Layer 2 operation for Layer 1 and Layer 2-centric inter-cell mobility

An apparatus for use in a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to perform the following:
• decode a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message received from a first cell, the RRC reconfiguration message including a Layer 1 (L1) configuration corresponding to a second cell, wherein the first cell and the second cell share a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) entity, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity, a radio link control (RLC) entity, and a medium access control (MAC) entity, the first cell and the second cell each having a separate L1 entity;
• in response to decoding the RRC reconfiguration message, store the L1 configuration corresponding to the second cell;
• decode a cell change message received from the first cell, the cell change message indicating that a cell change from the first cell to the second cell is to be performed;
• in response to decoding the cell change message, apply the stored L1 configuration corresponding to the second cell for data transmission and reception associated with the second cell;
• and
• initiate a cell change to the second cell.

A method for Layer 2 (L2) handling during a cell change procedure at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• decoding a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message received from a first cell, the RRC reconfiguration message including a Layer 1 (L1) configuration corresponding to a second cell, wherein the first cell and the second cell share a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) entity and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity, the first cell and the second cell each having a separate radio link control (RLC) entity, a medium access control (MAC) entity, and an L1 entity;
• in response to decoding the RRC reconfiguration message, storing the L1 configuration corresponding to the second cell;
• decoding a cell change message received from the first cell, the cell change message indicating that a cell change from the first cell to the second cell is to be performed;
• in response to decoding the cell change message, applying the stored L1 configuration corresponding to the second cell for data transmission and reception associated with the second cell;
• and
• initiating a cell change to the second cell.