Method and apparatus for supporting Burst Arrival Time (BAT) reporting

Abstract

Various aspects of this disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for supporting burst arrival time (BAT) reporting. An exemplary UE includes at least one memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to cause the UE to receive a request for a QoS flow's BAT from the network side, determine the QoS flow's BAT, which is a time value relative to a System Frame Number (SFN) boundary, and transmit the determined QoS flow's BAT to the network side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to wireless communication, and more particularly, to techniques for supporting burst arrival time (BAT) reporting.

Background Art

[0002] A wireless communication system may include one or more network communication devices such as a base station that can support wireless communication for one or more user communication devices, sometimes known by another name as a user equipment (UE) or other suitable term. The wireless communication system may support wireless communication with one or more user communication devices by utilizing resources of the wireless communication system (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, slots, subframes, frames, etc.) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers, etc.)). In addition, the wireless communication system can support wireless communication across various wireless access technologies, including third-generation (3G) wireless access technology, fourth-generation (4G) wireless access technology, fifth-generation (5G) wireless access technology, among numerous suitable wireless access technologies beyond 5G (e.g., sixth-generation (6G)).

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] The article “a” preceding an element is unrestricted and is understood to refer to “at least one” or “one or more” of those elements. The terms “a,” “at least one,” “one or more,” and “at least one of one or more” may be interchangeable. Where used herein, including in the claims, “or” in a list of items (for example, a list of items ending with a phrase such as “at least one of,” “one or more of,” or “one or both of”) indicates an inclusive list, such as a list of at least one of A, B, or C meaning A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, where used herein, the phrase “based on” should not be interpreted as referring to a closed set of conditions. For example, an exemplary step described as “based on condition A” may be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase “based on” should be interpreted in the same way as the phrase “based at least in part on.” Furthermore, as used herein, including in the claims, “set” may consist of one or more elements.

[0004] Some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein may include a UE for wireless communication, the UE including at least one memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory, configured to cause the UE to receive requests for a BAT of a QoS flow from the network side, determine the BAT of a QoS flow, which is a time value relative to a boundary of a system frame number (SFN), and transmit the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the network side.

[0005] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a BAT request for a QoS flow from a source RAN node, determine the BAT for the QoS flow to be used at the source RAN node, and transmit the determined BAT for the QoS flow to the source RAN node.

[0006] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a BAT request for a QoS flow from a master node (MN), determine the BAT for the QoS flow to be used in the MN, and transmit the determined BAT for the QoS flow to the MN.

[0007] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the BAT determined for the QoS flow is transmitted to the network side in the UE support information message.

[0008] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a request for a BAT of a QoS flow from the MN, determine the BAT of the QoS flow according to the type of data radio bearer (DRB) to which the QoS flow belongs, and transmit the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the MN.

[0009] In some cases of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive information indicating the updated type of DRB to which the QoS flow belongs, and to determine the BAT of the QoS flow according to the updated type of DRB to which the QoS flow belongs.

[0010] In some cases of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to determine the BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the primary cell (PCell) when the DRB is served by a master cell group (MCG) only, or by using the SFN time of the primary secondary cell (PSCell) when the DRB is served by a secondary cell group (SCG) only, or by determining the BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the primary secondary cell (PSCell) when the DRB is served by both an MCG and an SCG, or by determining the BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PCell and the SFN time of the PSCell when the DRB is served by an uplink split bearer.

[0011] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a request for a BAT of a QoS flow from the MN, determine the BAT of the QoS flow according to the cells indicated by the MN for calculating the BAT, and transmit the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the MN.

[0012] In some cases of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to determine the BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PCell when only PCell or MCG is indicated, or to determine the BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PSCell when only PSCell or SCG is indicated, or to determine a first BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PCell and a second BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PSCell when both PCell and PSCell are indicated or both MCG and SCG are indicated.

[0013] In some cases of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit the first BAT and the second BAT to the MN, along with information indicating which BAT is for the MCG and which BAT is for the SCG, once both the first BAT and the second BAT have been determined.

[0014] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a BAT request for a QoS flow from the MN in an MCG configuration, determine the BAT for the QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PCell, and transmit the determined BAT for the QoS flow to the MN.

[0015] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a BAT request for a QoS flow from the MN in an SCG configuration, determine the BAT for the QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PSCell, and transmit the determined BAT for the QoS flow to the MN.

[0016] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a request for a BAT of a QoS flow from the MN or SN, which is configured to report the BAT of the QoS flow by a signaling radio bearer (SRB) 3, to determine the BAT of the QoS flow by using the SFN time of the SCG's PSCell, and to transmit the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the SN.

[0017] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a request for a BAT of a QoS flow from an MN or SN, the BAT of the QoS flow being composed of an SRB 3, to determine the BAT of the QoS flow by using the SFN time of the SCG's PSCell, and to transmit the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the SN via the SRB 3.

[0018] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the SFN boundary is the reference SFN boundary, or the SFN boundary from which the BAT is sent.

[0019] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the reference SFN and the boundary of the reference SFN are configured or default, and / or the boundary of the SFN from which the BAT is sent is the start point of the SFN start subframe.

[0020] Some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein may further include a processor for wireless communication, the processor being coupled with at least one memory and including at least one controller configured to cause the processor to receive a request for a BAT of a QoS flow from the network side, determine the BAT of the QoS flow, which is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN, and transmit the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the network side.

[0021] Some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein may further include methods implemented by a UE, the methods comprising: receiving a request for a BAT of a QoS flow from the network side; determining the BAT of the QoS flow, wherein the BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN; and transmitting the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the network side.

[0022] Some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein may further include a RAN node for wireless communication, the RAN node including at least one memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to cause the RAN node to receive a first BAT of a QoS flow to be used in a first RAN node, and to determine a second BAT of a QoS flow to be used in a second RAN node according to the first BAT and the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node, wherein each BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN, and the RAN node is either the first RAN node or the second RAN node.

[0023] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the SFN boundary is the reference SFN boundary, or the SFN boundary from which the BAT is sent.

[0024] In some implementations of the methods and apparatuses described herein, the RAN node is a second RAN node, and the processor causes the RAN node to receive a first BAT of a QoS flow from a first RAN node and receive an SFN offset of the first RAN node from the first RAN node, wherein the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node is the difference between the SFN offset of the first RAN node and the SFN offset of the second RAN node.

[0025] In some cases of the methods and apparatuses described herein, when the first BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the reference SFN, the processor causes the RAN node to receive a reference SFN for calculating the first BAT of the QoS flow from the first RAN node and determine a second BAT of the QoS flow according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node, and the reference SFN for calculating the first BAT.

[0026] In some cases of the methods and apparatuses described herein, when the first BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN at which the BAT is transmitted, the processor causes the RAN node to receive the SFN at which the BAT for calculating the first BAT of the QoS flow is transmitted from the first RAN node and determine a second BAT of the QoS flow according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node, and the SFN at which the BAT for calculating the first BAT is transmitted.

[0027] [[ID=第十二]]In some implementations of the methods and apparatuses described herein, the first RAN node is a source RAN node or a MN, and the second RAN node is a target RAN node or a SN.

[0028] In some cases of the methods and apparatuses described in this specification, when the first RAN node is the source RAN node and the second RAN node is the target RAN node, the first BAT of the QoS flow is received in the handover request message, or when the first RAN node is the MN and the second RAN node is the SN, the first BAT of the QoS flow is received in the S-NG-RAN node addition request message or the S-NG-RAN node change request message.

[0029] In some implementations of the methods and apparatuses described in this specification, the RAN node is the first RAN node, and the processor causes the RAN node to receive the first BAT of the QoS flow from the UE and receive the SFN offset of the second RAN node from the second RAN node, where the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node is the difference between the SFN offset of the first RAN node and the SFN offset of the second RAN node.

[0030] In some cases of the methods and apparatuses described in this specification, when the second BAT of the QoS flow is the time value with respect to the boundary of the reference SFN, the processor causes the RAN node to receive the reference SFN for calculating the second BAT of the QoS flow from the second RAN node and determine the second BAT of the QoS flow according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node, and the reference SFN for calculating the second BAT.

[0031] In some cases of the methods and apparatuses described in this specification, the first RAN node is the source RAN node or the MN, and the second RAN node is the target RAN node or the SN.

