Device, method and computer program

Abstract

An apparatus comprises: at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and select between one or more first lower data protocol entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process a protocol packet data unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus, method, and computer program for selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity associated with a time-to-live violation risk in a communication system. Background Art

[0002] A communication system can be considered as a facility that enables communication sessions between two or more entities (such as user terminals, base stations / access points, and / or other nodes) by providing a carrier between the various entities involved in the communication path. A communication system can be provided, for example, by a communication network and one or more compatible communication devices. A communication session may include, for example, data communications used to carry communications, such as voice, electronic mail (email), text messages, multimedia, and / or content data. Non-limiting examples of the services provided include two-way or multi-way calls, data communications or multimedia services, and access to data network systems (such as the Internet). In a wireless communication system, at least a portion of a communication session between at least two stations occurs over a wireless link.

[0003] A user can access a communication system through an appropriate communication device or terminal. A user's communication device is generally referred to as user equipment (UE) or user device. The communication device is provided with appropriate signal reception and transmission means to enable communications, such as access to a communication network or direct communication with other users. The communication device can access a carrier provided by a station or access point and transmit and / or receive communications on that carrier.

[0004] Communication systems and related equipment typically operate according to a required standard or specification that specifies what the various entities associated with the system are allowed to do and how it should be achieved. Communication protocols and / or parameters for connections are also typically defined. One example of a communication system is UTRAN (3G radio). Another example of an architecture is the radio access technology known as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Another example communication system is the so-called 5G radio or New Radio (NR) access technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0006] At least one memory and computer program code can be configured to, with at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity based on: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; and at least one of: a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0007] The operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one of an acknowledgement mode, an unacknowledgement mode, and a transparent mode.

[0008] The number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0009] The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: select one or more first lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity.

[0010] The number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0011] The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: select one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0012] The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is not associated with a time-to-live violation risk; and select one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0013] Determining whether a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on a sequence number of the packet data unit.

[0014] Determining whether a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on whether a previous packet data unit was successfully transmitted.

[0015] The second lower protocol layer entity may be a default lower protocol layer entity and the first lower protocol layer entity is an alternative lower protocol layer entity.

[0016] The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least submit a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity to the selected one or more first lower protocol layer entities or one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0017] The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk for a particular data radio bearer.

[0018] At least one memory and computer program code can be configured to, together with at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a configuration message from a base station to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0019] The higher protocol layer entity may be a packet data convergence protocol entity; the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be one or more first radio link control entities; and the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one or more second radio link control entities.

[0020] The device may be a terminal.

[0021] According to one aspect, an apparatus is provided that includes components for determining that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and selecting between one or more first lower data protocol entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0022] The apparatus may include means for selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity based on: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; and at least one of: a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0023] The operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one of an acknowledgement mode, a non-acknowledgement mode, and a transparent mode.

[0024] The number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0025] The apparatus may include means for selecting one or more first lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity.

[0026] The number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0027] The apparatus may include means for selecting one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0028] The apparatus may include means for determining that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is not associated with a time-to-live violation risk; and selecting one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0029] Determining whether a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on a sequence number of the packet data unit.

[0030] Determining whether a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on whether a previous packet data unit was successfully transmitted.

[0031] The second lower protocol layer entity may be a default lower protocol layer entity and the first lower protocol layer entity is an alternative lower protocol layer entity.

[0032] The apparatus may include means for submitting the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity to the selected one or more first lower protocol layer entities or one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0033] The apparatus may include means for determining that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk for a particular data radio bearer.

[0034] The apparatus may include components for: receiving a configuration message from a base station to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0035] The higher protocol layer entity may be a packet data convergence protocol entity; the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be one or more first radio link control entities; and the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one or more second radio link control entities.

[0036] The device may be a terminal.

[0037] According to one aspect, a device is provided that includes circuitry configured to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and select between one or more first lower data protocol entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0038] The apparatus may include circuitry configured to select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity based on: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; and at least one of: a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0039] The operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one of an acknowledgement mode, a non-acknowledgement mode, and a transparent mode.

[0040] The number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0041] The apparatus may include circuitry configured to select one or more first lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity.

[0042] The number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0043] The apparatus may include circuitry configured to select one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0044] The apparatus may include circuitry configured to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is not associated with a time-to-live violation risk; and select one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0045] Determining whether a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on a sequence number of the packet data unit.

[0046] Determining whether a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on whether a previous packet data unit was successfully transmitted.

[0047] The second lower protocol layer entity may be a default lower protocol layer entity and the first lower protocol layer entity is an alternative lower protocol layer entity.

[0048] The apparatus may include circuitry configured to submit a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity to the selected one or more first lower protocol layer entities or one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0049] The apparatus may include circuitry configured to determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk for a particular data radio bearer.

[0050] The apparatus may include circuitry configured to: receive a configuration message from a base station to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0051] The higher protocol layer entity may be a packet data convergence protocol entity; the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be one or more first radio link control entities; and the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one or more second radio link control entities.

[0052] The device may be a terminal.

