Method, equipment and system for ensuring orderliness of multiple transmission blocks

Abstract

The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and devices to ensure order of multiple transport blocks (TBs) in wireless communications. A method comprises: a second network element receiving sequence information associated with a plurality of TBs from a first network element; and the second network element sends the plurality of TBs to the first network element in sequence according to the sequence information associated with the plurality of TBs. Another method comprises: a first network element sending sequence information associated with a plurality of TBs to a second network element; the first network element receives a plurality of TBs from the second network element; and the first network element transmits the received multiple TBs from a lower layer to a higher layer in sequence according to the sequence information associated with the multiple TBs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications. Specifically, this disclosure relates to methods, apparatus, and systems for ensuring the orderly execution of multiple transport blocks (TBs). Background Technology

[0002] Wireless communication technology is propelling the world towards an increasingly interconnected and networked society. High-speed, low-latency wireless communication relies on efficient network resource management and allocation between one or more user devices and one or more wireless access network nodes (including but not limited to base stations). Next-generation networks promise to provide high-speed, low-latency, and ultra-reliable communication capabilities to meet the needs of various industries and users.

[0003] In some implementations, transport block (TB) transmission presents certain problems. For example, in some implementations, multiple TBs are out of order, so that multiple TBs received by the receiver cannot be passed sequentially from lower to higher layers. This disclosure describes various embodiments that ensure the order of multiple TBs, solving at least one of the problems / difficulties discussed above. The various embodiments in this disclosure can enhance the performance of Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and / or Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), and / or provide new scenarios to ensure the order of transport blocks under high bandwidth and low latency conditions, thereby improving the field of wireless communication technology. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This document relates to methods, systems, and apparatuses for wireless communication, and more specifically, to methods, systems, and apparatuses for ensuring the orderly execution of multiple transport blocks (TBs).

[0005] In one embodiment, this disclosure describes a method for ensuring the ordered distribution of multiple transport blocks (TBs) in wireless communication. The method includes: a second network element receiving order information associated with the multiple TBs from a first network element; and the second network element sequentially transmitting the multiple TBs to the first network element according to the order information associated with the multiple TBs.

[0006] In another embodiment, this disclosure describes a method for ensuring the ordered distribution of multiple transport blocks (TBs) in wireless communication. The method includes: a first network element sending order information associated with the multiple transport blocks (TBs) to a second network element; the first network element receiving the multiple TBs from the second network element; and the first network element sequentially passing the received multiple TBs from a lower layer to a higher layer according to the order information associated with the multiple TBs.

[0007] In another embodiment, this disclosure describes a method for ensuring the ordered transmission of multiple transport blocks (TBs) in wireless communication. The method includes: a third network element generating sequence information associated with the multiple transport blocks (TBs) to instruct a second network element to transmit the multiple TBs in sequence; and the third network element transmitting the sequence information associated with the multiple transport blocks to a first network element.

[0008] In some other embodiments, an apparatus for wireless communication may include a memory storing instructions and processing circuitry communicating with the memory. When the processing circuitry executes the instructions, the processing circuitry is configured to perform the methods described above.

[0009] In some other embodiments, a device for wireless communication may include a memory storing instructions and processing circuitry communicating with the memory. When the processing circuitry executes the instructions, the processing circuitry is configured to perform the methods described above.

[0010] In some other embodiments, a computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described above. The computer-readable medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0011] The above and other aspects and their embodiments are described in more detail in the accompanying drawings, description and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system including a wireless network node and one or more user devices is shown.

[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 flowchart of an exemplary method for wireless communication is shown.

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

[0017] Figure 4C A flowchart of yet another exemplary method for wireless communication is shown.

[0018] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0019] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown.

[0020] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of yet another exemplary embodiment for wireless communication is shown. Detailed Implementation

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

[0022] Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have subtly different meanings in the context, beyond their expressly stated meanings. Similarly, 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. For example, the claimed subject matter is intended to encompass, in whole or in part, exemplary embodiments or combinations of embodiments.

[0023] Generally, terms can be understood at least in part from their use in context. For example, terms used herein, such as “and,” “or,” or “and / or,” can include a variety of meanings that can depend at least in part on the context in which they are used. Typically, “or,” when used in a list of associations (such as A, B, or C), is intended to mean A, B, and C (used here in an inclusive sense) and A, B, or C (used here in an exclusive sense). Furthermore, the terms “one or more” or “at least one,” as used herein, can be used, at least in part on context, to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in a singular sense, or to describe a combination of features, structures, or characteristics in a plural sense. Similarly, terms such as “a,” “an,” or “the,” at least in part on context, can be understood to convey either a singular or a plural usage. Furthermore, the terms “based on” or “determined by” can be understood as not necessarily intended to convey an exclusive set of factors, but rather, at least in part, depending on the context, may allow for additional factors that are not necessarily explicitly described.

[0024] In this disclosure, a "network element" may include one or more network nodes, one or more network functions, one or more network layers, one or more network devices, and / or one or more network entities. For example, a network element may be a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of the RAN, the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer of the RAN, a Centralized Unit (CU), a Distributed Unit (DU), a User Equipment (UE), or an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node.

[0025] This disclosure describes various methods and apparatus for ensuring the orderly distribution of multiple transport blocks (TBs).

[0026] Next-generation (NG) mobile communication systems are propelling the world towards an increasingly interconnected and networked society. High-speed and low-latency wireless communication relies on efficient network resource management and allocation between one or more user devices and one or more wireless access network nodes (including but not limited to wireless base stations). NG networks promise to provide high-speed, low-latency, and ultra-reliable communication capabilities to meet the needs of various industries and users.