[0032] In some cases of the methods and apparatus described herein, the processor is configured to cause a RAN node to send a second BAT of the QoS flow to the second RAN node in a handover request message if the first RAN node is a source RAN node and the second RAN node is a target RAN node, or to send a second BAT of the QoS flow to the second RAN node in an S-NG-RAN node add request message or an S-NG-RAN node change request message if the first RAN node is an MN and the second RAN node is an SN.

[0033] In some implementations of the methods and apparatus described herein, the reference SFN and the boundary of the reference SFN are configured or default, and / or the boundary of the SFN from which the BAT is sent is the start point of the SFN start subframe. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0034] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a wireless communication system according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of another wireless communication system according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 3] This figure shows some exemplary BATs according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows how BAT reporting is supported in the manner of this disclosure. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows another method of supporting BAT reporting according to the nature of this disclosure. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a UE according to the aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a processor according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a network device (NE) according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart of the method implemented by the UE according to the aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart of the method implemented by NE according to the aspect of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0035] Extended reality (XR), including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), as well as cloud gaming (CG), present a new and promising category of connected devices, applications, and services. XR traffic characteristic awareness (or XR traffic awareness) in RAN helps with gNB scheduling and radio resource optimization. Regarding uplink (UL) XR traffic awareness, at RAN2#122 meeting, it was agreed that UEs should report BAT and UL jitter per QoS flow to the network side, for example, to the gNB. According to some implementations of this disclosure, for BAT, the UE may report relative time, for example, time relative to the SFN boundary, to the network side. However, BAT misinterpretations can occur due to time asynchronousness between cells in the case of handover, for example, between source and target cells, or between PSCell and PCell in the case of NR-DC.

[0036] For example, in the case of a handover, the UE calculates the BAT according to the timing (or time) in the source cell and reports the BAT to the source gNB before the handover. The source gNB then forwards the reported BAT to the target gNB. However, the reported BAT cannot be used directly by the target gNB if the target cell is not time-synchronized with the source cell.

[0037] In NR-Dual Connectivity (DC), the MCG and SCG may not be time-synchronized. For example, PCell and PSCell are time-asynchronous. The UE may calculate BAT according to the timing of PCell in the MCG and report it to the network. Since PSCell in the SN is not time-synchronized with PCell in the MN, the reported BAT cannot be used directly by the SN.

[0038] To address at least the technical problems described above, the implementation of this disclosure provides a technical solution that supports BAT reporting, for example, a method and apparatus for supporting BAT reporting.

[0039] For example, according to some implementations of this disclosure, the UE calculates (or determines, etc.) the BAT of the QoS flow in the source cell and reports it to the source RAN node, e.g., the source gNB. The source gNB sends the BAT used in the source cell, the SFN offset in the source cell, and optionally the reference SFN in the source cell (configured or default SFN) to the target RAN node, e.g., the target gNB, in a handover request message, etc. The target gNB calculates the BAT used in the target cell according to the received BAT used in the source cell, the SFN time difference (or SFN timing difference or SFN offset difference, etc.) between the source cell and the target cell (which may be determined by the SFN offset in the source cell and the SFN offset in the target cell), and optionally the reference SFN of the source cell.

[0040] According to some other implementations of this disclosure, the UE calculates the BAT of the QoS flow in the source cell and reports it to the source gNB. The source gNB calculates the BAT to be used in the target gNB according to the SFN time difference between the source cell and the target cell and sends the calculated BAT to be used in the target gNB to the target gNB.

[0041] According to some further implementations of this disclosure, the UE is responsible for determining (or calculating, etc.) the BAT for the corresponding node in the case of NR-DC. For example, according to some implementations of this disclosure, the UE calculates the BAT using the SFN time of the PCell or PSCell according to the DRB bearer type to which the QoS flow belongs. According to some further implementations of this disclosure, the UE calculates the BAT using the SFN time of the cell indicated by the network side. According to some further implementations of this disclosure, the UE calculates the BAT using the SFN time of the cell in which the Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration is configured.

[0042] This disclosure solves the technical problem of supporting BAT reporting and avoids BAT misunderstandings between cells, particularly in the case of handover and NR-DC. Thus, this disclosure supports XR traffic awareness in the RAN and helps with scheduling and radio resource optimization on the network side.

[0043] The aspects of this disclosure will be described in the context of wireless communication systems.

[0044] Figure 1 shows an example of a wireless communication system 100 according to an aspect of this disclosure. The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more NEs 102, one or more UEs 104, and a core network (CN) 106. The wireless communication system 100 may support various radio access technologies. In some implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a 4G network such as an LTE network or an LTE Advanced (LTE-A) network. In some other implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be an NR network such as a 5G network, a 5G Advanced (5G-A) network, or a 5G Ultra Wideband (5G-UWB) network. In other implementations, the wireless communication system 100 may be a combination of 4G and 5G networks, or other suitable radio access technologies including IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20. The wireless communication system 100 may support wireless access technologies beyond 5G, such as 6G. In addition, the wireless communication system 100 may support technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), or code division multiple access (CDMA).

[0045] One or more NE102s may be distributed across geographical areas to form a wireless communication system 100. One or more of the NE102s described herein may be, include, or be referred to as network nodes, base stations, network elements, network functions, network entities, RANs, RAN nodes, node Bs, e-node Bs (eNBs), next-generation node Bs (gNBs), or other preferred terms. The NE102s and UE104s may communicate via communication links, which may be wireless or wired connections. For example, the NE102s and UE104s may perform wireless communication via a Uu interface (e.g., receiving signaling, transmitting signaling).

[0046] NE102 may provide a geographic coverage area in which NE102 can support services for one or more UE104 within the geographic coverage area. For example, NE102 and UE104 may support wireless communication of signals related to services (e.g., voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, etc.) according to one or more radio access technologies. In some implementations, NE102 may be a mobile satellite, for example, associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN). In some implementations, different geographic coverage areas 112 associated with the same or different radio access technologies may overlap, but different geographic coverage areas 112 may be associated with different NE102s.

[0047] One or more UE104 may be distributed across the geographical area of ​​the wireless communication system 100. UE104 may include, or be referred to as, a remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, remote device, subscriber device, transmitter device, receiver device, or any other preferred term. In some implementations, UE104 may be referred to as a unit, station, terminal, or client, among many other examples. Additionally or alternatively, UE104 may be referred to as an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Things (IoE) device, or a machine-type communications (MTC) device, among many other examples.

[0048] UE104 may be capable of directly supporting wireless communication with other UE104s via a communication link. For example, UE104 may directly support wireless communication with another UE104 via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link. In some implementations, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) deployments, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) deployments, or cellular-V2X deployments, the communication link 114 may be referred to as a side link. For example, UE104 may directly support wireless communication with another UE104 via the PC5 interface.

[0049] An NE102 may support communication with a CN106, or with another NE102, or both. For example, an NE102 may interface with other NE102s or CN106s through one or more backhaul links (e.g., S1, N2, N2, or a network interface). In some implementations, NE102s may communicate directly with each other. In some other implementations, NE102s may communicate indirectly with each other (e.g., via a CN106). In some implementations, one or more NE102s may include subordinate components such as an access network entity, which may be an example of an access node controller (ANC). An ANC may communicate with one or more UE104s through one or more other access network transmitting entities, which may be called radio heads, smart radio heads, or transmit / receive points (TRPs).

[0050] CN106 may support user authentication, access authorization, tracking, connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. CN106 may be an advanced packet core (EPC) or 5G core (5GC) that includes a control plane entity that manages access and mobility (e.g., a Mobility Management Entity (MME), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)) and a user plane entity that routes packets or interconnects to external networks (e.g., a Serving Gateway (S-GW), Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW), or User Plane Function (UPF)). In some implementations, the control plane entity may manage non-access layer (NAS) functions such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management (e.g., data bearers, signal bearers, etc.) for one or more UE104s serviced by one or more NE102s associated with CN106.

[0051] CN106 may communicate with the packet data network over one or more backhaul links (e.g., via S1, N2, N2, or another network interface). The packet data network may include an application server. In some implementations, one or more UE104s may communicate with the application server. UE104s may establish a session with CN106 via NE102 (e.g., a protocol data unit (PDU) session). CN106 may use the established session (e.g., an established PDU session) to route traffic (e.g., control information, data, etc.) between UE104 and the application server. A PDU session may be an example of a logical connection between UE104 and CN106 (e.g., one or more network functions of CN106).

