Method and apparatus for mapping data packet flows to data radio bearers

Abstract

A method for mapping a quality of service (QoS) flow to a data radio bearer comprises: determining a cumulative data volume of a first QoS flow; and determining that the cumulative data volume of the first QoS flow meets a specified data threshold, and based on the determination: mapping the first QoS flow to a first data radio bearer, wherein a maximum data volume of the first data radio bearer is less than a maximum data volume of the first QoS flow; and transmitting data packets in the first QoS flow on the first data radio bearer.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 931,566, filed on November 6, 2019, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Quality of Service Flow to Data Radio Bearer Mapping,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention generally relates to methods and apparatus for digital communications, and in particular embodiments, to methods and apparatus for mapping of data packet flows to data radio bearers. Background Art

[0003] Contemporary wireless communication systems provide high data rates for mobile communication devices, thereby enabling a rich multimedia environment for users of mobile communication devices. However, the complexity of the applications available to users continues to increase, with a simultaneous need to increase throughput and reduce latency.

[0004] However, different flows, such as different Quality of Service (QoS) flows, have different data requirements. Therefore, mapping low data flows to data radio bearers (DRBs) with high data bursts will reduce the utilization of available data bursts, while mapping high data flows to DRBs with low data bursts will result in failure to meet the data burst requirements of the high data flows. Therefore, a method and apparatus for mapping flows to DRBs that meet the data burst requirements of these flows is needed. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to a first aspect, a method for mapping a quality of service (QoS) flow to a data radio bearer is provided. The method comprises: determining, by a communication device, a cumulative data volume of a first QoS flow; and determining, by the communication device, that the cumulative data volume of the first QoS flow meets a specified data threshold, and based on the determination: mapping, by the communication device, the first QoS flow to a first data radio bearer, wherein the maximum data volume of the first data radio bearer is less than the maximum data volume of the first QoS flow; and transmitting, by the communication device, a data packet in the first QoS flow on the first data radio bearer.

[0006] In a first implementation manner of the method according to the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving, by the communication device, a data radio bearer configuration of a first data radio bearer.

[0007] In a second implementation manner of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation manner of the first aspect, the data radio bearer configuration is received in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

[0008] In a third implementation of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: determining, by the communication device, the cumulative data volume of the second QoS flow; and determining, by the communication device, that the cumulative data volume of the second QoS flow does not meet the specified data threshold, and based on the determination: mapping, by the communication device, the second QoS flow to a second data radio bearer, wherein the maximum data volume of the second data radio bearer is greater than the maximum data volume of the second QoS flow; and transmitting, by the communication device, data packets in the second QoS flow on the second data radio bearer.

[0009] In a fourth implementation manner of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation manner of the first aspect, the communication device includes user equipment (UE).

[0010] In a fifth implementation of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation of the first aspect, mapping the first QoS flow to the first data radio bearer is performed by a service data application protocol (SDAP) layer entity of the communication device.

[0011] According to a second aspect, a method for mapping a QoS flow to a data radio bearer is provided. The method comprises: determining, by a communication device, a cumulative characteristic metric of a QoS flow; mapping, by the communication device, the QoS flow to one of a plurality of data radio bearers according to the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow; and transmitting, by the communication device, a data packet in the QoS flow on the mapped data radio bearer.

[0012] In a first implementation manner of the method according to the second aspect, the method further includes: receiving, by the communication device, data radio bearer configurations of the multiple data radio bearers in an RRC message.

[0013] In a second implementation of the method according to the second aspect or any preceding implementation of the second aspect, mapping the QoS flow to one of the multiple data radio bearers includes: determining, by the communication device, whether the cumulative characteristic quantity of the QoS flow satisfies a specified characteristic threshold; in response to determining that the cumulative characteristic quantity of the QoS flow satisfies the specified characteristic threshold, mapping the QoS flow to a first data radio bearer by the communication device; and in response to determining that the cumulative characteristic quantity of the QoS flow does not satisfy the specified characteristic threshold, mapping the QoS flow to a second data radio bearer by the communication device, wherein the cumulative characteristic quantity of the first data radio bearer is greater than the cumulative characteristic quantity of the second data radio bearer.

[0014] In a third implementation of the method according to the second aspect or any preceding implementation of the second aspect, the cumulative characteristic metric includes at least one of a maximum data burst, a cumulative data rate, a cumulative delay, a cumulative latency, or a cumulative fifth-generation QoS identifier parameter.

[0015] In a fourth implementation of the method according to the second aspect or any preceding implementation of the second aspect, mapping the QoS flow to one of the plurality of data radio bearers occurs dynamically.