[0027] With the rapid development of cellular mobile communication systems, an increasing number of applications are emerging in various commercial and / or service industries. Some services, such as holographic communication, industrial internet services, and immersive cloud extended reality (XR), require both ultra-high throughput and ultra-low latency. This type of service combines the characteristics of two scenarios in high-performance, high-efficiency wireless networks: extremely high throughput requirements, but also high latency requirements. For example, but not limited to, high-bandwidth, high-throughput, and low-latency scenarios may require the reliable transmission of large amounts of data under low-latency requirements.

[0028] In some implementations of communication networks, user data can be transmitted in multiple small data packets (e.g., multiple transport blocks (TB)). Due to changes in the wireless environment, interference, and other factors, data packets may need to be retransmitted to meet performance requirements. However, retransmission may alter the order in which data packets arrive at the receiving end.

[0029] In some implementations, such as in 5th-generation (5G) systems, multiple transport units (TBs) can be used as time-domain transmission units to schedule transmissions at the Media Access Control (MAC) layer. Service data streams can be processed as multiple TBs at the MAC layer, and the TB data, after physical layer processing (e.g., encoding and modulation), is carried on the physical channel. At the receiving end, each successfully received TB can be independently delivered from the MAC layer to higher layers.

[0030] In some implementations, data may be lost or corrupted during transmission due to multipath effects, channel fading, and interference in the wireless environment. To improve data reliability while ensuring data transmission efficiency, the MAC layer can use a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) mechanism for fast retransmission. In the HARQ mechanism, a HARQ process can be responsible for transmitting TB data at the physical layer, and each TB can be assigned an available HARQ process. The receiver can receive TB data and send feedback on the TB data. When a TB is successfully received, the feedback is an Acknowledgement (ACK). When a TB is not successfully received, the feedback is a Negative Acknowledgement (NACK). HARQ retransmission will be initiated when a TB transmission fails. Therefore, even if multiple TBs are initially transmitted in sequence, it may still be out of order because earlier TBs may be retransmitted after later TBs. In a non-restrictive example, the original order of multiple data points (TBs) is TB1 (first) and TB2 (last), meaning that for the service, TB1 should be transmitted earlier than TB2. However, when TB1 is retransmitted due to a transmission failure, TB2 might be transmitted before TB1, and the multiple TBs in the MAC layer may be out of order. In another non-restrictive example, data in the MAC layer may also be out of order when different TBs have different transmission paths (e.g., handover causing different TBs to be sent from different base stations), or when there is network congestion (e.g., network congestion window adjustment, network jitter).

[0031] In some implementations, transport blocks (TBs) present certain problems. For example, the MAC layer cannot guarantee that multiple TBs are ordered, and data packets may become out of order after being transmitted over the air interface, causing data to remain out of order when it is passed to higher layers.

[0032] This disclosure describes various embodiments for ensuring the orderly transmission of multiple TBs, addressing at least one of the problems / issues discussed above. The various embodiments in this disclosure can enhance the performance of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and / or ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and / or provide new scenarios for ensuring the orderly transmission of high-bandwidth and low-latency TBs, thereby improving the field of wireless communication technology.

[0033] Figure 1 A wireless communication system 100 is illustrated, comprising a wireless network node 118 (such as a network base station) and one or more user equipment (UEs) 110. The wireless network node may include a network base station, which may be a nodeB (NB, e.g., gNB) or RAN node in a mobile telecommunications context. Each UE may wirelessly communicate with the wireless network node via one or more radio channels 115 for uplink / downlink communication. For example, a first UE 110 may wirelessly communicate with the wireless network node 118 via a channel including multiple radio channels during a specific time period. The network base station 118 may send higher-layer signaling to the UEs 110. The higher-layer signaling may include configuration information for communication between the UE and the base station. In one embodiment, the higher-layer signaling may include a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

[0034] Figure 2 An example of an electronic device 200 implementing a network base station is shown. The example electronic device 200 may include wireless transmit / receive (Tx / Rx) circuitry 208 for transmitting / receiving communications with a UE and / or other base stations. The electronic device 200 may also include network interface circuitry 209 (e.g., optical or wired interconnect, Ethernet, and / or other data transmission media / protocols) for communicating the base station with other base stations and / or the core network. The electronic device 200 may optionally include an input / output (I / O) interface 206 for communication with an operator, etc.

[0035] Electronic device 200 may also include system circuitry 204. System circuitry 204 may include one or more processors 221 and / or memory 222. Memory 222 may include operating system 224, instructions 226, and parameters 228. Instructions 226 may be configured for one or more processors in processor 124 to perform the functions of a network node. Parameters 228 may include parameters that support the execution of instructions 226. For example, parameters may include network protocol settings, bandwidth parameters, radio frequency mapping allocation, and / or other parameters.

[0036] Figure 3An example of an electronic device implementing a terminal device 300 (e.g., a user equipment (UE)) is shown. The UE 300 may be a mobile device, such as a smartphone or a mobile communication module located in a vehicle. The UE 300 may include a communication interface 302, system circuitry 304, input / output (I / O) interface 306, display circuitry 308, and storage device 309. The display circuitry may include a user interface 310. The system circuitry 304 may include any combination of hardware, software, firmware, or other logic / circuit. The system circuitry 304 may be implemented, for example, using one or more systems on a chip (SoC), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), discrete analog and digital circuits, and other circuits. The system circuitry 304 may be part of an implementation of any desired functionality in the UE 300. In this regard, system circuitry 304 may include logic that facilitates operations such as: 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 for, for example, internet connections; establishing, maintaining, and terminating wireless network connections, Bluetooth connections, or other connections; and displaying relevant information on user interface 310. User interface 310 and input / output (I / O) interface 306 may include a graphical user interface, a touch-sensitive display, haptic feedback or other haptic outputs, voice or facial recognition inputs, buttons, switches, speakers, and other user interface elements. Additional examples of I / O interface 306 may include a microphone, 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 (Infrared) sensors), and other types of inputs.

