Method and apparatus for communicating quality of service information over user plane

By transmitting QoS information on the user plane and directly transmitting QoS information using data packets, the problems of traditional QoS information transmission delay and inaccuracy are solved, and the transmission capability and reliability are improved.

CN119422406APending Publication Date: 2025-02-11ZTE CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202280097439.3
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-06-24
Publication Date
2025-02-11

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The traditional QoS information transmission mechanism has poor time delays, accuracy and reliability, especially in the new 5G air interface, where the control surface process is complex and signaling processing is heavy.

Method used

The quality of service (QoS) information is transmitted through the user plane, and the QoS information is directly transmitted to the receiver using data packets, reducing signaling processing and delay on the control plane.

Benefits of technology

It improves the ability and reliability of QoS information transmission, reduces the complexity of the control plane process and the burden of signaling processing, and achieves faster and more accurate QoS information transmission.

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Abstract

The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and devices for communicating quality of service (QoS) information over a user plane. A method includes transmitting, by a first network element, first QoS information to a second network element by transmitting, by the first network element, a data packet to the second network element through a user, wherein the data packet includes the first QoS information. Another method includes receiving, by a second network element, first QoS information from a first network element by receiving, by the second network element, a data packet from the first network element over a user plane, wherein the data packet includes the first QoS information.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure is generally directed to wireless communications. In particular, the present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for transmitting quality of service (QoS) information over a user plane. Background Art

[0002] A data transmission session in a communication network may include one or more data flows. The data flows within such a data transmission session may be associated with Quality of Service (QoS) information. QoS information relates to the characteristics or requirements of the data flows and provides a guarantee of the communication service capability. The delivery of QoS information may involve various network nodes, network elements or network entities in the communication network, as well as a large number of signaling processes between these network nodes, network elements or network entities. Traditional QoS mechanisms may be delayed in time and have poor accuracy and reliability. Summary of the invention

[0003] This document relates to methods, systems and devices for wireless communications, and more particularly, to methods, systems and devices for transmitting Quality of Service (QoS) information over a user plane. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be beneficial in improving the capability of QoS information transmission.

[0004] In one embodiment, the present disclosure describes a method for wireless communication, which includes: a first network element transmitting first quality of service (QoS) information to a second network element in the following manner: the first network element transmits a data packet to the second network element via a user interface, wherein the data packet includes the first QoS information.

[0005] In one embodiment, the present disclosure describes a method for wireless communication. The method includes: receiving, by a second network element, first quality of service (QoS) information from a first network element in the following manner: receiving, by the second network element, a data packet from the first network element via a user plane, wherein the data packet includes the first QoS information.

[0006] In some other embodiments, the apparatus for wireless communication may include a memory storing instructions and a processing circuit in communication with the memory. When the processing circuit executes the instructions, the processing circuit is configured to implement the above method.

[0007] In some other embodiments, the device for wireless communication may include a memory storing instructions and a processing circuit in communication with the memory. When the processing circuit executes the instructions, the processing circuit is configured to implement the above method.

[0008] In some other embodiments, a computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the above method.

[0009] The above and other aspects and their embodiments are described in more detail in the drawings, the description and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1A An example of a wireless communication system including a radio network node and one or more user equipments is shown.

[0011] Figure 1B Schematic diagrams showing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 1C Another schematic diagram showing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 An example of a network node is shown.

[0014] Figure 3 An example of a user device is shown.

[0015] Figure 4A A flow chart of a method for wireless communication is shown.

[0016] Figure 4B A flow chart of another method for wireless communication is shown.

[0017] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a non-limiting embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0018] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a non-limiting embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0019] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a non-limiting embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0020] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a non-limiting embodiment for wireless communication is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present disclosure will now be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the present disclosure and show by way of illustration specific examples of embodiments. However, it is noted that the present disclosure may be embodied in a variety of different forms, and therefore, the subject matter covered or claimed is intended to be construed as not limited to any embodiment set forth below.

[0022] Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have nuanced meanings suggested or implied by the context, beyond their explicitly stated meanings. Likewise, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in some embodiments" as used herein do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and the phrases "in another embodiment" or "in other embodiments" as used herein do not necessarily refer to different embodiments. The phrases "in one implementation" or "in some implementations" as used herein do not necessarily refer to the same implementation, and the phrases "in another implementation" or "in other implementations" as used herein do not necessarily refer to different implementations. It is intended, for example, that the claimed subject matter includes all or part of an exemplary embodiment or combination of implementations.

[0023] In general, terms can be understood at least in part from the usage in the context. For example, terms such as "and", "or", or "and / or" as used herein can include various meanings, which can depend at least in part on the context in which such terms are used. Typically, "or" if used for an association list, such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C, which are used here in an inclusive sense, and A, B, or C, which are used here in an exclusive sense. In addition, the terms "one or more" or "at least one" as used herein, at least in part depending on the context, can be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in a singular sense, or can be used to describe a combination of features, structures, and characteristics in a plural sense. Similarly, terms such as "one", "an", or "the" can again be understood to convey singular usage or to convey plural usage, which depends at least in part on the context. In addition, the term "based on" or "determined by..." can be understood as not necessarily intended to convey an exclusive set of factors, and can, on the contrary, allow the presence of additional factors that are not necessarily explicitly described, again, at least in part depending on the context.

[0024] The present disclosure describes methods and apparatus for communicating quality of service (QoS) information over a user plane (UP).

[0025] In a communication network, end-to-end communication can be established as a data communication session (alternatively referred to as a data session or communication session). Each data session may include the transmission of data of different types, characteristics and transmission requirements. Therefore, a data session can be configured to contain multiple data streams (which may be referred to as QoS streams), each of which includes data with similar transmission characteristics and / or associated with similar transmission quality requirements. The transmission of each of these data streams can be controlled and configured based on its transmission characteristics / requirements. For example, the allocation of communication resources to a data stream by a communication network may be based on the transmission characteristics / requirements of the data stream. Such transmission characteristics / requirements of a data stream may be used to determine a set of transmission parameters, collectively referred to as QoS information of the data stream. Then, the transmission configuration of the data stream (such as communication resource allocation) may be based on such QoS information. The determination and transmission of QoS information may be performed by a network element in a communication network assigned to configure and manage the transmission of a data stream. A "network element" may include one or more network nodes, one or more network functions and / or one or more network entities.

[0026] Data flows can be associated with QoS information. In a network, QoS information is often used to provide service assurance capabilities. QoS information relates to the characteristics or requirements of a data flow. QoS information may include information on QoS parameters and QoS policies, such as QoS profiles, QoS rules, and / or policy control and charging (PCC) rules.

