Avoid out-of-order uplink data reception when a data radio bearer is released, switched to another data radio bearer, or when a quality of service flow is added

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for avoiding out-of-order uplink data reception when a data radio bearer (DRB) is released or a quality of service (QoS) flow is added. An exemplary method that can be performed by a user equipment (UE) includes: obtaining an indication that a first data radio bearer (DRB) is released or switched to a second DRB, wherein a first mapping maps a first quality of service (QoS) flow to the first DRB; obtaining a second mapping that maps the first QoS flow to the second DRB; based on the difference between a first configuration of the first DRB and a second configuration of the second DRB, editing a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header of an uplink protocol data unit (PDU) in an uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB; and sending the uplink PDU via the second DRB.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 417,266, filed on May 20, 2019, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 734,017, filed on September 20, 2018, both of which are assigned to the present assignee and are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entireties as if fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes. Technical Field

[0003] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more particularly, to techniques for avoiding out-of-order uplink data reception when a data radio bearer (DRB) is released, switched to another DRB, or a quality of service (QoS) flow is increased in a wireless communication network (such as a fifth generation (5G) network). Background Art

[0004] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcast, etc. These wireless communication systems may employ multiple access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, etc.). Examples of such multiple access systems include 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SCFDMA) systems, and Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) systems, to name a few.

[0005] In some examples, a wireless multiple access communication system may include multiple base stations (BS), each of which is capable of supporting communication of multiple communication devices (also referred to as user equipment (UE)) simultaneously. In an LTE or LTE-A network, a set of one or more base stations may define an eNodeB (eNB). In other examples (e.g., in a next generation, new radio (NR) or 5G network), a wireless multiple access communication system may include multiple distributed units (DU) (e.g., edge units (EU), edge nodes (EN), radio heads (RH), smart radio heads (SRH), transmission reception points (TRP), etc.) communicating with multiple central units (CU) (e.g., central nodes (CN), access node controllers (AN), etc.), wherein a set of one or more distributed units communicating with a central unit may define an access node (e.g., which may be referred to as a base station, 5G NB, next generation NodeB (gNB or gNodeB), TRP, etc.). A base station or a distributed unit may communicate with a set of UEs on a downlink channel (e.g., for transmission from a base station or to a UE) and an uplink channel (e.g., for transmission from a UE to a base station or a distributed unit).

[0006] These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate at a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. New Radio (NR) (e.g., 5G) is an example of an emerging telecommunication standard. NR is a collection of enhancements to the LTE mobile standard promulgated by 3GPP. It aims to better support mobile broadband Internet access by increasing spectral efficiency, reducing costs, improving services, utilizing new spectrum, and better integrating with other open standards using OFDMA with cyclic prefix (CP) on downlink (DL) and uplink (UL). To this end, NR supports beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation.

[0007] However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to grow, further improvements are needed in NR and LTE technologies. Preferably, these improvements should be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that adopt them. Summary of the invention

[0008] Each of the systems, methods, and devices of the present disclosure has several aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of the present disclosure as expressed by the appended claims, some features will now be briefly discussed. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled "Specific Implementation Methods," one will understand how the features of the present disclosure provide advantages including improved communication between access points and stations in a wireless network.

[0009] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a wireless communication method that can be performed by a user equipment (UE) is provided. The method generally includes: obtaining an indication that a first data radio bearer (DRB) is released, wherein a first mapping maps a first quality of service (QoS) flow to the first DRB; obtaining a second mapping that maps the first QoS flow to a second DRB; based on a difference between a first configuration of the first DRB and a second configuration of the second DRB, editing a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header of an uplink protocol data unit (PDU) in an uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB; and sending the uplink PDU via the second DRB.

[0010] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a wireless communication method that can be performed by a user equipment (UE) is provided. The method generally includes receiving a non-access stratum (NAS) protocol data unit (PDU) session modification command for a PDU session, the non-access stratum protocol data unit session modification command adding a new quality of service (QoS) flow with a first QoS flow identifier (QFI); determining that the UE does not have an uplink QoS flow to data radio bearer (DRB) mapping rule for the QoS flow with the first QFI; and, during a time period after the determination, preventing a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer of the UE from processing and sending uplink data associated with the QoS flow with the first QFI.

[0011] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a wireless communication method is provided. The method generally includes: receiving a configuration of a protocol data unit (PDU) session, wherein the configuration does not identify a default data radio bearer (DRB) of the PDU session, and the quality of service (QoS) flow of the PDU session does not configure a QoS flow to DRB mapping rule; after a time period has passed after receiving the configuration, determining whether the configuration is still valid; when the configuration is still valid: when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is configured to use an uplink service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header, mapping the QoS flow to the DRB; and when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is not configured to use an uplink SDAP header, mapping the QoS flow to another DRB that does not contain a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) QoS flow and is configured to use an uplink SDAP header.

[0012] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a device for wireless communication is provided. The device generally includes: a processor configured to: obtain an indication that a first data radio bearer (DRB) is released, wherein a first mapping maps a first quality of service (QoS) flow to the first DRB; obtain a second mapping mapping the first QoS flow to a second DRB; based on a difference between a first configuration of the first DRB and a second configuration of the second DRB, edit a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header of an uplink protocol data unit (PDU) in an uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB; and send an uplink PDU via the second DRB; and a memory coupled to the processor.

[0013] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a device for wireless communication is provided. The device generally includes: a processor configured to: receive a non-access layer (NAS) protocol data unit (PDU) session modification command for a PDU session, the non-access layer protocol data unit session modification command adding a new quality of service (QoS) flow with a first QoS flow identifier (QFI); determine that the device does not have an uplink QoS flow to data radio bearer (DRB) mapping rule for the QoS flow with the first QFI; and, during a time period after the determination, prevent a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer of the device from processing and sending uplink data associated with the QoS flow with the first QFI; and a memory coupled to the processor.

[0014] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a device for wireless communication is provided. The device generally includes: a processor configured to: receive a configuration of a protocol data unit (PDU) session, wherein the configuration does not identify a default data radio bearer (DRB) of the PDU session, and the quality of service (QoS) flow of the PDU session is not configured with a QoS flow to DRB mapping rule; after a time period has passed after receiving the configuration, determine whether the configuration is still valid; when the configuration is still valid: when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is configured to use an uplink service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header, map the QoS flow to the DRB; and when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is not configured to use an uplink SDAP header, map the QoS flow to another DRB that does not contain a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) QoS flow and is configured to use an uplink SDAP header; and a memory coupled to the processor.

[0015] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a device for wireless communication is provided. The device generally includes: a component for obtaining an indication that a first data radio bearer (DRB) is released, wherein a first mapping maps a first quality of service (QoS) flow to the first DRB; a component for obtaining a second mapping mapping the first QoS flow to a second DRB; based on a difference between a first configuration of the first DRB and a second configuration of the second DRB, editing a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header of an uplink protocol data unit (PDU) in an uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB; and a component for sending an uplink PDU via the second DRB.

[0016] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a device for wireless communication is provided. The device generally includes: a component for receiving a non-access stratum (NAS) protocol data unit (PDU) session modification command for a PDU session, the non-access stratum protocol data unit session modification command adding a new quality of service (QoS) flow with a first QoS flow identifier (QFI); a component for determining that the device does not have an uplink QoS flow to data radio bearer (DRB) mapping rule for the QoS flow with the first QFI; and a component for preventing a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer of the device from processing and sending uplink data associated with the QoS flow with the first QFI during a time period after the determination.

[0017] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a device for wireless communication is provided. The device generally includes: a component for receiving a configuration of a protocol data unit (PDU) session, wherein the configuration does not identify a default data radio bearer (DRB) of the PDU session, and the quality of service (QoS) flow of the PDU session is not configured with a QoS flow to DRB mapping rule; a component for determining whether the configuration is still valid after a time period has passed after receiving the configuration; a component for mapping the QoS flow to the DRB when the configuration is still valid and when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is configured to use an uplink service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header; and a component for mapping the QoS flow to another DRB that does not contain a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) QoS flow and is configured to use an uplink SDAP header when the configuration is still valid and when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is not configured to use an uplink SDAP header.

[0018] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium for wireless communication is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations generally including: obtaining an indication that a first data radio bearer (DRB) is released, wherein a first mapping maps a first quality of service (QoS) flow to the first DRB; obtaining a second mapping that maps the first QoS flow to a second DRB; based on a difference between a first configuration of the first DRB and a second configuration of the second DRB, editing a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header of an uplink protocol data unit (PDU) in an uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB; and sending the uplink PDU via the second DRB.

[0019] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium for wireless communication is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations generally including: receiving a non-access layer (NAS) protocol data unit (PDU) session modification command for a PDU session, the non-access layer protocol data unit session modification command adding a new quality of service (QoS) flow with a first QoS flow identifier (QFI); determining that a device containing the processor does not have an uplink QoS flow to data radio bearer (DRB) mapping rule for the QoS flow with the first QFI; and, during a time period after the determination, preventing a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer of the device from processing and sending uplink data associated with the QoS flow with the first QFI.

