Sending the data unit to a radio access network node and transmitting the data unit to a user equipment

Abstract

In one example, a method implemented by a first Radio Access Network (RAN) node for sending a data unit to a second RAN node is disclosed. The method includes receiving a first data unit for transmission to a user equipment (UE), determining that a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit will not be met by transmission of the first data unit and / or set of data units by the first RAN node, and sending the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Examples of the present disclosure relate to sending data units to a radio access network (RAN) node and transmitting data units to a user equipment (UE). [Background technology]

[0002] Extended reality (XR) and cloud gaming are some of the media applications being considered within 5G systems. XR is an umbrella term for different types of reality, and refers to all combined real and virtual environments and human-machine interactions generated by computer technology and wearables. XR includes representative forms such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), as well as areas interpolated between them.

[0003] One particular aspect that should be considered is the role of edge computing as a network architecture for enabling XR and cloud gaming. Edge computing is a concept that allows cloud computing capabilities and service environments to be deployed close to cellular networks. Edge computing promises several benefits, such as lower latency, higher bandwidth, reduced backhaul traffic, and the promise of several new services on application architectures to enable edge applications (3GPP TR 23.758). Edge applications are expected to take advantage of the low latency enabled by 5G and edge network architectures to reduce end-to-end application-level latency. Edge computing should be considered a valuable enabler that helps 5G systems achieve the performance needed to enable XR and cloud gaming.

[0004] 5G New Radio (NR) will be designed to support applications that demand high throughput and low latency, in line with the requirements posed by the support of XR and edge computing applications on NR networks, services that will be enabled by Rel-15 NR networks.

[0005] Many XR applications will generate traffic periodically and with variable size. When an application packet enters the Internet, the initial packet may be sent in a single PDU in the network, or may be segmented into several PDUs. One application packet may correspond to, for example, one or more IP packets.

[0006] An IP packet will reach the Radio Access Node (RAN) Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, i.e., a PDCP service data unit (SDU), and the PDCP layer will create a PDCP protocol data unit (PDU) and then deliver it to the lower layer. When the IP packet reaches the PDCP layer, the PDCP layer starts a PDCP discard timer. When this timer expires, the PDCP layer discards the PDCP SDU and the corresponding PDCP PDU. If the PDCP PDU is delivered to the lower layer, PDCP instructs the lower layer to discard. The lower layer, for example, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, will discard the PDCP PDU. For example, in the case of the RLC layer, the PDCP PDU may be an RLC SDU, and if the RLC SDU or any segment of the RLC SDU has not yet been transmitted to the lower layer, it will be discarded.

[0007] Currently, certain challenges exist. For example, an XR application PDU may have a time constraint, such as a packet delay budget (PDB). This means that one of the data units, such as a PDU, or a set of data units (or each data unit of a set) may need to arrive at the receiver within a certain time period, i.e., with a limited latency. If the application PDU(s) are not received by this time, the application PDU(s) are useless and may be discarded. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Some aspects of the present disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these and other problems. For example, exemplary aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for offloading data units (hereinafter referred to as PDCP SDUs or PDUs in some examples, although any example may be extended to other data units) of a QoS flow (e.g., an XR or other type of QoS flow) from a first RAN node to a second RAN node when the first RAN node predicts that the first RAN node cannot handle all XR PDCP SDUs of the XR QoS flow according to the PDB. In some examples, related data units (e.g., for I frames and P frames) may be allocated in two different QoS flows, and thus the two (or more) QoS flows are associated. Therefore, during QoS flow offloading, the two (or more) QoS flows should be handled by the same RAN node (e.g., the second RAN node) that receives the offloaded traffic to avoid complications. This may therefore be indicated to, for example, the first and / or second RAN nodes, and the involved RAN nodes (or at least the first RAN node) are aware of the association. In instances where I and P frames are in the same QoS flow, the I / P frames will be carried in the same data tunnel and no QoS association is required.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a method, implemented by a first Radio Access Network (RAN) node, for sending a data unit to a second RAN node. The method includes receiving a first data unit for transmission to a user equipment (UE) and determining that a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit will not be met by transmission of the first data unit and / or set of data units by the first RAN node. The method also includes sending the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a method implemented by a second Radio Access Network (RAN) node for transmitting data units to a user equipment (UE). The method includes receiving a request from a first RAN node to send one or more of a first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE, selecting a process by the first RAN node for sending at least the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE, and sending a response to the request to the first RAN node, the request including information identifying the selected process. The method also includes receiving at least the first data unit from the first RAN node and transmitting the at least first data unit to the UE according to the selected process.

[0011] A further aspect of the present disclosure provides a first Radio Access Network (RAN) node for sending a data unit to a second RAN node, the first RAN node comprising a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions executable by the processor such that the first RAN node is operable to receive a first data unit for transmission to a user equipment (UE), determine that a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit will not be met by transmission of the first data unit and / or set of data units by the first RAN node, and send the first data unit to a second RAN node for transmission to the UE.

[0012] A still further aspect of the present disclosure provides a second radio access network (RAN) node for transmitting data units to a user equipment (UE), the second RAN node comprising a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions executable by the processor operable to: receive a request from a first RAN node to send one or more of a first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; select a process by which the first RAN node sends at least the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; send a response to the request to the first RAN node, the request including information identifying the selected process; receive at least the first data unit from the first RAN node according to the selected process; and transmit the at least first data unit to the UE.

[0013] An additional aspect of the present disclosure provides a first Radio Access Network (RAN) node for sending a data unit to a second RAN node, the first RAN node being configured to receive a first data unit for transmission to a user equipment (UE), determine that a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit will not be met by transmission of the first data unit and / or set of data units by the first RAN node, and send the first data unit to a second RAN node for transmission to the UE.

[0014] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a second radio access network (RAN) node for transmitting data units to a user equipment (UE), configured to: receive a request from a first RAN node to send one or more of a first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; select a process by which the first RAN node sends at least the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; send a response to the request to the first RAN node, the request including information identifying the selected process; receive the at least first data unit from the first RAN node according to the selected process; and transmit the at least first data unit to the UE.

[0015] Some embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s): For example, example embodiments may enable offloading of XR traffic to another RAN node, e.g., when MR-DC is deployed, which may be an alternative to dropping or discarding XR packets, especially if dropping packets can reduce the overall quality of experience (QoE) of the XR application (e.g., occasional black screen or stutter).

[0016] For a better understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a method, according to certain embodiments. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 illustrates another method, according to certain embodiments. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the overall signaling flow for "XR offloading" from one RAN node to another RAN node. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a first RAN node sending an offloading message to a second RAN node. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 illustrates another example of a first RAN node sending an offloading message to a second RAN node. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an XR offloading proposal in a first RAN node and an example of an XR offloading response in a second RAN node. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a communication system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates a UE, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates a network node, according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a host in accordance with various aspects described herein. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a communication diagram of a host communicating with a UE via a network node over a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: The embodiments are provided by way of example and to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0019] As indicated above, exemplary aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for offloading data units (hereinafter referred to as PDCP SDUs or PDUs in some examples, although any example may be extended to other data units) of a QoS flow (e.g., an XR or other type of QoS flow) from a first RAN node to a second RAN node when the first RAN node predicts that the first RAN node will not be able to handle all XR PDCP SDUs of the XR QoS flow according to the PDB. In some examples, related data units (e.g., for an I frame and a P frame) may be allocated in two different QoS flows, and thus the two (or more) QoS flows are associated. Therefore, during QoS flow offloading, the two (or more) QoS flows should be handled by the same RAN node (e.g., the second RAN node) that receives the offloaded traffic to avoid complications. This may therefore be indicated to, for example, the first and / or second RAN nodes, and the involved RAN nodes (or at least the first RAN node) are aware of the association. In instances where I and P frames are in the same QoS flow, the I / P frames will be carried in the same data tunnel and no QoS association is required.