[0053] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: determining that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and selecting between one or more first lower data protocol entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0054] The method may include: selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity based on: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; and at least one of: the number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0055] The operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one of an acknowledgement mode, a non-acknowledgement mode, and a transparent mode.

[0056] The number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0057] The method may include selecting one or more first lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity.

[0058] The number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0059] The method may comprise selecting one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data units from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0060] The method may include determining that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is not associated with a time-to-live violation risk and selecting one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0061] Determining whether a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on a sequence number of the packet data unit.

[0062] Determining whether a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on whether a previous packet data unit was successfully transmitted.

[0063] The second lower protocol layer entity may be a default lower protocol layer entity and the first lower protocol layer entity is an alternative lower protocol layer entity.

[0064] The method may comprise submitting the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity to the selected one or more first lower protocol layer entities or one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0065] The method may include determining that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk for a particular data radio bearer.

[0066] The method may include: receiving a configuration message from a base station to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of time-to-live violation; and selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0067] The higher protocol layer entity may be a packet data convergence protocol entity; the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be one or more first radio link control entities; and the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one or more second radio link control entities.

[0068] The method may be executed by a terminal.

[0069] According to one aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising computer executable code configured to, when executed on at least one processor, determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0070] The computer program may include computer executable code configured to perform the following operations when executed on at least one processor: select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity based on: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; and at least one of: the number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0071] The operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one of an acknowledgement mode, a non-acknowledgement mode, and a transparent mode.

[0072] The number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0073] The computer program may include computer executable code configured to, when executed on at least one processor, select one or more first lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity.

[0074] The number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be greater than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be lower than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0075] The computer program may include computer executable code configured to, when executed on at least one processor, select one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from a higher protocol layer entity.

[0076] The computer program may include computer executable code configured to perform the following operations when executed on at least one processor: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is not associated with a time-to-live violation risk; and select one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0077] Determining whether a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on a sequence number of the packet data unit.

[0078] Determining whether a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on whether a previous packet data unit was successfully transmitted.

[0079] The second lower protocol layer entity may be a default lower protocol layer entity and the first lower protocol layer entity is an alternative lower protocol layer entity.

[0080] The computer program may include computer executable code configured to, when executed on at least one processor, submit a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity to the selected one or more first lower protocol layer entities or one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0081] The computer program may include computer executable code that, when executed on at least one processor, is configured to determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk for a particular data radio bearer.

[0082] The computer program may include computer executable code configured to perform the following operations when executed on at least one processor: receive a configuration message from a base station to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of the following: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0083] The higher protocol layer entity may be a packet data convergence protocol entity; the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be one or more first radio link control entities; and the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one or more second radio link control entities.

[0084] The at least one processor may be part of the terminal.

[0085] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code being configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: send a configuration message to a terminal to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0086] The apparatus may be a base station.

[0087] According to one aspect, a device is provided that includes components for: sending a configuration message to a terminal to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0088] The apparatus may be a base station.

[0089] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising a circuit configured to: send a configuration message to a terminal to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0090] The apparatus may be a base station.

[0091] According to one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: sending a configuration message to a terminal to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0092] The method may be executed by a base station.

[0093] According to one aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising computer executable code configured to perform the following operations when executed on at least one processor: send a configuration message to a terminal to: determine that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation; and select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0094] The at least one processor may be part of a base station.

[0095] According to one aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions stored thereon for executing at least one of the above methods.

[0096] According to one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions stored thereon for executing at least one of the above methods.

[0097] According to one aspect, a non-volatile tangible storage medium is provided, the non-volatile tangible storage medium including program instructions stored thereon for performing at least one of the above methods.

[0098] In the above, many different aspects have been described. It should be understood that other aspects can be provided by combining any two or more of the above aspects.

[0099] Various other aspects are also described in the following detailed description and appended claims.

[0100] List of abbreviations

[0101] AF: Application Function

[0102] AM: Confirmation Mode

[0103] AMF: Access Management Function

[0104] ARQ: Automatic Repeat Request

[0105] AUSF: Authentication Server Function BS: Base Station

[0106] BSF: Binding Support Function

[0107] CU: Centralized Unit

[0108] DL: Downlink

[0109] DN: Data Network

[0110] DRB: Data Radio Bearer DU: Distributed Unit E2E: End-to-End

[0111] eNB:eNodeB gNB:gNodeB GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications HSS: Home Subscriber Server IMS: IP Multimedia Subsystem IoT: Internet of Things

[0112] IIoT: Industrial IoT IP: Internet Protocol

[0113] LCH: Logical Channel

[0114] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0115] MAC: Media Access Control

[0116] MS: Mobile Station

[0117] MTC: Machine Type Communication

[0118] NEF: Network Exposure Function

[0119] NF: Network Function

[0120] NR: New Radio

[0121] NRF: Network Function Repository Function PCC: Policy and Charging Control PCF: Policy Control Function