[0052] In the wireless communication system 100, the NE102 and UE104 may use the resources of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., time resources (e.g., symbols, slots, subframes, frames, etc.) or frequency resources (e.g., subcarriers, carriers)) to perform various operations (e.g., wireless communication). In some implementations, the NE102 and UE104 may support different resource structures. For example, the NE102 and UE104 may support different frame structures. In some implementations, such as in 4G, the NE102 and UE104 may support a single frame structure. In some other implementations, such as in 5G among several suitable wireless access technologies, the NE102 and UE104 may support various frame structures (i.e., multiple frame structures). The NE102 and UE104 may support various frame structures based on one or more numerologies.

[0053] One or more numerologies may be supported in the wireless communication system 100, and a numerology may include a subcarrier interval and a cyclic prefix. A first numerology (e.g., μ=0) may be associated with a first subcarrier interval (e.g., 15 kHz) and a normal cyclic prefix. In some implementations, the first numerology (e.g., μ=0) associated with the first subcarrier interval (e.g., 15 kHz) may utilize one slot per subframe. A second numerology (e.g., μ=1) may be associated with a second subcarrier interval (e.g., 30 kHz) and a normal cyclic prefix. A third numerology (e.g., μ=2) may be associated with a third subcarrier interval (e.g., 60 kHz) and a normal cyclic prefix or an extended cyclic prefix. A fourth numerology (e.g., μ=3) can be associated with a fourth subcarrier interval (e.g., 120 kHz) and a normal cyclic prefix. A fifth numerology (e.g., μ=4) can be associated with a fifth subcarrier interval (e.g., 240 kHz) and a normal cyclic prefix.

[0054] The time intervals of resources (e.g., communication resources) can be organized according to frames (also called wireless frames). Each frame may have a duration, for example, 10 milliseconds (ms). In some implementations, each frame may contain multiple subframes. For example, each frame may contain 10 subframes, each subframe may have a duration, for example, 1 ms. In some implementations, each frame may have the same duration. In some implementations, each subframe of a frame may have the same duration.

[0055] As an addition or alternative, the time intervals of resources (e.g., communication resources) may be organized according to slots. For example, a subframe may contain a certain number (e.g., a quantity) of slots. The number of slots in each subframe may also depend on one or more numerologies supported in the wireless communication system 100. For example, the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth numerologies (i.e., μ=0, μ=1, μ=2, μ=3, μ=4) associated with the respective subcarrier intervals of 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, 120kHz, and 240kHz may utilize a single slot per subframe, two slots per subframe, four slots per subframe, eight slots per subframe, and sixteen slots per subframe, respectively. Each slot may contain a certain number (e.g., a quantity) of symbols (e.g., OFDM symbols). In some implementations, the number (e.g., a quantity) of slots for a subframe may depend on the numerology. For a normally cyclic prefix, a slot may contain 14 symbols. In the case of an extended cyclic prefix (e.g., applicable to a 60 kHz subcarrier interval), a slot may contain 12 symbols. The relationship between the number of symbols per slot, the number of slots per subframe, and the number of slots per frame in the case of normal and extended cyclic prefixes may depend on the numerology. It should be understood that references to a first numerology (e.g., μ=0) associated with a first subcarrier interval (e.g., 15 kHz) can be used interchangeably between subframes and slots.

[0056] In the wireless communication system 100, the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum can be split into various classes, frequency bands, frequency channels, etc., based on frequency or wavelength. For example, the wireless communication system 100 may support one or more operating frequency bands such as frequency range designations FR1 (410 MHz to 7.125 GHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz), FR3 (7.125 GHz to 24.25 GHz), FR4 (52.6 GHz to 114.25 GHz), FR4a or FR4-1 (52.6 GHz to 71 GHz), and FR5 (114.25 GHz to 300 GHz). In some implementations, the NE102 and UE104 may conduct wireless communication over one or more of these operating frequency bands. In some implementations, FR1 may be used by the NE102 and UE104 among several instruments or devices for cellular communication traffic (e.g., control information, data). In some implementations, FR2 can be used by the NE102 and UE104, among many other instruments or devices, for short-range, high-data-rate capabilities.

[0057] FR1 may be associated with one or more numerologies (e.g., at least three). For example, FR1 may be associated with a first numerology (e.g., μ=0) with a subcarrier interval of 15 kHz, a second numerology (e.g., μ=1) with a subcarrier interval of 30 kHz, and a third numerology (e.g., μ=2) with a subcarrier interval of 60 kHz. FR2 may be associated with one or more numerologies (e.g., at least two). For example, FR2 may be associated with a third numerology (e.g., μ=2) with a subcarrier interval of 60 kHz, and a fourth numerology (e.g., μ=3) with a subcarrier interval of 120 kHz.

[0058] In an NR-DC scenario, a UE with multiple transceivers may be configured to utilize resources provided by two different nodes connected via a non-ideal backhaul. Here, one node may provide NR access, and the other node may provide either Advanced Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) (E-UTRA) or NR access. One node may act as an MN, and the other as an SN. The MN and SN are connected via a network interface, for example, an Xn interface as specified in the 3GPP standard document ("3GPP" is a registered trademark), with at least the MN connected to the CN.

[0059] For example, Figure 2 shows an example of another wireless communication system according to an aspect of this disclosure.

[0060] As shown in Figure 2, the wireless communication system 200 may be a dual connectivity system 200 comprising at least one UE201, at least one MN202, and at least one SN203. Specifically, the dual connectivity system 200 in Figure 2 includes, for illustrative purposes, one illustrated UE201, one illustrated MN202, and one illustrated SN203. While a specific number of UE201, MN202, and SN203 are depicted in Figure 2, it is intended that any number of UE201, MN202, and SN203 may be included in the wireless communication system 200.

[0061] Referring to Figure 2, UE201 may connect to MN202 and SN203 via an interface, for example, the Uu interface specified in the 3GPP standard document. MN202 and SN203 may connect to each other via a network interface, for example, the Xn interface specified in the 3GPP standard document. MN202 may connect to the core network via a network interface (not shown in Figure 2), for example, the NG interface specified in the 3GPP standard document. UE201 may be configured to utilize resources provided by MN202 and SN203 to perform data transmission.

[0062] MN202 refers to a RAN node that provides control plane connectivity to the core network. In some implementations of this disclosure, in an E-UTRA-NR DC (EN-DC) scenario, MN202 may be an eNB. In some other implementations of this disclosure, in a next-generation E-UTRA-NR DC (NGEN-DC) scenario, MN202 may be a next-generation (ng)-eNB. In some yet other implementations of this disclosure, in an NR-DC scenario or an NR-E-UTRA DC (NE-DC) scenario, MN202 may be a gNB. In some implementations of this disclosure, MN202 may also be referred to as a master NG-RAN (M-NG-RAN) node.

[0063] The MCG may refer to a group of serving cells associated with the MN202, which may include a PCell and optionally one or more secondary cells (SCells). The PCell may provide control plane connectivity to the UE201.

[0064] SN203 may refer to a radio access network node that provides additional resources to UE201 but does not have control plane connectivity to the core network. In some implementations of this disclosure, in an EN-DC scenario, SN203 may be an en-gNB. In some other implementations of this disclosure, in an NR-DC scenario, SN203 may be an ng-eNB. In yet another implementation of this disclosure, in an NR-DC or NGEN-DC scenario, SN203 may be a gNB. In some implementations of this disclosure, SN203 may also be referred to as a secondary NG-RAN (S-NG-RAN) node.

[0065] SCG can refer to a group of serving cells associated with SN, and may include PSCells and optionally one or more SCells. The PCells of MCG and the PSCells of SCG are sometimes called SpCells.

[0066] In accordance with the RAN2#122 agreement, the UE should report a BAT for each QoS flow to the network side, which can at least support XR traffic awareness on the network side. In some implementations of this disclosure, the BAT can be an absolute time (or absolute time value) or a relative time (or relative time value), for example, time relative to an SFN boundary. The SFN can be a reference SFN, which is configured or the default SFN, or it can be the SFN to which the BAT is sent. The SFN boundary is configured or specified by default.

[0067] Figure 3 shows some exemplary BATs according to aspects of this disclosure.

[0068] As shown in Figure 3, according to some implementations of this disclosure, the BAT of a QoS flow may be represented by time relative to the boundary of a reference SFN, for example, BAT(a) shown in Figure 3. For example, both the reference SFN and its boundary are default, and for example, the boundary of the reference SFN is the start point and subframe 0 of SFN0. In another example, the reference SFN is configured to be SFN512, and the boundary of the SFN is by default the start point of the SFN's start subframe, and therefore the boundary of the reference SFN is the start point and subframe 0 of SFN512.

