Quality of service aware packet data convergence protocol in wireless communication

Abstract

Techniques related to packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) with quality of service (QoS) awareness in wireless communications are described. An apparatus (e.g., a user equipment (UE)) generates a plurality of protocol data units (PDUs) and transmits the plurality of PDUs to a network in a wireless communication in a manner of a plurality of quality of service (QoS) flows, where a sequence number (SN) space associated with the plurality of PDUs is separate on a per QoS flow basis.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing

[0002] This disclosure claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 706,081 (filed October 11, 2024), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications, and more specifically, to the application of a Quality of Service (QoS)-aware Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) in wireless communications. Background Technology

[0004] In wireless communication, such as 5G mobile communication under the current 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specification, all packet flows mapped to the same radio bearer may experience blocking (or inability to forward) of high-priority packets at the receiving end due to missing packets from low-priority flows. This is because all packet flows share a common sequence number space at the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, meaning they share a common receive window, potentially leading to head-of-line blocking of high-priority Quality of Service (QoS) flows. In other words, QoS flows mapped to the radio bearer share a common sequence number space under the current 5G 3GPP specification. Furthermore, all packet flows mapped to the same radio bearer use the same configuration parameters. For example, in the current 5G 3GPP standard, mechanisms such as the PDCP reordering timer and PDCP drop timer are used for this purpose. However, this configuration results in a shared receive / reordering window, meaning all mapped QoS flows are subject to the same reordering space. This situation could lead to head-of-line (HOL) congestion, meaning that high-priority packets may be unable to be forwarded (from the receiving side to the upper layer) due to the lack of low-priority packets.

[0005] At the time of this disclosure, there is no mechanism to independently process packet streams to achieve potential improvements in downlink (DL) forwarding latency. Therefore, there is a need for a QoS-aware Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) solution in wireless communication. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following abstract is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following abstract aims to introduce the concepts, key points, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Some embodiments will be further elaborated in the detailed description below. Therefore, the following abstract is not intended to identify the essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] One objective of this disclosure is to propose solutions or strategies for addressing the problems described herein. More specifically, the various solutions proposed in this disclosure are believed to provide solutions related to Quality of Service (QoS) Aware Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) in wireless communications. It is believed that implementations of one or more of the solutions proposed herein can solve or mitigate the aforementioned problems. For example, according to the various solutions proposed in this disclosure, the sequence number (SN) space is separated at the packet stream level to enable independent processing of packet streams, thereby potentially improving downlink forwarding latency. The proposed solutions can separate the counting space at each QoS stream level, rather than on a per-radio bearer basis. Furthermore, the proposed solutions can perform encryption at each QoS stream level, use a PDCP receive (Rx) window at each QoS stream level, and use PDCP parameters at each QoS stream level.

[0008] In one aspect, a method may involve generating multiple Protocol Data Units (PDUs) by a device (e.g., a User Equipment (UE) or a network node of a network). The method may also involve the device transmitting the multiple PDUs in a wireless communication as multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams, wherein the sequence number (SN) space associated with the multiple PDUs is separated at each QoS stream level.

[0009] In another aspect, a method may involve a device (e.g., a user equipment (UE) or a network node of a network) receiving multiple PDUs in wireless communication in a manner of multiple QoS streams, wherein the SN space associated with the multiple PDUs is separated at each QoS stream level. The method may also involve the device processing the multiple PDUs.

[0010] It is worth noting that, although the descriptions provided herein may be in the context of certain wireless access technologies, networks, and network topologies, such as 5G New Radio (NR) / B5G and beyond / 6G, th 6G mobile communication, but the proposed concepts, schemes and any variations / derivatives thereof can also be implemented, used for and implemented by other types of wireless access technologies, networks and network topologies, such as, but not limited to, 4G. thThis includes 4G / LTE, LTE-Advanced, LTE-Upgrade, Internet of Things (IoT), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), and Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) communications. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the examples described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The accompanying drawings are included in this disclosure to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this disclosure. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. It will be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as some components may be shown out of proportion to their actual dimensions in order to clearly illustrate the concepts of the disclosure.