[0122] PDCP: Packet Data Convergence Protocol

[0123] PDU: Packet Data Unit

[0124] PSA: PDU Session Anchor

[0125] RAM: Random Access Memory (R)AN: (Radio) Access Network

[0126] RLC: Radio Link Control

[0127] ROM: Read-Only Memory

[0128] SMF: Session Management Function

[0129] TR: Technical Report

[0130] TS: Technical Specification

[0131] TSC: Time Sensitive Communication

[0132] UE: User Equipment

[0133] UL: Uplink

[0134] UM: Unconfirmed Mode

[0135] UP: User Plane

[0136] UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0137] URLLC: Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication

[0138] USB: Universal Serial Bus

[0139] 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0140] 5G: Fifth Generation

[0141] 5GC: 5G core network

[0142] 5GS: 5G System BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0143] Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0144] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a 5G system;

[0145] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the control device;

[0146] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of a terminal;

[0147] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the time-to-live requirement for time-sensitive communications expressed as the number of consecutive packet delivery failures;

[0148] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating a mechanism for selecting between one or more first radio link control entities and one or more second radio link control entities to process packet data units from a packet data convergence protocol entity;

[0149] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating a flow chart of a method for selecting between one or more first radio link control entities and one or more second radio link control entities to process packet data units from a packet data convergence protocol entity;

[0150] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating a block diagram of a method performed by a terminal for selecting between one or more first radio link control entities and one or more second radio link control entities to process a packet data unit from a packet data convergence protocol entity associated with a time-to-live violation risk;

[0151] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating a block diagram of a method performed by a base station for selecting between one or more first radio link control entities and one or more second radio link control entities to process a packet data unit from a packet data convergence protocol entity associated with a time-to-live violation risk; and

[0152] Figure 9 A schematic diagram illustrating a non-volatile storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, allow the processor to perform Figure 7 and Figure 8 One or more steps of a method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0153] In the following, certain embodiments are explained with reference to a mobile communication device capable of communicating via a wireless cellular system and a mobile communication system serving such a mobile communication device. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 Certain general principles of wireless communication systems, their access systems and mobile communication devices are briefly explained to help understand the underlying technology of the described examples.

[0154] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a 5G system (5GS) is shown. The 5G system may include a terminal, a (radio) access network ((R)AN), a 5G core network (5GC), one or more application functions (AFs), and one or more data networks (DNs).

[0155] The 5G(R)AN may include one or more gNodeA (gNB) distributed unit functions connected to one or more gNodeB (gNB) centralized unit functions.

[0156] The 5GC may include an access management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), an authentication server function (AUSF), a user data management (UDM), a user plane function (UPF), and / or a network open function (NEF). Although not shown, the 5GC may include other network functions (NFs) such as a network address and / or port translation function (NAPTF), a network function repository function (NRF), or a binding support function (BSF).

[0157] Figure 2 shows the control for Figure 1 1. An example of a control device 200 for a function of a (R)AN or 5GC is shown. The control device may include at least one random access memory (RAM) 211a, at least one read-only memory (ROM) 211b, at least one processor 212, 213, and an input / output interface 214. The at least one processor 212, 213 may be coupled to the RAM 211a and the ROM 211b. The at least one processor 212, 213 may be configured to execute appropriate software code 215. The software code 215 may, for example, enable execution of one or more steps to perform one or more of the present aspects. The software code 215 may be stored in the ROM 211b. The control device 200 may be interconnected with another control device 200 that controls another function of a 5G (R)AN or 5GC. In some embodiments, each function of the (R)AN or 5GC includes a control device 200. In alternative embodiments, two or more functions of the (R)AN or 5GC may share a control device.

[0158] Figure 3 An example of a terminal 300 is shown, such as Figure 1 The terminal 300 can be provided by any device capable of sending and receiving radio signals. Non-limiting examples include user equipment, mobile stations (MS) or mobile devices such as mobile phones or so-called "smart phones", computers equipped with wireless interface cards or other wireless interface facilities (e.g., USB dongles), personal data assistants (PDAs) or tablets equipped with wireless communication capabilities, machine type communication (MTC) devices, cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) devices, or any combination of these devices. The terminal 300 can provide, for example, data communications for bearer communications. The communications can be one or more of voice, electronic mail (email), text messages, multimedia, data, machine data, etc.

[0159] The terminal 300 may receive signals over the air or radio interface 307 via suitable means for reception and may transmit signals via suitable means for transmission of radio signals. Figure 3In FIG, the transceiver arrangement is schematically represented by block 306. The transceiver arrangement 306 may be provided, for example, by means of a radio part and an associated antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement may be arranged internally or externally to the mobile device.

[0160] Terminal 300 may be provided with at least one processor 301, at least one memory (ROM) 302a, at least one RAM 302b, and possibly other components 303 for use in software- and hardware-assisted execution of the tasks it is designed to perform, including controlling access to and communication with access systems and other communication devices. The at least one processor 301 is coupled to RAM 302a and ROM 211b. The at least one processor 301 may be configured to execute appropriate software code 308. Software code 308 may, for example, enable execution of one or more aspects of the present invention. Software code 308 may be stored in ROM 302b.

