IP Library Granted Patent US 12,439,313
Granted Patent B2
US 12,439,313 · App. 17/875,948 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Inter-donor topology adaptation in integrated access and backhaul networks

Inventor: Xueying Diao (Guangdong, CN)
Assignee: ZTE Corporation
H04W36/12H04W36/08H04W76/20H04W72/23H04W88/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,439,313
App. No.
17/875,948
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for inter-donor topology adaptation in integrated access and backhaul (IAB) networks are described. An example method for wireless communication includes transmitting, by a source donor, a first message comprising an indication that a migrating IAB node is configured to perform an inter-donor switching operation, and receiving a second message comprising feedback information, wherein the source donor is communicatively coupled to the migrating IAB node and a plurality of nodes that are downstream from the migrating IAB node.

Claims (46)

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

transmitting, by a source donor, a first message comprising an indication that a migrating integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node is configured to perform an inter-donor switching operation, wherein the first message is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message or an F1 application protocol (F1AP) message;

receiving, by the source donor, a second message comprising feedback information,

wherein the source donor is communicatively coupled to the migrating IAB node and a plurality of nodes that are downstream from the migrating IAB node, wherein the first message is transmitted to one or more of the plurality of nodes or to the migrating IAB node, wherein the second message comprising the feedback information is received from one of the plurality of nodes, wherein the feedback information comprises an indication that the one of the plurality of nodes approves the inter-donor switching operation for the migrating IAB node and is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the migrating IAB node, wherein the one of the plurality of nodes is a child node of the migrating IAB node; and

in response to receiving the indication that the child node approves the inter-donor switching operation for the migrating IAB node and is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the migrating IAB node, transmitting, by the source donor to a grandchild node, a third message comprising the indication that the child node is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the migrating IAB node, wherein the grandchild node is a child node of the child node of the migrating IAB node; and

receiving, by the source donor, a fourth message comprising an indication that the grandchild node is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the child node and with the migrating IAB node.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback information comprises an indication that one of the plurality of nodes is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the migrating IAB node comprises at least one Mobile Termination (MT) to communicate with at least one UE, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting, to a target donor, a first Xn application protocol (XnAP) message comprising an XnAP identifier and context information for each of the at least one MT and each of the at least one UE.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first XnAP message further comprises a key, assigned by the source donor, for each of the at least one MT and each of the at least one UE.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving, from the target donor, a second XnAP message comprising a first RRC reconfiguration message for at least one of the plurality of nodes and a second RRC reconfiguration message for the migrating IAB node.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first RRC reconfiguration message or the second RRC reconfiguration message comprises one or more of: a new key for the at least one of the plurality of nodes, routing information, a backhaul (BH) radio link control (RLC) channel configuration, a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) address, one or more IP addresses, an IP address of the target donor, IP addresses used in a control plane domain, or IP addresses used in a user plane domain.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message is transmitted to the one of the plurality of nodes, and wherein the first message further comprises one or more of a cause indicating that the one of the plurality of nodes cannot perform the inter-donor switching operation, IAB frequency information, a cell ID support IAB functionality under a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) that is currently registered, a plurality of IAB-supporting cell IDs in all PLMNs, a Cell Global Identity (CGI), or a Physical Cell Identifier (PCI).

8. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, by a migrating integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node from a source donor, a first message comprising an indication that the migrating IAB node is configured to perform an inter-donor switching operation; and

transmitting, to a child node of the migrating IAB node, a second message comprising the indication,

wherein the second message comprising the indication causes the child node to transmit feedback information to the source donor, wherein the feedback information comprises an indication that the child node approves the inter-donor switching operation for the migrating IAB node and is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the migrating IAB node,

wherein the source donor is communicatively coupled to the migrating IAB node and a plurality of nodes that are downstream from the migrating IAB node,

wherein the feedback information causes the source donor to transmit, to a grandchild node, a third message comprising the indication that the child node is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the migrating IAB node, wherein the grandchild node is a child node of the child node of the migrating IAB node,

wherein the third message causes the grandchild node to transmit a fourth message comprising an indication that the grandchild node is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the child node and with the migrating IAB node.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the indication informs the child node that its parent node is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second message is a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) control protocol data unit (PDU) or a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element.

11. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions, execution of which by the processor causes the apparatus to:

transmit a first message comprising an indication that a migrating integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node is configured to perform an inter-donor switching operation; and

receive a second message comprising feedback information,

wherein the apparatus is communicatively coupled to the migrating IAB node and a plurality of nodes that are downstream from the migrating IAB node, wherein the first message is transmitted to one or more of the plurality of nodes or to the migrating IAB node, wherein the second message comprising the feedback information is received from one of the plurality of nodes, wherein the feedback information comprises an indication that the one of the plurality of nodes approves the inter-donor switching operation for the migrating IAB node and is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the migrating IAB node, wherein the one of the plurality of nodes is a child node of the migrating IAB node;

in response to receiving the indication that the child node approves the inter-donor switching operation for the migrating IAB node and is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the migrating IAB node, transmit, to a grandchild node, a third message comprising the indication that the child node is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the migrating IAB node, wherein the grandchild node is a child node of the child node of the migrating IAB node; and

receive a fourth message comprising an indication that the grandchild node is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the child node and with the migrating IAB node.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the feedback information comprises an indication that one of the plurality of nodes is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the migrating IAB node comprises at least one Mobile Termination (MT) to communicate with at least one UE, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

transmit, to a target donor, a first Xn application protocol (XnAP) message comprising an XnAP identifier and context information for each of the at least one MT and each of the at least one UE.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first XnAP message further comprises a key, assigned by the apparatus, for each of the at least one MT and each of the at least one UE.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receiving, from the target donor, a second XnAP message comprising a first RRC reconfiguration message for at least one of the plurality of nodes and a second RRC reconfiguration message for the migrating IAB node.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first RRC reconfiguration message or the second RRC reconfiguration message comprises one or more of: a new key for the at least one of the plurality of nodes, routing information, a backhaul (BH) radio link control (RLC) channel configuration, a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) address, one or more IP addresses, an IP address of the target donor, IP addresses used in a control plane domain, or IP addresses used in a user plane domain.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first message is transmitted to the one of the plurality of nodes, and wherein the first message further comprises one or more of a cause indicating that the one of the plurality of nodes cannot perform the inter-donor switching operation, IAB frequency information, a cell ID support IAB functionality under a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) that is currently registered, a plurality of IAB-supporting cell IDs in all PLMNs, a Cell Global Identity (CGI), or a Physical Cell Identifier (PCI).

18. An apparatus for wireless communication comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions, execution of which by the processor causes the apparatus to:

receive, from a source donor, a first message comprising an indication that the apparatus is configured to perform an inter-donor switching operation; and

transmit, to a child node of the apparatus, a second message comprising the indication,

wherein the second message comprising the indication causes the child node to transmit feedback information to the source donor, wherein the feedback information comprises an indication that the child node approves the inter-donor switching operation for the apparatus and is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the apparatus,

wherein the source donor is communicatively coupled to the apparatus and a plurality of nodes that are downstream from the apparatus,

wherein the feedback information causes the source donor to transmit, to a grandchild node, a third message comprising the indication that the child node is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the apparatus, wherein the grandchild node is a child node of the child node of the apparatus,

wherein the third message causes the grandchild node to transmit a fourth message comprising an indication that the grandchild node is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation with the child node and with the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the indication informs the child node that its parent node is intending to perform the inter-donor switching operation.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the second message is a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) control protocol data unit (PDU) or a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2022
From: DIAO, XUEYING
To: ZTE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060659/0001 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2020075542 · Feb 17, 2020
Related Publication 20220369190A1 · Nov 17, 2022
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