IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,477,606
Granted Patent B2
US 12,477,606 · App. 17/937,196 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Communication method, apparatus, and system

Inventors: Xiaoli Shi (Shanghai, CN); Ruiyue Xu (Shanghai, CN)
Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
H04W76/15H04W48/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,477,606
App. No.
17/937,196
Granted
Nov 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of this application provide a communication method, apparatus, and system. The method includes a network management entity determines a dual connectivity attribute of a first neighbor cell of a first cell, where the dual connectivity attribute is used to indicate whether the first neighbor cell can be used as a secondary cell of the first cell, the first cell belongs to a first base station, and the first neighbor cell belongs to a second base station; and the network management entity sends configuration information to the first base station, where the configuration information indicates the first base station to configure the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell.

Claims (54)

1 . A communication method, comprising:

determining, by a network management entity, according to a cell policy maintained by an operator, that a first neighbor cell has a dual connectivity capability, wherein the dual connectivity capability indicates that the first neighbor cell supports establishment of dual connectivity with a first cell;

determining, on a network management entity side and by the network management entity, a dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell of the first cell according to the dual connectivity capability, wherein the dual connectivity attribute indicates whether the first neighbor cell can be used as a secondary cell of the first cell, wherein the first cell belongs to a first base station, wherein the first neighbor cell belongs to a second base station, and wherein the network management entity is separate from the first base station and the second base station; and

sending configuration information to the first base station, wherein the configuration information indicates the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein that the configuration information indicates the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell comprises:

the configuration information indicates that the first neighbor cell can be used as the secondary cell of the first base station; or

the configuration information indicates that the first neighbor cell cannot be used as the secondary cell of the first base station.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein that the configuration information indicates the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell comprises:

the configuration information indicates to add the first neighbor cell to a black list, wherein a cell in the black list is in a neighbor cell of the first cell and cannot be used as the secondary cell of the first cell; or

the configuration information indicates to add the first neighbor cell to a white list, wherein a cell in the white list is in a neighbor cell of the first cell and that can be used as the secondary cell of the first cell.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first cell is an new radio (NR) cell, the dual connectivity capability comprises an EN-DC capability, and the EN-DC capability indicates that the first cell supports establishment of EN-DC;

the first cell is an NR cell, the dual connectivity capability comprises an NGEN-DC capability, and the NGEN-DC capability indicates that the first cell supports establishment of NGEN-DC;

the first cell is an NR cell, the dual connectivity capability comprises an NR-DC capability, and the NR-DC capability indicates that the first cell supports establishment of NR-DC; or

the first cell is an LTE cell, the dual connectivity capability comprises an NE-DC capability, and the NE-DC capability indicates that the first cell supports establishment of NE-DC.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first base station is a primary base station, and the second base station is a secondary base station.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the network management entity side is one of a management service consumer, a management service producer, an MBB automation engine, a network management system, or an element management system.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining a dual connectivity attribute of a first neighbor cell of a first cell further comprises:

determining the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell based on at least one of first information of the first cell or second information of the first neighbor cell, wherein the first information comprises one or more of measurement information, performance information, or alarm information of the first cell, and wherein the second information comprises one or more of measurement information, performance information, and alarm information of the first neighbor cell; or

determining the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell according to a cell policy maintained by an operator.

8 . An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, the program including instructions to:

determine, according to a cell policy maintained by an operator, that a first neighbor cell has a dual connectivity capability, wherein the dual connectivity capability indicates that the first neighbor cell supports establishment of dual connectivity with a first cell;

determine a dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell of the first cell, wherein the dual connectivity attribute indicates whether the first neighbor cell can be used as a secondary cell of the first cell, wherein the first cell belongs to a first base station, wherein the first neighbor cell belongs to a second base station, and wherein the apparatus is separate from the first base station and the second base station; and

send configuration information to the first base station, wherein the configuration information indicates the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein that the configuration information indicates the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell comprises:

the configuration information indicates that the first neighbor cell can be used as the secondary cell of the first base station; or

the configuration information indicates that the first neighbor cell cannot be used as the secondary cell of the first base station.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein that the configuration information indicates the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell comprises:

the configuration information indicates to add the first neighbor cell to a black list, wherein a cell in the black list is in a neighbor cell of the first cell and cannot be used as the secondary cell of the first cell; or

the configuration information indicates to add the first neighbor cell to a white list, wherein a cell in the white list is in a neighbor cell of the first cell and that can be used as the secondary cell of the first cell.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first cell is an NR cell, the dual connectivity capability comprises an EN-DC capability, and the EN-DC capability indicates that the first cell supports establishment of EN-DC;

the first cell is an NR cell, the dual connectivity capability comprises an NGEN-DC capability, and the NGEN-DC capability indicates that the first cell supports establishment of NGEN-DC;

the first cell is an NR cell, the dual connectivity capability comprises an NR-DC capability, and the NR-DC capability indicates that the first cell supports establishment of NR-DC; or

the first cell is an LTE cell, the dual connectivity capability comprises an NE-DC capability, and the NE-DC capability indicates that the first cell supports establishment of NE-DC.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first base station is a primary base station, and the second base station is a secondary base station.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is one of a management service consumer, a management service producer, an MBB automation engine, a network management system, or an element management system.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to:

determine the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell based on at least one of first information of the first cell or second information of the first neighbor cell, wherein the first information comprises one or more of measurement information, performance information, and alarm information of the first cell, and wherein the second information comprises one or more of measurement information, performance information, and alarm information of the first neighbor cell; or

determine the dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell according to a cell policy maintained by an operator.

15 . A communication system, comprising:

a network management entity configured to:

determining, by the network management entity, according to a cell policy maintained by an operator, that a first neighbor cell has a dual connectivity capability, wherein the dual connectivity capability indicates that the first neighbor cell supports establishment of dual connectivity with a first cell;

determine a dual connectivity attribute of the first neighbor cell of the first cell, wherein the dual connectivity attribute indicates whether the first neighbor cell can be used as a secondary cell of the first cell, wherein the first cell belongs to a first base station, wherein the first neighbor cell belongs to a second base station, and wherein the network management entity is separate from the first base station and the second base station; and

send configuration information to the first base station; and

the first base station configured to:

receive the configuration information from the network management entity.

16 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein the first base station is further configured to configure indication information for the first neighbor cell, wherein:

the indication information indicates that the first neighbor cell can be used as the secondary cell of the first base station; or

the indication information indicates that the first neighbor cell cannot be used as the secondary cell of the first base station.

17 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein:

the first base station is configured to add the first neighbor cell to a black list based on the configuration information, wherein a cell in the black list is in a neighbor cell of the first cell and cannot be used as the secondary cell of the first cell; or

the first base station is configured to add the first neighbor cell to a white list based on the configuration information, wherein a cell in the white list is in a neighbor cell of the first cell and that can be used as the secondary cell of the first cell.

18 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein the network management entity is one of a management service consumer, a management service producer, an MBB automation engine, a network management system, or an element management system.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2023
From: SHI, XIAOLI; XU, RUIYUE
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062745/0552 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202010261316.1 · Apr 3, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2021082746 · Mar 24, 2021
Related Publication 20230024669A1 · Jan 26, 2023
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