SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR APPLICATION-SPECIFIC SCHEDULING IN WIRELESS NETWORKS - Patent application

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system (108) and method for application-specific scheduling in a wireless network. The system (108) receives data timing information associated with a user equipment (UE) (112) from an application server (AS) (102). The data timing information includes an identifier associated with the UE (112). The system (108) determines whether uplink synchronization is established between a radio access network (RAN) (104) and the UE (112) and transmits scheduling information from the RAN (104) to the UE (112). The system (108) allocates resource blocks (RBs) to the UE (112) based on the scheduling information. The system (108) receives data from the UE (112) in an uplink (UL) direction, and the scheduling information includes a periodicity associated with the RB allocation.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Reservation of Rights Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to intellectual property rights, including, but not limited to, copyright, design, trademark, integrated circuit (IC) layout design and / or trade dress protection, belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (hereinafter referred to as the Owner). The Owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of either the patent document or the patent disclosure, as appearing in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all rights. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the Owner.

[0002] FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to systems and methods for scheduling in wireless networks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for application-specific scheduling in wireless networks. [Background technology]

[0003] The following description of the related art is intended to provide background information regarding the field of the present disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be relevant to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that this section is not intended as an admission of prior art, but is intended solely to enhance the reader's understanding of the present disclosure.

[0004] Although fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology only addresses some of the objectives initially visualized, there are still a significant number of issues that need to be resolved, especially when adapting to industrial vertical markets, such as large-scale Industrial Internet of Things (IoT), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (drones), full support for private networks, and support for flexible network deployment. 6G IoT / Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is expected to be deployed on a large scale, leading to overhead across downlink control channels for transmitting scheduling information to user equipment (UE). This overhead can significantly impact the spectral efficiency of the network.

[0005] 5G wireless technology, developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), is intended to provide higher peak data rates and generate ultra-low latency while offering users greater reliability, massive network capacity, improved availability, and a uniform user experience. Higher performance and improved efficiency will power new user experiences and connect new industries. Furthermore, 5G technology may be required to address industry verticals, support private networks, and architectures that support flexible network deployment. 6G networks will be built to enable next-generation industrial operating environments that exceed Industry 4.0 in performance dimensions such as positioning, sensing, ultra-reliability, energy efficiency, and extreme real-time, while achieving the expansion of human experience across the physical, biological, and digital worlds. 6G networks are expected to provide novel radio and access architectures for both communications and sensing purposes. Artificial intelligence (AI)-optimized co-design of wide-area networks and data centers, as well as dynamic orchestration of personalized services, can be implemented to revolutionize the long tail of niche consumer interests. While demand for mobile broadband continues to grow for consumers and businesses alike, the uptake of ultra-reliable and low-latency networks will be primarily driven by private networks and specialized, localized use cases, often combined with augmented intelligence.

[0006] However, resource allocation in 5G and 6G networks may increase overhead between uplink and downlink control channels. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a system and method that can mitigate problems associated with resource allocation in 5G and 6G networks. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Some of the objectives of the present disclosure that are met by at least one embodiment herein are listed herein below.

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and method for application-specific scheduling in a wireless network that introduces a mechanism to reduce control channel overhead in downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) control channels, thereby improving the spectral efficiency of the wireless network.

[0009] The objective of this disclosure is to introduce a mechanism for sharing timing related information to user equipment (UE) so that the UE receiving DL data wakes up at the correct time instance.

[0010] The objective of this disclosure is to introduce a new optimized mechanism for sharing control information in either the UL or DL ​​direction, thereby reducing the control channel overhead.

[0011] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and method for application-specific scheduling in a wireless network, in which an application server (AS) is synchronized with a radio access node (RAN) for transmitting data timing information related to UEs connected to the RAN.

[0012] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system and method for application-specific scheduling in a wireless network, in which the RAN receives data timing information from an AS and provides scheduling information to the UE at a specific periodicity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] This section is provided to introduce in a simplified form certain objects and aspects of the disclosure that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0014] In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a system for application-specific scheduling in a wireless network. The system includes a processor communicatively coupled to a radio access network (RAN) and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions executed by the processor. The processor receives data timing information associated with one or more user equipments (UEs) from an application server (AS). The data timing information includes identifiers associated with the one or more UEs, and the AS is communicatively coupled to the RAN. The processor determines whether uplink synchronization is established between the RAN and the one or more UEs based on the identifiers. In response to a positive determination, the processor transmits scheduling information from the RAN to the one or more UEs. The processor allocates one or more resource blocks (RBs) to the one or more UEs based on the scheduling information. The processor receives data in an uplink (UL) direction from the one or more UEs, and the scheduling information includes a periodicity associated with the allocation of the one or more RBs.

