Inter-distributed unit beam switch triggered by radio link interruption

Abstract

The described technology is generally directed towards overcoming a radio link interruption event, for example caused in the mmWave spectrum by a physical blockage between user equipment and a communications network distributed unit. Described is executing an inter-distributed unit beam switch in response to a radio link interruption trigger when no beams are available to support the user equipment from the distributed unit currently serving the user equipment. The inter-distributed unit beam switch may be performed by notifying a flow control process of the radio link interruption, which can switch to a different distributed unit such as selected by beam quality measurements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 facilitating, by first network equipment comprising a processor, establishing a connection with second network equipment, wherein a user equipment has established dual connectivity with the first network equipment and the second network equipment, wherein the connection enables a data flow of packets to the user equipment via the first network equipment;   in response to detection of a first change in signal strength, as compared to a threshold, of a signal of the data flow of packets, generating, by the first network equipment, a report comprising a first indication that the first change in signal strength is predicted to be temporary, according to a defined likelihood criterion; and   receiving, by the first network equipment, a second indication that the second network equipment was selected to maintain the data flow of packets to the user equipment instead of the first network equipment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the report comprises a beam measurement report communicated to third network equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the receiving of the second indication comprises, based on the report, receiving the second indication from the third network equipment, and wherein the third network equipment selected the second network equipment based on the report. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the detection of a first change in signal strength, as compared to the threshold comprises the detection of a reduction in the signal strength below a threshold strength value. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the reduction in the signal strength below the threshold strength value results from an interruption of the data flow of packets. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signal of the data flow of packets comprises a millimeter wave signal defined in accordance with a fifth generation network radio access network protocol. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second network equipment was selected based on a number of previous radio link interruptions of communication between the user equipment and the second network equipment and a current load being handled by the second network equipment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to a second change in the signal strength, as compared to the threshold, of the signal of the data flow of packets, receiving, by the first network equipment, a third indication that the data flow of packets to the user equipment, via the first network equipment, has been restored. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second indication is received by utilizing a data link layer control protocol. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second indication comprises radio link interruption indication, and wherein the data link layer control protocol comprises a multiple connectivity data link layer flow control protocol. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first network equipment comprises master next generation node B equipment. 
     
     
         12 . First network equipment, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 establishing a connection with second network equipment, wherein a user equipment has established dual connectivity with the first network equipment and the second network equipment, resulting in a data flow of packets to the user equipment via the second network equipment, and 
 receiving an indication that the first network equipment was selected to maintain the data flow of packets to the user equipment after a change in signal strength, as compared to a threshold, of a signal of the data flow of packets, wherein the change in signal strength was predicted to revert to the signal strength before the change according to a defined likelihood criterion. 
   
     
     
         13 . The first network equipment of  claim 12 , wherein the indication is received from third network equipment, and wherein the first network equipment was selected to maintain the data flow of packets by the third network equipment based on a beam measurement report generated by the second network equipment in response to the change in signal strength. 
     
     
         14 . The first network equipment of  claim 12 , wherein the first network equipment was selected to maintain the data flow of packets based on a number of previous radio link interruptions of communication between the user equipment and the first network equipment. 
     
     
         15 . The first network equipment of  claim 12 , wherein the signal of the data flow of packets comprises a millimeter wave signal generated in accordance with a fifth generation network radio access network protocol. 
     
     
         16 . The first network equipment of  claim 12 , wherein the data flow of packets to the user equipment is maintained by the first network equipment by utilizing a data link layer control protocol. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a first secondary node device, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 establishing a connection with a second secondary node device, wherein a network device has established dual connectivity with the first secondary node device and the second secondary node device, resulting in a data flow to the network device via the first secondary node device;   generating a beam measurement report comprising an indication that a change in signal strength of a signal of the data flow, as compared to a threshold value, is predicted not to last longer than a defined period of time according to a defined likelihood criterion; and   based on a second indication received according to a flow control protocol, that the second secondary node device was selected to maintain the data flow to the network device, stopping the data flow to the network device, wherein the second secondary node device was selected based on the beam measurement report.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the flow control protocol comprises a data link layer flow control protocol. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the signal of the data flow comprises a millimeter wave signal. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the second secondary node device was selected to maintain the data flow based on previous radio link signal changes of communication with the network device.