Methods, infrastructure equipment and wireless communications networks
A method for determining a route in an Integrated Access Backhaul “IAB” mesh zone. The method comprises transmitting, to each IAB node of a plurality of IAB nodes, one or more discovery parameters for each IAB node; determining one or more route selection parameters for each IAB node to select a route; a first IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes determining, based on the one or more discovery parameters, that a second IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes is discoverable; and upon receiving a packet, selecting a route from the first IAB node based on the one or more route selection parameters and on the first IAB node determining that the second IAB node is discoverable.
1. A method for determining a route in an Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) mesh zone in a mobile telecommunications network comprising a terminal, the IAB mesh zone comprising a centralised unit and a plurality of IAB nodes, the route being for transmitting a packet through a path comprising at least two of the plurality of IAB nodes, the method comprising:
transmitting, by circuitry of a routing control unit and to each IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes, one or more discovery parameters for the each IAB node to determine whether another IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes is discoverable;
determining, by the circuitry of the routing control unit, one or more route selection parameters for the each IAB node to select a route;
a first IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes determining, based on the one or more discovery parameters, that a second IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes is discoverable; and
upon receiving a packet, selecting a route from the first IAB node based on the one or more route selection parameters and on the first IAB node determining that the second IAB node is discoverable,
wherein determining the one or more route selection parameters for the each IAB node to select a route comprises the circuitry of the routing control unit selecting a first route for routing a packet, and the method further comprises associating the packet with the first route, and
the one or more route selection parameters comprise an identifier for the first route and the one or more route selection parameters are included in a header of the packet, thereby associating the packet with the first route.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the route selection parameters comprise one or more of:
a routing table, a route identifier, a threshold for selecting a route, a quality or priority parameter for selecting a route, a number of hops criterion, a delay criterion, a reliability criterion and a throughput criterion.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting, by the circuitry of the routing control unit, routing information, the routing information comprising one or more of:
a routing protocol, a routing table format, a number of hops criterion, a delay criterion, a reliability criterion and a throughput criterion.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more discovery parameters comprise one or more of:
a minimum signal strength, a minimum signal power, a minimum link quality, an estimated relative distance, a mobility parameter, an interference level, a timing parameter indicating when to determine whether another IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes is discoverable.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected route comprises the second IAB node.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the packet from the first IAB node in accordance with the selected route.
7. The method of claim 1 , the method comprising the first IAB node, based on the determination that the second IAB node is discoverable:
transmitting a route discovery message originating from the first IAB node to the second IAB node; and
transmitting a route discovery message originating from a further IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes to the second IAB node.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first IAB node includes an identifier for the first IAB node to the route discovery message before transmitting the route discover message to the second IAB node.
9. The method of claim 1 , the method comprising the first IAB node, based on the determination that the second IAB node is discoverable and upon receipt of a route discovery message originating from a further IAB node to the first IAB node, wherein the route discovery message identifies a path including the further IAB node:
transmitting a further route discovery message to the second IAB node, wherein the further route discovery message identifies an updated path including both the further IAB node and the first IAB node, the first IAB node being a subsequent node to the further IAB node in the updated path.
10. The method of claim 1 , the method comprising the first IAB node, based on the determination that the second IAB node is discoverable;
receiving from the second IAB node a connection available message, the connection available message identifying at least a first route from the second IAB node to another IAB node of the plurality of IAB nodes;
upon receipt of the connection available message, the first IAB node identifying a second route from the first IAB node to the another IAB node through the second IAB node, the second route comprising the first route.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the routing control unit identifies a plurality of routes to the first IAB node and wherein the first IAB node can select the route from the plurality of routes.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the routing control unit is comprised in one or more of a centralised unit, a donor node of the plurality of IAB nodes, an Operations, Administration and Maintenance element and a standalone routing control element.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first IAB node includes one or more of a Distributed Unit (DU) element, a Transmission and Reception Point (TRP), an antenna system, a remote radio head (RRH) and a Mobile Terminal (MT) element.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the second IAB node includes one or more of a Distributed Unit (DU) element, a Transmission and Reception Point (TRP), an antenna system, a remote radio head (RRH) and a Mobile Terminal (MT) element.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packet is associated with the terminal.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of IAB nodes comprises a Donor Node associated with the centralised unit and wherein the route for transmitting the packet is through a path comprising the Donor Node.
17. An Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) Node for use in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the mobile telecommunications network comprises an IAB mesh zone comprising a centralised unit, the IAB Node and one or more further IAB Nodes, wherein the IAB Node is configured to:
receive one or more discovery parameters for determining whether a second IAB node is discoverable, the second LAB node being one of the one or more further IAB Nodes;
determine, based on the one or more discovery parameters, that the second IAB node is discoverable;
receive, one or more route selection parameters for selecting a route; and
select, upon receipt of a packet, a route from the IAB Node based on the one or more route selection parameters and on the IAB Node determining that the second IAB node is discoverable, thereby determining a route for transmitting the packet through a path comprising the second IAB node,
wherein the one or more route selection parameters are determined by selecting a first route for routing a packet, and associating the packet with the first route, and
the one or more route selection parameters comprise an identifier for the first route and the one or more route selection parameter are included in a header of the packet, thereby associating the packet with the first route.
18. A method of controlling an Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) Node for use in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the mobile telecommunications network comprises an IAB mesh zone comprising a centralised unit, the IAB Node and one or more further IAB Nodes, the method comprising:
receiving one or more discovery parameters for determining whether a second IAB node is discoverable, the second IAB node being one of the one or more further IAB Nodes;
determining, based on the one or more discovery parameters, that the second IAB node is discoverable;
receiving, one or more route selection parameters for selecting a route; and
selecting, upon receipt of a packet, a route from the IAB Node based on the one or more route selection parameters and on the LAB Node determining that the second IAB node is discoverable, thereby determining a route for transmitting the packet through a path comprising the second IAB node,
wherein the one or more route selection parameters are determined by selecting a first route for routing a packet, and associating the packet with the first route, and
the one or more route selection parameters comprise an identifier for the first route and the one or more route selection parameter are included in a header of the packet, thereby associating the packet with the first route.