[0015] In one embodiment, the data timing information may include an application class, data priority, and release time associated with one or more RBs.

[0016] In one embodiment, in response to a negative determination, the processor may restrict transmission of scheduling information to one or more UEs.

[0017] In one embodiment, the processor may determine whether downlink synchronization is established between the RAN and one or more UEs, and, in response to a positive determination corresponding to the downlink synchronization, allocate one or more RBs in a downlink (DL) direction for transmitting information to the one or more UEs.

[0018] In one embodiment, in response to a negative determination corresponding to downlink synchronization, the processor may limit allocation of one or more RBs in the DL direction.

[0019] In one embodiment, the scheduling information may include a configuration type associated with one or more RBs, one or more time domain parameters, and one or more frequency domain parameters.

[0020] In one embodiment, the processor may release the allocated one or more RBs based on a trigger sent by the AS, which may be sent after a period specified in the scheduling information.

[0021] In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for application-specific scheduling in a wireless network. The method includes receiving, by a processor associated with a system, data timing information associated with one or more UEs from an AS. The data timing information includes identifiers associated with the one or more UEs, and the AS is communicatively coupled to a RAN. The method includes determining, by the processor, whether uplink synchronization is established between the RAN and the one or more UEs based on the identifiers. In response to a positive determination, the method includes transmitting, by the processor, scheduling information from the RAN to the one or more UEs. The method includes allocating, by the processor, one or more RBs to the one or more UEs based on the scheduling information. The method includes receiving, by the processor, data from the one or more UEs in a UL direction, the scheduling information including a periodicity associated with the allocation of the one or more RBs.

[0022] In one embodiment, the method may include, in response to a negative determination, restricting, by the processor, transmission of scheduling information to one or more UEs.

[0023] In one embodiment, the method may include determining, by a processor, whether downlink synchronization is established between the RAN and one or more UEs; and, in response to a positive determination corresponding to downlink synchronization, allocating, by the processor, one or more RBs in a DL direction for transmitting information to the one or more UEs.

[0024] In one embodiment, the method may include restricting, by the processor, allocation of one or more RBs in the DL direction in response to a negative determination corresponding to downlink synchronization.

[0025] In one embodiment, the method includes releasing, by the processor, the allocated one or more RBs based on a trigger sent by the AS, which may be sent after a period specified in the scheduling information.

[0026] In one aspect, a UE for transmitting a request includes one or more processors associated with the system and communicatively coupled to a processor configured in the RAN. The one or more processors are coupled to a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to transmit data timing information to the processors over a network. The data timing information includes an identifier associated with the UE, and the processor is configured to receive the data timing information from the UE via the AS. The processor is configured to determine whether uplink synchronization is established between the RAN and the UE based on the identifier. In response to a positive determination, the processor transmits scheduling information from the RAN to the UE. The processor allocates one or more RBs to the UE based on the scheduling information. The processor receives data from the UE in a UL direction, and the scheduling information includes a periodicity associated with the allocation of the one or more RBs.

[0027] In an aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes a processor with executable instructions that cause the processor to receive data timing information associated with one or more UEs from an AS. The data timing information includes identifiers associated with the one or more UEs, and the AS is communicatively coupled to a RAN. The processor determines whether uplink synchronization is established between the RAN and the one or more UEs based on the identifiers. In response to a positive determination, the processor transmits scheduling information from the RAN to the one or more UEs. The processor allocates one or more RBs to the one or more UEs based on the scheduling information. The processor receives data in a UL direction from the one or more UEs, and the scheduling information includes a periodicity associated with the allocation of the one or more RBs.

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems, with like reference numerals referring to the same parts throughout the different drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Some drawings may use block diagrams to illustrate components and may not depict the internal circuitry of each component. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical or electronic components or circuits commonly used to implement such components. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture (100) for implementing the proposed system (108), according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is an exemplary block diagram (200) of a proposed system (108) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary representation (300) of a scheduling process in a wireless network, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]4 is an exemplary flow diagram of a scheduling process (400) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] 5 is an exemplary flow diagram (500A) of a scheduling process according to the proposed system (108), according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] 5 is an exemplary flow diagram (500B) of a scheduling process according to the proposed system (108), according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates an example representation (600) of an Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) logical architecture, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary computer system (700) on which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented or with which they may be practiced. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The foregoing will become more apparent from the following more detailed description of the present disclosure.

[0031] In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Some features described below may be used independently of each other or in any combination with other features. Individual features may not address all of the problems described above, or may address only some of the problems described above. Some of the problems described above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

[0032] The following description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the following description of exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing the exemplary embodiments. It will be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as described.

