Methods and systems for handling conditional handover (CHO) in a wireless communication network

1. A method performed by a source base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a candidate target BS, a handover request message for a terminal, the handover request message including source cell configuration information;

receiving, from the candidate target BS, a handover request acknowledge message including first conditional handover (CHO) configuration information corresponding to the source cell configuration information;

transmitting, to the terminal, a first radio resource control (RRC) message including the first CHO configuration information based on the handover request acknowledge message; and

transmitting, to the terminal, a second RRC message for configuring updated source cell configuration information of the source BS,

wherein the first CHO configuration information is released based on the second RRC message.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the candidate target BS, a handover request message including the updated source cell configuration information;

receiving, from the candidate target BS, a handover request acknowledge message including second CHO configuration information corresponding to the updated source cell configuration information; and

transmitting, to the terminal, a third RRC message including the second CHO configuration information,

wherein the terminal executes the CHO to the candidate target BS in case that a triggering condition for the CHO based on the second CHO configuration information is fulfilled.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the terminal, a fourth RRC message indicating to the terminal to enter an RRC inactive state,

wherein stored CHO configuration information is released based on the fourth RRC message.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the candidate target BS, a CHO cancel message; and

transmitting, to the terminal, a fifth RRC message for releasing stored CHO configuration information based on the CHO cancel message,

wherein the stored CHO configuration information is released based on the fifth RRC message.

5. A method performed by a candidate target base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a source BS, a handover request message for a terminal, the handover request message including source cell configuration information;

transmitting, to the source BS, a handover request acknowledge message including first conditional handover (CHO) configuration information corresponding to the source cell configuration information;

receiving, from the source BS, a handover request message including updated source cell configuration information of the source BS;

transmitting, to the source BS, a handover request acknowledge message including second CHO configuration information corresponding to the updated source cell configuration information; and

receiving, from the terminal, a message for an execution of CHO to the candidate target BS—in case that a triggering condition for the CHO based on the second CHO configuration information is fulfilled,

wherein the first CHO configuration information is released based on the updated source cell configuration information of the source BS.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the source BS, a CHO cancel message,

wherein stored CHO configuration information is released based on a RRC message from the source BS, and

wherein the RRC message is transmitted to the terminal for releasing the stored CHO configuration information based on the CHO cancel message.

7. A method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a source base station (BS), a first radio resource control (RRC) message including a first conditional handover (CHO) configuration information for the terminal to a candidate target BS, the first CHO configuration information corresponding to a source cell configuration information;

releasing the first CHO configuration information, in case of receiving, from the source BS, a second RRC message for configuring updated source cell configuration information of the source BS;

receiving, from the source BS, a third RRC message including a second CHO configuration information;

determining whether a triggering condition for CHO is fulfilled for the candidate target BS based on the second CHO configuration information; and

executing the CHO to the candidate target BS in case that the triggering condition is fulfilled.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving, from the source BS, a fourth RRC message indicating the terminal to enter an RRC inactive state; and

releasing stored CHO configuration information based on the fourth RRC message.

9. A source base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, the source BS comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal; and

a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to:

transmit, to a candidate target BS, a handover request message for a terminal, the handover request message including source cell configuration information,

receive, from the candidate target BS, a handover request acknowledge message including first conditional handover (CHO) configuration information corresponding to the source cell configuration information,

transmit, to the terminal, a first radio resource control (RRC) message including the first CHO configuration information based on the handover request acknowledge message, and

transmit, to the terminal, a second RRC message for configuring updated source cell configuration information of the source BS,

wherein the first CHO configuration information is released based on the second RRC message.

10. The source BS of claim 9 ,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

transmit, to the candidate target BS, a handover request message including the updated source cell configuration information,

receive, from the candidate target BS, a handover request acknowledge message including second CHO configuration information corresponding to the updated source cell configuration information, and

transmit, to the terminal, a third RRC message including the second CHO configuration information, and

wherein the terminal executes the CHO to the candidate target BS in case that a triggering condition for the CHO based on the second CHO configuration information is fulfilled.

11. The source BS of claim 9 ,

wherein the controller is further configured to transmit, to the terminal, a fourth RRC message indicating to the terminal to enter an RRC inactive state, and

wherein stored CHO configuration information is released based on the fourth RRC message.

12. The source BS of claim 9 ,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive, from the candidate target BS, a CHO cancel message; and

transmit, to the terminal, a fifth RRC message for releasing stored CHO configuration information based on the CHO cancel message, and

wherein the stored CHO configuration information is released based on the fifth RRC message.

13. A candidate target base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, the candidate target BS comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal; and

a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to:

receive, from a source BS, a handover request message for a terminal, the handover request message including source cell configuration information,

transmit, to the source BS, a handover request acknowledge message including first conditional handover (CHO) configuration information corresponding to the source cell configuration information,

receive, from the source BS, a handover request message including updated source cell configuration information of the source BS,

transmit, to the source BS, a handover request acknowledge message including second CHO configuration information corresponding to the updated source cell configuration information, and

receive, from the terminal, a message for an execution of CHO to the candidate target BS in case that a triggering condition for the CHO based on the second CHO configuration information is fulfilled,

wherein the first CHO configuration information is released based on the updated source cell configuration information of the source BS.

14. The candidate target BS of claim 13 ,

wherein the controller is further configured to transmit, to the source BS, a CHO cancel message,

wherein stored CHO configuration information is released based on a RRC message from the source BS, and

wherein the RRC message is transmitted to the terminal for releasing the stored CHO configuration information based on the CHO cancel message.

15. A terminal in a wireless communication system, the terminal comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal; and

a controller coupled with the transceiver and configured to:

receive, from a source base station (BS), a first radio resource control (RRC) message including a first conditional handover (CHO) configuration information for the terminal to a candidate target BS, the first CHO configuration information corresponding to a source cell configuration information,

release the first CHO configuration information, in case of receiving, from the source BS, a second RRC message for configuring updated source cell configuration information of the source BS,

receive, from the source BS, a third RRC message including a second CHO configuration information,

determine whether a triggering condition for CHO is fulfilled for the candidate target BS based on the second CHO configuration information, and

execute the CHO to the candidate target BS in case that the triggering condition is fulfilled.

16. The terminal of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive, from the source BS, a fourth RRC message indicating the terminal to enter an RRC inactive state, and

release stored CHO configuration information based on the fourth RRC message.