Methods, systems, and devices for enhancing automatic neighbor relations over a network supporting dual connectivity

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, from a user equipment, data relating to the user equipment, where the user equipment is communicatively coupled to a source network node, accessing a neighbor list that identifies a first pairing of first and second network nodes and a second pairing of third and fourth network nodes, and that associates a first weighting factor with the first pairing and a second weighting factor with the second pairing, selecting the first network node or the third network node as a target network node in a handover for the user equipment based on the data, the first weighting factor, and the second weighting factor, and causing the handover to be effected for the user equipment responsive to the selecting the first network node or the third network node as the target network node. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device, comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:   determining, after a handover is performed for a user equipment from a source network node of a network to a target network node of the network, whether an addition procedure, involving a secondary network node, is effected for the user equipment;   obtaining, responsive to a determination that the addition procedure is effected for the user equipment, metrics relating to the secondary network node;   determining a weighting factor for a pairing of the target network node and the secondary network node based on the metrics; and   causing the source network node to define, in a neighbor list, a relationship between the target network node and the secondary network node, and to associate the relationship with the weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor enables the source network node to determine whether the target network node is an optimal handover target for the user equipment or other user equipment.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise obtaining data relating to the user equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the data relating to the user equipment comprises information regarding a network resource demand of the user equipment, information regarding a direction of travel of the user equipment, information regarding a speed of travel of the user equipment, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the metrics comprise information regarding a duration of connection between a user equipment and the secondary network node, information regarding available network resources of the secondary network node, information regarding an operative frequency range of the secondary network node, information regarding a coverage range of the secondary network node, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the target network node employs a first radio access technology, and wherein the secondary network node employs a second radio access technology different from the first radio access technology. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the network is configured for E-UTRAN New Radio (NR) Dual Connectivity (EN-DC). 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the determining the weighting factor comprises determining whether the metrics indicate that a condition, relating to dual connectivity coverage for the user equipment, is satisfied. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the condition relates to a duration of a connection between the user equipment and the secondary network node. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the condition relates to a difference between available network resources of the secondary network node and a network resource demand of the user equipment. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the condition relates to a coverage range of the secondary network node relative to a predicted location of the user equipment. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
 identifying, after a handover is performed for a user equipment from a source network node of a network to a target network node of the network, that an addition procedure, involving a secondary network node, is effected for the user equipment;   based on the identifying, receiving metrics relating to the secondary network node, wherein the metrics comprise information regarding a duration of connection between a particular user equipment and the secondary network node, information regarding available network resources of the secondary network node, information regarding an operative frequency range of the secondary network node, information regarding a coverage range of the secondary network node, or a combination thereof;   determining a weighting factor for a pairing of the target network node and the secondary network node based on the metrics; and   causing the source network node to define, in a neighbor list, a relationship between the target network node and the secondary network node, and to associate the relationship with the weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor enables the source network node to determine whether the target network node is an optimal handover target for the user equipment or other user equipment.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the target network node employs a first radio access technology, and wherein the secondary network node employs a second radio access technology different from the first radio access technology. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise obtaining data relating to the user equipment. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the network is configured for E-UTRAN New Radio (NR) Dual Connectivity (EN-DC). 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the determining the weighting factor comprises determining whether the metrics indicate that a condition, relating to dual connectivity coverage for the user equipment, is satisfied. 
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 determining, by a processing system including a processor, that a handover is performed for a user equipment from a source network node of a network to a target network node of the network;   based on the determining, identifying, by the processing system, that an addition procedure, involving a secondary network node, is effected for the user equipment;   responsive to the identifying, obtaining, by the processing system, metrics relating to the secondary network node;   calculating, by the processing system, a weighting factor for a pairing of the target network node and the secondary network node based on the metrics; and   performing, by the processing system, an action such that the source network node defines, in a neighbor list, a relationship between the target network node and the secondary network node, and associates the relationship with the weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor enables the source network node to determine whether to effect another handover of the user equipment to the target network node at a future time.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the target network node employs a first radio access technology, and wherein the secondary network node employs a second radio access technology different from the first radio access technology. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the metrics comprise information regarding a duration of connection between a user equipment and the secondary network node, information regarding available network resources of the secondary network node, information regarding an operative frequency range of the secondary network node, information regarding a coverage range of the secondary network node, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the network is configured for E-UTRAN New Radio (NR) Dual Connectivity (EN-DC). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the calculating the weighting factor comprises determining whether the metrics indicate that a condition, relating to dual connectivity coverage for the user equipment, is satisfied.