[0020] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable medium for wireless communication is provided. The computer-readable medium includes instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations generally including: receiving a configuration of a protocol data unit (PDU) session, wherein the configuration does not identify a default data radio bearer (DRB) for the PDU session, and the quality of service (QoS) flow of the PDU session is not configured with a QoS flow to DRB mapping rule; after a time period has passed after receiving the configuration, determining whether the configuration still holds; when the configuration still holds: when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is configured to use an uplink service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header, mapping the QoS flow to the DRB; and when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is not configured to use an uplink SDAP header, mapping the QoS flow to another DRB that does not contain a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) QoS flow and is configured to use an uplink SDAP header.

[0021] To achieve the aforementioned and related purposes, one or more aspects include the features fully described below and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the accompanying drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of one or more aspects. However, these features are only indicative of some of the various ways in which the principles of the various aspects can be employed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to be able to understand in detail the manner in which the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure are achieved, a more particular description briefly summarized above may be obtained by reference to a number of aspects, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, as the description may admit of other equally effective aspects.

[0023] Figure 1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example telecommunications system in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example logical architecture of a distributed radio access network (RAN) in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example physical architecture of a distributed RAN in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 4 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating designs of example base stations (BSs) and user equipment (UEs) in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example for implementing a communication protocol stack in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 6 An example of a frame format for a New Radio (NR) system in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0029] Fig. 7A An example of a QoS architecture in a next generation wireless access network is depicted.

[0030] Figure 7B An example of an SDAP Control PDU is depicted.

[0031] Figure 8 An uplink mapping for end-to-end QoS enforcement according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] Fig. 9is a diagram of a call flow when the NG-RAN configures the UE to change the AS mapping of an existing QoS flow from one DRB to another DRB according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig.10 It is a diagram showing that according to aspects of the present disclosure, Fig. 9 The call flow shown is a diagram of the uplink mapping during operation.

[0034] Fig.11 is a flow chart illustrating operations of wireless communications that may be performed by a UE to avoid out-of-order uplink data reception upon DRB release in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig.12 is a flow chart illustrating operations of wireless communications that may be performed by a UE to avoid out-of-order uplink data reception when QoS flows are increased in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0036] Fig.13 is a flow chart illustrating operations that may be performed by a UE to avoid discarding wireless communications of UL user data when the UE has a PDU session with a non-default DRB and no default DRB and at least one QoS flow that is not mapped to the DRB according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0037] Fig.14 A communications device according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown, which may include various components configured to perform operations of the techniques disclosed herein.

[0038] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one aspect may be beneficially utilized on other aspects without specific recitation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Aspects of the present disclosure provide apparatus, methods, processing systems, and computer-readable media for avoiding out-of-order uplink data reception when a data radio bearer (DRB) is released, switched to another DRB, or a quality of service (QoS) flow is increased in a wireless communication network (such as a fifth generation (5G) network).

[0040] The following description provides examples and does not limit the scope, applicability or examples set forth in the claims. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the functions and arrangements of the elements discussed may be changed. Various examples may appropriately omit, replace or add various programs or components. For example, the described method may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted or combined. In addition, the features described with respect to some examples may be combined in some other examples. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein may be used to implement a device or practice method. In addition, the scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover these devices or methods, which are practiced using other structures, functions or structures and functions in addition to or different from the various aspects of the present disclosure set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the present disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of the claims. The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "used as an example, instance or illustration". Any aspect described as "exemplary" herein is not necessarily interpreted as being superior to or better than other aspects.

[0041] The technology described herein can be used for various wireless communication technologies, such as LTE, CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC FDMA and other networks. The terms "network" and "system" are often used interchangeably. A CDMA network can implement radio technologies such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), cdma2000, etc. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other variants of CDMA. cdma2000 covers IS-2000, IS-95 and IS-856 standards. A TDMA network can implement radio technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). An OFDMA network can implement radio technologies such as NR (e.g., 5G RA), Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, FlashOFDMA, etc. UTRA and E-UTRA are part of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).

[0042] New Radio (NR) is an emerging wireless communication technology developed in conjunction with the 5G Technology Forum (5GTF). 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Advanced LTE (LTE-A) are versions of UMTS that use E UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, and GSM are described in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP). cdma2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2). The techniques described herein can be used for the above-mentioned wireless networks and radio technologies as well as other wireless networks and radio technologies. For clarity, although terms commonly associated with third generation (3G) and / or fourth generation (4G) wireless technologies may be used herein to describe aspects, aspects of the present disclosure may be applied to communication systems based on other generations, such as 5G and higher, including NR technologies.

[0043] New Radio (NR) access (e.g., 5G technology) can support various wireless communication services, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) for wide bandwidth (e.g., 80 MHz or wider) communications, millimeter wave (mmW) for high carrier frequency (e.g., 25 GHz or higher) communications, massive machine type communication (mMTC) for non-backward compatible machine type communication (MTC) technologies, and / or mission critical for ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC). These services may include latency and reliability requirements. These services may also have different transmission time intervals (TTIs) to meet corresponding quality of service (QoS) requirements. In addition, these services can coexist in the same subframe.

[0044] Example Wireless Communication System

[0045] Figure 1 An example wireless communication network 100 is shown in which aspects of the present disclosure may be performed. For example, the wireless communication network 100 may be a new radio (NR) or 5G network. Fig.11 , 12 The system and method described in FIGS. 13 and 13 for avoiding out-of-order uplink data transmission when a data radio bearer (DRB) is released or a quality of service (QoS) flow is added in a wireless communication network can be implemented in the wireless communication network 100.

[0046] like Figure 1As shown, the wireless network 100 may include multiple base stations (BS) 110 and other network entities. A BS may be a station that communicates with a user equipment (UE). Each BS 110 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" may refer to the coverage area of ​​a Node B (NB) and / or a Node B subsystem serving the coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. In the NR system, the term "cell" and the next generation NodeB (gNB), new radio base station (NRBS), 5G NB, access point (AP) or transmission reception point (TRP) may be interchangeable. In some examples, the cell is not necessarily fixed, and the geographical area of ​​the cell may move according to the location of the mobile BS. In some examples, the base station may be interconnected to each other and / or to one or more other base stations or network nodes (not shown) in the wireless communication network 100 through various types of backhaul interfaces (such as direct physical connection, wireless connection, virtual network, or using any suitable transmission network, etc.).

[0047] Typically, any number of wireless networks can be deployed in a given geographic area. Each wireless network can support a specific radio access technology (RAT) and can operate on one or more frequencies. RAT may also be referred to as radio technology, air interface, etc. Frequency may also be referred to as carrier, subcarrier, channel, tone, subband, etc. Each frequency may support a single RAT in a given geographic area to avoid interference between wireless networks of different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks may be deployed.

[0048] A base station (BS) may provide communication coverage for macro cells, pico cells, femto cells, and / or other types of cells. A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access to UEs with service subscriptions. A pico cell may cover a relatively small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access to UEs with service subscriptions. A femto cell may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and may allow restricted access to UEs associated with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in a home, etc.). A BS for a macro cell may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS for a pico cell may be referred to as a pico BS. A BS for a femto cell may be referred to as a femto BS or a home BS. In Figure 1In the example shown, BSs 110a, 110b, and 110c may be macro BSs for macro cells 102a, 102b, and 102c, respectively. BS 110x may be a pico BS for pico cell 102x. BSs 110y and 110z may be femto BSs for femto cells 102y and 102z, respectively. A BS may support one or more (eg, three) cells.

[0049] The wireless communication network 100 may also include a relay station. A relay station is a station that receives transmissions of data and / or other information from an upstream station (e.g., a BS or UE) and can send transmissions of data and / or other information to a downstream station (e.g., a UE or BS). A relay station may also be a UE that can relay transmissions for other UEs. Figure 1 In the illustrated example, a relay station 110r may communicate with a BS 110a and a UE 120r to facilitate communication between the BS 110a and the UE 120r. A relay station may also be referred to as a relay BS, a relay, or the like.

[0050] The wireless network 100 may be a heterogeneous network including different types of BSs, such as macro BSs, pico BSs, femto BSs, relays, etc. These different types of BSs may have different transmit power levels, different coverage areas, and different effects on interference in the wireless network 100. For example, a macro BS may have a high transmit power level (e.g., 20 watts), while a pico BS, a femto BS, and a relay may have a lower transmit power level (e.g., 1 watt).

[0051] The wireless communication network 100 may support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, the BSs may have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different BSs may be roughly aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, the BSs may have different frame timing, and transmissions from different BSs may not be aligned in time. The techniques described herein may be used for both synchronous and asynchronous operation.

[0052] A network controller 130 may be coupled to a set of BSs and provide coordination and control for these BSs. The network controller 130 may communicate with the BSs 110 via a backhaul. The BSs 110 may also communicate with each other (eg, directly or indirectly) via a wireless or wired backhaul.