[0037] Reference Figure 3The communication interface 302 may include radio frequency (RF) transmitting (Tx) and receiving (Rx) circuitry 316, which processes the transmission and reception of signals via one or more antennas 314. The communication interface 302 may include one or more transceivers. These transceivers may be wireless transceivers, which include modulation / demodulation circuitry, digital-to-analog converters (DACs), shapers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), filters, waveform shapers, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, and / or other logic for transmission and reception via one or more antennas or (for some devices) via a physical (e.g., wired) medium. The transmitted and received signals may follow any of a variety of formats, protocols, modulations (e.g., QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, or 256-QAM), channels, bit rates, and encodings. As a specific example, communication interface 302 may include transceivers supporting transmission and reception under the following standards: 2G, 3G, Bluetooth, WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA)+, and 4G / Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards, 5G standards, 6G standards, or any other telecommunications standards. However, the technologies described below, whether derived from the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the GSM Association (Global System for Mobile Communications), 3GPP2, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), or other partners or standards bodies, are applicable to other wireless communication technologies.

[0038] Reference Figure 3System circuitry 304 may include one or more processors 321 and memory 322. Memory 322 stores, for example, an operating system 324, instructions 326, and parameters 328. Processor 321 is configured to execute instructions 326 to implement the desired functions of UE 300. Parameters 328 can provide and specify configuration and operational options for instructions 326. Memory 322 may also store any BT data, WiFi data, 3G data, 4G data, 5G data, 6G data, or other data that UE 300 will send or has received through communication interface 302. In various embodiments, system power for UE 300 may be provided by power storage devices such as batteries or transformers.

[0039] This disclosure describes various embodiments for ensuring the ordered delivery of multiple transport blocks (TBs), which may be partially or wholly described above. Figures 2 to 3 Implemented on the network base stations and / or user equipment described herein.

[0040] In various embodiments, the Media Access Control (MAC) layer can be responsible for scheduling, resource allocation, and HARQ process management of TB transmissions. One MAC Protocol Data Unit (PDU) corresponds to one TB in the physical layer. At the transmitting end, the MAC PDU is mapped to a TB and carried in the physical channel layer for transmission. At the receiving end, after successful decoding, the TB can be passed to the MAC layer, and then to higher layers. For the downlink (DL), each HARQ entity (e.g., a DLHARQ entity) has multiple parallel DL HARQ processes. For the uplink (UL), each HARQ entity (e.g., a ULHARQ entity) has multiple parallel UL HARQ processes. When the physical layer is not configured for spatial multiplexing, a HARQ process supports one TB. When the physical layer is configured for spatial multiplexing, a HARQ process supports one or two TBs. When transmitting two codeword streams in spatial multiplexing, one HARQ process can correspond to two TBs, with each codeword stream corresponding to one TB. In parallel HARQ processes, TB transmissions in different HARQ processes can be independent. There are no mandatory restrictions on the order of multiple TBs. This means that the order of multiple received TBs is unpredictable. Changes in the wireless environment can cause TB data to be retransmitted, leading to out-of-order TB data. Out-of-order TB transmission results in out-of-order data at higher layers.

[0041] In some implementations, for services with strict time constraints on data packets (such as voice and video), out-of-order data packets can severely impact the user experience. This disclosure describes various embodiments for ensuring the order of multiple TBs, and that once TB data becomes out of order, order-preserving processing can be performed on the TB data in a timely manner, thereby ensuring that the underlying data is passed upwards in order from the beginning.

[0042] This disclosure describes various embodiments of generating order information (i.e., TB ordering information / TB sorting information) associated with multiple TBs when scheduling TB data, and the TB ordering information can be used to indicate the order of multiple TBs at the receiver and pass these TBs to higher layers. For a transmitter with scheduling capabilities, the TB transmitter generates TB ordering information and sends it to the receiver to indicate the order of the received multiple TBs. For a transmitter without scheduling capabilities, the TB transmitter can first receive the TB ordering information and then send TB data according to the instructions in the received TB ordering information. This disclosure is applicable not only to traditional cellular scenarios (such as base station-UE scenarios) but also to device-to-device (D2D) scenarios, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) scenarios, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scenarios, and other similar scenarios.

[0043] This disclosure describes various embodiments for ensuring the order of multiple transport blocks (TBs), which at least solve some of the problems / challenges described above, such as how to generate and / or transmit order information associated with multiple TBs, and / or how to transmit / transmit multiple TBs in sequence according to the order information associated with multiple TBs.

[0044] refer to Figure 4A This disclosure describes various embodiments of a method 400 for ensuring the order of multiple transport blocks (TBs) in wireless communication. Method 400 may include some or all of the following steps: step 410, a second network element receives order information associated with multiple TBs from a first network element; and / or step 412, the second network element sequentially transmits the multiple TBs to the first network element according to the order information associated with the multiple TBs.