[0033] Specific details are provided in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0034] Also, it should be noted that particular embodiments may be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. While a flowchart may describe operations as a series of processes, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or simultaneously. Additionally, the order of operations may be rearranged. A process terminates when its operations are completed, but may have additional steps not included in the diagram. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0035] The terms "exemplary" and / or "demonstrative" are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. Additionally, any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" and / or "demonstrative" should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to exclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, to the extent the terms "includes," "has," "contains," and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising," as an open transition, without excluding additional or other elements.

[0036] Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment" or "embodiment" or "example" or "one example" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0037] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context otherwise dictates. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0038] Internet of Things (IoT) application data is mostly timed and predictable, especially when the data comes from sensors, cameras, etc., rendering specific optimizations in terms of scheduling resources to such IoT devices. To avoid overhead in the end-to-end system, especially in the radio access network (RAN), many optimizations are possible, one of which is extending the semi-persistent scheduling concept to data generated by IoT devices. Furthermore, in fifth-generation (5G) / beyond-5G (B5G) / sixth-generation (6G) networks, one of the key entities in the end-to-end network architecture is the application function / server (AS) and the IoT device (or UE). These entities are aware of timing-related information regarding the context of data transmission, how periodic the data transmission is, how frequently reception occurs, and the length of such data sessions. Thus, the AS is synchronized with the periodicity and timing of data packet transmissions by the IoT device, using which it informs the scheduler (configured in the RAN) of the data timing information for a specific UE / IoT device or a group of IoT devices.

[0039] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0040] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network architecture (100) for implementing the proposed system (108) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the network architecture 100 may include an application function 102 that may be connected to a radio access network (RAN) 104 via an appropriate interface. In one embodiment, the AS 102 may correspond to a system 108 comprised of the RAN 104. The system 108 may include a scheduler that may assist in allocating one or more resource blocks (RBs) to one or more user equipment (UE) 112 connected to the RAN 104. The mechanism by which the AF 102 can communicate with the RAN 104 may be via core network intermediate elements, such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) 106, a session management function (SMF) 116, and a user plane function (UPF) 110 (with a data network DN 114) that have appropriate interfaces. Throughout this disclosure, those skilled in the art will understand that one or more UEs 112 may be individually referred to as a UE 112 and collectively referred to as a UE 112.

[0042] In one embodiment, the system 108 may receive data timing information associated with one or more UEs 112 from the AF or AS 102, and the data timing information may include identifiers associated with the one or more UEs 112. In one embodiment, the data timing information may include, but is not limited to, an application class, a data priority, and a release time associated with one or more RBs.

[0043] In one embodiment, the system 108 may determine, based on the identifier, whether uplink synchronization is established between the RAN 104 and one or more UEs 112. In response to a positive determination, the system 108 may transmit scheduling information from the RAN 104 to one or more UEs 112. In response to a negative determination, the system 108 may restrict transmission of scheduling information to one or more UEs 112.

[0044] In one embodiment, the system 108 can allocate one or more RBs to one or more UEs 112 based on scheduling information. The scheduling information can include, but is not limited to, a configuration type associated with one or more RBs, one or more time domain parameters, and one or more frequency domain parameters. In one embodiment, the scheduling information can include frequency domain scheduling information and time domain scheduling information.

[0045] In one embodiment, the system (108) may receive data from one or more UEs (112) in the uplink (UL) direction, and the scheduling information may include a periodicity associated with the allocation of one or more RBs.

[0046] In one embodiment, the system 108 can determine whether downlink synchronization is established between the RAN 104 and one or more UEs 112, and, in response to a positive determination, can allocate one or more RBs in a downlink (DL) direction to transmit information to one or more UEs 112. In response to a negative determination, the system 108 can restrict allocation of one or more RBs in the DL direction. This mechanism can reduce any control channel overhead, especially in DL control channels, thereby increasing the spectral efficiency of the wireless network. These mechanisms can be used for both periodic and aperiodic bursty traffic, and can be used in coreless networks or networks with a core. The system 108 can share timing-related information, i.e., scheduling information for receiving DL data, to one or more UEs 112 via the AS 102, thereby enabling the one or more UEs 112 to wake up at the correct time instance.

[0047] In one embodiment, the system (108) may release one or more allocated RBs based on a trigger transmitted by the AS (102), and the trigger may be transmitted to the system (108) after a period specified in the scheduling information has elapsed.

[0048] Although Figure 1 illustrates exemplary components of network architecture (100), in other embodiments, network architecture (100) may include fewer components, different components, components in a different arrangement, or additional functional components than those illustrated in Figure 1. Additionally or alternatively, one or more components of network architecture (100) may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of network architecture (100).

[0049] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary block diagram (200) of the proposed system (108) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 2 , the system (108) may include one or more processors (202), which may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuits, and / or any device that processes data based on operational instructions. Among other things, the one or more processors (202) may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory (204) of the system (108). The memory (204) may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which may be fetched and executed to create or share data packets via a network service. The memory (204) may include any non-transitory storage device, including, for example, volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory, such as erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, etc.