[0020] In either case, and more generally, when the serving RAN node has weakened radio conditions, the serving RAN node should explore other radio resources, e.g., to ensure fulfillment of XR service requirements, or possibly a packet delay budget (PDB). Example embodiments of the present disclosure may enable a first RAN node to request a second RAN node to perform "offloading," which may include, for example, performing QoS offloading, and / or split bearer, and / or duplication. In some examples, the second NG-RAN node decides which approach to take (e.g., according to QoS requirements and its resource conditions).

[0021] Thus, some examples of the present disclosure may achieve high bit rates, high reliability and / or low latency for transmission of data units to UEs.

[0022] In one example, a first serving RAN node (e.g., a master node (MN)) receives a first XR PDCP data unit of a PDU set. Based on the PDB of the XR QoS flow, the first serving RAN node predicts that it cannot handle all packets in the PDU set for this QoS flow. This may occur, for example, when the serving NG-RAN node has other traffic to service and / or when radio conditions weaken. In this case, the serving NG-RAN node should search for other radio resources to ensure fulfillment of the XR service by performing an offloading procedure to a second RAN node, e.g., a secondary node (SN).

[0023] Example embodiments may include one or more of the following features. A first RAN node (e.g., MN) may request a second RAN node (e.g., SN) to implement QOS offloading (with indication of QoS flow association, if applicable), and / or split bearer, and / or PDCP duplication. Then, based on e.g. the resource situation of the second RAN node and its QoS or PDB requirements, the second RAN node may decide a process for the first node to send the data unit(s) to the second node, e.g. either to perform QoS offloading (e.g. setting up the required QoS flow and mapping it to a Data Radio Bearer (DRB)), or to perform split bearer, or to perform PDCP replication, or to perform QoS offloading with split bearer. The second RAN node responds to the first NG-RAN node with its decision and the user plane data tunnel is set up accordingly.

[0024] The first RAN node may inform the UE and reconfigure the radio bearers accordingly.

[0025] Some examples of this disclosure are described with respect to particular QoS flows (e.g., XR flows), radio access technologies (e.g., NR and NG-RAN nodes), and data units (e.g., PDCP SDUs or PDUs). However, any of these examples may be extended to any suitable RAT or data unit, and the data unit may or may not be associated with any particular service or flow, such as a QoS flow, or may be associated with a different type of QoS flow.

[0026] 1 illustrates a method according to a particular embodiment, e.g., a method implemented by a first radio access network (RAN) node for sending a data unit to a second RAN node. Method 1 may be implemented by a network node (e.g., network node QQ110 or network node QQ300, described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9, respectively). The method begins in step 102, receiving a first data unit for transmission to a user equipment (UE), and then involves step 104, determining that a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit will not be met by transmission of the first data unit and / or set of data units by the first RAN node. Next, step 106 includes sending the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE.

[0027] 2 illustrates a method according to a particular embodiment, e.g., a method implemented by a second radio access network (RAN) node for transmitting a data unit to a user equipment (UE). Method 2 may be implemented by a network node (e.g., network node QQ110 or network node QQ300, described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9, respectively). The method begins in step 202, receiving a request from a first RAN node to send one or more of a first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; step 204, in which the first RAN node selects a process for sending the first data unit to at least the second RAN node for transmission to the UE. Next, step 206 includes sending a response to the request to the first RAN node, the request including information identifying the selected process; and step 208 includes receiving at least the first data unit from the first RAN node according to the selected process. Step 210 then involves transmitting at least the first data unit to the UE.

[0028] A specific example will now be described.

[0029] An exemplary embodiment may include the following steps. 1. An NG-RAN node to request a second NG-RAN node to perform XR QoS offloading, and / or split bearer, and / or PDCP duplication. 2. The second NG-RAN node to determine a process for obtaining data units (e.g., SDUs / PDUs) from the first RAN node based on its own resource situation and / or QoS requirements, for example, whether to perform XR QoS offloading (e.g., setting up the required QoS flow and mapping it to a DRB), or to perform split bearer, or to perform PDCP replication. 3. The second NG-RAN node may also determine when QoS offloading should be performed if split bearer and / or duplication is selected for this given QoS flow. 4. The second NG-RAN node responds to the first NG-RAN node with its decision and the user plane data tunnel is set up accordingly.

[0030] In one example, an NG-RAN node may request a second NG-RAN node to perform XR offloading. In some examples, the NG-RAN node may indicate only that XR offloading is required and the relevant QoS requirements of the XR PDU set QoS flow, such as the PDU Set Delay Budget (PSDB) and PDU Set Error Rate (PSER). The first NG-RAN node may further indicate one or more fields indicating the PDU set size associated with a given QoS or PSDB, e.g., the number of bits or bytes that must be delivered within the PSDB. These fields may represent, for example, the minimum, maximum, average, and / or size of data bursts that the first node is expected to send to the second node for transmission to the UE. This information may also include periodicity, e.g., how often the first node may be sending this amount of data to the second node.

[0031] 3 shows an example of the overall signaling flow for "XR offloading" from one RAN node 302 to another (e.g., from the first RAN node 302 to the second RAN node 304). In this figure, the MN may be the first RAN node 302 and the SN may be the second RAN node 304. However, in other examples of this and other embodiments, this may be reversed, e.g., the first RAN node may be the SN and the second RAN node may be the MN.

[0032] In FIG. 3, in step 306, the first RAN node 302 determines that an XR QoS flow should be offloaded and selects a target RAN node (the second RAN node 304). In step 308, the first RAN node 302 requests XR offloading from the second RAN node 304. In step 310, the second RAN node selects an option based on its own resource situation and QoS requirements. In step 312, the second RAN node 304 sends an XR offloading response to the first RAN node 302. In step 314, the first RAN node 302 takes appropriate action, such as setting up a user plane and performing data forwarding when necessary. In step 316, the first RAN node 302 notifies the UE 318.

[0033] A data unit (e.g., XR PDU) set may represent, for example, a user data marking, and in some examples, all packets or data units (e.g., of a service for a UE) should be in the same QoS flow and use the same tunnel. However, if PDU sets are signaled in different XR QoS flows using different tunnels, a receiver (e.g., a PDCP layer or other entity in the first RAN node) of data units from multiple QoS flows may, in some examples, verify any marking for PDU set QoS flow association. Such marking may be based, for example, on an identifier for pairing received QoS flows together to follow the same processing by the receiver and during XR offloading.

[0034] During XR offloading, the sending NG-RAN node (e.g., the first RAN node) may, in some examples, also include a TNL address if the data unit is shared to the second RAN node using split bearer and / or PDCP duplication. The second RAN node may, in some examples, be aware of XR offloading and may choose to implement pure QoS offloading, pure split bearer, or QoS offloading with split bearer. Figure 4 shows an example of an MN (or first RAN node) 402 sending TNL information, QoS for split bearer, and existing QoS offloading parameters to an SN (or second RAN node) 406 in an "XR offloading information" message 404. The SN (or second RAN node) 406 understands that "XR offloading" has been requested and determines the options.

[0035] 5 shows another example of a first RAN node sending an offloading message to a second RAN node. In this example, the first RAN node (or MN) 502 indicates to the second RAN node (or SN) 506 in an "XR offloading" request 504 the supported options / proposals for XR offloading, e.g., QoS offloading with split bearer setup, TNL information for the split bearer is provided, and how the QoS requirements may be split. If the second RAN node decides to choose this option, the second RAN node will implement QoS offloading (e.g., to set up QoS and perform DRB mapping) and set up the split bearer at the same time. The second RAN node can determine whether the PDCP is in the first RAN node or the second RAN node (e.g., in the MN or the SN), but to simplify the procedure, it may be easier if the PDCP is in the SN / second RAN node in this case. In response, the second RAN node confirms the TNL for QoS offloading and for the split bearer.