[0027] In traditional QoS mechanisms, QoS information is delivered through the control plane (CP). The delivery of QoS information may involve various network nodes, network elements or network entities in the communication network, as well as a large number of signaling processes between these network nodes, network elements or network entities. In the 5G new radio (NR), the core network (CN) maps the user plane traffic to the QoS flow, and the access network (AN) binds the QoS flow to the data radio bearer (DRB). In order to complete the above mapping process, multiple control plane processes for QoS information transmission are required, involving multiple control plane network functions (NFs), such as policy control function (PCF), session management function (SMF), access and mobility management function (AMF). The transmission mechanism of QoS information through the control plane can be semi-static, long-chain and / or single-means. Traditional methods of QoS information transmission may be delayed in time, where the accuracy and reliability of QoS capabilities are poor.

[0028] Figure 1A A wireless communication system 100 is shown including a core network (CN) 110, a radio access network (RAN) 130, and one or more user equipment (UE) (152, 154, and 156). The RAN 130 may include a wireless network base station or a NG radio access network (NG-RAN) base station or node, which may include a Node B (NB, such as a gNB) in mobile telecommunications. In one embodiment, the core network 110 may include a 5G core network (5G core network, 5GC), and the interface 125 may include a new generation (NG) interface.

[0029] refer to Figure 1A, the first UE 152 may wirelessly receive one or more downlink communications 142 from the RAN 130 and wirelessly send one or more uplink communications 141 to the RAN 130. Similarly, the second UE 154 may wirelessly receive downlink communications 144 from the RAN 130 and wirelessly send uplink communications 143 to the RAN 130; and the third UE 156 may wirelessly receive downlink communications 146 from the RAN 130 and wirelessly send uplink communications 145 to the RAN 130. For example, but not limited to, the downlink communications may include a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and the uplink communications may include a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH).

[0030] In some embodiments, the core network (CN) may include one or more core network functions related to QoS information, such as Figure 1B As shown, which is described below. The core network can communicate with the UE 171, with the RAN 172, and / or with the UE through the RAN.

[0031] Describes in more detail Figure 1B Further description of the functions of various network nodes in the wireless communication network and the network functions related to QoS information.

[0032] Regarding UPF (User Plane Function) 173, UPF performs functions including but not limited to acting as an anchor point for intra / inter-radio access technology (RAT) mobility, packet routing and forwarding, traffic usage reporting, quality of service (QoS) processing for the user plane, downlink packet buffering, and downlink data notification triggering. The UPF service area includes an area consisting of one or more tracking areas, within which communication sessions associated with the UPF can be handled by RAN nodes through a direct interface between the RAN and the UPF (e.g., Figure 1B The N3 interface shown in the figure) service can be used without adding a new UPF or removing / reallocating the UPF in between. When the UE moves out of the UPF service area, an intermediate UPF (I-UPF) can be inserted / relocated. The I-UPF can use, for example Figure 1B172 and may use, for example, the N3 tunnel indicated in FIG. Figure 1B The N9 tunnel indicated in .

[0033] Regarding AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) 176, AMF performs functions including but not limited to registration management, connection management, reachability management, and mobility management of UE 171. AMF also performs access authentication and access authorization. AMF 176 has the function of acting as a non-access stratum (NAS) security termination and relaying session management NAS messages between UE 171 and SMF 177. AMF 176 also performs the function of SMF selection during the communication session establishment process and the UE mobility process. AMF can forward QoS profiles from SMF to RAN (or AN), and forward QoS rules from SMF to UE.

[0034] Regarding SMF (session management function) 177, SMF performs functions including, but not limited to, establishment, modification and release of communication sessions, UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization functions), selection and control of UPF 173, and downlink data notification. Each SMF can control one or more UPFs and is associated with a service area that is a collection of UPF service areas of all UPFs under its control. SMF derives QoS profiles according to PCC rules, generates QoS flows, sends QoS profiles to RAN, and sends packet detection rules (PDR) to UPF. PCC rules are bound to QoS flows. In some embodiments, SMF also selects UPFs based on the granularity of UE or session, and can assign IP addresses, collect billing data, connect to billing centers, and the like. As needed, I-SMF (intermediate SMF) is inserted, changed, or removed into a communication session to control I-UPF (intermediate UPF), which cannot be controlled by the original SMF 177 selected for the communication session because they belong to different SMF service areas.

[0035] Regarding PCF (Policy Control Function) 184, PCF is responsible for a unified policy framework, provides policy rules for control plane functions, determines policy control and charging (PCC) rules, and authorizes session management functions (SMF) based on service data flows (SDF). PCF performs functions including, but not limited to, providing policy rules and controlling other network nodes to enforce policy rules. Specifically, PCF provides access and mobility related policies to AMF 176 so that AMF 176 executes them during the mobility process.

[0036] Regarding UDR (Unified Data Repository) 181, UDR can support storage / retrieval of structured data for network opening, application data (e.g., packet flow description (PFD) for application detection, application request information for multiple UEs, and application requests for data traffic routing impact, as described above and described in more detail below), and storage / retrieval of network group IDs corresponding to subscriber identifiers (e.g., external group IDs or internal group IDs). The UDR can be located in the same public land mobile network (PLMN) as the network application service to which it provides application data storage. The 5G system architecture allows UDM, PCF, and NEF to store data in the UDR, including subscription data and policy data of UDM and PCF, structured data for opening, and application data of NEF (including packet flow description (PFD) for application detection, AF request information of multiple UEs).

[0037] Regarding UDM (Unified Data Management) 185, UDM is responsible for user identity recognition, access authorization, and unified processing of user subscription data and authentication data.

[0038] Regarding NEF (Network Exposure Function) 182, these network nodes can store / retrieve information of structured data to UDR using standardized interfaces (e.g., Nudr interface). NEF provides a way for AF to securely provide various information to the core network, including but not limited to information about the impact of applications on data traffic routing. NEF can authenticate, authorize and assist in restricting requests from application functions (AF). Access to NEF is through an open application programming interface (API) provided by the core network. A specific NEF instance can support one or more of these functions, and thus a single NEF can support a subset of APIs specified by the NEF. NEF can be configured to access UDRs located in the same PLMN as the NEF.

[0039] Regarding AF (Application Function) 186, these network nodes can interact with the core network to provide services to applications. The AF can interact with applications on one end and interact with network functions in the core network through NEF on the other end. In some embodiments, the AF, which is considered trusted by the core network, can bypass the NEF and interact directly with other relevant network functions in the core network. The AF interacts as a control plane for applications and transmits QoS requirements / parameters for applications.

[0040] Regarding AUSF (Authentication Server Function) 175, AUSF may be responsible for authentication and access authentication, and may authenticate external applications and toB.

[0041] Regarding the network function repository function (NRF) 183, the NRF may be responsible for the discovery and registration of network function services.

[0042] Regarding the data network (DN) 174, the DN may correspond to operator services, Internet access, or third-party services, etc. In some implementations, an application (App) may be deployed in the DN.