[0069] According to some implementations of this disclosure, the BAT of a QoS flow may be represented by a time relative to the boundary of the SFN to which the BAT is sent (or will be sent), for example, BAT(b) shown in Figure 3. For example, the boundary of the SFN is configured, or specified by default, to be the start point of the start subframe of the SFN to which the BAT is sent, for example, the start point of subframe 0 of the SFN to which the BAT is sent. The SFN to which the BAT is sent is sometimes referred to as the SFN that sends (or will send) the BAT. Given that a UE may report the BAT to the source gNB in ​​a UE assistance information message, an exemplary SFN that sends the BAT may be the SFN that sends the UE assistance information.

[0070] However, the same boundary of an SFN may correspond to different times in different cells (or RAN nodes), meaning that there can be time asynchronous between cells. Therefore, if BAT is relative time, there can be problems with BAT misinterpretation due to time asynchronous between cells, which needs to be prevented. In this specification, several implementations of the disclosure are shown specifically considering BAT as time relative to the SFN boundary. In addition, while BAT is shown as BAT of QoS flow, those skilled in the art will know that the technical solutions disclosed and taught herein can also be applied to BAT expressed in other ways (for example, BAT is shown as BAT of DRB).

[0071] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for supporting BAT reporting according to an aspect of this disclosure. While the method is shown at the system level between the UE, the first RAN node, and the second RAN node, those skilled in the art will understand that the method implemented in the UE and the two RAN nodes may be separately implemented and / or incorporated by other devices having similar functionality.

[0072] In different scenarios, the first and second RAN nodes may play different roles. For example, in some scenarios, such as a handover scenario, the first RAN node is the source RAN node, e.g., source gNB, and the second RAN node is the target RAN node, e.g., target gNB. In some other scenarios, such as an NR-DC scenario, the first RAN node is MN, and the second RAN node is SN.

[0073] As an example of a handover scenario, as shown in Figure 4, in step 401, the UE receives a request for a QoS flow BAT from a first RAN node, for example, the source RAN node. In step 403, the UE determines (or calculates, etc.) the QoS flow BAT to be used at the source RAN node (or source cell). The QoS flow BAT to be used at the first RAN node, for example, the source RAN node (or source cell), is sometimes referred to as the first QoS flow BAT for simplicity. As described above, the QoS flow BAT can be expressed in various ways, and therefore there are various ways to determine the QoS flow BAT. For example, the QoS flow BAT to be used at the source RAN node can be determined as time relative to the boundary of the reference SFN, or as time relative to the boundary of the SFN to which the BAT is sent.

[0074] In step 405, the UE reports to the source RAN node, for example, in a UE support information message, the determined BAT for the QoS flow used in the source cell, i.e., the first BAT.

[0075] After receiving the first BAT from the UE, the source RAN node sends the first BAT to the target RAN node in step 407, for example, in a handover request message. For example, the first BAT may be included in an inter-node RRC message as an RRC container or in an explicit information element (IE) of an Xn-AP message. If the first BAT is a time relative to the boundary of a reference SFN, the source RAN node may also send the reference SFN to the target RAN node to determine the first BAT, for example, in a handover request message or another message. However, if the reference SFN is specified as a fixed value (default), the reference SFN does not need to be sent to the target RAN node. If the first BAT is a time relative to the boundary of the SFN to which the BAT is sent, the SFN to which the BAT is sent is also provided to the target RAN node, for example, in a handover request message.

[0076] The source RAN node may also transmit the SFN offset of the source RAN node (or source cell) to the target RAN node (or target cell) so that the SFN time difference between the source RAN node and the target RAN node is determined at the target RAN node. With respect to the SFN offset, the SFN offset includes a time offset between an absolute time reference and when the initiating SFN begins, for example, when SFN0 begins. The SFN offset is calculated assuming that the SFN transmission began on an absolute time reference. An exemplary absolute time reference is 1980-01-06 T00:00:19 International Atomic Time (TAI). In some cases, the source RAN node and the target RAN node may transmit their respective SFN offsets to each other in step 400 as a legacy, for example, in an Xn setup request message or an NG-RAN node configuration update message. In some other cases, the source RAN node may transmit the source RAN node's SFN offset in a separate step, or directly from the source RAN node, in a handover request message, for example.

[0077] In step 409, the target RAN node determines the BAT of the QoS flow to be used in the target RAN node (or target cell) according to the first BAT and the SFN time difference between the source RAN node and the target RAN node. The SFN time difference between the source RAN node and the target RAN node may be the difference between the SFN offset of the first RAN node and the SFN offset of the second RAN node.

[0078] The BAT of a QoS flow used at a second RAN node, for example, a target RAN node (or target cell), is sometimes referred to as the second BAT of the QoS flow for simplicity. If the BAT used at the source cell, i.e., the first BAT, is time relative to the boundary of the reference SFN, the target RAN node determines the second BAT as time relative to the boundary of the reference SFN, according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the source RAN node and the target RAN node, and the reference SFN of the source cell. For example, the BAT used at the target cell, i.e., the second BAT, may be determined by (SFN offset of the target cell - SFN offset of the source cell + BAT used at the source cell), assuming that the reference SFN of the source cell is SFN0. If the BAT used in the source cell, i.e., the first BAT, is the time relative to the boundary of the SFN to which the first BAT is sent, the target RAN node determines the second BAT as the time relative to the boundary of the SFN to which the first BAT is sent, according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the source RAN node and the target RAN node, and the SFN to which the first BAT is sent.

[0079] The same or similar technical solutions shown in consideration of the handover scenario in Figure 4 can also be applied to an NR-DC scenario where the first RAN node is an MN and the second RAN node is an SN. That is, the source RAN node shown above is replaced by an MN, e.g., a master NG-RAN node, and the target RAN node is replaced by an SN, e.g., a secondary NG-RAN node. Information related to BAT determination or reporting can also be transmitted in adaptive messages between the MN and SN. For example, a handover request message in which the first BAT (the BAT used in the first RAN node) is transmitted can be replaced by an S-NG-RAN node addition request message or an S-NG-RAN node change request message, etc.

[0080] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating another method for supporting BAT reporting according to an aspect of this disclosure. While the method is shown at the system level between the UE, the first RAN node, and the second RAN node, those skilled in the art will understand that the method implemented in the UE and the two RAN nodes may be separately implemented and / or incorporated by other devices having similar functionality.

[0081] Similarly, in different scenarios, the first and second RAN nodes may play different roles. For example, in some scenarios, such as a handover scenario, the first RAN node is the source RAN node, e.g., the source gNB, and the second RAN node is the target RAN node, e.g., the target gNB. In some other scenarios, such as an NR-DC scenario, the first RAN node is the MN, e.g., the master NG-RAN node, and the second RAN node is the SN, e.g., the secondary NG-RAN node.

[0082] To give another example of a handover scenario, as shown in Figure 5, in step 501, the UE receives a request for the QoS flow's BAT from the source RAN node. In step 503, the UE determines (or calculates, etc.) the QoS flow's BAT to be used at the source RAN node (or source cell), i.e., the first BAT of the QoS flow. Similarly, since the QoS flow's BAT can be expressed in various ways, there are various ways to determine the QoS flow's BAT. For example, the QoS flow's BAT to be used at the source RAN node, i.e., the first BAT, can be determined as time relative to the boundary of the reference SFN, or as time relative to the boundary of the SFN to which the BAT is sent.

[0083] In step 505, the UE reports to the source RAN node, for example, in a UE support information message, the determined BAT for the QoS flow used in the source cell, i.e., the first BAT.

[0084] In step 507, the source RAN node determines the BAT of the QoS flow to be used in the second RAN node, i.e., the second BAT of the QoS flow, according to the first BAT and the SFN time difference between the first and second RAN nodes. In some cases, the SFN time difference between the first and second RAN nodes may be the difference between the SFN offset of the first RAN node and the SFN offset of the second RAN node. Prior to this, the source RAN node may also receive the SFN offset of the target RAN node (or target cell) from the target RAN node (or target cell). In some cases, the source RAN node and the target RAN node may, as legacy, send their respective SFN offsets to each other in step 500, for example, in an Xn setup request message or an NG-RAN node configuration update message. The target RAN node may optionally, in some cases, send a reference SFN along with its SFN offset to the source cell in step 500. In some other cases, the source RAN node may receive the SFN offset of the target RAN node in another step.

