IP Library Granted Patent US 12,369,080
Granted Patent B2
US 12,369,080 · App. 17/871,364 · Granted Jul 22, 2025

Communication method and apparatus

Inventors: Yuanping Zhu (Shanghai, CN); Yibin Zhuo (Shenzhen, CN); Jing Liu (Shanghai, CN); Mingzeng Dai (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
H04W36/0061H04W36/087H04W88/08H04W92/24
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 12,369,080
App. No.
17/871,364
Granted
Jul 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A communication method includes a first IAB node receives a first message from a CU of an IAB donor, where the first message indicates the first IAB node to be handed over from a first parent node to a second parent node, and the first message includes a first IP address of the first IAB node. The first IAB node determines first transport network layer association information between the first IAB node and the CU of the IAB donor based on the first IP address. The first IAB node updates control plane context information of an F1 interface by using the first transport network layer association information, where the F1 interface is an interface between the first IAB node and CU of the IAB donor. An IAB node communicates with a CU of an IAB donor by using a first IP address as soon as possible after handover is completed.

Claims (60)

1. A communication system, comprises:

a centralized unit (CU) of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor; and

a first IAB node, wherein the CU of the IAB donor is configured to:

receive a first control plane message from the first IAB node, wherein:

the first control plane message includes a first internet protocol IP address and a second IP address;

the first IP address is an IP address of the first IAB node in response to the first IAB node communicating with the CU of the IAB donor through a first parent node;

the second IP address is an IP address of the first IAB node in response to the first IAB node communicating with the CU of the IAB donor through a second parent node;

the first parent node is a first distributed unit (DU) of the IAB donor, or the first parent node is connected to the CU of the IAB donor through a first DU of the IAB donor; and

the second parent node is a second DU of the IAB donor, or the second parent node is connected to the CU of the IAB donor through a second DU of the IAB donor; and

replace the first IP address in user plane downlink tunnel endpoint information of a first interface with the second IP address, wherein:

the CU of the IAB donor, the first DU of the IAB donor, and the second DU of the IAB donor are function entities of a same IAB donor, and the first interface is an interface between the first IAB node and the CU of the IAB donor; and

wherein the first IAB node is configured to:

send the first control plane message to the CU of the IAB donor, wherein the first control plane message includes the first IP address and the second IP address.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first control message is an F1 application protocol (F1AP) message.

3. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the CU of the IAB donor is further configured to:

hand over the first IAB node from the first parent node to the second parent node.

4. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the CU of the IAB donor is further configured to:

send a second control plane message to the first IAB node, wherein:

the second control plane message includes a third IP address and a fourth IP address, wherein:

the third IP address is an IP address of the CU of the IAB donor in response to the CU of the IAB donor communicating with the first IAB node through the first parent node, and the fourth IP address is an IP address of the CU of the IAB donor in response to the CU of the LAB donor communicating with the first IAB node through the second parent node; and wherein the first IAB node is configured to:

receive the second control plane message from the CU of the IAB donor.

5. The communication system according to claim 4 , wherein the second control plane message is an F1AP message.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor, wherein the programming instructions instruct the at least one processor to perform operations to:

receive a first control plane message from a first integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, wherein:

the first control plane message includes a first internet protocol IP address and a second IP address;

the first IP address is an IP address of the first IAB node in response to the first IAB node communicating with a centralized unit (CU) CU of an IAB donor through a first parent node;

the second IP address is an IP address of the first IAB node in response to the first IAB node communicating with the CU of the IAB donor through a second parent node;

the first parent node is a first distributed unit (DU) of the IAB donor, or the first parent node is connected to the CU of the IAB donor through a first DU of the IAB donor; and

the second parent node is a second DU of the IAB donor, or the second parent node is connected to the CU of the IAB donor through a second DU of the IAB donor; and

replace the first IP address in user plane downlink tunnel endpoint information of a first interface with the second IP address, wherein:

the CU of the IAB donor, the first DU of the IAB donor, and the second DU of the IAB donor are function entities of a same IAB donor, and the first interface is an interface between the first IAB node and the CU of the IAB donor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein:

the first control message is an F1 application protocol (F1AP) message.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the instructions further instruct the at least one processor to perform operations to:

hand over the first IAB node from the first parent node to the second parent node.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the instructions further instruct the at least one processor to perform operations to:

send a second control plane message to the first IAB node, wherein:

the second control plane message comprises a third IP address and a fourth IP address, wherein:

the third IP address is an IP address of the CU of the IAB donor in response to the CU of the IAB donor communicating with the first IAB node through the first parent node, and the fourth IP address is an IP address of the CU of the IAB donor in response to the CU of the IAB donor communicating with the first IAB node through the second parent node.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the second control plane message is an F1AP message.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor, wherein the programming instructions instruct the at least one processor to perform operations to:

send a first control plane message to a centralized unit (CU) of an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) donor, wherein the first control plane message includes a first Internet Protocol (IP) address and a second IP address, wherein:

the first IP address is an IP address of a first IAB node in response to the first IAB node communicating with the CU of the IAB donor through a first parent node, and the second IP address is an IP address of the first IAB node in response to the first IAB node communicating with the CU of the IAB donor through a second parent node;

the first parent node is a first distributed unit (DU) of the IAB donor, or the first parent node is connected to the CU of the IAB donor through a first DU of the IAB donor;

the second parent node is a second DU of the IAB donor, or the second parent node is connected to the CU of the IAB donor through a second DU of the IAB donor; and

the CU of the IAB donor, the first DU of the IAB donor, and the second DU of the IAB donor are function entities of a same IAB donor.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein;

the first control message is an F1 application protocol (F1AP) message.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein

the first IAB node is handed over from the first parent node to the second parent node.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the programming instructions further instruct the at least one processor to perform operations to:

