USER EQUIPMENT HANDOVER METHOD, AND BASE STATION

• US 20160316398A1
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: HAN, Guanglin, XIONG, Xin
• Granted Patent: US 10,356,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0064 of control information between different access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/026 Multicasting of data during hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method. When a target base station determines that the UE needs to be handed over from a source base station to a target base station and needs to perform a handover between a unicast bearer and a multicast/multicast bearer; because a progress of sending a data packet by using a target bearer may be slower than a progress of sending a data packet by using an original bearer, the target base station receives a data packet sent by using the original bearer and a data packet sent by using the target bearer, and when it is determined that a progress of receiving the data packet is faster than or equal to a progress of receiving the data packet by the target base station by using the target bearer, the target base station hands over the UE to the target bearer.

Claims

1. A user equipment handover method, comprising:

determining, by a target base station, that user equipment (UE) needs to be handed over from a source base station to the target base station and needs to perform a handover between a unicast bearer and a multicast/multicast bearer;

receiving, by the target base station, a data packet sent by using the unicast bearer and a data packet sent by using the multicast/multicast bearer; and

when the target base station determines, according to a synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet, that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using an original bearer is faster than or equal to a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using a target bearer, handing over, by the target base station, the UE to the target bearer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization protocol data packet identifier is a synchronization sequence identifier and/or a data packet serial number of synchronization data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining, by a target base station, that user equipment UE needs to be handed over from a source base station to the target base station and needs to perform a handover between a unicast bearer and a multicast/multicast bearer comprises:

determining, by the target base station according to a service identifier in a handover request sent by the source base station, that a service implemented by the UE in the source base station by using the unicast bearer can be incorporated into the multicast/multicast bearer.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the receiving, by the target base station, a data packet sent by using the unicast bearer comprises:

receiving, by the target base station, UE transmission status information sent by the source base station, and receiving a handover command response message sent by the UE;

receiving, by the target base station, a data packet that is not successfully sent by the source base station to the UE, and forwarding the data packet to the UE by means of unicast; and

establishing, by the target base station, the unicast bearer used by the UE, continuing to acquire a data packet from a core network, and delivering the data packet to the UE; and

that when the target base station determines, according to a synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet, that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using an original bearer is faster than or equal to a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using a target bearer, handing over, by the target base station, the UE to the target bearer comprises;

when the target base station determines that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using the unicast bearer is faster than or equal to a progress of the service of receiving a data packet by the target base station from a core network by using the multicast/multicast bearer, using, by the target base station, the multicast/multicast bearer to replace the unicast bearer used by the UE.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the establishing, by the target base station, the unicast bearer used by the UE, continuing to acquire a data packet from a core network, and delivering the data packet to the UE comprises:

establishing, by the target base station, the unicast bearer used by the UE, and sending a data packet identifier request indication to the core network, so as to instruct the core network to carry the synchronization protocol data packet identifier in the data packet when sending the data packet; and

receiving, by the target base station, the data packet that is sent by the core network and that carries the synchronization protocol data packet identifier, and delivering the data packet to the UE.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the receiving, by the target base station, a data packet sent by using the unicast bearer comprises:

receiving, by the target base station, UE transmission status information sent by the source base station, and receiving the handover command response message sent by the UE, wherein the UE transmission status information comprises an identifier of the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE;

receiving, by the target base station, the data packet that is not successfully sent by the source base station to the UE, and forwarding the data packet to the UE by using the unicast bearer; and

that when the target base station determines, according to a synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet, that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using an original bearer is faster than or equal to a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using a target bearer, handing over, by the target base station, the UE to the target bearer comprises;

after the target base station determines, according to the synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet, that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station from the source base station is faster than or equal to a progress of the service of receiving a data packet by the target base station from a core network by using the multicast/multicast bearer, using, by the target base station, the multicast/multicast bearer to replace the unicast bearer used by the UE, and instructing the source base station to release a context of the UE.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining, by a target base station, that user equipment UE needs to be handed over from a source base station to the target base station and needs to perform a handover between a unicast bearer and a multicast/multicast bearer specifically comprises:

determining, by the target base station according to a service identifier in a handover request sent by the source base station, that a service received by the UE in the source base station by using the multicast/multicast bearer needs to be received by using the unicast bearer.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the receiving, by the target base station, a data packet sent by using the multicast/multicast bearer comprises:

receiving, by the target base station, UE transmission status information sent by the source base station, and receiving the handover command response message sent by the UE, wherein the UE transmission status information comprises the synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE; and

establishing, by the target base station, the unicast bearer used by the UE, acquiring, according to the synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE, the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE, and forwarding the data packet to the UE; and

that when the target base station determines, according to a synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet, that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using an original bearer is faster than or equal to a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using a target bearer, handing over, by the target base station, the UE to the target bearer comprises;

after it is determined that a progress of acquiring a data packet by the target base station according to the synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE is faster than or equal to a progress of the service of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using a newly established unicast bearer, instructing the source base station to release a context of the UE;

or,

the receiving, by the target base station, a data packet sent by using the unicast bearer and a data packet sent by using the multicast/multicast bearer comprises;

receiving, by the target base station, UE transmission status information sent by the source base station, and receiving the handover command response message sent by the UE, wherein the UE transmission status information comprises the synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE;

receiving, by the target base station, the data packet that is not successfully sent by the source base station to the UE;