[0043] In the core network, AMF, SMF, PCF, AUSF, UDR, UDM, NRF, NEF and AF may belong to the control plane; and UPF may belong to the user plane.

[0044] In 5G NR, QoS information is transmitted through the control plane. Before the application transmits service data, it may be necessary to perform service authentication and user service subscription query through NRF, UDM, UDR, AUSF, etc. Then, PCF determines QoS policies such as PCC rules based on the obtained service requirements and subscription information, and PCC rules include QoS parameters and charging policies. For third-party applications, AF also needs to perform security authentication, service requirements and QoS information transmission through NEF. SMF performs SDF to QoS flow binding based on QoS and service requirements. After receiving the PCC rules provided by PCF, SMF assigns QFI to the new QoS flow, and derives its QoS profile, corresponding UPF instructions and one or more QoS rules from the PCC rules and other information provided by PCF. When establishing a PDU session, SMF transmits QoS information by configuring PDR for UPF, QoS profile for RAN, and QoS rules for UE. According to the QoS information from SMF, UPF maps IP data flows into multiple QoS flows with the help of PDU sessions. The SMF provides the QoS profile to the access network through the AMF, thereby instructing the access network (AN) to perform data flow matching and radio bearer mapping. The UE's uplink transmission matches and maps data packets according to the QoS rules, and the QoS rules are also sent to the UE by the SMF through the AMF in the NAS message. For the QoS flow of GBR, alternative QoS profiles can also be transmitted by enabling notification control, and the access network can select a set of appropriate QoS parameters from multiple sets of QoS profiles. The QoS profile can be used for a long time in the PDU session until the RAN selects an alternative QoS profile and feeds it back to the CN. QoS information transmission through the control plane is in semi-static mode.

[0045] In 5G NR, a QoS flow is associated with QoS requirements as specified by one or more QoS parameters and QoS characteristics in the QoS information. The characteristics of any QoS flow may be: a QoS profile provided by the SMF to the AN via the AMF over the N2 reference point, or a QoS profile pre-configured in the AN; one or more QoS rules and QoS flow-level QoS parameters optionally associated with these QoS rules, which may be provided by the SMF to the UE via the AMF over the N1 reference point and / or derived by the UE by applying reflective QoS control; and / or one or more UL and one or more DL PDRs provided by the SMF to the UPF. For each QoS flow, the QoS profile may include QoS parameters, such as a 5G QoS identifier (5QI) and / or allocation and retention priority (ARP). For each non-GBR QoS flow only, the QoS profile may also include QoS parameters, such as a reflective QoS attribute (RQA). For each GBR QoS flow only, the QoS profile may also include QoS parameters, such as a guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR) and / or a maximum flow bit rate (MFBR); in the case of a GBR QoS flow only, the QoS profile may also include one or more QoS parameters, such as notification control, maximum packet loss rate. In 5G NR, the 5G QoS characteristics as part of the QoS profile associated with the 5QI may include at least one of the following: resource type (e.g., GBR, delay-critical GBR, or non-GBR), priority, packet delay budget (including core network packet delay budget), packet error rate, average window (only for GBR and / or delay-critical GBR resource types) and / or maximum data burst size (only for delay-critical GBR resource types). A standardized 5QI (e.g., a non-dynamic 5QI) may indicate standardized QoS characteristics to reduce signaling overhead. In the case of a dynamic 5QI, the 5G QoS characteristics need to be in the QoS profile, which may be a large number of QoS parameters, resulting in control plane overhead.

[0046] In 5G NR, QoS profiles can be sent by SMF to RAN via AMF on the N2 interface; QoS rules can be sent by SMF to UE via AMF on the N1 interface. PDR can be regarded as a service data flow (SDF) template, which is provided by SMF to UPF. Reflective QoS Attribute (RQA) is an optional QoS parameter that indicates that certain traffic carried on this QoS flow is affected by reflective QoS. Only when RQA is signaled for a QoS flow, the (R)AN enables the delivery of reflective QoS Indication (RQI) for AN resources corresponding to the QoS flow. RQA can be signaled to NG-RAN via the N2 reference point when the UE context is established in NG-RAN and the QoS flow is established or modified. In order to complete the above mapping process, multiple control plane processes are required, involving multiple control plane NFs of the core network, and QoS information is transmitted in the signaling.

[0047] Most importantly, the transmission mechanism of QoS information through the control plane can be semi-static, long-chained and single-means. Traditional methods of QoS information transmission may be delayed in time, with poor accuracy and reliability.

[0048] The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transmitting QoS information on a user plane, solving at least one of the above-discussed difficulties / problems, reducing signaling processing on a control plane, and / or improving the ability to transmit QoS information.

[0049] Figure 2 An example of an electronic device 200 implementing one or more core network functions or one or more base stations is shown. The example electronic device 200 may include wireless transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) circuitry 208 to send / receive communications with UEs and / or other base stations. The electronic device 200 may also include network interface circuitry 209 to enable the base station to communicate with other base stations and / or core networks (e.g., optical or wired interconnects, Ethernet, and / or other data transmission media / protocols). The electronic device 200 may optionally include an input / output (I / O) interface 206 to communicate with an operator or the like.

[0050] The electronic device 200 may also include a system circuit 204. The system circuit 204 may include one or more processors 221 and / or a memory 222. The memory 222 may include an operating system 224, instructions 226, and parameters 228. The instructions 226 may be configured for one or more of the processors 124 to perform functions of a network node. The parameters 228 may include parameters that support the execution of the instructions 226. For example, the parameters may include network protocol settings, bandwidth parameters, radio frequency mapping assignments, and / or other parameters.

[0051] Figure 3 An example of an electronic device implementing a terminal device 300 (e.g., a user equipment (UE)) is shown. UE 300 may be a mobile device, such as a smart phone or a mobile communication module provided in a vehicle. UE 300 may include a communication interface 302, a system circuit 304, an input / output interface (I / O) 306, a display circuit 308, and a storage device 309. The display circuit may include a user interface 310. System circuit 304 may include any combination of hardware, software, firmware, or other logic / circuits. System circuit 304 may be implemented, for example, with one or more systems on a chip (SoC), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), discrete analog and digital circuits, and other circuits. System circuit 304 may be part of an implementation of any desired functionality in UE 300. In this regard, the system circuit 304 may include logic that facilitates, as examples, decoding and playing music and video (e.g., MP3, MP4, MPEG, AVI, FLAC, AC3, or WAV decoding and playback); running applications; accepting user input; saving and retrieving application data; establishing, maintaining, and terminating cellular phone calls or data connections, as an example, for Internet connections; establishing, maintaining, and terminating wireless network connections, Bluetooth connections, or other connections; and displaying relevant information on the user interface 310. The user interface 310 and the input / output (I / O) interface 306 may include a graphical user interface, a touch-sensitive display, tactile feedback or other tactile output, voice or facial recognition input, buttons, switches, speakers, and other user interface elements. Additional examples of the I / O interface 306 may include microphones, video and still image cameras, temperature sensors, vibration sensors, rotation and orientation sensors, headphone and microphone input / output jacks, Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors, memory card slots, radiation sensors (e.g., IR sensors), and other types of inputs.