[0053] UE 120 (e.g., 120x, 120y, etc.) may be dispersed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE may be fixed or mobile. UE may also be referred to as a mobile station, terminal, access terminal, subscriber unit, station, customer premises equipment (CPE), cellular phone, smart phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, laptop computer, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, tablet computer, camera, gaming device, netbook, smartbook, ultrabook, appliance, medical device or medical equipment, biosensor / device, wearable device (such as smart watch, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wristband, smart jewelry (e.g., smart ring, smart bracelet, etc.)), entertainment device (e.g., music device, video device, satellite radio, etc.), vehicle component or sensor, smart meter / sensor, industrial manufacturing equipment, global positioning system device, or any other suitable device configured to communicate via wireless or wired medium. Some UEs may be considered as machine type communication (MTC) devices or evolved MTC (eMTC) devices. MTC and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, etc. that can communicate with a BS, another device (e.g., a remote device), or some other entity. For example, a wireless node can provide connectivity to or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as the Internet or a cellular network) via a wired or wireless communication link. Some UEs can be considered Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which can be narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices.

[0054] Some wireless networks, such as LTE, utilize orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) on the downlink and single carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM) on the uplink. OFDM and SC-FDM divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, which are also commonly referred to as tones, bins, etc. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. Typically, modulation symbols are sent in the frequency domain using OFDM, while modulation symbols are sent in the time domain using SC-FDM. The spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. For example, the spacing between subcarriers can be 15kHz, and the minimum resource allocation (called a "resource block" (RB)) can be 12 subcarriers (or 180kHz). Therefore, for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 megahertz (MHz), the nominal fast Fourier transform (FFT) size can be equal to 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048, respectively. The system bandwidth can also be divided into subbands. For example, a subband may cover 1.08 MHz (ie, 6 resource blocks), and there may be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 subbands for system bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz, respectively.

[0055] Although aspects of the examples described herein may be associated with LTE technology, aspects of the present disclosure may be applicable to other wireless communication systems, such as NR. NR may utilize OFDM with CP on both the uplink and downlink, and include support for half-duplex operation using TDD. Beamforming may be supported and the beam direction may be dynamically configured. MIMO transmissions with precoding may also be supported. MIMO configurations in the DL may support up to eight transmit antennas, multi-layer DL transmissions of up to eight streams, and up to two streams per UE. Multi-layer transmissions of up to two streams per UE may be supported. Aggregation of multiple cells may be supported with up to eight serving cells.

[0056] In some examples, access to the air interface can be scheduled, where a scheduling entity (e.g., a base station) allocates resources for communications between some or all devices and equipment within its service area or cell. The scheduling entity may be responsible for scheduling, allocating, reconfiguring, and releasing resources for one or more subordinate entities. That is, for scheduled communications, subordinate entities utilize resources allocated by the scheduling entity. The base station is not the only entity that can act as a scheduling entity. In some examples, a UE may act as a scheduling entity and schedule resources for one or more subordinate entities (e.g., one or more other UEs), and other UEs may utilize the resources scheduled by the UE for wireless communications. In some examples, a UE may act as a scheduling entity in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network and / or a mesh network. In a mesh network example, in addition to communicating with a scheduling entity, UEs may communicate directly with each other.

[0057] exist Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , a solid line with double arrows represents desired transmissions between a UE and a serving BS, which is a BS designated to serve the UE on a downlink and / or uplink. A thin dashed line with double arrows represents interfering transmissions between a UE and a BS.

[0058] Figure 2 An example logical architecture of a distributed radio access network (RAN) 200 is shown, which may be Figure 1 200. The 5G access node 206 may include an access node controller (ANC) 202. The ANC 202 may be a central unit (CU) of the distributed RAN 200. The backhaul interface to the next generation core network (NG-CN) 204 may terminate at the ANC 202. The backhaul interface to the adjacent next generation access node (NG AN) 210 may terminate at the ANC 202. The ANC 202 may include one or more transmission reception points (TRPs) 208 (e.g., cells, BSs, gNBs, etc.).

[0059] The TRP 208 may be a distributed unit (DU). The TRP 208 may be connected to a single ANC (e.g., ANC 202) or more than one ANC (not shown). For example, for RAN sharing, Radio as a Service (RaaS), and service-specific ANC deployments, the TRP 208 may be connected to more than one ANC. The TRPs 208 may each include one or more antenna ports. The TRPs 208 may be configured to serve traffic to the UE individually (e.g., dynamically selected) or jointly (e.g., jointly transmitted).

[0060] The logical architecture of the distributed RAN 200 may support fronthaul solutions across different deployment types. For example, the logical architecture may be based on the capabilities of the transport network (eg, bandwidth, latency, and / or jitter).

[0061] The logical architecture of the distributed RAN 200 may share features and / or components with LTE. For example, the next generation access node (NG-AN) 210 may support dual connectivity with NR and may share a common fronthaul for LTE and NR.

[0062] The logical architecture of the distributed RAN 200 may enable cooperation within and between TRPs 208, for example, within and / or across TRPs via the ANC 202. An inter-TRP interface may not be used.

[0063] Logical functions can be dynamically distributed in the logical architecture of the distributed RAN 200. Figure 5 Described in more detail, the radio resource control (RRC) layer, the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, the radio link control (RLC) layer, the medium access control (MAC) layer, and the physical (PHY) layer can be adaptively placed at the DU (e.g., TRP 208) or the CU (e.g., ANC202).

[0064] Figure 3 An example physical architecture of a distributed radio access network (RAN) 300 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. A centralized core network unit (C-CU) 302 can host core network functions. The C-CU 302 can be centrally deployed. To handle peak capacity, C-CU 302 functions can be offloaded (e.g., to Advanced Wireless Services (AWS)).

[0065] A centralized RAN unit (C-RU) 304 may host one or more ANC functions. Optionally, the C-RU 304 may host core network functions locally. The C-RU 304 may have a distributed deployment. The C-RU 304 may be closer to the network edge.

[0066] The DU 306 may host one or more TRPs (eg, edge nodes (ENs), edge units (EUs), radio heads (RHs), smart radio heads (SRHs), etc.) The DU may be located at the edge of the network with radio frequency (RF) capabilities.

[0067] Figure 4 Example components of BS 110 and UE 120 are shown (eg Figure 1 ), which may be used to implement aspects of the present disclosure. For example, antenna 452, processors 466, 458, 464, and / or controller / processor 480 of UE 120, and / or antenna 434, processors 420, 430, 438, and / or controller / processor 440 of BS 110 may be used to perform various techniques and methods described herein, such as reference Fig.11 , 12 and the techniques and methods described in 13.

[0068] At BS 110, a transmit processor 420 may receive data from a data source 412 and control information from a controller / processor 440. The control information may be for a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), a physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), a physical hybrid ARQ indicator channel (PHICH), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a group common PDCCH (GC PDCCH), etc. The data may be for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), etc. The processor 420 may process (e.g., encode and symbol map) the data and control information to obtain data symbols and control symbols, respectively. The processor 420 may also generate reference symbols, such as for a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and a cell-specific reference signal (CRS). A transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor 430 may perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on ​​the data symbols, control symbols, and / or reference symbols (if applicable), and may provide output symbol streams to modulators (MODs) 432a to 432t. Each modulator 432 may process a corresponding output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator may also process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and upconvert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. The downlink signals from modulators 432a through 432t may be transmitted via antennas 434a through 434t, respectively.

[0069] At the UE 120, antennas 452a to 452r can receive downlink signals from the base station 110, and can provide the received signals to demodulators (DEMODs) in transceivers 454a to 454r, respectively. Each demodulator 454 can adjust (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) the corresponding received signal to obtain input samples. Each demodulator 454 can also process the input samples (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain received symbols. The MIMO detector 456 can obtain received symbols from all demodulators 454a to 454r, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols (if applicable), and provide detected symbols. The receive processor 458 can process (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for the UE 120 to a data sink 460, and provide decoded control information to the controller / processor 480.

[0070] On the uplink, at the UE 120, a transmit processor 464 may receive and process data from a data source 462 (e.g., for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)) and control information from a controller / processor 480 (e.g., for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)). The transmit processor 464 may also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., for a sounding reference signal (SRS)). The symbols from the transmit processor 464 may be precoded by a TX MIMO processor 466 (if applicable), further processed by a demodulator in the transceivers 454a through 454r (e.g., for SC-FDM, etc.), and transmitted to the base station 110. At the base station 110, the uplink signals from the UE 120 may be received by the antenna 434, processed by the modulator 432, detected by the MIMO detector 436 (if applicable), and further processed by the receive processor 438 to obtain decoded data and control information transmitted by the UE 120. The receive processor 438 may provide decoded data to a data sink 439 and decoded control information to a controller / processor 440 .

[0071] Controllers / processors 440 and 480 may direct the operation at base station 110 and UE 120, respectively. Processor 440 and / or other processors and modules at BS 110 may perform or direct the execution of processes for the techniques described herein. Memories 442 and 482 may store data and program codes for BS 110 and UE 120, respectively. Scheduler 444 may schedule UEs for data transmission on the downlink and / or uplink.