[0161] The processor, storage device and other related control devices can be provided on an appropriate circuit board and / or in a chipset. This feature is indicated by reference numeral 304. The device may optionally have a user interface such as a keyboard 305, a touch-sensitive screen or keyboard, a combination thereof, or the like. Optionally, one or more of a display, a speaker and a microphone may be provided, depending on the type of device.

[0162] It has been determined that time-sensitive communication (TSC) services for Industrial IoT (IIoT) use cases may have special requirements compared to traditional data services. More specifically, to ensure seamless operation of IIoT use cases, communication services may need to meet so-called "time-to-live" requirements. The definition of time-to-live is given in TS 22.104:

[0163] “Time to Live: The amount of time an application using a communication service can continue without an expected message.”

[0164] The time to live may indicate to the communication service the time available to recover from a failure.The time to live may be expressed as a time period or, particularly for periodic services, as a maximum number of consecutive messages that are erroneously received or lost.

[0165] Figure 4 An example is shown in , where the time to live is expressed as the maximum number of consecutive messages that are erroneously received or lost. When N consecutive packets (eg, N=2) are not erroneously received or lost, the time to live is violated and an application failure occurs.

[0166] In the 5G NR framework, a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) entity can be configured for a Data Radio Bearer (DRB), and multiple Radio Link Control (RLC) entities can be associated with the PDCP entity for duplication and / or splitting of bearers. Currently, all RLC entities associated with a PDCP entity operate in the same operating mode, i.e., Acknowledged Mode (AM) or Unacknowledged Mode (UM).

[0167] AM can provide better reliability than UM because it can apply automatic retransmission request (ARQ) in the event of erroneous transmissions. However, AM can be slower than UM and may consume more computing and storage resources. Therefore, UM is often used to handle ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services.

[0168] However, for services with time-to-live requirements (where different bursts may require different reliability targets to prevent consecutive errors), it may be questionable whether applying UM to all bursts from the same service flow is reasonable in terms of time-to-live implementation.

[0169] In view of this, it may be necessary to provide a mechanism that provides a trade-off between processing complexity and time-to-live implementation.

[0170] It has been proposed that different logical channels (LCHs) associated with the same DRB can be configured with different LCH mapping restrictions at the media access control (MAC). LCH mapping restrictions can maintain reliability by limiting the physical radio resources to which each packet can be mapped. The terminal can handle different packets from the same DRB by processing them in different LCHs to reduce the probability of consecutive errors. However, this proposal does not take into account the operating mode of the RLC entity.

[0171] R2-1818339 has proposed that the RLC entities associated with the DRBs used for replication can be configured in different operating modes. Multiple copies of the PDCP PDU can be submitted to the RLC entity operating in the AM and the RRC entity operating in the UM in order to obtain the benefits of both reliability and latency. This means that the RLC entity operating in the AM may still need to process all packets in the data stream, which requires more computing and storage resources. In addition, since all back-to-back packets are processed in a similar manner, this solution may not bring a significant benefit in terms of lifetime protection from consecutive packet errors.

[0172] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide an uplink mechanism in which a plurality of RLC entities associated with a PDCP entity may be divided into two subsets of RLC entities operating in different operating modes. For example, a subset of a first RLC entity may operate in AM, while a subset of a second RLC entity may operate in UM. The subset of the first RLC entity may include one or more RLC entities. The subset of the second RLC entity may include one or more RLC entities. The PDCP entity may select between a subset of the first RLC entity and a subset of the second RLC entity to process the PDCP PDU depending on whether there is a risk of lifetime violation associated with the PDCP PDU. Different subsets of RLC entities may correspond to different cell groups or MAC entities.

[0173] The PDCP entity may select a subset of the first RLC entities to process every Nth PDCP PDU (i.e., one PDCP PDU out of N). Figure 4 In the example of FIG, the PDCP entity may select a subset of the first RLC entities (operating in AM) to process every second PDCP PDU (i.e., one PDCP PDU out of two). In this way, the PDCP entity can ensure that each Nth PDCP PDU is processed with higher reliability due to AM and can reduce the probability that N consecutive PDCP PDUs are erroneously received or lost. In addition, it can save computational and / or storage resources by submitting all other PDCP PDUs to the subset of the second RLC entities (operating in UM) instead of the subset of the first RLC entities.

[0174] Figure 5 A schematic diagram shows a mechanism for selecting between a subset of first RLC entities operating in AM and a subset of second RLC entities operating in UM to process PDCP PDUs.

[0175] Alternatively or additionally, when the PDCP PDU is associated with a lifetime risk, the PDCP entity may further select the subset of RLC entities based on the number of RLC entities activated for duplication in the subset of the first RLC entities and / or the subset of the second RLC entities.

[0176] When the number of activated RLC entities in the subset of the first RLC entities is greater than the number of activated RLC entities in the subset of the second RLC entities, the PDCP entity may select the subset of the first RLC entities to process the PDCP PDU.

[0177] When the subset of first RLC entities has two or more active first RLC entities, the PDCP entity may perform duplication on the subset of first RLC entities, that is, two or more copies of the PDCP PDU are processed by the two or more active first RLC entities.

[0178] When the number of activated RLC entities in the subset of the first RLC entities is lower than the number of activated RLC entities in the subset of the second RLC entities, the PDCP entity may select the subset of the second RLC entities to process the PDCP PDU.

