Methods, apparatuses, and computer programs related to identifying an expired data unit to a receiver

Abstract

A device is disclosed comprising: means for processing transmission of a plurality of data units in accordance with a packet data convergence protocol, PDCP; means for creating a report for at least one data unit of the plurality of data units, the report providing a sequence number of the at least one data unit and an expiry time of the at least one data unit; and means for sending the report to a receiver, the data unit being processed for transmission to the receiver.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure relate to a method, apparatus, and computer program, and specifically, but not exclusively, to identifying expired data units to a receiver. Background Technology

[0002] A communication system can be viewed as a facility that enables a communication session between two or more entities (such as communication equipment, base stations, and / or other nodes) by providing carriers between various entities involved in the communication path.

[0003] Communication systems and associated entities typically operate according to a given standard or specification that outlines what the associated entities are allowed to do and how they should be implemented. The communication protocols and / or parameters used for the connection are also usually defined. An example of a standard is the so-called 5G standard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be described with respect to certain aspects. These aspects are not intended to indicate key or essential features of the various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, nor are they intended to limit its scope. Other features, aspects, and elements will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure.

[0005] In one aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: components for processing data units for transmission according to a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP); components for creating a report including information providing a sequence number of at least one data unit and a time period associated with the at least one data unit in the set; and components for sending the report to a receiver to which the data units are scheduled to be sent.

[0006] A data unit can be at least one data unit in a set.

[0007] The device may further include components for determining data units within the set that have the shortest expiration time, wherein components for creating a report provide the serial number and expiration time of the determined data unit in the report.

[0008] The component used to create the report can provide only the serial number and expiration date of the identified data unit in the report.

[0009] The component used to create reports can provide a sequence number and an expiration time for each of the multiple collections of data.

[0010] The component used to create the report can provide the serial number of all data units in the set, as well as the shortest expiration time determined.

[0011] The component used to create reports can provide a sequence number and expiration time for each of the multiple collections of data.

[0012] This time period can be the survival time expiration time value, after which the time period has expired.

[0013] This time period can be the time-to-live expiration time value, which is equal to the remaining time before the discard timer for relatively low-importance data expires.

[0014] The time period can correspond to a pre-configured time value, and the report can include information providing the sequence number of one or more data units, each data unit being associated with the remaining time. After the remaining time, the corresponding data unit will be discarded, with each discard time being less than the pre-configured time value.

[0015] The report may include the sequence numbers of all data units in the set whose discard time is less than the pre-configured time.

[0016] The report may include the sequence numbers of multiple sets of data and the associated pre-configuration time.

[0017] The component used to create reports can be configured to create reports periodically.

[0018] The apparatus may further include components for determining whether a data unit has been sent, wherein the components for creating a report are configured to create a report based solely on an evaluation of the data unit that has been sent.

[0019] The device may further include components for determining when a data unit is discarded at the transmitter, wherein the components for creating a report are configured to create the report based on an assessment of data units that have not yet been discarded.

[0020] User equipment may include the apparatus, and also includes components for receiving configuration data from the network for configuring the report. User equipment or a base station may include the apparatus.

[0021] Processing may include buffering and / or scheduling.

[0022] The apparatus may include components for implementing the method.

[0023] The device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least any of the methods discussed in the second aspect.

[0024] In one aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: components for receiving data units and for receiving a report including information providing a sequence number of at least one data unit; components for starting a timer based on a time value in response to receiving the report; components for determining that the timer indicates the time value has expired and the at least one data unit has not been received; and components for updating the lowest sequence number among the data units expected to be received to a value greater than the sequence number of the data unit whose time value has expired in response to the determination.

[0025] The report can be for a set of data units and identify the sequence number of the data unit in the set with the shortest time value.

[0026] The report may be for a set of data units and identify the sequence number of each data unit in the set as well as the shortest time value associated with the data unit in the set, for configuring the receiver to receive components of data units associated with a sequence number greater than the highest sequence number in the set.

[0027] The report may include information providing the sequence number of one or more data units, each data unit being associated with a discard time after which the corresponding data unit is discarded, each discard time being less than a time value, wherein a timer is started based on the time value.

[0028] The component for receiving the set of data units can be configured to operate a receiving window, and the receiver further includes a component for adjusting the receiving window in a manner that excludes data unit sequence numbers associated with expired time periods.

[0029] Processing may include buffering and / or scheduling.

[0030] The apparatus may include components for implementing the method.

[0031] The device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least any of the methods discussed in the second aspect.

[0032] In one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: processing data units for transmission according to a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP); creating a report including information providing a sequence number of at least one data unit and a time period associated with the at least one data unit in the set; and sending the report to a receiver to which the data units are scheduled to be sent.

[0033] The data unit in this method can be at least one data unit in the set.

[0034] The method may also include identifying data units within the set that have the shortest expiration time, wherein a report is created providing the sequence number and expiration time of the identified data unit.

[0035] The report can be created by providing only the sequence number and expiration date of the identified data unit.

[0036] Creating a report can provide a sequence number and an expiration time for each of the multiple collections of data.

[0037] The report can provide the sequence number of all data units in the set, as well as the shortest expiration time.

[0038] The report can provide the sequence number and expiration time for each of the multiple collections of data.

[0039] The expiration time of this method can be a lifetime value equal to the remaining time before the discard timer expires.

[0040] The expiration time of this method can be a time-to-live value, which is equal to the remaining time before the discard timer for relatively low-importance data expires.

[0041] The time period of this method can correspond to a pre-configured time value, and the report can include information providing the sequence number of one or more data units, each data unit being associated with a remaining time, after which the corresponding data unit will be discarded, with each discard time being less than the pre-configured time value.