[0072] Figure 5Figure 500 showing an example for implementing a communication protocol stack according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The communication protocol stack shown can be implemented by a device operating in a wireless communication system such as a 5G system (e.g., a system supporting uplink-based mobility). Figure 500 illustrates a communication protocol stack including a radio resource control (RRC) layer 510, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer 515, a radio link control (RLC) layer 520, a medium access control (MAC) layer 525, and a physical (PHY) layer 530. In various examples, the layers of the protocol stack can be implemented as separate software modules, parts of a processor or ASIC, parts of non-colocated devices connected by a communication link, or various combinations thereof. Co-location and non-co-location implementations can be used in, for example, a protocol stack for a network access device (e.g., AN, CU, and / or DU) or a UE.

[0073] The first option 505-a shows a split implementation of the protocol stack, where the implementation of the protocol stack is performed on a centralized network access device (e.g. Figure 2 ANC 202 in the Figure 2 In the first option 505-a, the RRC layer 510 and the PDCP layer 515 may be implemented by the central unit, and the RLC layer 520, the MAC layer 525, and the PHY layer 530 may be implemented by the DU. In various examples, the CU and the DU may be collocated or non-collocated. The first option 505-a may be useful in macro cell, micro cell, or pico cell deployments.

[0074] The second option 505-b shows a unified implementation of the protocol stack, where the protocol stack is implemented in a single network access device. In the second option, the RRC layer 510, the PDCP layer 515, the RLC layer 520, the MAC layer 525, and the PHY layer 530 can each be implemented by an AN. The second option 505-b can be useful in, for example, a femtocell deployment.

[0075] Regardless of whether the network access device implements part or all of the protocol stack, the UE can implement the entire protocol stack, as shown in 505-c (e.g., RRC layer 510, PDCP layer 515, RLC layer 520, MAC layer 525 and PHY layer 530).

[0076] In LTE, the basic transmission time interval (TTI) or packet duration is a 1 millisecond subframe. In NR, the subframe is still 1 millisecond, but the basic TTI is called a time slot. Depending on the subcarrier spacing, the subframe contains a variable number of time slots (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16...time slots). NR RB is 12 consecutive frequency subcarriers. NR can support a basic subcarrier spacing of 15KHz, and other subcarrier spacings can be defined relative to the basic subcarrier spacing, such as 30kHz, 60kHz, 120kHz, 240kHz, etc. The symbol and time slot lengths are proportional to the subcarrier spacing. The CP length also depends on the subcarrier spacing.

[0077] Figure 6 A diagram showing an example of a frame format 600 for NR. The transmission timeline for each of the downlink and uplink may be divided into units of radio frames. Each radio frame may have a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 ms) and may be divided into 10 subframes, each of 1 ms, indexed from 0 to 9. Each subframe may include a variable number of slots, depending on the subcarrier spacing. Each slot may include a variable number of symbol periods (e.g., 7 or 14 symbols), depending on the subcarrier spacing. An index may be assigned to the symbol period in each slot. A microslot, which may be referred to as a subslot structure, refers to a transmission time interval having a duration less than a slot (e.g., 2, 3, or 4 symbols).

[0078] Each symbol in a slot may indicate a link direction (e.g., DL, UL, or flexible) for data transmission, and the link direction for each subframe may be switched dynamically. The link direction may be based on the slot format. Each slot may include DL / UL data and DL / UL control information.

[0079] In NR, a synchronization signal (SS) block is transmitted. The SS block includes PSS, SSS, and two symbols PBCH. It can be transmitted at fixed time slot positions (such as Figure 6 SS blocks are sent in symbols 0-3) shown in . The UE can use PSS and SSS for cell search and acquisition. PSS can provide half-frame timing, and SSS can provide CP length and frame timing. PSS and SSS can provide cell identification. PBCH carries some basic system information, such as downlink system bandwidth, timing information within a radio frame, SS burst set period, system frame number, etc. SS blocks can be organized into SS bursts to support beam scanning. Further system information, such as remaining minimum system information (RMSI), system information block (SIB), other system information (OSI), can be sent on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) in certain subframes.

[0080] In some cases, two or more subordinate entities (e.g., UEs) may communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Real-world applications of such sidelink communications may include public safety, proximity services, UE-to-network relay, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, Internet of Everything (IoE) communications, IoT communications, mission-critical grids, and / or various other suitable applications. Generally, a sidelink signal may refer to a signal that is communicated from one subordinate entity (e.g., UE 1) to another subordinate entity (e.g., UE 2) without relaying its communications through a scheduling entity (e.g., UE or BS), even though the scheduling entity may be used for scheduling and / or control purposes. In some examples, licensed spectrum may be used to communicate sidelink signals (unlike wireless local area networks, which typically use unlicensed spectrum).

[0081] The UE may operate in various radio resource configurations, including a configuration associated with sending a pilot using a dedicated resource set (e.g., a radio resource control (RRC) dedicated state, etc.), or a configuration associated with sending a pilot using a common resource set (e.g., an RRC common state, etc.). When operating in the RRC dedicated state, the UE may select a dedicated resource set to send a pilot signal to the network. When operating in the RRC common state, the UE may select a common resource set to send a pilot signal to the network. In either case, the pilot signal sent by the UE may be received by one or more network access devices (such as an AN or DU or a portion thereof). Each receiving network access device may be configured to receive and measure a pilot signal sent on a common resource set, and also receive and measure a pilot signal sent on a dedicated resource set allocated to the UE, wherein the network access device is a member of a monitoring set of network access devices of the UE. The CU receiving the measurement of the pilot signal sent to it by one or more or (a plurality of) receiving network access devices may use the measurement to identify a serving cell for the UE, or initiate a change in a serving cell for one or more UEs of the UE.

[0082] Service Quality Model in 5G Network

[0083] The 5G Quality of Service (QoS) model is based on QoS flows and supports both QoS flows that require guaranteed flow bit rate (GBR QoS flows) and QoS flows that do not require guaranteed flow bit rate (non-GBR QoS flows). Therefore, at the non-access stratum (NAS) level, a QoS flow is the smallest granularity of QoS differentiation in a protocol data unit (PDU) session. In some embodiments, a QoS flow is identified in a PDU session by a QoS flow identifier (QFI) carried in an encapsulation header on the next generation user plane (NG-U).

[0084] Fig. 7AAn example of a QoS architecture 700 in a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) 721 is depicted, which is applicable to both New Radio (NR) connected to a 5G Core Network (5GC) and E-UTRA connected to the 5GC. Fig. 7A As shown, for each user equipment (UE) 701, 5GC 723 establishes one or more PDU sessions (e.g., 707). For each UE (e.g., 701), NG-RAN 721 establishes one or more data radio bearers (DRBs) (e.g., 709 and 711) for each PDU session (e.g., 707). NG-RAN 721 further maps packets belonging to different PDU sessions (e.g., 707) to different DRBs (e.g., 709 and 711).

[0085] Typically, the NG-RAN 721 establishes at least one default DRB (e.g., 709 or 711) for each DRB session (e.g., 707). In this architecture, NAS-level packet filters in the UE and 5GC associate uplink and downlink packets with QoS flows (e.g., 715, 717, and 719). In addition, access stratum (AS)-level mapping rules in the UE and NG-RAN 721 associate UL and DL QoS flows (e.g., 715, 717, and 719) with DRBs (e.g., 709 or 711).

[0086] NG-RAN 721 and 5GC 723 ensure service quality (e.g., reliability and target latency) by mapping packets to appropriate QoS flows (e.g., 715, 717, and 719) and DRBs (e.g., 709 or 711). Therefore, in the 5G quality of service (QoS) model, there are two steps: mapping IP flows to QoS flows (NAS) and mapping from QoS flows to DRBs (AS).

[0087] At the NAS level, QoS flows (e.g., 715, 717, and 719) are characterized by QoS profiles provided by 5GC 723 to NG-RAN 721 and (multiple) QoS rules provided by 5GC 723 to UE 701. When the QoS rules specify the mapping between uplink user plane services and QoS flows to UE 701, the QoS profile is used by NG-RAN 721 to determine the processing on the radio interface 725. As described above, a QoS flow can be a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) or a non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR), depending on its profile. The QoS profile of a QoS flow may contain, for example, QoS parameters for each QoS flow (e.g., 715, 717, and 719). For example, the QoS parameters may include a 5G QoS identifier (5QI) and an allocation and retention priority (ARP). In the case of GBR QoS flows only, the QoS parameters may additionally include a guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR) for both uplink and downlink, a maximum flow bit rate (MFBR) for both uplink and downlink, and a maximum packet loss rate for both uplink and downlink. And only in case of non-GBR QoS, the QoS parameters may additionally include a Reflective QoS Attribute (RQA). Including RQA indicates that some (not necessarily all) traffic carried on this QoS flow is subject to Reflective Quality of Service (RQoS) at the NAS.

[0088] Furthermore, an aggregate maximum bit rate is associated per PDU session (session-AMBR) and per UE (UE-AMBR). The session-AMBR limits the aggregate bit rate that can be expected to be provided across all non-GBR QoS flows for a particular PDU session. The UE-AMBR limits the aggregate bit rate that can be expected to be provided across all non-GBR QoS flows for a UE.