[0045] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the sequence information associated with multiple TBs includes at least one of the following: TB Sequence Number (SN), TB ID, TB number, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process number, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process identifier (ID), TB index in HARQ process ID, codeword index, New Data Indicator (NDI), TB group number, TB SN within the TB group, service ID, TB SN within the service ID, TB ID within the service ID, TB number within the service ID, bearer ID, TB SN within the bearer ID, TB ID within the bearer ID, TB number within the bearer ID, TB ID of the HARQ entity, TB number of the HARQ entity, or TB SN of the HARQ entity.

[0046] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the method further includes a second network element sorting the multiple TBs to be transmitted according to order information associated with the multiple TBs.

[0047] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, sorting multiple TBs according to order information associated with multiple TBs further includes: sorting multiple TBs within a TB sorting window according to the order information associated with multiple TBs, wherein the TB sorting window includes a predetermined number of TBs.

[0048] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the implementations / executives described, the second network element determines whether to discard one or more TBs in the TB sorting window based on at least one of the following conditions: the number of failed TBs in the TB sorting window exceeds a predetermined threshold, or the sorting timer times out, or the New Data Indicator (NDI) in the received sequence information is flipped.

[0049] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the second network element receives the sequence information of the TB from the first network element through downlink control information (DCI), including at least one of the following cases: the sequence information is located in a single-level DCI, the sequence information is located in the first level DCI of a two-level DCI, the sequence information is located in the second level DCI of a two-level DCI, the sequence information is distributed in the first level DCI and the second level DCI of a two-level DCI, the sequence information is located in one level of a multi-level DCI, or the sequence information is distributed in multiple levels of a multi-level DCI.

[0050] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the first network element includes one of the following: a radio access network (RAN), a base station (BS), a scheduling unit, a user equipment (UE), an onboard unit (OBU), a roadside unit (RSU), an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or a distributed unit (DU); and / or the second network element includes one of the following: a UE, a RAN, a BS, an IAB node, an OBU, or an RSU.

[0051] refer to Figure 4B This disclosure describes various embodiments of a method 450 for ensuring the ordered distribution of multiple transport blocks (TBs) in wireless communication. Method 460 may include some or all of the following steps: step 460, a first network element sends order information associated with multiple transport blocks (TBs) to a second network element; step 462, the first network element receives multiple TBs from the second network element; and / or step 464, the first network element sequentially passes the received multiple TBs from a lower layer to a higher layer according to the order information associated with the multiple TBs.

[0052] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the sequence information associated with multiple TBs includes at least one of the following: TB sequence number (SN), TB ID, TB number, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process number, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process identifier (ID), TB index in HARQ process ID, codeword index, New Data Indicator (NDI), TB group number, TB SN within the TB group, service ID, TB SN within the service ID, TB ID within the service ID, TB number within the service ID, bearer ID, TB SN within the bearer ID, TB ID within the bearer ID, TB number within the bearer ID, TB ID of the HARQ entity, TB number of the HARQ entity, or TB SN of the HARQ entity.

[0053] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the method may also include a first network element generating sequence information associated with multiple TBs to instruct a second network element to send the multiple TBs in sequence.

[0054] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the method may also include a first network element receiving sequence information associated with multiple TBs from a third network element to instruct a second network element to send the multiple TBs sequentially from a lower layer to a higher layer.

[0055] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, before the first network element passes the received multiple TBs from the lower layer to the higher layer, the first network element further includes: sorting the received multiple TBs according to the order information associated with the multiple TBs.

[0056] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, sorting multiple TBs according to order information associated with multiple TBs includes: sorting multiple TBs within a TB sorting window according to the order information associated with multiple TBs, wherein the TB sorting window includes a predetermined number of TBs.

[0057] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the implementations / executives described, the first network element determines whether to discard one or more TBs in the TB sorting window based on at least one of the following conditions: the number of failed TBs in the TB sorting window exceeds a predetermined threshold, or the sorting timer times out, or the New Data Indicator (NDI) in the received sequence information is flipped.

[0058] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the first network element sends sequence information associated with multiple TBs to the second network element via downlink control information (DCI), including at least one of the following cases: the sequence information is located in a single-level DCI, the sequence information is located in the first level DCI of a two-level DCI, the sequence information is located in the second level DCI of a two-level DCI, the sequence information is distributed in the first and second level DCIs of a two-level DCI, the sequence information is located in one level of a multi-level DCI, or the sequence information is distributed in multiple levels of a multi-level DCI.

[0059] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the first-level DCI is a UE-level DCI and the second-level DCI is a TB-level DCI; the first-level DCI is a TB-group-level DCI and the second-level DCI is a TB-level DCI; the first-level DCI is a static-level DCI and the second-level DCI is a dynamic-level DCI; or, the first-level DCI is a common-level DCI and the second-level DCI is a dedicated-level DCI.

[0060] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the first network element includes one of the following: a radio access network (RAN), a base station (BS), a scheduling unit, a user equipment (UE), an onboard unit (OBU), a roadside unit (RSU), an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or a distributed unit (DU); and / or the second network element includes one of the following: a UE, a RAN, a BS, an IAB node, an OBU, or an RSU.

[0061] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the described implementations / executives, the third network element includes one of the following: RAN, BS, scheduling unit, UE, OBU, RSU, IAB node, or DU.

[0062] refer to Figure 4C This disclosure describes various embodiments of a method 480 for ensuring the ordered transmission of multiple transport blocks (TBs) in wireless communication. Method 480 may include some or all of the following steps: step 490, a third network element generates order information associated with the multiple transport blocks (TBs) to instruct a second network element to transmit the multiple TBs in sequence; and / or step 492, the third network element transmits the order information associated with the multiple transport blocks to a first network element.

