IP Library Granted Patent US 12,520,188
Granted Patent B2
US 12,520,188 · App. 17/625,259 · Granted Jan 6, 2026

Mapping information for integrated access and backhaul

Inventors: Filip Barac (Huddinge, SE); Julien Muller (Rennes, FR); Oumer Teyeb (Montréal, CA); Gunnar Mildh (Sollentuna, SE)
Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
H04W28/0263H04W28/0236H04W88/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,520,188
App. No.
17/625,259
Granted
Jan 6, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Mapping Information for Integrated Access and BackhaulEmbodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for providing IAB mapping information. A method performed by CU-CP of a base station configured as a donor base station for one or more IAB nodes comprises transmitting a first message to setup or modify a first bearer context for a first bearer in a central unit user plane, CU-UP, of the base station, wherein the first message comprises an information element indicating mapping information for use in determining a mapping of the first bearer to a backhaul radio link control, BH RLC, channel.

Claims (46)

1 . A method performed by central unit control plane (CU-CP) of a base station for providing Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) mapping information, wherein the base station is configured as a donor base station for one or more IAB nodes, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a central unit user plane (CU-UP) of the base station, a first message to setup or modify a first bearer context for a first bearer in the CU-UP, wherein the first message comprises an information element indicating mapping information for use in determining a mapping of the first bearer to a backhaul radio link control (BH RLC) channel, wherein the mapping information comprises an indication of whether the first bearer is served by an IAB node.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping information comprises a Flow Label value.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping information comprises a differentiated services code point (DSCP) value.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping information is associated with the BH RLC channel.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping information maps the first bearer to the BH RLC one-to-one.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting a second message to setup or modify a second bearer context for a second bearer in the CU-UP, wherein the second message comprises an information element indicating mapping information for mapping the second bearer to the BH RLC channel.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping information comprises an indication of whether the first bearer is to be mapped one-to-one to the BH RLC link.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message is an E1 Application Protocol (AP) bearer context setup request, or a bearer context modification request.

9 . A method performed by central unit user plane (CU-UP) of a base station for providing Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) mapping information, wherein the base station is configured as a donor base station for one or more IAB nodes, the method comprising:

receiving a first message from a central unit control plane (CU-CP) of the base station to setup or modify a first bearer context for a first bearer in a central unit user plane (CU-UP) of the base station;

obtaining mapping information for use in determining a mapping of the first bearer to a backhaul radio link control (BH RLC) channel; and

based on the mapping information, determining a field value for the first bearer wherein the field value maps the first bearer to the BH RLC.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of obtaining comprises obtaining the mapping information from an information element in the first message.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the mapping information comprises the field value as a Flow Label value.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the mapping information comprises the field value as a differentiated services code point (DSCP) value.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the mapping information is associated with the BH RLC channel.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second message from the CU-CP to setup or modify a second bearer context for a second bearer in the CU-UP, wherein the second message comprises an information element indicating mapping information for mapping the second bearer to the BH RLC channel.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the mapping information comprises an indication of whether the first bearer is to be mapped one-to-one to the BH RLC link, and wherein the method further comprises:

assigning the field value associated with the BH RLC channel to the first bearer based on the indication.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the method comprises using a Flow Label value or a DSCP value for the field value, depending on the indication.

17 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the mapping information indicates whether the first bearer is served by an IAB node.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the mapping information is obtained by determining whether the IP Address of a F1-U tunnel for the first bearer has been configured as an IAB node IP address.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

responsive to the first bearer being served by an IAB node, determining whether the first bearer meets a criteria for one-to-one mapping;

responsive to the first bearer meeting the criteria, assigning the field value associated with the BH RLC channel to the first bearer with a one-to-one mapping; and

responsive to the first bearer not meeting the criteria, assigning the field value associated with the BH RLC channel to the first bearer with an N-to-one mapping.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the criteria comprise a quality of service (QOS) criteria.

21 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

transmitting the field value to a transport layer for inclusion in a header of user plane packets for the first bearer.

22 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first message is an E1 Application Protocol (AP) bearer context setup request or a bearer context modification request.

23 . A method performed by a base station for providing Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) mapping information, wherein the base station is configured as a donor base station for one or more IAB nodes, the method comprising:

performing, by a central unit control plane (CU-CP) of the base station, the step of transmitting a first message to setup or modify a first bearer context for a first bearer in a central unit user plane (CU-UP) of the base station, wherein the first message comprises an information element indicating mapping information for use in determining a mapping of the first bearer to a backhaul radio link control (BH RLC) channel;

performing, by the CU-UP of the base station, the steps of:

receiving the first message from the CU-CP of the base station to setup or modify the first bearer context for the first bearer in the CU-UP of the base station;

obtaining mapping information for use in determining the mapping of the first bearer to the BH RLC channel; and

based on the mapping information, determining a field value for the first bearer wherein the field value maps the first bearer to the BH RLC.

24 . A base station for providing Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) mapping information, the base station being configured as a donor base station for one or more IAB nodes, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to cause a central unit control plane (CU-CP) of the base station to transmit, to a central unit user plane (CU-UP) of the base station, a first message to setup or modify a first bearer context for a first bearer in the CU-UP, wherein the first message comprises an information element indicating mapping information for use in determining a mapping of the first bearer to a backhaul radio link control (BH RLC) channel; and

power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the base station;

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the CU-UP to:

receive the first message from the central unit control plane (CU-CP) of the base station to setup or modify a first bearer context for a first bearer in the CU-UP of the base station;

obtain mapping information for use in determining a mapping of the first bearer to a backhaul radio link control (BH RLC) channel; and

based on the mapping information, determine a field value for the first bearer wherein the field value maps the first bearer to the BH RLC.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2022
From: BARAC, FILIP; MULLER, JULIEN; TEYEB, OUMER; MILDH, GUNNAR
To: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
Reel/Frame 058573/0390 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62871902 · Jul 9, 2019
Related Publication 20220377595A1 · Nov 24, 2022
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