[0089] 5QI is associated with QoS characteristics, giving guidance on setting node specific parameters for each QoS flow. Standardized or pre-configured 5G QoS characteristics are derived from 5QI values ​​and are not explicitly signaled. Signaled QoS characteristics are included as part of the QoS profile. QoS characteristics may include, for example, resource type (GBR, delay critical GBR, or non-GBR), priority, packet delay budget, packet error rate, average window, and maximum data burst size.

[0090] At the AS level, a DRB (e.g., 709 or 711) defines packet processing on the radio interface 725. The DRB (e.g., 709 or 711) serves packets with the same packet forwarding processing. The QoS flows (e.g., 715, 717, or 719) mapped to the DRB (e.g., 709 or 711) by the NG-RAN 721 are based on the QFI and the associated QoS profile (i.e., QoS parameters and QoS characteristics). Separate DRBs (e.g., 709 and 711) may be established for QoS flows (e.g., 715, 717, and 719) that require different packet forwarding processing, or several QoS flows (e.g., 715, 717, and 719) belonging to the same PDU session (e.g., 707) may be multiplexed in the same DRB (e.g., 709 or 711).

[0091] In the uplink, the NG-RAN 721 may control the mapping of QoS flows (e.g., 715, 717, and 719) to DRBs (e.g., 709 and 711) in different ways. First, the NG-RAN 721 may implement reflective mapping, where for each DRB (e.g., 709 or 711), the UE 701 monitors the QFI(s) of the downlink packets and applies the same mapping in the uplink; that is, for a DRB (e.g., 709 or 711), the UE 701 maps the uplink packets belonging to the QoS flows (e.g., 715, 717, and 719) corresponding to the QFI(s) and PDU sessions (e.g., 707) observed in the downlink packets of that DRB (e.g., 709 or 711). To implement this reflective mapping, the NG-RAN 721 marks the downlink packets with the QFI on the radio interface 725. Secondly, NG-RAN can implement explicit configuration, where in addition to reflective mapping, NG-RAN 721 can configure uplink "QoS flow to DRB mapping" through RRC signaling. Typically, UE 701 applies the latest update of the mapping rules, regardless of whether the update to the mapping rules is performed via reflective mapping or explicit configuration.

[0092] In the downlink, the QFI is signaled by the NG-RAN 721 over the radio interface 725 for RQoS purposes, and if neither the NG-RAN 721 nor the NAS (as indicated by the RQA) intends to use reflective mapping for the QoS flow(s) (e.g., 715, 717, or 719) carried in a DRB (e.g., 709 or 711), then no QFI is signaled for that DRB (e.g., 709 or 711) over the radio interface 725. In the uplink, the NG-RAN 721 may configure the UE 701 to signal the QFI over the radio interface 725.

[0093] For each PDU session (e.g. 707), a default DRB (e.g. 709 or 711) is configured. If an incoming uplink packet matches neither the configured RRC nor the reflected "QoS Flow ID to DRB Mapping", the UE maps the packet to the default DRB (e.g. 709 or 711) of the PDU session 707.

[0094] Within each PDU session (e.g., 707), how multiple QoS flows (e.g., 715, 717, and / or 719) are mapped to DRBs (e.g., 709 or 711) depends on the NG-RAN 721. The NG-RAN 721 may map GBR flows and non-GBR flows or more than one GBR flow to the same DRB (e.g., 709 or 711). For QoS flows configured during establishment of a PDU session (e.g., 707), the timing of establishing (multiple) non-default DRBs between the NG-RAN 721 and the UE 701 may be different from the time when the PDU session (e.g., 707) is established. The NG-RAN 721 determines when to establish the non-default DRB.

[0095] Figure 7B An example header 750 of a conventional SDAP PDU is depicted, which includes a "D / C" bit 752, an "R" bit 754, and a QFI bit 756 (i.e., the QFI field of the SDAP header of the SDAP PDU), which together constitute a byte of eight bits in size. In some cases, the "D / C" bit 752 indicates whether the SDAP PDU 750 is an SDAP data PDU or an SDAP control PDU. The R bit 754 is a reserved bit and, in some cases, can be set to zero. In addition, the QFI bit 756 indicates the ID of the QoS flow to which the SDAP SDU 750 belongs. For example, in an uplink packet, the QFI bit 756 can refer to a QoS flow with QFI=3.

[0096] Figure 8An uplink mapping 800 for end-to-end QoS implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In the present disclosure, a service data flow (SDF) may be considered as data, packets, and / or frames from a collection of applications on a smartphone, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto and is applicable to all types of SDFs in a wireless communication network. According to aspects of the present disclosure, a UE (e.g., UE 701 or UE 120) may have multiple PDU sessions 802, 804, and 806. In PDU session 802, two SDFs 810 and 812 are established. Packets from SDFs 810 and 812 are matched to a default QoS flow 814 of PDU session 802. The QoS flow identifier (QFI) of the default QoS flow of PDU session 802 is 1. Packets of the QoS flow are mapped to a default DRB 816 of PDU session 802 for transmission. In PDU session 804, five SDFs 820, 822, 824, 826, and 828 are established. Packets from SDF 820 are matched to QoS flow 830, which has a QFI of 1. Packets with QoS flow QFI=1 are mapped to DRB 840 for transmission. Packets from SDFs 822 and 824 are matched to the default QoS flow 832 of PDU session 804. The default QoS flow of PDU session 804 has a QFI of 2. Packets with QoS flow QFI=2 are mapped to the default DRB 842 of PDU session 804 for transmission. Packets from SDFs 826 and 828 are matched to QoS flow 834, which has a QFI of 3. Packets with QoS flow QFI=3 are also mapped to the default DRB 842 of PDU session 804 for transmission. In unstructured PDU session 806, packets are mapped to the default QoS flow 850 of PDU session 806. The default QoS flow of the unstructured PDU session has a QFI value of 1. Packets of QoS flow QFI=1 are mapped to the default DRB 860 of the PDU session 806 for transmission.

[0097] Fig. 9 FIG900 is a diagram of a call flow when the NG-RAN 902 configures the UE 904 to change the AS mapping of an existing QoS flow from one DRB to another DRB via RRC signaling. The configuration change and packet flow are as follows: Fig.10 As shown below. UE 120( Figure 1 and Figure 4 ) may be an example of UE 904, and Figure 4 The components of the illustrated UE 120 may perform the operations described in call flow diagram 900 .

[0098] The call flow shown in diagram 900 starts with UE 904 in RRC_Connected mode, registered to the 5G core network, and camped on an NR cell. The UE has established a PDU session, the PDU session type is IPv4, IPv6, IPv4v6, or Ethernet. At 910, the UE establishes a QoS flow with QFI=1 during PDU session establishment. RRC signaling (e.g., from NG-RAN) configures QoS flow QFI1 to map to the first DRB DRB1. The UE transmits UL and DL application data via QFI1 and DRB1.

[0099] At 912, the NG-RAN sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the UE. The RRC reconfiguration message contains a new mapping such that QFI1 is mapped to the second DRB DRB2. The new QFI to DRB mapping is conveyed via the information element (IE): RadioBearerConfig->DRB-ToAddMod->sdap-Config. At 914, the UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to acknowledge the RRC message of the NG-RAN.

[0100] Next, at 916, the UE SDAP layer maps all new QFI1 uplink data to DRB2. That is, according to the new QFI to DRB mapping, data arriving at the UE SDAP layer is mapped to DRB2. Therefore, in the remainder of the call flow 900, packets of QFI1 (e.g., Pkt-3 and Pkt-4) are mapped to DRB2.

[0101] At 918, after the UE has confirmed that no new QFI1 uplink data is mapped to DRB1, the UE creates an SDAP control PDU for QFI1 and places the SDAP control PDU into the DRB1 layer 2 transmission buffer. The SDAP control PDU is the last PDCP PDU for QFI1 in DRB1. Fig.10 In the example, the SDAP control PDU is placed after Pkt-2 in DRB1. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the PDCP entity in the UE cannot distinguish between the SDAP control PDU and the SDAP data PDU, so the PDCP treats both in the same way, and their order is preserved by the PDCP layer, i.e., the PDCP layer will ensure that the SDAP control PDU is the last PDCP PDU of QFI1 in DRB1. Therefore, the SDAP control PDU is used as an end marker in QFI remapping.

[0102] Then, at 920, the UE may have mapped some QFI1 uplink data to DRB1 (eg, Fig.10The UE sends all such QFI1 data via DRB1. Fig.10 In the example, Pkt-1 and Pkt-2 have been mapped to DRB1.

[0103] At 922, due to hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) and logical channel prioritization (LCP) (for example, DRB2 may have a higher priority than DRB1 in MAC layer scheduling), NG-RAN may receive DRB2 data described at 920 before receiving DRB1 data described at 916, but NG-RAN starts transmitting DRB2 data to the upper layer only after receiving the above-mentioned SDAP end marker control PDU. This means that for QFI1 in the uplink, NG-RAN transmits all DRB1 data to the upper layer before transmitting any DRB2 data. Fig.10 In the example, Pkt-3 and Pkt-4 (from DRB2) may be received by NG-RAN earlier than Pkt-1, Pkt-2 or SDAP control PDU. However, NG-RAN transmits Pkt-3 to upper layers only after receiving SDAP control PDU.