[0063] In some implementations, in addition to some, all, or any combination of the implementations / embodiments, the first network element includes one of the following: a radio access network (RAN), a base station (BS), a user equipment (UE), an on-board unit (OBU), a roadside unit (RSU), an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or a distributed unit (DU); and / or the second network element includes one of the following: a UE, a RAN, a BS, an IAB node, an OBU, or an RSU; and / or the third network element includes one of the following: a RAN, a BS, a scheduling unit, a UE, an OBU, an RSU, an IAB node, or a DU.

[0064] This disclosure describes various embodiments for ensuring the order of multiple transport blocks (TBs), addressing at least some of the aforementioned problems / challenges, such as how to generate and / or transmit order information associated with multiple TBs, and / or how to transmit / sort multiple TBs based on the order information associated with them.

[0065] Example Set 1 In some embodiments for uplink data transmission, the base station performs uplink (UL) scheduling, and the terminal (e.g., UE) transmits TB data according to the uplink scheduling information. During uplink scheduling, the base station generates UL ordering information associated with multiple UL TBs, which the base station and UE use to negotiate the order of the multiple TBs. During uplink scheduling, the UE sends a Buffer Status Report (BSR) to the base station. The base station schedules UE uplink data based on the BSR, allocates resources, and generates UL ordering information associated with multiple UL TBs. The terminal knows how to populate TB data sequentially using the UL ordering information associated with multiple UL TBs. Upon receiving the UL ordering information associated with multiple UL TBs, the UE populates uplink TB data sequentially according to the agreement of the UL ordering information associated with multiple UL TBs, and then transmits the uplink TB data sequentially. When the base station receives uplink data, it can transmit the uplink TB data according to the agreement of the uplink TB ordering information.

[0066] For reference Figure 5 In some implementations, the method 500 for the uplink can be performed according to some or all of the following steps.

[0067] Step 510: When performing uplink scheduling for a terminal (e.g., UE), the base station determines the UL order information associated with multiple UL TBs. For example, it is agreed to use HARQ ID and codeword index number as the UL order information associated with multiple UL TBs to indicate the order of the multiple UL TBs.

[0068] Step 520: The base station sends UL sequence information associated with multiple UL TBs to the terminal. The UL sequence information associated with multiple UL TBs can be sent together with uplink scheduling information, or the UL sequence information associated with multiple UL TBs can be sent separately.

[0069] Step 530: The terminal receives UL sequence information associated with multiple UL TBs and populates the multiple TBs to be transmitted in the uplink in sequence. When HARQ ID and codeword index number are agreed to be used as UL sequence information associated with multiple UL TBs, the earlier TB data is placed into processing with a smaller HARQ ID. In the case of spatial multiplexing, two codeword streams correspond to the same HARQ process, and the earlier TB data is placed in the codeword with the smaller index number.

[0070] Step 540: The base station receives uplink TB data and, after successfully receiving multiple TBs, transmits the uplink TB data to the higher layer in sequence according to the UL order information associated with the multiple UL TBs. When using HARQ ID and codeword index number as uplink TB order information, the base station can consider processing multiple TBs with smaller HARQ IDs earlier. In the same HARQ process, the TB of codeword Index1 can precede the TB of codeword Index2.

[0071] Example Set Two In some embodiments, sequence information for multiple TBs can be generated and transmitted. Optionally, the sequence information for multiple TBs can also correspond to service types, bearers, or HARQ entities. TB sequence information can be a global sequence number or a local sequence number. When the TB sequence information is a global sequence number, it corresponds to the user's absolute TB SN value. When the TB sequence information is a local sequence number, it can be a relative sequence index corresponding to a specific bearer, a specific service, a specific entity, a specific TB group, or a specific HARQ process.

[0072] TB sequence information can be TB group number, TB number within a group, codeword number (e.g., codeword index), HARQ process number (e.g., HARQ ID), service ID, TB index under service ID, traffic ID, bearer ID, TB index under the same bearer ID, one of multiple TB indexes under the same HARQ entity, or a combination thereof.

[0073] For the unrestricted example, the sequence information can be generated using one or more of the following methods.

[0074] (1) Separate serial number (SN) used for sequential indication When performing TB scheduling, the base station generates a dedicated TB number (e.g., TB SN) for each TB and sends this dedicated TB number (TB SN) to the terminal. Upon receiving the TB SN, the terminal knows the order of the received TBs based on the TB SN. When HARQ retransmission occurs, this method allows the terminal to quickly select the most successful TB and quickly transmit it. Simultaneously, the base station can also quickly select several relatively early retransmitted TBs for special processing based on the TB SN. For example, special processing may involve optimizing the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the selected TB. The earlier TBs can be decoded and transmitted quickly and successfully, which is highly beneficial for low-latency, high-reliability services such as XR.

[0075] (2) Sort TBs according to different HARQ ID indicators For single-codeword stream transmission, each HARQ process transmits only one TB, and the HARQ ID can be directly used to indicate the TB order. For example, when there are 16 HARQ processes, the multiple HARQ IDs are 0, 2, ..., 15. The order of multiple TBs is associated with HARQ IDs. The TB corresponding to HARQ ID=1 (HARQ ID1) is earlier than the TB corresponding to HARQ ID=2 (HARQ ID2). In some implementations, the 16 HARQ processes can be considered as a TB sorting window, and within the TB sorting window, multiple TBs are sorted according to multiple HARQ IDs.