[0085] If the BAT used in the source cell, i.e., the first BAT, is time relative to the boundary of the reference SFN, the source RAN node determines the second BAT as time relative to the boundary of the reference SFN, according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the source RAN node and the target RAN node, and the reference SFN of the source cell. For example, the BAT used in the target cell, i.e., the second BAT, may be determined by (SFN offset of the target cell - SFN offset of the source cell + BAT used in the source cell), assuming the reference SFN is SFN0. If the BAT used in the source cell, i.e., the first BAT, is time relative to the boundary of the SFN to which the first BAT is sent, the source RAN node determines the second BAT as time relative to the boundary of the SFN to which the first BAT is sent, according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the source RAN node and the target RAN node, and the SFN to which the first BAT is sent.

[0086] After determining the second BAT for the QoS flow, the source RAN node sends the second BAT to the target RAN node in step 509, for example, in a handover request message. For example, the second BAT may be included in an inter-node RRC message as an RRC container or in an explicit IE of an Xn-AP message.

[0087] Similarly, the same or similar technical solutions shown considering the handover scenario in Figure 5 can be applied to an NR-DC scenario where the first RAN node is an MN and the second RAN node is an SN. That is, the source RAN node shown above is replaced by an MN, e.g., a master NG-RAN node, and the target RAN node is replaced by an SN, e.g., a secondary NG-RAN node. Information related to BAT determination or reporting can also be transmitted in adaptive messages between the MN and SN. For example, a handover request message in which a second BAT (the BAT used in the second RAN node) is transmitted can be replaced by an S-NG-RAN node addition request message or an S-NG-RAN node change request message.

[0088] According to aspects of this disclosure, a technical solution for BAT determination or calculation by the UE rather than the network side is also provided to support BAT reporting in NR-DC scenarios, which can also avoid BAT misunderstandings due to time asynchronousness between MN and SN. The BAT determined by the UE may be the BAT used in the MN, i.e., the first BAT, or the BAT used in the SN, i.e., the second BAT, which may be time relative to the SFN boundary as described above. The UE may perform BAT determination requested by the network side, which may be explicitly or implicitly required.

[0089] In some implementations of this disclosure, the UE calculates the BAT using the SFN time of a PCell or PSCell, according to the DRB bearer type to which the QoS flow belongs. Which cell (e.g., PCell or SCell) or cell group (e.g., MCG or SCG) is used for the BAT calculation depends on the DRB bearer type. The cell or cell group used for the BAT calculation is sometimes called a reference point. That is, the UE autonomously determines the reference point based on the DRB type.

[0090] If the DRB is served by only an MCG bearer or only an SCG bearer, the UE calculates the BAT according to the MCG or SCG, respectively. In other words, if the DRB is served by only an MCG or SCG, the UE calculates the BAT according to the SFN time (e.g., SFN offset) of the PCell or PSCell, respectively. For example, in some cases the MN configures the UE to report the BAT or DRB for a QoS flow. If the QoS flow or DRB is served by only an MCG or SCG (only an MCG bearer or only an SCG bearer), the UE uses the SFN time of the PCell (MCG) or PSCell (SCG), respectively, to calculate the BAT.

[0091] If the DRB is configured as a replica or split-bearer type, i.e., the DRB is serviced by both the MCG and SCG, the UE may calculate both the BAT for PCell(MCG) and the BAT for PSCell(SCG) and report them to the network. For example, if the UE reports the BAT or DRB for a QoS flow, and the MN configures that the UL data transmission of the QoS flow or DRB is serviced by both the MCG and SCG (UL split-bearer), the UE uses the SFN time for PCell(MCG) to calculate the BAT for PCell(MCG) and the SFN time for PSCell(SCG) to calculate the BAT for PSCell(SCG). The UE reports the BAT for PCell and the BAT for PSCell to the network, explicitly or implicitly indicating which BAT is for PCell(MCG) and which is for PSCell(SCG).

[0092] According to some other implementations of this disclosure, when the DRB is serviced by a UL split bearer, the UE calculates the BAT of the SPCell of the primary path configured by the network. For example, in the case of a UL split bearer, the network may configure a primary path for UL data transmission (e.g., MCG or SCG). If MCG is configured as the primary path, the UE uses the SFN time of the PCell (MCG) to calculate the BAT. If SCG is configured as the primary path, the UE uses the SFN time of the PSCell (SCG) to calculate the BAT.

[0093] The network side may change (or update) the bearer type through RRC reconfiguration or other means. If the DRB type changes, the UE updates the BAT according to the updated DRB type and reports the updated BAT to the network side accordingly.

[0094] For example, a DRB is configured as an MCG bearer, and the UE first uses the SFN time of the PCell(MCG) to calculate the BAT. The network then reconfigures the DRB to become an SCG bearer. When the UE receives a bearer type change instruction from an MCG bearer to an SCG bearer, it determines, calculates, or updates the BAT according to the SFN time of the PSCell(SCG), reports the updated BAT to the network, for example to the MN, and the MN forwards the updated BAT to the SN.

[0095] In another example, the DRB is configured as an MCG bearer, and the UE first uses the SFN time of the PCell(MCG) to calculate the BAT. The network then reconfigures the DRB to be a split bearer. Upon receiving a bearer type change instruction from MCG bearer to split bearer, the UE again determines or calculates the BAT according to the SFN time of the PSCell(SCG), and again reports the BAT to the network, for example, to the MN, which then forwards the BAT to the SN according to the SFN time of the PSCell(SCG).

[0096] In yet another example, the DRB is configured as a split bearer and the MCG as the primary path, and the UE uses the SFN time of the PCell(MCG) to first calculate the BAT. The network then reconfigures the primary path of the split DRB to the SCG. Upon receiving a primary path change instruction for the split bearer from the MCG to the SCG, the UE determines, calculates, or updates the BAT according to the SFN time of the PSCell(SCG), reports the updated BAT to the network, for example to the MN, and the MN forwards the updated BAT to the SN.

[0097] In some implementations of this disclosure, the network side configures which cells are referenced to calculate the BAT, for example, PCell or SCell, MCG or SCG, or both. The UE calculates the BAT according to the cells indicated by the network side. If the network side configures that PCell(MCG) is used to calculate the BAT, the UE uses the SFN time of PCell(MCG) to calculate the BAT. If the network side configures that PSCell(SCG) is used to calculate the BAT, the UE uses the SFN time of PSCell(SCG) to calculate the BAT. If the network side configures that both PCell(MCG) and PSCell(SCG) are used to calculate the BAT, the UE uses the SFN time of PCell(MCG) to calculate the BAT for PCell(MCG) and the SFN time of PSCell(SCG) to calculate the BAT for PSCell(SCG). Thus, the UE reports both BATs to the network side and explicitly or implicitly indicates which BAT is for MCG and which is for SCG.

[0098] In some implementations of this disclosure, the UE calculates the BAT according to the SFN time of the cell (or node) in which the RRC configuration is made.

[0099] For example, if the network side requests a BAT report in an MCG configuration, for example in the masterCellGroup IE, the UE uses the PCell(MCG) SFN time to calculate the BAT.

[0100] If the network side requests a BAT report in a SCG configuration, for example in a secondaryCellGroup IE, the UE uses the SFN time of the PSCell(SCG) to calculate the BAT.

[0101] If the network side requests a BAT to be reported by SRB 3, or if the BAT is configured by SRB 3, the UE uses the SFN time in PSCell(SCG) to calculate the BAT and reports it directly to the SN via SRB 3.

[0102] Figure 6 shows an example of a UE600 according to an aspect of this disclosure. The UE600 may include a processor 602, memory 604, controller 606, and transceiver 608. The processor 602, memory 604, controller 606, or transceiver 608, or various combinations thereof, or various components thereof, may be examples of means for carrying out various aspects of this disclosure as described herein. These components may be coupled (for example, operationally, communicatively, functionally, electronically, or electrically) via one or more interfaces.

[0103] The processor 602, memory 604, controller 606, or transceiver 608, or various combinations or components thereof, may be implemented in hardware (e.g., circuit configuration). The hardware may include a processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof configured as or otherwise supporting means for performing the functions described herein.

[0104] The processor 602 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general-purpose processor, DSP, CPU, ASIC, FPGA, or any combination thereof). In some implementations, the processor 602 may be configured to operate memory 604. In some other implementations, memory 604 may be integrated into the processor 602. The processor 602 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory 604 in order to cause the UE 600 to perform various functions of this disclosure.