[0052] refer to Figure 3, the communication interface 302 may include Radio Frequency (RF) transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) circuits 316 that handle the transmission and reception of signals through one or more antennas 314. The communication interface 302 may include one or more transceivers. The transceiver may be a wireless transceiver that includes modulation / demodulation circuitry, a digital to analog converter (DAC), a shaping table, an analog to digital converter (ADC), filters, waveform shapers, filters, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, and / or other logic for transmitting and receiving through one or more antennas or (for some devices) through a physical (e.g., wired) medium. The signals transmitted and received may follow any of a variety of arrays of formats, protocols, modulations (e.g., QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, or 256-QAM), frequency channels, bit rates, and encodings. As a specific example, the communication interface 302 may include a transceiver that supports transmission and reception under 2G, 3G, BT, WiFi, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA) +, 4G / Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G standards and / or 6G standards. However, the techniques described below are applicable to other wireless communication technologies, whether produced by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the GSM Association, 3GPP2, IEEE or other partners or standards bodies.

[0053] refer to Figure 3 , the system circuit 304 may include one or more processors 321 and a memory 322. The memory 322 stores, for example, an operating system 324, instructions 326, and parameters 328. The processor 321 is configured to execute the instructions 326 to implement the desired functions of the UE 300. The parameters 328 may provide and specify configuration and operating options for the instructions 326. The memory 322 may also store any BT, WiFi, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, or other data that the UE 300 will send or has received through the communication interface 302. In various embodiments, the system power of the UE 300 may be supplied by a power storage device such as a battery or a transformer.

[0054] The present disclosure describes various embodiments for transmitting quality of service (QoS) information over a user plane, which may be partially or entirely transmitted over the Figures 2 to 3The various embodiments of the present disclosure may enable the transmission of QoS information through the user plane, which may deliver more QoS information and / or deliver dynamic real-time QoS information. In addition, the user plane transmission mechanism is different from the control plane transmission mechanism, which improves the reliability of QoS information transmission.

[0055] refer to Figure 4A , the present disclosure describes various embodiments of a method 400 for wireless communication. The method may include step 410: a first network element transmits first quality of service (QoS) information to a second network element in the following manner: the first network element transmits a data packet to the second network element via a user, wherein the data packet includes the first QoS information.

[0056] refer to Figure 4B , the present disclosure describes various embodiments of a method 450 for wireless communication. The method may include step 460: receiving, by a second network element, first quality of service (QoS) information from a first network element in the following manner: receiving, by the second network element, a data packet from the first network element via a user plane, wherein the data packet includes the first QoS information.

[0057] In some embodiments, the first network element includes a core network (CN), a user plane function (UPF), a radio access network (RAN), a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), an application server, an edge node, a base station, a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) layer, an integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, or a user equipment (UE). The edge node may be a mobile edge computing (MEC) node or a multi-access edge computing (MEC) node.

[0058] In some embodiments, the second network element includes a core network (CN), a UPF, a radio access network (RAN), a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a medium access control (MAC) layer, a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), an application client, an edge node, a base station (BS), a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) layer, an IAB node, or a user equipment (UE). The edge node may be a mobile edge computing (MEC) node or a multi-access edge computing (MEC) node.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first QoS information includes at least one of the following: one or more packet detection rules (PDRs), one or more policy control and charging (PCC) rules, one or more QoS profiles, one or more QoS rules, one or more QoS parameters, one or more QoS characteristics, one or more alternative QoS profiles, one or more alternative QoS sets, one or more QoS identifiers (IDs), one or more QoS information indexes, one or more QoS parameter ranges, one or more 5G QoS identifiers (5QIs), one or more indexed QoS profiles, one or more indexed QoS parameter sets, one or more QoS parameter set index ranges, one or more QoS types, or one or more QoS groups.

[0060] In some embodiments, the user plane includes at least one of the following: a user plane function (UPF), a user plane of a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, a user plane of a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a user plane of a radio link control (RLC) layer, a user plane of a medium access control (MAC) layer, a user plane of a centralized unit-distributed unit (CU-DU) interface (F1-U), a CU-user plane (CU-UP), a DU-UP, a general packet radio service tunneling protocol user plane (general packet radio service tunneling protocol user plane, GTP-U), a next generation user plane (next generation user plane, NG-U), an Xn user plane (Xn user plane, Xn-U), a user plane of a QoS flow, a user plane of a CN-RAN interface, a user plane of an inter-BS interface, X2-U, a user plane of a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) layer, or a user plane of an integrated access backhaul (IAB) node.

[0061] In some embodiments, the data packet including the first QoS information includes: the first QoS information is located in the header of the data packet; or the first QoS information is located in a predefined data area of ​​the data packet. In some embodiments, the first QoS information is transmitted in the predefined data area of ​​the data packet together with other data, or the first QoS information is transmitted alone in the predefined data area of ​​the data packet. In some embodiments, the data area can be referred to as a data field. In some embodiments, the data area can be referred to as a data domain.

[0062] In some embodiments, the data packet including the first QoS information includes: the first QoS information is located in one of the following: a PDU header, a control PDU, a data PDU or a MAC control element (CE), a PDU header field, and a PDU data field.

[0063] In some implementations, the method 400 or the method 450 may further include: transmitting, by the first network element, the second QoS information to the second network element through the control plane.

[0064] In some implementations, the content of the first QoS information and the attributes of the second QoS information are different or the same.

[0065] In some embodiments, when the content of the first QoS information and the content of the second QoS information are different, one of the following may be performed: the first QoS information is mapped to a DRB, and the second QoS information is mapped to a signaling radio bearer (SRB); the first QoS information is transmitted via a user plane, and the second QoS information is transmitted via a control plane; the first QoS information is transmitted via a data stream, and the second QoS information is transmitted via a message; the first QoS information is transmitted via a data packet, and the second QoS information is transmitted via signaling; or the first QoS information is transmitted via a data packet and the second QoS information is transmitted via an information element (IE).

[0066] In some embodiments, when the content of the first QoS information and the content of the second QoS information are the same, one of the following may be performed: the first QoS information is mapped to a DRB, and the second QoS information is mapped to a signaling radio bearer (SRB); the first QoS information is transmitted via the user plane, and the second QoS information is transmitted via the control plane; the first QoS information is transmitted via a data stream, and the second QoS information is transmitted via a message; the first QoS information is transmitted via a data packet, and the second QoS information is transmitted via signaling; or the first QoS information is transmitted via a data packet and the second QoS information is transmitted via an information element (IE).