[0076] Furthermore, the HARQ ID and New Data Indicator (NDI) can be used together to indicate TB order information (i.e., the order information associated with a TB). In 4G / 5G, NDI can be used to indicate whether data is new. Each HARQ process stores an NDI value, which uses 1 bit to indicate whether the scheduled data is a new transmission or a retransmission. When the NDI value of the same HARQ process changes compared to the previous HARQ process (NDI flip), it indicates that the current transmission is the initial transmission of a new TB; otherwise (NDI not flipped), it indicates that the current transmission is a retransmission of the same TB. Due to the retransmission of a TB in the previous HARQ process, even if decoding is successful, that TB in subsequent HARQ processes cannot be passed up. When a TB in a certain HARQ process cannot be retransmitted continuously, multiple subsequent TBs will not be passed in order. In addition, ACK feedback failure may cause unnecessary retransmission of correct TBs. Using NDI to indicate dropping TBs can avoid excessive waiting and unnecessary ordering problems for multiple subsequent TBs. For example, when the maximum number of retransmissions is reached, an NDI flip is triggered to drop multiple TBs and pass multiple subsequent TBs to the higher layers in order. NDI can be used independently as TB order information to indicate the ordering and discarding of TBs.

[0077] (3) HARQ ID and TB index number as TB order For reference Figure 6 In a non-restricted example, over a specific period of time, two HARQ processes have three TBs of data transmission. For the traffic, the order is: TB1 arrives first, then TB2, and finally TB3. The HARQ ID is the process number of the HARQ process. The process number HARQ ID1 (e.g., HARQ ID=1) is less than the process number HARQ ID2 (e.g., HARQ ID=2). When filling TBs with data in a HARQ process, the order of the TBs is bound to the HARQ process number. The TB corresponding to the smaller HARQ process number is placed first, followed by the TB corresponding to the larger HARQ process number.

[0078] When multiple TBs are transmitted under a single HARQ process, the order of the TBs within the HARQ process can be used to indicate the order of the TBs using TB indices. For example, in transmitting two codeword (CW) streams (two codewords), a single HARQ process transmits two TBs. These two TBs can use the codeword indices indicated by the TB order. For instance, in the HARQ process of HARQ ID1, TB1 and TB2 transmit two codeword streams. TB1 corresponds to codeword index CW1 (e.g., CW index = 1), and TB2 corresponds to codeword index CW2 (e.g., CW index = 2); TB3 corresponds to a single codeword stream transmission in HARQ ID2, and TB3 corresponds to codeword index CW1 (e.g., CW index = 1). Based on the HARQ ID and codeword indices, the order of the multiple TBs is explicit, allowing multiple TBs to be passed upwards sequentially.

[0079] (4) TB order (also known as TB sorting) in the case of no retransmission For real-time traffic with low latency requirements, such as voice, real-time control, and real-time gaming, retransmission is not necessary. Without HARQ retransmission, data is transmitted in order and can be received in order. However, in the case of spatial multiplexing, it is necessary to distinguish the TB order of the two codewords in a dual codeword stream. Codeword indices can be used to indicate the TB order. For a non-restrictive example, when TB1 and TB2 are transmitted simultaneously during spatial multiplexing, TB1 with CW index=1 is in the traffic before TB2 with CW index=2.

[0080] (5) TB group number (also known as TB group sequence number) + TB number in TB group (also known as TB sequence number) as TB sequence information In TB group scheduling, the TB group number plus the TB number within the TB group can be used together to indicate the TB order. The TB group number indicates the order of different groups, while the TB number indicates the TB order of multiple TBs within the same TB group.

[0081] For non-restrictive examples, see [reference]. Figure 7 In TB group scheduling, one HARQ process corresponds to multiple TB groups, and each TB group contains multiple TBs. Within a HARQ process, the TB group number and the TB numbers within that group are combined to determine the order of each TB among all TBs in the processing. For example, a HARQ process might have two TB groups, each containing three TBs. These six TBs are sequentially named TB1, TB2, ..., TB6. TB1-TB3 belong to TB group 1, and TB4-TB6 also belong to TB group 1.

[0082] In the case of spatial multiplexing, due to the transmission of dual codeword streams, it is necessary to consider the TB group number, the TB number within the group, and the codeword number in the same HARQ process.

[0083] When multiple HARQ processes exist, the TB order of different HARQ processes should also be considered.

[0084] Therefore, TB sequence information can be one of the following or a combination thereof: TB group number, TB number within the group, codeword number (e.g., codeword index), HARQ process number (e.g., HARQ ID).

[0085] In some implementations, TB groups can correspond to different traffic types or different data bearers. If there is no order requirement between TB groups, only the multiple TBs within a group need to be ordered. For example, when different TB groups correspond to different traffic, the requirement to pass TBs sequentially to higher layers only applies to one TB group.

[0086] Example Set 3 In some embodiments, the sequence information of the TB can be transmitted via various methods. As a non-limiting example, the sequence information of the TB can be transmitted via a downlink control information (DCI) message. In 5G New Radio (NR), the DCI is carried on the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0087] In some implementations, DCI is used to provide terminals (e.g., UEs) with uplink and downlink physical layer resource allocation, power control commands, HARQ, and other information about the wireless network. Transmitting TB sequence information in DCI can establish a close relationship between TB transmission and TB sequence information.

[0088] For example, a TB SN field can be added to the DCI to indicate the order of multiple TBs. The number of bits occupied by the TB SN field determines the maximum TB order that can be indicated. For example, when using 3 bits to represent the TB SN number, this means that a maximum of 8 TBs can be ordered at a time within a window.

[0089] In some implementations, HARQ IDs are used in DCI to indicate the order of multiple TBs.

[0090] In some implementations, HARQ ID and codeword index are used in DCI to jointly indicate the order of multiple TBs.

