Enhancements to beam management

A first network node that supports at least one of central unit control plane, CU-CP, functionality or a layer 3 protocol of a radio access network, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first network node at least to:
• determine to initiate an inter-cell beam management, ICBM, procedure involving at least a source cell of a second network node that supports at least one of distributed unit, DU, functionality or a layer 2 protocol of the radio access network, the source cell serving a user equipment, UE, and a target cell of a third network node that supports at least one of the DU functionality or the layer 2 protocol of the radio access network;
• transmit a first request message to the third network node, wherein the first request message comprises information indicative of a beam of the target cell, and information for configuring the third network node to refrain from transmitting a UE-specific reference signal, RS;
• and
• receive a first response message from the third network node, wherein the first response message comprises information indicative of a configuration of the beam for the ICBM procedure and information indicative of the third network node being configured to refrain from transmitting the UE-specific RS.

A second network node that supports at least one of distributed unit, DU, functionality or a layer 2 protocol of a radio access network and is configured with a source cell serving a user equipment, UE, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second network node at least to:
• receive, from a first network node that supports at least one of central unit control plane, CU-CP, functionality or a layer 3 protocol of the radio access network, a first request message comprising information indicative of a configuration for a beam of a target cell of a third network node that supports at least one of the DU functionality or the layer 2 protocol of the radio access network, and information indicative of the third network node being configured to refrain from transmitting a UE-specific reference signal, RS;
• and
• transmit a first response message to the first network node, wherein the first response message comprises information indicative of an acknowledgement for the information indicative of the third network node being configured to refrain from transmitting the UE-specific RS.

A third network node that supports at least one of distributed unit, DU, functionality or a layer 2 protocol of a radio access network, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the third network node at least to:
• receive, from a first network node that supports at least one of central unit control plane, CU-CP, functionality or a layer 3 protocol of the radio access network, a first request message comprising information indicative of a beam of a target cell of the third network node, and information for configuring the third network node to refrain from transmitting a UE-specific reference signal, RS;
• configure the third network node to refrain from transmitting UE-specific RS;
• and
• transmit a first response message to the first network node, wherein the first response message comprises information indicative of the third network node being configured to refrain from transmitting the UE-specific RS.

A, user equipment, UE, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE at least to:
• receive, from a first network node that supports at least one of central unit control plane, CU-CP, functionality or a layer 3 protocol of the radio access network, a configuration message comprising information indicative of a beam of a target cell of a third network node that supports at least one of distributed unit, DU, functionality or a layer 2 protocol of the radio access network, and information indicative of the third network node being configured to refrain from transmitting a UE-specific reference signal, RS;
• monitor the UE-specific RS;
• and
• based on determining that the UE-specific RS is broadcast, transmit a message comprising information indicative of the UE-specific RS being broadcast to a second network node that supports at least one of the DU functionality or the layer 2 protocol of the radio access network.