[0067] In some embodiments, the step of transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element may include at least one of the following: transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in each packet; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in the first packet; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element as an independent data packet; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in a packet in a periodic manner; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in a packet in a non-periodic manner; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in an overall-sub-QoS manner; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in a differential QoS manner; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in a primary-secondary QoS manner; or transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in one or more QoS lists.

[0068] In some embodiments, the step of transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element may include part or all of the following: the first network element maps the first QoS information into data of a data stream; and / or transmits the first QoS information as a data stream to the second network element.

[0069] In some embodiments, the data flow is a shared data flow for QoS information data and service data; or the data flow is a dedicated data flow for QoS information.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first QoS information corresponds to an entity, wherein the entity includes at least one of: a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) entity, a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity, a radio link control (RLC) entity, a medium access control (MAC) entity, a QoS-related entity, a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) entity, or an integrated access backhaul (IAB) entity.

[0071] In some embodiments, the mapping method of the first QoS information includes at least one of the following: mapping the first QoS information together with the service data to a shared data radio bearer (DRB); mapping the first QoS information to a dedicated DRB without service data; mapping the first QoS information to a dedicated QoS radio bearer; mapping the first QoS information together with the service data to a shared logical channel; mapping the first QoS information to a dedicated logical channel without service data; mapping the first QoS information together with the service data to a shared logical channel group; mapping the first QoS information together with the service data to a dedicated logical channel group; mapping the first QoS information together with the service data to a shared data channel; or mapping the first QoS information to a dedicated data channel without service data.

[0072] In some implementations, the first QoS information is mapped to a data channel and transmitted to the second network element through the data channel.

[0073] In some embodiments, method 400 and / or method 450 may further include: executing, by the first network element, retransmitting the data packet including the first QoS information to the second network element via the user plane, wherein the retransmission includes one of the following: an automatic repeat request (ARQ) retransmission mechanism, or a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retransmission mechanism.

[0074] In some embodiments, the first QoS information is transmitted to the second network element through the user plane at a granularity level, wherein the granularity level includes at least one of the following: based on each flow, based on each PDU, based on each PDU set, based on each frame, based on each packet, or based on each time slot.

[0075] In some embodiments, the first QoS information includes at least one of: overall QoS information, sub-QoS information, hierarchical QoS information, QoS information with different priorities, or QoS information in a tree structure.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first QoS information is generated by a third network element, and / or the first network element is connected to the third network element to obtain the first QoS information.

[0077] In some implementations, the third network element includes one of a QoS information generation unit, an application server, a PCF, a QoS controller, a CN, a RAN, or a UE.

[0078] The present disclosure describes below a plurality of various non-limiting embodiments and / or examples for transmitting quality of service (QoS) information through a user plane. These embodiments and / or examples are described as some of the many possible implementations of the present disclosure and do not impose any limitation on the present disclosure.

[0079] Example 1

[0080] The present disclosure describes embodiments for transmitting quality of service (QoS) information via a user plane, wherein a core network determines the QoS information and transmits the QoS information to an access network via the user plane. Advantageously, when a large number of QoS parameters are transmitted, control plane procedures and signaling overhead can be reduced, and a lightweight control plane can be implemented. In some embodiments, a network (e.g., a core network and / or an access network) can directly face subscription-level and application-level QoS information.

[0081] In some embodiments, multiple QoS parameters may be passed from the UPF to the user plane of the access network, or may be passed to other UPFs. In 5G NR, the transmission of QoS information requires SMF to provide a QoS profile to the access network through AMF, and SMF needs to send the QoS profile to the UE together with the NAS message through AMF. In some embodiments, in order to better match the needs of the access network, an alternative QoS mechanism may be introduced in 5G NR. When the PCF enables notification control, the core network transmits multiple sets of QoS profiles through the control plane. When the access network finds that the QoS requirements cannot be guaranteed / satisfied, it selects a set of appropriate QoS parameters from multiple sets of QoS profiles for alternative QoS. In order not to add too much overhead to the control plane, the alternative QoS method may only transmit a limited number of indexes of the QoS profile, and may not transmit a large amount of QoS information of specific QoS parameters. The way of transmitting QoS information on the user plane can flexibly expand the index range of the QoS profile and transmit more specific QoS parameters. Transmitting QoS information on the user plane also simplifies the control plane process, reduces signaling transmission on the control plane, and / or reduces the processing burden on the control plane, and can transmit more real-time and dynamic QoS information.

[0082] For a non-limiting example of transmitting QoS information on the user plane, the core network determines QoS information (such as QoS profile, QoS profile index range, specific QoS parameters, specific QoS characteristics, QoS rules) through PCF, and PCF sends them to SMF. SMF transmits them to UPF, and UPF transmits them to the access network. In some embodiments, UPF can use, for example, a communication interface (such as N3 interface) to transmit QoS information as QoS flow data to the access network. In some other embodiments, different systems may use different interfaces other than the N3 interface. For example, a 6G system may use an interface other than the N3 interface, such as a service-based architecture (SBA) interface to perform the above and some other operations. Unlike the PCF->SMF->AMF->RAN method, the transmission of QoS information on the user plane is in the form of PCF->SMF->UPF->RAN. In addition, the amount of QoS information on the user plane may be larger than that on the control plane.

[0083] For another non-limiting example, due to the high-speed mobility of the UE or the high-speed mobility of the base station (BS), service data may need to be migrated from one UPF to another UPF. In some embodiments, one or more UPFs may be deployed locally, and one or more AMFs, SMFs, and PCFs may be deployed on a larger scale (e.g., at the national or provincial level). In addition, when the UE and / or base station moves across regions, when the original SMF cannot provide service to the UE, an intermediate SMF (I-SMF) may be used to assist the SMF in controlling forwarding. For high mobility scenarios, the QoS transmission chain of 5G NR may be long and may not meet high-speed mobility requirements. Through the various embodiments and / or examples described in the present disclosure for transmitting QoS on the user plane, QoS information can be forwarded directly from one UPF to another UPF through a communication interface (e.g., an N9 interface) without the need for a control NF (such as a PCF, SMF, AMF) process, which can shorten the QoS transmission time, enhance service continuity, and / or enhance user / service experience.

[0084] In some embodiments, during the mobility process, UPF switching can be used to perform QoS information migration. When a specific condition is met or a specific message is received, the UPF can be triggered to transmit QoS information to another UPF. For example, when an I-UPF is inserted by an SMF, QoS information is transmitted from the old UPF to the new I-UPF.

[0085] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of user plane QoS information delivery in a mobile scenario is shown, which may include some or all of the following: AMF 501, SMF 512, I-SMF 514, UPF1 522, UPF2 524 and / or UPF3 526. I-SMF may be used to control UPF3. In some embodiments, QoS information may be forwarded directly from UPF2 to UPF3 via a communication interface (e.g., N9 interface).