[0104] At 924, the NG-RAN remaps the data with DL QFI=1 from DRB1 to DRB2, depending on the implementation of the NG-RAN. This can happen at any time in the call flow.

[0105] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the UE uses the SDAP End Marker Control PDU to indicate that the configuration change has been applied. In the call flow, the old DRB (DRB1) will not be released.

[0106] Fig.10 It is shown in Fig. 9 1000 is a diagram of uplink mapping during the operation shown in the illustrated call flow 900. When the operation begins, the UE 1002 establishes a QoS flow 1004 with QFI=1 (i.e., QFI1) during PDU session establishment. RRC signaling (e.g., from the NG-RAN) configures the QoS flow QFI1 to be mapped to the first DRB 1006DRB1. The UE transmits UL and DL application data (e.g., Pkt-1 1010 and Pkt-2 1012) from the application layer 1050 via QFI1 and DRB1. As described above with reference to Fig. 9As described in 912, the UE receives an RRC reconfiguration message containing a new mapping such that QFI1 is mapped to the second DRB 1020DRB2. The Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer 1030 at the UE creates an SDAP control PDU 1032 for QFI1 and places the SDAP control PDU into the DRB1 layer 2 transmission buffer. The application layer generates additional application data, packets Pkt-3 1040 and Pkt-4 1042. The SDAP layer maps packets Pkt-3 and Pkt-4 to DRB2 according to the new mapping received in the RRC reconfiguration message.

[0107] Example of avoiding out-of-order uplink data reception when a DRB is released, switched to another DRB, or when a QOS flow is increased

[0108] According to aspects of the present disclosure, when there are still remaining UL SDAP data PDUs in the UE buffer of the released DRB, some DRBs (e.g. Fig.10DRB1 shown). The DRB may be released due to the following reasons: for example, switching from a 5G network that uses an SDAP header on the PDU to a 4G or 3G network that does not use an SDAP header on the PDU, PDU session user plane deactivation (i.e., all DRBs for existing PDU sessions are released), RRC release (i.e., a command from the network to release the DRB), or radio link failure (RLF). The UE can then perform the relevant procedures to establish the DRB again. For example, the UE has data to send via DRB DRB1, and the UE is assigned a new DRB DRB2. DRB1 and DRB2 can have different configurations. For example, in a first configuration for data of two QoS flows QFI1 and QFI2, DRB1 is configured to use an uplink SDAP header, and both QFI1 and QFI2 are mapped to DRB1. In this example, the UE receives a new configuration for QFI1 and QFI2 data. In the new configuration, a new DRB DRB2 is configured without an uplink SDAP header; QFI1 is mapped to DRB2; another new DRB DRB3 is configured not to use an uplink SDAP header; and QFI2 is mapped to DRB3. In this example, one problem is that the QFI1 and QFI2 data packets in the buffer of DRB1 are formatted based on the old configuration (i.e., the configuration of DRB1). Such QFI1 packets cannot be sent directly via DRB2 because their format does not conform to the configuration of DRB2, and if they are sent directly via DRB2, the receiver cannot process these packets correctly. In this example, the second problem is that, according to the new configuration, QFI1 packets can only be sent via the PDCP entity for DRB2, and QFI2 packets can only be sent via the PDCP entity for DRB3. However, QFI1 packets and QFI2 packets can be mixed in the same buffer of DRB1. The lower layer of the protocol stack (PDCP layer) does not know which packets come from the QFI1 QoS flow and which packets come from the QFI2 QoS flow.

[0109] In previously known techniques, if the newly configured DRB has a different UL SDAP header configuration (e.g., the released DRB uses an SDAP header and the new DRB does not use an SDAP header) and a different QFI to DRB mapping from the released DRB, the UE discards the UL data packets in the released DRB. Also, in previously known techniques, if the old configuration uses a UL SDAP header and the new configuration does not use a UL SDAP header, the receiving gNB treats the SDAP header (i.e., from the packet configured using the old configuration) as user data, and therefore, the upper layer (e.g., TCP / UDP / IP) protocol will find the data format invalid and discard the packet. Furthermore, in previously known techniques, due to the previously mentioned packet discard, the UL data may be out of order on the receiver side. Therefore, it is desirable to develop techniques to avoid out-of-order uplink data reception when a DRB is released or switched to another DRB.

[0110] Fig.11 is a flow chart illustrating operations 1100 of wireless communication according to aspects of the present disclosure, which may be performed by a UE (eg, Figure 1 and Figure 4 ) is performed by the UE 120 shown in FIG. 1 to avoid out-of-order uplink data reception when the DRB is released.

[0111] At block 1102, operations 1100 begin with a UE obtaining an indication that a first data radio bearer (DRB) is released, wherein a first mapping maps a first quality of service (QoS) flow to the first DRB. Figure 1 and 4 ) is initially connected to a 4G core network (eg, a 4G network operated by BS 110a, such as Figure 1 ), the first DRB (DRB1) is a 4G DRB configured not to use an uplink SDAP header on the PDU; and the UE receives a handover (HO) command to switch to a 5G core network (e.g., a 5G network operated by BS 110b, such as Figure 1 Receiving a handover command is an example of the UE obtaining an indication that the first DRB is released.

[0112] Operations 1100 continue at block 1104, where the UE obtains a second mapping that maps the first QoS flow to the second DRB. Continuing with the above example, the network (e.g., in a HO command) configures the UE to map DRB1 (i.e., the first DRB) to a QoS flow of a second DRB (DRB2, e.g., a 5G DRB configured to use an SDAP header on a PDU).

[0113] At box 1106, operation 1100 continues with the UE editing a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header of an uplink protocol data unit (PDU) in an uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB based on a difference between the first configuration of the first DRB and the second configuration of the second DRB. Continuing with the above example, the UE edits each SDAP PDU in the UE's transmission buffer that was previously mapped to DRB1 by adding an SDAP header to the PDU. The UE may move the edited PDU (i.e., the PDU with the added SDAP header) to the transmission buffer for DRB2. The UE then sends the edited PDU via DRB2.

[0114] Operations 1100 continue at block 1108 with the UE sending the uplink PDU via the second DRB. Continuing with the above example, the UE sends the edited PDU (ie, the PDU with the added SDAP header) via the second DRB (DRB2).

[0115] The following example describes the execution of operation 1100 (referenced above). Fig.11 UE (described). UE (for example, Figure 1 ) is initially connected to a 5G core network (e.g., Figure 1 The UE then switches to a 4G core network (e.g., a 5G network operated via BS 110a). Figure 1 110b). The UE is configured by the network to map the QoS flow of 5G DRB1 to a 4G DRB (e.g., 4G DRB2). DRB1 is configured to use an uplink SDAP header on the SDAP PDU, while DRB2 is configured not to use an SDAP header on the PDU. In this example, the UE may perform operation 1100 to edit each SDAP PDU mapped to DRB1 in the UE transmission buffer by removing the SDAP header from the PDU, and then move the edited PDU (i.e., the PDU after the SDAP header has been removed) to the transmission buffer for DRB2, and then send the edited PDU via DRB2.

[0116] According to aspects of the present disclosure, if the newly configured DRB has a different UL SDAP header configuration and QFI-to-DRB mapping than the released DRB, the UE performing operation 1100 does not discard the UL data packet in the released DRB (i.e., the first DRB of block 1102). Because the UE does not discard the UL data, the UL data is received in order (i.e., in the correct sequence) at the receiver side.

[0117] In aspects of the present disclosure, if the first configuration of the first DRB (i.e., the first configuration in box 1106) indicates that the uplink SDAP PDU does not have an SDAP header (for example, the first DRB is a DRB for a 3G or 4G network), and the second configuration of the second DRB (i.e., the second configuration in box 1106) indicates that the uplink SDAP PDU has an SDAP header (for example, the second DRB is a DRB for a 5G network), then for each existing UL SDAP data PDU in the UE's DRB uplink buffer, the UE: adds an uplink SDAP header to the SDAP data PDU; sets the "QFI" field of the UL SDAP header to the QFI value of the QoS flow (i.e., the QoS flow in box 1102); based on relevant specifications (such as 3GPP TS.37.324), sets other fields of the added UL SDAP header; and sends the updated UL SDAP data PDU via the second DRB.

[0118] According to aspects of the present disclosure, if the first configuration of the first DRB (i.e., the first configuration in box 1106) indicates that the uplink SDAP PDU has an SDAP header, and the second configuration of the second DRB (i.e., the second configuration in box 1106) indicates that the uplink SDAP PDU has no SDAP header, then for each existing UL SDAP data PDU in the UE's DRB uplink buffer, the UE removes the uplink SDAP header from the SDAP data PDU and sends an updated UL SDAP data PDU via the second DRB.

