Enhanced handover procedure to facilitate route change in an iab network

Abstract

An enhanced handover procedure is provided to facilitate communication routing changes in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) network. In an IAB network a network node can be connected to the core network via multiple different paths, and when the path changes, (e.g., when an intermediate network node performs a handover procedure with another network node), messages can be sent to relevant network nodes informing them of the route change so as to reduce the number of protocol data units (PDUs) that are transmitted to network nodes that are no longer part of the communication path to the target network node. The network node that is no longer part of the communication path can also inform a parent node of which PDUs have been successfully transmitted to the target network node so that the parent node can retransmit the PDUs that were not transmitted successfully.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Network equipment, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 initiating a handover of a communication channel from first child network equipment to second child network equipment, wherein the first child network equipment and the second child network equipment comprise a group of donor equipment that provide service to source network equipment; and 
 transmitting a message to parent network equipment, wherein the message comprises an instruction to the parent network equipment to forward data to the source network equipment via the second child network equipment, wherein the data comprises first data that was received by the first child network equipment and second data representative of missing data that is retrieved from a buffer associated with the parent network equipment, and wherein the second data is forwarded to the source network equipment based on a result of a comparison, conducted by the parent network equipment, of a first sequence number associated with the first data and a second sequence number associated with the second data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The network equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the parent network equipment, the first child network equipment, and the second child network equipment are part of a hierarchically organized group of network equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The network equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise initiating the handover based on radio resource management data associated with the source network equipment. 
     
     
         4 . The network equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise initiating the handover based on radio resource management data indicative of a network condition between the first child network equipment and the second child network equipment. 
     
     
         5 . The network equipment of  claim 4 , wherein the network condition is a first network condition, and wherein the radio resource management measurement data is further indicative of a second network condition for a user equipment associated with the second child network equipment. 
     
     
         6 . The network equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving radio resource management measurement data from the source network equipment. 
     
     
         7 . The network equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the instruction is a first instruction, and wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a second instruction to the second child network equipment to initiate the handover from the first child network equipment. 
     
     
         8 . The network equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the instruction is a first instruction, and wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a second instruction to the source network equipment to initiate a second communication channel with the second child network equipment. 
     
     
         9 . The network equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the first child network equipment and the second child network equipment have a same hop order in an integrated access and backhaul network. 
     
     
         10 . The network equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to determining that the handover was successful, transmitting a first route update message indicating a first communication path to the source network equipment and instructing stopped network equipment to start forwarding the data to the source network equipment via the first communication path.   
     
     
         11 . The network equipment of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to determining that the handover failed, transmitting a second route update message instructing the stopped network equipment to start the forwarding of the data directed to the source network equipment via a second communication path.   
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 initiating, by network equipment comprising a processor, a handover of a communication channel from first child equipment to second child equipment; and   transmitting, by the network equipment, a message to parent equipment, wherein the message comprises an instruction to the parent equipment to forward data to source equipment via the second child equipment, wherein the data comprises first data representative of received data received by the first child equipment and second data representative of missing data that is retrieved from a buffer associated with the parent equipment, and wherein the second data is forwarded to the source equipment based on a comparison between a first sequence number associated with the first data and a second sequence number associated with the second data.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the network equipment, radio resource management measurement data from the source equipment.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising transmitting, by the network equipment, a different message to the second child equipment to initiate the handover from the first child equipment. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the network equipment, a different message to the source equipment to initiate a second communication channel with the second child equipment.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 determining, by the network equipment, that the handover was successful; and   in response to determining that the handover was successful, transmitting, by the network equipment, a route update message indicating a communication path to the source equipment and instructing stopped equipment to start forwarding the data to the source equipment via the communication path.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 initiating a transfer of a communication channel from being via first subsidiary equipment to being via second subsidiary equipment; and   transmitting a message to primary equipment, wherein the message comprises an instruction to the primary equipment to forward data to source equipment via the second subsidiary equipment, wherein the data comprises received data received by the first subsidiary equipment and missing data that was not received by the first subsidiary equipment and that is retrieved from a buffer associated with the primary equipment, and wherein the missing data is forwarded to the source equipment based on a comparison between a first sequence number associated with the received data and a second sequence number associated with the missing data.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instruction is a first instruction, and wherein the operations further comprise:
 transmitting a second instruction to the second subsidiary equipment to initiate the transfer from the first subsidiary equipment.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instruction is a first instruction, wherein the communication channel is a first communication channel, and wherein the operations further comprise:
 transmitting a second instruction to the source equipment to initiate a second communication channel with the second subsidiary equipment.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining that the transfer was successful; and   in response to determining that the transfer was successful, transmitting a route update message indicating a communication path to the source equipment.