[0036] 6 shows an example of an XR offloading proposal in a first RAN node (or MN) 602 and an example of an XR offloading response in a second RAN node (or SN) 604. In this example, instead of split bearers, PDCP replication may be used, thus offloading QoS flows to the second RAN node 604 and simultaneously setting up PDCP replication. The first RAN node 602 may indicate one or more supported options.

[0037] In some examples of the present disclosure, the MN or the first RAN node may include "XR Offload Information" in the "SN Addition Procedure" or "MN-Initiated SN Modification Procedure." The "XR Offload Information" may include instructions for a new Xn-U tunnel to be used in the SN / second RAN node to prepare a split bearer or PDCP duplication at the SN / second RAN node side, QoS offloading if a split bearer is used, and QoS requirements. In some examples, existing information for QoS offloading may be signaled. Tables 9.1.2.1, 9.2.1.5, 9.2.1.7, 9.1.2.5, and 9.2.3.X(New) below show example message details in an exemplary implementation. Relevant portions are underlined.

[0038] In some examples, the second RAN node may determine, based on its own resource situation and / or QoS / PDB requirements, a process to use to obtain data units from the first RAN node, for example, to implement pure QoS offloading (e.g., setting up the required QoS flow and mapping it to a DRB), or to implement split bearer, or to implement PDCP replication, or to implement QoS offloading with split bearer. The second RAN node responds to the first RAN node with its decision, and a user plane data tunnel is set up accordingly. In this decision, the second RAN node may, in some examples, indicate to the first node the amount of data the second RAN node can handle in view of the indicated PSDB / PDB / QoS requirements. The second node may accept the request if it is provided and indicated by the first node (e.g., the number of bits or bytes that must be delivered within the PSDB with a certain periodicity), or it may indicate a different value.

[0039] In some examples, the second RAN node may include an "XR Offloading Response" in the request acknowledgement / response (e.g., "SN Addition Procedure" or "MN Initiated SN Modification Procedure"). The "XR Offloading Response" may include what will be set up and any additional information needed. For example, if only QoS offloading is implemented, the "XR Offloading Response" will therefore indicate that the first node may clean up the TNL that was earlier allocated for the split bearer. If only split bearer is implemented, the "XR Offloading Response" will therefore indicate that the MN may be aware that QoS offloading is not implemented. If PDCP replication is implemented, PDCP replication configuration and activation information will be sent. Tables 9.1.2.2, 9.1.2.6, 9.1.2.6, and 9.2.1.8, 9.2.3.X(new) below show example message details in an exemplary implementation. The relevant parts are underlined. Note that in some examples, similar examples may apply when dual connectivity is already set up and PDU sessions and QoS flows are set up in the SN / second RAN node. In that case, XR offloading is performed towards the MN / first RAN node.

[0040] For each PDU set that the first RAN node receives and identifies, in some examples, the first RAN node may evaluate whether the first RAN node can transmit the PDU set within the PSDB / PDB. If the first RAN node can meet the requirements, the first RAN node may not use the second RAN node. However, if the first node cannot meet the requirements, the first node may transmit data to the UE via the second node, for transmission of the data to the UE by the second node, for example, according to a configuration agreed upon by the nodes, according to examples disclosed herein. In some examples, if the first node assesses that the second node can meet the requirements, the first node may send the PDU set to the UE via the second node. If neither the first node nor the second node can meet the requirements by themselves, the first node may assess whether the requirements can be met by transmitting a portion of the PDU set via the first node and another portion of the PDU set via the second node.

[0041] Below, the above table is provided for an exemplary implementation.

[0042] 9.1.2.1 S-node addition request This message is sent by the M-NG-RAN node to the S-NG-RAN node to request the preparation of resources for dual connectivity operation for a particular UE. Direction: M-NG-RAN node -> S-NG-RAN node. TIFF2025528709000002.tif255165TIFF2025528709000003.tif255164TIFF2025528709000004.tif12170TIFF2025528709000005.tif27170

[0043] 9.2.1.5 PDU Session Resource Setup Information - SN Termination This IE contains information for adding S-NG-RAN node resources related to a PDU session for a DRB with the SN terminated bearer option configured. TIFF2025528709000006.tif255164TIFF2025528709000007.tif149170TIFF2025528709000008.tif12170

[0044] 9.2.1.7 PDU Session Resource Setup Information - MN Termination This IE contains information for adding S-NG-RAN node resources related to a PDU session for a DRB with the MN terminated bearer option configured. TIFF2025528709000009.tif255165TIFF2025528709000010.tif255165TIFF2025528709000011.tif32170TIFF2025528709000012.tif37170

[0045] 9.2.3.X XR QoS Flow Parameters This IE indicates the XR QoS flow parameters for the PDU set. TIFF2025528709000013.tif68170

[0046] 9.1.2.5 S-node modification request This message is sent by an M-NG-RAN node to an S-NG-RAN node to either request preparation for modifying S-NG-RAN node resources for a particular UE, or to inquire about the current SCG configuration, or to provide the S-NG-RAN node with S-RLF related information. Direction: M-NG-RAN node -> S-NG-RAN node. TIFF2025528709000014.tif255164TIFF2025528709000015.tif255165TIFF2025528709 000016.tif255165TIFF2025528709000017.tif52170TIFF2025528709000018.tif27170

[0047] 9.1.2.2 S-node Addition Request Acknowledgment This message is sent by the S-NG-RAN node to check with the M-NG-RAN node regarding the preparation for adding the S-NG-RAN node. Direction: S-NG-RAN node -> M-NG-RAN node. TIFF2025528709000019.tif255165TIFF2025528709000020.tif255165TIFF2025528709000021.tif189170TIFF2025528709000022.tif17170

[0048] 9.1.2.6 S-Node Modification Request Acknowledgment This message is sent by the S-NG-RAN node to confirm a request from the M-NG-RAN node to modify the S-NG-RAN node resources for a particular UE. Direction: S-NG-RAN node -> M-NG-RAN node. TIFF2025528709000023.tif255165TIFF2025528709000024.tif255165TIFF2025528709 000025.tif255165TIFF2025528709000026.tif159170TIFF2025528709000027.tif17170

[0049] 9.2.1.6 PDU Session Resource Setup Response Information - SN Termination This IE contains the result of adding S-NG-RAN node resources related to the PDU session for the DRB with the SN terminated bearer option configured. TIFF2025528709000028.tif255165TIFF2025528709000029.tif255165TIFF2025528709 000030.tif255165TIFF2025528709000031.tif42170TIFF2025528709000032.tif32170

[0050] 9.2.1.8 PDU Session Resource Setup Response Information - MN Termination This IE contains the result of adding S-NG-RAN node resources related to the PDU session for the DRB with the MN terminated bearer option configured. TIFF2025528709000033.tif255165TIFF2025528709000034.tif189170TIFF2025528709000035.tif27170

[0051] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a communication system QQ100, according to some embodiments.

[0052] In this example, communication system QQ100 includes a communication network QQ102 including an access network QQ104, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network QQ106 including one or more core network nodes QQ108. Access network QQ104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes QQ110a and QQ110b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network node QQ110), or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP access point. Network node QQ110 facilitates direct or indirect connectivity of user equipment (UE) QQ112a, QQ112b, QQ112c, and QQ112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE QQ112) to core network QQ106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0053] Exemplary wireless communication over a wireless connection includes transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, communication system QQ100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via a wired or wireless connection. Communication system QQ100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, wireless network, and / or other similar type systems.