[0105] Memory 604 may include volatile or non-volatile memory. Memory 604 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code, which, when executed by processor 602, causes UE 600 to perform various functions described herein. The code may be stored in memory 604 or in a non-temporary computer-readable medium such as another type of memory. The computer-readable medium includes both non-temporary computer storage mediums and communication mediums, which include any medium that facilitates the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. The non-temporary storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0106] In some implementations, the processor 602 and the memory 604 coupled to the processor 602 may be configured to cause the UE 600 to perform one or more of the functions described herein (for example, the processor 602 executes instructions stored in the memory 604). For example, the processor 602 may support wireless communication in the UE 600 according to the examples disclosed herein. The UE 600 may be configured to support means for receiving requests for a QoS flow BAT from the network side, means for determining a QoS flow BAT, wherein the QoS flow BAT is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN, and means for transmitting the determined QoS flow BAT to the network side.

[0107] In some implementations, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a BAT request for a QoS flow from the source RAN node, determine the BAT for the QoS flow to be used at the source RAN node, and send the determined BAT for the QoS flow to the source RAN node.

[0108] In some implementations, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a request for a QoS flow BAT from the MN, determine the QoS flow BAT to be used in the MN, and send the determined QoS flow BAT to the MN.

[0109] In some implementations, the BAT (Best Before Time) for determining the QoS flow is sent to the network side in a UE (User Engineer) support information message.

[0110] In some implementations, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a BAT request for a QoS flow from the MN, determine the BAT for the QoS flow according to the type of DRB to which the QoS flow belongs, and send the determined BAT for the QoS flow to the MN.

[0111] In some cases, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive information indicating the updated type of DRB to which the QoS flow belongs, and to determine the BAT of the QoS flow according to the updated type of DRB to which the QoS flow belongs.

[0112] In some cases, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to determine the BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PCell if the DRB is serviced by the MCG only, or by using the SFN time of the PSCell if the DRB is serviced by the SCG only, or by determining the first BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PCell and the second BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PSCell if the DRB is serviced by both the MCG and the SCG, or by determining the BAT of a QoS flow by using the SFN time of the SPCell of the configured primary path if the DRB is serviced by an uplink split bearer.

[0113] In some implementations, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a request for a BAT for a QoS flow from the MN, determine the BAT for the QoS flow according to the cells indicated by the MN for calculating the BAT, and send the determined BAT for the QoS flow to the MN.

[0114] In some cases, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to determine the BAT of the QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PCell if only PCell or MCG is indicated, or to determine the BAT of the QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PSCell if only PSCell or SCG is indicated, or to determine the first BAT of the QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PCell and the second BAT of the QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PSCell if both PCell and PSCell are indicated or both MCG and SCG are indicated.

[0115] In some cases, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to send the first BAT and the second BAT to the MN, along with information indicating which BAT is for the MCG and which BAT is for the SCG, once both the first BAT and the second BAT have been determined.

[0116] In some implementations, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a BAT request for a QoS flow from the MN in an MCG configuration, determine the BAT for the QoS flow using the PCell's SFN time, and send the determined BAT for the QoS flow to the MN.

[0117] In some implementations, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a BAT request for a QoS flow from the MN in an SCG configuration, determine the BAT for the QoS flow by using the SFN time of the PSCell, and send the determined BAT for the QoS flow to the MN.

[0118] In some implementations, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a BAT request for a QoS flow from the MN or SN, which is configured to report the BAT for the QoS flow by SRB 3, to determine the BAT for the QoS flow by using the SFN time of the SCG's PSCell, and to send the determined BAT for the QoS flow to the SN.

[0119] In some implementations, at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to receive a request for a QoS flow BAT from the MN or SN, the QoS flow BAT being composed of an SRB 3, determine the QoS flow BAT by using the SFN time of the SCG's PSCell, and transmit the determined QoS flow BAT to the SN via the SRB 3.

[0120] In some implementations, the SFN boundary is the boundary of the reference SFN, or the boundary of the SFN from which the BAT is sent.

[0121] In some implementations, the reference SFN and its boundaries are configured or default, and / or the boundary of the SFN to which the BAT is sent is the start point of the SFN's start subframe.

[0122] The controller 606 can manage input and output signals for the UE600. The controller 606 can also manage peripherals not integrated into the UE600. In some implementations, the controller 606 may utilize an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, WINDOWS®, or other operating systems. In some implementations, the controller 606 may be implemented as part of the processor 602.

[0123] In some implementations, the UE600 may include at least one transceiver 608. In some other implementations, the UE600 may have two or more transceivers 608. A transceiver 608 may represent a wireless transceiver. A transceiver 608 may include one or more receiver chains 610, one or more transmitter chains 612, or a combination thereof.

[0124] The receiver chain 610 may be configured to receive signals (e.g., control information, data, packets) over a wireless medium. For example, the receiver chain 610 may include one or more antennas for receiving signals over air or a wireless medium. The receiver chain 610 may include at least one amplifier (e.g., a low-noise amplifier (LNA)) configured to amplify the received signal. The receiver chain 610 may include at least one demodulator configured to demodulate the received signal and obtain transmitted data by inverting the modulation technique applied during the transmission of the signal. The receiver chain 610 may include at least one decoder for decoding the processing of the demodulated signal to receive transmitted data.

[0125] The transmitter chain 612 may be configured to generate and transmit signals (e.g., control information, data, packets). The transmitter chain 612 may include at least one modulator for modulating data over a carrier signal and preparing a signal for transmission over a wireless medium. The at least one modulator may be configured to support one or more techniques, such as amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), or digital modulation schemes such as phase-shift keying (PSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). The transmitter chain 612 may also include at least one power amplifier configured to amplify the modulated signal to an appropriate power level suitable for transmission over a wireless medium. The transmitter chain 612 may also include one or more antennas for transmitting the amplified signal into the air or wireless medium.

[0126] Figure 7 shows an example of a processor 700 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The processor 700 may be an example of a processor configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. The processor 700 may include a controller 702 configured to perform various operations according to the examples described herein. The processor 700 may optionally include at least one memory 704, which may be, for example, an L1 / L2 / L3 cache. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 700 may optionally include one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs) 706. One or more of these components may communicate electronically via one or more interfaces (e.g., buses) or otherwise be coupled (e.g., operationally, communicatively, functionally, electronically, electrically).

[0127] The processor 700 may be a processor chipset and may include a protocol stack (e.g., a software stack) executed by the processor chipset to perform various operations (e.g., receive, acquire, retrieve, transmit, output, transfer, store, determine, identify, access, write, read) in accordance with the examples described herein. The processor chipset may include one or more cores, one or more caches (e.g., memory local to or included in the processor chipset (e.g., processor 700), or other memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phase-change memory (PCM), etc.)).

[0128] The controller 702 may be configured to manage and coordinate various operations of the processor 700 (e.g., signaling, receiving, acquiring, retrieving, transmitting, outputting, transferring, storing, determining, identifying, accessing, writing, reading) in order to enable the processor 700 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. For example, the controller 702 may act as a control unit of the processor 700, generating control signals that manage the operation of various components of the processor 700. These control signals include enabling or disabling functional units, selecting data paths, initiating memory access, and coordinating the timing of operations.

[0129] The controller 702 may be configured to fetch instructions from memory 704 (e.g., retrieve, retrieve, receive) and determine subsequent instructions to be executed in order to enable the processor 700 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. The controller 702 may be configured to track the memory addresses of instructions associated with memory 704. The controller 702 may be configured to decode instructions to determine the operations to be performed and the operands involved. For example, the controller 702 may be configured to interpret instructions and determine control signals to be output to other components of the processor 700 in order to enable the processor 700 to support various operations according to the examples described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 702 may be configured to manage the flow of data within the processor 700. The controller 702 may be configured to control the transfer of data between registers, arithmetic logic units (ALUs), and other functional units of the processor 700.

[0130] Memory 704 may include one or more caches (for example, memory local to or included in the processor 700, or other memory such as RAM, ROM, DRAM, SDRAM, SRAM, MRAM, flash memory, etc.). In some implementations, memory 704 may reside within or on the processor chipset (for example, locally to the processor 700). In some other implementations, memory 704 may reside outside the processor chipset (for example, remotely to the processor 700).