[0042] The report of this method may include the sequence numbers of all data units in the set whose discard time is less than the pre-configured time.

[0043] The report from this method may include sequence numbers of multiple sets of data and associated pre-configuration times.

[0044] Report creation can be configured to generate reports periodically.

[0045] The method may also include determining whether a data unit has been sent, wherein the creation of a report is based solely on an evaluation of data units that have been sent.

[0046] The method may further include determining which data units to discard at the transmitter, wherein a report is created based on an assessment of data units that have not yet been discarded.

[0047] User equipment can utilize this method and also receive configuration data from the network for configuration reports.

[0048] This method can be performed by a device.

[0049] In one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving a data unit and receiving a report including information providing a sequence number of at least one data unit and a time value associated with the at least one data unit; in response to receiving the report, starting a timer based on the time value identified in the report; determining that the timer indicates that the time value has expired and the at least one data unit has not been received; and in response to the determination, configuring the device to update the lowest sequence number among the data units expected to be received to a value greater than the sequence number of the data unit whose time value has expired.

[0050] The report of this method can be for a set of data units and identify the sequence number of the data unit in the set with the shortest time value.

[0051] The report of this method can be for a set of data units, and identifies the sequence number of each data unit in the set and the shortest time value associated with the data unit in the set, for configuring the receiver to receive components of data units associated with a sequence number greater than the highest sequence number in the set.

[0052] The report of this method may include information providing the sequence number of one or more data units, each data unit being associated with a discard time after which the corresponding data unit is discarded, each discard time being less than a time value, wherein a timer is started based on the time value.

[0053] The receiver can manipulate the receive window by receiving this set of data units, and adjust the receive window to exclude data unit sequence numbers associated with expired time periods.

[0054] User equipment or base stations can utilize this method.

[0055] This method can be performed by a device.

[0056] In one aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: components for processing the transmission of a plurality of data units according to a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP); components for creating a report for at least one of the plurality of data units, the report providing a sequence number of the at least one data unit and an expiration time of the at least one data unit; and components for sending the report to a receiver, the data units being processed for transmission to the receiver.

[0057] Multiple data groups can each be assigned to one of a set of multiple sets.

[0058] The apparatus may also include components for identifying data units in the set associated with the shortest expiration time, wherein the components for creating a report provide the serial number of the data unit and the expiration time of the data unit.

[0059] The apparatus may further include components for determining the shortest expiration time of data units in the set, wherein the components for creating a report provide the sequence number of all data units in the set and the shortest expiration time within the set.

[0060] The component used to create a report can respond to the component used to indicate the data set for an application that requires all data units in that set.

[0061] The expiration time can be a lifetime value equal to the remaining time before the discard timer expires.

[0062] The expiration time can be a lifetime value equal to the remaining time before the discard timer for relatively low-importance data expires.

[0063] The component used for sending reports can be enabled to send a report for the set in response to a data unit in the set being submitted to the lower layer for transmission.

[0064] Processing may include buffering and / or scheduling.

[0065] Data units can be submitted to the RLC layer.

[0066] The data unit can be a protocol data unit (PDU).

[0067] The base station may include this device. The UE may include this device.

[0068] The apparatus may include components for implementing the method.

[0069] The device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least any of the methods discussed in the second aspect.

[0070] In one aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a component for receiving a report including information providing a sequence number of a data unit to be transmitted to a receiver and an expiration time of the data unit; a component for activating a timer based on the expiration time identified in the received report in response to receiving the report; a component for determining that the timer indicates the expiration time has expired and the data unit has not been received; and, in response to the determination, the receiving component is configured to update the lowest sequence number among the data units expected to be received to a value greater than the sequence number of the data unit whose expiration time has expired.

[0071] The data unit may be associated with a set of data units, and the report provides the serial numbers of all data units in the set, wherein, in response to the determination, the receiving component is configured to receive a data unit with a serial number greater than the highest serial number in the set.

[0072] This data unit can be associated with a sequence number that is greater than the highest sequence number in the set whose expiration time has passed.

[0073] The component used for receiving can be configured to adapt to the receiving window.

[0074] The receiving component can be configured to receive data units in any subsequent operation, in addition to the serial number associated with the expired expiration time.

[0075] The base station may include this device. The UE may include this device.

[0076] The apparatus may include components for implementing the method.

[0077] The device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least any of the methods discussed in the second aspect.

[0078] In one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: processing the transmission of a plurality of data units according to a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP); creating a report for at least one of the plurality of data units, the report providing a sequence number of the at least one data unit and an expiration time of the at least one data unit; and sending the report to a receiver, the data units being processed for transmission to the receiver.

[0079] In this method, multiple data groups can each be assigned to one of multiple sets.

[0080] The method may also include identifying data units in the set associated with the shortest expiration time, wherein a report is created providing the sequence number of the data unit and the expiration time of the data unit.

[0081] The method may also include determining the shortest expiration time of data units in the set, wherein a report is created providing the sequence number of all data units in the set and the shortest expiration time within the set.

[0082] Reports can be created in response to components that use the set of data to indicate the application that requires all data units in the set.

[0083] The expiration time of this method can be a lifetime value equal to the remaining time before the discard timer expires.

[0084] The expiration time of this method can be a time-to-live value, which is equal to the remaining time before the discard timer for relatively low-importance data expires.

[0085] Sending a report can enable the sending of a report for that set in response to a data unit being submitted to the lower layer for transmission.

[0086] The data unit of this method can be submitted to the RLC layer. The data unit of this method can be a Packet Data Unit (PDU).

[0087] The base station can utilize this method. The UE can utilize this method.