[0016] According to a third aspect, a device is provided. The device comprises: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory comprising instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to: determine a cumulative data volume of a first QoS flow; and determine that the cumulative data volume of the first QoS flow meets a specified data threshold, and based on the determination: map the first QoS flow to a first data radio bearer, wherein the maximum data volume of the first data radio bearer is less than the maximum data volume of the first QoS flow; and transmit data packets in the first QoS flow on the first data radio bearer.

[0017] In a first implementation manner of the device according to the third aspect, the instruction further causes the device to receive a data radio bearer configuration of the first data radio bearer.

[0018] In a second implementation of the device according to the third aspect or any preceding implementation of the third aspect, the data radio bearer configuration is received in an RRC message.

[0019] In a third implementation of the device according to the third aspect or any preceding implementation of the third aspect, the instruction further causes the device to: determine the cumulative data volume of the second QoS flow; and determine that the cumulative data volume of the second QoS flow does not meet the specified data threshold, and based on the determination: map the second QoS flow to a second data radio bearer, wherein the maximum data volume of the second data bearer is greater than the maximum data volume of the second QoS flow; and transmit data packets in the second QoS flow on the second data radio bearer.

[0020] In a fourth implementation manner of the device according to the third aspect or any preceding implementation manner of the third aspect, the device includes a UE.

[0021] In a fifth implementation manner of the device according to the third aspect or any preceding implementation manner of the third aspect, the SDAP layer entity of the device maps the first QoS flow to a first data radio bearer.

[0022] According to a fourth aspect, a device is provided. The device includes: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory including instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to: determine a cumulative characteristic metric of a QoS flow; map the QoS flow to a data radio bearer among a plurality of data radio bearers according to the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow; and transmit a data packet in the QoS flow on the mapped data radio bearer.

[0023] In a first implementation manner of the device according to the fourth aspect, the instruction further causes the device to receive data radio bearer configurations of the multiple data radio bearers in an RRC message.

[0024] In a second implementation of the device according to the fourth aspect or any preceding implementation of the fourth aspect, the instruction further causes the device to: determine whether the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow satisfies a specified characteristic threshold; in response to determining that the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow satisfies the specified characteristic threshold, map the QoS flow to a first data radio bearer; and in response to determining that the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow does not satisfy the specified characteristic threshold, map the QoS flow to a second data radio bearer, wherein the cumulative characteristic quantity of the first data radio bearer is greater than the cumulative characteristic quantity of the second data radio bearer.

[0025] In a third implementation of the device according to the fourth aspect or any preceding implementation of the fourth aspect, the cumulative characteristic metric includes at least one of a maximum data burst, a cumulative data rate, a cumulative delay, a cumulative latency, or a cumulative fifth-generation QoS identifier parameter.

[0026] In a fourth implementation manner of the device according to the fourth aspect or any preceding implementation manner of the fourth aspect, mapping the QoS flow to a data radio bearer among the multiple data radio bearers occurs dynamically.

[0027] An advantage of the preferred embodiment is that the cumulative data burst requirement of a flow is met by mapping the flow to a data radio bearer (DRB) whose data burst size meets the cumulative data burst requirement of the flow and does not exceed the cumulative data burst requirement by excessive amounts, thereby meeting the cumulative data burst requirement of the flow without the inefficiency of simply allocating the flow to a single DRB with an excessively large cumulative data burst size.

[0028] Another advantage of the preferred embodiment is that other cumulative flow characteristic metrics, such as delay, latency, data rate, etc., can be used to map flows to DRBs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] For a more complete understanding of the present invention and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] Figure 1 An exemplary communication system is shown;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the mapping of data packets to data radio bearers (DRBs);

[0032] FIG3 shows a flow chart of operations performed in the prior art for mapping data packets to DRBs;

[0033] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating exemplary operations performed when mapping packets in a QoS flow to DRBs (with dynamic switching) based on accumulated feature metrics according to exemplary embodiments presented herein;

[0034] Figure 5A A flowchart illustrating exemplary operations performed when mapping packets in a QoS flow to DRBs (with dynamic switching) based on a cumulative data burst volume (DBV) according to exemplary embodiments presented herein;

[0035] Figure 5B A flowchart illustrating exemplary operations performed when mapping packets in a QoS flow to DRBs (with dynamic switching) based on accumulated feature metrics according to exemplary embodiments presented herein;

[0036] Figure 6A flowchart illustrating example operations performed in configuring mapping of QoS flows to DRBs and mapping QoS flows to DRBs based on accumulated feature metrics (with dynamic switching) according to example embodiments presented herein;

[0037] Figure 7 An exemplary communication system according to exemplary embodiments presented herein is shown;

[0038] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B An exemplary device is shown in which the methods and instructions according to the present invention may be implemented; and

[0039] Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a processing system that can be used to implement the various apparatus and methods disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The structure and use of the disclosed embodiments are discussed in detail below. However, it should be understood that the present invention provides many applicable concepts that can be embodied in various specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of the specific structure and use of the embodiments and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 1 An exemplary communication system 100 is shown. The communication system 100 includes an access node 105 that serves user equipment (UE), such as UE 110, 112, 114, 116, and 118. The access node 105 is connected to a backhaul network that provides connectivity to services and the Internet. In a first operating mode, communications to and from the UE pass through the access node 105. In a second operating mode, communications to and from the UE do not pass through the access node 105, but the access node 105 typically allocates resources for the UE to communicate when specific conditions are met. In the second operating mode, communications between a pair of UEs occur on a sidelink, including a unidirectional communication link. Communications between the UE and the access node also occur on a unidirectional communication link, where the communication link from the UE to the access node is called an uplink and the communication link from the access node to the UE is called a downlink.