[0179] When a subset of the second RLC entities has two or more active first RLC entities, the PDCP entity may perform duplication on the subset of the second RLC entities, that is, two or more copies of the PDCP PDU are processed by the two or more active second RLC entities.

[0180] When a PDCP PDU is not associated with a lifetime risk, the PDCP entity may select a subset of the second RLC entities by default.

[0181] When the subset of second RLC entities has two or more active second RLC entities, the PDCP entity may perform duplication on the subset of second RLC entities, that is, two or more copies of the PDCP PDU are processed by the two or more active second RLC entities.

[0182] The PDCP entity may determine whether a PDCP PDU is associated with a time-to-live risk based on a sequence number of the PDCP PDU or based on whether a previous PDCP PDU was successfully transmitted.

[0183] The PDCP entity may provide the PDCP PDUs to the selected subset of the first RLC entities or the selected subset of the second RLC entities.

[0184] It will be appreciated that when a PDCP PDU is associated with a lifetime risk, the PDCP entity does not necessarily select a subset of the first RLC entities to process the PDCP PDU. When a PDCP PDU is associated with a lifetime risk, the PDCP entity may select a subset of the first RLC entities to process the PDCP PDU. That is, in addition to the PDCP PDU being associated with a lifetime risk, the PDCP entity may also consider other criteria, factors, or conditions to select between the subset of the first RLC entity and the subset of the second RLC entity.

[0185] For example, the first RLC entity within the subset of first RLC entities may not always be active, and duplication may not always be possible. The gNB may dynamically activate and / or deactivate RLC entities associated with the DRB (e.g., via MAC control elements according to the Rel-16 specification). Therefore, in addition to whether the PDCP PDU is associated with a lifetime risk, the PDCP entity may also consider the number of active first RLC entities within the subset of first RLC entities to select between the subset of first RLC entities and the subset of second RLC entities.

[0186] When a PDCP PDU is associated with a lifetime risk, the number of active first RLC entities within the subset of first RLC entities is less than two, and the number of active second RLC entities within the subset of second RLC entities is greater than or equal to two, the PDCP entity may select the subset of second RLC entities. The PDCP entity may perform replication on the subset of second RLC entities. In this manner, higher reliability and lower latency may be achieved due to the replication.

[0187] When the PDCP PDU is associated with a lifetime risk and the number of active first RLC entities within the subset of first RLC entities is greater than or equal to two, the PDCP entity may select the subset of first RLC entities.The PDCP entity may perform replication on the subset of first RLC entities.

[0188] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide an uplink mechanism in which a gNB may send a configuration message to a terminal to configure a PDCP entity to determine whether a PDCP PDU from the PDCP entity is associated with a time-to-live risk.

[0189] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide an uplink mechanism in which a gNB may send a configuration message to a terminal to configure a PDCP entity to select between a subset of a first RLC entity (i.e., a subset of alternative RLC entities) or a subset of a second RLC entity (i.e., a subset of default RLC entities) to process PDCP PDUs associated with a time-to-live risk based on an operation mode (i.e., AM and UM) of the subset of the first RLC entity or the subset of the second RLC entity.

[0190] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide an uplink mechanism in which a gNB may send a configuration message to a terminal to configure a PDCP entity to select between a subset of first RLC entities (i.e., a subset of alternative RLC entities) or a subset of second RLC entities (i.e., a subset of default RLC entities) to process PDCP PDUs associated with a time-to-live risk based on an operation mode of the subset of first RLC entities or an operation mode of the subset of second RLC entities (i.e., acknowledgement mode and UM) and further based on the number of active first RLC entities within the subset of first RLC entities or the number of active second RLC entities within the subset of second RLC entities.

[0191] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide an uplink mechanism in which a gNB may send a configuration message to a terminal to configure a PDCP entity to select between a subset of first RLC entities (i.e., a subset of alternative RLC entities) or a subset of second RLC entities (i.e., a subset of default RLC entities) to process PDCP PDUs associated with a time-to-live risk based on an operation mode of the subset of the first RLC entities or an operation mode of the subset of the second RLC entities (i.e., acknowledgement mode and UM) and further based on congestion within the subset of the first RLC entities or congestion within the subset of the second RLC entities.

[0192] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide an uplink mechanism in which a gNB may send a configuration message to a terminal to configure a PDCP entity to select between a subset of first RLC entities (i.e., a subset of alternative RLC entities) or a subset of second RLC entities (i.e., a subset of default RLC entities) to process PDCP PDUs associated with a time-to-live risk based on an operation mode of the subset of the first RLC entity or an operation mode of the subset of the second RLC entity (i.e., acknowledgement mode and UM) and further based on a radio link condition of a cell group serving the subset of the first RLC entity or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the subset of the second RLC entity. This may be applicable when the cell group serving the subset of the first RLC entity is different from the cell group serving the subset of the second RLC entity.