[0088] This method can be performed by a device.

[0089] In one aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving a report including information providing a sequence number of a data unit to be processed and transmitted to a receiver and an expiration time of the data unit; in response to receiving the report, starting a timer based on the expiration time identified in the received report; determining that the timer indicates that the expiration time has expired and the data unit has not been received; and in response to the determination, updating the lowest sequence number among the data units expected to be received to a value greater than the sequence number of the data unit that has expired at the time value.

[0090] The method may associate a data unit with a set of data units, the report of which provides the sequence number of all data units in the set, wherein in response to the determination, the method includes receiving a data unit having a sequence number greater than the highest sequence number in the set.

[0091] The data units of this method can be associated with a sequence number that is greater than the highest sequence number of the set whose expiration time has passed.

[0092] Receiving can include adapting the receiving window.

[0093] Receiving may include receiving data units other than the sequence number associated with the expired expiry time in any subsequent operation.

[0094] The base station can utilize this method. The UE can utilize this method.

[0095] The data unit of this method can be associated with a set of data units. The report provides only the sequence number of the data unit with the shortest expiration time in the set and the shortest expiration time, or the report provides the sequence number of all data units in the set and the shortest expiration time. When the expiration time expires, the receiver is configured to receive a data unit whose sequence number corresponds to either of the two cases mentioned above, higher than the sequence number of the data unit or higher than the last sequence number in the set.

[0096] This method can be performed by a device.

[0097] One aspect provides an apparatus comprising: components for processing the transmission of a plurality of data units according to a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP); components for creating a report for the plurality of data units, the report providing a sequence number for each data unit among the plurality of data units whose due dates are shorter than a pre-configured time value; and components for sending the report to a receiver, the data units being processed for transmission to the receiver.

[0098] The pre-configured time value can be a threshold.

[0099] The component used to create reports can create reports for more than one set of multiple data units.

[0100] The report may include the sequence number of all data units in multiple data units within the collection.

[0101] The report may include pre-configured time values.

[0102] The device may also include components for determining the expiration time associated with data units in the set that are less than or equal to the pre-configured time value.

[0103] The expiration time of at least one data unit can be a lifetime value equal to the remaining time before the discard timer expires.

[0104] The expiration time of at least one data unit can be a time-to-live value, which is equal to the remaining time before the discard timer for relatively low-importance data expires.

[0105] The component used for sending reports can be enabled to send a report for the set in response to a data unit in the set being submitted to the lower layer for transmission.

[0106] Data units can be submitted to the RLC layer.

[0107] The data unit can be a protocol data unit (PDU).

[0108] The base station may include this device.

[0109] The UE may include this device.

[0110] The apparatus may include components for implementing the method.

[0111] The device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least any of the methods discussed in the second aspect.

[0112] One aspect provides an apparatus comprising: components for receiving a report including information providing a sequence number of a data unit to be received; components for receiving a preconfigured time value; components for starting a timer based on the preconfigured time value in response to receiving the report; components for determining that the timer indicates the preconfigured time value has expired and the data unit has not been received; and, in response to the determination, the receiving components are configured to update the lowest sequence number of the data units expected to be received to a value greater than the sequence number of the data unit for which the preconfigured time value has expired.

[0113] The device can be associated with multiple data units, and the report provides the serial numbers of all data units among the multiple data units that have an expiration time corresponding to a pre-configured time value, wherein, in response to the determination, the receiving component is configured to receive a data unit with a serial number greater than the serial number of any of the multiple data units.

[0114] The component used for receiving can be configured to adapt to the receiving window.

[0115] The receiving component can be configured to receive data units in any subsequent operation, in addition to the serial number associated with the expired expiration time.

[0116] The base station may include this device.

[0117] The UE may include this device.

[0118] The apparatus may include components for implementing the method.

[0119] The device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least any of the methods discussed in the second aspect.

[0120] One aspect provides a method comprising: processing the transmission of a plurality of data units according to a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP); creating a report for the plurality of data units, the report providing a sequence number for each data unit among the plurality of data units whose due dates are shorter than a pre-configured time value; and sending the report to a receiver, the data units being processed for transmission to the receiver.

[0121] The pre-configured time value for this method can be a threshold.

[0122] Reports can be created for more than one set of multiple data units.

[0123] The report of this method can include the sequence number of all data units in multiple data units in the set.

[0124] The report from this method may include pre-configured time values.

[0125] The method may also include components for determining the data units in the set associated with an expiration time less than or equal to the pre-configured time value.

[0126] According to this method, the expiration time of at least one data unit can be a lifetime value equal to the remaining time before the discard timer expires.

[0127] According to this method, the expiration time of at least one data unit can be a lifetime value, which is equal to the remaining time before the discard timer for relatively low-importance data expires.

[0128] Sending a report can be enabled in response to a data unit in the set being submitted to the lower layer for transmission.

[0129] The data units of this method can be submitted to the RLC layer.

[0130] The data unit of this method can be a Protocol Data Unit (PDU).

[0131] This method can be used in base stations.

[0132] This method can be used in UE.

[0133] This method can be performed by a device.

[0134] One aspect provides a method comprising: receiving a report including information providing a sequence number of a data unit to be received; receiving a preconfigured time value; in response to receiving the report, starting a timer based on the preconfigured time value; a component for determining that the timer indicates the preconfigured time value has expired and the data unit has not been received; and in response to the determination, updating the lowest sequence number among the expected data units to be received to a value greater than the sequence number of the data unit whose preconfigured time value has expired.

[0135] This method can be associated with multiple data units, and the report provides the sequence numbers of all data units among the multiple data units that have an expiration time corresponding to a pre-configured time value, wherein, in response to the determination, the receiving component is configured to receive a data unit with a sequence number greater than the sequence number of any of the multiple data units.