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an example scenario of the solution proposed in this disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an example scenario of the solution proposed in this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of an example communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a first example process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a second example process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0017] This specification discloses detailed embodiments and implementations of the subject matter of the claims. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are for illustrative purposes only and may be implemented in various forms. This disclosure may take many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations listed herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are intended to make the description of this disclosure exhaustive and complete, and to adequately convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the following description, details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0018] Overview

[0019] The present disclosure relates to various technologies, methods, schemes, and / or solutions related to Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) for Quality of Service (QoS) in wireless communications. According to the present disclosure, several possible solutions can be implemented individually or in combination. That is, although these possible solutions are described separately below, two or more of them can be implemented in some combination.

[0020] A key concept in this disclosure involves separating the sequence number space from the radio bearer level to the per-QoS flow level. This separation enables independent reordering of received packets between QoS flows. For example, in the current 5G 3GPP standard, sequence number space processing is performed at the PDCP layer, where each packet's PDCP header contains a PDCP sequence number (SN). This PDCP sequence number is assigned at the radio bearer level, meaning that packets for all QoS flows mapped to a given radio bearer are assigned sequence numbers from the same sequence number space.

[0021] According to the scheme proposed in this disclosure, each QoS stream can be allocated or correspond to an independent sequence number space, thereby allowing independent receive / reordering window processing. It is worth noting that although this disclosure uses radio bearers as an example, the inventive concept can be applied to any future proposed mechanism for establishing a data pipeline / connection between a user equipment (UE) and a radio access network. The same applies to QoS streams; the inventive concept of this disclosure can also be applied to any future proposed mechanism, such as packet streams, packet streams, and sub-data radio bearers (DRBs).

[0022] In the current 5G 3GPP standard, each security-protected packet (encryption / integrity protection) must be protected using a unique combination of input parameters, two of which are a count value (COUNT) and a radio bearer identifier (ID). The count value is a combination of the received PDCP sequence number (from the PDCP header) and a locally stored superframe number (HFN). With the separation of sequence number spaces, packets from different QoS flows might be protected with the same security parameters by using the same count value, which is not permitted.

[0023] According to the solution proposed in this disclosure, to address the aforementioned problem, a QoS Flow Identifier (QFI) can be used as the security parameter instead of the radio bearer identifier. This helps ensure that each protected packet has a unique security parameter. It is worth noting that this is only one example of implementing a unique security parameter, and other solutions may exist for this problem. The key point is to ensure that there is a mechanism that can generate a unique security parameter for each packet on a given radio bearer.

[0024] Another advantage of sequence number space separation is the ability to control configuration parameters with finer granularity. For example, in the current 5G 3GPP standard, PDCP configuration parameters are applied at the radio bearer level, and all mapped QoS flows receive the same treatment regardless of priority. With the proposed scheme implementing sequence number space separation, PDCP configuration parameters (such as PDCP drop timers and PDCP reordering timers) can be maintained at the QoS flow level. It is worth noting that although PDCP configuration parameters are used as an example, the concepts of this invention are equally applicable to any future / alternative proposals, and are not limited to QoS flows and radio bearers, nor are they limited to the PDCP layer.

[0025] Figure 1 An example scenario 100 based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure is shown. Scenario 100 may involve QoS flow mapping. Specifically, Figure 1 Part (A) shows an example of typical QoS flow mapping under the current 5G 3GPP standard. Figure 1 Part (B) shows an example of QoS-oriented PDCP flow mapping under the proposed scheme.

[0026] See Figure 1 In part (A), different / multiple QoS flows (e.g., QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, QoS flow 3, and QoS flow 4) are typically mapped to a single radio bearer. Furthermore, Protocol Data Units (PDUs) mapped to the same radio bearer (RB) share a common PDCP sequence number (SN) space and the same count value calculation. Additionally, PDUs mapped to the same RB use the same PDCP configuration, without distinguishing between different QoS flows.

[0027] According to the proposed scheme, the sequence number space can be separated from the radio bearer level (or other appropriate level) to the per-QoS stream level (or any alternative proposal, such as packet streams, sub-DRBs, packet streams, etc.). Therefore, the proposed scheme allows the receiver to independently reorder packets between different QoS streams, thereby reducing head-of-line (HOL) blocking, where high-priority packets may be blocked waiting for low-priority packets. This helps improve (e.g., reduce) downlink latency. Furthermore, the independent sequence number space allows for finer-grained configuration parameter control (e.g., at the QoS stream level rather than the DRB level).