[0051] In one embodiment, the system 108 may include an interface 206. The interface 206 may include various interfaces, such as interfaces for data input / output (I / O) devices, storage devices, etc. The interface 206 may also provide a communication path for one or more components of the system 108. Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, a processing engine 208 and a database 210, where the processing engine 208 includes, but is not limited to, a data ingestion engine 212 and other engines 214. In one embodiment, the other engines 214 may include, but are not limited to, a data management engine, an input / output engine, and a notification engine.

[0052] In one embodiment, the processing engine (208) may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (e.g., programmable instructions) to implement one or more functions of the processing engine (208). In the examples described herein, such a combination of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming of the processing engine (208) may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, and the hardware of the processing engine (208) may include processing resources (e.g., one or more processors) for executing such instructions. In this example, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resources, implement the processing engine (208). In such an example, the system (108) may include a machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions and the processing resources for executing the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the system (108) and the processing resources. In other examples, the processing engine (208) may be implemented by electronic circuitry.

[0053] In one embodiment, the processor 202 may receive data timing information associated with one or more UEs 112 from the AS 102. The data timing information may be received via the data ingestion engine 212. The processor 202 may store the data timing information in the database 210. The data timing information may include identifiers associated with the one or more UEs 112.

[0054] In one embodiment, the processor 202 may determine, based on the identifier, whether uplink synchronization is established between the RAN 104 and one or more UEs 112. In response to a positive determination, the processor 202 may transmit scheduling information from the RAN 104 to one or more UEs 112. In response to a negative determination, the processor 202 may restrict transmission of scheduling information to the one or more UEs 112.

[0055] In one embodiment, the processor (202) can allocate one or more RBs to one or more UEs (112) based on the scheduling information.

[0056] In one embodiment, the processor (202) may receive data from one or more UEs (112) in the UL direction, and the scheduling information may include a periodicity associated with allocation of one or more RBs.

[0057] Although Figure 2 illustrates exemplary components of system 108, in other embodiments, system 108 may include fewer components, different components, components in a different arrangement, or additional functional components than those illustrated in Figure 2. Additionally or alternatively, one or more components of system 108 may perform functions described as being performed by one or more other components of system 108.

[0058] FIG. 3 illustrates an example representation (300) of a scheduling process in a wireless network, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] In one embodiment, scheduling may include the process of allocating resources for transmitting data. As in Long Term Evolution (LTE) (in all cellular communications), New Radio (NR) scheduling may be dictated by the network, and the UE (112) may follow the communication from the network. Scheduling depends on many factors (including Quality of Service (QoS)) and may not be based on application type. There may be two types of scheduling in the DL direction: one called dynamic scheduling and the other called semi-persistent scheduling. Dynamic scheduling is a mechanism by which any and all Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmissions are scheduled by Downlink Control Information (DCI) (DCI 1_0 or DCI 1_1). SPS is a mechanism by which PDSCH transmissions may be scheduled by Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages.

[0060] In one embodiment, in 6G, scheduling optimization may be important for application-specific scheduling, and the scheduling process may include allocating resources for transmitting data. As with all cellular communications, New Radio (NR) scheduling may be dictated by the network, and the UE (112) follows the network. The overall scheduling mechanism in NR is similar to Long Term Evolution (LTE) scheduling, but NR may include finer granularity, particularly with respect to time-domain scheduling at the physical layer. 6G scheduling may be similar to NR scheduling, but may incorporate data timing information from the UE (112) to allocate one or more RBs, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0061] In one embodiment, for scheduler operation, resources can be allocated among one or more UEs 112 taking into account the UE buffer status report 304 and QoS 306 requirements of each UE 112 and associated radio bearer 308. The system, i.e., the scheduler 302, can also allocate resources based on radio conditions at the UE 112, known via measurements made at a gNB (base station) or communicated by the UE 112. Radio resources may be allocated on a slot-by-slot basis, and the radio resources may consist of one or more RBs. The scheduler 302 may receive measurements 314 based on the associated radio bearers 308, the buffer status report 304, the QoS 306 requirements of each UE 112, scheduling requests 310 transmitted by the UE 112, and data timing information 316. The scheduler 302 can perform resource allocation 312 on a transmission time interval (TTI) basis.

