User equipment, network node and methods in a wireless communications network

1. A method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for managing Uplink (UL) transmissions between the UE and a second network node in a wireless communications network, wherein the second network node serves a target cell comprising a first UL carrier and a second UL carrier, the method comprising:

receiving, a message from a first network node, wherein the message relates to a handover of the UE to the target cell and the message comprises an indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell, the indication indicating a random access configuration that is applicable to both the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier, and wherein the message further comprises an indication of a rule of when to use the random access configuration for the first UL carrier and when to use the random access configuration for the second UL carrier; and

deciding which one or more out of the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier that is corresponding to the indicated one or more UL carriers, wherein the decided one or more UL carriers are for random access in the target cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell is indicated either explicitly or implicitly.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first carrier is a New Radio (NR) UL carrier and wherein the second UL carrier is a Supplementary UL (SUL) carrier.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell indicates any one out of: a carrier index and a carrier type, of the one or more UL carriers in the target cell.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises initiating random access on the decided one or more UL carriers in the target cell, wherein said initiating is responsive to receiving the message and in accordance with the rule.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

when the random access on the decided one or more UL carriers in the target cell has failed, initiating random access on any one out of:

when the first UL carrier is the decided one or more UL carriers used in the failed random access, initiating random access on the second UL carrier, and

when the second UL carrier is the decided one or more UL carriers used in the failed random access, initiating random access on the first UL carrier.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rule specifies a priority order for attempting to access the first UL carrier or the second UL carrier, or the rule specifies how to determine, based on measured signal levels, which of the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier the UE should attempt to access first.

8. A method performed by a first network node for managing Uplink (UL) transmissions, between a user equipment (UE) and a second network node in a wireless communications network, wherein the second network node serves a target cell comprising a first UL carrier and a second UL carrier, the method comprising:

sending a message to the UE, wherein the message relates to a handover of the UE to the target cell and the message comprises an indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell to be used for random access in the target cell, wherein the indicated one or more UL carriers corresponds to one or more out of: the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier;

wherein the indication indicates a random access configuration that is applicable to both the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier, and wherein the message further comprises an indication of a rule of when to use the random access configuration for the first UL carrier and when to use the random access configuration for the second UL carrier.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell is indicated according to any one out of: explicitly and implicitly.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first carrier is a New Radio (NR) UL carrier and wherein the second UL carrier is a Supplementary UL (SUL) carrier.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell indicates any one out of: a carrier index and a carrier type, of the one or more UL carriers in the target cell.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the rule specifies a priority order for attempting to access the first UL carrier or the second UL carrier, or the rule specifies how to determine, based on measured signal levels, which of the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier the UE should attempt to access first.

13. A User Equipment (UE) for managing Uplink (UL) transmissions between the UE and a second network node in a wireless communications network, wherein the second network node is adapted to serve a target cell comprising a first UL carrier and a second UL carrier, the UE comprising:

a wireless receiver;

a wireless transmitter; and

a processing circuit operatively coupled to the wireless receiver and wireless transmitter and configured to:

receive a message from a first network node, via the wireless receiver, wherein the message relates to a handover of the UE to the target cell and the message is adapted to comprise an indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell, the indication comprising a random access configuration that is applicable to both the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier, and wherein the message further comprises an indication of a rule of when to use the random access configuration for the first UL carrier and when to use the random access configuration for the second UL carrier, and

decide which one or more out of the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier that is corresponding to the indicated one or more UL carriers, which decided one or more UL carriers are adapted to be used for random access in the target cell.

14. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell is either explicit or implicit.

15. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the first carrier is a New Radio (NR) UL carrier and wherein the second UL carrier is a Supplementary UL (SUL) carrier.

16. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell indicates any one out of: a carrier index and a carrier type, of the one or more UL carriers in the target cell.

17. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

initiate random access on the decided one or more UL carriers in the target cell, in response to receiving the message and in accordance with the rule.

18. The UE of claim 17 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

when the random access, on the decided one or more UL carriers in the target cell has failed, initiate random access on any one out of:

when the first UL carrier is the decided one or more UL carriers used in the failed random access, initiate random access on the second UL carrier, and

when the second UL carrier is the decided one or more UL carriers used in the failed random access, initiate random access on the first UL carrier.

19. The UE of claim 13 , wherein the rule specifies a priority order for attempting to access the first UL carrier or the second UL carrier, or the rule specifies how to determine, based on measured signal levels, which of the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier the UE should attempt to access first.

20. A first network node for managing Uplink (UL) transmissions between a UE and a second network node in a wireless communications network, wherein the second network node is adapted to serve a target cell comprising a first UL carrier and a second UL carrier, the first network node comprising:

a wireless receiver;

a wireless transmitter; and

a processing circuit operatively coupled to the wireless receiver and wireless transmitter and configured to:

send a message to the UE, wherein the message relates to a handover of the UE to the target cell and the message is adapted to comprise an indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell to be used for random access in the target cell, wherein the indicated one or more UL carriers are adapted to correspond to one or more out of: the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier,

wherein the indication comprises a random access configuration that is applicable to both the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier, and wherein the message further comprises an indication of a rule of when to use the random access configuration for the first UL carrier and when to use the random access configuration for the second UL carrier.

21. The first network node of claim 20 , wherein the indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell is either explicit or implicit.

22. The first network node of claim 20 , wherein the first carrier is a New Radio (NR) UL carrier and wherein the second UL carrier is a Supplementary UL (SUL) carrier.

23. The first network node of claim 20 , wherein the indication indicating one or more UL carriers of the target cell is adapted to indicate any one out of: a carrier index and a carrier type, of the one or more UL carriers in the target cell.

24. The first network node of claim 20 , wherein the rule specifies a priority order for attempting to access the first UL carrier or the second UL carrier, or the rule specifies how to determine, based on measured signal levels, which of the first UL carrier and the second UL carrier the UE should attempt to access first.