[0042] Access nodes may also be generally referred to as Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), next generation (NG) Node B (NG Node B, gNB), master eNB (MeNB), secondary eNB (SeNB), master gNB (MgNB), secondary gNB (SgNB), network controller, control node, base station, access point, transmission point (TP), transmission-reception point (TRP), cell, carrier, macro cell, femto cell, pico cell, etc., and UE may also be generally referred to as mobile station, mobile phone, terminal, user, subscriber, station, etc. The access node may provide wireless access according to one or more wireless communication protocols, such as Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE), LTE advanced (LTE-A), 5G, 5G LTE, 5G NR, sixth generation (6G), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), IEEE 802.11 family of standards (e.g., 802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ad / ax / ay / be), etc. Although it will be appreciated that the communication system may employ multiple access nodes capable of communicating with multiple UEs, only one access node and two UEs are shown for simplicity.

[0043] In the prior art 3GPP communication system, the UE is semi-statically configured with mapping rules of Quality of Service (QoS) flows to Data Radio Bearers (DRBs), which means that there is no dynamic switching between the mapping of QoS flows to DRBs.

[0044] The maximum data burst volume (MDBV) is the maximum amount of data that the 5G access network (5G-AN) needs to serve within the period of the 5G-AN packet delay budget (PDB). For a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) QoS flow with a delay-critical GBR resource type, a packet is considered lost if its delay exceeds its associated PDB. The packet is also included in the packet error rate (PER) calculation unless the data burst exceeds the MDBV within the period of the PDB or the QoS flow exceeds the guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR). Each GBR QoS flow can be associated with an averaging window. The averaging window represents the duration for which the GFBR and the maximum flow bitrate (MFBR) are calculated (e.g., in the radio access network (RAN), AN, user plane function (UPF), UE, etc.). Table 1 presents the default priority, PDB, PER, average window size and exemplary services for different 5G QoS identifier (5QI) parameter values.

[0045]

[0046] Table 1: Default priority, PDB, PER, average window size and exemplary services for different 5G QoS identifier (5QI) parameter values.

[0047] Figure 2A schematic diagram 200 of the mapping of packets to DRBs is shown. The mapping of packets to DRBs occurs over multiple layers, including an application layer 205, a non-access stratum (NAS) layer 207, and an access stratum (AS) layer 209. In the application layer 205, packets (e.g., packets 210, 211, and 212) are generated by applications. In the NAS layer 207, NAS QoS rules 215 map the packets to QoS flows, such as QoS flow 217. In addition, QoS flow identifiers (QFIs) are applied to packets in the QoS flows, where packets in a single QoS flow have the same QFI. For example, QoS flows can be divided into Internet Protocol (IP) flows 218 or non-IP flows 219. In the AS layer 209, AS rules 220 map QoS flows to DRBs. For example, packets with a certain QFI are mapped to a specific DRB.

[0048] Figure 3 shows a flow chart of operations 300 performed in the prior art for mapping data packets to DRBs. The mapping of data packets includes mapping data packets to QoS flows (box 305). As previously described, the mapping of data packets to QoS flows occurs in the NAS layer and uses NAS QoS rules. QFI is also applied to data packets in each QoS flow. Map data packets in the QoS flow to DRBs (box 307). The mapping of data packets in the QoS flow to DRBs is performed in the AS layer. For example, data packets in the QoS flow are mapped to one DRB. The mapping of QoS flows to DRBs follows semi-statically configured mapping rules, which cannot dynamically switch different mappings of QoS flows to DRBs.

[0049] According to an exemplary embodiment, a method and apparatus for dynamically switching the mapping of QoS flows to DRBs are provided. The dynamic switching of the mapping can be based on the cumulative characteristic metrics of the QoS flow, such as MDBV, data rate, delay, latency, any other 5QI, etc. For example, the cumulative characteristic metrics can be the running sum (or total) of the characteristic metrics (e.g., MDBV, data rate, delay, latency, any other 5QI, etc.) over a period of time. In one embodiment, based on a comparison of the cumulative characteristic metrics of the QoS flow with one or more thresholds, one of multiple DRBs is selected, and the data packets in the QoS flow are mapped to the selected DRB. The mapping of QoS flows to DRBs is configured using signaling such as radio resource control (RRC) signaling, but other types of signaling may also be used.