[0028] See Figure 1In Part (B), according to the proposed scheme, different / multiple QoS flows (e.g., QoS flow 1, QoS flow 2, QoS flow 3, and QoS flow 4) are mapped to a single radio bearer. Unlike current methods, in the proposed scheme, each QoS flow's PDU can have an independent or corresponding PDCP sequence number (SN) space, and an independent or corresponding count value calculation (which may differ from other QoS flows). Furthermore, in the proposed scheme, each QoS flow's PDU can have an independent or corresponding PDCP configuration (which may differ from other QoS flows).

[0029] Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand the various advantages of the proposed scheme. One advantage is the separate counting space per QoS flow. That is, the proposed scheme allows for independent reordering of each QoS flow for a PDCP PDU. Furthermore, head-of-line blocking (HOL) between QoS flows of different priorities can be decoupled. Another advantage is the PDCP configuration parameters per QoS flow. In other words, the proposed scheme allows for independent processing of each QoS flow for a PDCP PDU. Moreover, finer-grained control can be achieved.

[0030] Figure 2 An example scenario 200 based on the scheme proposed in this disclosure is shown. Scenario 200 may involve air interface encryption and decryption processes. Specifically, Figure 2 Part (A) shows an example of the current over-the-air encryption and decryption process. Figure 2 Part (B) shows an example of the air interface encryption and decryption process under the proposed scheme.

[0031] Reference Figure 2 In part (A), the bearer ID is a parameter of the air interface encryption process. Therefore, QoS flows mapped to the same radio bearer use the same sequence number (COUNT) space. That is, because different / multiple QoS flows share a common Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) receive window, the process cannot independently reorder the PDCP Protocol Data Units (PDUs) of the QoS flows.

[0032] Reference Figure 2 In part (B), under the proposed scheme, the QoS Flow Identifier (QFI) can be used as a parameter in the air interface encryption process. Therefore, this allows for an independent sequence number (COUNT) space for each QoS flow. Advantageously, this ensures that each packet is encrypted using a unique encryption parameter.

[0033] According to the scheme proposed in this disclosure, a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) reordering timer can be configured at each QoS flow level to achieve finer-grained control, thereby improving downlink forwarding latency. Furthermore, this helps ensure that packets are delivered within their packet latency budget. In contrast, under the current 5G 3GPP standard, the timer granularity is set at the per radio bearer (RB) level, and all QoS flows mapped to RBs are processed with the same priority and timeout value. Disadvantageously, this can lead to unacceptable latency, especially for low-latency QoS flows.

[0034] According to the scheme proposed in this disclosure, a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) drop timer can be configured at each QoS flow level to achieve finer-grained control over downlink forwarding delay. It is worth noting that the sender (Tx) PDCP drop timer will cause "holes" in the receiver's PDCP sequence number (SN) space, while the receiver (Rx) PDCP relies on a PDCP reordering timer to forward PDCP protocol data units (PDUs) to the upper layer.

[0035] Example Implementation

[0036] Figure 3 An example communication system 300 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, including at least one example device 310 and one example device 320. Devices 310 and 320 are capable of performing various functions to implement the schemes, techniques, processes, and methods described herein related to QoS-aware Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) in wireless communication, including the above-described schemes regarding various proposed designs, concepts, schemes, systems, and methods, including network environment 100, and the processes described below.

[0037] Both devices 310 and 320 can be part of an electronic device, which can be a network node (e.g., gNB or RIS) or user equipment (UE), such as a portable or mobile device, wearable device, in-vehicle equipment or vehicle, wireless communication device, or computing device. For example, devices 310 and 320 can be implemented in smartphones, smartwatches, personal digital assistants, electronic control units (ECUs) in vehicles, digital cameras, or computing devices such as tablets, laptops, or handheld computers. Devices 310 and 320 can also be part of a machine-type device, which can be an Internet of Things (IoT) device, such as a non-movable or fixed device, a home appliance, a roadside unit (RSU), a wired communication device, or a computing device. For example, devices 310 and 320 can be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. When implemented in or as a network device, device 310 and / or device 320 may be implemented as an eNodeB in an LTE, Advanced LTE, or Advanced LTE network, or as a gNB or TRP in a 5G or 6G network, NR network, or IoT network.

