Communications system, base station, user equipment, and signaling transmission method

Abstract

The present invention provides a communications system, a base station, a user equipment, and a signaling transmission method. The system includes: a first base station and a second base station. User data transmission exists between the first base station and a UE; the first base station performs control signaling interaction with the UE by using a first signaling radio bearer; and the second base station performs control signaling interaction with the UE by using an SRB0, an SRB1, or an SRB2, where the first signaling radio bearer is different from the SRB0, the SRB1, and the SRB2. The technical solutions of the present invention can solve a problem of configuring a radio resource of an air interface connection between an enhancement-layer base station and a UE.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A communications system, comprising:
 a first base station, and a second base station that control signaling interactions with a user equipment (UE); 
 the second base station is configured to control signaling interaction with the UE using a signaling radio bearer different from a first signaling radio bearer, wherein the control signaling interaction comprises enabling the establishment of the first signaling radio bearer, the first signaling radio bearer is a signaling radio bearer SRB3, and a first connection between the UE and the first base station and a second connection between the UE and the second base station exist simultaneously; 
 the first base station is configured to: 
 generate a configuration message; 
 process the configuration message at Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) and radio link control (RLC) sublayers; 
 map the processed configuration message to a logical channel identified by a logical channel identifier (LCID) associated with a first signaling radio bearer; and 
 send, using the first signaling radio bearer, the processed configuration message to the UE so as to enable the UE to configure a radio resource of an air interface connection; 
 the second base station is configured to control signaling interaction with the UE using a signaling radio bearer different from the first signaling radio bearer. 
 
     
     
       2. The communications system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second base station is configured to send a radio resource control (RRC) message to the UE using the a signaling radio bearer SRB1, to enable the UE to add the first signaling radio bearer, wherein the RRC message comprises an identifier and configuration information of the first signaling radio bearer. 
     
     
       3. The communications system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first base station is configured to configure the radio resource of the air interface connection between the first base station and the UE; wherein the configuration message comprises the radio resource configuration of the air interface connection, the configuration message is sent to the UE using the first signaling radio bearer; and receive, a configuration completion message sent by from the UE, using the first signaling radio bearer;
 wherein the radio resource of the air interface connections connection is configured based on a radio resource configuration of the air interface connection. 
 
     
     
       4. The communications system according to  claim 3 , wherein the first base station is further configured to use the radio resource that is of the air interface connection and configured by the first base station, to perform the user data transmission with the UE using a data radio bearer (DRB). 
     
     
       5. The communication system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 user data transmission exists between the first base station and the UE; and 
 wherein the second base station performs the control signaling interaction with the UE using one of a signaling radio bearer SRB0, a signaling radio bearer SRB1, and a signaling radio bearer SRB2. 
 
     
     
       6. A base station, wherein user data transmission exists between the base station and a user equipment (UE), and the base station performs control signaling interaction with the UE using a first signaling radio bearer, the base station comprising:
 a radio resource configuring module first circuitry configured to generate a configuration message; 
 a signaling transmitting module second circuitry configured to (a) process the configuration message at Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) and radio link control (RLC) sublayers, (b) map the processed configuration message to a logical channel identified by a logical channel identifier (LCID) associated with the first signaling radio bearer, and (c) send, using the first signaling radio bearer, the processed configuration message to the UE so as to enable the UE to configure a radio resource of an air interface connection, wherein the first signaling radio bearer is established based on a signaling from a second base station, and a first connection between the UE and the base station and a second connection between the UE and the second base station exist simultaneously, and the first signaling radio bearer is a signaling radio bearer SRB3. 
 
     
     
       7. The base station according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first radio resource configuring module is further configured to configure the radio resource of the air interface connection between the base station and the UE, wherein the configuration message comprises the a radio resource configuration of the air interface connection; and 
 wherein the radio resource of the air interface connections connection is configured based on a the radio resource configuration of the air interface connection. 
 