establishing, by the target base station, the unicast bearer used by the UE, and sending a data packet identifier request indication to the core network, so as to instruct the core network to carry the synchronization protocol data packet identifier in the data packet when sending the data packet; and

forwarding, by the target base station, the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE to the UE, and receiving the data packet delivered by the core network by using the unicast bearer; and

that when the target base station determines, according to a synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet, that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using an original bearer is faster than or equal to a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using a target bearer, handing over, by the target base station, the UE to the target bearer comprises;

when a progress of receiving the data packet by the target base station from the source base station is faster than or equal to a progress of the service of receiving the data packet by the source base station from the core network by using a newly established unicast bearer, instructing the source base station to release a context of the UE.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the establishing, by the target base station, the unicast bearer used by the UE, acquiring, according to the synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE, the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE, and forwarding the data packet to the UE comprises:

when the target base station requests the core network to establish the unicast bearer, sending, by the target base station, to the core network, the synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE, receiving the data packet sent by the core network according to the synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE, and forwarding the data packet to the UE.

10. A user equipment handover method, comprising:

determining, by a source base station, that user equipment UE needs to be handed over from the source base station to a target base station;

sending, by the source base station to the target base station, a handover request that carries a service identifier of the UE, so that after determining that the UE needs to be handed over from the source base station to the target base station and needs to perform a handover between a unicast bearer and a multicast/multicast bearer, and when determining, according to a synchronization protocol data packet identifier of a data packet sent by using the unicast bearer and the multicast/multicast bearer, that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using an original bearer is faster than or equal to a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using a target bearer, the target base station hands over the UE to the target bearer.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the synchronization protocol data packet identifier is a synchronization sequence identifier and/or a data packet serial number of synchronization data.

12. A base station, comprising:

a processor, configured to determine that user equipment UE needs to be handed over from a source base station to the target base station and needs to perform a handover between a unicast bearer and a multicast/multicast bearer;

a receiver, configured to receive a data packet sent by using the unicast bearer and a data packet sent by using the multicast/multicast bearer;

the processor, configured to;

according to a synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet received by the receiver, that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using an original bearer is faster than or equal to a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using a target bearer, hand over the UE to a target bearer.

13. The base station according to claim 12, wherein the synchronization protocol data packet identifier is a synchronization sequence identifier and/or a data packet serial number of synchronization data.

14. The base station according to claim 12, wherein the processor is specifically configured to:

determine, according to a service identifier in a handover request sent by the source base station, that a service implemented by the UE in the source base station by using the unicast bearer can be incorporated into the multicast/multicast bearer.

15. The base station according to claim 14, wherein the receiver is specifically configured to:

receive UE transmission status information sent by the source base station, and receive a handover command response message sent by the UE;

receive a data packet that is not successfully sent by the source base station to the UE, and forward the data packet to the UE by means of unicast; and

establish the unicast bearer used by the UE, continue to acquire a data packet from a core network, and deliver the data packet to the UE; and

the processor is specifically configured to;

when it is determined that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using the unicast bearer is faster than or equal to a progress of the service of receiving a data packet by the target base station from a core network by using the multicast/multicast bearer, use the multicast/multicast bearer to replace the unicast bearer used by the UE.

16. The base station according to claim 15, wherein the processor is specifically configured to establish the unicast bearer used by the UE, and

wherein the base station is further comprises:

a transmitter, configured to send a data packet identifier request indication to a core network to instruct the core network to carry the synchronization protocol data packet identifier in the data packet when sending the data packet; and

the receiver, configured to receive the data packet that is sent by the core network and that carries the synchronization protocol data packet identifier, and deliver the data packet to the UE.

17. The base station according to claim 14, wherein the receiver is specifically configured to:

receive UE transmission status information sent by the source base station, and receive the handover command response message sent by the UE, wherein the UE transmission status information comprises an identifier of the data packet that is not successfully sent to the UE; and

receive a data packet that is not successfully sent by the source base station to the UE, and forward the data packet to the UE by using the unicast bearer; and

the processor is specifically configured to;

after it is determined, according to the synchronization protocol data packet identifier of the data packet, that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station from the source base station is faster than or equal to a progress of the service of receiving a data packet by the target base station from a core network by using the multicast/multicast bearer, use the multicast/multicast bearer to replace the unicast bearer used by the UE, and instruct the source base station to release a context of the UE.

18. The base station according to claim 12, wherein the processor is specifically configured to:

determine, according to a service identifier in a handover request sent by the source base station, that a service received by the UE in the source base station by using a multicast/multicast bearer needs to be received by using the unicast bearer.

19. A base station, comprising:

a processor, configured to determine that user equipment UE needs to be handed over from a source base station to a target base station; and

a transmitter, configured to;

after the processor determines that the UE needs to be handed over from the source base station to the target base station, send, to the target base station, a handover request that carries a service identifier of the UE, so that after determining that the UE needs to be handed over from the source base station to the target base station and needs to perform a handover between a unicast bearer and a multicast/multicast bearer, and when determining, according to a synchronization protocol data packet identifier of a data packet sent by using the unicast bearer and the multicast/multicast bearer, that a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using an original bearer is faster than or equal to a progress of receiving a data packet by the target base station by using a target bearer, the target base station hands over the UE to the target bearer.

20. The base station according to claim 19, wherein the synchronization protocol data packet identifier is a synchronization sequence identifier and/or a data packet serial number of synchronization data.