[0050] In one illustrative example, the mapping of QoS flows to DRBs is configured using RRC signaling. In addition to the mapping, the configuration also specifies switching conditions, such as the feature metric used to determine which mapping to select and the threshold of the feature metric used when comparing the feature metric. An exemplary configuration for mapping QoS flows to two DRBs is shown below:

[0051]

[0052]

[0053] As an illustrative example, a service data application protocol (SDAP) entity performs dynamic switching between multiple DRBs to packets in a QoS flow based on the cumulative amount of data (e.g., determined by a data burst volume (DBV)) sent to a DRB (e.g., where the data rate matches the MDBV requirement) within a time period (e.g., a time period determined according to a PDB). The SDAP entity may operate as follows:

[0054] - Upon receiving an SDAP service data unit (SDU) for a QoS flow from upper layers, the SDAP entity shall do the following:

[0055] - if there is no stored QoS flow to DRB mapping for the QoS flow, the SDAP entity maps the SDAP SDU to a default DRB, or

[0056] -The SDAP entity maps the SDAP SDUs to DRBs based on the stored mapping of QoS flows to DRBs.

[0057] Figure 4 A flow diagram of example operations 400 performed when mapping packets in a QoS flow to DRBs based on accumulated feature metrics (with dynamic switching) is shown. Operations 400 may be indicative of operations occurring in a device, such as a UE, when mapping packets in a QoS flow to DRBs based on accumulated feature metrics (with dynamic switching).

[0058] Operation 400 begins with the UE receiving a mapping of QoS flows to DRBs (block 405). For example, the mapping of the QoS flows to DRBs may be received in RRC signaling from an access node serving the UE. For example, a QoS flow may be mapped to two or more DRBs, wherein the mapping of a particular QoS flow to the DRBs is based on a cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow. Examples of characteristic metrics include MDBV, data rate, priority, delay, latency, any other 5QI, etc.

[0059] The UE maps the data packets to the QoS flow (box 407). The mapping of the data packets to the QoS flow can be performed according to the NAS QoS rules. The data packets in a single QoS flow are applied with the QFI associated with the QoS flow. The UE maps the QoS flow to the DRB (box 409). The mapping of the QoS flow to the DRB can include the UE comparing the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow with a threshold, wherein the threshold may be different between different DRBs. For example, if the first DRB has a high MDBV and the second DRB has a low MDBV, the cumulative data volume threshold of the first DRB may be greater than the cumulative data volume threshold of the second DRB.

[0060] Figure 5A A flow chart of example operations 500 performed when mapping packets in a QoS flow to DRBs based on accumulated DBVs (with dynamic switching) is shown. Operations 500 may be indicative of operations occurring in a device, such as a UE, when mapping packets in a QoS flow to DRBs based on accumulated DBVs (with dynamic switching).

[0061] Operation 500 begins with the device mapping packets to QoS flows (block 505). The mapping of packets to QoS flows may be performed in accordance with NAS QoS rules. Packets in a single QoS flow are applied with a QFI associated with the QoS flow. The device determines a cumulative amount of data for the QoS flow (block 507). For example, the device may determine the MDBV for the QoS flow. Alternatively, the device may sum the data transmitted on the QoS flow over a duration or averaging window.

[0062] The device performs a check to determine whether the cumulative data volume of the QoS flow meets a specified threshold (box 509). For example, the specified threshold can be specified in the configuration of the mapping of the QoS flow to the DRB. In one embodiment, the specified threshold can be based on the MDBV of the DRB to which the QoS flow can be mapped. In one embodiment, the specified threshold can be based on the MDBV of the DRB with the smallest MDBV. For example, the specified threshold can specify the cumulative data volume within a specified duration.

[0063] If the cumulative data volume of the QoS flow meets the specified threshold, the device maps the QoS flow to a first DRB, such as a DRB with a smaller MDBV (box 511). In other words, if the cumulative data volume of the QoS flow meets (e.g., is greater than or equal to) the specified threshold, the QoS flow has sent at least the amount of data of the specified threshold, so the remaining data to be sent by the QoS flow can be relatively small. Therefore, the QoS flow can be mapped to a DRB that supports a lower MDBV. For example, if the specified threshold is approximately equal to the MDBV of the QoS flow, the QoS flow is mapped to the first DRB if the cumulative data volume of the QoS flow meets the MDBV of the QoS flow. The device transmits the data packets in the QoS flow on the mapped DRB (e.g., the first DRB) (box 513).