[0086] In some embodiments, a new QoS node / unit (e.g., QoS network function) may be used to connect directly to the RAN. The new QoS node / unit provides QoS information to the RAN and / or UE for QoS information transmission on the user plane. The new QoS node / unit may generate QoS information and / or manage QoS information.

[0087] For another non-limiting example, in a to-business (toB) scenario, users have group characteristics, and therefore the network elements of the control plane can be further simplified. For example, in an industrial area or an automated factory, there is a no-charge policy, low mobility, and high customization. Therefore, in a toB scenario, the application server can directly customize the QoS information and pass them to the access network on the user plane (e.g., from UPF to RAN or directly from the application server to the RAN user plane). In some embodiments, the QoS information is transmitted in a data stream. In some embodiments, an intent-driven application generates QoS information for QoS customization. In some other embodiments, the control plane can be a lightweight implementation, so that the control plane only performs basic and simple processing, such as session establishment, and may not perform the transmission of QoS information. In some embodiments, the QoS information on the control plane transmission is a smaller amount, and the QoS information on the user plane transmission is a larger amount. In some embodiments, the QoS information on the control plane transmission is non-real-time, and the QoS information on the user plane transmission is real-time. In some embodiments, the QoS information on the control plane transmission is semi-static, and the QoS information on the user plane transmission is dynamic. In some embodiments, the QoS information on the control plane transmission is simple and coarse, and the QoS information on the user plane transmission is detailed and explicit.

[0088] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of customized QoS transmitted through the user plane is shown, which may include some or all of the following: UE 601, RAN 603, UPF 605 and / or application server 607. The application server can directly customize QoS parameters, QoS requirements and / or other QoS information; and the application server can pass them to the access network on the user plane (e.g., from UPF to SDAP layer).

[0089] Example 2

[0090] The present disclosure describes another embodiment for transmitting quality of service (QoS) information through a user plane, wherein the user plane can transmit the QoS information in a data packet, for example but not limited to, in a PDU header, a control PDU, a data PDU and / or a MAC CE. Based on the dynamic QoS information in the data packet, the access network can flexibly map the data flow to the bearer. The embodiment solves at least one of the difficulties / problems associated with transmitting QoS information, and achieves advantages and improvements in the field of telecommunications technology, for example, real-time and dynamic resource adjustment can be performed according to data packet requirements, and / or a finer granularity of QoS can be achieved, such as on a per-data packet basis.

[0091] For a non-limiting example, the QoS information may include one or more specific QoS parameters, such as but not limited to 5QI, ARP, RQA, GFBR, MFBR, notification control, maximum packet loss rate, resource type, priority level, packet delay budget, packet error rate, average window, maximum data burst, etc. In some embodiments, the QoS information may also include one or more specific QoS index values, such as 5QI, QoS profile index, QoS parameter set index, QoS data set index range, etc.

[0092] In some embodiments, QoS information in a data packet is transmitted on the user plane, so that dynamic control of the data packet can be achieved. For example, there are 20 packets from the UPF to the SDAP layer. The first packet carries QoS0, and the eleventh packet carries QoS1. QoS0 is the QoS information of packets from the first packet to the tenth packet, and QoS1 is the QoS information of packets from the eleventh packet to the twentieth packet. According to QoS0 and QoS1, the SDAP layer maps the first ten packets to one DRB, and maps the last ten packets to another DRB.

[0093] In some embodiments, QoS information may be transmitted in one or more of the following ways: QoS information is transmitted in each packet, QoS information is transmitted in a packet based on periodicity, and / or QoS information is transmitted in a packet based on aperiodicity. For QoS information in each packet, each packet has its QoS control. For example, an application frame corresponds to a packet, and each application frame has its own QoS requirements, such as different importance. The RAN detects the QoS information of the packet and allocates resources according to the QoS information of the packet. Packets with high priority may be allocated in better resources. Resources may be radio bearers (RBs), logical channels (LCs), logical channel groups (LCGs), time resources, frequency resources, or power resources. For periodic mode, QoS information may be transmitted every m packets or every n time intervals, where m and n are numbers. In the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, it is beneficial to transmit important QoS information periodically to successfully receive important QoS information. For aperiodic mode, dynamic QoS control may be performed by inserting QoS information in real time. For example, the first packet carries QoS information, and the QoS information is used for QoS control of subsequent packets until a packet carrying new QoS information appears.

[0094] In some implementations, in the core network, the core network directly maps and transmits the QoS information as service data to implement the transmission of the QoS information on the user plane. For example, but not limited to, mapping the QoS information and the service data to the same data stream (e.g., QoS stream), which means that the QoS information is mapped to one data stream (e.g., QoS stream 1) together with the service data. For example, but not limited to, mapping the QoS information and the service data to different data streams (e.g., QoS streams), which means that the QoS information is mapped to one data stream (e.g., QoS stream 1 or a QoS information dedicated stream) alone, and the service data is mapped to another data stream (e.g., QoS stream 2).

[0095] In some embodiments, the QoS information may be transmitted in a packet header, an extended header, or a data area of ​​a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol user plane (GTP-U), such as a GTP-UPDU header, a GTP-U PDU field, or a GTP extended header. For example, the GTP extended header may be a GTP version 1 user plane (GTPv1-U) extended header. The interface for transmitting QoS information on the user plane may include, but is not limited to, a user plane interface from the core network user plane UPF to the RAN, a user plane interface Xn-U between 5G NR base stations, a user plane interface X2-U between 4G base stations, and / or a CU-DU user plane interface F1-U.

[0096] In some embodiments, the transmission of QoS information may be mapped on the user plane of each layer of the access network, such as SDAP, PDCP, RLC, and MAC. Specifically, QoS information may be mapped to a PDU data header, a PDU data field, a control unit (CE), a control PDU, a data PDU, and the like. In some embodiments, QoS information may be carried in a data packet header, such as an SDAP PDU header, a PDCP PDU data header, an RLC PDU header, and a MAC PDU header. In some embodiments, QoS information may be carried in a data PDU, such as an SDAP PDU, a PDCP PDU data, an RLC PDU, a MAC PDU, and the like. In some embodiments, QoS information may be carried in a control PDU, such as an RLC control PDU, a PDCP control PDU. In some embodiments, QoS information may be mapped in a PDU header field, a PDU data field, a control unit (CE) field, and the like.

[0097] Figure 7An exemplary schematic diagram of including QoS information into the SDAP PDU data field for transmission is shown. The SDAPPDU header may include at least one of the following indications: QoS flow indication (QFI), reflective QoS flow to DRB mapping indication (RDI), reflective QoS indication (RQI). In this case, the QoS information does not include QFI, RDI and / or RQI. QoS information is regarded as business data (which may be referred to as QoS parameter information data) and is mapped to the data domain. In some embodiments, the data domain may be a data field.