[0136] Receiving can include adapting the receiving window.

[0137] The receiving mechanism can be configured to receive data units other than the sequence number associated with the expired expiration time. This method can be used in a base station.

[0138] This method can be used in UE.

[0139] This method can be performed by a device.

[0140] According to one aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, including program instructions stored thereon for performing at least one of the methods described above.

[0141] According to one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, including program instructions stored thereon for performing at least one of the methods described above.

[0142] According to one aspect, a non-volatile tangible storage medium is provided, comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least one of the methods described above.

[0143] Many different aspects have been described above. It should be understood that additional aspects can be provided through any combination of two or more of the above aspects.

[0144] Various other aspects are also described in the following detailed description and the appended claims. Attached Figure Description

[0145] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described by way of non-limiting and illustrative example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 An example representation of a communication system is shown; Figure 2 A representation of an example of a device for implementing one or more network functions of a communication system is shown; Figure 3 An example representation of a user equipment according to some example embodiments is shown; Figure 4 The illustration shows an example representation of operations at the transmitting and receiving entities according to some example embodiments; Figure 5 The first method of some example embodiments is shown; Figure 6 The second method is shown in some example embodiments; Figure 7 A third method is shown in some example embodiments; Figure 8 The fourth method is shown in some example embodiments; Figure 9 The fifth method is shown in some example embodiments; and Figure 10 A sixth method is shown in some example embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0146] The following examples illustrate various exemplary embodiments for user equipment operating according to the 3GPP fifth-generation (5G) communication protocol, but these exemplary embodiments may also be applied to user equipment operating according to other communication protocols.

[0147] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a 5G communication system (5GS) is shown. 5GS may include user equipment (UE), an access network such as a 5G radio access network (5G-RAN) or a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN), a 5G core network (5GC), and one or more application functions. 5GS connects the UE to the data network, the access network, and the 5GC (e.g., the 5GC's UPF).

[0148] 5G-RAN may include one or more radio access nodes, such as gNodeBs (GNBs). A gNB may be a standalone entity or may be provided by a distributed architecture. The distributed architecture includes one or more gNodeB (GNB) distributed units (gNB-DUs) connected to the gNodeB centralized unit control plane and user plane entities (gNB-CU-CP and gNB-CU-UP). Additionally, one or more radio units (RUs, not shown) may be provided as part of the distributed architecture. A CU may serve multiple DUs. A DU may serve multiple RUs. An RU may include a physical layer and a radio frequency (RF) front end. DUs can make scheduling decisions. The embodiment uses the PDCP protocol and may use gNB-CU-UPs.

[0149] The interface between the gNB-CU-CP entity and the gNB-CU-UP entity is called the E1 interface. The interface between the gNB-CU-CP entity and (multiple) gNB-DU entities is called the F1-C interface. The interface between the gNB-CU-UP entity and (multiple) gNB-DU entities is called the F1-U interface.

[0150] 5GC can include the following network functions: Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF); Network Exposure Function; Network Repository Function (NRF); Policy Control Function (PCF); Unified Data Management (UDM); Application Function (AF); Authentication Server Function (AUSF); Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF); Session Management Function (SMF); and User Plane Function (UPF). Figure 1 Various interfaces (N1, N2, etc.) that can be implemented between various components of the system are also shown.

[0151] Figure 2An example of at least a portion 200 of a base station is shown. Portion 200 may have at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions for the base station that, when executed by at least one of the at least one processor, cause operations or actions of the base station to be performed. In an architecture where base station functionality is provided by a CU, DU, and RU architecture, at least a portion of the base station may be a base station or a part of a base station, such as a DU. Scheduling may be controlled by the DU.

[0152] The base station may include at least one random access memory (RAM) 211a, at least one read-only memory (ROM) 211b, at least one processor 212, 213, and an input / output interface 214. The at least one processor 212, 213 may be coupled to the RAM 211a and ROM 211b. The at least one processor 212, 213 may be configured to execute appropriate software code 215. The software code 215 may include software code that allows, causes, or otherwise facilitates the device to perform one or more operations of the base station.

[0153] Software code 215 can be stored in ROM 211b.

[0154] Figure 3 An example of a communication device 300 is shown, such as in Figure 1 The user equipment (UE) shown and mentioned in the description of the example embodiments below. Communication device 300 can be provided by any device capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals. Non-limiting examples of communication device 300 include user equipment, mobile station (MS) or mobile device (such as a mobile phone or so-called smartphone), computer equipped with a wireless interface card or other wireless interface facility (e.g., a USB dongle), personal data assistant (PDA) or tablet computer equipped with wireless communication capabilities, machine-type communication (MTC) device, Internet of Things (IoT) type communication device, or any combination thereof. The communication device can be an XR (extended reality) device such as a headset, or can be capable of supporting XR applications (e.g., capable of executing or running XR applications). The headset can be a VR headset. The communication device can be a vehicle or part of a vehicle. Communication device 300 can include a transceiver for transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals (e.g., radio signals) carrying communication, for example. Communication can be one or more of voice, email, text messages, multimedia data, machine data, etc.

[0155] Communication device 300 can receive wireless signals (e.g., radio signals) via air or radio interface 307 through suitable means for receiving, and can transmit wireless signals via suitable means for transmitting radio signals. Figure 3In the diagram, the transceiver is schematically represented by block 306. Transceiver 306 may include, for example, radio components and an associated antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement may be located inside or outside the mobile device and may include one or more antenna elements. The antenna arrangement may be a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna.