[0193] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide an uplink mechanism in which a gNB may send a configuration message to a terminal to configure a PDCP entity to select between a subset of first RLC entities (i.e., a subset of alternative RLC entities) or a subset of second RLC entities (i.e., a subset of default RLC entities) to process PDCP PDUs associated with a time-to-live risk based on the number of active first RLC entities within the subset of first RLC entities or the number of active second RLC entities within the subset of second RLC entities.

[0194] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide an uplink mechanism in which a gNB may send a configuration message to a terminal to configure a PDCP entity to select between a subset of first RLC entities (i.e., a subset of alternative RLC entities) or a subset of second RLC entities (i.e., a subset of default RLC entities) to process PDCP PDUs associated with a time-to-live risk based on congestion within the subset of the first RLC entities or congestion within the subset of the second RLC entities.

[0195] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide an uplink mechanism in which a gNB may send a configuration message to a terminal to configure a PDCP entity to select between a subset of first RLC entities (i.e., a subset of alternative RLC entities) or a subset of second RLC entities (i.e., a subset of default RLC entities) to process PDCP PDUs associated with a lifetime risk based on a radio link condition of a cell group serving the subset of the first RLC entity or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the subset of the second RLC entity. This may be applicable when the cell group serving the subset of the first RLC entity is different from the cell group serving the subset of the second RLC entity.

[0196] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide an uplink mechanism in which a gNB may send a configuration message to a terminal to configure a PDCP entity to provide PDCP PDUs associated with a lifetime risk to a selected subset of first RLC entities or a selected subset of second RLC entities.

[0197] It should be understood that the gNB may send one or more configuration messages to the terminal. The terminal may receive the one or more configuration messages and may configure the PDCP entity accordingly.

[0198] One or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to configuring a terminal by a gNB.

[0199] The gNB can configure the PDCP entity for the terminal for DRB.

[0200] The gNB can configure one or more RLC entities for DRBs for the terminal.

[0201] The gNB can configure the operation mode of the RLC entity for the terminal.

[0202] The gNB may configure a subset of first RLC entities operating in AM (i.e., a subset of alternative RLC entities) and a subset of second RLC entities operating in UM (i.e., a subset of default RLC entities) for the terminal. Alternatively, the gNB may not configure a subset of first RLC entities operating in AM (i.e., a subset of alternative RLC entities) and a subset of second RLC entities operating in UM (i.e., a subset of default RLC entities) for the terminal. The terminal may configure a subset of first RLC entities operating in AM (i.e., a subset of alternative RLC entities) and a subset of second RLC entities operating in UM (i.e., a subset of default RLC entities) based on the operation mode of the RLC entities previously configured by the gNB.

[0203] The gNB may configure a criterion (lifetime risk criterion) for the terminal to allow the PDCP entity to determine that a PDCP PDU is associated with a lifetime risk and that a subset of the first RLC entities may be selected to process the PDCP PDU. The criterion may be based on the sequence number of the PDCP PDU. The criterion may be that the PDCP PDU is one of N PDCP PDUs (e.g., N=2 or 3). N may depend on the lifetime requirement of the data flow. The lifetime risk criterion may be that the previous PDCP PDU has not been successfully transmitted to the gNB (assuming that the PDCP entity knows whether the previous PDCP PDU has been successfully transmitted to the gNB). In this way, it can be ensured that the transmission of consecutive PDCP PDUs to the gNB is not unsuccessful.

[0204] The gNB may configure criteria (lifetime risk criteria) for the terminal to allow the PDCP entity to determine that a PDCP PDU is associated with a lifetime risk and a subset of the first RLC entities may be selected to process the PDCP PDU on a DRB basis. That is, the criteria may apply to specific DRBs rather than to all DRBs.

[0205] The gNB may configure a criterion (switching criterion) for the terminal to allow the PDCP entity to select between the subset of the first RLC entity and the subset of the second RLC entity. The criterion (switching criterion) may be that the operation mode of the subset of the first RLC entity is UM and the operation mode of the subset of the first RLC entity is UM.

[0206] The gNB may configure additional or alternative criteria (switching criteria) for the terminal to allow the PDCP entity to select between the subset of the first RLC entity and the subset of the second RLC entity. The criterion (switching criteria) may be that the number of active first RLC entities within the subset of the first RLC entity is greater than the number of active second RLC entities within the subset of the second RLC entity. The switching criterion may be that the congestion within the subset of the first RLC entity is greater than the congestion within the subset of the second RLC entity. The switching criterion may be that the radio link condition of the cell group serving the subset of the first RLC entity is better than the radio link condition of the cell group serving the subset of the second RLC entity.

[0207] With this configuration, the PDCP entity can decide whether the PDCP PDUs should be delivered to the subset of the first RLC entity (ie, the subset of the alternative RLC entity) or the subset of the second RLC entity (ie, the subset of the default RLC entity).

[0208] It will be understood that although in the above case, the subset of the first RLC entities operating in AM is a subset of the alternative RLC entities, and the subset of the second RLC entities operating in UM is a subset of the default RLC entities, the opposite may also be true. That is, the subset of the first RLC entities operating in AM may be a subset of the default RLC entities, and the subset of the second RLC entities operating in UM may be a subset of the alternative RLC entities.