[0098] Figure 8 Another exemplary schematic diagram is shown showing that QoS information is included in the RLC PDU header for transmission. In 5G NR, the RLC PDU header may include at least one of the following: a data / control (D / C) field, a polling bit (P) field, a sequence number (SN) field, a segmentation information (SI) field, a segment offset (SO) and / or a segment offset (SO) field. A new field (which may be referred to as QoS parameter information) is added in the RLC PDU header for QoS information.

[0099] In some embodiments, QoS information may be carried in packet transmissions, indicating quality requirements for associated traffic. For example, QoS information may be transmitted in the first packet, indicating QoS requirements, QoS parameter profiles, and / or QoS policies for subsequent consecutive data packets. When the QoS information needs to be updated, a new packet may carry new QoS information to indicate subsequent packets. This embodiment may avoid repeatedly sending the same QoS information, may reduce the demand on the control plane, and / or may reduce the transmission burden on the user plane. In some embodiments, differential QoS information may be transmitted in packet transmissions. For example, basic QoS information may be transmitted in the first packet, and differential QoS information may be transmitted in the second packet. The entire QoS information of the second packet is obtained by aggregating the basic QoS information and the differential QoS information.

[0100] In some embodiments, QoS information is transmitted as a separate data packet, and this special packet is called a QoS packet. The QoS packet only includes QoS information. In some embodiments, the QoS packet has a special QoS packet header. By analyzing and detecting the QoS packet, it is possible to help improve network efficiency based on the QoS information.

[0101] In some embodiments, QoS transmission in the user plane can be transmitted in a structured manner. In some embodiments, specific structuring methods include but are not limited to overall-substructure, main-auxiliary structure, superclass and subclass structure and / or tree structure. QoS information with overall-substructure can include the whole of QoS information description and a part of specific QoS parameters and / or specific QoS strategy. QoS information with main-auxiliary structure can include high-level QoS information, low-level QoS information, etc. QoS information with main-auxiliary structure can include superclass QoS information and subclass QoS information, etc. QoS information with main-auxiliary structure can include multi-level QoS information. QoS information with one or more QoS list structures can include part or all of the following: QoS parameter set, QoS policy set, QoS feature set, QoS requirement set and the like. QoS information with one or more QoS list structures can be a tree structure.

[0102] In some implementations, the QoS information may correspond to an entity, such as a SDAP entity, a PDCP entity, an RLC entity, a MAC entity, and / or a QoS-related entity.

[0103] In some embodiments, the QoS information mapping method may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: mapping to a DRB together with service data; mapping to a DRB without service data; mapping to a logical channel together with service data; mapping to a logical channel without service data; mapping to a data channel together with service data; and / or mapping to a data channel without service data. In some embodiments, the QoS information may be mapped to a dedicated data stream. In some embodiments, the QoS information may be mapped to a dedicated radio bearer. In some embodiments, the QoS information may be mapped to a dedicated physical channel. In some embodiments, the QoS information may be mapped to a dedicated logical channel. In some embodiments, the QoS information may be mapped to a dedicated logical channel group (LCG).

[0104] In some embodiments, the QoS information mapping method may perform dynamic mapping of radio bearers, including but not limited to at least one of the following: a portion of the QoS information may be mapped to an SRB, and / or another portion of the QoS information may be mapped to a DRB.

[0105] In some implementations, the QoS information may be mapped to a data transmission channel (DCH) and / or may be sent to the UE in a data channel.

[0106] In 5G NR, QoS rules are sent to the access network in a NAS message, and the access network encapsulates the QoS rules into RRC signaling and maps them to signaling bearers (SRBs). Retransmission mechanisms do not apply to SRBs. In some embodiments, QoS information through the user plane can be reliably transmitted using repeated transmission (retransmission) mechanisms such as ARQ and HARQ. In some embodiments, QoS information such as QoS rules sent to the UE is transmitted as user service data on the user plane of the access network (AN), and the QoS information is mapped to a data radio bearer (DRB). In some embodiments, QoS information can be transmitted through the user plane using a user plane retransmission mechanism to improve the transmission success rate. For example, an ARQ mechanism is used for retransmission at the RLC layer, and a HARQ mechanism can be used for retransmission of QoS information at the physical layer. For example, QoS information can be transmitted on the user plane of the access network, and the QoS information can be transmitted as a transport block (TB) for scheduling and resource allocation. TBs carrying QoS information can be retransmitted via HARQ.

[0107] Example 3

[0108] The present disclosure describes another embodiment for transmitting quality of service (QoS) information through a user plane, wherein the QoS information can be transmitted on a control plane and can be transmitted on a user plane at the same time to achieve the effect of QoS system-level dual connectivity. Advantages / benefits of this embodiment may include that the method can meet / achieve high availability or reliability requirements of the industry, and / or can provide reliability assurance and redundant backup. QoS information through the user plane and QoS information through the control are two different mechanisms. These two mechanisms provide availability / reliability similar to system-level dual connectivity.

[0109] In some embodiments, toB has high availability requirements. For example, high availability / reliability in aviation is achieved through diversity of different technologies and systems, where equipment and services from different companies, technologies and systems are specifically used simultaneously. In order to ensure the reliability of toB services, toB can also have two sets of QoS mechanisms: (1) QoS information is transmitted and controlled on the control plane; and / or (2) QoS information is transmitted and controlled on the user plane. Using two sets of QoS mechanisms at the same time can provide system-level diversity gain and achieve system-level dual connectivity and high reliability. For example, the QoS information transmission of the control plane of manufacturer A is used, and the QoS information transmission of the user plane of manufacturer B is used at the same time. If there is a failure in the QoS transmission of manufacturer A, manufacturer B can provide supplementary QoS information.

[0110] In some embodiments, two sets of QoS mechanisms may also be used to implement QoS transmission and control at different granularities. For example, semi-static QoS information is transmitted through the control plane, and dynamic real-time QoS information is transmitted through the user plane. In some embodiments, coarse-grained QoS information is transmitted through the control plane, and QoS information refined based on the coarse-grained QoS information is transmitted through the user plane. In some embodiments, a transmission QoS parameter set with a larger set index range is transmitted through the control plane, and a QoS parameter set with a smaller set index range is transmitted through the user plane.

[0111] In some embodiments, the granularity of the QoS information transmitted in the user plane can be various, including but not limited to at least one of the following: flow-based, PDU-based, PDU set-based, frame-based, time slot-based, and packet-based. For example, for XR services, service frames of different importance correspond to different PDU sets, and the QoS information based on PDU sets can accurately reflect the QoS requirements of different service frames.