[0054] The UE QQ112 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including a wireless device configured, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network node QQ110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network node QQ110 is configured, capable of, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with the UE QQ112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the communication network QQ102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration, in the communication network QQ102.

[0055] In the illustrated example, core network QQ106 connects network node QQ110 to one or more hosts, such as host QQ116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, a network node may be directly coupled to a host. Core network QQ106 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node QQ108) structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, and therefore, those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of core network node QQ108. Exemplary core network nodes include one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a Session Management Function (SMF), an Authentication Server Function (AUSF), a Subscription Identifier De-concealing Function (SIDF), a Unified Data Management (UDM), a Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), a Network Publishing Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0056] Host QQ 116 may be owned or under the control of, and operated by or on behalf of, a service provider other than the operator or provider of access network QQ 104 and / or communications network QQ 102. Host QQ 116 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include providing live and / or pre-recorded audio / video content, e.g., retrieving and compiling data regarding various ambient conditions detected by multiple UEs, data collection services, analytical functions, social media, functions for controlling or possibly interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such functions implemented by a server.

[0057] 7 enables connectivity between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as a particular standard, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G), a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi), and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communications (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low power wide area network (LPWAN) standard such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0058] In some examples, the communication network QQ102 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Thus, the communication network QQ102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the communication network QQ102. For example, the communication network QQ102 may provide Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs and / or providing Massive Machine-Based Communication (mMTC) / Mass IoT services to still further UEs.

[0059] In some examples, the UE QQ 112 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network QQ 104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the access network QQ 104. Furthermore, the UE may be configured to operate in a single or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, the UE may operate in any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Enhanced UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0060] In the example shown in FIG. 7, hub QQ114 communicates with access network QQ104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UEs QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and a network node (e.g., network node QQ110b). In some examples, hub QQ114 may be a controller, a router, a content source and analysis node, or any of the other communication devices described herein with respect to UEs. For example, hub QQ114 may be a broadband router that enables access to core network QQ106 for the UE. As another example, hub QQ114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UE. The commands or instructions may be received from the UE, network node QQ110, or may be due to executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in hub QQ114. As another example, hub QQ114 may be a data collector that serves as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, Hub QQ 114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker, or other media distribution device, Hub QQ 114 may retrieve, via a network node, VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information, which Hub QQ 114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, Hub QQ 114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, particularly in the case where one or more of the UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0061] Hub QQ114 may have a constant / permanent or intermittent connection to network node QQ110b. Hub QQ114 may also enable different communication schemes and / or schedules between hub QQ114 and UEs (e.g., UEs QQ112c and / or QQ112d) and between hub QQ114 and core network QQ106. In other examples, hub QQ114 is connected to core network QQ106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, hub QQ114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over access network QQ104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE may establish a wireless connection with network node QQ110 while still connected via a wired or wireless connection through hub QQ114. In some embodiments, hub QQ 114 may be a dedicated hub, i.e., a hub whose primary function is to route communications from UEs to / from network node QQ 110b. In other embodiments, hub QQ 114 may be a non-dedicated hub, i.e., a device that is capable of operating to route communications between UEs and network node QQ 110b, but that is further capable of operating as a communication initiation and / or termination point for some data channels.

[0062] 8 illustrates a UE QQ200 according to some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a cell phone, a voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone, a wireless local loop phone, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless camera, a gaming console or device, a music storage device, a playback appliance, a wearable terminal device, a wireless endpoint, a mobile station, a tablet, a laptop computer, a laptop embedded equipment (LEE), a laptop mounted equipment (LME), a smart device, a wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), a vehicle-mounted or vehicle-embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine-type communications (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0063] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller) that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may not be associated with or initially associated with a particular human user. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart power meter) that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the user's benefit.

[0064] The UE QQ200 includes a processing circuit QQ202 operably coupled to an input / output interface QQ206, a power supply QQ208, a memory QQ210, a communication interface QQ212, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof, via a bus QQ204. Some UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in FIG. 8. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0065] The processing circuit QQ202 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in memory QQ210 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuit QQ202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.), programmable logic with appropriate firmware, one or more stored computer programs such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) with appropriate software, a general-purpose processor, or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit QQ202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs). The processing circuit QQ202 may be operable to provide UE QQ200 functionality either alone or in conjunction with other UE QQ200 components, such as memory QQ210.

[0066] In this example, the input / output interface QQ206 may be configured to provide one or more interfaces to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE QQ200. Examples of input devices include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor for detecting input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide input and output devices.

[0067] In some embodiments, the power source QQ208 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The power source QQ208 may further include a power circuit for delivering power to various parts of the UE QQ200 from the power source QQ208 itself and / or from an external power source via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. Delivering power may be for charging the power source QQ208, for example. The power circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from the power source QQ208 to make it suitable for each component of the UE QQ200 being powered.

[0068] Memory QQ210 may be or be configured to include memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, flash drive, etc. In one example, memory QQ210 includes one or more application programs QQ214, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other applications, and corresponding data QQ216. Memory QQ210 may store any of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by UE QQ200.

[0069] The memory QQ210 may be configured to include several physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard disk drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, an internal hard disk drive, a Blu-ray optical disc drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory, such as a tamper-resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) containing one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC, commonly known as a "SIM card." The memory QQ210 may enable the UE QQ200 to access, offload, or upload data, instructions, application programs, etc. stored on a temporary or non-transitory memory medium. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing the communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory QQ210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0070] The processing circuit QQ202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other networks using a communication interface QQ212. The communication interface QQ212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna QQ222. The communication interface QQ212 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or network node in the access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter QQ218 and / or a receiver QQ220 suitable for providing network communication (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Moreover, the transmitter QQ218 and the receiver QQ220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna QQ222) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively, may be implemented separately.

[0071] In some embodiments, the communication capabilities of communication interface QQ212 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. Communication may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0072] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by the UE's sensors to a network node via a wireless connection through the UE's communications interface QQ212. Data captured by the UE's sensors may be communicated to a network node via another UE over a wireless connection. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes when reporting detected temperature), in response to a triggering event (e.g., an alert is sent when humidity is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0073] As another example, the UE may include an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communications interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch may change. For example, the UE may include a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight according to the received input, or that controls a robotic arm that performs a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0074] When in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the UE may be a device for use in one or more application areas, including, but not limited to, urban wearable technology, augmented industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are devices that are or are embedded in a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an energy meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice-controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a water / humidity sensor, an electric door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system such as a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), a wearable for haptic augmentation or sensory augmentation, a water sprinkler, an animal or product tracking device, a sensor for monitoring plants or animals, an industrial robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and any type of medical device such as a heart rate monitor or a remote-controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an IoT device comprises, in addition to the other components described with respect to the UE QQ200 shown in Figure 8, circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0075] As yet another particular example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or network node. The UE, in this case, may be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in a 3GPP context. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane, or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operating status or other functions related to its operation.

[0076] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together for a single use case. For example, a first UE may be a drone or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller that operates the drone. When a user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust a throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first and / or second UE may also include two or more of the functions described above. For example, a UE may include a sensor and an actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0077] 9 illustrates a network node QQ300 according to some embodiments. As used herein, a network node refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate, directly or indirectly, with UEs and / or other network nodes or devices in a communication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

[0078] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated another way, their transmit power level) and may therefore be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna, as in an antenna-integrated radio. Portions of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0079] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, MSR equipment such as a multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmitting node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), and / or a minimization of drive test (MDT).