[0062] FIG. 4 illustrates an example flow diagram (400) of a scheduling process according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, scheduling may include dynamic scheduling (402) and SPS scheduling (404). Dynamic scheduling (402) may be a mechanism by which any and all PDSCHs may be scheduled by DCI (DCI 1_0 or DCI 1_1). SPS (404) may be a mechanism by which PDSCH transmissions are scheduled by RRC messages. SPS scheduling (404) may also be referred to as configured scheduling in 5G. Configured scheduling may be a mechanism by which the gNB (406) can schedule PDSCHs / Physical Uplink Shared Channels (PUSCHs) without using DCI for each transmission. Furthermore, the gNB (406) may configure all detailed scheduling parameters in RRC, and the gNB / UE (408) may transmit the PDSCH and PUSCH according to parameters specified in the RRC message container. This may help the gNB (406) reduce the load of physical / medium access control address (PHY / MAC) scheduling. Additionally, IoT as a use case category can envision many use cases, including machine-to-machine (M2M) and machine-to-human communications. The scale of such devices can also be expected to be large, as the connection density of such deployments is expected to be millions of devices per square kilometer (Sq.Km). IoT data can also be timed and predictable in most cases, particularly when the data is from sensors, cameras, etc., which can result in certain optimizations regarding the scheduling of resources to such IoT devices. To avoid overhead in the end-to-end system, particularly in the RAN, SPS scheduling (404) can be used for data generated by IoT devices.

[0064] Furthermore, SPS scheduling (404) can help reduce control channel overhead in wireless networks by scheduling radio resources prior to transmission for specific applications, such as voice / video calls. Such persistent scheduling can help UEs (408) utilize radio resources, especially when data packets need to be continuously transferred without waiting for scheduling information at every instance. In scenarios such as voice / video calls, there may be data packets that need to be transmitted according to the desired configured QoS. If dynamic scheduling (402) is used, the control channel used in DL may encounter significant overhead and reduce overall spectral efficiency. Furthermore, in IoT / IIoT scenarios, there may be cases where the UE (408) needs to transmit data packets in short bursts, periodically, or aperiodically. In current scenarios, networks may choose dynamic scheduling (402). However, in IoT, due to large-scale deployments, dynamic scheduling (402) may result in significant signaling overhead, which can significantly reduce network / spectral efficiency. One way to improve spectral efficiency is by reducing the overhead of radio resources used by control channel information in either direction. Most of the resources are also used to share scheduling information in the DL control channel, so that the UE (408) knows exactly which radio resources (both time and frequency) to use for data transmission. Therefore, by sharing control information in either the UL or DL ​​direction, the overhead on the control channel using radio resources can be reduced.

[0065] 5A-5B show an example flow diagram (500A, 500B) of a scheduling process by the proposed system (108), according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 5A, in one embodiment, the UE 502 and the AF 504 may be synchronized with respect to the period and timing of data packet transmissions by the IoT device / UE 502. The AF 504 may inform the system 108, i.e., the scheduler, of data timing information for a particular UE 502 / IoT device or group of IoT devices. The scheduler 108 may determine a set of radio resources to be assigned to the UE 502 or to be used by a given UE 502 for specific transmission slots in the UL. The scheduler 108 may also provide specific DL slots so that the UE 502 can wake up at these times to receive specific data. The DL transmission slots may be referred to as discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles to the IoT device 502.

[0067] In one embodiment, the data timing information may include a periodicity (data timing information) of data transmissions from the UE (502). A UE identifier may also be associated with the data timing information of a given UE (502) so that the identifier may be forwarded to the scheduler (108). The AF (504) may send a message to a mobility management entity (MME) via the NEF, and the MME may forward the message to each RAN (506) to which the given UE (502) is connected. The data timing information may include: Data Timing Information: {Application Class == {Periodic, Burst, Continuous, ...}, Period==1234353ms, Data priority == {high, medium, low}, UE Identifier::{<IMSIリスト=={{12345678912334,111111111111}、{...}> |<TMSIリスト> |<P-TMSIリスト> |<IMEIリスト> ,...} release time =={123456789ms} Scheduling information::{<time domain parameters>, <frequency domain parameters>, <CSタイプ=1 / 2>}

[0068] In one embodiment, the AF (504) may also indicate a UE identifier to the RAN (506) so that the RAN (506) can schedule the UE (502) based on the value set for the identifier. The UE identifier may include, but is not limited to, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), a Temporary IMSI (TMSI), a Packet Temporary (TMSI), and an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). Based on the UE identifier sent by the AF (504), the RAN (506) can share the appropriate UL grant and scheduling information accordingly, as described below. ConfiguredGrantConfig::={.......... period ENUMERATED{sym2,sym7,sym1x14,sym2x14,sym4x14,sym5x14,sym8x14,sym10x14,sym16x14,sym20x14,sym32x14,sym40x14,sym64x1 4,sym80x14,sym128x14,sym160x14,sym256x14,sym320x14,sym512x14,sym640x14,sym1024x14,sym1280x14,sym2560x14,sym5120x14, sym6,sym1x12,sym2x12,sym4x12,sym5x12,sym8x12,sym10x12,sym16x12,sym20x12,sym32x12,sym40x12,sym64x12,sym80x12,sym128x12,sym160x12,sym256x12,sym320x12,sym512x12,sym640x12,sym1280x12,sym2560x12,{<period=1234353ms>}, {<continuity=123456ms>, ...}},} Extended Period ENUMERATED {{<period==1234353ms>}, {<continuity=123456ms>, ...}},}...}