[0091] In some implementations, the HARQ ID and the TB index under the same HARQ process are used in DCI to jointly indicate the order of multiple TBs.

[0092] In some implementations, HARQ ID and NDI are used in DCI to jointly indicate the order of multiple TBs.

[0093] In some implementations, in DCI, the TB group index and the TB index within the TB group are used together to indicate the order of multiple TBs.

[0094] In some implementations, single-level, two-level, or multi-level DCI can be used. In single-level DCI, all DCI content is transmitted on a single control channel (e.g., NR PDCCH). In two-level or multi-level DCI, the first-level DCI is transmitted on a control channel (e.g., NR PDCCH1), while the second-level or higher-level DCI content is transmitted on one or more separate channels. The channel carrying the second-level or higher-level DCI can be an additional control channel (e.g., NR PDCCH2) or a data channel. Base stations can use single-level, two-level, or multi-level DCI to transmit sequence information associated with multiple TBs.

[0095] In some implementations, the first level of DCI is UE-level DCI, and the second level is TB-level DCI. TB order information is included in the TB-level DCI.

[0096] In some implementations, the first level of the DCI is a TB-level DCI that includes the order information of TB groups. The second level is a TB-level DCI that includes the order information of multiple TBs within a TB group. The TB order information is obtained by combining the TB group order information and the TB order information within the TB group.

[0097] In some implementations, the first level is a static DCI, the second level is a dynamic DCI, and the TB order information is included in the dynamic DCI.

[0098] In some implementations, the first level is static DCI, and the second level is dynamic DCI. TB order information is included in both static and dynamic DCI. TB order information is obtained jointly based on the static and dynamic DCI order information.

[0099] In some implementations, the first level is a public DCI, the second level is a private DCI, and the TB sequence information is included in the private DCI.

[0100] In some implementations, the first level is a public DCI, and the second level is a private DCI. TB sequence information is included in both the public and private DCIs, and the TB sequence information is jointly indicated by the public DCI sequence information and the private DCI sequence information.

[0101] In some implementations, under a multi-level DCI, TB order information is included in a specific level of DCI or distributed across multiple levels of DCI, and the TB order information is jointly indicated by multiple DCI levels.

[0102] In some other embodiments, the TB sequence information can be sent upstream via DCI or Uplink Control Information (UCI). When uplink TB sequence information is sent via UCI, it can be sent via PUCCH or PUSCH.

[0103] Example Set 4 In some implementations of D2D scenarios, communication exists between UE1 and UE2. When the base station is responsible for scheduling, since UE2 is outside the base station's coverage area, the base station generates TB sequence information for the UE2 link and sends it to UE1. Then, UE1 transmits the TB sequence information of UE2 to UE2. In the case of autonomous scheduling by UE1, UE1 generates TB sequence information for the UE2 link and transmits it to UE2.

[0104] In some implementations of the IAB scenario, multi-hop communication exists between IAB nodes. When the base station is responsible for scheduling, it generates TB order information and transmits it to the corresponding IAB node. When an IAB node has scheduling capabilities, it generates TB order information and transmits it to the other end of the multi-hop IAB node or the UE.

[0105] In some embodiments, a base station (BS1) generates sequence information associated with multiple TBs and sends it to another base station (BS2). Then, BS2 transmits the sequence information associated with the multiple TBs to the terminal.

[0106] This disclosure describes methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for wireless communication. This disclosure addresses the problem of sorting multiple TBs. The methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media described in this disclosure can improve the performance of wireless communication, thereby increasing efficiency and overall performance. The methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media described in this disclosure can improve the overall efficiency of wireless communication systems.

[0107] In some other embodiments, a computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described above. The computer-readable medium may be referred to as a non-transitory computer-readable media (CRM), which can store data for a relatively long period, such as a flash drive or compact disk (CD); or it can store data for a relatively short period when powered, such as a storage device or random access memory (RAM). In some embodiments, computer-readable instructions may be included in software embodied in one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media. Such non-transitory computer-readable media may be associated with a user-accessible mass storage device or with a specific short-duration storage device (e.g., an internal mass storage device or ROM) having non-transitory properties. Software implementing various embodiments of this disclosure may be stored in such a device and executed by a processor (or processing circuitry). Depending on specific needs, the computer-readable medium may include one or more storage devices or chips. Software can enable processors (including CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, etc.) to perform specific processes or specific parts of specific processes as described herein, including defining data structures stored in RAM and modifying such data structures according to software-defined processes.

[0108] References to features, advantages, or similar language throughout this specification do not imply that all features and advantages achievable using this solution should be included in any single implementation thereof. Rather, references to such features and advantages are to be understood as meaning that a particular feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this solution. Therefore, throughout this specification, discussions of features and advantages and similar language may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

[0109] Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of this solution can be combined in any suitable manner. As a non-limiting example, a portion of one or more embodiments may be combined with another portion of other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the description herein, this solution can be practiced without one or more specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages that may not be present in all embodiments of this solution may be recognized in certain embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for ensuring the ordered distribution of multiple transport blocks (TBs) in wireless communication, comprising: The second network element receives sequence information associated with multiple TBs from the first network element; as well as The second network element sends the plurality of TBs to the first network element in sequence according to the sequence information associated with the plurality of TBs.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The sequence information associated with the plurality of TBs includes at least one of the following: TB sequence number (SN), TB identifier (ID), TB number, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process number, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process identifier (ID), TB index in HARQ process ID, codeword index, New Data Indicator (NDI), TB group number, TB SN within the TB group, service ID, TB SN within the service ID, TB ID within the service ID, TB number within the service ID, bearer ID, TB SN within the bearer ID, TB ID within the bearer ID, TB number within the bearer ID, TB ID of the HARQ entity, TB number of the HARQ entity, or TB SN of the HARQ entity.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising: The second network element sorts the multiple TBs to be sent according to the order information associated with the multiple TBs.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Sorting the plurality of TBs according to the order information associated with them includes: The plurality of TBs are sorted within a TB sorting window based on the order information associated with them, wherein the TB sorting window includes a predetermined number of TBs.