[0156] Communication device 300 may be provided with at least one processor 301, at least one memory ROM 302a, at least one RAM 302b, and other possible components 303 for software and hardware assistance in performing the tasks it is designed to perform, including accessing the network (e.g., Figure 1 The control of access and communication with 5G-RAN (or NG-RAN) and other communication devices shown is provided. At least one processor 301 is coupled to RAM 302b and ROM 302a. At least one processor 301 can be configured to execute appropriate software code 308. The software code 308 can, for example, allow the execution of one or more operations of the communication device. The software code 308 can be stored in ROM 302a.

[0157] The processor, ROM and RAM, transceiver, and other circuitry (e.g., modem) of the communication device may be located on a circuit board, in a chipset, or in a system-on-a-chip. The circuit board, chipset, or system-on-a-chip is indicated by reference numeral 304. The communication device 300 may optionally have a user interface, such as a keyboard 305, a touchscreen or touchpad, or a combination thereof. Optionally, depending on the type of communication device, one or more of a display, speaker, and microphone may be provided.

[0158] It should be understood that the device may include or be coupled to other units or modules, such as radio components or radio heads used for transmission and / or reception, or in the transmission and / or reception. Although the device has been described as a single entity, different modules and memories may be implemented in one or more physical or logical entities.

[0159] The UE can support XR (Extended Reality) applications. Application functionality can support XR applications.

[0160] XR is an inclusive term and can include at least the following types of reality: Augmented reality (AR) involves adding virtual objects to the real-world environment; Virtual reality (VR) is a combination of visual and audio scenes with real-world locations; and Mixed Reality (MR) is where tactile and interactive elements are added to a real-world environment.

[0161] The UE can be an XR (Extended Reality) device, such as a headset, or it can be capable of supporting XR applications (e.g., being able to execute or run XR applications). The headset can be a VR headset.

[0162] In this document, the term UE or User Equipment is used. This term covers any example of the previously discussed communication device 300 and / or any other communication device.

[0163] For an example of uplink transmission, the receive (RX) entity can be a gNB; and the transmit (TX) entity can be a user equipment (UE). As mentioned above, the gNB can include a set of entities, such as gNB-DU, gNB-CU-CP, and gNB-CU-UP.

[0164] For an example of downlink transmission, the RX entity can be the UE, and the TX entity can be the gNB. As mentioned above, the gNB can include a set of entities, such as gNB-DU, gNB-CU-CP, and gNB-CU-UP.

[0165] The RX entity receives data units transmitted by the TX entity. Each data unit has a corresponding data unit number value. For the RLC example, this data unit value may be referred to as a sequence number value, which the RX entity uses to monitor data unit reception and provide feedback to the TX entity. Unless otherwise specified, receiving a data unit means correctly receiving the data unit (receiving the data unit without errors).

[0166] According to one example, a data unit is a lower-level data unit with a corresponding lower-level DU# that carries a higher-level data unit with a corresponding higher-level DU#. For the PDCP example, the higher-level data unit number value can be referred to as a count value. The least significant bit of the PDCP count value (referred to as the PDCP sequence number (SN)) can be indicated as part of the PDCP data unit. According to one example, a data unit is a Radio Link Control (RLC) data unit with a corresponding RLC sequence number value # and carrying a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) data unit with a corresponding PDCP count value.

[0167] Similarly, the RX entity maintains one or more RX windows, which indicate the DU# range of the data unit at the higher level where the payload can be delivered.

[0168] Time to Live (TTL), or hop count limit (which may be more generally referred to as expiration time), is a mechanism that limits the lifespan or lifetime of data in a computer or network. TTL can be implemented as a counter or timestamp attached to or embedded in the data. Once the specified event count or time span has elapsed, the data is discarded / destroyed or revalidated.

[0169] The current solution for indicating a missing data unit according to the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) is to send a PDCP Control Protocol Data Unit (PDU) indication. This indication carries the sequence number (SN) or other identifying information of the discarded data unit. In PDCP, a data unit is a PDU.

[0170] However, this indication report is based only on the currently dropped PDUs, and there may be situations where multiple reports are generated due to the continuous dropping of PDUs. PDCP dropping can be an indicator of congestion, making the successful transmission of many drop indication reports more challenging.

[0171] A technique is proposed to enhance the reporting of drop indications and avoid creating multiple drop reports, especially in congestion scenarios.

[0172] Data units are buffered at the transmitter for scheduled transmission to the receiver. A status report is generated for each data unit, including a sequence number that provides or identifies the data unit and information about the expiration time or time period associated with it. This report is then sent from the transmitter to the receiver.

[0173] Data units can be dropped at the transmitter before being transmitted to the receiver. For PDCP transmitters, conventional dropping mechanisms can be used, and these mechanisms can be based on PDU sets or PSI. A PDU set is a collection of PDUs carrying the payload of an information unit generated at the application level (e.g., a frame or video slice for XR services).

[0174] The status report will inform the receiver that, at the latest after the duration associated with the due date or period, and optionally taking into account the delivery delay associated with the report, the identified data unit will be discarded at the transmitter, and the receiver entity should no longer expect to receive the data packet.

[0175] The embodiments will now be described further regarding the operation at the transmitter. These embodiments will be described in the context of a transmitter used for transmitting packets according to the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP). At the transmitter, data units are received from higher layers for scheduling transmissions to the receiving entity. More specifically, Service Data Units (SDUs) are received from higher layers for transmission as PDUs.

[0176] A timer can be started at the transmitter to discard the data unit after a specific amount of time corresponding to its associated expiration time. Each data unit can be associated with an expiration time. Each PDU can be part of a set of PDUs, and multiple sets of PDUs can be scheduled for transmission.

