Abstract: Method and apparatus for use in managing conditional handover, CHO, of a relay user equipment, UE, from a source base station to a target base station, the relay UE serving one or more remote UEs via one or more sidelink connections, are disclosed. A method at the relay UE comprises sending, to the one or more remote UEs, a CHO notification indicating the relay UE has been configured to perform CHO. A method at one of the one or more remote UEs comprises receiving, from the relay UE, CHO notification indicating that the relay UE has been configured to perform CHO. The CHO notification may further indicate that the relay UE is to perform CHO. Alternatively, another CHO notification may be sent to the one or more remote UEs/received at one of the one or more remote UEs, with the another CHO notification indicating that the relay UE is to perform CHO.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of transmitting over a radio access network to a base station, by a network entity, a radio resource control signalling indicating the capability of a user equipment to perform network coding, wherein the method comprises: detecting by the network entity of a trigger event for signalling to the base station, the network coding capabilities of the user equipment; generating by the network entity a radio resource control signalling message comprising the user equipment network coding capabilities; and transmitting by the network entity of the generated radio resource control signalling message to the base station.

Abstract: A method of wireless communication between a base station and a user equipment to signal network coding suspension and resumption of a device in a radio communication system, wherein the method includes receiving a network coding control element; and controlling activation or deactivation of network coding in response to the reception of the network coding control element, wherein the controlling comprises determining an indication of when the network coding activation or deactivation takes effect, the indication being an identifier of a first data packet for which the network coding is activated or deactivated.

Abstract: There is provided a method for use in a process for requesting resources by a source Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) topology from a target IAB topology of a communication system, each of the source IAB topology and the target IAB topology comprising a set of IAB nodes and a donor Central Unit (CU), the method at the source donor-CU of the source IAB topology comprising: transmitting a message to the target donor-CU relating to the request of the resources associated with an IAB-node of the source IAB topology; wherein the message comprises an indication identifying the IAB-node of the source IAB topology as a mobile IAB-node. A corresponding method at the target donor, and devices are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of wireless communication between a base station and a user equipment, wherein the method comprises: transmitting, by the base station, a data radio bearer configuration; and transmitting packets according to the data radio bearer configuration between the base station and the user equipment; wherein: the data radio bearer configuration comprises a network coding configuration; and the transmitted packets are transmitted according to the network coding configuration.

Abstract: A method for signalling a link issue in a wireless communication system comprising a relay UE node and a plurality of nodes is described. The relay UE node is configured to relay data between a first UE of the plurality of nodes and a second UE of the plurality of nodes. The method at the relay UE node includes: detecting a link issue associated with at least one of a first PC5 link established between the first UE and the relay node, and a second PC5 link established between the second UE and the relay node; after detecting the link issue, generating link issue feedback information for the detected link issue, the link issue feedback information including information for identifying a type of the detected link issue; sending the link issue feedback information to at least one of the first UE and the second UE.

Abstract: A Physical Cell Identity, PCI, conflict avoidance method in a wireless network comprising a first base station controlling a first cell having a first PCI, the method comprising: determining a conflict between the first PCI and a PCI of another cell in the vicinity of the first cell; and activating a second cell having a second PCI, wherein the second PCI is different to the first PCI.

Abstract: There is provided a method of wireless transmission of protocol data units over one or more radio link modules, the method comprising: splitting a service data unit, received from an upper layer, into a plurality of data packets; obtaining combined data packets, by applying a Network Coding to the data packets, wherein padding is added, if necessary, to the service data unit or to data packets to have data packets of equal length to which is applied the Network Coding; encapsulating the combined data packets into at least one protocol data unit, wherein each protocol data unit comprises a header and wherein the header contains a padding indication for indicating whether padding has been added or not, and transmitting the at least one protocol data unit over the one or more radio link modules.

Abstract: Methods for use in a process for migrating traffic from a source IAB topology to a target IAB topology are disclosed. Each of the source IAB topology and the target IAB topology comprises a donor CU. A method at a source donor CU of the source IAB topology comprises sending, to a target donor CU, a migration request including at least one item of traffic migration information, each item of the at least one item of traffic migration information for indicating resource requirements for traffic to be migrated from the source IAB topology to the target IAB topology, and including an identifier for use in uniquely identifying the respective item of traffic migration information and the traffic to be migrated; receiving, from the target donor CU, a migration response including at least one identifier for use in uniquely identifying traffic that has been accepted by the target donor CU.

Abstract: In an IAB communication system comprising at least two IAB topologies, each comprising a plurality of IAB nodes, a method for processing data packets at an IAB node comprises receiving a data packet including a routing identifier; determining whether the routing identifier is to be updated; in response to determining that the routing identifier is to be updated, identifying, based on header rewriting configuration information and the routing identifier of the received data packet, a new routing identifier and an associated IAB topology; updating the received data packet by updating the routing identifier with the identified new routing identifier; determining, based on routing configuration information associated with the identified IAB topology and the new routing identifier, an egress backhaul link over which the data packet is to be routed to a next IAB node; and transmitting the updated data packet over the egress backhaul link.