[0038] In some embodiments, devices 310 and 320 may be implemented as one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) processors, or one or more Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processors. In all the above embodiments, devices 310 and 320 may be implemented as network devices or user equipment (UE). Devices 310 and 320 may each include... Figure 3 At least some components are shown, such as processor 312 and processor 322. Devices 310 and 320 may also include one or more other components unrelated to the present disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device); therefore, for the sake of brevity, Figure 3 These components are not shown and are not described below.

[0039] In one aspect, processors 312 and 322 may be implemented as one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) or Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processors. That is, although the singular term “processor” is used herein to refer to processors 312 and 322, processors 312 and 322 may comprise multiple processors according to certain embodiments of this disclosure, or a single processor in other embodiments. In another aspect, processors 312 and 322 may be implemented as hardware (and optionally firmware) whose electronic components include, for example, but not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more variable capacitors, which are configured and arranged to achieve a particular purpose of this disclosure. In other words, in at least some embodiments, processors 312 and 322 are special-purpose machines specifically designed, arranged, and configured to perform specific tasks, including tasks related to QoS-aware Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) in wireless communications, consistent with various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0040] In some embodiments, device 310 may further include a transceiver 316 coupled to processor 312. Transceiver 316 may be capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some embodiments, transceiver 316 may be capable of wireless communication with different types of wireless networks using different Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In some embodiments, transceiver 316 may be equipped with multiple antenna ports (not shown), such as four antenna ports. That is, transceiver 316 may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication. In some embodiments, device 320 may further include a transceiver 326 coupled to processor 322. Transceiver 326 may include a transceiver capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some embodiments, transceiver 326 may be capable of wireless communication with different types of UE / wireless networks using different RATs. In some embodiments, transceiver 326 may be equipped with multiple antenna ports (not shown), such as four antenna ports. That is, transceiver 326 may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for MIMO wireless communication.

[0041] In some embodiments, device 310 may further include a memory 314 coupled to and accessible by processor 312 for storing data. In some embodiments, device 320 may further include a memory 324 coupled to and accessible by processor 322 for storing data. Each of memory 314 and memory 324 may include a random access memory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM), and / or zero-capacitance RAM (Z-RAM). Alternatively, or additionally, each of memory 314 and memory 324 may include a read-only memory (ROM), such as a mask ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), and / or electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM). Alternatively, or additionally, each of memory 314 and memory 324 may include a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), such as flash memory, solid-state memory, ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and / or phase-change memory.

[0042] Each of devices 310 and 320 can be a communication entity capable of communicating using the various schemes proposed in this disclosure. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, the following description, in the context of example flows 400 and 500, provides the capabilities of device 310 as a UE and device 320 as a network node (e.g., gNB or RIS).

[0043] Explanatory process

[0044] Figure 4 An example flow 400 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. Flow 400 may represent one aspect of implementing the various designs, concepts, schemes, systems, and methods proposed above. More specifically, flow 400 may represent one aspect of the concepts and schemes related to QoS-aware Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) in wireless communication proposed in this disclosure. Flow 400 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown in one or more flow blocks. Although shown as discrete flow blocks, the individual flow blocks of flow 400 may be divided into more flow blocks, merged into fewer flow blocks, or omitted, depending on the desired implementation. Furthermore, the flow blocks / sub-flow blocks of flow 400 may be arranged according to... Figure 4The process can be executed in the order shown, or in a different order. Furthermore, one or more process blocks / sub-process blocks of process 400 can be executed repeatedly or iteratively. Process 400 can be implemented by devices 310 and 320 and any variations thereof. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 400 is described below in the context of device 310 as a UE and device 320 as a communication entity of a wireless / mobile network (such as a network node or base station, e.g., gNB). Process 400 may begin at process block 410.

[0045] At 410, process 400 may involve the processor 312 of device 310 generating multiple protocol data units (PDUs) for the UE. Process 400 can continue from 410 to 420.

