US 11,751,110 B2
Mobile communications network, communications device, infrastructure equipment and methods
Vivek Sharma, Basingstoke (GB); Brian Alexander Martin, Basingstoke (GB); Shinichiro Tsuda, Basingstoke (GB); and Hideji Wakabayashi, Basingstoke (GB)
Assigned to SONY GROUP CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Sony Group Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Sep. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/467,452.
Application 17/467,452 is a continuation of application No. 16/610,527, granted, now 11,140,591, previously published as PCT/EP2018/060721, filed on Apr. 26, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 17169819 (EP), filed on May 5, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0400548 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. H04W 36/00 (2009.01); H04W 88/10 (2009.01); H04W 92/20 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 36/00835 (2018.08) [H04W 88/10 (2013.01); H04W 92/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communications device for use in a mobile communications network, the mobile communications network comprising a plurality of infrastructure equipment each providing wireless connectivity within at least one cell, wherein the communications device comprises circuitry configured to:
receive first information transmitted by a first infrastructure equipment indicating whether a first cell under control of the first infrastructure equipment is connected to a first core network operating in accordance with a first communications protocol, a second core network operating in accordance with a second communications protocol, or both of the first core network and the second core network, the first cell being a neighbour of a second cell,
transmit an automatic neighbour relation report to a second infrastructure equipment, the automatic neighbour relation report comprising second information indicating whether the first cell is connected to the first core network or both of the first core network and the second core network,
initiate a handover of the communications device from the first infrastructure equipment to the second infrastructure equipment using an X2 interface upon determining that the handover maintains use of the first core network or the second core network after the handover, and
initiate a handover of the communications device from the first infrastructure equipment to the second infrastructure equipment using an S1 interface upon determining that the handover requires changing from the first core network to the second core network or from the second core network to the first core network after handover,
wherein the first core network is a 5G Core Network, 5GC, and the second core network is an Evolved Packet Core, EPC.