[0119] In a previously known technique, a UE may receive a NAS PDU Session Modification command to add a new QoS flow QFI1 by adding one or more QoS rules associated with QFI1, (i.e., the UE has no QoS flow before obtaining the NAS PDU Session Modification command); and before the UE obtains the QFI to DRB mapping rules for QFI1, the UE may send out-of-order packets by using the rules associated with QFI1. This may occur when the gNB does not configure the QFI to DRB mapping at exactly the same TTI as the network configures the new QoS flow for the UE (which may often happen), because the two configurations may come from different network entities. In a previously known technique, when the UE receives a NAS PDU Session Modification command to add a new QoS flow (QFI1) before the UE obtains the QFI to DRB mapping rules for QFI1, the UE will map QFI1 to a default DRB. When the UE receives an RRC Reconfiguration message containing a configuration to map QFI1 to another DRB (e.g., DRB2), the UE locally remaps QFI1 to another DRB (DRB2). However, the network may not expect such remapping. In-order delivery is tracked only within a DRB, but during the remapping transition time, QFI1 packets are sent through both DRB1 and DRB2, so data packets of QFI1 may be received in an order other than their original order. Therefore, it is desirable to develop techniques to avoid out-of-order uplink data reception when QoS flows are added.

[0120] Fig.12 is a flow chart illustrating operations 1200 for wireless communication, which may be performed by a UE (eg, Figure 1 and Figure 4 ) is performed by the UE 120 shown in FIG. 1 to avoid out-of-order uplink data reception when QoS flows are added.

[0121] At block 1202, operations 1200 begin with a UE receiving a non-access stratum (NAS) protocol data unit (PDU) session modification command for a PDU session that adds a new quality of service (QoS) flow with a first QoS flow identifier (QFI). For example, UE 120 (e.g., Figure 1 ) receives a NAS PDU session modification command message for a PDU session, which adds a new QoS flow with QFI=2 (ie, the first QFI).

[0122] Operations 1200 continue at block 1204 with the UE determining that the UE does not have uplink QoS flow to data radio bearer (DRB) mapping rules for the QoS flow with the first QFI. Continuing with the above example, the UE determines that the UE does not have uplink QoS flow to DRB mapping rules for QoS with QFI=2.

[0123] Operations 1200 continue at block 1206, where the UE prevents a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer of the UE from processing and sending uplink data associated with the QoS flow with the first QFI during a period of time after the determination. Continuing with the above example, when the first timer counts down the period of time, the UE prevents the SDAP layer of the UE from processing and sending uplink data associated with the QoS flow with QFI=2.

[0124] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the UE performing operation 1200 may cause the receiver to receive packets of the QoS flow having the first QFI of block 1202 in the original order of the packets.

[0125] In aspects of the present disclosure, a UE performing operation 1200 may receive a QoS flow-to-DRB mapping rule for a QoS flow having a first QFI (i.e., the QoS flow in block 1202). The UE may then use the received QoS flow-to-DRB mapping rule to process and send uplink data associated with the QoS flow having the first QFI.

[0126] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the UE performing operation 1200 may determine a QoS flow to DRB mapping rule for a QoS flow having a first QFI (ie, the QoS flow in box 1202) at the end of a time period (ie, the time period in box 1206).

[0127] In aspects of the present disclosure, a UE performing operation 1200 may start a timer at the beginning of a time period (ie, the time period in block 1204 ) and determine that the time period ends when the timer expires.

[0128] In aspects of the present disclosure, a UE that determines a QoS flow to DRB mapping rule for a QoS flow with a first QFI (i.e., the QoS flow in box 1202) may determine the DRB mapping rule as: mapping the PDU of the QoS flow with the first QFI to the default DRB of the PDU session.

[0129] According to aspects of the present disclosure, a UE that determines a QoS flow to DRB mapping rule for a QoS flow with a first QFI (i.e., the QoS flow in box 1202) can determine that the PDU session has no default DRB, and then determine the DRB mapping rule as: mapping the PDU of the QoS flow with the first QFI to a non-default DRB of the PDU session.

[0130] In previously known techniques, if a PDU session has a non-default DRB and no default DRB, and at least one QoS flow of the PDU session does not have a QoS flow to DRB mapping rule configured, the UE behavior is not defined and the UE will typically discard uplink user data for the (multiple) QoS flows that are not mapped to the DRB. While this is a network error and should rarely occur in a well-configured 5G Standalone (SA) network, it may occur in initial SA deployments where the network configuration may not be optimal. Therefore, it is desirable to develop techniques to prevent the UE from discarding uplink user data in these situations.

[0131] Fig.13 A flowchart illustrating operations 1300 for wireless communication according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown, which operations may be performed by a UE (eg, Figure 1 and Figure 4 The UE 120 shown is executed to avoid discarding UL user data when the UE has a PDU session with a non-default DRB, no default DRB and at least one QoS flow that is not mapped to any DRB.

[0132] At block 1302, operations 1300 begin with a UE receiving a configuration for a protocol data unit (PDU) session, wherein the configuration does not identify a default data radio bearer (DRB) for the PDU session, and a quality of service (QoS) flow for the PDU session does not have a QoS flow to DRB mapping rule configured. Figure 1 and Figure 4 ) receives a configuration of a PDU session (e.g., for a web browsing application), wherein the configuration does not identify a default DRB for the PDU session, and the QoS flow of the PDU session has no QoS flow to DRB mapping rule configured.

[0133] At block 1304, operations 1300 continue with the UE determining whether the configuration still holds after a time period has passed after receiving the configuration. Continuing with the above example, when the timer (i.e., the timer started in block 1304) expires, the UE determines whether the configuration (i.e., the configuration received in block 1302) still holds (e.g., the UE determines whether a replacement configuration has been received).

[0134] Operation 1300 continues at box 1306, and when the configuration still holds, the UE performs the following: mapping the QoS flow to the DRB when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is configured to use the uplink Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) header; and mapping the QoS flow to another DRB that does not contain a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) QoS flow and is configured to use an uplink SDAP header when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is not configured to use the uplink SDAP header. Continuing with the above example, if the UE determines that the configuration in box 1306 still holds true, then: when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is configured to use an uplink Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) header, the UE maps the QoS flow (i.e., the QoS flow for which the QoS flow to DRB mapping rule is not configured in box 1302) to a DRB (i.e., a DRB configured to use an uplink SDAP header and containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule), and when the DRB of the PDU session containing the QoS flow associated with the default QoS rule is not configured to use an uplink SDAP header, maps the QoS flow (i.e., the QoS flow for which the QoS flow to DRB mapping rule is not configured in box 1302) to another DRB that does not contain any guaranteed bit rate (GBR) QoS flow and is configured to use an uplink SDAP header.

[0135] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the UE performing operation 1300 does not discard uplink user data in the following cases:

[0136] (1) The UE has a PDU session with a non-default DRB and no default DRB, and

[0137] (2) At least one QoS flow of the PDU session has no mapped DRB configured.

[0138] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the UE performing operation 1300 may determine the length of the time period (ie, the time period in block 1304) based on a wireless network communication standard.

[0139] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the UE performing operation 1300 may determine the length of the time period (ie, the time period in block 1304) based on a configuration received from the network (ie, received from the base station).

[0140] In aspects of the present disclosure, a UE performing operation 1300 may start a timer at the beginning of a time period (ie, the time period in block 1304 ) and determine that the time period ends when the timer expires.

[0141] Example Communication Device

[0142] Fig.14 A communication device 1400 is shown, which may include various components (eg, corresponding to means-plus-function components) configured to perform operations of the techniques disclosed herein, such as Fig.11 , 12 13. The communication device 1400 includes a processing system 1402 coupled to a transceiver 1408. The transceiver 1408 is configured to transmit and receive signals, such as the various signals described herein, for the communication device 1400 via an antenna 1410. The processing system 1402 may be configured to perform processing functions for the communication device 1400, including processing signals received and / or transmitted by the communication device 1400.

[0143] The processing system 1402 includes a processor 1404 coupled to a computer readable medium / memory 1412 via a bus 1406. In some aspects, the computer readable medium / memory 1412 is configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor 1404, cause the processor 1404 to perform Fig.11 , 12 and the operations shown in 13, or other operations for performing the various techniques discussed herein.

[0144] In some aspects, the processing system 1402 also includes a Fig.11 , 12 and 13. In addition, the processing system 1402 includes a receiving component 1414 for performing the operations shown in FIG. Fig.11 , 12 and 13. In addition, the processing system 1402 includes a sending component 1416 for performing the operations shown in FIG. Fig.11 , 12 and 13. In addition, the processing system 1402 includes a determination component 1418 for performing Fig.11 , 12 13. The receiving component 1414, the sending component 1416, the determining component 1418, and the exporting component 1420 can be coupled to the processor 1404 via the bus 1406. In some aspects, the receiving component 1414, the sending component 1416, the determining component 1418, and the exporting component 1420 can be hardware circuits. In some aspects, the receiving component 1414, the sending component 1416, the determining component 1418, and the exporting component 1420 can be software components that are executed and run on the processor 1404.