[0069] In one embodiment, the identifier may depend on the AF (504). A list of identifiers may be transmitted as part of the data timing information. In an ideal situation, the AF (504) can communicate with the 5GS or 6G network via the NEF - MME - RAN (506). The MME can identify the UE (502) belonging to the RAN node based on the context and the Routing Area Update / Tracking Area Update (RAU / TAU) from the UE (502), and the RAN (506) can further share scheduling information with each UE (502) under the RAN (506). Furthermore, a new enumeration value is added, indicating that it is used once every X hours, as follows: ConfiguredGrantConfig::={period ENUMERATED{sym2,sym7,sym1x14,sym2x14,sym4x14,sym5x14,sym8x14,sym10x14,sym16x14,sym20x14,sym32x 14,sym40x14,sym64x14,sym80x14,sym128x14,sym160x14,sym256x14,sym320x14,sym512x14,sym640x14,sym1024x14,sym1280x14,sym2560x1 4,sym5120x14,sym6,sym1x12,sym2x12,sym4x12,sym5x12,sym8x12,sym10x12,sym16x12,sym20x12,sym32x12,sym40x12,sym64x12,sym80x12,sym128x12,sym160x12,sym256x12,sym320x12,sym512x12,sym640x12,sym1280x12,sym2560x12,{<period=1234353ms>}, {<continuity=123456ms>, ...}},} Extended Period ENUMERATED {{<period==1234353ms>}, {<continuity=123456ms>, ...}},}...} New IE: GrantConfig_IoT=={Sym_Config_USE=<0 / 1>, {<Period==1234353ms>}, {>}, <Continuity=123456ms>}, ...} Sym_Config_USE-> indicates whether the UE (502) can use the configuration grant shared in the scheduling information at the period set by the identifier (IE) "Periodicity". If the value is "1", the UE (502) can use the configuration grant. - If the value is "0", the UE (502) does not use the configuration grant and can wait for the next configuration to be set with the above IE set to 1.

[0070] Additionally, continuity can be used to indicate whether the grant can be used continuously for the time period stated as part of the value in the IE.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 5A, a flow chart 500A may include the following steps.

[0072] In step 508, the UE (502) may be registered with the RAN (506).

[0073] In step 510, the AF (504) may transmit data timing information for the UE (502) to the RAN (506).

[0074] In step 512, the UE (502) can set up a random access channel (RACH) and an RRC connection with the RAN (506).

[0075] In step 514, once the RACH and RRC connection is established, the RAN (506) can send scheduling information to the UE (502).

[0076] In step 516, data transfer may be established between the UE (502) and the RAN (506).

[0077] In another embodiment, the AF (504) may be a network operator hosted function, and the AF (504) may correspond to a scheduler (108) residing in the RAN (506) via a set of interfaces. In another embodiment, the AF (504) may be outside the network operator's domain, and scheduling time information may be provided to the RAN (506) via a network exposure function (NEF). Furthermore, the AF (504) may utilize DRX for specific applications, but determining UL data scheduling and sharing may be performed via one or more available network interfaces. In yet another embodiment, the RAN (506), either in the RAN node or in a radio intelligent controller, may determine the periodicity for UL data for a particular UE (502) by itself, and the periodicity may be forwarded to the scheduler (108) for appropriate persistent / semi-persistent scheduling decisions by the scheduler.

[0078] As illustrated in FIG. 500B, in another embodiment, for a periodic data transmission use case, radio resources may be allocated to the UE (502) for the next few hours at the first instance itself based on timing-related information received from the AF (502). Once a connection is established and a context is set for continuous or burst transmission, resources may be used according to a configuration grant shared by the scheduler (108). Resources may be released based on a trigger from the AS / AF (502).

[0079] In one embodiment, the flowchart 500B may include the following steps.

[0080] In step 524, the UE (502) may register with the RAN (506).

[0081] In step 526, the AS (502) may transmit data timing information for the UE (502) to the RAN (506).

[0082] In step 528, the UE (502) can set up a RACH and RRC connection with the RAN (506).

[0083] Step 530: Once the RACH and RRC connection is established, the RAN (506) can send scheduling information to the UE (502).

[0084] In step 532, data transfer may be established between the UE (502) and the RAN (506).

[0085] Step 534: When the release time specified in the data timing information expires, the AS (502) can send a trigger to the RAN (506) to release one or more RBs, which can include an RRC release (502) associated with the UE.