[0080] Network node QQ300 includes a processing circuit QQ302, a memory QQ304, a communication interface QQ306, and a power supply QQ308, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. Network node QQ300 may be assembled from multiple physically separate components (e.g., Node B components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), each of which may have their own respective components. In some scenarios in which network node QQ300 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS components and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such scenarios, each unique Node B and RNC pair may, in some instances, be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, network node QQ300 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such an embodiment, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory QQ304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna QQ310 may be shared by different RATs). Network node QQ300 may also include multiple sets of the various shown components for different wireless technologies, e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into network node QQ300. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within network node QQ300.

[0081] Processing circuitry QQ302 may comprise one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide network node QQ300 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other network node QQ300 components such as memory QQ304. For example, processing circuitry QQ302 may be configured to cause the network node to perform the methods described with reference to Figures 1 and / or 2.

[0082] In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 includes a system-on-chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit QQ312 and a baseband processing circuit QQ314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit QQ312 and the baseband processing circuit QQ314 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 and the baseband processing circuit QQ314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, board, or unit.

[0083] Memory QQ304 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by processing circuit QQ302. Memory QQ304 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions that can be executed by processing circuit QQ302 and utilized by network node QQ300. The memory QQ304 may be used to store calculations performed by the processing circuit QQ302 and / or data received via the communication interface QQ306. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ302 and the memory QQ304 are integrated.

[0084] The communication interface QQ306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, and / or UEs. As shown, the communication interface QQ306 includes a port(s) / terminal(s) QQ316 for sending and receiving data to and from a network, e.g., over a wired connection. The communication interface QQ306 also includes a radio front-end circuit QQ318, which is coupled to the antenna QQ310 or, in some embodiments, may be part of the antenna QQ310. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 includes a filter QQ320 and an amplifier QQ322. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 may be connected to the antenna QQ310 and the processing circuit QQ302. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna QQ310 and the processing circuit QQ302. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 may receive digital data to be sent to another network node or UE via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit QQ318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of a filter QQ320 and / or an amplifier QQ322. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna QQ310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna QQ310 may collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuit QQ318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuit QQ302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0085] In some alternative embodiments, the network node QQ300 does not include a separate radio front-end circuit QQ318; instead, the processing circuit QQ302 includes the radio front-end circuit and is connected to the antenna QQ310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or a portion of the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 is part of the communication interface QQ306. In still other embodiments, the communication interface QQ306 includes one or more ports or terminals QQ316, the radio front-end circuit QQ318, and the RF transceiver circuit QQ312 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface QQ306 communicates with a baseband processing circuit QQ314 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0086] The antenna QQ310 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna QQ310 may be coupled to the wireless front-end circuit QQ318 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, the antenna QQ310 is separate from the network node QQ300 and may be connectable to the network node QQ300 through an interface or port.

[0087] The antenna QQ310, the communication interface QQ306, and / or the processing circuit QQ302 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or some acquisition operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna QQ310, the communication interface QQ306, and / or the processing circuit QQ302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0088] The power supply QQ308 provides power to the various components of the network node QQ300 in a form suitable for each component (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required for each respective component). The power supply QQ308 may further comprise or be coupled to a power management circuit for supplying power to the components of the network node QQ300 for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node QQ300 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source provides power to the power circuit of the power supply QQ308. As a further example, the power supply QQ308 may comprise a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated in the power circuit. The battery may provide backup power if the external power source fails.

[0089] Embodiments of network node QQ300 may include additional components other than those shown in Figure 9 to provide certain aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, network node QQ300 may include user interface devices to enable input of information into network node QQ300 and output of information from network node QQ300. This may enable a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node QQ300.

[0090] 10 is a block diagram of a host QQ 400, which may be an embodiment of the host QQ 116 of FIG. 7 in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host QQ 400 may be or comprise various combinations of hardware and / or software, including processing resources in a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or a server farm. The host QQ 400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0091] The host QQ400 includes a processing circuit QQ402 operably coupled to an input / output interface QQ406, a network interface QQ408, a power supply QQ410, and a memory QQ412 via a bus QQ404. In other embodiments, other components may be included. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures QQ2 and QQ3, and therefore, those descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host QQ400.

[0092] Memory QQ412 may include one or more computer programs, including one or more host application programs QQ414 and data QQ416, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by the UE for host QQ400 or data generated by host QQ400 for the UE. Embodiments of host QQ400 may utilize only a subset or all of the shown components. Host application program QQ414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UE (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application program QQ 414 may also provide user authentication and license checks, and may periodically report health, route, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in the core network or a device on the edge of the core network. Thus, the host QQ 400 may select and / or direct different hosts for over-the-top services for the UE. The host application program QQ 414 may support various protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0093] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment QQ500 in which functionality implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualizing means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. Virtualization, as used herein, may apply to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to implementations in which at least a portion of functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments QQ500 hosted by one or more hardware nodes, such as a network node, a UE, a core network node, or a hardware computing device acting as a host. Furthermore, in embodiments in which a virtual node does not require wireless connectivity (e.g., to a core network node or host), the node may be fully virtualized.

[0094] Application QQ502 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual appliance, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) is run in virtualized environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0095] The hardware QQ504 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. Software is executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers QQ506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs QQ508a and QQ508b (one or more of which are generally referred to as VMs QQ508), and / or implement any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described with respect to some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer QQ506 may present to the VMs QQ508 a virtual operating platform that appears to be networking hardware.

[0096] The VM QQ508 may comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer QQ506. Different embodiments of the virtual appliance QQ502 instance may be implemented on one or more of the VMs QQ508, and the implementation may be done in different ways. Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as network functions virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0097] In the context of NFV, a VM QQ508 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if those programs were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM QQ508 and the portion of the hardware QQ504 on which it runs, whether on hardware dedicated to that VM and / or shared by that VM with other VMs, form a separate virtual network element. Further in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling a particular network function running in one or more VMs QQ508 on the hardware QQ504 and corresponding to application QQ502.

[0098] The hardware QQ504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware QQ504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware QQ504 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes cooperate and are managed via a management and orchestration QQ510, which, among other things, oversees the lifecycle management of the application QQ502. In some embodiments, the hardware QQ504 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers, which may be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with wireless capabilities, such as a wireless access node or base station. In some embodiments, some signaling may be provided using a control system QQ512, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes and the radio units.

[0099] 12 shows a communication diagram of host QQ602 communicating with UE QQ606 via network node QQ604 over a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments. Exemplary implementations according to various embodiments of the UEs (such as UE QQ112a of FIG. 7 and / or UE QQ200 of FIG. 8), network nodes (such as network node QQ110a of FIG. 7 and / or network node QQ300 of FIG. 9), and hosts (such as host QQ116 of FIG. 7 and / or host QQ400 of FIG. 10) described in the previous paragraphs will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0100] Similar to host QQ 400, an embodiment of host QQ 602 includes hardware, such as a communications interface, processing circuitry, and memory. Host QQ 602 also includes software stored on or accessible by host QQ 602 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE QQ 606 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection QQ 650 extending between the UE QQ 606 and host QQ 602. In providing services to the remote user, the host application may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection QQ 650.

[0101] Network node QQ604 includes hardware that enables network node QQ604 to communicate with host QQ602 and UE QQ606. The connection QQ660 may be direct or may pass through one or more other intermediate networks, such as a core network (similar to core network QQ106 of FIG. 7) and / or one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, the intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0102] The UE QQ606 includes hardware and software stored on or accessible by the UE QQ606 and executable by the UE's processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific "app," that may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE QQ606 with the support of the host QQ602. A running host application on the host QQ602 may communicate with a running client application via an OTT connection QQ650 that terminates at the UE QQ606 and the host QQ602. In providing services to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection QQ650 may transfer both the request data and user data. The UE's client application may interact with the user to generate user data that the UE's client application provides to the host application through the OTT connection QQ650.