[0112] The present disclosure describes methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for wireless communications. The present disclosure addresses the problem of configuring and / or transmitting QoS information through a user plane. The methods, devices, and computer-readable media described in the present disclosure can facilitate the performance of wireless communications by configuring and / or transmitting QoS information through a user plane, thereby improving efficiency and overall performance. The methods, devices, and computer-readable media described in the present disclosure can improve the overall efficiency of a wireless communication system.

[0113] References throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language do not imply that all features and advantages that can be achieved with the present solution should be included or included in any single embodiment thereof. Rather, language referring to features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in conjunction with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present solution. Thus, throughout this specification, discussion of features and advantages and similar language may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

[0114] In addition, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the present solution may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Based on the description herein, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that the present solution may be practiced without one or more specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments, which may not be present in all embodiments of the present solution.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising: The first network element transmits the first quality of service QoS information to the second network element in the following manner: The first network element transmits a data packet to the second network element via a user, wherein the data packet includes the first QoS information.

2. A method for wireless communication, comprising: The second network element receives the first quality of service QoS information from the first network element in the following manner: The second network element receives a data packet from the first network element through a user plane, wherein the data packet includes the first QoS information.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The first network element includes a core network CN, a user plane function UPF, a radio access network RAN, a service data adaptation protocol SDAP layer, a packet data convergence protocol PDCP layer, a radio link control RLC layer, a medium access control MAC layer, a centralized unit CU, a distributed unit DU, an application server, an edge node, a base station, a backhaul adaptation protocol BAP layer, an integrated access backhaul IAB node or one of the user equipment UE.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The second network element includes a core network CN, a user plane function UPF, a radio access network RAN, a service data adaptation protocol SDAP layer, a packet data convergence protocol PDCP layer, a radio link control RLC layer, a medium access control MAC layer, a centralized unit CU, a distributed unit DU, an application client, an edge node, a base station, a backhaul adaptation protocol BAP layer, an IAB node or one of the user equipment UE.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The first QoS information includes at least one of the following: one or more packet detection rules PDR, one or more policy control and charging PCC rules, one or more QoS profiles, one or more QoS rules, one or more QoS parameters, one or more QoS characteristics, one or more alternative QoS profiles, one or more alternative QoS sets, one or more QoS identifiers ID, one or more QoS information indexes, one or more QoS parameter ranges, one or more 5G QoS identifiers 5QI, one or more QoS profile indexes, one or more QoS parameter set index ranges, one or more QoS types or one or more QoS groups.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The user plane includes at least one of the following: user plane function UPF, user plane of service data adaptation protocol SDAP layer, user plane of packet data convergence protocol PDCP layer, user plane of radio link control RLC layer, user plane of medium access control MAC layer, user plane F1-U of centralized unit-distributed unit CU-DU interface, CU-user plane CU-UP, DU-UP, general packet radio service tunneling protocol user plane GTP-U, next generation user plane NG-U, Xn user plane Xn-U, user plane of QoS flow, user plane of CN-RAN interface, user plane of interface between base stations BS, X2-U, user plane of backhaul adaptation protocol BAP layer or user plane of integrated access backhaul IAB node.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The data packet including the first QoS information includes: The first QoS information is located in a header of the data packet; or The first QoS information is located in a predefined data area of ​​the data packet, wherein: The first QoS information is transmitted together with other data in a predefined data area of ​​the data packet, or The first QoS information is transmitted solely in a predefined data area of ​​the data packet.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The data packet including the first QoS information includes: The first QoS information is located in one of the following: a PDU header, a control PDU, a data PDU, a MAC control element CE, a PDU header field or a PDU data field.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising: The first network element transmits the second QoS information to the second network element through the control plane.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The content of the first QoS information and the content of the second QoS information are different or the same.

11. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 10, further comprising at least one of the following: The first QoS information is mapped to a DRB, and the second QoS information is mapped to a signaling radio bearer SRB; The first QoS information is transmitted via the user plane, and the second QoS information is transmitted via the control plane; The first QoS information is transmitted via a data stream, and the second QoS information is transmitted via a message; The first QoS information is transmitted via the data packet, and the second QoS information is transmitted via signaling; or The first QoS information is transmitted through the data packet, and the second QoS information is transmitted through an information element IE.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: Transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element includes at least one of the following: transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in each packet; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in a first packet; transmitting the first QoS information as an independent data packet to the second network element; transmitting the first QoS information in a packet to the second network element in a periodic manner; transmitting the first QoS information in a packet to the second network element in an aperiodic manner; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in an overall-sub-QoS manner; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in a differential QoS manner; transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element in a primary-secondary QoS manner; or The first QoS information is transmitted to the second network element in the form of one or more QoS lists.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: Transmitting the first QoS information to the second network element includes: The first network element maps the first QoS information into data of a data flow; and The first QoS information is transmitted to the second network element as the data flow.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The data flow is a shared data flow for QoS information and service data; or The data flow is a dedicated data flow for QoS information.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The first QoS information corresponds to an entity, wherein the entity includes at least one of the following: a service data adaptation protocol SDAP entity, a packet data convergence protocol PDCP entity, a radio link control RLC entity, a medium access control MAC entity, a QoS-related entity, a backhaul adaptation protocol BAP entity, or an integrated access backhaul IAB entity.

16. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The mapping method of the first QoS information includes at least one of the following: Mapping the first QoS information together with service data to a shared data radio bearer DRB; Mapping the first QoS information to a dedicated DRB without service data; Mapping the first QoS information to a dedicated QoS radio bearer; Mapping the first QoS information together with service data to a shared logical channel LC; Mapping the first QoS information to a dedicated logical channel LC without service data; Mapping the first QoS information together with service data to a shared logical channel group LCG; Mapping the first QoS information to a dedicated logical channel group LCG having no service data; Mapping the first QoS information together with service data to a shared data channel; or The first QoS information is mapped to a dedicated data channel having no service data.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The first QoS information is mapped to a data channel and transmitted to the second network element through the data channel.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising: The first network element retransmits the data packet including the first QoS information through the user to the second network element, wherein the retransmission includes one of the following: an automatic repeat request ARQ retransmission mechanism or a hybrid automatic repeat request HARQ retransmission mechanism.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The first QoS information is transmitted to the second network element through the user plane at a granularity level, wherein the granularity level includes at least one of the following: based on each flow, based on each PDU, based on each PDU set, based on each frame, based on each packet, based on each TB, based on each DRB, based on each LC, based on each LCG, based on each physical channel, and based on each time slot.

20. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The first QoS information includes at least one of: overall QoS information, sub-QoS information, hierarchical QoS information, QoS information with different priorities, or QoS information in a tree structure.

21. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The first QoS information is generated by a third network element, and The first network element is connected to the third network element to obtain the first QoS information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein: The third network element includes one of a QoS information generating unit, an application server, a PCF, a QoS controller, a CN, a RAN or a UE.

23. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to read a code from the memory and implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. A computer program product comprising computer readable program medium code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 22.

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