[0131] Memory 704 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code, which, when executed by the processor 700, causes the processor 700 to perform various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium, such as system memory or another type of memory. The controller 702 and / or the processor 700 may be configured to execute the computer-readable instructions stored in memory 704 in order to cause the processor 700 to perform various functions. For example, the processor 700 and / or the controller 702 may be coupled to or connected to memory 704, and the processor 700, controller 702, and memory 704 may be configured to perform various functions described herein. In some examples, the processor 700 may include multiple processors, and memory 704 may include multiple memories. One or more of the multiple processors may be coupled to one or more of the multiple memories, and the multiple memories may be configured individually or collectively to perform various functions described herein.

[0132] One or more ALU706s may be configured to support various operations according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, one or more ALU706s may reside within or on a processor chipset (e.g., processor 700). In some other implementations, one or more ALU706s may reside outside of a processor chipset (e.g., processor 700). One or more ALU706s may perform one or more calculations on data, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. For example, one or more ALU706s may receive input operands and an arithmetic code that determines the operation to be performed. One or more ALU706s may consist of various logic and arithmetic circuits, including adders, subtractors, shifters, and logic gates, to process and manipulate data according to the calculations. As an addition or alternative, one or more ALU706s may support logical operations such as AND, OR, exclusive OR (XOR), negated OR (NOR), and negated AND (NAND), enabling one or more ALU706s to handle conditional operations, comparisons, and bitwise operations.

[0133] The processor 700 may support wireless communication in accordance with the examples disclosed herein. The processor 700 may be configured or operable to support means for receiving a request for a BAT of a QoS flow from the network side, means for determining the BAT of a QoS flow, wherein the BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN, and means for transmitting the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the network side.

[0134] Figure 8 shows an example of an NE800 according to an aspect of this disclosure, for example, a first RAN node or a second RAN node. The NE800 may include a processor 802, memory 804, controller 806, and transceiver 808. The processor 802, memory 804, controller 806, or transceiver 808, or various combinations thereof or various components thereof, may be examples of means for carrying out various aspects of this disclosure as described herein. These components may be coupled (for example, operationally, communicatively, functionally, electronically, or electrically) via one or more interfaces.

[0135] The processor 802, memory 804, controller 806, or transceiver 808, or various combinations or components thereof, may be implemented in hardware (e.g., circuit configuration). The hardware may include a processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof configured as or otherwise supporting means for performing the functions described herein.

[0136] The processor 802 may include an intelligent hardware device (e.g., a general-purpose processor, DSP, CPU, ASIC, FPGA, or any combination thereof). In some implementations, the processor 802 may be configured to operate memory 804. In some other implementations, memory 804 may be integrated into the processor 802. The processor 802 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory 804 in order to cause NE800 to perform various functions of this disclosure.

[0137] Memory 804 may include volatile or non-volatile memory. Memory 804 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code, which, when executed by processor 802, causes NE800 to perform various functions described herein. The code may be stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium, such as memory 804 or another type of memory. Computer-readable mediums include both non-temporary computer storage mediums and communication mediums, which include any medium that facilitates the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. Non-temporary storage mediums may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0138] In some implementations, the processor 802 and the memory 804 coupled to the processor 802 may be configured to cause the NE800 to perform one or more of the functions described herein (for example, the processor 802 to execute instructions stored in the memory 804). For example, the processor 802 may support wireless communication in the NE800 according to the examples disclosed herein. The NE800 may be configured to support means for receiving a first BAT of a QoS flow used in a first RAN node, and means for determining a second BAT of a QoS flow used in a second RAN node according to the first BAT and the SFN time difference between the first and second RAN nodes, wherein each BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN, and the RAN node is either the first or second RAN node.

[0139] In some implementations, the SFN boundary is the boundary of the reference SFN, or the boundary of the SFN from which the BAT is sent.

[0140] In some implementations, the RAN node is a second RAN node, and the processor is configured to cause the RAN node to receive the first BAT of the QoS flow from the first RAN node and the SFN offset of the first RAN node from the first RAN node, wherein the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node is the difference between the SFN offset of the first RAN node and the SFN offset of the second RAN node.

[0141] In some cases, if the first BAT of a QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of a reference SFN, the processor is configured to cause the RAN node to receive a reference SFN from the first RAN node for calculating the first BAT of the QoS flow, and to determine the second BAT of the QoS flow according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the first and second RAN nodes, and the reference SFN for calculating the first BAT.

[0142] In some cases, if the first BAT of a QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN to which the BAT is sent, the processor is configured to cause the RAN node to receive from the first RAN node the SFN to which the BAT is sent for calculating the first BAT of the QoS flow, and to determine the second BAT of the QoS flow according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the first and second RAN nodes, and the SFN to which the BAT is sent for calculating the first BAT.

[0143] In some implementations, the first RAN node is the source RAN node or MN, and the second RAN node is the target RAN node or SN.

[0144] In some cases, if the first RAN node is the source RAN node and the second RAN node is the target RAN node, the first BAT of the QoS flow is received in the handover request message, or if the first RAN node is MN and the second RAN node is SN, the first BAT of the QoS flow is received in the S-NG-RAN node add request message or the S-NG-RAN node change request message.

[0145] In some implementations, the RAN node is the first RAN node, and the processor is configured to cause the RAN node to receive the first BAT of the QoS flow from the UE and the SFN offset of the second RAN node from the second RAN node, wherein the SFN time difference between the first and second RAN nodes is the difference between the SFN offset of the first RAN node and the SFN offset of the second RAN node.

[0146] In some cases, if the second BAT of a QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of a reference SFN, the processor is configured to cause the RAN node to receive a reference SFN from the second RAN node for calculating the second BAT of the QoS flow, and to determine the second BAT of the QoS flow according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the first and second RAN nodes, and the reference SFN for calculating the second BAT.

[0147] In some cases, the first RAN node is the source RAN node or MN, and the second RAN node is the target RAN node or SN.

[0148] In some cases, the processor is configured to cause the RAN node to send a second BAT of the QoS flow to the second RAN node in a handover request message if the first RAN node is the source RAN node and the second RAN node is the target RAN node, or to send a second BAT of the QoS flow to the second RAN node in an S-NG-RAN node add request message or an S-NG-RAN node change request message if the first RAN node is MN and the second RAN node is SN.

[0149] In some implementations, the reference SFN and its boundaries are configured or default, and / or the boundary of the SFN to which the BAT is sent is the start point of the SFN's start subframe.

[0150] The controller 806 can manage input and output signals for the NE800. The controller 806 can also manage peripherals not integrated into the NE800. In some implementations, the controller 806 may utilize an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, WINDOWS®, or other operating systems. In some implementations, the controller 806 may be implemented as part of the processor 802.

[0151] In some implementations, the NE800 may include at least one transceiver 808. In some other implementations, the NE800 may have two or more transceivers 808. A transceiver 808 may represent a wireless transceiver. A transceiver 808 may include one or more receiver chains 810, one or more transmitter chains 812, or a combination thereof.

[0152] The receiver chain 810 may be configured to receive signals (e.g., control information, data, packets) over a wireless medium. For example, the receiver chain 810 may include one or more antennas for receiving signals over air or a wireless medium. The receiver chain 810 may include at least one amplifier (e.g., a low-noise amplifier (LNA)) configured to amplify the received signal. The receiver chain 810 may include at least one demodulator configured to demodulate the received signal and obtain transmitted data by inverting the modulation technique applied during the transmission of the signal. The receiver chain 810 may include at least one decoder for decoding the processing of the demodulated signal to receive transmitted data.

[0153] The transmitter chain 812 may be configured to generate and transmit signals (e.g., control information, data, packets). The transmitter chain 812 may include at least one modulator for modulating data over a carrier signal and preparing a signal for transmission over a wireless medium. The at least one modulator may be configured to support one or more techniques, such as amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), or digital modulation schemes such as phase-shift keying (PSK) or quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). The transmitter chain 812 may also include at least one power amplifier configured to amplify the modulated signal to an appropriate power level suitable for transmission over a wireless medium. The transmitter chain 812 may also include one or more antennas for transmitting the amplified signal into the air or wireless medium.

[0154] Figure 9 shows a flowchart of a method according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The operation of the method may be implemented by a UE as described herein. In some implementations, the UE may execute a set of instructions to control functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described.

[0155] In step 902, the method may include receiving a BAT request for the QoS flow from the network side. The operation of step 902 may be carried out according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, the operation of 902 may be carried out by the UE described with reference to Figure 6.

