Radio access network node, radio terminal, core network node, and method therefor
During handover of a radio terminal ( 1 ) from a first network to a second network, a target RAN node ( 3 ) is operates to: receive, from a core network ( 5 ), slice information about a network slice which is included in the second network and to which the radio terminal ( 1 ) is to be connected; create, upon receiving the slice information, radio resource configuration information that is to be used by the radio terminal ( 1 ) after the handover in the second network; and transmit this radio resource configuration information through the first network to the radio terminal ( 1 ). It is possible to contribute to appropriately configuring an AS layer or NAS layer of a target RAT in inter-RAT handover.
1. A target radio access network (RAN) node associated with a second network, the target RAN node comprising:
at least one memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to, during handover of a radio terminal from a first network to the second network:
receive, from a core network, slice information about a network slice which is included in the second network and to which the radio terminal is to be connected, the network slice including network functions of the core network, the network slice being a logical network providing specific network capabilities, the slice information including identification information identifying the network slice, the slice information further including at least one of a mobility class and a session class that are supported by the network slice selected for the radio terminal;
create, based on the received slice information, radio resource configuration information to be used by the radio terminal after the handover in the second network; and
transmit the radio resource configuration information through the first network to the radio terminal.
2. The target RAN node according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive, from the core network, a handover request message requesting the handover of the radio terminal from the first network to the second network and including the slice information about the network slice, which is included in the second network and to which the radio terminal is to be connected; and
transmit to the core network, in response to the handover request message, a handover request acknowledge message containing a Target to Source Transparent Container,
wherein the Target to Source Transparent Container contains the radio resource configuration information derived from the slice information and is to be forwarded through the core network to a source RAN node associated with the first network.
3. The target RAN node according to claim 1 , wherein the identification information included in the slice information includes: type information of the network slice selected for the radio terminal.
4. The target RAN node according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine based on the slice information whether to accept a bearer or a flow for each beater or each flow of the radio terminal.
5. The target RAN node according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine, based on the slice information, whether it is possible to accept each network slice.
6. The target RAN node according to claim 1 , wherein the first network does not support network slicing, and the second network supports the network slicing.
7. A source radio access network (RAN) node associated with a first network, the source RAN node comprising:
at least one memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to, during handover of a radio terminal from the first network to a second network:
receive, from a core network, a handover-related message, the handover-related message containing at least one of slice information about a network slice which is included in the second network and to which the radio terminal is to be connected, and radio resource configuration information based on the network slice in the second network, the network slice including network functions of the core network, the network slice being a logical network providing specific network capabilities, the slice information including identification information identifying the network slice, the slice information further including at least one of a mobility class and a session class that are supported by the network slice selected for the radio terminal; and
transmit the handover-related message to the radio terminal.
8. The source RAN node according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
transmit, to the core network, a handover required message for starting the handover of the radio terminal from the first network to the second network;
receive a handover command message containing a Target to Source Transparent Container from the core network, the Target to Source Transparent Container containing radio resource configuration information created by a target RAN node associated with the second network, the radio resource configuration information being necessary for the radio terminal to establish a radio connection associated with the network slice, which is included in the second network and to which the radio terminal is to be connected; and
transmit, to the radio terminal, a mobility command message containing the radio resource configuration information and indicating the handover to the second network.
9. The source RAN node according to claim 7 , wherein the first network does not support network slicing, and the second network supports the network slicing.
10. A core network node comprising:
at least one memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to, during handover of a radio terminal from a first network to a second network, send, to a target radio access network (RAN) node associated with the second network, slice information about a network slice which is included in the second network and to which the radio terminal is to be connected, the network slice including network functions of the core network, the network slice being a logical network providing specific network capabilities, the slice information including identification information identifying the network slice, the slice information further including at least one of a mobility class and a session class that are supported by the network slice selected for the radio terminal,
wherein the slice information causes the target RAN node to create, based on the received slice information, radio resource configuration information to be used by the radio terminal after the handover in the second network.
11. The core network node according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive, from a source RAN node associated with the first network, a handover required message for starting the handover of the radio terminal from the first network to the second network; and
send to the target RAN node, in response to the handover required message, a handover request message including the slice information and requesting the handover of the radio terminal from the first network to the second network.
12. The core network node according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive a handover request acknowledge message containing a Target to Source Transparent Container from the target RAN node, the Target to Source Transparent Container containing radio resource configuration information derived from the slice information; and
send a Handover Command message containing the Target to Source Transparent Container to the source RAN node.
13. The core network node according to claim 10 , wherein the identification information included in the slice information includes: type information of the network slice selected for the radio terminal.
14. The core network node according to claim 10 , wherein the first network does not support network slicing, and the second network supports the network slicing.
15. A method in a target radio access network (RAN) node associated with a second network, the method comprising:
during handover of a radio terminal from a first network to the second network,
receiving, from a core network, slice information about a network slice which is included in the second network and to which the radio terminal is to be connected, the network slice including network functions of the core network, the network slice being a logical network providing specific network capabilities, the slice information including identification information identifying the network slice, the slice information further including at least one of a mobility class and a session class that are supported by the network slice selected for the radio terminal;
creating, based on the received slice information, radio resource configuration information to be used by the radio terminal after the handover in the second network; and
transmitting the radio resource configuration information through the first network to the radio terminal.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the first network does not support network slicing, and the second network supports the network slicing.