[0064] If the cumulative data volume of the QoS flow does not meet the specified threshold, the device maps the QoS flow to a second DRB, such as a DRB with a larger MDBV (box 515). In other words, if the cumulative data volume of the QoS flow does not meet (for example, is less than) the specified threshold, the QoS flow has sent an amount of data less than the specified threshold, so the remaining data to be sent by the QoS flow can be relatively large. Therefore, the QoS flow can be mapped to a DRB that supports a larger MDBV. For example, if the specified threshold is approximately equal to the MDBV of the QoS flow, the QoS flow is mapped to a second DRB if the cumulative data volume of the QoS flow does not exceed the MDBV of the QoS flow. The device transmits the data packets in the QoS flow on the mapped DRB (for example, the second DRB) (box 513).

[0065] Although the discussion focuses on the case where a QoS flow is mapped to one of two DRBs, the exemplary embodiments presented herein may operate in the case where a QoS flow is mapped to one of three or more DRBs. Therefore, the focus on mapping a QoS flow to one of two DRBs should not be interpreted as a limitation on the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0066] As mentioned above, the cumulative data volume is an example of a cumulative characteristic metric of a QoS flow. The exemplary embodiments may be applicable to other characteristic metrics, which may include delay, latency, any other 5QI, etc.

[0067] Figure 5BA flow chart of exemplary operations 550 performed when mapping packets in a QoS flow to DRBs based on accumulated feature metrics (with dynamic switching) is shown. Operations 550 may be indicative of operations occurring in a device, such as a UE, when mapping packets in a QoS flow to DRBs based on accumulated feature metrics (with dynamic switching).

[0068] Operation 550 begins with the device mapping packets to QoS flows (box 555). The mapping of packets to QoS flows may be performed according to NAS QoS rules. Packets in a single QoS flow are applied with a QFI associated with the QoS flow. The device determines a cumulative characteristic metric for the QoS flow (box 557). The characteristic metric may be one or more of MDBV, data rate, delay, latency, any other 5QI, etc. If the characteristic metric is delay, the cumulative delay may be defined as the maximum allowed delay allowed for the QoS flow. If the characteristic metric is latency, the cumulative latency may be defined as the maximum allowed latency allowed for the QoS flow. Other cumulative characteristic metrics may also be defined similarly.

[0069] The device performs a check to determine whether the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow meets a specified threshold (block 559). For example, the specified threshold may be specified in the configuration of the mapping of the QoS flow to the DRB. In one embodiment, the specified threshold may be based on the cumulative characteristic metric of the DRB to which the QoS flow may be mapped. In one embodiment, the specified threshold may be based on the cumulative characteristic metric of the DRB having the smallest such characteristic metric.

[0070] If the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow meets the specified threshold, the device maps the QoS flow to a first DRB, such as a DRB with a smaller characteristic metric (box 561). For example, if the specified threshold is approximately equal to the cumulative characteristic metric required by the QoS flow, the QoS flow is mapped to the first DRB if the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow meets the characteristic metric required by the QoS flow. The device transmits the data packets in the QoS flow on the mapped DRB (e.g., the first DRB) (box 563).

[0071] If the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow does not meet the specified threshold, the device maps the QoS flow to a second DRB, such as a DRB with a larger characteristic metric (box 565). For example, if the specified threshold is approximately equal to the characteristic metric required by the QoS flow, the QoS flow is mapped to the second DRB if the characteristic metric of the QoS flow does not meet the characteristic metric required by the QoS flow. The device transmits the data packets in the QoS flow on the mapped DRB (e.g., the second DRB) (box 563).

[0072] Figure 6 A flow diagram of example operations 600 performed when configuring mapping of QoS flows to DRBs and mapping QoS flows to DRBs based on accumulated feature metrics (with dynamic switching) is shown. Operations 600 may be indicative of operations occurring in a device such as a UE when configuring mapping of QoS flows to DRBs and mapping QoS flows to DRBs based on accumulated feature metrics (with dynamic switching) B.

[0073] Operation 600 begins with the device receiving a configuration of a mapping of QoS flows to DRBs (block 605). The configuration of the mapping of QoS flows to DRBs may be received in RRC signaling. The RRC signaling may be received from an access node serving the UE. The QoS flow may be mapped to two or more DRBs based on a cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow. Examples of characteristic metrics include MDBV, data rate, delay, latency, any other 5QI, etc.

[0074] The UE maps the data packets to the QoS flows (block 607). The mapping of the data packets to the QoS flows may be performed according to NAS QoS rules. The data packets in a single QoS flow are applied with the QFI associated with the QoS flow. The UE determines a cumulative characteristic metric for the QoS flow (block 609). For example, the cumulative characteristic metric may be determined by measuring the QoS flow over a duration or averaging window.

[0075] The UE maps the QoS flow to the DRB according to the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow (block 611). For example, the UE compares the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow with a threshold value and maps the QoS flow to one of the DRBs according to the comparison result. The UE transmits the data packets in the QoS flow on the mapped DRB (block 613).