[0086] Additionally, data timing information may be provided as follows: Data_timing_information::{:::{Application_class=={periodic, bursty, continuous, ...}, period==1234353ms, data priority=={high, medium, low}, UE identifier::{<IMSIリスト=={{12345678912334,111111111111}、{...}> |<TMSIリスト> |<P-TMSIリスト> |<IMEIリスト> ,}}Release time=={123456789ms}}

[0087] The new IE may be provided as GrantConfig_IoT=={Sym_Config_USE=<0 / 1>, {<period==1234353ms>}, {>}, <continuity=123456ms>}, ...}. Sym_Config_USE may indicate whether the UE (502) can use the configuration grant shared in the scheduling information at the period set by the IE "Periodicity". If the value is "1", the UE (502) can use the configuration grant. - If the value is "0", the UE (502) does not use the configuration grant and can wait for the next configuration to be set with the above IE set to 1.

[0088] Furthermore, continuity may be used to indicate whether the configuration grant can be used continuously for the time period mentioned as part of the value in the IE. The continuity IE can provide the UE (502) with information about the grant that can be used for x time periods for a data type.

[0089] FIG. 6 illustrates an example diagram (600) of an Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) logical architecture in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] As illustrated in Figure 6, in one embodiment, the O-RAN architecture may include the determination of application-specific timing information. UL transmissions for a specific device may be performed by a non-real-time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) or a near-real-time RIC. Furthermore, Figure 6 shows UL transmissions for a specific device provided to the RAN node via an appropriate interface (O1, A1, E2, F1c interface). The Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) can also obtain application-specific / UE-specific UL transmission information via any dedicated interface between the SMO and the application server. DL data timing information may be determined by the non-real-time RIC or the near-real-time RIC using specific artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) algorithms. Furthermore, DL data timing information may be provided to the RAN node via an appropriate interface.

[0091] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary computer system (700) on which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented or may be practiced.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 7 , the computer system (700) may include an external storage device (710), a bus (720), a main memory (730), a read-only memory (740), a mass storage device (750), a communication port (760), and a processor (770). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the computer system (700) may include multiple processors and communication ports. The processor (770) may include various modules relevant to embodiments of the present disclosure. The communication port (760) may be an RS-232 port for use with a modem-based dial-up connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or any other existing or future port. The communication port (760) may be selected depending on the network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system (700) is connected.

[0093] In one embodiment, main memory (730) may be random access memory (RAM) or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. Read-only memory (740) may be any static storage device, such as, but not limited to, a programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip for storing static information such as boot-up or basic input / output system (BIOS) instructions for the processor (770). Mass storage device (750) may be any current or future mass storage solution that can be used to store information and / or instructions. Exemplary mass storage solutions include, but are not limited to, parallel advanced technology attachment (PATA) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid-state drives (e.g., internal or external with universal serial bus (USB) and / or Firewire interfaces).

[0094] In one embodiment, the bus (720) may communicatively couple the processor (770) to other memory, storage, and communication blocks. The bus (720) may be, for example, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) / PCI Expansion (PCI-X) bus, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), USB, etc. for connecting expansion cards, drives, and other subsystems, as well as other buses such as a Front Side Bus (FSB) that connects the processor (770) to the computer system (700).

[0095] In another embodiment, operator and administrative interfaces, such as a display, keyboard, and cursor control devices, may also be coupled to bus 720 to support direct operator interaction with computer system 700. Other operator and administrative interfaces may be provided via a network connection connected via communications port 760. The above components are meant only to illustrate various possibilities. The foregoing exemplary computer system 700 is in no way intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0096] Although considerable emphasis has been placed herein on preferred embodiments, it will be understood that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made to the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, and it should thereby be clearly understood that the foregoing description is to be taken merely as an illustration of the present disclosure, and not as a limitation.

[0097] The present disclosure reduces control channel overhead between downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) control channels, thereby increasing the spectral efficiency of wireless networks.

[0098] The present disclosure provides systems and methods for application-specific scheduling in wireless networks that share timing-related information to user equipment (UE) for receiving DL data so that the UE wakes up at the correct time instance.

[0099] The present disclosure increases spectral efficiency and therefore connection density with an optimized method of scheduling resources regardless of the operating mode.