     
     
       8. The base station according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a first data transmitting module third circuitry, configured to use the radio resource that is of the air interface connection and configured by the first radio resource configuring module circuitry, to perform to user data transmission with the UE using a data radio bearer (DRB). 
 
     
     
       9. The base station according to  claim 7 , wherein the first signaling transmitting module second circuitry is further configured to receive, using the first signaling radio bearer, a configuration completion message sent by from the UE, and send the configuration completion message to the first radio resource configuring module. 
     
     
       10. The base station according to  claim 9 , wherein the first signaling transmitting module second circuitry is configured to receive, from the logical channel that is identified by the logical channel identifier (LCID) associated with the first signaling radio bearer, the configuration completion message sent by from the UE, perform the radio link control (RLC) sublayer and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sublayer processing on the configuration completion message, and send a processed configuration completion message to the first radio resource configuring module. 
     
     
       11. The base station according to  claim 7 , wherein the radio resource configuration of the air interface connection comprises at least one piece of the following information:
 a media access control (MAC) sublayer parameter between the UE and the base station, a physical (PHY) layer parameter between the UE and the base station, a data radio bearer (DRB) parameter between the UE and the base station, and a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) parameter between the UE and the base station. 
 
     
     
       12. The base station according to  claim 6 , wherein the LCID associated with the first signaling radio bearer is a value within a range from a binary value 01011 to a binary value 11000. 
     
     
       13. The base station according to  claim 6 , wherein the first signaling radio bearer is different from a signaling radio bearer SRB0, a signaling radio bearer SRB1, and a signaling radio bearer SRB2; and any signaling radio bearer of the SRB0, SRB1, and SRB2 is a signaling radio bearer that is used when another the second base station different from the base station performs control signaling interaction with the UE. 
     
     
       14. A signaling transmission method at a base station providing control signaling interaction with a user equipment (UE) using a first signaling radio bearer, the method comprising:
 generating a configuration message; 
 processing the configuration message at Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) and radio link control (RLC) sublayers; 
 mapping the processed configuration message to a logical channel identified by a logical channel identifier (LCID) associated with the first signaling radio bearer; and 
 sending, using the first signaling radio bearer, the processed configuration message to the UE to enable the UE to configure a radio resource of an air interface connection, wherein the first signaling radio bearer is established based on a signaling from a second base station, a first connection between the UE and the base station and a second connection between the UE and the second base station exist simultaneously, and the first signaling radio bearer is a signaling radio bearer SRB3. 
 
     
     
       15. The signaling transmission method according to  claim 14 , wherein performing the control signaling interaction with the UE comprises:
 configuring, by the base station, the radio resource of the air interface connection between the base station and the UE, and wherein the configuration message comprises radio resource configuration of the air interface connection; and 
 wherein the radio resource of the air interface connections connection is configured based on a radio resource configuration of the air interface connection. 
 
     
     
       16. The signaling transmission method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the base station using the first signaling radio bearer, a configuration completion message sent by from the UE. 
 
     
     
       17. The signaling transmission method according to  claim 16 , wherein receiving the configuration completion message sent by from the UE comprises:
 receiving, by the base station from the logical channel that is identified by a logical channel identifier (LCID) associated with the first signaling radio bearer, the configuration completion message sent by from the UE; and 
 performing, by the base station, the radio link control (RLC) sublayer and the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sublayer processing on the configuration completion message, so that the base station acknowledges, according to a processed configuration completion message, that the UE has configured the radio resource of the air interfaceconnection. 
 
     
     
       18. The signaling transmission method according to  claim 15 , wherein the radio resource configuration of the air interface connection comprises at least one piece of the following information:
 a media access control (MAC) sublayer parameter between the UE and the base station, a physical (PHY) layer parameter between the UE and the base station, a data radio bearer (DRB) parameter between the UE and the base station, and a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) parameter between the UE and the base station. 
 