[0076] Figure 7An exemplary communication system 700 is shown. In general, the system 700 enables multiple wireless users or wired users to send and receive data and other content. The system 700 can implement one or more channel access methods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), or non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA).

[0077] In this example, the communication system 700 includes electronic devices (ED) 710a to 710c, radio access networks (RAN) 720a to 720b, a core network 730, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 740, the Internet 750, and other networks 760. Figure 7 A certain number of these components or elements are shown, but any number of these components or elements may be included in system 700 .

[0078] EDs 710a to 710c are used to operate and / or communicate in system 700. For example, EDs 710a to 710c are used to transmit or receive through a wireless communication channel or a wired communication channel. EDs 710a to 710c represent any suitable end-user device and may include (or may be referred to as): user equipment (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, laptop, computer, touch pad, wireless sensor or consumer electronic device.

[0079] Here, the RAN 720a to 720b include base stations 770a to 770b, respectively. Each base station 770a and 770b is used to wirelessly connect to one or more of the EDs 710a to 710c, so as to access the core network 730, the PSTN 740, the Internet 750 and / or other networks 760. For example, the base stations 770a to 770b may include (or may be) one or more of several well-known devices, such as a base transceiver station (BTS), a Node-B, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a next generation (NG) NodeB (NG NodeB, gNB), a home NodeB, a home eNodeB, a site controller, an access point (AP) or a wireless router. The EDs 710a to 710c are used to connect and communicate with the Internet 750, and can access the core network 730, the PSTN 740 or other networks 760.

[0080] exist Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, base station 770a forms part of RAN 720a, which may include other base stations, elements or devices. Similarly, base station 770b forms part of RAN 720b, which may include other base stations, elements or devices. Each base station 770a to 770b sends or receives wireless signals within a specific geographic area (region / area) (sometimes referred to as a "cell"). In some embodiments, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology can be used to enable multiple transceivers to be used in each cell.

[0081] Base stations 770a-770b communicate with one or more EDs 710a-710c using wireless communication links over one or more air interfaces 790. Air interfaces 790 may use any suitable radio access technology.

[0082] It is contemplated that the system 700 may use multi-channel access functionality, including the schemes described above. In a particular embodiment, the base station and ED implement 5G new radio (NR), LTE, LTE-A, or LTE-B. Of course, other multiple access schemes and wireless protocols may also be used.

[0083] RAN 720a to 720b communicate with core network 730 to provide voice, data, applications, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or other services to ED 710a to 710c. It is understood that RAN 720a to 720b or core network 730 can communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown). Core network 730 can also be used as a gateway access for other networks (such as PSTN 740, Internet 750 and other networks 760). In addition, some or all of ED 710a to 710c may include the ability to communicate with different wireless networks through different wireless links using different wireless technologies or protocols. Instead of wireless communication (or in addition to wireless communication), ED can communicate with a service provider or switch (not shown) and with Internet 750 through a wired communication channel.

[0084] Although Figure 7 An example of a communication system is shown, but the Figure 7 For example, communication system 700 may include any number of EDs, base stations, networks, or other components in any suitable configuration.

[0085] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B Exemplary devices that can implement the methods and instructions of the present invention are shown. Specifically, Fig. 8A An exemplary ED 810 is shown, and Figure 8B An exemplary base station 870 is shown. These components may be used in system 700 or any other suitable system.

[0086] like Fig. 8A As shown, ED 810 includes at least one processing unit 800. Processing unit 800 implements various processing operations of ED 810. For example, processing unit 800 can perform signal encoding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, or any other function that enables ED 810 to operate in system 700. Processing unit 800 also supports the methods and instructions described in detail above. Each processing unit 800 includes any suitable processing device or computing device for performing one or more operations. Each processing unit 800 can include, for example, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, a field programmable gate array, or an application-specific integrated circuit.

[0087] ED 810 also includes at least one transceiver 802. Transceiver 802 is used to modulate data or other content for transmission through at least one antenna or network interface controller (NIC) 804. Transceiver 802 is also used to demodulate data or other content received through at least one antenna 804. Each transceiver 802 includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission or for processing signals received by wireless or wired means. Each antenna 804 includes any suitable structure for sending or receiving wireless or wired signals. One or more transceivers 802 can be used in ED 810, and one or more antennas 804 can be used in ED 810. Although transceiver 802 is shown as a separate functional unit, transceiver 802 can also be implemented using at least one transmitter and at least one separate receiver.

[0088] ED 810 also includes one or more input / output devices 806 or interfaces (such as a wired interface connected to the Internet 750). Input / output devices 806 facilitate interaction with users or other devices in the network (network communication). Each input / output device 806 includes any suitable structure for providing information to or receiving information from a user, such as a speaker, microphone, keypad, keyboard, display or touch screen, including network interface communications.