[0145] The methods disclosed herein include one or more steps or actions for implementing these methods. Without departing from the scope of the claims, the method steps and / or actions can be interchangeable with each other. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions is specified, the order and / or use of specific steps and / or actions can be modified without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0146] As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one" of a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to cover a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, as well as any combination with multiple identical elements (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbc, cc, and ccc, or any other arrangement of a, b, and c).

[0147] As used herein, the term "determining" encompasses a wide variety of actions. For example, "determining" may include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, searching (e.g., searching in a table, a database, or another data structure), ascertaining, etc. In addition, "determining" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), etc. In addition, "determining" may include parsing, selecting, choosing, establishing, etc.

[0148] The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the present claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but to conform to the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein, unless otherwise specified, reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one", but to mean "one or more". Unless otherwise specifically stated, the term "some" refers to one or more. All structural and functional equivalents of the elements throughout the various aspects described in this disclosure that are known or will be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be included by the claims. In addition, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be contributed to the public, whether or not such disclosure is explicitly stated in the claims. Any claim element shall not be interpreted according to the provisions of 35 USC§112(f), unless the element is explicitly stated using the phrase "a component for...", or in the case of a method claim, the element is stated using the phrase "a step for...".

[0149] The various operations of the above method can be performed by any suitable component capable of performing the corresponding function. The component may include various hardware and / or (multiple) software components and / or (multiple) modules, including but not limited to circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or processors. Typically, where there are operations shown in the figure, these operations may have corresponding paired components plus functional components with similar numbers.

[0150] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the present disclosure may be implemented or executed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but as an alternative, the processor may be any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0151] If implemented in hardware, an example hardware configuration may include a processing system in a wireless node. The processing system may be implemented using a bus architecture. Depending on the specific application and overall design constraints of the processing system, the bus may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges. The bus may link various circuits together, including a processor, a machine-readable medium, and a bus interface. The bus interface may be used to connect a network adapter, etc., to the processing system via the bus. The network adapter may be used to implement the signal processing functions of the PHY layer. In the case of a user terminal 120 (see Figure 1 ), a user interface (e.g., keyboard, display, mouse, joystick, etc.) may also be connected to the bus. The bus may also link various other circuits, such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, etc., which are well known in the art and will not be described further. The processor may be implemented using one or more general and / or special purpose processors. Examples include microprocessors, microcontrollers, DSP processors, and other circuits that can execute software. Those skilled in the art will recognize how to best implement the described functions of the processing system depending on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the entire system.

[0152] If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or sent through a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or other, software should be broadly interpreted as representing instructions, data, or any combination thereof. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any media that facilitates the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. The processor may be responsible for managing the bus and general processing, including the execution of software modules stored on a machine-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, a storage medium may be integrated into the processor. As an example, a machine-readable medium may include a transmission line, a carrier modulated by data, and / or a computer-readable storage medium on which instructions separated from a wireless node are stored, all of which may be accessed by a processor through a bus interface. Alternatively or additionally, a machine-readable medium or any part thereof may be integrated into a processor, such as a cache and / or a general register file. As an example, examples of machine-readable storage media may include RAM (random access memory), flash memory, ROM (read only memory), PROM (programmable read only memory), EPROM (erasable programmable read only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory), registers, magnetic disks, optical disks, hard drives, or any other suitable storage media, or any combination thereof. Machine-readable media may be included in a computer program product.

[0153] A software module may include a single instruction or multiple instructions, and may be distributed over several different code segments, distributed in different programs, and distributed over multiple storage media. A computer-readable medium may include several software modules. A software module includes instructions that, when executed by a device such as a processor, cause a processing system to perform various functions. A software module may include a sending module and a receiving module. Each software module may reside in a single storage device, or may be distributed over multiple storage devices. As an example, when a triggering event occurs, a software module may be loaded from a hard drive into a RAM. During execution of a software module, a processor may load some instructions into a cache to increase access speed. One or more cache lines may then be loaded into a general register file for execution by the processor. When referring to the functions of a software module below, it should be understood that these functions are implemented by the processor when executing instructions from the software module.

[0154] Additionally, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technology (such as infrared (IR), radio, and microwave), then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technology (such as infrared, radio, and microwave) are included in the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Disks, where magnetic disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical disks reproduce data optically with lasers. Thus, in some aspects, computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable media (e.g., tangible media). Additionally, for other aspects, computer-readable media may include transitory computer-readable media (e.g., signals). Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0155] Thus, some aspects may include a computer program product for performing the operations presented herein. For example, such a computer program product may include a computer-readable medium having instructions stored (and / or encoded) thereon, the instructions being executable by one or more processors to perform the operations described herein. For example, a computer program product for performing the operations described herein and Fig.11 , 12 and 13 are instructions for the operations shown.

[0156] In addition, it should be understood that, if applicable, the modules and / or other suitable components for performing the methods and techniques described herein can be downloaded and / or otherwise obtained by the user terminal and / or base station. For example, such a device can be coupled to a server to facilitate the transmission of the components for performing the methods described herein. Alternatively, the various methods described herein can be provided via a storage component (e.g., RAM, ROM, a physical storage medium such as a compact disc (CD) or a floppy disk, etc.), so that the user terminal and / or base station can obtain the various methods when the storage component is coupled or provided to the device. In addition, any other suitable technology for providing the methods and techniques described herein to the device can be utilized.

[0157] It is to be understood that the present claims are not limited to the precise configuration and components described above. Various modifications, changes and variations may be made in the arrangement, operation and details of the methods and apparatus described above without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: obtaining an indication that a first data radio bearer (DRB) is released, wherein a first mapping maps a quality of service (QoS) flow to the first DRB, wherein the first DRB is configured in a first configuration to not use an uplink service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header; Obtaining a second mapping that maps the QoS flow to a second DRB, wherein the second DRB is configured in a second configuration to use an SDAP header; Based on a difference between the first configuration of the first DRB and the second configuration of the second DRB, editing an uplink protocol data unit (PDU) in an uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB, wherein editing the uplink PDU in the uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB comprises: adding an SDAP header to each of said uplink PDUs; and moving the uplink PDU with the added SDAP header from the uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB to an uplink transmission buffer associated with the second DRB; and The uplink PDU is sent via the second DRB.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Editing the uplink PDU further includes setting a QoS flow identifier (QFI) field in each of the SDAP headers to a QFI value of the QoS flow.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The first DRB is served by a first base station BS using a fourth generation 4G or third generation 3G radio access technology RAT; and The second DRB is served by a second BS using the fifth generation 5GRAT.

4. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: The processor is configured as: obtaining an indication that a first data radio bearer (DRB) is released, wherein a first mapping maps a quality of service (QoS) flow to the first DRB, wherein the first DRB is configured in a first configuration to not use an uplink service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header; Obtaining a second mapping that maps the QoS flow to a second DRB, wherein the second DRB is configured in a second configuration to use an SDAP header; Based on a difference between the first configuration of the first DRB and the second configuration of the second DRB, editing an uplink protocol data unit (PDU) in an uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB, wherein editing the uplink PDU in the uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB comprises: adding an SDAP header to each of said uplink PDUs; and moving the uplink PDU with the added SDAP header from the uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB to an uplink transmission buffer associated with the second DRB; and sending the uplink PDU via the second DRB; and A memory is coupled to the processor.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein: The processor is configured to edit the uplink PDU by setting a QoS flow identifier (QFI) field in each of the SDAP headers to a QFI value of the QoS flow.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The first DRB is served by a first base station BS using a fourth generation 4G or third generation 3G radio access technology RAT; and The second DRB is served by a second BS using the fifth generation 5GRAT.

7. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: means for obtaining an indication that a first data radio bearer (DRB) is released, wherein a first mapping maps a quality of service (QoS) flow to the first DRB, wherein the first DRB is configured in a first configuration to not use an uplink service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header; means for obtaining a second mapping that maps the QoS flow to a second DRB, wherein the second DRB is configured in a second configuration to use an SDAP header; Means for editing an uplink protocol data unit (PDU) in an uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB based on a difference between the first configuration of the first DRB and the second configuration of the second DRB, wherein the means for editing the uplink PDU in the uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB comprises: means for adding a SDAP header to each of said uplink PDUs; and means for moving the uplink PDU with the added SDAP header from the uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB to an uplink transmission buffer associated with the second DRB; and Means for sending the uplink PDU via the second DRB.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the following operations: obtaining an indication that a first data radio bearer (DRB) is released, wherein a first mapping maps a quality of service (QoS) flow to the first DRB, wherein the first DRB is configured in a first configuration to not use an uplink service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) header; Obtaining a second mapping that maps the QoS flow to a second DRB, wherein the second DRB is configured in a second configuration to use an SDAP header; Based on a difference between the first configuration of the first DRB and the second configuration of the second DRB, editing an uplink protocol data unit (PDU) in an uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB, wherein editing the uplink PDU in the uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB comprises: adding an SDAP header to each of said uplink PDUs; and moving the uplink PDU with the added SDAP header from the uplink transmission buffer associated with the first DRB to an uplink transmission buffer associated with the second DRB; and The uplink PDU is sent via the second DRB.

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