5. The method according to any one of claims 3 and 4, wherein, The second network element determines whether to discard one or more TBs within the TB sorting window based on at least one of the following conditions: The number of failed TBs within the TB sorting window exceeds a predetermined threshold, or The sorting timer timed out, or The New Data Indicator (NDI) in the received sequence information is flipped.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The second network element receives the sequence information of the TB from the first network element through downlink control information (DCI), including at least one of the following: The sequence information is located in a single-level DCI. The sequence information is located in the first level of the two-level DCI. The sequence information is located in the second level of the two-level DCI. The sequence information is distributed in the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI of the two-level DCI. The sequence information is one level of a multi-level DCI, or The sequence information is distributed across multiple levels of the multi-level DCI.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The first network element includes one of the following: Radio Access Network (RAN), Base Station (BS), Scheduling Unit, User Equipment (UE), On-Board Unit (OBU), Roadside Unit (RSU), Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, or Distributed Unit (DU); and The second network element includes one of the following: UE, RAN, BS, IAB node, OBU, or RSU.

8. A method for ensuring the ordered distribution of multiple transport blocks (TBs) in wireless communication, comprising: The first network element sends sequence information associated with multiple transport blocks (TBs) to the second network element; The first network element receives the plurality of TBs from the second network element; as well as The first network element transmits the received multiple TBs from the lower layer to the higher layer in sequence according to the sequence information associated with the multiple TBs.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The sequence information associated with the plurality of TBs includes at least one of the following: TB sequence number (SN), TB identifier (ID), TB number, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process number, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process identifier (ID), TB index in HARQ process ID, codeword index, New Data Indicator (NDI), TB group number, TB SN within the TB group, service ID, TB SN within the service ID, TB ID within the service ID, TB number within the service ID, bearer ID, TB SN within the bearer ID, TB ID within the bearer ID, TB number within the bearer ID, TB ID of the HARQ entity, TB number of the HARQ entity, or TB SN of the HARQ entity.

10. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 9, further comprising: The first network element generates the sequence information associated with the plurality of TBs to instruct the second network element to send the plurality of TB layers in sequence.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 9, further comprising: The first network element receives the sequence information associated with the plurality of TBs from the third network element, the sequence information instructing the second network element to send the plurality of TBs from the lower layer to the higher layer in sequence.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein before the first network element transmits the received plurality of TBs from the lower layer to the higher layer, the method further comprises: The first network element sorts the received multiple TBs according to the order information associated with the multiple TBs.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein, Sort the plurality of TBs according to the order information of the plurality of TBs, including: Based on the order information of the plurality of TBs, the plurality of TBs are sorted within a TB sorting window, wherein the TB sorting window includes a predetermined number of TBs.

14. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 13, wherein, The first network element determines whether to discard one or more TBs within the TB sorting window based on at least one of the following conditions: The number of failed TBs within the TB sorting window exceeds a predetermined threshold, or The sorting timer timed out, or The New Data Indicator (NDI) in the received sequence information is flipped.

15. The method according to claims 8 to 14, wherein, The first network element sends the sequence information of the plurality of TBs to the second network element via downlink control information (DCI), including at least one of the following: The sequence information is located in a single-level DCI. The sequence information is located in the first level of the two-level DCI. The sequence information is located in the second level of the two-level DCI. The sequence information is distributed in the first-level DCI and the second-level DCI of the two-level DCI. The sequence information is located in one level of a multi-level DCI, or The sequence information is distributed across multiple levels of the multi-level DCI.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The first level DCI is a UE-level DCI, and the second level DCI is a TB-level DCI. The first-level DCI is a TB-level DCI, and the second-level DCI is a TB-level DCI. The first level DCI is a static level DCI, and the second level DCI is a dynamic level DCI, or The first-level DCI is a public-level DCI, and the second-level DCI is a private-level DCI.

17. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein, The first network element includes one of the following: Radio Access Network (RAN), Base Station (BS), Scheduling Unit, User Equipment (UE), On-Board Unit (OBU), Roadside Unit (RSU), Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node, or Distributed Unit (DU); and The second network element includes one of the following: UE, RAN, BS, IAB node, OBU, or RSU.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The third network element includes one of the following: RAN, BS, scheduling unit, UE, OBU, RSU, IAB node, or DU.

19. A wireless communication method, comprising: The third network element generates sequence information associated with multiple transport blocks (TBs) to instruct the second network element to send the multiple TBs in sequence; as well as The third network element sends the sequence information associated with the plurality of transport blocks to the first network element.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The first network element includes one of the following: radio access network (RAN), base station (BS), user equipment (UE), on-board unit (OBU), roadside unit (RSU), integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, or distributed unit (DU). The second network element includes one of the following: UE, RAN, BS, IAB node, OBU, or RSU; and The third network element includes one of the following: RAN, BS, scheduling unit, UE, OBU, RSU, IAB node, or DU.

21. A wireless communication device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein, The processor is configured to read code from the memory and implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer-readable program medium having code stored on the computer-readable program medium, the code of the computer-readable program medium causing the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 20 when executed by a processor.

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