[0156] In step 904, the method may include the step of determining the BAT of the QoS flow, wherein the BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN. The operation of step 904 may be carried out according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, the operation of step 904 may be carried out by the UE described with reference to Figure 6.

[0157] In step 906, the method may include sending a BAT (Bill of Action) with a determined QoS flow to the network side. The operation of step 906 may be carried out according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, the operation of step 906 may be carried out by the UE (User Environment) described with reference to Figure 6.

[0158] The methods described herein illustrate possible implementations, and it should be noted that the operations and steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified, and other implementations are possible.

[0159] Figure 10 shows a flowchart of a method according to an aspect of the present disclosure. The operation of the method may be implemented by an NE as described herein. In some implementations, the NE may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the NE to perform the functions described.

[0160] In step 1002, the method may include receiving a first BAT of the QoS flow to be used at the first RAN node. The operation of step 1002 may be carried out according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, the operation of step 1002 may be carried out by the NE described with reference to Figure 8.

[0161] In step 1004, the method may include the step of determining a second BAT for a QoS flow to be used at the second RAN node, according to a first BAT and the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node, wherein each BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN, and the RAN node is either the first RAN node or the second RAN node. The operation of step 1004 may be carried out according to the examples described herein. In some implementations, the operation of step 1004 may be carried out by the NE described with reference to Figure 8.

[0162] The methods described herein illustrate possible implementations, and it should be noted that the operations and steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified, and other implementations are possible.

[0163] The descriptions herein are provided to enable those skilled in the art to create or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Thus, this disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but is given the broadest scope that is consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0164] 100 Wireless Communication Systems 102 NE 104 UE 106 Core Network (CN), CN 112 Geographic Coverage Areas 114 Communication Link 200 Wireless Communication System, Dual Connectivity System 201 UE 202 MN 203 SN 600 UE 602 Processors 604 memory 606 Controller 608 Transceiver 610 Receiver Chain 612 Transmitter Chain 700 Processor 702 Controller 704 memory 706 Arithmetic logic unit (ALU), ALU 800 NE 802 Processor 804 memory 806 Controller 808 Transceiver 810 Receiver Chain 812 Transmitter Chain

Claims

1. User equipment (UE) for wireless communication, At least one memory, Coupled with at least one memory, the UE, Receiving a burst arrival time (BAT) request for a Quality of Service (QoS) flow from the network side, Determining the BAT of the QoS flow, wherein the BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the system frame number (SFN), To send the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the network side. and A UE equipped with

2. The at least one processor provides the UE, The BAT request of the QoS flow is received from the source radio access network (RAN) node, Determining the BAT of the QoS flow used in the source RAN node, The determined BAT of the QoS flow is transmitted to the source RAN node. The UE according to claim 1, configured to perform the following.

3. The aforementioned at least one processor provides the UE, The BAT request of the QoS flow is received from the master node (MN), Determining the BAT of the QoS flow used in the MN, To send the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the MN. The UE according to claim 1, configured to perform the following.

4. The aforementioned at least one processor provides the UE, The BAT request of the aforementioned QoS flow is received from the master node (MN), The BAT of the QoS flow is determined according to the type of data radio bearer (DRB) to which the QoS flow belongs. To send the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the MN. The UE according to claim 1, configured to perform the following.

5. The at least one processor provides the UE, If the DRB is serviced only by a master cell group (MCG), the BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the primary cell (PCell), or If the DRB is serviced only by a secondary cell group (SCG), the BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the primary secondary cell (PSCell), or If the DRB is serviced by both the MCG and the SCG, the first BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the PCell, and the second BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the PSCell, or When the DRB is serviced by an uplink split bearer, the BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the configured primary path special cell (SPCell). The UE according to claim 4, configured to perform the following.

6. The at least one processor provides the UE, The BAT request of the aforementioned QoS flow is received from the master node (MN), Determining the BAT of the QoS flow according to the cell indicated by the MN for calculating the BAT, To send the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the MN. The UE according to claim 1, configured to perform the following.

7. The at least one processor provides the UE, If only a primary cell (PCell) or master cell group (MCG) is indicated, the BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the PCell, or If only a primary secondary cell (PSCell) or secondary cell group (SCG) is shown, the BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the PSCell, or If both the PCell and the PSCell are shown, or if both the MCG and the SCG are shown, the first BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the PCell, and the second BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the PSCell. The UE according to claim 6, configured to perform the following.

8. The at least one processor provides the UE, In a Master Cell Group (MCG) configuration, the BAT request of the QoS flow is received from the Master Node (MN), The BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the primary cell (PCell), To send the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the MN. The UE according to claim 1, configured to perform the following.

9. The at least one processor provides the UE, In a secondary cell group (SCG) configuration, the BAT request for the QoS flow is received from the master node (MN), The BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the primary secondary cell (PSCell), To send the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the MN. The UE according to claim 1, configured to perform the following.

10. The at least one processor provides the UE, Receiving a BAT request for the QoS flow from a master node (MN) or secondary node (SN), wherein the BAT for the QoS flow is configured to be reported by a signaling radio bearer (SRB) 3, The BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the primary secondary cell (PSCell) of the secondary cell group (SCG), To transmit the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the SN. The UE according to claim 1, configured to perform the following.

11. The at least one processor provides the UE, Receiving a request for the BAT of the QoS flow from the master node (MN) or secondary node (SN), wherein the BAT of the QoS flow is configured by a signaling radio bearer (SRB) 3, The BAT of the QoS flow is determined by using the SFN time of the primary secondary cell (PSCell) of the secondary cell group (SCG), The determined BAT of the QoS flow is transmitted to the SN by SRB 3. The UE according to claim 1, configured to perform the following.

12. The UE according to claim 1, wherein the boundary of the SFN is the boundary of a reference SFN or the boundary of the SFN to which the BAT is transmitted.

13. A processor for wireless communication, Coupled with at least one memory, the processor, Receiving a burst arrival time (BAT) request for a Quality of Service (QoS) flow from the network side, Determining the BAT of the QoS flow, wherein the BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the system frame number (SFN), To send the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the network side. at least one controller configured to perform the following action A processor equipped with the following features.

14. A radio access network (RAN) node for wireless communications, At least one memory, Coupled with at least one memory, and connected to the RAN node, Receiving the first burst arrival time (BAT) of the Quality of Service (QoS) flow used in the first RAN node, Determining the second BAT of the QoS flow used in the second RAN node according to the first BAT and the system frame number (SFN) time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node, wherein each BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the SFN, and the RAN node is either the first RAN node or the second RAN node. and A RAN node equipped with these features.

15. The RAN node according to claim 14, wherein the boundary of the SFN is the boundary of a reference SFN or the boundary of the SFN to which the BAT is transmitted.

16. The RAN node is the second RAN node, and the processor is connected to the RAN node. The first BAT of the QoS flow is received from the first RAN node, Receiving the SFN offset of the first RAN node from the first RAN node, wherein the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node is the difference between the SFN offset of the first RAN node and the SFN offset of the second RAN node. A RAN node according to claim 15, configured to perform the following:

17. If the first BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of the reference SFN, the processor will send to the RAN node: Receiving the reference SFN for calculating the first BAT of the QoS flow from the first RAN node, The second BAT of the QoS flow is determined according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node, and the reference SFN for calculating the first BAT. A RAN node according to claim 16, configured to perform the following:

18. The RAN node is the first RAN node, and the processor is connected to the RAN node. The first BAT of the QoS flow is received from the user equipment (UE), Receiving the SFN offset of the second RAN node from the second RAN node, wherein the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node is the difference between the SFN offset of the first RAN node and the SFN offset of the second RAN node. A RAN node according to claim 15, configured to perform the following:

19. If the second BAT of the QoS flow is the time value relative to the boundary of the reference SFN, the processor will send to the RAN node Receiving the reference SFN for calculating the second BAT of the QoS flow from the second RAN node, The second BAT of the QoS flow is determined according to the first BAT, the SFN time difference between the first RAN node and the second RAN node, and the reference SFN for calculating the second BAT. A RAN node according to claim 18, configured to perform the following:

20. A method performed by user equipment (UE), The steps include receiving a request for a burst arrival time (BAT) for a Quality of Service (QoS) flow from the network side, A step of determining the BAT of the QoS flow, wherein the BAT of the QoS flow is a time value relative to the boundary of a system frame number (SFN), The steps include sending the determined BAT of the QoS flow to the network side. Methods that include...

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