[0103] The OTT connection QQ650 may extend via a connection QQ660 between the host QQ602 and network node QQ604 and via a wireless connection QQ670 between the network node QQ604 and the UE QQ606 to provide connectivity between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606. The connections QQ660 and wireless connections QQ670 over which the OTT connection QQ650 may be provided are depicted abstractly to show communication between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606 via network node QQ604, without explicit reference to intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages through these devices.

[0104] As an example of transmitting data over the OTT connection QQ650, in step QQ608, the host QQ602 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a specific human user interacting with the UE QQ606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with the UE QQ606 sharing data with the host QQ602 without explicit human interaction. In step QQ610, the host QQ602 initiates a transmission carrying the user data toward the UE QQ606. The host QQ602 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by the UE QQ606. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE QQ606 or by the operation of a client application executing on the UE QQ606. The transmission may proceed via network node QQ604 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Thus, in step QQ612, network node QQ604 transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by host QQ602 to UE QQ606, in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step QQ614, UE QQ606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application running on UE QQ606 associated with the host application executed by host QQ602.

[0105] In some examples, the UE QQ606 executes a client application that provides user data to the host QQ602. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to data received from the host QQ602. Thus, in step QQ616, the UE QQ606 may provide the user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from a user via an input / output interface of the UE QQ606. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, the UE QQ606 initiates transmission of the user data toward the host QQ602 via the network node QQ604 in step QQ618. In step QQ620, in accordance with the teachings of embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node QQ604 receives the user data from the UE QQ606 and initiates transmission of the received user data toward the host QQ602. In step QQ622, host QQ602 receives user data carried in a transmission initiated by UE QQ606.

[0106] One or more of various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE QQ 606 using the OTT connection QQ 650, of which the wireless connection QQ 670 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the throughput, reliability, and / or latency of data units transmitted to the UE, thereby providing benefits to the user, such as improved services, such as XR services.

[0107] In an exemplary scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by host QQ602. As another example, host QQ602 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from UEs for use in creating maps. As another example, host QQ602 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicular congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, host QQ602 may store surveillance videos uploaded by UEs. As another example, host QQ602 may store or control access to media content, such as video, audio, VR, or AR, that host QQ602 may broadcast, multicast, or unicast to UEs. As another example, host QQ602 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical electrical loads to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams, etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or transmitting data.

[0108] In some examples, measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latency, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve. There may further be optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection QQ650 between the host QQ602 and the UE QQ606 in response to fluctuations in the measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware in the host QQ602 and / or the UE QQ606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection QQ650 passes, and the sensors may participate in the measurement procedures by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or other physical quantities from which software can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection QQ650 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not directly change the operation of the network node QQ604. Such procedures and functionality may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements by the host QQ 602 of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be implemented in software causing messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, to be sent using the OTT connection QQ 650 while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0109] The present disclosure also includes the following exemplary embodiments.

[0110] Group B Embodiments 1. A method implemented by a first Radio Access Network (RAN) node for sending a data unit to a second RAN node, the method comprising: receiving a first data unit for transmission to a user equipment (UE); determining that a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit will not be met by transmission of the first data unit and / or set of data units by the first RAN node; sending the first data unit to a second RAN node for transmission to the UE; A method comprising: 2. The method of embodiment 1, comprising, prior to sending the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE, sending a request to the second RAN node to send the first data unit and / or a set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE. 3. The method of embodiment 2, comprising receiving a response to the request from the second RAN node before sending the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE. 4. The request is a maximum error rate for the first data unit and / or set of data units; Packet Delay Budget, the periodicity of the set of data units, the size of the data unit and / or set of data units, a transport network layer (TNL) address of the first RAN node; and / or Which of duplication, split bearer, and / or quality of service (QoS) offloading is supported by the first RAN node to send the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE. 4. The method of embodiment 3, including information identifying at least one of: 5. The response is which of duplication, split bearer and / or Quality of Service (QoS) offloading should be used by the first RAN node to send the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; and / or the amount of data that may be transmitted to the UE by the second RAN node 5. The method of claim 3 or 4, including information identifying at least one of: 6. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein determining that the PDB for the first data unit and / or set of data units will not be satisfied by transmission of the first data unit and / or set of data units by the first RAN node comprises determining whether the PDB will be satisfied based on radio conditions for the UE and / or traffic conditions at the first RAN node. 7. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 6, wherein sending the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE includes replicating the first data unit and / or the set of data units for transmission by the second RAN node to the UE. 8. The method of embodiment 7, comprising transmitting a first data unit and / or a set of data units to the UE. 9. The method of embodiment 8, wherein transmitting the first data unit and / or set of data units to the UE includes sending the first data unit and / or set of data units to a lower layer. 10. The method of embodiment 9, wherein the lower layer comprises a radio link control (RLC) layer. 11. Sending the first data unit to a second RAN node for transmission to the UE; offloading a first Quality of Service (QoS) flow associated with the data unit and / or set of data units to a second RAN node; and / or Sending the first data unit to the second RAN node according to the split bearer setup. 11. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 10, comprising at least one of: 12. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 11, comprising sending one or more additional data units of the set of data units to a second RAN node for transmission to the UE. 13. The method of embodiment 12, wherein sending one or more additional data units of the set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE includes sending a subset of the set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE. 14. The method of embodiment 13, comprising transmitting to the UE data units in a set of data units other than a subset of the set of data units. 15. The method of embodiment 14, wherein transmitting to the UE a data unit in a set of data units other than a subset of the set of data units includes sending to a lower layer a data unit in a set of data units other than the subset of the set of data units. 16. The method of embodiment 15, wherein the lower layer comprises a radio link control (RLC) layer. 17. The method of embodiment 12, wherein sending one or more additional data units of the set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE includes sending the entire set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE. 18. The method of any one of embodiments 1-17, wherein the data unit and / or set of data units is associated with a first quality of service (QoS) flow. 19. The method of embodiment 18, wherein the PDB includes a Packet Set Delay Budget (PSDB) associated with the first QoS flow. 20. The method of embodiment 18 or 19, wherein the first QoS flow is associated with an extended reality (XR), an augmented reality (AR), a mixed reality (MR) and / or a virtual reality (VR) service. 21. The method of any one of embodiments 18 to 20, wherein the first QoS flow is associated with a second QoS flow, and the method includes sending, to a second RAN node, a data unit associated with the second QoS flow and / or a set of data units associated with the second QoS flow. 22. The method of any one of embodiments 1-21, wherein receiving a first data unit for transmission to the UE includes receiving a set of data units for transmission to the UE. 23. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 22, comprising receiving a first data unit from an upper layer. 24. The method of embodiment 23, wherein the higher layer comprises a radio resource control (RRC) layer. 25. A method as in any one of embodiments 1-24, wherein the method is implemented by a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. 26. the first data unit comprises a service data unit (SDU), a protocol data unit (PDU) or an Internet Protocol (IP) packet; and / or the set of data units comprises a set of SDUs, a set of PDUs or a set of IP packets; 26. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 25. 27. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 26, wherein the PDB includes a Packet Set Delay Budget (PSDB) associated with the first data unit and / or set of data units. 28. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 27, wherein the first RAN node comprises a first NG-RAN node and / or the second RAN node comprises a second NG-RAN node. 29. the first RAN node comprises a Master Node (MN) for the UE and the second RAN node comprises a Secondary Node (SN) for the UE; or The second RAN node comprises a MN for the UE, and the first RAN node comprises a SN for the UE; 29. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 28. 30. The method of any one of embodiments 1-29, wherein the UE is configured with multi-radio access technology dual connectivity (MR-DC) with the first RAN node and the second RAN node. 31. Obtaining user data; Forwarding user data to the host or user equipment 31. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 30, further comprising: 32. A method implemented by a second radio access network (RAN) node for transmitting a data unit to a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a request from the first RAN node to send one or more of the first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit to a second RAN node for transmission to the UE; selecting a process by the first RAN node to send at least a first data unit to a second RAN node for transmission to the UE; sending a response to the request to the first RAN node, the request including information identifying the selected process; receiving at least a first data unit from a first RAN node according to a selected process; transmitting at least a first data unit to the UE; A method comprising: 33. The request is a maximum error rate for the first data unit and / or set of data units; a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or set of data units; the periodicity of the set of data units, the size of the data unit and / or set of data units, a transport network layer (TNL) address of the first RAN node; and / or one or more processes supported by the first RAN node for sending at least a first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; 33. The method of embodiment 32, including information identifying at least one of: 34. The method of embodiment 32 or 33, wherein the one or more processes supported by the first RAN node include one or more of duplication, split bearer, and / or quality of service (QoS) offloading supported by the first RAN node to send the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE. 35. The method of embodiment 34, wherein selecting a process by the first RAN node for sending at least a first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE includes selecting one or more of the one or more processes supported by the first RAN node. 36. The method of any one of embodiments 32-35, wherein the response includes information identifying an amount of data that may be transmitted by the second RAN node to the UE. 37. The method of any one of embodiments 32-36, wherein transmitting at least a first data unit to the UE includes sending at least a first data unit to a lower layer. 38. The method of embodiment 38, wherein the lower layer comprises a radio link control (RLC) layer. 39. The method of any one of embodiments 32-38, comprising receiving one or more additional data units of the set of data units from the first RAN node for transmission to the UE, and transmitting the one or more additional data units to the UE. 40. The method of embodiment 39, wherein the one or more additional data units comprise a subset of the set of data units or the entire set of data units. 41. The method of embodiment 12, wherein receiving one or more additional data units of the set of data units at the second RAN node for transmission to the UE includes sending the entire set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE. 42. The method of any one of embodiments 32-41, wherein the data unit and / or set of data units is associated with a first quality of service (QoS) flow. 43. The method of embodiment 42, wherein the first QoS flow is associated with an extended reality (XR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and / or virtual reality (VR) service. 44. The method of embodiment 42 or 43, wherein the first QoS flow is associated with a second QoS flow, and the method includes receiving, from the first RAN node, data units associated with the second QoS flow and / or a set of data units associated with the second QoS flow, and transmitting, to the UE, data units associated with the second QoS flow and / or a set of data units associated with the second QoS flow. 45. The method of any one of embodiments 32-44, wherein the method is implemented by a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. 46. the first data unit comprises a service data unit (SDU), a protocol data unit (PDU) or an Internet Protocol (IP) packet; and / or the set of data units comprises a set of SDUs, a set of PDUs or a set of IP packets; 46. ​​The method of any one of embodiments 32 to 45. 47. The method of any one of embodiments 32-46, wherein the first RAN node comprises a first NG-RAN node and / or the second RAN node comprises a second NG-RAN node. 48. the first RAN node comprises a Master Node (MN) for the UE and the second RAN node comprises a Secondary Node (SN) for the UE; or The second RAN node comprises a MN for the UE, and the first RAN node comprises a SN for the UE; 48. The method of any one of embodiments 32 to 47. 49. The method of any one of embodiments 32-48, wherein the UE is configured with multi-radio access technology dual connectivity (MR-DC) with the first RAN node and the second RAN node. 50. The method of any one of embodiments 32-49, wherein the process supported by the first RAN node includes one or more of duplication, split bearer, and / or quality of service (QoS) offloading supported by the first RAN node to send the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE. 51. Obtaining user data; Forwarding user data to the host or user equipment 51. The method of any one of embodiments 32 to 50, further comprising:

[0111] Group C Embodiments 52. A network node, comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause a network node to perform any of the steps recited in any one of the embodiments of Group B; a power supply circuit configured to supply power to the processing circuit; A network node comprising: 53. A host configured to operate in a communications system for providing over-the-top (OTT) services, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; a network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the network node having a communications interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations recited in any one of the embodiments of Group B to transmit the user data from a host to the UE; A host. 54. processing circuitry of the host configured to execute a host application that provides user data; the UE comprising processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive user data transmissions from the host; A host described in embodiment 53. 55. A method implemented in a host configured to operate in a communication system further including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Providing user data for the UE; Initiating a transmission carrying user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising a network node, the network node performing any of the operations described in any one of the embodiments of Group B to transmit the user data from the host to the UE; A method comprising: 56. The method of embodiment 55, further comprising, at the network node, transmitting user data provided by the host for the UE. 57. The method of embodiment 55 or 56, wherein user data is provided in the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application running on the UE, and the client application is associated with the host application. 58. A communication system configured to provide over-the-top services, the communication system comprising: A host, a processing circuit configured to provide user data for a user equipment (UE), the user data relating to an over-the-top service; a network interface configured to initiate transmission of user data towards a cellular network node for transmission to the UE, the network node having a communications interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations recited in any one of the embodiments of Group B to transmit the user data from the host to the UE; A communication system comprising a host. 59. network nodes, and / or User Equipment 59. The communication system of embodiment 58, further comprising: 60. A host configured to operate in a communications system for providing over-the-top (OTT) services, the host comprising: a processing circuit configured to initiate reception of user data; a network interface configured to receive user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communications interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations recited in any one of the embodiments of Group B to receive user data from a user equipment (UE) for a host; A host. 61. processing circuitry of the host configured to execute a host application and thereby provide user data; A host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application. A host described in embodiment 60. 62. The host of embodiment 60 or 61, wherein initiating reception of user data includes requesting the user data. 63. A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system further including a network node and a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Initiating reception, at the host, of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission received by the network node from the UE, the network node performing any of the steps recited in any one of the embodiments of Group B to receive the user data from the UE for the host. A method comprising: 64. The method of embodiment 63, further comprising, at the network node, transmitting the received user data to the host.

[0112] While the computing devices (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) described herein may include the depicted combinations of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, transforming the obtained information to other information, comparing the obtained or transformed information to information stored in a network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained or transformed information and as a result of the processing making a decision. Moreover, while a component is illustrated as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the computing device may comprise multiple different physical components that make up the single depicted component, and functionality may be partitioned among the separate components. For example, a communications interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of those components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communications interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functionality of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functionality may be implemented in hardware.

[0113] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by a processing circuit executing instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these particular embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functionality, regardless of whether or not it executes instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuit alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks generally.

Claims

1. 1. A method implemented by a first radio access network (RAN) node for sending a data unit to a second RAN node, the method comprising: receiving a first data unit for transmission to a user equipment (UE); determining that a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit will not be met by transmission of the first data unit and / or the set of data units by the first RAN node; sending the first data unit to a second RAN node for transmission to the UE; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising, prior to sending the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE, sending a request to the second RAN node to send the first data unit and / or the set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE, and receiving a response to the request from the second RAN node.

3. The request is a maximum error rate for the first data unit and / or the set of data units; the packet delay budget; the periodicity of said set of data units; the size of said data units and / or said sets of data units, a transport network layer (TNL) address of the first RAN node; and / or Which of duplication, split bearer, and / or Quality of Service (QoS) offloading is supported by the first RAN node for sending the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE. The method of claim 2 , further comprising information identifying at least one of:

4. The response may be: which of duplication, split bearer and / or Quality of Service (QoS) offloading should be used by the first RAN node to send the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; and / or the amount of data that may be transmitted to the UE by the second RAN node; 4. The method of claim 2 or 3, further comprising information identifying at least one of:

5. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the PDB for the first data unit and / or the set of data units will not be satisfied by transmission of the first data unit and / or the set of data units by the first RAN node comprises determining whether the PDB will be satisfied based on radio conditions for the UE and / or traffic conditions at the first RAN node.

6. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE comprises duplicating the first data unit and / or the set of data units for transmission by the second RAN node to the UE, and the method comprises transmitting the first data unit and / or the set of data units to the UE or sending the first data unit and / or the set of data units to a lower layer.

7. sending the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; offloading the data unit and / or a first Quality of Service (QoS) flow associated with the set of data units to the second RAN node; and / or sending the first data unit to the second RAN node according to a split bearer setup; The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:

8. 8. The method of claim 1, comprising sending one or more additional data units of the set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE.

9. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein sending one or more additional data units of the set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE comprises sending a subset of the set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE, the method comprising transmitting to the UE a data unit in the set of data units other than the subset of the set of data units, or sending to a lower layer the data unit in the set of data units other than the subset of the set of data units.

10. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein sending one or more additional data units of the set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE comprises sending the entire set of data units to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE.

11. the data unit and / or the set of data units is associated with a first Quality of Service (QoS) flow; the PDB includes a Packet Set Delay Budget (PSDB) associated with the first QoS flow, and / or the first QoS flow is associated with an Extended Reality (XR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR) and / or Virtual Reality (VR) service; 11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first QoS flow is associated with a second QoS flow, and the method comprises sending to the second RAN node a data unit and / or a set of data units associated with the second QoS flow.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is implemented by a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer.

14. the first data unit comprises a service data unit (SDU), a protocol data unit (PDU) or an internet protocol (IP) packet; and / or the set of data units comprises a set of SDUs, a set of PDUs or a set of IP packets; 14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RAN node comprises a first NG-RAN node and / or the second RAN node comprises a second NG-RAN node.

16. the first RAN node comprises a master node (MN) for the UE and the second RAN node comprises a secondary node (SN) for the UE; or the second RAN node comprises a MN for the UE and the first RAN node comprises a SN for the UE; 16. The method of any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE is configured with Multi-Radio Access Technology Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) with the first RAN node and the second RAN node.

18. 1. A method implemented by a second radio access network (RAN) node for transmitting a data unit to a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a request from a first RAN node to send one or more of a first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; selecting a process by the first RAN node to send at least the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; sending a response to the request to the first RAN node, the request including information identifying the selected process; receiving at least the first data unit from the first RAN node according to the selected process; transmitting at least the first data unit to the UE; A method comprising:

19. The request is a maximum error rate for the first data unit and / or the set of data units; a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or the set of data units; the periodicity of said set of data units; the size of said data units and / or said sets of data units, a transport network layer (TNL) address of the first RAN node; and / or one or more processes supported by the first RAN node for sending at least the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE.

20. The method of claim 18, including information identifying at least one of:

20. 20. The method of claim 18 or 19, wherein the one or more processes supported by the first RAN node include one or more of duplication, split bearer, and / or Quality of Service (QoS) offloading supported by the first RAN node to send the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE.

21. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein selecting the process by which the first RAN node sends at least the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE comprises selecting one or more of the one or more processes supported by the first RAN node.

22. 22. The method of any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the response includes information identifying an amount of data that may be transmitted to the UE by the second RAN node.

23. 23. The method of any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein transmitting at least the first data unit to the UE comprises sending at least the first data unit to a lower layer.

24. 24. The method of claim 18, comprising receiving one or more additional data units of the set of data units from the first RAN node for transmission to the UE; and transmitting the one or more additional data units to the UE, wherein the one or more additional data units comprise a subset of the set of data units or all of the set of data units.

25. 25. The method of any one of claims 18 to 24, wherein the data unit and / or the set of data units is associated with a first quality of service (QoS) flow.

26. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first QoS flow is associated with an extended reality (XR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and / or virtual reality (VR) service.

27. 27. The method of claim 25 or 26, wherein the first QoS flow is associated with a second QoS flow, the method comprising receiving, from the first RAN node, data units associated with the second QoS flow and / or a set of data units associated with the second QoS flow, and transmitting, to the UE, the data units associated with the second QoS flow and / or the set of data units associated with the second QoS flow.

28. 28. The method of any one of claims 18 to 27, wherein the method is implemented by a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer.

29. the first data unit comprises a service data unit (SDU), a protocol data unit (PDU) or an internet protocol (IP) packet; and / or the set of data units comprises a set of SDUs, a set of PDUs or a set of IP packets; 29. The method of any one of claims 18 to 28.

30. 30. The method of any one of claims 18 to 29, wherein the first RAN node comprises a first NG-RAN node and / or the second RAN node comprises a second NG-RAN node.

31. the first RAN node comprises a master node (MN) for the UE and the second RAN node comprises a secondary node (SN) for the UE; or the second RAN node comprises a MN for the UE and the first RAN node comprises a SN for the UE; 31. The method of any one of claims 18 to 30.

32. 32. The method of any one of claims 18 to 31, wherein the UE is configured with Multi-Radio Access Technology Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) with the first RAN node and the second RAN node.

33. 33. The method of any one of claims 18 to 32, wherein the processes supported by the first RAN node include one or more of duplication, split bearer, and / or quality of service (QoS) offloading supported by the first RAN node to send the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE.

34. 34. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause said at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 33.

35. 35. A carrier containing the computer program of claim 34, the carrier comprising one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, a radio signal or a computer readable storage medium.

36. 35. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon the computer program of claim 34.

37. 1. A first radio access network (RAN) node for sending a data unit to a second RAN node, the first RAN node comprising a processor and a memory, the memory configured to cause the first RAN node to: receiving a first data unit for transmission to a user equipment (UE); determining that a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit will not be met by transmission of the first data unit and / or the set of data units by the first RAN node; sending the first data unit to a second RAN node for transmission to the UE; a first RAN node, the first RAN node comprising instructions executable by the processor, the instructions being operable to:

38. 38. The first RAN node of claim 37, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor such that the first RAN node is operable to implement a method according to any one of claims 2 to 17.

39. A second radio access network (RAN) node for transmitting a data unit to a user equipment (UE), the second RAN node comprising a processor and a memory, the memory configured to: receiving a request from a first RAN node to send one or more of a first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; selecting a process by the first RAN node to send at least the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; sending a response to the request to the first RAN node, the request including information identifying the selected process; receiving at least the first data unit from the first RAN node according to the selected process; transmitting at least the first data unit to the UE; a second RAN node, comprising instructions executable by the processor such that the second RAN node is operable to:

40. 40. The second RAN node of claim 39, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor such that the second RAN node is operable to perform the method of any one of claims 19 to 33.

41. A first radio access network (RAN) node for sending a data unit to a second RAN node, the first RAN node comprising: receiving a first data unit for transmission to a user equipment (UE); determining that a packet delay budget (PDB) for the first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit will not be met by transmission of the first data unit and / or the set of data units by the first RAN node; sending the first data unit to a second RAN node for transmission to the UE; a first RAN node configured to:

42. 42. The first RAN node of claim 41, wherein the first RAN node is configured to perform a method according to any one of claims 2 to 17.

43. a second radio access network (RAN) node for transmitting a data unit to a user equipment (UE), the second RAN node comprising: receiving a request from a first RAN node to send one or more of a first data unit and / or a set of data units including the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; selecting a process by the first RAN node to send at least the first data unit to the second RAN node for transmission to the UE; sending a response to the request to the first RAN node, the request including information identifying the selected process; receiving at least the first data unit from the first RAN node according to the selected process; transmitting at least the first data unit to the UE; a second RAN node configured to:

44. 44. The second RAN node of claim 43, wherein the second RAN node is configured to perform a method according to any one of claims 19 to 33.

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