     
     
       19. The signaling transmission method according to  claim 14 , wherein the LCID associated with the first signaling radio bearer is a value within a range from a binary value 01011 to a binary value 11000 any signaling radio bearer of the SRB0, SRB1, and SRB2 is a signaling radio bearer that is used when the second base station performs control signaling interaction with the UE. 
     
     
       20. The signaling transmission method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 using, by the base station, the radio resource that is of the air interface connection and configured by the base station, to perform the user data transmission with the UE using a data radio bearer (DRB). 
 
     
     
       21. A user equipment (UE), comprising:
 a first circuitry, configured to:
 process a configuration completion message at a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) sublayer and a radio link control (RLC) sublayer; 
 map the processed configuration completion message to a logical channel identified by a logical channel identifier (LCID) associated with a signaling radio bearer SRB3; and 
 send the processed configuration completion message to a first base station using the signaling radio bearer SRB3; and 
   a second circuitry, configured to perform control signaling interaction with a second base station using a signaling radio bearer SRB0, a signaling radio bearer SRB1, or a signaling radio bearer SRB2;   wherein the signaling radio bearer SRB3 is different from the signaling radio bearer SRB0, the signaling radio bearer SRB1, and the signaling radio bearer SRB2, the SRB3 is established based on a signaling from the second base station, and a first connection between the UE and the first base station and a second connection between the UE and the second base station exist simultaneously.   
     
     
       22. The UE according to claim 21, wherein the signaling radio bearer SRB3 is established according to a radio resource control (RRC) message from the second base station to the UE using the signaling radio bearer SRB1 or the signaling radio bearer SRB2. 
     
     
       23. The UE according to claim 21, wherein the first circuitry is further configured to receive, through the signaling radio bearer SRB3, a configuration message from the first base station, the configuration message including a radio resource configuration of an air interface between the first base station and the UE. 
     
     
       24. The UE according to claim 23, further comprises:
 a processor, configured to configure a radio resource of the air interface connection according to the radio resource configuration.   
     
     
       25. The UE according to claim 24, wherein the UE is configured to use the radio resource to perform data transmission with the first base station using a data radio bearer (DRB). 
     
     
       26. A communication method, comprising:
 performing, by a user equipment (UE), control signaling interaction with a first base station using a signaling radio bearer SRB3, with the processing step comprising:
 processing, by the user equipment, a configuration completion message at a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) sublayer and a radio link control (RLC) sublayer; 
 mapping, by the UE, the processed configuration completion message to a logical channel identified by a logical channel identifier (LCID) associated with the signaling radio bearer SRB3; and 
 sending, by the UE, the processed configuration completion message to the first base station using the signaling radio bearer SRB3; and 
   performing, by the UE, control signaling interaction with a second base station using a signaling radio bearer SRB0, a signaling radio bearer SRB1, or a signaling radio bearer SRB2;   wherein the signaling radio bearer SRB3 is different from the signaling radio bearer SRB0, the signaling radio bearer SRB1, the signaling radio bearer SRB2, the SRB3 is established base on a signaling from the second base station, and a first connection between the UE and the first base station and a second connection between the UE and the second base station exist simultaneously.   
     
     
       27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the signaling radio bearer SRB3 is a signaling radio bearer established according to a radio resource control (RRC) message from the second base station to the user equipment using the signaling radio bearer SRB1 or the signaling radio bearer SRB2. 
     
     
       28. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:
 receiving, by the UE, a configuration message from the first base station through the signaling radio bearer SRB3, wherein the configuration message comprises a radio resource configuration of an air interface between the first base station and the UE, and wherein the configuration completion message corresponds to the configuration message.   
     
     
       29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising:
 configuring, by the UE, a radio resource of the air interface connection according to the radio resource configuration.   
     
     
       30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising:
 performing, by the UE, data transmission with the first base station using a data radio bearer (DRB) associated with the radio resource.