[0209] Figure 6 A schematic diagram illustrating a flow chart of a method for selecting between a subset of a first RLC entity and a subset of a second RLC entity for processing a PDCP PDU.

[0210] For each PDCP PDU, the PDCP entity may determine whether the PDCP PDU meets the lifetime risk criteria. If the PDCP PDU meets the lifetime risk criteria, the PDCP PDU may be associated with a lifetime risk. If the PDCP PDU does not meet the lifetime risk criteria, the PDCP PDU may not be associated with a lifetime risk.

[0211] If the PDCP PDU meets the lifetime risk criteria of the PDCP entity, the PDCP entity may determine whether the PDCP PDU meets the handover criteria. If the PDCP PDU meets the handover criteria, the PDCP entity may select a subset of the first RLC entity (a subset of the alternative RLC entity) to process the PDCP PDU.

[0212] If the PDCP PDU does not meet the lifetime risk criterion, the PDCP entity may select a subset of the second RLC entity (a subset of the default RLC entity) to process the PDCP PDU.

[0213] It must be noted that according to TS 22.104, there are several IIoT use cases with relatively long tolerable delays (represented by "end-to-end delay") and time-to-live requirements (see Table 5.2-1 Periodic deterministic communication service performance requirements). Therefore, when the PDCP entity selects a subset of the first entities operating in the AM to process the PDCP PDU, this can help, as retransmissions can be performed despite the time constraints of the strict delay budget.

[0214] One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide a trade-off between time-to-live implementation and computational and / or storage resource usage. More resource-intensive RLC entities, such as those operating in an AM, may only be considered when there is a risk of time-to-live violations. Since RLC entities, such as those operating in an AM, are not used for every packet PDCP PDU, processing complexity may be reduced.

[0215] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating a block diagram of a method performed by a terminal for selecting between one or more first RLC entities and one or more second RLC entities to process a PDU from a PDCP entity associated with a time-to-live violation risk.

[0216] In step 700, the terminal may determine that a PDU from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk. The terminal may determine that a PDU from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk for a specific data radio bearer. The higher protocol layer entity may be a PDCP entity.

[0217] For example, a PDU may be associated with a time-to-live violation risk if failure to transmit the PDU may result in N consecutive PDU transmission errors and / or may cause the operation of the application to cease.

[0218] Determining whether a PDU from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on a sequence number of the packet data unit.

[0219] Determining whether a PDU from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk may be based on whether a previous packet data unit was successfully transmitted.

[0220] In step 702, the terminal may select between one or more first lower data protocol entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the PDU. The one or more first lower data protocol entities may be one or more first RLC entities. The one or more second lower data protocol entities may be one or more second RLC entities.

[0221] The selection may be based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0222] In some implementations, the selection may be based on: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; and at least one of: a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0223] The second lower protocol layer entity may be a default lower protocol layer entity, and the first lower protocol layer entity may be an alternative lower protocol layer entity.

[0224] The operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be one of an acknowledgement mode, a non-acknowledgement mode, and a transparent mode.

[0225] In one implementation, the operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities may be AM, and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities may be UM.

[0226] When the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities is greater than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities is lower than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities is greater than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities, the terminal may select one or more first lower protocol layer entities to process PDUs from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0227] When the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more first lower protocol layer entities is lower than the number of active lower protocol layer entities in one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the congestion within one or more first lower protocol layer entities is greater than that of one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or the radio link condition of the cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities is lower than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities, the terminal may select one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process packet data units from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0228] In step 704, the terminal may submit the PDU from the higher protocol layer entity to the selected one or more first lower protocol layer entities or one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0229] The terminal may determine that the PDU from the higher protocol layer entity is not associated with a time-to-live violation risk.The terminal may select one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the PDU from the higher protocol layer entity.

[0230] The terminal may receive a configuration message from the BS to: determine that a PDU from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a lifetime violation risk; and select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the PDU based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0231] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating a block diagram of a method performed by a base station for selecting between one or more first RLC entities and one or more second RLC entities to process a PDU from a PDCP entity associated with a time-to-live violation risk.

[0232] The BS may send a configuration message to the terminal to: determine that a PDU from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a lifetime violation risk; and select between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the PDU based on at least one of: an operating mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; the number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or a radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

[0233] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of non-volatile memory media 900a (e.g., a computer disk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD)) and 900b (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick) storing instructions and / or parameters 902 that, when executed by a processor, allow the processor to perform Figure 7 or Figure 8 One or more of the steps of the method.

[0234] It should be noted that while the above describes exemplifying embodiments, there are several variations and modifications which may be made to the disclosed solution without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0235] It should be understood that although the above concepts have been discussed in the context of 5GS, one or more of these concepts may be applied to other cellular systems.

