/985,245
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus including at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform: receiving a combined information, where the combined information includes first information regarding inter-cell beam management and second information regarding lower layer mobility; using the second information to initiate a handover of the apparatus from a first cell to a second cell; and using the first information to provide communication of the apparatus with another cell at least partially during the handover to the second cell, where the another cell includes the first cell or a third cell.

Claims (63)

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

receiving a combined information, where the combined information comprises first information regarding inter-cell beam management and second information regarding lower layer mobility;

using the second information to initiate a handover of the apparatus from a first cell to a second cell; and

using the first information to provide communication of the apparatus with another cell at least partially during the handover to the second cell, where the another cell comprises the first cell or a third cell.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

receiving of an indication to trigger use of both the first information and the second information to provide the communication of the apparatus with the another cell at least partially during the handover to the second cell.

3. A method comprising:

receiving with an apparatus a combined information, where the combined information comprises first information regarding inter-cell beam management and second information regarding lower layer mobility;

using the second information to initiate a handover of the apparatus from a first cell to a second cell; and

using the first information to provide communication of the apparatus with another cell at least partially during the handover to the second cell, where the another cell comprises the first cell or a third cell.

4. The method as in claim 3 further comprising receiving, with the apparatus, an indication to trigger use of both the first information and the second information to provide the communication of the apparatus with the another cell at least partially during the handover to the second cell.

5. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

determining to add first information regarding inter-cell beam management with second information regarding lower layer mobility;

based upon the determining to add the first information with the second information, sending the first information and the second information together to a network entity.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 where the second information is in regard to a handover from a first cell to a second cell, and where the inter-cell beam management is in regard to the first cell or a third cell.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 where the third cell is at least partially controlled with the apparatus.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 where the third cell is at least partially controlled with a different apparatus, and where the different apparatus comprises a source distributed unit (DU), or a target distributed unit (DU), or a third distributed unit (DU) which is different from the source distributed unit and the target distributed unit.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 where the apparatus comprises a serving distributed unit (DU) at least partially controlling a first cell and a second cell, and where the second information is in regard to a handover from the first cell to the second cell.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 where the first information is in regard to communication of a user equipment with another cell at least partially during the handover of the user equipment to the second cell, where the another cell comprises the first cell or a third cell.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 where the apparatus comprises a target distributed unit (DU) at least partially controlling a second cell, and where the second information is in regard to a handover from a first cell to the second cell, where the first cell is controlled at least partially with a serving distributed unit (DU).

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 where the inter-cell beam management is in regard to a third cell, where the third cell is:

at least partially controlled with the target distributed unit (DU), or

at least partially controlled with another target distributed unit (DU).

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

receiving beam information from a user equipment;

based, at least partially, upon the receiving of the beam information from the user equipment, determining to trigger the lower layer mobility with the inter-cell beam management.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

sending, based upon the determining to trigger the lower layer mobility with the inter-cell beam management, a signal to the user equipment, to cause the user equipment to initiate a handover of the user equipment from a first cell to a second cell, and cause the user equipment to provide inter-cell beam management communication of the user equipment with another cell during handover to the second cell.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 where the another cell is the first cell or a third cell.

16. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

receiving beam information from a user equipment;

based, at least partially, upon the receiving of the beam information from the user equipment, determining to add first information for inter-cell beam management with second information for lower layer mobility; and

sending the first and second information as mobility information to the user equipment, where the mobility information is configured to, at least partially, enable the user equipment to initiate a handover of the user equipment from a first cell to a second cell, and enable the user equipment to provide communication of the user equipment with another cell during handover to the second cell.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 where the another cell comprises the first cell or a third cell.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 where the mobility information comprises indicating a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state of the another cell to be used during execution of the handover.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 where the apparatus is a serving distributed unit (DU), where the serving distributed unit at least partially controls the first cell, and where the another cell comprises a third cell.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19 where the third cell is at least partially controlled with a target distributed unit (DU).

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 where the second cell is at least partially controlled with the target distributed unit (DU).

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20 where the second cell is at least partially controlled with another target distributed unit (DU).

23. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

receiving, from a network entity, first information for inter-cell beam management and second information for lower layer mobility; and

determining, based upon the receiving of the first information for inter-cell beam management and second information for lower layer mobility, mobility information to be sent from the apparatus.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 where the mobility information comprises the first and second information.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 where the mobility information comprises an indication for the network entity, or another network entity, to determine to trigger the inter-cell beam management at least partially during the lower layer mobility.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 where the mobility information comprises an indication for the network entity, or another network entity, to determine to not trigger the inter-cell beam management during the lower layer mobility.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 where the mobility information comprises an indication for the network entity, or another network entity, to determine a trigger for performing the inter-cell beam management during the lower layer mobility.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 where the determining comprises determining a trigger for performing the inter-cell beam management during the lower layer mobility to be included as part of the mobility information.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28 where the trigger comprises a trigger condition for triggering the performing of the inter-cell beam management at least partially during the lower layer mobility, where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform sending of the trigger condition from the apparatus.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

sending the mobility information to the network entity for the network entity and for a user equipment, or sending the mobility information to another network entity for the another network entity and for the user equipment.

31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 30 where the apparatus is a serving central unit (CU), and where the network entity is a serving distributed unit (DU).

32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 30 where the apparatus is a serving central unit (CU), and where the network entity is a target distributed unit (DU).

33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32 where the apparatus is a serving central unit (CU), and where the another network entity is a serving distributed unit (DU).

34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23 where the apparatus is a target distributed unit (DU), and where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:

sending the mobility information to a serving central unit (CU).

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2023
From: GOYAL, SANJAY
To: NOKIA OF AMERICA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062621/0434 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2023
From: MURAT GÜRSU, HALIT; AWADA, AHMAD; SPAPIS, PANAGIOTIS; KARABULUT, UMUR; KARIMIDEHKORDI, ALI; ZHANG, XIN
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 062621/0437 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2023
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS GMBH & CO. KG
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062621/0442 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2023
From: KOSKELA, TIMO
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
Reel/Frame 062621/0446 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2023
From: NOKIA OF AMERICA CORPORATION
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062621/0449 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2023
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062621/0456 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240163749A1 · May 16, 2024
References Cited (11)
US 20240214888A1 · Li · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240348403A1 · Bai · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240373311A1 · Bala · 2024 [cited by examiner]
ETSI TS 122 261 V.16.14.0 “5G; Service Requirements for the 5G System” (3GPP TS 22.261 V16.14.0 Release 16) Apr. 2021. [cited by applicant]
Huawei; 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #94e RP-213554 “New SI: Study on Network Energy Savings for NR” Electronic Meeting, Dec. 6-17, 2021. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.213 V16.2.0 “3 [cited by applicant]
“Prerequisites and benefits of Lower Layer Mobility”, Nokia, Nokia Shanghai Bell, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #119 Electronic, R2-2208212, Aug. 2022, 13 pages. [cited by applicant]
“Scenario and Target Performance Enhancements for L1/L2 mobility”, Samsun, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #119 electronic, R2-2208528, Aug. 2022, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
“Cell Switch in L1/L2-triggered Mobility”, Media Tek Inc., 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #120, R2-2211197, Nov. 2022, 4 pages. [cited by applicant]
Communication pursuant to Article 94(3) EPC, dated May 26, 2025, issued in corresponding European Patent Application No. 23208092.9. [cited by applicant]
Nokia et al., “Discussion on L1 enhancements for L1/L2-based inter-cell mobility”, 3GPP Draft; R1-2208500, Sep. 30, 2022, XP052276426. [cited by applicant]