US 12,495,338 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 Jul. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/355,421.
Application 18/355,421 is a continuation of application No. 17/467,452, filed on Sep. 7, 2021, granted, now 11,751,110.
Application 17/467,452 is a continuation of application No. 16/610,527, granted, now 11,140,591, issued on Oct. 5, 2021, 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 2023/0370917 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
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)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communications method of 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, the method comprising:
receiving 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,
transmitting 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,
initiating a handover of the communications device from the first infrastructure equipment to the second infrastructure equipment using a first interface upon determining that the handover maintains use of the first core network operating in accordance with the first communications protocol or the second core network operating in accordance with the second communications protocol after the handover, and
initiating a handover of the communications device from the first infrastructure equipment to the second infrastructure equipment using a second interface different from the first interface upon determining that the handover requires changing from the first core network operating in accordance with the first communications protocol to the second core network operating in accordance with the second communications protocol or from the second core network operating in accordance with the second communications protocol to the first core network operating in accordance with the first communications protocol after the handover.