[0236] Therefore, the embodiments may vary within the scope of the appended claims. In general, some embodiments may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, but the embodiments are not limited thereto. Although various embodiments may be illustrated and described using block diagrams, flow charts, or other diagrams, it is well understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or a controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0237] These embodiments may be implemented by computer software stored in a memory and executable by at least one data processor of the entity involved or by hardware or by a combination of software and hardware. Furthermore, in this regard, it should be noted that Figure 7 or Figure 8Any process shown may represent program steps, or interconnected logic circuits, blocks and functions, or a combination of program steps and logic circuits, modules and functions. The software may be stored on physical media such as memory chips or memory blocks implemented within the processor, magnetic media such as hard disk or floppy disks, and optical media such as DVDs and their data variants, CDs.

[0238] The memory may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. As non-limiting examples, the data processor may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a gate-level circuit, and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture.

[0239] Alternatively or additionally, some embodiments may be implemented using circuitry. The circuitry may be configured to perform one or more of the previously described functions and / or method steps. The circuitry may be provided in a base station and / or a communication device.

[0240] In this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0241] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuits);

[0242] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as:

[0243] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0244] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) (including digital signal processor(s)) with software, software, and memory(s) that work together to cause an apparatus such as a communication device or base station to perform the various functions described above; and

[0245] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but where the software is not required for operation, the software may not be present.

[0246] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or microprocessor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example, an integrated device.

[0247] The foregoing description has provided a complete and informative description of some embodiments by way of exemplary and non-limiting examples. However, various modifications and adaptations may be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in light of the foregoing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Nevertheless, all such and similar modifications of the present teachings will still fall within the scope as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for communication, include: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: determining that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk; as well as selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on: an operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; Wherein processing the packet data unit comprises: the higher protocol layer entity may perform copying on the selected lower protocol layer entity; Wherein the operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities are one of an acknowledgement mode, a non-acknowledgement mode and a transparent mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: selecting between the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity based on: an operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; and at least one of: a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; congestion within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or A radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the number of said active lower protocol layer entities of said one or more first lower protocol layer entities is greater than the number of said active lower protocol layer entities of said one or more second lower protocol layer entities; wherein said congestion within said one or more first lower protocol layer entities is lower than said one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or wherein the radio link condition of a group of cells serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities is greater than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: The one or more first lower protocol layer entities are selected to process the packet data units from the higher protocol layer entity.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the number of active lower protocol layer entities of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities is lower than the number of active lower protocol layer entities of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; wherein said congestion within said one or more first lower protocol layer entities is greater than said one or more second lower protocol layer entities; or wherein the radio link condition of a cell group serving the one or more first lower protocol layer entities is lower than that of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: The one or more second lower protocol layer entities are selected to process the packet data units from the higher protocol layer entity.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: determining that a packet data unit from said higher protocol layer entity is not associated with a time-to-live violation risk; and The one or more second lower protocol layer entities are selected to process the packet data units from the higher protocol layer entity.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein determining whether a packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk is based on a sequence number of the packet data unit.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein determining whether a packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk is based on whether a previous packet data unit was successfully transmitted.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the second lower protocol layer entity is a default lower protocol layer entity and the first lower protocol layer entity is an alternative lower protocol layer entity.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: The packet data unit is submitted from the higher protocol layer entity to the selected one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: It is determined that the packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity is associated with a risk of a time-to-live violation for a specific data radio bearer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Receive a configuration message from the base station to: determining that a packet data unit from the higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk ； as well as selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on: an operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; Wherein processing the packet data unit comprises: the higher protocol layer entity may perform copying on the selected lower protocol layer entity; Wherein the operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities are one of an acknowledgement mode, a non-acknowledgement mode and a transparent mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the higher protocol layer entity is a Packet Data Convergence Protocol entity; wherein the one or more first lower protocol layer entities are one or more first radio link control entities; and Wherein the one or more second lower protocol layer entities are one or more second radio link control entities.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the apparatus is a terminal.

16. A device for communication, include: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Send a configuration message to the terminal to: determining that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk; as well as selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on: an operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; Wherein processing the packet data unit comprises: the higher protocol layer entity may perform copying on the selected lower protocol layer entity; Wherein the operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities are one of an acknowledgement mode, a non-acknowledgement mode and a transparent mode. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the apparatus is a base station.

18. A method for communication, include: determining that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk; as well as selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on: an operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; Wherein processing the packet data unit comprises: the higher protocol layer entity may perform copying on the selected lower protocol layer entity; Wherein the operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities are one of an acknowledgement mode, a non-acknowledgement mode and a transparent mode.

19. A method for communication, include: Send a configuration message to the terminal to: determining that a packet data unit from a higher protocol layer entity is associated with a time-to-live violation risk; as well as selecting between one or more first lower protocol layer entities and one or more second lower protocol layer entities to process the packet data unit based on: an operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; a number of active lower protocol layer entities within the one or more first lower protocol layer entities or the one or more second lower protocol layer entities; Wherein processing the packet data unit comprises: the higher protocol layer entity may perform copying on the selected lower protocol layer entity; Wherein the operation mode of the one or more first lower protocol layer entities and the operation mode of the one or more second lower protocol layer entities are one of an acknowledgement mode, a non-acknowledgement mode and a transparent mode.

20. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed on one or more processors, perform the steps of the method according to claim 18 or claim 19.

Images