[0177] Prepare a report for the buffered data units scheduled for transmission. The buffered data units are preferably buffered in sets, with each set comprising multiple data units. Buffered data units can also be scheduled for transmission individually.

[0178] In one embodiment, the time period is the expiration time associated with the data packet, also known as the TTL for each data packet.

[0179] The TTL of buffered data can be inserted into the report in different ways.

[0180] In one embodiment, each PDU set reports a TTL value. In this arrangement, the transmitter is configured to determine the SDU in each set associated with the shortest TTL and include the TTL and sequence number of that SDU in the report.

[0181] TTL can be equal to the remaining time before the PDCP discard timer (or any other discard timer, such as a discard timer for low-importance data) expires.

[0182] A serial number can be included in the report, which is the serial number of the data unit with the selected TTL.

[0183] In one implementation, all SNs of the PDUs within the set can be included in the report, even if only one TTL is included in the report. This might be appropriate, for example, in an implementation where a sequence of all PDUs is required at the receiver. If a PDU is discarded, the remaining SDUs are not needed. Therefore, the SN values ​​of all buffered PDUs in the PDU set can be included in the report to indicate to the receiver all SNs that may be discarded if no data packets are received after the reported TTL expires.

[0184] When all PDUs in a PDU set are required for the PDU set to be available at the application, this information can be obtained at the gNB via a PDU Set Integrity Processing Indicator (PSIHI) from the Session Management Function (SMF). When this condition is true for Quality of Service (QoS) flows, the gNB knows that the application at the receiver requires all PDUs in the PDU set, and once one PDU in the set is known to be lost, the remaining PDUs in that set are considered no longer needed by the application at the receiver, and a drop operation can be performed at the transmitter to free up radio resources. Typically, the transmitter can generate a report containing all SNs in the set based on the information that the receiver requires the complete set. In one implementation, the transmitter is the base station, and the receiver is the UE.

[0185] At the UE, once a PDU is discarded, the discarding of all PDUs in the PDU set is controlled by setting pdu-SetDiscard for each radio bearer via RRC from the gNB.

[0186] In one implementation, if at least a portion of an SDU from the PDU set has already been sent (e.g., by submission to a lower layer, more specifically to the RLC layer), the sender may send only such a report.

[0187] In one embodiment, the time period is a pre-configured time value T associated with the data unit. The pre-configured time value T may be a threshold.

[0188] In this embodiment, the report includes the serial numbers (SNs) of all SDUs with a TTL shorter than the pre-configured time value T. Regardless of any information in the PDU set information, and whether an SDU belongs to the set, the transmitter will report the SNs of all data units with a TTL less than the value T, where T is a value in seconds or milliseconds. These data units will be discarded when or before the time T expires. Time T can be considered a threshold.

[0189] In embodiments that include TTL or T in the report, it can be anticipated that the transmitter will not reuse the reported SN for other SDUs in the future. Exceptions may occur when using shorter discard timers, such as when PSI discarding is activated.

[0190] In one implementation, the transmitter may only report the SN of the PDU submitted to the RLC (because those SNs cannot be reassigned).

[0191] In some implementations, the transmitter may be prohibited from reporting a discard instruction for a SN after the SN has actually been discarded as reported in the TTL report.

[0192] When using Configurable Grants (CGs), time periods can be reported in terms of the number of CG times. For example, if a time period such as TTL is 16 milliseconds and a CG with a period of 4 milliseconds is configured, then TTL can be reported as 4. In this example, the determination is specific to how time is measured at the receiver, and the receiver measures the due time based on the number of expired periods, where each period has a fixed duration.

[0193] In cases where there may be several different encoding types, an indication of the encoding type used can be included in the report. This is to indicate the time unit of the TTL field, such as whether its unit is milliseconds or CG moments / cycles.

[0194] The embodiments will now be further described regarding the operation at the receiver.

[0195] Upon receiving a report, the receiver can start a timer.

[0196] If the transmitter has already transmitted a report including the TTL value, the timer will be started based on the TTL value.

[0197] If the sender has already transmitted a report based on a pre-configured time value, the time will be configured to have that pre-configured time value.

[0198] When or after the timer expires, and not all indicated SNs are received, the receiver's processor determines that those associated PDUs have been discarded and should no longer be expected to be received.

[0199] This can be achieved by moving or adjusting (i.e., advancing or otherwise modifying) the receive window in a manner that excludes the SN identified in the report. The lower edge of the PDCP receive window is defined by the maintained state variable RX_DELIV: "This state variable indicates the COUNT value of the first PDCPSDU that has not yet been delivered to the higher layer but is still waiting to be received." If the timer for the SDU whose COUNT equals the current RX_DELIV has expired, advancing the window requires incrementing RX_DELIV. Therefore, the individual edges of the window can be adjusted.

[0200] If out-of-order delivery is not configured, SDUs whose PDCPCOUNT value is no greater than the COUNT value of any SDUs still waiting to be received are delivered to the higher layer. On the receiver side, if RX_DELIV is updated (due to timer expiration) and exceeds the COUNT value of any SDUs that have already been received and stored (these SDUs are stored so that they can be delivered to the higher layer in ascending order of COUNT value once a missing SDU with a lower COUNT value is also received), these stored SDUs are delivered to the higher layer. The exception is when PDCP is configured for out-of-order delivery, in which case any SDU received from the lower layer is immediately delivered to the higher layer.

[0201] Figure 4 The illustration shows examples of operations at the transmitting entity and transmitting data unit, and receiving entity and receiving data unit, according to some example embodiments.

[0202] Both the transmitter and receiver are configured for operation in embodiments of this technology. The transmitter is configured to create and transmit reports, including generating time values. The receiver is configured to receive reports and monitor time operations based on timer expiration.