[0046] At 420, process 400 may involve processor 312 transmitting the plurality of PDUs to a network (e.g., via device 320 as a network node such as gNB or TRP) in wireless communication in the form of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams through transceiver 316, wherein the sequence number (SN) space associated with the plurality of PDUs is separated at each QoS stream level.

[0047] In some implementations, one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows may each have an independent Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Sequence Number (SN) space.

[0048] In some implementations, one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows may each have an independent count value calculated.

[0049] In some implementations, one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows may each have an independent receive window.

[0050] In some implementations, one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows may each have an independent reordering window.

[0051] In some implementations, one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows may each have an independent Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) configuration.

[0052] In some implementations, when generating the plurality of PDUs, process 400 may involve processor 312 performing an encryption process on the plurality of PDUs using a QoS Stream Identifier (QFI) as a parameter.

[0053] In some implementations, when sending the plurality of PDUs, process 400 may involve processor 312 performing encryption on the plurality of PDUs at each QoS stream level.

[0054] Figure 5 An example flow 500 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. Flow 500 may represent one aspect of implementing the various designs, concepts, schemes, systems, and methods proposed above. More specifically, flow 500 may represent one aspect of the concepts and schemes related to QoS-aware Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) in wireless communication proposed in this disclosure. Flow 500 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown in one or more flow blocks. Although shown as discrete flow blocks, the individual flow blocks of flow 500 may be divided into more flow blocks, merged into fewer flow blocks, or omitted according to desired implementation. Furthermore, the flow blocks / sub-flow blocks of flow 500 may be arranged according to... Figure 5 The process can be executed in the order shown, or in a different order. Furthermore, one or more process blocks / sub-process blocks of process 500 can be executed repeatedly or iteratively. Process 500 can be implemented by devices 310 and 320 and any variations thereof. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 500 is described below in the context of device 310 as a UE and device 320 as a network node or base station (e.g., gNB) of a wireless / mobile network. Process 500 may begin at process block 510.

[0055] At 510, process 500 may involve a processor 312 of a device 310 acting as a user equipment (UE), receiving multiple protocol data units (PDUs) in wireless communication via a transceiver 316 in the form of multiple quality of service (QoS) streams from a network (e.g., via a device 320 acting as a network node, such as a gNB or TRP), wherein the sequence number (SN) space associated with the multiple PDUs is separated at each QoS stream level. Process 500 may continue from 510 to 520.

[0056] In 520, process 500 may involve processor 312 processing the multiple PDUs.

[0057] In some implementations, one or more PDUs associated with each of the multiple QoS flows may each have an independent Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Sequence Number (SN) space.

[0058] In some implementations, one or more PDUs associated with each of the multiple QoS flows may each have an independent count value calculated.

[0059] In some implementations, one or more PDUs associated with each of the multiple QoS flows may each have an independent receive window.

[0060] In some implementations, one or more PDUs associated with each of the multiple QoS flows may each have an independent reordering window.

[0061] In some implementations, one or more PDUs associated with each of the multiple QoS flows may each have an independent Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) configuration.

[0062] In some implementations, these multiple PDUs can be encrypted using the QoS Flow Identifier (QFI) as a parameter.

[0063] In some implementations, these multiple PDUs can be encrypted at each QoS flow level.

[0064] In some implementations, when processing the multiple PDUs, process 500 may involve processor 312 using a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) reordering timer configured at each QoS flow level to process the multiple PDUs.

[0065] In some implementations, when processing the multiple PDUs, process 500 may involve processor 312 using a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) drop timer configured at each QoS flow level to process the multiple PDUs.

[0066] Additional notes

[0067] The topics described herein sometimes demonstrate different components contained within or connected to different other components. It should be understood that these illustrated architectures are merely examples, and many other architectures can actually be implemented to achieve the same functionality. Conceptually, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” to achieve the desired function. Therefore, any two components combined in this document to achieve a specific function can be considered “associated” to achieve the desired function, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components. Similarly, any two such associated components can also be considered “operationally connected” or “operationally coupled” to achieve the desired function, and any two components that can be suchly associated can also be considered “operationally coupled” to achieve the desired function. Specific examples of operational coupling include, but are not limited to, physically matable and / or physically interactive components and / or wirelessly interactive components and / or logically interactive and / or logically interactive components.