[0089] In addition, the ED 810 includes at least one memory 808. The memory 808 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by the ED 810. For example, the memory 808 can store software or firmware instructions executed by one or more processing units 800 and store data for reducing or eliminating interference in incoming signals. Each memory 808 includes any suitable one or more volatile or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices. Any suitable type of memory can be used, for example, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, etc.

[0090] like Figure 8BAs shown, the base station 870 includes at least one processing unit 850, at least one transceiver 852 (including the functions of a transmitter and a receiver), one or more antennas 856, at least one memory 858, and one or more input / output devices or interfaces 866. A scheduler that can be understood by those skilled in the art is coupled to the processing unit 850. The scheduler can be included in the base station 870, or it can be operated separately from the base station 870. The processing unit 850 implements various processing operations of the base station 870, such as signal encoding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, or any other function. The processing unit 850 can also support the methods and instructions described in detail above. Each processing unit 850 includes any suitable processing device or computing device for performing one or more operations. Each processing unit 850 can, for example, include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, a field programmable gate array, or an application-specific integrated circuit.

[0091] Each transceiver 852 includes any suitable structure for generating a signal for wireless or wired transmission with one or more EDs or other devices. Each transceiver 852 also includes any suitable structure for processing a signal received wirelessly or wired from one or more EDs or other devices. Although the transmitter and receiver are shown as a combination of transceivers 852, the transmitter and receiver can be separate components. Each antenna 856 includes any suitable structure for sending or receiving wireless signals or wired signals. Although a shared antenna 856 is shown coupled to the transceiver 852, one or more antennas 856 can be coupled to the transceiver 852 so that a separate antenna 856 is coupled to the transmitter and receiver (if configured as a separate component). Each memory 858 includes any suitable one or more volatile or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices. Each input / output device 866 helps to interact with users or other devices in the network (network communication). Each input / output device 866 includes any suitable structure for providing information to a user or receiving information from a user / providing information from a user, including network interface communication.

[0092] Fig. 9900 is a block diagram of a computing system 900 that can be used to implement the devices and methods disclosed herein. For example, the computing system can be any entity of a UE, an access network (AN), a mobility management (MM), a session management (SM), a user plane gateway (UPGW), or an access stratum (AS). A specific device may use all of the components shown or only a subset of these components, and the degree of integration between devices may vary. In addition, a device may include multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processing units, multiple processors, multiple memories, multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, etc. The computing system 900 includes a processing unit 902. The processing unit includes a central processing unit (CPU) 914, a memory 908, and may also include a mass storage 904, a video adapter 910, and an I / O interface 912 connected to a bus 920.

[0093] Bus 920 can be one or more of several bus architectures of any type, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, or a video bus. CPU 914 can include any type of electronic data processor. Memory 908 can include any type of non-transient system memory, for example, static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), read-only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, memory 908 can include a ROM used at boot time and a DRAM used to store programs and data when executing programs.

[0094] Mass storage 904 may include any type of non-transitory storage device for storing data, programs, and other information and making such data, programs, and other information accessible via bus 920. Mass storage 904 may include, for example, one or more of a solid-state drive, a hard disk drive, a magnetic disk drive, or an optical disk drive.

[0095] The video adapter 910 and the I / O interface 912 provide interfaces to couple external input and output devices to the processing unit 902. As shown, examples of input and output devices include a display 918 coupled to the video adapter 910 and a mouse, keyboard, or printer 916 coupled to the I / O interface 912. Other devices may be coupled to the processing unit 902, and other or fewer interface cards may be used. For example, a serial interface such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) (not shown) may be used to provide an interface for external devices.

[0096] The processing unit 902 also includes one or more network interfaces 906, which may include a wired link such as an Ethernet cable or a wireless link connected to an access node or a different network. The network interface 906 enables the processing unit 902 to communicate with a remote unit via a network. For example, the network interface 906 may provide wireless communication via one or more transmitters / transmitting antennas and one or more receivers / receiving antennas. In one embodiment, the processing unit 902 is coupled to a local area network 922 or a wide area network to perform data processing and communication with remote devices such as other processing units, the Internet, or remote storage facilities.