[0203] The transmitter is then configured to generate a report that includes a time period (such as TTL in the example) and one or more serial numbers (SNs). The report is generated based on configuration, such as the operating mode and whether to use TTL or a threshold T.

[0204] A report is transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver, including a time period and one or more associated serial numbers.

[0205] The receiver is configured to receive and process the report.

[0206] The receiver is configured to start one or more timers based on one or more time periods included in the report, which indicates the TTL or threshold.

[0207] Data transmission (including the transmission of data packets) takes place from the transmitter to the receiver.

[0208] If a timer expires and no data packets associated with a SN are received, the receiver is configured to move the receive window to exclude those associated SNs.

[0209] refer to Figures 5 to 10 It illustrates methods in some example embodiments.

[0210] Each method can be performed by a device.

[0211] Figure 5 , 7 The device of or 9 may include or implement a transmitter, which may be implemented at a base station or UE.

[0212] Figure 6 , 8 The device of or 10 may include or implement a receiver, which may be implemented at a base station or UE.

[0213] The device may include suitable components, such as circuitry for providing the method.

[0214] Alternatively or additionally, the device may include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to provide at least the following methods.

[0215] Alternatively or additionally, the device may be as per the description of Figure 4 As discussed.

[0216] Each method can be provided by computer program code or computer executable instructions.

[0217] refer to Figure 5 : The method may include, as labeled A1, processing data units according to the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) for transmission. The method may include, as labeled A2, creating a report that includes information providing a sequence number for at least one data unit and a time period associated with that at least one data unit in the set. The method may include, as labeled A3, sending a report to a receiver, whereby the data unit is processed for transmission.

[0218] refer to Figure 6 : The method may include receiving a data unit, as labeled B1, and receiving a report including information providing a sequence number of at least one data unit and a time value associated with that at least one data unit. The method may include, as labeled B2, starting a timer based on a time value identified in the report in response to receiving the report. The method may include, as labeled B3, determining that a timer-indicated time value has expired and the at least one data unit has not been received. The method may include, as labeled B4, updating the receiving configuration in response to the determination to update the lowest sequence number among the data units expected to be received to a value greater than the sequence number of the data unit whose time value has expired.

[0219] refer to Figure 7 : The method may include, as labeled C1, processing the transmission of multiple data units according to the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP). The method may include, as labeled C2, creating a report for at least one of the multiple data units, the report providing a sequence number and an expiration time for the at least one data unit. The method may include, as labeled C3, sending the report to a receiver, whereby the data units are processed for transmission to the receiver.

[0220] refer to Figure 8 : The method may include a reception report, as labeled D1, which includes information providing the sequence number of the data unit to be transmitted to the receiver and the expiration time of the data unit. The method may include, as labeled D2, starting a timer based on the expiration time identified in the received report in response to receiving the report. The method may include, as labeled D3, determining that the timer-indicated expiration time has expired and the data unit has not been received. The method may include, as labeled D4, in response to the determination, updating the lowest sequence number among the data units expected to be received to a value greater than the sequence number of the data unit whose time value has expired.

[0221] refer to Figure 9 : This method may include, as labeled E1, processing the transmission of multiple data units according to the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP). This method may include, as labeled E2, creating a report for the multiple data units, the report providing a sequence number for each data unit whose due date is shorter than a pre-configured time value. This method may include, as labeled E3, sending the report to a receiver, whereby the data units are processed for transmission to the receiver.

[0222] refer to Figure 10 : The method may include, as labeled F1, receiving a report including information providing the sequence number of a data unit to be received. The method may include, as labeled F2, receiving a pre-configured time value. The method may include, as labeled F3, starting a timer based on the pre-configured time value in response to receiving the report. The method may include, as labeled F4, determining that the timer indicates the pre-configured time value has expired and the data unit has not been received. The method may include, as labeled F5, updating the lowest sequence number among the expected data units to be received to a value greater than the sequence number of the data unit whose pre-configured time value has expired in response to the determination.

[0223] The above example embodiments provide a relatively simple technique for avoiding the retransmission of outdated data from an application-layer QoS requirement perspective. Avoiding the retransmission of outdated data can be particularly useful for applications with short packet delay budgets, such as extended reality (XR) applications.

[0224] Therefore, although certain example embodiments have been described above by way of non-limiting and illustrative examples and with reference to certain example architectures of communication systems operated by mobile network operators, technologies, and standards, further example embodiments can be applied to any other suitable form of communication system besides those shown and described herein. For example, some example embodiments have been described with respect to 5G communication systems (5GS). It should be understood that other example embodiments may be provided in any other suitable communication system(s) or in any suitable combination with 5GS.

[0225] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0226] As used herein, the expression “and / or” includes any and all combinations of the listed terms, including at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0227] As used herein, the term “or” means non-exclusive “or” unless otherwise stated (e.g., “otherwise” or “or in alternatives”).

[0228] As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise, performing a feature, step, or function in response to A does not indicate that the feature, step, or function is performed immediately after A occurs, because one or more intermediate features, steps, or functions may be performed (at least partially) between the occurrence of the feature, step, or function and A. Similarly, performing a feature, step, or function based on A does not indicate that the feature, step, or function is performed solely based on A, because the feature, step, or function may also be based on one or more other features, steps, or functions besides A.

[0229] Generally, the various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware, while others can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. Although various aspects of this disclosure may be shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, as non-limiting and illustrative examples, these blocks, apparatuses, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0230] As used herein, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more, or all of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only) and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) Any part of a hardware processor having software (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions, and (c) (a ...