Abstract: A method for processing a flow control feedback in an IAB network comprising a plurality of IAB nodes is disclosed. Each IAB node is configured to deliver data received over an ingress link to an egress link. The method, at the IAB node, comprises receiving, from another IAB node over an egress backhaul link between the IAB node and the another IAB node, a flow control feedback comprising link identification information, determining at least one ingress backhaul link for use in forwarding the flow control feedback, updating information included in the flow control feedback for at least one of the determined at least one ingress backhaul link to provide an updated flow control feedback for the at least one of the determined at least one ingress backhaul link, transmitting the updated flow control feedback over the at least one of the determined at least one ingress backhaul link.

Abstract: A method at an Integrated Access and Backhaul, IAB, node of an IAB network is disclosed. The IAB network includes a donor Central Unit, CU. The method comprises detecting a link issue for transmission of data over a backhaul link of the IAB network and in response to detecting the link issue, sending a link failure notification to the donor CU. The link failure notification includes link identification information identifying the backhaul link and link issue information relating to the detected link issue including information associated with a cause of the detected link issue. A cause of the detected link issue may be one of link recovery failure, slow recovery of link issue or recurring link issues.

Abstract: A method, at an IAB network node, for routing data packets over one or more wireless backhaul links in an integrated access and backhaul, IAB, network comprising a donor network node, having a donor CU and a plurality of donor DUs, and a plurality of IAB network nodes is disclosed. Each donor DU and IAB network node are assigned a unique address and each donor DU is assigned to one of one or more groups with a unique group identifier assigned to each group of the one or more groups. The IAB network node is configured with routing configuration information including a unique address of at least one donor DU corresponding to at least one destination donor DU, at least one path identifier identifying at least one routing path to the at least one destination donor DU, the unique address of a donor DU or IAB network node of the IAB network that is a next node in the at least one routing path and the group identifier associated with the at least one destination donor DU.

Abstract: In an IAB network, an IAB-node detects a deficiency or failure of one BH link. A BH RLF indication message is sent to its child IAB-nodes specifying the BAP paths that are impacted, a quality of those paths and the deficient radio link by indicating the other IAB-node sharing the link. Same message are transmitted to this sharing IAB-node, but also to the IAB-donor in order to adapt the routing configuration of the IAB-nodes to the topology. BAP packets for the impacted BAP paths are rerouted using alternative BAP paths. IAB-nodes receiving the BH RLF indication message also apply routing strategies for the impacted BAP paths, taking into account the indicated quality. A similar message is transmitted when the BH radio link experiences recovery, so that the IAB-nodes stop rerouting the BAP packets and the IAB-donor restore the original routing configuration.

Abstract: A method for processing data packets at an integrated access and backhaul, IAB, node of an IAB network comprising a plurality of IAB nodes is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a data packet including a destination address of a destination IAB node for the data packet and a path identifier identifying a routing path for the data packet to the destination IAB node; determining, based on the received data packet, whether the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network; in response to determining that the routing path of the received data packet includes at least one IAB node of a different IAB network, using the path identifier of the received data packet to determine whether there is a next IAB node in the routing path for routing the data packet. When a next IAB node is determined, the data packet is routed to the next IAB node.

Abstract: In an Integrated Access and Backhaul, IAB, network, an IAB-node is configured as an initiator for performing BAP-sublayer processing to the aim of transmitting BAP packets over multiple RLC channels. BAP-sublayer processing may duplicate a received BAP packet. The same sequence number is appended to all the duplicates to allow another IAB-node terminating the duplication to recognize them. In a variant, BAP-sublayer processing may network encode one received BAP packet. Successive sequence numbers are assigned to the resulting BAP packets to allow another IAB-node terminating the network coding to recognize them. A terminator of the BAP-layer processing thus terminates the duplication by discarding all duplicates except one or network decodes received packets with successive sequence numbers. Duplication process may be nested within another duplication or within a network encoding.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of wireless communication between a base station and a user equipment, wherein the method comprises: transmitting, by the base station, a data radio bearer configuration; and transmitting packets according to the data radio bearer configuration between the base station and the user equipment; wherein: the data radio bearer configuration comprises a network coding configuration; and the transmitted packets are transmitted according to the network coding configuration.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of wireless communication between a base station and a user equipment, wherein the method comprises: receiving a network coding control element; and controlling the network coding activation or deactivation in response to the reception of the control element.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of transmitting over a radio access network to a base station, by a network entity, a radio resource control signalling indicating the capability of a user equipment to perform network coding, wherein the method comprises: detecting by the network entity of a trigger event for signalling to the base station, the network coding capabilities of the user equipment; generating by the network entity a radio resource control signalling message comprising the user equipment network coding capabilities; and transmitting by the network entity of the generated radio resource control signalling message to the base station.

Abstract: There is provided a method of wireless transmission of protocol data units over one or more radio link modules, the method comprising: splitting a service data unit, received from an upper layer, into a plurality of data packets; obtaining combined data packets, by applying a Network Coding to the data packets, wherein padding is added, if necessary, to the service data unit or to data packets to have data packets of equal length to which is applied the Network Coding; encapsulating the combined data packets into at least one protocol data unit, wherein each protocol data unit comprises a header and wherein the header contains a padding indication for indicating whether padding has been added or not, and transmitting the at least one protocol data unit over the one or more radio link modules.