receive a second control plane message from the CU of the IAB donor, wherein the second control plane message includes a third IP address and a fourth IP address; and

replace the third IP address in user plane uplink tunnel endpoint information of a first interface with the fourth IP address, wherein:

the third IP address is an IP address of the CU of the IAB donor in response to the first IAB node communicating with the CU of the IAB donor through the first parent node, the fourth IP address is an IP address of the CU of the IAB donor in response to when the first IAB node communicating with the CU of the IAB donor through the second parent node, and the first interface is an interface between the first IAB node and the CU of the IAB donor.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the second control plane message is an F1AP message.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 17, 2025
From: ZHU, YUANPING; ZHUO, YIBIN; LIU, JING; DAI, MINGZENG
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 071436/0051 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2020074032 · Jan 23, 2020
Related Publication 20220361072A1 · Nov 10, 2022
References Cited (38)
US 20110286429A1 · Vikberg · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20190254090A1 · Yang et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 110351700A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 110536350A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 110649997A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
RU 2335097C2 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018236867A2 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019246446A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO 2020001146A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Samsung, IP address management during the IAB migration. 3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 Meeting #105bis, Chongqing, China, Oct. 14-18, 2019, R3-195001, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
Samsung, IP address management during the IAB migration. 3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 Meeting #105, Ljubljana, SI, Aug. 26-30, 2019, R3-193985, 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.401 V16.0.0 (Dec. 2019), 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG-RAN; Architecture description(Release 16), 49 pages. [cited by applicant]
R. Stewart et al., Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) Dynamic Address Reconfiguration. RFC5061, Sep. 2007, 41 pages. [cited by applicant]
ZTE, Sanechips, Discussion on inter-CU IAB migration handling. 3GPP TSG RAN WG3 Meeting #105, Ljubljana, Slovenija, Aug. 26-30, 2019, R3-193655, 4 pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.473 V16.0.0 (Dec. 2019), 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG-RAN; F1 application protocol (F1AP)(Release 16), 239 pages. [cited by applicant]
R. Stewart, Stream Control Transmission Protocol. RFC4960, Sep. 2007, 152 pages. [cited by applicant]
LG Electronics Inc., Inter-donor topology adaptation for architecture 1a. 3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 #102, Spokane, WA, USA, Nov. 12-16, 2018, R3-186751, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.463 V16.0.0 (Dec. 2019), 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG-RAN; E1 Application Protocol (E1AP)(Release 16), 190 pages. [cited by applicant]
M. Tuexen et al., Authenticated Chunks for the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP). RFC4895, Aug. 2007, 19 pages. [cited by applicant]
Qualcomm Incorporated, Nokia, Samsung, Huawei, LG, Ericsson, CATT, KDDI, (TP for NR_IAB BL CR to TS 38.401) Intra-CU topology adaptation procedure. 3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 Meeting #105bis, Chongqing, China, Oct. 14-18, 2019, R… [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.425 V15.6.0 (Jul. 2019), 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG-RAN; NR user plane protocol(Release 15), 22 pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.472 V15.6.0 (Dec. 2019), 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG-RAN; F1 signalling transport(Release 15), 9 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report issued in corresponding International Application No. PCT/CN2020/074032, dated Sep. 27, 2020, pp. 1-9. [cited by applicant]
Qualcomm Incorporated, Core network impacts of integrated access and backhaul (IAB) . 3GPP TSG-CT WG1 Meeting #119, Wroclaw, Poland; Aug. 26-30, 2019, C1-194418, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
Huawei, (TP for NR_IAB BL CR for TS 38.401): Rethinking about the IAB topology discovery. 3GPP TSG-WG3 Meeting #106, Reno, Nv, USA, Nov. 18-22, 2019, R3-196979, 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action issued in corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-544858, mailed Jul. 18, 2023, pp. 1-10. [cited by applicant]
Chinese Office Action issued in corresponding Chinese Application No. 202080094357.4, dated May 23, 2024, pp. 1-44. [cited by applicant]
Qualcomm Incorporated, Remaining IP transport issues for IAB. 3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 Meeting #107-e, Electronic Meeting, Feb. 24-Mar. 6, 2020, R3-200417, 3 pages. [cited by applicant]
Huawei, IP address Update when IAB topology change. 3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 meeting #107bis-e, E-meeting, Apr. 20-30, 2020, R3-202091, 23 pages. [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action issued in corresponding Japanese Application No. 2022-544858, dated Dec. 26, 2023, pp. 1-12. [cited by applicant]
Russian Office Action issued in corresponding Russian Application No. 2022121851/07(046367), mailed Apr. 25, 2023, pp. 1-16. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TSG RAN WG3 Meeting, R3-196690, Discussion on network-controlled IAB migration handling; ZTE, Sanechips, Nov. 18-22, 2019, total 5 pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 Meeting, R3-192609, Further discussion on intra-donor transport scheme, Samsung, May 13-May 17, 2019, total 4 pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 Meeting , R3-193979, Further discussion on IP address issues of IAB network, Samsung, 13.2.1.3 (IP Address Management), Ljubljana, SI, Aug. 26-30, 2019, total 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
Korean Office Action issued in corresponding Korean Application No. 10-2022-7028997, dated May 17, 2024, pp. 1-15. [cited by applicant]
Huawei: “BL CR to 38.401 Support for IAB”, 3GPP Draft; R3-196306, Nov. 3, 2019, XP051814882, total 13 pages. [cited by applicant]
Huawei: “BL CR to 38.401 Support for IAB”, 3GPP Draft; R3-196306 BL CR To 38.401, Nov. 3, 2019, KP051812997, total 13 pages. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report issued in corresponding European Application No. 20915738.7, dated Dec. 3, 2022, pp. 1-6. [cited by applicant]