Claims

1. A system (108) for application-specific scheduling in a wireless network, the system (108) comprising: a processor (202) communicatively coupled to a radio access node (RAN) (104); a memory (204) operatively coupled to the processor (202); Including, The memory (204) stores instructions; The instructions, when executed by the processor (202), cause the processor (202) to: receiving data timing information relating to one or more user equipments (UEs) (112) from an application server (AS) (102); the data timing information includes an identifier associated with the one or more UEs (112); the AS (102) is communicatively coupled to the RAN (104); determining whether uplink synchronization is established between the RAN (104) and the one or more UEs (112) based on the identifier; In response to a positive determination, causing the RAN (104) to transmit scheduling information to the one or more UEs (112); allocating one or more resource blocks (RBs) to the one or more UEs (112) based on the scheduling information; the scheduling information includes a periodicity associated with the allocation of the one or more RBs; receiving data from the one or more UEs (112) in an uplink (UL) direction based on the assigned one or more RBs; System (108).

2. The system (108) of claim 1, wherein the data timing information comprises at least one of a release time, an application class, and a data priority associated with the one or more RBs.

3. The system (108) of claim 1, wherein in response to a negative determination, the processor (202) restricts the transmission of the scheduling information to the one or more UEs (112).

4. The processor (202) determining whether downlink synchronization is established between the RAN (104) and the one or more UEs (112); In response to a positive determination corresponding to the downlink synchronization, allocating the one or more RBs in a downlink (DL) direction for transmitting information to the one or more UEs (112). The system (108) of claim 1.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein in response to a negative determination corresponding to the downlink synchronization, the processor limits the allocation of the one or more RBs in the DL direction.

6. 2. The system (108) of claim 1, wherein the scheduling information comprises at least one of a configuration type, one or more time domain parameters, and one or more frequency domain parameters associated with the one or more RBs.

7. The processor (202) releases the allocated one or more RBs based on a trigger sent by the AS (102); The system (108) of claim 1, wherein the trigger is transmitted after the period specified in the scheduling information has elapsed.

8. 1. A method for application specific scheduling in a wireless network, comprising: A processor (202) associated with the system (108) receives data timing information associated with one or more user equipments (UEs) (112) from an application server (AS) (102); the data timing information includes an identifier associated with the one or more UEs (112); The AS (102) is communicatively coupled to a radio access network (RAN) (104); The processor (202) determines whether uplink synchronization is established between the RAN (104) and the one or more UEs (112) based on the identifier; In response to a positive determination, the processor (202) transmits scheduling information from the RAN (104) to the one or more UEs (112); the processor (202) assigns one or more resource blocks (RBs) to the one or more UEs (112) based on the scheduling information; the scheduling information includes a periodicity associated with the allocation of the one or more RBs; The processor (202) receives data from the one or more UEs (112) in an uplink (UL) direction based on the assigned one or more RBs. method.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein in response to a negative determination, the processor (202) restricts the transmission of the scheduling information to the one or more UEs (112).

10. The processor (202) determines whether downlink synchronization is established between the RAN (104) and the one or more UEs (112); In response to a positive determination corresponding to the downlink synchronization, the processor (202) allocates the one or more RBs in a downlink (DL) direction for transmitting information to the one or more UEs (112); In response to a negative determination corresponding to the downlink synchronization, the processor (202) restricts the allocation of the one or more RBs in the DL direction. The method of claim 8.

11. The processor (202) releases the allocated one or more RBs allocated based on a trigger sent by the AS (102); the trigger is transmitted after the period specified in the scheduling information has elapsed. The method of claim 8.

12. A user equipment (UE) (112) for transmitting a request, The UE (112) one or more processors communicatively coupled to a processor (202) associated with the system (108) and configured with a radio access network (RAN) (104); Including, the one or more processors are coupled to a memory; the memory stores instructions; The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: transmitting data timing information to said processor (202) over a network (106); the data timing information includes an identifier associated with the UE (112); The processor (202) receiving the data timing information from the UE (112) via an Application Server (AS) (102); determining whether uplink synchronization is established between the RAN (104) and the one or more UEs (112) based on the identifier; In response to a positive determination, transmitting scheduling information from the RAN (104) to the UE (112); assigning one or more resource blocks (RBs) to the UE (112) based on the scheduling information; receiving data from the UE (112) in an uplink (UL) direction; the scheduling information includes a periodicity associated with the allocation of the one or more RBs. It is configured as follows: User Equipment (UE) (112).

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a processor having executable instructions, the executable instructions causing the processor to: receiving data timing information relating to one or more user equipments (UEs) (112) from an application server (AS) (102); the data timing information includes an identifier associated with the one or more UEs (112); The AS (102) is communicatively coupled to a radio access network (RAN) (104); determining whether uplink synchronization is established between the RAN (104) and the one or more UEs (112) based on the identifier; In response to a positive determination, causing the RAN (104) to transmit scheduling information to the one or more UEs (112); allocating one or more resource blocks (RBs) to the one or more UEs (112) based on the scheduling information; receiving data from the one or more UEs (112) in an uplink (UL) direction; the scheduling information includes a periodicity associated with the allocation of the one or more RBs. Non-transitory computer-readable medium.

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