[0231] This definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the term herein, including in any claim. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit" also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or processors) or a portion thereof and its accompanying software and / or firmware implementations. For example, and if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit" also covers integrated circuits, such as baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, and / or other computing or network devices.

[0232] Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented by computer software executable by a data processor of a mobile device (e.g., in a processor entity), or by hardware or a combination of software and hardware. Computer software or programs, also known as program products, include software routines, applets, and / or macros, may be stored in any device-readable data storage medium, and they include program instructions for performing a specific task. A computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components configured to perform the various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure when the program is run. The one or more computer-executable components may include software code or any(s) thereof.

[0233] Furthermore, it should be noted in this regard that any block in the logical flow shown in the accompanying drawings may represent a program step, or interconnected logic circuits, blocks and functions, or a combination of program steps and logic circuits, blocks and functions. Software may be stored on physical media such as memory chips or memory blocks implemented within a processor, magnetic media such as hard disks or floppy disks, and optical media such as DVDs and their data variants, CDs. Physical media are non-transitory media.

[0234] As used herein, the term “non-transient” refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not signaling), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0235] The memory can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. As a non-limiting and illustrative example, the data processor can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can include one or more of general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), FPGAs, gate-level circuits, and processors based on multi-core processor architectures.

[0236] The various example embodiments of this disclosure can be practiced in a variety of components, such as integrated circuit modules. The design of integrated circuits is primarily a highly automated process. Complex and powerful software tools can be used to transform logic-level designs into semiconductor circuit designs ready for etching and formation on semiconductor substrates.

[0237] The foregoing description has provided a complete and informative description of various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure by way of non-limiting and illustrative examples. However, various modifications and adjustments may become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims, given the foregoing description. In fact, further exemplary embodiments exist, including combinations of one or more exemplary embodiments with any other exemplary embodiments described herein. The scope of protection sought for some of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure is set forth in the claims. Various exemplary embodiments described herein that do not fall within the scope of the claims (if any), along with their corresponding aspects and features, are to be interpreted as examples that aid in understanding the various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that different claims with different scopes may be made in relevant applications, such as divisional or continuing applications.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: A component used to process the transmission of multiple data units according to the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP); A component for creating a report for at least one of the plurality of data units, the report providing a sequence number of the at least one data unit and an expiration time of the at least one data unit; as well as A component for sending the report to a receiver, wherein the data unit is processed to be sent to the receiver.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the multiple data groups is assigned to one of the multiple sets.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising components for determining the data units in the set associated with the shortest due date, wherein, The component used to create the report provides the serial number of the data unit and the expiration time of the data unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a component for determining the shortest expiration time of data units in the set, wherein, The component used to create the report provides the sequence number of all data units in the set and the shortest expiration time within the set.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The component for creating the report is in response to a component for indicating the set of data for an application that requires all data units in the set.

6. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The expiration time is a lifetime value equal to the remaining time before the discard timer expires.

7. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The expiration time is a time-to-live value, which is equal to the remaining time before the discard timer for relatively low-importance data expires.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The component for sending the report is enabled to send the report for the set in response to a data unit in the set being submitted to the lower layer for transmission.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The data unit is submitted to the RLC layer.

10. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The data unit is a Protocol Data Unit (PDU).

11. A base station comprising the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A UE comprising the means according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. An apparatus comprising: A component for receiving a report, the report including information providing the sequence number of a data unit to be transmitted to the receiver and the expiration time of the data unit; A component for starting a timer in response to receiving the report based on the expiration time identified in the received report; A component used to determine that the timer indicates the expiration time has expired and the data unit has not been received; as well as In response to the determination, the device is configured to update the lowest sequence number in the data units expected to be received to a value greater than the sequence number of the data units for which the time value has expired.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The data unit is associated with a set of data units, and the report provides the sequence number of all data units in the set, wherein, in response to the determination, the receiving component is configured to receive a data unit having a sequence number greater than the highest sequence number in the set.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the data unit is associated with the sequence number of the highest sequence number of the set whose expiration time has elapsed.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein, The component used for receiving is configured to adapt to the receiving window.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein, The receiving component is configured to receive, in any subsequent operation, data units other than the serial number associated with the expired expiration time.

18. A base station comprising the means according to any one of claims 13 to 17.

19. A UE comprising the means according to any one of claims 13 to 17.

20. A method comprising: The Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) is used to process the transmission of multiple data units. Create a report for at least one of the plurality of data units, the report providing the sequence number of the at least one data unit and the expiration time of the at least one data unit; as well as The report is sent to the receiver, and the data unit is processed to be sent to the receiver.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, Each of the multiple data groups is assigned to one of the multiple sets.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining the data units in the set associated with the shortest due date, wherein, The report is created to provide the serial number of the data unit and the expiration time of the data unit.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining the shortest expiration time of data units in the set, wherein, The report is created to provide the sequence number of all data units in the set and the shortest expiration time within the set.

24. A method comprising: A report is received, the report including information providing the sequence number of the data unit to be transmitted to the receiver and the expiration time of the data unit; In response to receiving the report, a timer is started based on the expiration time identified in the received report; It is determined that the timer indicates the expiration time has expired and the data unit has not been received; as well as In response to the determination, the receiving is configured to receive a data unit associated with a serial number greater than the serial number of the data unit whose expiration time has expired.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The data unit is associated with a set of data units. The report provides only the sequence number and the shortest expiration time of the data unit in the set, or the report provides the sequence number and the shortest expiration time of all data units in the set, wherein, when the expiration time expires, the lowest sequence number of the data units expected to be received is updated to the value of the sequence number of the data unit whose expiration time has expired.

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