[0097] It should be understood that one or more steps in the method of the embodiment provided herein can be performed by corresponding units or modules. For example, a signal can be sent by a sending unit or a sending module. A signal can be received by a receiving unit or a receiving module. A signal can be processed by a processing unit or a processing module. Other steps can be performed by a mapping unit or a module or a determining unit or a module. The corresponding unit or module can be hardware, software or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of these units or modules can be an integrated circuit, for example, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0098] Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for mapping a Quality of Service (QoS) flow to a data radio bearer, characterized in that, The method comprises: determining, by the communication device, a cumulative data amount of the first QoS flow; and determining, by the communications device, that a cumulative amount of data of the first QoS flow satisfies a specified data threshold, and based on the determination: Mapping, by the communication device, the first QoS flow to a first data radio bearer, wherein a maximum data volume of the first data radio bearer is smaller than a maximum data volume of the first QoS flow; and The communication device transmits data packets in the first QoS flow on the first data radio bearer.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further includes receiving, by the communication device, a data radio bearer configuration of the first data radio bearer.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The data radio bearer configuration is received in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

4. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that The method further comprises: determining, by the communication device, a cumulative data amount of a second QoS flow; and determining, by the communications device, that the accumulated data amount of the second QoS flow does not satisfy the specified data threshold, and based on the determination: Mapping, by the communication device, the second QoS flow to a second data radio bearer, wherein a maximum data volume of the second data radio bearer is greater than a maximum data volume of the second QoS flow; and The communication device transmits data packets in the second QoS flow on the second data radio bearer.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The communication device comprises a user equipment (UE).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that Mapping the first QoS flow to the first data radio bearer is performed by a Service Data Application Protocol (SDAP) layer entity of the communication device.

7. A method for mapping a Quality of Service (QoS) flow to a data radio bearer, characterized in that, The method comprises: determining, by the communication device, a cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow; Mapping, by the communication device, the QoS flow to one of a plurality of data radio bearers according to the accumulated characteristic metric of the QoS flow; and The communication device transmits the data packets in the QoS flow on the mapped data radio bearer.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further includes receiving, by the communications device, data radio bearer configurations of the plurality of data radio bearers in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

9. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that Mapping the QoS flow to one of the multiple data radio bearers comprises: Determining, by the communication device, whether the accumulated characteristic quantity of the QoS flow meets a specified characteristic threshold; In response to determining that the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow satisfies the specified characteristic threshold, mapping, by the communications device, the QoS flow to a first data radio bearer; and In response to determining that the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow does not meet the specified characteristic threshold, the communication device maps the QoS flow to a second data radio bearer, wherein the cumulative characteristic quantity of the first data radio bearer is greater than the cumulative characteristic quantity of the second data radio bearer.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that The cumulative characteristic metric includes at least one of a maximum data burst size, a cumulative data rate, a cumulative delay, a cumulative latency, or a cumulative fifth-generation QoS identifier parameter.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that Mapping the QoS flow to a data radio bearer of the plurality of data radio bearers occurs dynamically.

12. A device, characterized in that: The device comprises: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: determining a cumulative amount of data for a first quality of service (QoS) flow; and determining that the cumulative data amount of the first QoS flow meets a specified data threshold, and based on the determination: Mapping the first QoS flow to a first data radio bearer, wherein a maximum data volume of the first data radio bearer is smaller than a maximum data volume of the first QoS flow; and The data packets in the first QoS flow are transmitted on the first data radio bearer.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that The instructions also cause the device to receive a data radio bearer configuration for the first data radio bearer.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that The data radio bearer configuration is received in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

15. The device according to any one of claims 13 to 14, characterized in that The instructions also cause the device to: determine the cumulative data volume of the second QoS flow; and determine that the cumulative data volume of the second QoS flow does not meet the specified data threshold, and based on the determination: map the second QoS flow to a second data radio bearer, wherein the maximum data volume of the second data bearer is greater than the maximum data volume of the second QoS flow; and transmit data packets in the second QoS flow on the second data radio bearer.

16. The device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that The device comprises a user equipment (UE).

17. The device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that A service data application protocol (SDAP) layer entity of the device maps the first QoS flow to the first data radio bearer.

18. A device, characterized in that: The device comprises: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: Determine the cumulative characteristic metrics of the Quality of Service (QoS) flow; Mapping the QoS flow to one of a plurality of data radio bearers based on the accumulated characteristic metric of the QoS flow; and The data packets in the QoS flow are transmitted on the mapped data radio bearer.

19. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that The instructions also cause the device to receive a data radio bearer configuration for the plurality of data radio bearers in a radio resource control (RRC) message.

20. The device according to any one of claims 18 to 19, characterized in that The instructions also cause the device to: determine whether the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow meets a specified characteristic threshold; in response to determining that the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow meets the specified characteristic threshold, map the QoS flow to a first data radio bearer; and in response to determining that the cumulative characteristic metric of the QoS flow does not meet the specified characteristic threshold, map the QoS flow to a second data radio bearer, wherein the cumulative characteristic quantity of the first data radio bearer is greater than the cumulative characteristic quantity of the second data radio bearer.

21. The device according to any one of claims 18 to 19, characterized in that The cumulative characteristic metric includes at least one of a maximum data burst size, a cumulative data rate, a cumulative delay, a cumulative latency, or a cumulative fifth-generation QoS identifier parameter.

22. The device according to any one of claims 18 to 19, characterized in that Mapping the QoS flow to a data radio bearer of the plurality of data radio bearers occurs dynamically.

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