[0068] Furthermore, regarding the use of almost all plural and / or singular terms in this document, those skilled in the art can appropriately convert from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural depending on the context and / or application. For clarity, various singular / plural permutations may be explicitly listed herein.

[0069] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the terminology used herein, particularly in appendix claims, such as the body of an appendix claim, is generally intended as “open” terms. For example, the word “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the word “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” and the word “includes” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” etc. Those skilled in the art will also understand that if a particular quantity is intended to be introduced in a claim, that intention will be explicitly stated in the claim; otherwise, there is no such intention. For example, for ease of understanding, the following appendix claims may contain the use of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce the claim statement. However, the use of such phrases should not be interpreted as limiting any particular claim containing that claim to contain only one such claim, even if the same claim contains the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "one (a)" or "one (an)". For example, "one (a)" and / or "one (an)" should be interpreted as "at least one" or "one or more". The same applies to the use of definite articles used to introduce the claim. Furthermore, even if a specific number of claims is explicitly stated, those skilled in the art will recognize that the statement should be interpreted as at least the number stated. For example, the statement "two statements" alone, without other modifiers, means at least two statements, or two or more statements. Furthermore, when using conventions such as "at least one of A, B, and C," this structure is generally intended for those skilled in the art to understand the meaning of the convention. For example, "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" includes, but is not limited to, systems with only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and A, B, and C together. Similarly, when using conventions such as "at least one of A, B, or C," this structure is generally intended for those skilled in the art to understand the meaning of the convention. For example, "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" includes, but is not limited to, systems with only A, only B, only C, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and A, B, and C together. Those skilled in the art will also understand that virtually any extractive term and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms in the specification, claims, or drawings should be understood to include the possibility of including only one term, either term, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" should be understood to include the possibility of including "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0070] As can be seen from the foregoing, this document describes various implementations of the present disclosure for illustrative purposes, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, the various implementations disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, and the true scope and spirit are indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: The user equipment's processor generates multiple Protocol Data Units (PDUs); as well as The processor transmits these multiple PDUs to the network in multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams during wireless communication. The sequence number space associated with these multiple PDUs is separated at each QoS flow level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each QoS flow in the plurality of PDUs have independent packet data aggregation protocol sequence number spaces.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each QoS flow in the plurality of PDUs have independent count values ​​calculated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows have independent receive windows.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each QoS flow in the plurality of PDUs have independent reordering windows.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each QoS flow in the plurality of PDUs have independent packet data aggregation protocol configurations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the plurality of PDUs includes performing an encryption process on the plurality of PDUs using a QoS Flow Identifier (QFI) as a parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the plurality of PDUs includes encrypting the plurality of PDUs at each QoS flow level.

9. A method comprising: In wireless communication, the processor of the user equipment receives multiple Protocol Data Units (PDUs) from the network in the form of multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams. as well as The processor processes these multiple PDUs. The sequence number space associated with these multiple PDUs is separated at each QoS flow level.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows have independent packet data aggregation protocol sequence number spaces.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows have independent count values ​​calculated.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows have independent receive windows.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows have independent reordering windows.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows have independent packet data aggregation protocol configurations.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of PDUs are encrypted using a QoS flow identifier as a parameter.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of PDUs are encrypted at each QoS flow level.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the plurality of PDUs includes processing the plurality of PDUs using a packet data aggregation protocol reordering timer configured at each QoS flow level.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the plurality of PDUs includes processing the plurality of PDUs using a packet data aggregation protocol drop timer configured at each QoS flow level.

19. An apparatus that can be implemented in a user equipment, comprising: A transceiver configured for wireless communication; as well as The processor coupled to the transceiver is configured to perform operations including the following: Generate multiple Protocol Data Units (PDUs); and The transceiver transmits the multiple PDUs to the network in wireless communication as multiple Quality of Service (QoS) streams. The sequence number space associated with these multiple PDUs is separated at each QoS flow level.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein one or more PDUs associated with each of the plurality of QoS flows have independent packet data aggregation protocol sequence number spaces and independent count value calculations.

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